Chapter 49

Eliza had argued, begged, cajoled, and attempted to reason with him, but Romano had refused point-blank to defer his position as her coach to Nadia. 

In the end, Nadia had declined to go in to the hospital with her, saying that it was best for Eliza to have her original coaching partner with her.

 Shocked and hurt by what Eliza felt was an unforgivable betrayal, Eliza had refused to look, or even talk, to her cousin while Romano shepherded her out to his car. 

Nadia promised that she and Ryan would be at the hospital soon, as soon as Calvin’s nanny arrived.

"Nadia did what he thought was best, cara." Romano tried to placate her en route to the hospital. Eliza turned her head and stared out at the passing scenery, scared and angry and not really in the mood to be comforted by Romano.

"Nadia knew that I would have insisted and we'd have just wasted time arguing futilely about it." Romano tried again.

"I wanted somebody I trusted in there with me," Eliza said, keeping her eyes glued on the road ahead. Romano didn't respond to that, but from the corner of her eye Nadia saw the Alpha's hands tighten on the steering wheel and knew that she had scored a direct hit.

The rest of the journey went by quickly, and before Eliza knew it, she was being admitted into the elite private maternity clinic that Romano had arranged for her months ago. 

Eliza had had only one contraction en route but it had nearly sent Romano off the road in a panic.

Still it was hours before anything more interesting than that happened. The doctor confirmed that Eliza was indeed in labor but reassured them that it was perfectly normal for an omega to go into labor a few weeks early.

They were taking extra precautions because of her health issues during the pregnancy, but for someone whose pregnancy had been fraught with drama, Eliza’s labor was pretty boring aside from the intense periods of pain.

Her obstetrician monitored her condition carefully and weathered Romano’s demanding, panicked questions with admirable calm. 

Eliza’s contractions seemed to leave Romano more wrung out than they did her, and he wasn't dealing with it very well.

About five hours after her admission, Eliza found herself glaring up at her hovering husband in frustration.

"For God's sake, go and get yourself some coffee or something, you're driving me up the wall!"

"I won't leave you. What if you have another contraction? What if your water breaks and they rush you into the delivery room? What if there are complications?" Romano asked hoarsely, his eyes dilating more with each anxious question. 

Eliza rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"I doubt any of those things will happen in the two minutes it would take you to leave the room and get a cup of coffee, Roman," she sighed impatiently.

"They could," The Alpha insisted stubbornly.

"Unlikely." 

Romano didn't respond, merely continued to sit by her bedside. They were both silent for a few minutes.

"Why are you even here?" Eliza asked tiredly.

"Because this is where I want to be," Romano responded, and Eliza squeezed her eyes shut.

"Why do you want to be here?" Eliza persisted.

"You are my mate, cara. You're having my baby." Romano reached out and covered one of Eliza’s hands with his.

 "I belong nowhere but right here, beside you."

"You don't belong here," Eliza whispered hoarsely.

"I do."

"You have another life, a family that wants you to come home, a woman you love and who loves you. You don't have to be here, Romano." Eliza shook her head tiredly, tears seeping from beneath her eyelids.

"I have this life with you. It's the only one that matters to me," Romano insisted.

 "I have a mate who loved me once, and who maybe...someday...would dare to trust me again? I don't have to be here...but I want to be here.....Please cara give me a chance to earn your forgiveness, i will spend my live earning your love or die trying"

"Too many things have happened between us. More than two years of pain," Eliza whispered rawly, and Romano’s hand contracted around hers.

  "I can't go back to being the naive gir who loved you with all her heart."

"No, but maybe...the woman who replaced the girl could find a way to love the flawed man she had once placed on a pedestal he had no business being on?"

"You've hurt me so many times," Eliza confessed, opening her eyes and meeting Romano’s full on.

Romano flinched slightly beneath the accusatory glare. 

"I know."

"In so many ways."

"I know."

"Why should I forgive you or love you again? Why should I open up my heart to a man who could easily crush it in the palms of his hands?"

"You probably shouldn't." Romano smiled bitterly. 

"But I wish you would."

"I can't," Eliza whispered, tears drenching her pale cheeks, and Romano nodded slightly, reaching out to wipe at the tears.

"I know," he said again, before lapsing into silence.

Her water broke four hours later, and Eliza was moved to the delivery room. 

Eliza and Romano hadn't exchanged any further meaningful conversation, he'd just continued to soothe her and coach her through the ever-increasing pain.

Eliza didn't ever say it but she was pretty grateful to have her husband there. Even though Romano was as nervous and edgy as a cat in a barrel between contractions, he was a solid rock during them.

Four intensely nerve-wracking, sweaty, and pain-riddled hours later, during which time Romano supported her, swore at her doctors, threatened the nurses, and seemed to come close to breaking down into tears on several occasions, Eliza finally gave one last painful push.

There was a rush of activity at the foot of the bed as Eliza felt an overwhelming flood of relief. 

Romano’s eyes remained glued to her face, bright and feverish above the surgical mask they had forced him to wear. 

He dragged down the mask and leaned down toward Eliza, until his mouth was so close to her ear Eliza could feel Romano’s hot and moist breath fanning over her overheated skin.

"You're amazing, cara mia. So incredible..."

Eliza jerked her head away from Romano’s mouth and turned her face to stare at Romano in bewilderment, rocked by the emotion she heard in her Husband's voice. 

But her attention was now on the doctor and the squalling, naked, and tiny bundle the man held cradled in his gentle and capable hands.

"Here's the little lady who's been causing all that fuss and bother," the man said jovially. 

"Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Visconti, you have a beautiful and perfectly healthy omega baby girl."

Eliza’s breath hitched in her chest at the man's words, and her eyes remained glued to Romano’s face. But instead of the rapidly concealed disappointment she would have expected to see, Eliza witnessed something she would never have believed if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

Eliza watched her husband fall hopelessly and helplessly head over heels in love with the outraged bundle of femininity the doctor placed onto Eliza’s chest.

Eliza was overwhelmed as she stared down at the tiny, wailing infant on her chest and immediately loved the little baby with all her heart. 

While at the same time, she was not entirely sure what to do with this omega baby girl who should have been an alpha boy.

"She's beautiful," the smitten Romano crooned, dropping a large hand to the baby's tiny head and gently stroking the soft skin and tuff’s of still-wet hair.

 "She's so very beautiful, tesoro."

"Yes," Eliza muttered automatically. "She really is." Romano frowned down at Eliza, puzzled by her response or lack thereof.

"Cara...what's wrong?"

"Your omega is exhausted, Mr. Visconti" the doctor said brusquely. 

"Give her time to recover, and I'm sure she'll be fawning all over this little beauty."

"Yes. I'm tired," Eliza said remotely, and Romano’s brow furrowed. He watched as Eliza absently stroked the baby's down-soft back, without once looking down at the infant, and knew that something was terribly wrong.