Blood Means Nothing

FORTY-TWO

" Aurora, I need you to calm down," Leonardo says, placing his hand on my shoulder. I shrug away from him.

" Dante is dead. My daughter is having surgery on her eye because Igor decided to kidnap her and hurt her. How the hell do you expect me to calm down?" I yell, tears streaming down my face.

Leonardo looks at me with a sad expression before turning his gaze to our brothers.

" Dr. Jackson is one of the best pediatric surgeons in the world. Astraea is safe in her hands," Axel says, staring at me sympathetically.

" Ms. Rossi," a voice says. I turn and see Dr. Jackson. My brothers stared at her anxiously.

" How is Astraea?" I asked, fidgeting with my hands.

" The damage to Astraea's left eye was severe. We managed to stitch up her cut, but the way her eye was slit took her vision. She isn't in pain, but Astraea will forever be blind in her left eye," Dr Jackson replies.

I take a deep breath, trying to process the information. " So what do we do now?" I ask, my voice shaking as more tears stream down my face.

Dr. Jackson looks at me sympathetically before replying softly, " For now, we need to let her rest and recover. You can see her if you would like,"

I nod and follow her to Astraea's room. As I enter, my heart drops into my stomach. She is lying in the bed with a bandage around her eye, and Astraea looks so fragile and vulnerable at that moment that it brings me to tears once more.

I walk over to her side, gently taking her hand in mine. " Are you sure she isn't in any pain," I turn to face Dr Jackson.

"I'm sure," she replies, smiling at me.  " can I pick her up," I ask, turning to Dr. Jackson.

She nods. "Yes, of course."

I carefully pick up Astraea and cradle her in my arms, tears flowing down my face as I gently kiss her forehead. "You're going to be okay," I whisper into her ear.

" press the red button if you need anything," she says, walking out the door. I nod and hold Astrea close.

" I'm sorry. I promised you that I would never let anyone hurt you, and now you're in a fucking hospital. All of this over me being Donna to the German mafia. So, I'm done. Im going to give it up," I whisper to her.

" You're giving up your mafia?" A horse voice says.

" Saint." I turn around, facing him. " Astraea needs me more than they do. If it wasn't for that mafia, I don't think Ivana would've been able to give Astraea to Igor," I say, placing Astraea into her crib.

" It is not your fault that she is in the hospital," he says, walking closer to me. He smiled weakly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

" You are not to blame," he says " I'm to blame for Dante's death," I admit, my lip trembling as I speak.

" No, he chose to save you. Every parent would sacrifice themselves for their child. Dante knew he had to save you so that you'd save Astrea," Saint says, reassuring me. I sigh in relief, thankful for his words.

I wrap my arms around him, pulling him close to me. " The doctor told me Astraea will forever be blind in her left eye," I say with tears in my eyes. " But she has us, and we won't let anything hurt her again," Saint says, embracing me tightly.

We both stand there, embracing each other in silence. I know no matter what, we'll be there for Astraea and that she will always have us to look after her. But knowing that she will forever be scared hurts me. She won't ever be the same.

Every day she will look into the mirror, and see proof that I wasn't able to protect her.