CHAPTER 155
CHAPTER 155
POV ELIZABETH
I chat with my mother while waiting for Carly, and soon she comes in with Elena, who immediately runs to her grandmother’s arms.
“You called me, Elizabeth?” Carly asks.
“Yes, sit down, please. We need to talk,” I say seriously, and she sits, looking worried.
“Did something happen?” she asks cautiously.
“No. I just need you to help me hire another nanny.” She stares at me, stunned.
“What do you mean? Am I being fired? Did I do something wrong, Elizabeth?”
“Of course not, Carly. Calm down.” She smiles and breathes in relief. “I’m hiring a second nanny to help you. The workload will double, and when the baby is older, I’ll return to work. I’ll need someone who can stay full-time.”
“What do you mean? And me?”
“We’ll change your schedule so you can go home every night. Don’t worry—our driver will take you and pick you up every morning.”
“B-but…” she starts, but I interrupt her.
“Carly, in life we have priorities and opportunities we should never let slip away. I know how much you love Elena and all of us. You’re like a second mother to her. But you're young and beautiful. Time passes, and so do people and opportunities. Elena will grow up, build her own life, and you…? You also need to live your own life and hold tightly to the opportunities that appear now. Our future is uncertain, we never know where we’ll be a few years from now.
For example, in ten years, I want to be married to Matthew, enjoying our kids who will be teenagers, and living happily ever after. And you, Carly? What are your plans?”
She looks at me as if she hasn’t thought about her future.
“So Carly… it’s time for you to start thinking about it—and about who you want in it years from now. Give priority to someone who loves you and wants a life with you. Taking care of other people’s children is wonderful, but having your own is even better. So from now on, I want you to think more about yourself and your future. You’ll keep working here, taking care of Elena—nothing will change about that. But I want you to take care of your personal life too, and not let happiness slip away without fighting for it first.”
She looks at me, deeply emotional, and hugs me, thanking me for everything.
( ... )
I spend the morning talking with my mother about several things, and before lunchtime, I go upstairs to my room to get my phone and check if Matthew sent me any messages.
As I reach the bedroom, a strong cramp hits me. I place my hand on my belly and sit on the bed, breathing deeply as the pain eases a little. I go to the bathroom and notice that my mucus plug has come out. I take a quick shower, get dressed, and return to the room. I grab my phone and send a message to my doctor explaining what happened, and then send one to Matthew:
“Love, my mucus plug came out, and I just felt a strong cramp. I think it’s almost time for our little bundle of love to arrive.”
Right after sending the message, I take my phone and leave the room. I start going downstairs slowly, still feeling cramps. When I reach the last few steps, my phone vibrates. I look at the message while walking down… and I don’t even know how it happened — I slip and fall down the stairs.
"AAAH, AII!" I screamed on the floor, feeling the pain.
And then my mother appeared, accompanied by Carly, Sol, and Elena.
"Oh my God, Elizabeth, what happened?" my mother asked, desperate.
"I fell, Mom... Aiii, it hurts, Mom, it hurts," I said, crying, feeling sharp pain in my back and stomach. I felt my baby twist and move a lot. "AAAAAH, IT HURTS, MOM!" I cried out desperately through tears.
Sol, Carly, and Elena looked at me in panic. My head began to spin, my vision blurred and darkened, and then I didn’t see anything else.
( … )
I woke up already in the hospital. I was terrified. I needed to know about my baby.
"Are you okay, Elizabeth?" she asked, beginning to examine my belly and listening to my baby’s heartbeat.
"Doctor… how is my baby? Is the baby okay?" I asked anxiously.
"Calm down, Elizabeth. The baby is fine, the heartbeat is perfect. But I need you to breathe. You’re extremely nervous, and that’s not good for you or your baby."
I took a deep breath and started crying again—pain, anguish, fear all mixing inside me.
"When was the last time you ate, Elizabeth?" she asked, sounding worried.
"I only had breakfast. I didn’t eat anything else."
"Good." She took a deep breath. "They’re going to take you for an ultrasound soon, but first they’ll draw some blood, okay?" She looked at me, and I nodded.
"Doctor, where’s my mom?" I asked, and my mother gently stroked my hair.
"I'm right here, my love. I’m by your side, sweetheart," my mother said softly.
"Mom, please tell Matthew."
"I already did, sweetheart, but unfortunately he’s in Rio de Janeiro and isn’t sure if he’ll get here in time for the baby’s birth."
"What do you mean, birth? Am I having my baby now?" I asked, even more desperate, looking at the doctor. "It’s not time yet."
"Calm down, Elizabeth. First, you’ll have the ultrasound, and then we’ll see if we need to proceed with the delivery right away. But stay calm, everything is going to be okay." She spoke gently, and I took a deep breath, though fear and pain were eating me alive.
They took my blood sample, and then I was taken for the ultrasound. My mother came with me, staying by my side through everything. I became emotional when I heard my baby’s heartbeat. After the ultrasound, I returned to the room, and a nurse came to check my blood pressure.
"Is everything okay? Is my pressure normal?" I asked.
"Everything is under control. Now try to relax," she said—kind, but tense—and then she left.
"Mom, call Matthew again, please!" My mother grabbed her phone to call him, and the doctor entered the room.
"So, Elizabeth, ready to see your baby’s little face and find out if it’s a girl or a boy?" she asked, looking at me.
No... I'm not.
"Hmm… but is my baby okay?"
"Yes. The weight is perfect, the heartbeat is normal. But we can’t wait any longer. Your baby will be born soon, Elizabeth. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to do a natural birth like you wanted. I just need you to calm down so we can give you a safe delivery," she said, glancing at my mother.