My Brother, The Devil ✔

32

Blair POV.

George drives me to the hospital. The delivery process is quite long. The medical staff keeps instructing me to breathe in and out and push. Finally, I hear a cry. The nurse leaned over and says, "The baby is born. It's a beautiful girl."

"Let me see," I whisper, my head covered in sweat.

The doctor is cutting the baby's umbilical cord.

When she brings the baby to me, I already have my eyes closed and fall asleep from exhaustion.

When I open my eyes, I find myself lying in a ward.

"You're awake?" George is sitting by the bed, holding my hand. Noticing I'm awake, he immediately leans closer to me, "Do you want some water?"

I nod. He helps me sit up a bit, elevates the pillow, and then brings a cup of water to my mouth.

After I finish the water, my voice is still a bit hoarse, "Where is the baby?"

"The nurse is feeding her next door." George gets up, "I'll go and bring her over now."

A minute later, the ward door opens, and George walks in pushing a stroller.

I lift my chin, trying to see the baby's face. But she is wrapped up tightly, and I can only see the thick blanket.

George quickens his pace, pushing the stroller to my side.

"Let me hold her," I say.

George bends down and carefully lifts the blanket. My eyes follow the bundle until the baby finally lies in my arms.

I look at her and fall silent.

"What's wrong?" George asks.

They said it was a beautiful girl!

"This isn't my daughter," I take a deep breath, "She looks like a wrinkled monkey."

As if sensing my low opinion of her, the baby starts to struggle and whimper in my arms. I lean back in fright, and George immediately takes her away, gently comforting her.

"This is our child, how can you compare her to a monkey?" George holds the baby with one arm and gently sniffs her tiny hand, speaking softly to me.

I still can't accept the fact that I gave birth to a monkey.

"What's her name?" I change the subject.

"I've thought about it for a long time. How about Speranza? It's Italian, meaning 'Expectation'. She was born out of our expectation."

"...Alright," I pause, "but she can't have the surname Emerson."

"Why?"

"Is it fair?" I glance at George's crotch, "You men have a moment of pleasure, and women have to bear over nine months of responsibility, and then breastfeed. I do 99% of the work, and the final project is in your name?"

George says, "But you just said she looks like a monkey."

I snort. "Even if she is a monkey, she's still my monkey."

George puts the baby back in the stroller, chuckling softly.

"As long as you're happy." He leans over to kiss my cheek.

When Speranza is a month old, I suddenly find her cute.

Every morning when I wake up and look at her round belly and chubby face, my motherly love overflows.

I go downstairs to the kitchen.

The servants ask what I want to eat, and I tell them I just want to learn how to make baby food. When Speranza is six months old, she can start eating solid foods.