Love Duty & Rivalry

Gemma ❤️‍🔥

2 months being back "among the living", as my brother called it, and im already so busy. Between the baby shower and a belated anniversary/birthday party for Romero and I, we haven't really had time to ourselves. He was divulged into work, Carla had started her home schooling- which we both insisted after what happened. Romero had told me everything that went on with Yohan, and i didn't so much as flinch when he mentioned that him and his father had killed him.

We did however get a new social worker so we could legally adopt Carla, but like everything else, there was always an obstacle. "We need to find Carla's mother-."

"My wife is Carla's mother." Romero interrupted. I smiled, squeezing his hand in mind. The social worker eyes us both before she continued.

"Well..Carla's birth mother. Without her releasing her rights over, there isn't much we can do right now Mr. and Mrs. Russo." She gently closes Carla's file and i sank back into my chair, unconsciously rubbing my protruding belly. My doctor had told me i was bigger then normal, and that didn't help my already bruised self esteem. Despite all of Romero's praise about me being gorgeous, i didn't exactly feel gorgeous.

"However," She spoke again, snapping out of my thoughts, "We will allow her to continue to live with your family until then."

"You allow us?" Romero's brows furrows into a frown. He isn't used to people telling him what is and isn't allowed. I rest my hand on his arm, "Thank you Rachel, we're so glad for your help."

Romero stands, reaching his hand out to me to assist me out of this chair. Although i love being pregnant, i can NOT wait for this child to vacate the premises.

A couple weeks later, the baby shower/belated birthday/belated anniversary party, was this afternoon and i was feeling a bit weak. The family doctor said my blood pressure was elevated, but wasn't concerning for now. Probably because ive been running around since ive come back to the real world. Romero didn't take it lightly, and pretty much ordered me to relax in his office chair while i was waited on hand and foot until the festivities. He had some last minute work thing with his brother and uncle up at the mansion. Apparently a pipe burst and it wasn't just a coincidence.

Heaving out a sigh, Carla and Vivi enter the library with huge smiles and giggles. "Whats got you girls all giggly hmm?"

"Bibi's boyfriend." Carla squeals as she runs just out of Vivi's reach. I arch a brow at Vivi, whose cheeks burned a bright shade of pink. "Boyfriend huh?"

Vivi sits on the sofa next to me, letting out a sigh, "Carla overheard me on the phone with-." she trailed off, her blush deepening to a light red.

"Boyfriend?" I finished with a smile. Vivi nods, then turns her head to mine, "Please dont tell Romero, he will interrogate me and I am not happy with him these days."

"What happened?" tilting my head in confusion, i set down my book on the end table giving her my full attention.

"A few months ago, Romero had caught me with Nic, my boyfriend i met in college. We were making out in his car in the driveway and Romero had the nerve to drag him out of the car and punch him in the face." She looks down at her hands, "I haven't talked to him since." Silence fills the air around us before she speaks again, "I love my brother, so much. But sometimes his actions are unforgiveable. He shouldn't have done what he did." Tears run down her cheeks and she quickly swats them away.

Ive never seen Vivian so upset, especially at Romero. They were always inseparable, talked everyday for hours, made sure she'd study and ate healthy. Seeing her without her twin, I can tell in her eyes she misses him. I reach out to her, resting my hand on hers. She peers up at me, eyes red from crying, "I'll talk to him."