It has been a few days after the death of Anastasia and the birth of Astilbe, Valentino didn't blame the small sleeping infant in his arms for her death, there was no way the child could've done this, but it still hurt to look at the child without thinking of Anastasia's pale and lifeless face, he looked away from the child before tears could form in his eyes. His eyes landed on a phone not to far away from him, looking at it, he knew what he had to do that would benefit himself and the child. Astilbe rubbed her eyes with her small hands before returning to sleep. Using one of his arms, Valentino grabs the phone and dials (Y/n)'s number, how did he know it? He remembered it being saved on Anastasia's phone. With this in mind, he dialed (Y/n)'s number and with three rings, she picked up. "Hello? Who's this?"
"This is Valentino, and before you hang up on me, please listen." His voice was so sad and desperate. (Y/n) decides to give him the benefit of the doubt, everyone knew of Anastasia's death and she felt remorse towards the moth. "What do you want?" She spoke quietly and her tone was sorrowful. "I... I can't be a father to Astilbe, (Y/n). When I look at her all I can see is Anastasia's lifeless face, I don't blame this child for anything but I can't help it."
"So what are you saying?" She places a bookmark to keep her reading place. "I know I won't be a fit father for Astilbe, so please, give her a life I can't give her." (Y/n) understands what he means, "I- I can't do that."
"Please (Y/n), I can't do this to Astilbe, I need you to do this, please." He begged the female on the other end of the phone. (Y/n) is quiet as she weighs out her options, "..O- okay."
"Thank you." He sighed in reliefs, he tried not to wake up Astilbe in his arms. "When should I-" Valentino cut (Y/n) off.
"I'll show up at your home with her and hand her off to you. I'm sorry for having to burden you with this, but thank you so much."
"It's the least we can do for Anastasia." Valentino went silent as he agreed with (Y/n). "When you get here tomorrow, knock on the door four times."
Fast forward to the next day. Valentino stands in front of the mansion door and knocks 4 times just like (Y/n) had instructed him to do over the phone. He looked down at the infant in his arms. Astilbe giggles happily up at her father and tries to grab his face. Valentino shakily smiles down at her and pats her head. Astilbe giggles even more. Valentino uses one of his hands to grab a picture from inside of his coat, upon looking at it, he smiles slightly and then frowns as he feels tears prick at his eyes. The picture was of him and a pregnant Anastasia smiling at the camera, he had bunny ears above Anastasia's head and Anastasia was in a position of lightly slapping his hand away with a large grin as the picture went off. Using two hands he got a pen and wrote a note on the back of the picture reading "We both care about you, Astilbe, even if we aren't there in person, we will always care about you.", he signed the note with his name and Anastasia's and tucked the note in the bundle of blankets with Astilbe. She let out a small noise as she yawned and fell asleep comfortably in the bundle.
After placing the picture with Astilbe, the door to the mansion opened and revealed a 3 month pregnant (Y/n). (Y/n) looked up at Valentino and gave him a quick hug. Valentino gently handed the bundle that is Astilbe to (Y/n). As she takes the bundle with one arm and with the other pulls out a flower, a flower he instantly recognized. A Tomb Bloom. "Keep it, will you? For Anastasia's memory." Valentino looks at (Y/n) before taking the flower. "Of course, and again, thank you."
(Y/n) nods as she steps inside the mansion and closes the door with one hand. Valentino waits for the doors to finish closing and then walks away from the door, he looks back one last time with a small smile knowing that his daughter will probably be able to have a better life than he could have ever given her. With that, he left the mansion grounds.
(Y/n) looked down at the sleeping infant as she walks into the living room with Astilbe in her arms, this takes everyone's attention as she sits down on the couch. "Dear, what is it that you have in your arms?" Alastor asked as he strode over to his wife. "Astilbe..." she said quietly, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Oh God... why do you... why do you have Astilbe?" Angel was taken back. Audrey has a concerned look on her face, thinking the worst had happened. Alastor's eyes widened at this discovery. "What happened to the sick bastard? Why do you have his kid?" Jerome was still thinking that it was Valentino's fault for Anastasia's death. Adrian just walked in and heard Jerome. "What?" Surprise runs across Claire's face as she looks at (Y/n). Lillian looks up from her book with a raised eyebrow and a bored look, "Who?"
(Y/n) faced her mother. "Anastasia's daughter."
"Why do you bother with an adopted child's child?" (Y/n) was not in the mood to deal with her mother's antics today. "That adopted child was still my daughter!" She didn't want to wake up Astilbe. "Not by blood."
"Blood binds nothing!"
"Blood binds everything!"
(Y/n) gave a disgusted look towards her mother as she faces everyone else. Everyone was in shock at how rude Lillian was but ignored her as they needed answers from (Y/n). Angel and Audrey's daughter, Chromia, was confused by all the tension in the room but continued to play with her baby toys.
"Yesterday Valentino called me saying he... he couldn't be a father to Astilbe, so he wanted me to take care of her instead." Lillian scoffed, "Pah- lease, let the child go to an orphanage or else you'll have a bunch of brats running around the mansion if you don't do anything." (Y/n) sends a stern glare at her mother. Everyone except Jerome and Lillian has shocked faces that turned into pity once they look at Astilbe and think of what Valentino was feeling giving up his child for her to have a better than with her own father.
Jerome was surprised that Valentino was able of such a thing, to admit something that wouldn't work out just so that his daughter may have a better life than Valentino himself. Lillian rolled her eyes, "Next thing you know he's going to come to your door every day begging for something else or for you to deal with his problems for him. And that "daughter" Anastasia? Her fault for dying and leaving that Valentneo? Is that how you say his name? Whatever, all alone and left him to make the choice of giving his daughter. All her fault."
Audrey and Adrian swear they could hear (Y/n)'s blood pressure rising. "Are you kidding me?" Lillian looked around at everyone else in the room. "What?"
"Your youngest granddaughter, Anastasia, is dead and you have the gall to disrespect her like this?! Saying that her death is her own fault?!" With the amount of stress Lillian is putting on (Y/n), it's surprising that she wasn't in pain since everyone knows that stress isn't good for a pregnant woman and an unborn baby. "Yes, yes I do have the "gall" to say such thing for it's her fault for running away and having a child that ended up in her death." She rolled her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing. "And besides, she's dead, how can I disrespect a dead person." Ruth stepped into the room once she heard about Valentino giving Astilbe to (Y/n) to care for her, then she heard her mother's words. "How dare you mother!" She was utterly revolted after hearing those words, even if someone is dead, you should never disrespect them, especially if they're family, for you never know who is listening.
"I'm simply speaking the utter truth with opened eyes, I have no idea why you are all against me!" (Y/n) is under so much rage and stress from her mother's words and herself being pregnant that she cannot stand this any longer more than anything else and she would fall apart in one way or another. Due to the argument Astilbe had woken up and had began crying. (Y/n) had to exit the room without a word to anyone to just get away from Lillian and she succeeded. She began quieting down Astilbe by using her powers to create little snowflakes above Astilbe, needless to say, Astilbe stopped crying and even began to try and catch the snowflakes, one even landed on her nose which made laughter erupt from the small infant. As (Y/n) goes to her bedroom she runs into Chromia in the play room, who looked up at (Y/n), she was seated on the floor curiously staring up at her grandmother and pointed to the bundle in her arms. Chromia makes baby noises looking at the bundle in (Y/n)'s arms as her 3ft wings draped over her legs. (Y/n) sighs, "Not now, Chromia, I'm sorry, but not right now." She walks away with a curious Chromia behind her. "Aamaa?" Chromia said to (Y/n) without (Y/n) hearing her.
This is Chromia 👉