My words break through Enzo’s hold. He releasesme. I stand, but as I do, Enzo’s eyes roll to the back of his head, and he collapses.
I scream.
Someone grabs me, holding me back. I try to kick at them.
“Let us do our jobs. Please.”
I deflate.
“We need to get you both to the hospital.”
I nod, numb.
49
Almost Unbearable
I’m scared that you’re gone and you’re not ever coming back. Please don’t let that be true. —Please, Iz
Izzy
“I’msorry,Mrs.Russo,they didn’t make it.”
A scream tears from my lungs—raw, inhuman. The hospital walls close in around me.
Massimo’s grip is iron-tight around my hand, anchoring me to a reality I no longer want.
“Isolde,” he says, his voice hoarse, low, “you need to stay calm. He needs you.”
Heartbreak like I’ve never felt makes my chest feel as though it’s collapsing inward. But he’s right.
Enzo needs me.
Our baby is gone—ripped away before we even got a chance to hold them—but he’s still alive. Broken, bruised—just as I was when I came to him.
“You need to rest. We’ll give you some medicine to remove the rest of the pregnancy tissue over the next few hours. Usually we’d send you home—but given the circumstances, we’ll keep you here overnight for observation.”
The doctor leaves after giving me some pills and water.
Massimo stands.
“Will you be okay on your own for a moment? I have two guards outside if you need anything.”
I nod. “I’ll be okay. Let me know if anything changes.”
He squeezes my hand one last time before leaving.
Enzo hasn’t woken up since we arrived here. The doctors said that it’s just his way of healing.
In the quiet of the room, I let myself grieve.
It might not have been planned, I may not have known for long, but the pain of losing my child feels almost unbearable.
Enzo
A rhythmic beeping wakes me.
Startling, my eyes snap open.
