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Three hours came and went.
Then a fourth, bringing Luca Grassi to the hospital to wait with us.
Then, finally, when I was starting to lose hope, Aurelio was transferred to the ICU where he got two visitors at a time.
Lucky and Adrian went first, of course.
Then Sofia and Elisa.
Milo and Luca were next.
At some point, I imagined Damon went in too, but I was so busy trying to occupy a bored and whiny Judah that I lost track.
“Claire,” a voice called making me jolt, looking up to find Luca standing there. “It’s your turn,” he said. “How about I take Judah down to the cafeteria, get him something solid, while you visit?”
“Oh, ah, okay,” I said, standing on numb legs, and handing off my son.
“It’s okay, honey,” Adrian said, walking with me until she couldn’t anymore. “He’s been asking only for you,” she added, giving me a warm, motherly smile before I was led away on wobbly legs with the nurse, and instructed to get into a gown before I could enter the room.
Taking a deep breath, I moved in, hearing the beep of Aurelio’s monitors, finding something comforting in that, the proof that he was alive, that his vitals were good.
“Angel,” Aurelio breathed out when he looked over to see me standing a few feet in the room, but seemingly unable to force my legs forward.
He looked so damn pale from the blood loss, making him almost match the sheets beneath him.
I had to focus on making my legs move forward, and I nearly collapsed with relief into the chair beside his bed, the tears I swore I wouldn’t cry in front of him starting to already pour down my face.
“You saved me,” he said, voice small as his hand reached out for mine, and squeezed.
“You saved Judah,” I said through my tears.
“Always,” he said as I leaned forward, resting my head on his leg and purging the rest of the tears. “Better?” he asked, eyes soft as he looked at me.
“Not until you’re home again,” I said.
“I will be,” he assured me.
“I met your mom,” I told him.
“I heard,” he said, smile sweet. “She loves you. And is excited about another grand baby.”
Judah.
She was already seeing Judah as her grand baby.
And Aurelio… Aurelio was seeing him as his own.
God, my heart, so torn apart for the past several hours, stitched itself back together.
“I want about half a dozen of them, by the way,” I said.
Aurelio’s smile spread.
“Give me a couple weeks, and we can get started on that.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Aurelio
