Book 2: Chapter Eighty-Eight - Blessed Indeed!

Book 2: Chapter Eighty-Eight - Blessed Indeed!
With so much work to do, Matteo didn’t get a moment's respite to go home. Freddie and his team worked on the Ferrari, since their fate depended on it. They had to please Lucas Donnelly. It was, after all, his favorite car! 

It was late when Matteo returned home to find Amelia fast asleep with Mariella. He felt worried about her since she always waited up for him. He had to talk to her and convince her to see the doctor. 

The next morning he sat down to breakfast, but Amelia wasn’t present at the table with them. Mariella gave him a sad look as she ate her breakfast alone. 

“What happened to your Mama, Marie?” 

“She’s sick, Papà. Last night she threw up her dinner. Even today she threw up twice already. Can you make her better? I hate it when she’s sick!” 

“Don’t worry. Have your breakfast. I’ll check up with your Mama.” He went into their bedroom to see his Emilia lying down. 

“Emilia? What happened to you? I’ll take you to the doctor right away,” he insisted. 

“Who will drop Marie at school?” she whispered, trying to sit up. “I haven’t been able to get her ready yet.” 

“Tell me what to do and I’ll get her ready. I’ll drop her off and then take you to the doctor.” However, she didn’t have to help Matteo at all. Mariella knew everything and instructed him to perfection. She gave him the directions to her school and walked in with confidence. Matteo watched her with astonishment. His little girl had really grown up! 

He returned to take Amelia to the hospital. There was a huge queue at the OPD and they had to wait. 

“Are you getting late because of me?” asked Amelia, feeling guilty. 

“No, Cara. I can wait here all day for you. Your health is more important than anything else in the world.” 

It was their turn, and Matteo helped her inside. The doctor led her inside to check on her. When she emerged, Amelia had a bright smile on her face. 

“Congratulations, Mr. Ricci! Your wife is 2 weeks pregnant.” Matteo gaped at the doctor and then at his wife with surprise. He couldn’t believe his ears. This was truly a blessing for him, since he had missed the experience earlier. He couldn’t be a part of her life when she was pregnant with Mariella. He was helpless then, but not anymore. This time, he would experience everything his heart desired. 

“I’m so happy! Thank you, doctor,” he gasped with delight. 

Later, they left the hospital, and Matteo wanted to celebrate the news. 

“We can celebrate in the evening with Marie. Why don’t you just drop me home and go to work?” 

“Can you manage on your own, Emilia? I can stay to help if you need me.” 

“No, I can manage. Just pick Marie up from school at 1:30, please.” 

“Sure I will.” He escorted her to their apartment and set about making a simple lunch for them. 

“I’ve prepared lunch. Eat and sleep, Cara. I’ll wrap up some work in the meantime. Call me if you need me.” He planted a kiss on her forehead before leaving. His concern touched Amelia's heart. She rested her tired body with a smile on her lips. 

Matteo checked the sleek Ferrari they had repaired to perfection and gave his approval. Freddie and his team had done a wonderful job indeed. He called Lucas and informed him about his car. “I’ll come down to see it.” 

While they waited for Lucas, the mechanics worked on Nicholas’s cars. Matteo smiled at the color he chose. He wondered why he chose blue for all! 

It was already 1:15 and Lucas still hadn’t arrived. He informed Freddie and left for Mariella’s school. 

“Papà!” squealed Mariella as she emerged from her building. 

“How was your day in school, Marie?” he asked when she ran into his arms. 

“It was good as usual! How is Mama? Did you take her to the doctor?” she asked as he helped her to his car. 

“Yes. We went to see the doctor. She’s fine, but don’t disturb her. She needs rest,” said Matteo. 

“Why? Is she having a baby in her tummy?” Her question made his jaws drop with astonishment. How in the world did she know? 

“Who told you that?” 

“My friend Samantha told me. Even her Mama is sick because she has two babies in her tummy! Can you imagine that?” Matteo chuckled at her words. 

“Don’t laugh, Papà. Please tell me if Mama has a baby in her tummy. I want her to have one, not two.” 

“Well! She's pregnant!” 

“What’s pregrant?” asked Mariella with an incredulous look on her face. 

“It’s pregnant. It means she has a baby in her tummy. There may be one or more than one,” he informed with a shrug while Mariella gaped at him. He drove her home, but dreaded her next question. What answer would he give her if she asked where the baby came from? 

“More than one? Can there be ten?” Matteo considered her question seriously. Well! He had injected millions into her system. Why did only one or two make it to the egg always?

“No, we humans don’t have that many at once.”

“Why not?” Matteo was ill at ease and his ears went red with embarrassment. It was the most difficult question of his lifetime. 

“Maybe because the human body can hold one, two, or three babies at one go. There are exceptions, though!” Mariella looked deep in thought and, thankfully, they reached home. 

“C’mon, let’s grab a quick lunch before I get back to work. I made lunch today. So, hurry!” He unlocked the door, and she rushed in to check up on Emilia. Matteo followed her to the bedroom with a smile on his face which broadened on seeing Emilia look much better.

“I thought you would forget to fetch her,” said Amelia, who was about to call him to remind him. 

“You can count on me always. This time you’re not alone!” 

“Mama, I know why you’re sick. You have a baby in your tummy. How did it get in there?” asked Mariella, sitting with them. Matteo’s face flushed red with embarrassment and he wanted to escape the room. 

“God blessed us with a baby, sweetie. He must have realized how lonely you are!” 

“Really? I prayed every day ever since Samantha told me about the babies in her mom’s tummy.” 

“See? God has heard your prayers. Now freshen up quickly. We’re all waiting to have our lunch.” Mariella rushed to her room and Matteo winked at her with relief. 

“What did you think? I would tell her about your organ and its special function?” she teased, and he chuckled. 

“Yep. That’s why I was thinking of escaping you two.” Amelia followed him out to the dining area with a grin on her face. She served Matteo his lunch while he informed her about Lucas Donnelly and his brother. 

“Wow! You’ll be famous if you make the limo he wants.”

“Not likely but I will at least make good money from it.”

Mariella joined them soon, and Matteo was instantly on high alert. However, she seemed to have forgotten about it and talked about her upcoming project work. Matteo left for work in a lighter frame of mind. 

It was evening when Lucas arrived at the shop to check his car. 

“Hey, Matteo! Excellent work! It looks totally new. So when are you starting with my limo? I can deliver it to you right away.” 

“Thanks. We can start right away, but you have to tell us what you want us to incorporate in the design.” 

“Shall we discuss it then?” asked Lucas with enthusiasm. 

“Sure, let’s discuss this in my office.”

Matteo led him into his tiny office, but Lucas didn’t seem to mind a all. He sat down to discuss his dream limousine. 

“Look, I want the design to allow maximum comfort. There should be adequate seating arrangements for working. The larger seat should convert into a double bed for an overnight stay. There should be an LED screen for entertainment.” Matteo smiled and noted down everything in his special notebook. 

“Anything else? Any specific color combination?” 

“Beige.” 

“Great! We’ll prepare the design and get it approved before starting the work.” Lucas smiled and took out his phone. 

“So tell me about the charges for the Ferrari. I’ll do a bank transfer right away.” Matteo handed him the bill and Lucas blinked in disbelief.

“Is this all you’re charging? This is the lowest price in the entire city, I think. Give me a breakup.” 

Matteo gave him the breakup and Lucas noticed how humble the man was. He kept his profit very low.

“Your business won’t survive if you don’t keep a good profit. I’ll transfer the money to your account but try to be a shrewd entrepreneur, Matteo.” Matteo smiled, but didn’t reply. He needed to build up a reliable customer base first. 

Lucas transferred the money and Matteo’s eyes widened at seeing the hefty amount he sent. It would solve a lot of his financial problems.

“I hope you won’t mind if I share the pictures of my Ferrari on my blog?”