(Max's POV)
Dr. Lonesgrove, the doctor-in-charge when Andrea was brought in is still doing his rounds before I even arrived and that's why I am so impatient right now. No nurses could tell me or even doctors because it was him who attended to my wife.
"Excuse me, Miss-" I looked at the nurse's name tag, "Miss Emily? Do you have any idea where Dr. Lonesgrove is? He attended to my wife and it's been almost three hours since I've been waiting for someone to tell me her condition."
The nurse peered over my back and she smiled when a person crossed her line of sight so I had to follow where she was looking at.
"That's Dr. Lonesgrove, sir."
"Hello, sorry I was running my rounds in the neonatal wing and had to help a nurse feeding a baby with an ear infection. You can go now, Emily." The blue-eyed doctor dismissed her and gestured for us to go inside Andrea's room, which by the way I had demanded. I won't let her lie down in an emergency room with almost a lot of people dying or bleeding. I don't like how the room presents itself and my Andrea looked perfectly fine. Well, aside from being pale.
Entering the room with Dr. Lonesgrove, I briefly analyzed the room that Andrea was in. Cool, calm and simple. The room was adorned with simple off-white patterned walls, accompanied by a small kitchen that has a microwave, a stove and a rectangular, small fridge and a small LCD TV. By the table beside her bed, a glass that contains water continues to sustain the blooming, single-stemmed rose. Little Matt was sleeping while leaning on Andrea's bed and I can see that he is holding her hand.
"I am Dr. Lonesgrove, sir. You are Mr. Bravucci, I presume?"
"Yes, doc." I nod and offered my hand for a short handshake and he received it well.
"So as for Mrs. Bravucci, she is doing well according to our over-all physical examination. The reason why she passed out while working in the orphanage is-"
"Sir." Tobias, the head of my security, interrupted the good doctor and with his stern look, I am torn between hearing from him and the doctor that I've waited for three hours regarding my wife's health.
"Tobias, I'm-"
"I apologize, sir. I'll be outside after your talk."
"Looks really urgent, if you ask me." The good doctor said and chuckled. "What I'm about to tell you is nothing bordering on life and death. I think that gentleman needs you."
"I will prioritize my wife's health over what he has to say. He can wait." I said with finality and the doctor smiled.
"If you say so." Dr. Lonesgrove smiled and looked at his wooden clipboard and squinted his eyes to read Andrea's file. "Well, the lady is healthy aside from the fact that she had been failing to eat the sufficient amount of food for two!" the doctor grinned.
"W-what?" I muttered, begging him to say it again because I don't think I heard it correctly.
"Her food intake wasn't sufficient for two." He slowly said and looked at me incredulously. "Oh, you didn't know Mrs. Bravucci is pregnant?"
I promptly passed out.
~
(Andrea's POV)
Silence and the blinding light of wherever I am hurts all of my senses since they are all heightened. As I tried to move around, a small hand clasped around mine stopped me from moving too much and I was forced to open my eyes to see who it belongs to.
"A-Andrea?" Matt looks at me with his puffy eyes, an evidence that he was crying probably because of worry about me and I can't imagine putting this precious child into such an emotional train ride.
"Matt, what are you doing here?" I addressed to the little boy and before he answered me, he rushed to the door and screamed.
"Andrea is awake!" He screamed until fortunately one nurse already saw him, called for a doctor and went inside the room and that's the only time I noticed that the room doesn't only house me but for another as there was a curtain beside me that separates me and the other party.
"Good evening, Mrs. Bravucci. How was your much needed nap?" The doctor quietly chuckled and I tightly smiled back.
"I don't feel light-headed anymore, thank you. Is my husband here?" I asked, worriedly.
"Ah, yes. Your husband-"
"Is fine." Max groaned from the edge of the curtain and the doctor frowned a little when he saw Max standing up.
"The most hard-headed patients are men. Seriously, Mr. Bravucci, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm good, thank you, Dr. Lonesgrove."
"Wait, why were you asking him if he's feeling alright? Are you sick?" I turned my attention to my husband who looked like he aged five years within a day.
"Quite the opposite, in fact." Max tiredly grinned and approached my bed and clasped our hands together while my other hand is being held by Matt.
"Well, Mrs. Bravucci, when I told your husband something about your, say, condition, he fainted. A normal reaction, in my opinion." Dr. Lonesgrove chuckled again and I'm getting a grandfather appeal to him. He has this very trustworthy, adventurous and hilarious aura that gives you the impression that you could told him he was dying with a terminal disease he would crack a joke about it.
"So, Mrs. Bravucci, according to your health record and our physical examination, you are about five weeks pregnant and the reason why you passed out in the orphanage is because you haven't been eating enough for two."
I'm pregnant?
I'm pregnant!
Holy shi-
"What is pregnant?" Matt suddenly asks and the doctor smiles at him.
"Well, son, it's when the stork brings a couple a gift that is a newborn." Dr. Lonesgrove said and I looked up at Max with my eyes starting to tear up and his eyes reflect the same.
"We're finally expecting a child!" I cried and he snort-laughed in return.
"Oh my God, we're going to be a family now." Max said, his voice full of emotion and adoration for the new blessing that we received and will continue to nurture for the rest of our lives.
Thank You for the most amazing gift that we could ever receive in our marriage, I silently prayed to God while Max was hugging me while Matt fired Dr. Lonesgrove more questions about pregnancy.
~
Since we were both discharged after Max was checked over and being perfectly fine, I was given prescriptions for fatigue, included prenatal vitamins and some vitamins to help avoid morning sickness if it will come already.
Relaxing by the pool that we never actually used because we never had the proper time and opportunity to do so, Margaret, our housekeeper, gave a glass of orange juice by the table and I muttered a quick 'thank you'. Since it was getting a bit late for me to be just sitting in the lounger with just a shirt and pants, I stood up and went off to get a cardigan in the master's bedroom.
On the way there, I heard Tobias and Max talking in the security room and I heard William's name and I froze, my feet unable to move as if I lost the ability of walking. Unfortunately, this was also the time the both of them decided to go out of the room and Max almost hit me with the door until he saw me unmoving.
"Andrea? How long have you been standing there?" Max quietly asks as Tobias' demeanor slowly crumbles to the ground. I like Tobias because he gives off this really mature friend that will keep you safe in any way possible. In his late fifties, he stood with an eerie amount of strength that comes with his tall stature, stormy blue eyes and a strong, sculpted jawline and his slightly scarred face probably from previous dangerous encounters. I heard from Max that Tobias is quite affectionate and very protective towards me because he treats me like a daughter he never had.
"Not long enough but I heard a name I would never like to hear again." I said, as quietly as he did and Tobias lost his composure completely. He looked at Max as if asking for permission to talk to me in the security room.
"I was about to call for you so Tobias and I can tell you. Come in, mi amore." Max gestured for me to come in and I was suddenly shaking a bit because of the cold temperature of the room and the atmosphere that is definitely not welcoming.
Tobias clears his throat and began talking about the topic at hand. "Ms. Andrea." I offered a tight-lipped smile as he remembered that I only like being addressed with my first name because hearing 'Mrs. Bravucci' makes me feel ancient.
"We received a letter from Lincoln and Associates this morning and it was addressed to both of you and Mr. Bravucci."
"Lincoln and Associates? The law firm?" I gulped, not liking where this conversation is going.
"Precisely, ma'am, er, Andrea." Tobias stuttered and I just smiled even if smiling or laughing is out of the context right now. "Of course the protocol of our security is that we have to scan the objects very carefully and intently before it even enters the house and scan it again before it leaves the premises. The letter addressed to you and Mr. Bravucci states that William Smith was allowed on a parole for three months."
I stood stiller if that was even possible in the state that I was in.
"How in the living heck can the state allow him that?" I incredulously half-screamed and Tobias nodded.
"That's because the system is fúcked up, Andrea. Anyway, that means we have to increase security and that's going to affect everyone close to us." Max said and Tobias nodded again.
"For precautionary measures, I would assign Luke, my right-hand man and the only person that I can entrust to protect Andrea's safety, well, aside from Mr. Bravucci of course." Tobias coughed as Max stared at him and I had to elbow Max which made him chuckle a little. He should loose up a bit to Tobias, he was there by his side for so long now, for goodness sake. "Or not unless, you would want a woman as your personal bodyguard?"
"I'm good with Luke, thanks. I would be more comfortable, trusting your words, of course."
"Thank you, ma'am." Tobias meekly smiled. "As for the Bravucci family, they will be guarded with two personnel inside the house and another two outside the house aiding the security that they already have. As for this house, aside from Luke and I, we will be with Weissman and Reilly which you can always and anytime approach."
"Thank you for your hard work, Tobias." I said and he stiffly nodded, back with his usual stoic composure. Probably the reason why he was able to kept up with the high demands of Max is because he has the same standards.
"Thank you, Tobias. Update me-" I elbowed him again and Max coughed, "us, rather, if anything, anything at all even the smallest move of Smith and whatever that seems threatening and I hope we're clear on that."
"Crystal." Tobias said and Max dragged me out of the room and lead me to the master's bedroom.
"Any more welcoming surprises?" I jokingly said and Max lightheartedly chuckled.
"Nothing bad, I hope. Do you want me to run you a warm bath or would you like to have dinner here first?" Max asked and it was easy to decide.
"You know if you would ask if we could eat dinner then you should have brought me to the dining room, not our bedroom." I mockingly scold him and he acted like he was sorry.
"I apologize for this man's stupidity, Mrs. Bravucci." He apologized in third person's point of view and I tried to conceal a giggle but failed.
"Forgiven. Just remember that I have to eat for two now but not so much, I might gain so much weight that I can't get rid of it after pregnancy."
"That's bull. If I have to fatten you up that you get heavier than 160 pounds to keep you and our baby safe then I'll do it."
~
A/N: OH MY GOD
i know it's been a month and gAAAAAH but i lost my MacBook Air and iPhone 6s (which i only used for 3 freaking days) (also, those two are my graduation gifts from my parents) within a day which contained ALL my files, documents and pictures and everything that i need and have close to my heart. so basically i lost my life within 10 minutes (whoever got my two most prized possessions is2g i will break all ur bones as much as possible) so yeah
plus i had my finals, graduation ball, thesis defense and graduation practices (and im down with two more fml) and im finally graduating this 31st!!! go sELF
i know there are no time for excuses but i hope you understand my situation which i mentioned that happened within like 3 weeks. besides, i got 4 (almost 5) months of summer ahead of me and i'm aiming to finish it before i go on to college because college will seriously kill me (bachelor of science major in accountancy, what's good fam)
so ta-da!!! william is back!!! i want to hear your thoughts about that!
thank you so much for sticking by me and i hope you liked this long and well-deserved chapter. happy easter!!
vote, comment, fan and share!
yours, katrina x