RUSSO - unedited

54

Lorenzo Russo

The second I walked into Beth's hospital room I felt my heat sink. The small blonde little girl was sat in a hospital with a white bandage wrapped around her head.

"Who's this Dr.Ranley?" She asks softly and hold Kendall's hand as Kendall walks over to her.

"This is Lorenzo, Lorenzo this is Beth." She introduces us and I try to put on my friendliest smile and Beth starts grinning childishly.

"Is he your boyfriend? Do you love each other?" Beth snickers and Kendall smiles at her.

"We do, we love each other very much." I answer for Kendall and shoot her a quick wink. Beth gives us a typically child reaction and starts giggling hysterically. She was adorable.

Seeing Kendall and Beth together, I could see how different Kendall acted around her. She was naturally protective and motherly. I knew she was desperate to help this little girl and with just one look at Beth she had me wrapped around her little finger. I always thought if I ever had children I'd only ever work with sons but looking at Beth, I want to protect her from all harm. I naturally wanted to protect her.

"We need to get in contact with her social worker, now." I pull Kendall into the hallway. A huge grin covers her face and she squeals in excitement. She throws her arms around me and I instantly wrap my arms around her.

"We're gonna be a family." I whisper in her ear and she squeezes me tighter.

"We are, we're gonna be a family."

2 months later

Kendall Ranley

Paperwork. Singlehandedly one of the most boring things ever invented. When you're a surgeon, there's tons of it. There's also tons of if when you're trying to adopt a kid, especially when her possible father is the head of the Italian Mafia.

But, we did it.

We got her.

A daughter.

Through tear filled night, multiple arguments, and the scary moments when we thought we'd lose Beth. Yet after everything, we have her, Beth Russo.

"Welcome home!" I exclaim to Beth as we walk
through the doors of our brand new home. She runs through the door and down the long corridor.

"Be careful!" Lorenzo warms just as she falls. "Fuck." Lorenzo sighs out.

"Language!" I smack his chest and run up to her but she just starts giggling and gets back up again and starts running around. My face screws up i'm confusion as I watch her skip around the living room.

"She's a toddler babe, it's normal." Lorenzo laughs and helps me up. "She'll run around all day but, she's not going to fall asleep tonight."

Beth runs up to Lorenzo and clings onto his leg and looks up to him with doe eyes. He picks her up and hold her up in his hip. She leans in his shoulder and immediately pull out my phone.

"Oh my God smile!" I exclaim and open up my camera to capture the precious moment. Beth puts on a childish grin and Lorenzo sticks his tongue out.

My face hurts from smiling and I put my phone away as Lorenzo wraps his arms around my shoulder and kissed my forehead. I bop Beth nose and she giggles at me. "I love it here."
She says and Lorenzo and I exchange smiles.
"Can I see my room?" She asks and Lorenzo sets her down.

"Course you can." He answers and reachers for her hand but instead she just bolts upstairs.

Lorenzo turns to me, "She reminds me of you." He smirks and I roll my eyes playfully and grabs his hand to intertwine our fingers.

"By the way, we have a ball this weekend." Lorenzo informs me as we walk up there staircase.

"Is this your parents event?" I ask and he nods in clarification. "Who's gonna watch Beth?"

"We could call Frankie, or maybe Amber." He suggests and I immediately shake my head.

"God no, they need tryouts for that. I'm not leaving our daughter alone with them." I laugh and he nods his head in agreement.

"What about Micheal?" I ask and turn my head to see his reaction. His eyebrows knit together and I immediately chuckle.

"Dr.Dipshit?"

"Yes Lorenzo, Dr.Dipshit." I laugh, I'm coming to terms with the nickname. "He's reliable and I want her to be in Beth's life. He's a good role model. Think of him like a grandfather considering she doesn't have one on my side."

"Fine, I guess I have to stop calling him Dr.Dipshit then." Lorenzo says with sarcasm and I smile at him.

"I'll give him a call, I'm sure he'd be happy to." I say and we meet Beth at the top of the stairs with a look of fear on her face.

"Someone's in my room."