Page 171 of Diego

“Sleeping.” I cross farther into the room and lower my voice instinctively, even though the bedroom is nowhere near us. “She showered, ate a little, and went right back to sleep. Dr. Mehta said the exhaustion could last for a while, especially after the bleeding and everything that came with it.”

“And the baby?” Lorenzo asks.

“Still fine.”

I say it carefully because I’m not sure I trust the word just yet. “Heartbeat was good. The hematoma is still there, so she has severe activity restrictions until the next ultrasound.”

Donna nods, but Julia looks toward the stairs before looking back at me. There has been something weighing on her since the hospital, and I know exactly what it is before she speaks.

“I keep thinking about the boutique.”

Donna's eyes show me she’s thinking the same.

I exhale and walk closer. “Don't.”

Julia shakes her head. “She was having cramps, Diego. We saw it. We knew she was having them, and we kept shopping.”

“You couldn't have known.”

Donna looks down. “I should have pushed harder.”

“No.” I make sure both of them are looking at me before I continue. “Dr. Mehta was very clear. The shopping did not cause this. Working did not cause it. Stress did not cause it. Blair did not cause it, and neither did either of you.”

Julia presses her lips together, still unconvinced.

“She spent half the night blaming herself,” I add. “I am not letting the two of you do the same thing.”

“We didn't realize anything was wrong until it was too late,” Donna says.

“I am glad she was with you.” The words come without hesitation. “She was not alone because the two of you were there. You got her help immediately. If she had been at her apartment by herself, she might not have gotten help that quickly.”

That finally seems to reach them. Julia looks down at her hands and nods, while Donna releases a slow breath and settles deeper against Lorenzo. He slides an arm behind her shoulders without saying anything, and I know from the look he gives me that he has already had some version of this conversation with her.

Mario shifts forward in his chair. “What is the plan?”

“The plan is that she rests.”

“I meant beyond today.”

I drag a hand over the back of my neck and glance toward the stairs again. “She is staying here. At least until Dr. Mehta clears her to do more. She is not supposed to be alone, and this place works better for that than her apartment.”

Ricardo's mouth moves slightly. “Interesting choice of house.”

I look at him. “Don't start with me.”

His eyebrows rise. “All I'm saying is it's not exactly your style.”

“I disagree,” Victoria says. “I think it's a perfect place to raise a child.”

I find myself grateful for her.

Victoria looks around, assessing the place. “And I think it suits you more than the penthouse ever did.”

I'm confused by that statement because the penthouse always suited me and my lifestyle just fine.

But apparently she's not done. “It was never home, was it? It was always just the place you went when you left work or the rest of us. This is home already. I guess Blair picked up on the fact that you needed more than just another place to go when you wanted alone time.”

I look around the room again, and for the first time I understand what Blair might have seen here that I missed.