Chapter 10 - TWO CRIES IN THE MORNING
Emily was discharged after another week of monitoring.
The doctors were satisfied that the contractions had settled and that
the twins were stable enough for continued care outside the hospital,
provided she followed strict instructions and returned immediately if
symptoms changed.
She chose to stay at her sister’s apartment near the lake.
It was smaller than the Russo mansion, with warm wooden floors, a
balcony overlooking the water, and a kitchen where sunlight filled the
room in the morning. Her sister, Grace, had prepared the spare bedroom
with fresh sheets and a comfortable chair.
Dante did not move in.
He stayed at a hotel nearby and visited according to the schedule Emily
approved. Sometimes he brought groceries. Sometimes he brought nothing
and simply sat with her while she rested. He learned to ask before
entering rooms, to knock, and to accept that the answer might be no.
The first time he assembled a crib, he put the side rail on backward.
Grace laughed so hard she had to sit down.
Emily watched from the chair, one hand on her stomach.
“Mr.Russo, the instructions are upside down.”
Dante looked at the paper.
“I was wondering why the screws didn’t fit.”
“Because you built it backward.”
He exhaled, then began again.
It was the first time Emily had laughed with him in months.
The sound stayed with him for the rest of the day.
As the due date approached, Dr.Hayes recommended another hospital
assessment. The twins were growing, but the doctor wanted to be prepared
for an early delivery. Emily’s blood pressure was better, and she had
gained strength, but she was still considered high-risk.
Dante attended the appointment only because Emily invited him.
He sat beside her while the doctor reviewed the scan.
“Both babies are doing well,” Dr.Hayes said. “They are still a little
small, but their growth is progressing. We should be prepared for
delivery within the next couple of weeks.”
Emily nodded.
“Can they stay together after birth?”
“We’ll do our best. If either needs additional support, the neonatal
team will explain everything. Our priority is keeping both babies safe.”
Dante looked at the screen.
Gabriel and Sofia.
Two small profiles.
Two lives he had nearly failed to protect.
On the drive back, Emily looked out the window.
“I’m scared.”
Dante kept his eyes on the road.
“I know.”
“I don’t know what delivery will be like.”
“Neither do I.”
She turned toward him.
“You’re not going to tell me everything will be perfect?”
“No.I can’t promise that. But I can promise I’ll listen to the doctors,
respect what you want, and stay as long as you want me there.”
Emily nodded.
“That is enough.”
Three nights later, the call came.
Dante was in his hotel room reviewing a report when his phone rang.
Grace’s name appeared on the screen.
“Dante, it’s time. Emily’s contractions are close together. We’re on our
way to the hospital.”
He was already moving.
“I’ll meet you there.”
The drive seemed endless. He arrived just as the nurses were preparing
Emily for assessment. She looked frightened, but when she saw him, she
reached out.
“Stay.”
He took her hand.
“I’m here.”
The medical team worked calmly. Dr.Hayes explained that labor was
progressing and that the twins would likely arrive soon. The neonatal
team was waiting. Emily squeezed Dante’s hand through each contraction,
and he counted breaths with her.
Hours passed in a blur of instructions, monitors, and quiet reassurance.
Then the first cry came.
A boy.
The nurse lifted him briefly for Emily to see before taking him for the
initial checks. He was tiny, red-faced, and furious about being born.
“Gabriel,” Emily whispered.
Dante’s eyes filled.
A few minutes later, another cry followed.
A girl.
Sofia.
The nurse brought her close, and Emily began to cry.
“They’re here,” she whispered.
Dante stood beside the bed, unable to speak.
The twins were taken for careful assessment. Gabriel needed brief
respiratory support, while Sofia was breathing on her own but required
monitoring because of her size. The neonatal doctor explained that both
were stable, though they would remain in the special care nursery until
they were stronger.
Dante listened to every word.
He asked questions, wrote down instructions, and made sure Emily
understood what was happening. He did not try to take over. He did not
demand that the doctors give him a guarantee.
When the nurse finally brought Sofia to Emily for a short moment, Emily
touched her daughter’s cheek.
“Hello, sweetheart.”
Dante leaned close.
“Hello, Sofia.”
The baby opened her mouth and made a tiny sound.
He looked at Emily.
“She has your nose.”
Emily gave a tired laugh.
“It’s too early to tell.”
“I’m certain.”
Later, he was allowed to stand beside Gabriel’s incubator. The boy’s
tiny hand curled around Dante’s finger.
Dante stared at him.
“I missed the beginning,” he whispered. “But I’m here now.”
He did not know whether the baby understood. He did not expect him to.
He simply wanted to say it.
The next days were difficult. Emily was recovering from delivery, and
the twins needed time in special care. Dante divided his hours between
the hospital room and the nursery. He learned how to wash his hands
properly before touching the babies, how to read the monitor, and how to
hold them when the nurses said it was safe.
He did not ask Emily to praise him for being present.
He did not expect her to comfort him when he felt guilty.
He brought her meals, kept her phone charged, and made sure Grace had
time to rest. When Emily needed quiet, he left. When she asked him to
stay, he stayed.
One afternoon, Emily watched him holding Sofia.
“You look terrified,” she said.
“I am.”
“Good. It means you’re paying attention.”
He smiled faintly.
“I’m trying.”
She looked at the baby.
“She’s beautiful.”
“So is her brother.”
Emily turned toward him.
“Dante, I need to tell you something.”
He waited.
“I don’t know whether our marriage can be repaired.”
He nodded slowly.
“I understand.”
“I still remember the eleven calls. I remember the uniform. I remember
sleeping near the laundry room while you were with Vanessa.”
“I know.”
“I don’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering whether you’ll
disappear again.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
She looked at him.
“I need time. Maybe a lot of time.”
“You can have it.”
“And if I decide I can’t come back?”
Dante felt the pain, but he did not look away.
“I will still be their father. I’ll respect the arrangement we make. I
won’t punish you for leaving.”
Emily watched him carefully.
“That’s what I needed to hear.”
He nodded.
A month later, the twins were strong enough to leave the hospital.
Gabriel had gained weight, and Sofia’s breathing was steady. The nurses
reviewed their care instructions with both parents. Dante took notes
while Emily asked questions.
They left in two separate infant carriers, wrapped in soft yellow
blankets.
Outside the hospital, photographers waited behind the barriers. The
story had become public: the Russo twins had been born, Vanessa Laurent
had been charged, and the family trust was under investigation.
Dante did not stop for questions.
He helped Emily into the car, then placed the carriers securely beside
her.
“Ready?” he asked.
Emily looked down at the babies.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
They drove to Grace’s apartment.
Dante stayed long enough to help carry the bags inside. He checked the
temperature in the nursery and assembled the bottle warmer. Then he
asked Emily whether she wanted him to stay for the first evening.
She considered it.
“Until the babies are settled.”
“All right.”
That night, Gabriel cried first. Sofia followed a few minutes later.
Emily looked exhausted, and Dante rose before she could ask.
“I’ll take Gabriel.”
He lifted the boy carefully, supporting his head. He walked slowly
around the room, humming the lullaby from the music box.
Gabriel quieted.
Emily watched from the bed.
“You remembered the song.”
“I’ve heard it enough times now.”
She smiled faintly.
When both babies were asleep, Dante placed Gabriel in the crib and stood
beside it.
“Thank you for letting me be here,” he said.
Emily looked at him.
“Don’t thank me for doing what is right for our children.”
He nodded.
“You’re right.”
He collected his coat.
At the door, he turned back.
“Tomorrow, I’ll come at the time we agreed. I’ll bring groceries and
take the morning shift if you want.”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Good night, Emily.”
“Good night, Dante.”
He left.
The apartment was quiet except for the soft breathing of two newborns.
Emily sat in the rocking chair and watched them sleep. She did not know
whether she would ever trust Dante as a husband again. She did know that
he had finally begun to act like a father.
For now, that was enough.
In the hallway, Dante paused before the elevator. His phone vibrated
with a message from Marco.
The trust audit is complete. The accounts are frozen. The board has
accepted your resignation from the family council. The investigators
have everything.
Dante read it and put the phone away.
He had lost influence, money, and several alliances. Some men who had
once called him brother no longer answered his calls. The family empire
was changing, and it would never be exactly what it had been.
But inside the apartment behind him were two children who would never
need to earn his attention by competing with anyone else.
And there was a woman who had every reason to distrust him, yet had
allowed him to hold their son.
Dante understood that he had not earned forgiveness.
He had only been given a chance to begin.
The next morning, he returned at the agreed time.
He knocked.
Emily opened the door with Sofia in her arms.
“You’re early,” she said.
“Two minutes.”
She stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Dante entered quietly.
He did not assume the invitation meant everything was repaired. He did
not mistake a small opening for a promise.
He simply washed his hands, picked up the bottle Emily had prepared, and
took his daughter when she offered her.
Sofia settled against his chest.
Dante looked down at her.
“Good morning, little one.”
From the crib, Gabriel made a small sound.
Emily smiled.
“Your brother wants attention too.”
Dante laughed softly.
“Then I suppose I have work to do.”
And for the first time, the work he had been given was not about power.
May you like
It was about staying.
THE END
