64- A New Home and New Beginnings
POV- Eleonora Vitale.
"Go ahead, maman! Alessa is counting on you." Says the French obstetrician, as I breathe deeply, looking for strength I can't find.
"Oh, how it hurts!!" I scream as I feel a lacerating pain in my guts. "Ahhh!!" I draw strength from where I don't have it and push harder, until I feel a relief and hear a soft cry. "Il mio piccolo fiore del deserto." I whisper and extend my arms, to receive my princess in my arms. Slowly she opens her eyes.
"How cute, you're checking to see if it's really you." A nurse comments, I am filled with unparalleled pride. I feel a pure and unmaligned love as I contemplate her little face. "Miss, I'm sorry, but we have to take her to do the necessary procedures after the birth. Soon she will return to your arms." Reluctantly I give Alessa into his arms and she goes with her.
...
POV- Alfred Castelli.
I walk from one side to the other, worried about my daughter and granddaughter. Then the door opens and out comes a nurse, holding something in her arms. I approach and see my nipotina.
"How beautiful my granddaughter is." I say full of pride.
"Sir, we will take the baby for some tests and then to the nursery, then we will return her to Mommy. And you will be able to see it more calmly." The woman says kindly and walks away.
"She's cute, Antonie." I say and he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
"I didn't have the opportunity to see her. But I'll see when I'm brought to Eleonora's room." I agree and more relieved, I sit down and wait for the moment when I can enter to see my daughter.
\[...\]
POV- Viktor Sorrentino.
I am amazed at the phone, which rings suddenly. I answer the call and bring the device to my ear.
"Hello." I speak, finishing signing a document.
"Monsieur, it's me, Ezequiel. I'm calling to let you know that your daughter has already been born." I hear the words of my agent, who works for me in France, and I get up excitedly.
"What good news, and how's Eleonora?" I question with concern.
"I haven't had the opportunity to know yet, Monsieur, she has just ... How can I say? Give birth!" He says flustered.
"Okay, but call me to give me news about her." I say and he agrees. As soon as I end the call, Ezequiel sends me a photo of my daughter in the nursery. My heart fills with emotion and affection when I see his features that resemble mine, which makes my conscience weigh even more. "Heavens, how shall I bring them back?" I sit down and wrap my face in my hands, sighing in frustration. Then someone knocks on the door and I authorize him to enter.
"Sir, here's what I've gathered about the woman in the video." The figure of Giuseppe enters my office. "Miss is Mrs. Eleonora's twin sister." I widen my eyes and then look at her photo more closely, noticing that physically she really looks like my ex-wife. "She inherited her mother's surname and is therefore called Sofia Vitale."
"Damn, I'm sure she was the one who sent the video to me. But why does she want to harm Eleonora?" I ask myself, thoughtfully, trying to find some answer to my question. "Continue with the investigation, we have to find out what this woman wants." I tell Giuseppe, who nods and leaves my office.
MEANWHILE...
...
POV- Eleonora Vitale.
"She's very cute." Antonie comments, contemplating my Alessa in the crib next to my bed. "Beautiful, just like your mother." I am embarrassed by your compliment.
"Where's Daddy?" Question.
"It's working out some details and as soon as he's done, we'll be able to go home." Agree. We get a fright when my daughter starts crying.
"You're definitely hungry!"
"Can you give it to me?" I ask Antonie, who widens her eyes in despair.
"I don't know how to hold a baby."
"Come, I'll teach you how to do it." The same approaches the crib. "Put your hand under her little head and the other, put it on her butt. Bring it close to your body." He does everything I say, even if in a clumsy way, but he manages to pass me the baby. Antonie turns her back and smiles, putting my breast out, Alessa grabs it and I feel discomfort in my nipple. "At least you don't have teeth yet, my love..." I say smoothing her soft little test.
"She looks like an angel." Antonie comments and as soon as she finishes speaking, her phone starts ringing. "Excuse-moi, I have to answer." He speaks as he pulls the phone out of his pocket and sees who is contacting him. He goes to the bathroom and forgets to close the door. "Sofia, you can't keep calling like that." I hear him say it and I arch my eyebrow, with curiosity and difficulty, put Alessa back in the crib and get up, approach and pay attention to the conversation. "I'm doing what I can to be close, at the right time I will act. Just have a little patience. I know, and I'll do it the way you want. But at the moment I am not in a position to do so. Now I have to go, don't mind for now." When I realize that he is ending the call, I go back to bed as soon as I can.
Luckily, Dad enters the space and manages to compose myself, while Antonie comes out of the bathroom and acts naturally.
"Daughter, I talked to the obstetrician and she said that we can go home. What do you think?" Dad says, coming to me and planting a kiss on my forehead.
"I think it's perfect, I'm dying to go home with my prince." In this way, we prepare ourselves and then go home.
A FEW DAYS LATER...
"Where is il mio piccolo fiore?!" Dad asks, joking with Alessa. While I finish changing your clothes. Then he takes her in his lap and begins to rock her. I hear the ringtone on my cell phone and go to it, to find out who it is. However, when I look at the identifier, I see that the number is unknown. Interested in who and what it could be, I answer and leave the room.
"Hello." I say and a few seconds pass, finally, someone decides to answer on the other end of the line:
"Eleonora." Hearing Viktor's voice, I feel my whole body freeze.
"How did you get my number?" I ask coldly.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for asking, and you, how are you?" He uses irony and that only makes me feel angry, something I couldn't, since I'm still in the shelter phase.
"If you called to upset, I warn you that I will hang up. I can't feel angry, because I don't know if you know, but I gave birth a few days ago and I'm in shelter."
"Sorry, I called to see if you and our daughter are okay." I swallow hard and put my hand on my chest, as if I could stop him from feeling any feeling for his words.
"Yes, we are fine. However, something tells me that he didn't care about just that." I look to the sides, to make sure no one hears our conversation.
"You're right, but I called mainly to find out how you were doing. I'm relieved that they're okay, and yes, I have other things to tell you." I sigh and say:
"Well, then say it right away. Dad can at least dream that I'm chatting with you."
"I'll be quick." He pauses and continues: "A lot of things have happened during that time you've been away. Eleonora, I can't talk to you by phone because it's something that shouldn't be dealt with over the phone."
"Viktor, what happened? You're scaring me." I say a little altered, but doing what I can to keep myself calm.
"Don't be worried, it's not bad at all. However, it is something too delicate. That's why I'm on my way to the airport and I'll get there during the night." I widen my eyes and almost fall back, feeling my legs wobbly.
"You can only be kidding, what do you think? That you will paint and embroider with my face and after all I will welcome you with open arms? Come down from the clouds, Viktor. The silly Eleonora died, who you humiliated and played with. Only my daughter matters to me now. Besides, you don't even know where I am."
"That's where you're wrong. I know about all the properties that Alfred has. And about us is another subject that I want to deal with when I am there, I will call as soon as I am on French soil. I'm getting on the jet, see you later..." That said, it shuts down. Making me nervous because I don't know what I'm going to do with this situation.
"Daughter? Did something happen?" My father's sudden voice almost causes me a heart attack.
"Yes, everything is great. I was talking to Alice." I smile, looking innocent.
I know, I shouldn't be lying to him. However, I don't want him stressed. Viktor's presence would hurt him and I don't want him to feel that way.
"Well, Antonie's mother will hold a small meeting among friends and invited us to go too. What do you think?" The opportunity seems perfect and out of total madness I say it:
"Ah, Dad. Alessa can't go out for a walk yet, so I won't be able to go. You can go without me, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun." I approach him and hold his hands.
"My love, I won't feel good about going and leaving you alone to take care of my granddaughter." I smile and say:
"Dad, Alessa is my responsibility and I will have no problem taking care of her alone. That way, you can rest assured that I'll be fine." He nods and so we went back to our rooms.
\[...\]
I wake up with my daughter's crying and get up with great effort, pick her up and nest her, humming a nursery rhyme. Soon I go back to bed and breastfeed my baby.
Someone knocks on the door and I authorize her to enter, it's Rose, a lady who was hired as soon as we arrived here in Paris. And someone who helps me a lot to take care of Alessa.
"Miss, Mr. Castelli left very early and told me to help her with whatever she needed." I agree and say:
"Thank you so much, Rose. Still, take the day off and go home. I won't need anything." It widens her eyes.
"But..." He tries to argue, but I cut her off by saying:
"Don't worry. You can go, I'll be fine." She nods without contesting and leaves.
After feeding Alessa, I leave her in her crib and decide to take a shower, then I go downstairs to have coffee.
Now, I'm completely alone and there's no one at home. I feel nervous and I don't know if what I'm doing is right. "It certainly isn't!"
Suddenly the doorbell rings and I widen my eyes, under the effect of a feeling of numbness, I walk to the door and sigh before opening it. And in doing so, I see further ahead the tall, manly figure of Viktor Sorrentino.