I was still dripping wet from my latest excursion, leaving a trail of water on the floor of the hallway I traveled down. I was told which room I would find Chloe and everyone else that came with her in, and walked there as fast as possible.

Anyone could hear me coming from a mile away due to the slushy noises coming from my shoes.

It wasn't long before I came to the room. I walked inside and was immediately met by a mob of people. Chloe was on the bed in an ugly green hospital gown, fast asleep or so it seemed, Sophia was cuddled up next to her. Mariano, Luca and Arturo stood casually around the room, on guard and Acardi was peering in over a clear basket, high on a stand.

I fucking missed it?

Again?

"Daddy," Sophia carefully removed herself, making sure that she didn't wake Chloe up in the process, and ran over to me. Her small arms flew around my leg and she peered up at me in amazement. "He's here," she pointed over to Acardi. "Mommy had him. Why are you wet?" She quickly backed away from me.

"I went swimming," I pushed her blonde locks out of her face before walking over to Acardi.

"He's big for a premie. Can't imagine what he would have been like at full term," she commented and I couldn't help but agree with her. He was just barely larger than I remember Sophia being though and she wasn't exactly known for being a big baby.

"How'd she do? Chloe that is." I was worried, but hopeful that she had a slightly easier time than she did with the last.

"Well, it was rough, but much like after Sophia's birth, she'll be just fine. I'm sorry, but I just didn't want to risk losing Chloe, that's why I had her brought here. It didn't look good and it wasn't. The doctors did an emergency c-section almost as soon as she walked through the doors. The road to recovery will not be a long one though."

"I'm happy to hear it."

"You shouldn't have played god, Angelo," she whispered, knowing full well that this wasn't a discussion I was going to have with her. "This could have ended badly. You could have lost not one, but two people today."

"If I wanted to know what you thought, I would have asked you, but I didn't," I said just as I saw Chloe stir a little.

I switched my gaze from Chloe, back to the sleeping baby, and then down at the little tag on the basket that I hadn't even noticed before. "Woman!" I roared and spun around quickly just as Chloe was opening her eyes, "We didn't agree on this," I pointed out the small paper that had my poor son's doom etched into it.

"Shut up, Angelo," she rubbed her temples as if she had the worst headache and that was actually helping it. "You named Sophia without letting me have a say. I think I get to decide the order his names go in. I like this order over yours and you weren't even here so you really have no right to complain."

Alessio D. D'Amico

7 lbs 7oz

March 5.

"You are going to be the death of me," I mumbled under my breath.

"You'll get over it. You know it's better than Dante anyway. Don't even lie."

"Be quiet. I'm mad at you."

She laughed.

I walked at my own pace into the house. My pace was slow, slower than slow even. My stomach hurt really bad still and walking did nothing to soothe the ache. Sophia ran ahead of me, whereas Angelo walked very calmly behind, the baby carrier in his hands.

I had to stay in the hospital for a week and even that didn't seem long enough. I wanted more.

"Are you alright, amore?" Angelo asked the second I had stopped moving, "Do you need me to carry you? Because I will."

I shook my head and bit back a startled yelp as I raised my leg to get on the small step.

Angelo walked passed me quickly and set the carseat down right inside the house before he came back for me. In one swift motion he had me in his arms, and carried me into the house. This position hurt a lot more though and I found myself struggling to hold back the tears, "Soph, come close the front door," I said as we disappeared into the bedroom. Angelo very carefully put me down, its not like putting me down rougher would have made much of a difference. It would have hurt like hell either way.

"I'll be right back," Angelo said before leaving the room. He came back seconds later with the carseat, and Sophia, Bandit even followed them in. Soph jumped on the bed and immediately covered herself up whereas Angelo picked the baby up and put him right next to me.

He was so cute and would undoubtedly grow up to be very handsome. I don't even have to see Angelo's baby pictures and I could already tell what he must have looked like as a baby, because Alessio resembled him so much already. He was so young and already had a full head of dark hair, and his eyes were already dark as could be and the same shape and size as Angelo's. Sophia got those too. Lucky ducks.

He was turning out to be a quiet baby and I thanked god for that. He didn't require much, just the occasional feeding and diaper change. He wasn't a heavy sleeper but that was easy to forgive because he was too freaking cute.

"Make sure I don't roll over onto him," I told Angelo before closing my eyes.

"I would not let you do that, criceta."

Chloe fell asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes and I moved Alessio away the second it happened. I couldn't afford an incident that could possibly cost his life. My mental status was already depleting.

"Daddy, are you going to take a nap too?" Sophia asked from her comfortable spot right next to Chloe.

My days of napping were long gone. I had more important things to do, things that couldn't get done after a nap in the middle of the day. "No, I need to do some things."

She immediately perked up, "Can I help you?"

There was nothing she could do to help me, but as a father, I couldn't crush her dreams like that, so I made up a random job whilst putting Alessio back in his carseat. His eyes were wide and alert. "You can help take care of your brother," I told her as she followed me out of the bedroom and eventually out of the house altogether.

"Ok. I think you should tell mommy that we're leaving. She might get scared. Where are we going?"

"To the big house."

"Where Dom is?" She asked.

I nodded. He was the only member, other than myself, that she even thought about. She was always asking about him.

I found it odd but didn't question it too much. Maybe it was a little girl crush.

_________________

"What's wrong with Lorenzo's son? You never did tell me," I asked my father as I rocked Alessio's carseat with my foot and held Sophia in my arms.

"Sienna, being the person she is, was obviously abusing substances while pregnant and therefore the child came out addicted to every narcotic under the sun. I don't need a grandson like that. I'm not particularly a fan of either but if I could only save one of the two sisters, I would save Chloe."

That was an odd compliment.

"But..." He trailed off, "this baby was premature. How do I know he's healthy?"

"Well considering we weren't in the hospital long at all, I'd say he's pretty damn healthy. It's not like a month is going to do anything."

"What name did you decide on?"

"Alessio."

"Ah, I see. That is way better than what Lorenzo chose."

"What did he choose?" I was afraid to ask. Weird names ran in Chloe's family, and if she was going to be the one with the final say when it came to Sophia's name, she would have been Ireland Taylor. I'm sure Sienna picked something equally as awful.

"Jaxton."

I cringed.

Americans...

"So we can proceed now. I'll see what I can do with the Rossi's," and on that note, he walked away.

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