"They don't know yet. The bleeding—it could be nothing, or it could be—" She stops herself. "They're running tests. They need to make sure the pregnancy is viable, that there are no—no complications."
I sink into a chair because my legs won't hold me anymore. "Where is she? Can I see her?"
"Not yet. They're still examining her. Romeo—" Giulia sits down next to me and takes my hand. "She was so scared. She kept saying it was her fault, that the stress?—"
"It's not her fault." The words come out harshly. "It's mine. All of this is my fault."
"Romeo—"
"I did this." I'm staring at my hands. "I put her in that safe house. I isolated her. And now?—"
"You were trying to protect her."
"I was so obsessed with keeping her safe from external threats that I didn't think about what I was doing to her. The stress. The fear?—"
Giulia is quiet for a moment. "You love her. She knows it was all because you do."
"I don't know if what I feel is love or obsession or some twisted version of both." I press my hands against my eyes. "I don't know if I'm capable of real love. I don't know if?—"
"Romeo." Her voice is firm. "Look at me."
I do, and her eyes are soft.
"You drove here, probably at a hundred miles an hour, because you were terrified of losing her. You're sitting here blaming yourself for her pain. You're questioning everythingyou've done because you're afraid you've hurt her." She squeezes my hand. "That's love. Maybe it's imperfect, but it's love."
I want to believe her. I want to believe that what I feel for Savannah is real. But right now, all I can feel is terror.
Minutes crawl by. Each hour feels like a lifetime. I pace the length of the waiting room, back and forth, back and forth, while Giulia watches me with worried eyes. I can't sit, can't be still.
Finally—finally—the doctor appears in the doorway. "Mr. Ciresa?"
I'm across the room in a few quick strides. "Is she?—"
"She's stable, and so is the baby." The doctor's face breaks into a tired smile. "The bleeding has stopped. The ultrasound shows a viable pregnancy. Everything looks good.”
The words don't register at first. I hear them, but they don't make sense. "What?" My voice sounds strange.
"The bleeding was likely caused by stress and physical strain. It's not uncommon in early pregnancy, especially under difficult circumstances." The doctor's expression is kind. "But the pregnancy itself is healthy. The baby is fine, and so is she. They're both going to be okay."
The relief hits me like a tidal wave, and my knees buckle. I have to grab the doorframe to keep from falling, and suddenly I'm crying, sobbing so hard I can barely breathe. I’ve never cried in public in my entire life, but it’s as if a lifetime’s lack of emotion has hit me all at once, all my relief pouring out of me.
They're okay. They're both okay.
Giulia is there, her arms around me while I break down completely. All the fear comes pouring out, and I can't stop it. For the first time in my adult life, I am completely, utterly undone.
"It's okay," Giulia murmurs, her own voice thick with tears. "It's okay, Romeo. They're okay. They're both okay."
I don't know how long I stand there crying. It feels like forever. Finally, I manage to pull myself together enough to look at the doctor. "Can I see her?"
"She's resting. Still a bit shaken, but she's asking for you." The doctor's expression softens. "Try not to upset her. She needs to stay calm."
I nod, even though I don't know how I'm supposed to avoid upsetting her when I'm the reason she's here in the first place.
The doctor leads me through more corridors, Giulia close behind. My legs feel weak and unsteady, but I force them to keep moving. She stops outside a room and turns to me. "She's been through a lot tonight. Be gentle."
I nod again, and she opens the door. Savannah is lying in the hospital bed, pale and exhausted, with an IV in her arm and monitors beeping softly around her. Her eyes are closed, and for a moment I think she's asleep.
Then she opens them and looks at me.
