Bambino

29

As the soft evening light filtered through the hospital windows, the atmosphere in the room grew quieter. Maya had been mentally preparing to take Alex home soon, giving Carina a chance to rest without interruptions and to allow Alex some familiarity back at home. But as she gently began to broach the subject, Alex, who had been snuggled against Carina all day, stiffened at the thought of leaving her.

"Hey, buddy," Maya said softly, brushing a hand over his hair. "It's getting late. How about we head home, get some rest, and come back to see Mamma tomorrow?"

Alex immediately frowned, his small face clouding over with anxiety. "No!" he cried, shaking his head as tears welled up in his eyes. "I don't want to leave Mamma!" His voice was desperate, his grip on Carina tightening as he clung to her arm, refusing to let go.

Carina, who had been resting peacefully, stirred as she felt Alex's grip tighten. She opened her eyes, her heart aching at the sight of her son's distress. "Tesoro," she said gently, her voice soft but firm, "it's okay. You'll see me tomorrow."

But Alex's fear and exhaustion, combined with the trauma of the accident and the overwhelming day, quickly spiraled into a full-blown tantrum. His small body trembled as he cried, clinging to Carina with all his might. "No, I don't want to go!" he sobbed, his voice filled with fear. "I want to stay with you, Mamma!"

Maya's heart clenched at the sight of him so distraught. She knelt beside the bed, her voice calm but filled with concern. "Hey, Alex," she said softly, "I know it's hard. I know you don't want to leave Mamma, but she needs to rest, and you need to rest too. We'll be back first thing tomorrow, I promise."

But Alex wasn't hearing any of it. He cried harder, his hands gripping Carina's gown as if letting go would mean losing her again. "Please, Mommy, don't make me go!" he begged through his tears, his little face red and blotchy from crying.

Carina, feeling the pain of both her injuries and her son's distress, did her best to soothe him. She gently ran her fingers through his hair, wincing slightly as her injured arm protested. "Amore," she whispered, "you're going to be okay. I need you to be brave, okay? Mommy will take good care of you tonight, and then you'll come back to me tomorrow."

But Alex wasn't calming down. His grip remained firm, his cries growing louder as the fear of separation overwhelmed him.

Maya, seeing that reasoning with him wasn't working, took a deep breath and gently but firmly pried his small hands from Carina's gown, scooping him up into her arms. Alex kicked and screamed, his little fists pounding against her shoulder as tears streamed down his face. It broke Maya's heart, but she knew he needed rest and some stability back at home.

"It's okay, Alex," Maya said softly, her voice soothing despite the struggle. "I've got you. I know you're scared, but I promise we'll be back with Mamma tomorrow."

Alex continued to cry, reaching out toward Carina as Maya held him securely. "Mamma!" he sobbed, his voice filled with desperation.

Carina, tears welling up in her own eyes at the sight of Alex's distress, reached out toward him with her good hand. "I love you, tesoro," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "You're going to be okay. I'll see you in the morning."

Maya held him tight, gently rocking him back and forth as she walked toward the door. "I know it's hard, buddy," she whispered. "But we'll get through this. We're all going to be okay."

Finally, as they reached the doorway, Alex's cries began to subside, exhaustion winning out over his tantrum. His little body went limp against Maya's shoulder, though soft hiccuping sobs still escaped him. Maya turned to look back at Carina, who offered a tired but reassuring smile through her own tears.