Her mouth told me one thing, her face another.
The snow. It had never been a good omen.
I didn’t know which way to turn. What to do. So I gave in to the thought screaming the loudest.
“Get inside,” I told her. “We’re going to get the kids, and then we’re going to the hospital.”
She dallied for a second, looking up at the sky. “All right,” she said, turning her eyes on me, snow coating her lashes.
Those two words almost gutted me. She had done this enough times to know. If something were wrong…she wouldn’t tell me. Not unless she had to. She’d want to spare me from the fear. Too late. It almost consumed me.
As soon as we were inside the studio, she held on to the barre, stopping. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, breathing in and out. She reached out for me with a trembling hand, squeezing.
“Scarlett…”
“Give me a minute.”
“Matteo! Mia!”
They rushed out of the backroom.
“Let’s go. Now. We need to get mamma to the—”
“No.” Scarlett shook her head. “I don’t think—Ah!”
She doubled over, holding her stomach. Water came down her legs in a rush, soaking the floor through her stockings. Her pink pointes turned almost black with the wetness.
Glancing at my children, all I saw was fear on their faces. I was thankful that Mariano and Marciano had decided to stay with Romeo and Juliette for the night.
“Mia,” I said, holding on to Scarlett. “Call an ambulance.Adesso!”
She nodded, shocked out of her trance, and ran to her bag. Matteo stood transfixed, the anxiousness coming from him a visceral thing. Scarlett had started to make noises that turned my blood cold.
“Go in the back and get me some blankets, son,” I spoke to him in Italian.
He refused to move.
Mia came with the phone asking questions—I snapped at her, not meaning to. Why all the fucking questions when the emergency was here?
“Papà…” She hesitated, showing me the phone. “It will be a little while. A bad accident. The snow.”
Her words seemed jumbled, almost unreal.
“Brando,” Scarlett panted, trying to keep her voice level and down. Breathing in and out, but in heavy streams. “I’m not going to make it to the hospital. This baby is coming fast.”
“How do you know?”
She gave me a look that could have melted ice. Couldn’t blame her. I would’ve given me the same look for such an inane fucking question.
“Mamma,” Matteo whispered.
We both looked at our children. Worried out of their minds.
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him. Then another contraction hit her, as hard as a fist it seemed.
“Mia,” I said, holding Scarlett up and close. “Take Matteo with you and have him sit in the office. Grab blankets and bring them to me. Then call your grandparents and sit with Matteo while you wait for them to come.”
I had to snap to get them both to move, but they did. Matteo came back with Mia, not listening. He wasn’t crying but seemed to be in shock.
