Tell Me You Love Me [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24:The Truth Comes Out Part II

Flashback

Sunday December 7, 2008 - Pensacola, Florida

Joe POV

12:08 PM

"Oh! I see the head! She's almost here! Just a couple more pushes, you're doing great!"

Galina's exhausted, she looks exhausted and I just don't know if we're going to get any more pushes out of her small and worn out body. The end of this pregnancy has been rough on her but we're close to the end, our little angel has literally stuck her head out to see the world; we just need a few more pushes.

"Baby, you with me? Just a couple more pushes."
"I-I can't, Joe, I'm so tired." My girlfriend whines and I stroke her hand gently.
"I know baby, I know, but you're almost there, she's so close; the doctor said it, her heads out, we just need a couple more pushes. C'mon, breathe with me and let's try again, alright?"

She opens her eyes and looks over at me and I offer her a smile.

"We got this, babygirl, I'm right here witchu. C'mon, breathe in...out...and push."

She does as I say and when she pushes, the doctor and nurse prepare themselves for the rest of our baby's arrival.

"Almost there Galina, you're doing such a great job! The shoulders and torso are out, just give me one more push, a big push, c'mon!" The doctor encouragingly coaches.
"C'mon baby, we got this, you got this; one more. In...out...and push!"

She squeezes my hand as hard as she can and pushes even harder and before we know it, there's a little cry coming from the doctors arms as they quickly clean up our newborn and hand her to Galina. She looks down at her daughter and back up to me, exhaustion written all over her face but pure joy in her eyes.

"We did it, baby." She says to me and I lean over to kiss her sweetly.
"No baby, you did it."
"I couldn't do it without you, I really couldn't have. Thank you for being my strength."
"All that I do is for you, baby. You and our little princess, Joelle Galina Anoa'i."
"She's perfect." She says with a tired smile.
"Yes, she is." I say and smile back before she hands me my daughter, my first born, my princess.

I'm so scared to be a father, I'm only 23 but I'm determined to do everything that I can and need to do for my family.

I need to do the right thing.

*~*~*~*
Present

Monday May 25, 2020 - Tampa General Hospital

Joe POV

9:15 AM

Today is the day, after all these months of questioning and wondering, all the fights, all the guilt trips, all the shit, I finally get to find out if any of this nonsense was necessary; well, none of it was necessary, actually, but if I'm not the father, that just proves that she was after my money. I mean, okay, I already knew that she was mostly into my money but trying to trap me is a completely different issue. Everything I'm doing now I should've done a long time ago; I should've cut her off a long time ago, dumped her a long time along, lost her number, anything but I didn't do any of those things until now and now one of the most beautiful people that I know inside and out is hanging in the balance between life and death, a place she doesn't belong to be and that poor baby was born four months old because of someone's uncontrollable rage and jealousy. I just don't know what to think.

I lean forward to gently stroke Aesha's cheek while she's still in her coma. She looks peaceful, she doesn't look heartbroken or stressed out; the time that we've been spending together has been great for both of us and we were both happy but I could see the hurt in her eyes, the fear that she'll never admit to feeling, I know it's all there and all I want to do is take it all away but it's going to take more than just my mouth and hands to help her.