MatteoGianna clung to the doorway. It had taken us more than ten minutes to get there. I didn’t know much about labor but I thought Gianna’s contractions were coming very frequently.
Her eyes were wide and desperate. “I don’t think I’m ready.”
Did she think I felt ready? I’d never been so fucking scared in my life. Of a tiny baby, of all things. But fuck, I was. Nothing in my life had prepared me for the task ahead, least of all my own parents. Not that Gianna’s parents would have won parents of the year awards.
“I hate to break it to you but your baby is going to come out if you’re ready or not,” Luca muttered as he strode up the driveway, probably tired of waiting in the car.
Aria sent him a look. “Luca!” Then she turned to Gianna. “It’s going to be all right. You’re not alone. Luca and I will help you and Matteo. Together, we’ll be okay.”
I stroked Gianna’s back and gently pried her fingers off the doorway before nudging her outside. Soft rain was falling and soaking us all.
I reached for my keys, thinking we’d take two cars as usual, but Luca shook his head. “I think I better drive. You’re a madman driver on your best days, and today isn’t one of those days.”
I nodded only, not even the brain capacity to give a comeback.
Gianna kept clutching Aria’s hand and mine in the other.
“Gianna, baby, we don’t all fit on the back seat,” I said gently. She didn’t release either of us. In the end, we awkwardly crammed in the back of Luca’s car. Gianna was breathing fast, her brows drawn together.
“Luca, I’m getting your seats dirty,” she gasped out when we pulled out of the premises.
“It doesn’t matter, Gianna,” Luca said calmly. I wished for his calm. Even when Aria had been in labor, he’d been remarkably calm compared to how I felt now. Gianna tensed again, panting.
“Fuck,” she whispered, shaking her head. She turned to her sister. “Aria. I—”
She cried out.
Aria’s eyes grew wide. “Pull over!”
“What?” Luca said.
“Pull over, the baby’s coming,” Aria screamed.
Luca jerked the car over but all I could do was stare in horror at Gianna who was gasping and crying.
“Call an ambulance,” Aria ordered. Then to me. “Get out of the car. We need room.”
Within a couple of minutes, Gianna was stretched out on the back seat and I was kneeling behind her so she rested against my legs, Aria was between Gianna’s legs. “Don’t push too hard Gianna, or you’ll tear,” Aria instructed. How could she sound so fucking calm?
Luca stood close behind her, watching our surroundings and trying not to look at Gianna. Cars were driving past us, honking and letting out curses.
Gianna cried out again and her breathing came in short bursts.
“Gianna.” A slight edge entered Aria’s voice. “Push.”
“Why?” I asked immediately.
“The umbilical cord is around the baby’s throat,” she said. “But it’s okay. We’ll get it out.”
I clutched at Gianna and she clawed at my arms. Fuck, what if I lost her and the baby? Fuck. I began shaking. My vision seemed hazy as if I was caught up in a nightmare. I’d seen so many horrors but nothing compared to this, to the idea of losing everything that mattered.
Gianna tensed as she pushed once more.
“The head’s out,” Aria said in a strained voice. “I’ll try to get its shoulders out.”
“Just get it out, Aria. Please, don’t let our baby die,” Gianna cried.
“I won’t,” Aria said. And then Gianna jerked and Aria held the baby but it wasn’t moving.
“We need to cut the umbilical cord,” Luca said firmly, pulling his knife.
Aria tried to push her fingers under the cord, which was wrapped twice around our baby’s throat. “The blood in there might be its only source of oxygen,” she said, still tugging. “God, why isn’t it loosening!”
“Aria, the cord’s choking the baby,” Luca said, stepping up to her.
Aria looked desperate. “Be careful, please.”
Gianna trembled against me. I held her even tighter. Tension exploded through my body when Luca began cutting the cord. Blood spurted out of it and Aria began rubbing the baby’s back and trying to clean its nose and mouth. I wasn’t sure how long it took but eventually a cry rang out.
Aria met my gaze but it took a moment for her words to penetrate my mind. “Matteo, cut open Gianna’s shirt. The baby needs to rest on her skin, it needs the warmth.”
My hands shook too fucking much. “I’ll cut her.”
Luca pulled Aria back and leaned into the car. He carefully sliced open Gianna’s shirt. “I never thought you’d see me naked,” Gianna muttered tonelessly. She looked pale and weak. I’d sworn to always protect her from harm but in this case, I was completely helpless and I hated it more than anything.