My Beloved

Chapter 37

Pietro and Rachelle had told them they were moving in together and proposed a crazy plan that would give them all a fresh new start. Clarissa and Giovanni were already on board. Cara Mia thought it was a great idea, but Gianni knew they would have to all wait for Ava and whatever choice she was going to make.

"I have faith, brother. It will work out." Luca sighed before looking at his phone for the hundredth time. "Daniela will call if something is wrong with Ava." Gianni knew what he was thinking. "It's already 11:30 pm and I'm not even sure she's eaten anything. She has to eat for herself and our bambina." Gianni placed his hand on his best friend's shoulder. "She will be fine. The girls went to visit with her and I'm sure they are taking good care of her."

"It's a GIRL!!!" Rachelle screamed happily. "I'm getting all the bows," Cara Mia said already pulling up the Amazon app on her phone. "You two are crazy! I already know she's going to be spoiled." Ava laughed at her friends. "Girl you already know! Between us, Clarissa, her Uncles and Daddy...she will want for nothing."

Ava's laughs ceased as she looked at them with sad eyes. "You two are really okay with this. This world that is lawless and..." Cara Mia grabbed her hand and gave it a small squeeze. "I'm okay with the fact that I am head over heels in love with Gianni. He does what needs to be done when necessary, but that is not an everyday thing. My dad was a mobster. Your parents were aligned with the mob. It's kind of our birthright," Cara Mia tried to joke.

"Do you love him?" Rachelle asked Ava earnestly. "What?" Rachelle grabbed her other hand and asked again. "Do you love him?" Ava looked away. "You know I do." Rachelle smiled. "Then that's all that matters," Cara Mia said. Ava shook her head and removed her hands from them. "That's not all that matters!" Ava cried. "This world is crazy and dangerous and he could leave me just like my parents. He could just be taken from me and I'd be left all alone."

Rachelle and Cara Mia looked at each other with sad expressions as they got down to the truth of Ava's fears. They each got on the bed and hugged their friend as she cried. "Honey, Luca would move the ocean just to see your smile. He's not going anywhere." Rachelle said with a squeeze.

Cara Mia wiped away her tears. "You need to tell him how you're really feeling and stop pushing him away. He's questioning your love for him. He's drowning in his fear of what life will look like without you and the baby." Ava looked down and sighed. "I will talk to him. I promise." They hugged one another closely.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dr. Daniela interrupted. "You're fine, Doc. What's all that?" Cara Mia asked. "It's an ultrasound machine. Ava wants to take a look at the baby." They all smiled. "Can you call Luca to come here, please?" Ava asked Cara Mia who nodded and smiled. "I'll call him and we'll just wait out here for you three to finish." Cara Mia said grabbing Rachelle and heading outside to the waiting area.

"Hey Luca, it's Ava. Get down here ASAP!" Rachelle laughed as Cara Mia hung up the phone. "You know he's going to think she's dying right?" Cara Mia nodded. "Yes, but he needs some urgency in his steps. I want him on high alert to get his woman back and to see his baby's first ultrasound." She smiled to herself. "You're a menace," Rachelle laughed as she heard heavy footsteps running their way.

"AVA!" Luca yelled barreling into the room. He could hear laughing behind him but didn't care. "I'm right here, Luca. I'm fine." She smiled softly and reached her hand for him. He grabbed it quickly before she changed her mind. "Cara Mia was just being a punk!" Ava yelled causing a fit of laughter to come from the waiting room. "I'm fine. I just wanted you to be here for this."

Luca watched as Dr. Daniela pulled over a machine and moved to raise Ava's hospital gown. "What are you doing?" Luca asked defensively removing her hand. "It's okay, Hanzo. She's going to show us our daughter." Between the use of his pet name and what she just said Luca was spinning.