My Son's Father

My Son's Father Chapter 9

Emily’s POV

I felt terrible. It literally felt like I had been hit by a truck- the virus truck. I was coughing and sneezing like it was going out of style, and my bones and whole body ached. I had woken up because of an urge to vomit. Once I had raced to the bathroom and done so, Romano had held my hair back and tried to calm me down. This all happened the day after Romano and I had gone to ask his mother if we could use her house for the reception and had gone over many of the decoration ideas with Erin, everything had really set it. I was a little stressed about what to do with myself. Romano said I shouldn’t fuss about anything, but it was difficult to not worry about what could go wrong. I had a terrible feeling in my gut that something bad was going to happen, and over the past few months I had learned to trust that feeling. Melanie may not have come around again, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if she did. That woman was a menace, and once that I unfortunately would have to deal with from time to time.

Benny was so scared when he found out how sick I was. When my sessions of throwing up ended after a while before starting again, all I wanted to do was lie in my bed and moan like a ghost, but Romano assured him I would get better. My fever had been 102.3˚F the first day, and Romano decided to take me to the doctor and drop Benny off at Mamma’s house so he wouldn’t get sick. I didn’t particularly hate going to the doctor’s office, but it was something I didn’t really enjoy. Aside from going to the gynecologist regularly like a normal woman of my age, I rarely went to the doctor. I mean, who likes being sick and then having someone chastise you based on your life decisions? Like smoking, for example. I used to smoke, and I had a very large problem with it. However, the doctor’s words had no effect on me, it was only Romano’s words that enabled me to stop (though I only smoked for about a year or two, so it hadn’t become a necessarily long-lived addiction). The doctor was pointless, even though I respected his advice and profession.

“Emily, if I don’t take you to the doctor you could get worse and I don’t want that. I think you should refrain from thinking about the wedding for a while, too. All that stress isn’t good for you, and it’s probably why you got sick in the first place,” Romano sighed in the car, taking a glance at my pouting form next to him in the car.

“But the doctor isn’t going to do anything. It’s a virus, there’s nothing that can be done. I have to let it pass and buy some cold medicine until it does. He’s going to tell me the same thing, I bet,” I huffed, adjusting my sulking form against the cool window pane and warm leather seat. Romano didn’t laugh at me like he usually would. Instead, he was very serious and almost… absolute?

“Listen, Emily, you have to get over this. What kind of example does that set for Benny? When he gets sick, we’re going to have to take him to his pediatrician, right? Do you want him to fight with us every step of the way like you do? Not only that,” he paused, pulling into a parking space in front of the large building full of various offices and businesses, one of which being the doctor’s office. “But what if this isn’t just a virus? If this is something serious that might kill you, how do you think Benny and I would feel? You’re a mother and you’re going to be my wife soon, so you need to consider how your wellbeing affects us. We care about you, and it never hurts to be careful.” I was a little ashamed about how I was acting. Sure, I may have not liked doctors, but it was really childish and immature of me to try and make Romano feel bad about taking me.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t know what it is about doctor’s offices… I’m surprisingly okay with hospitals and the doctor’s there, maybe because they seem to do more for people in serious need, but I guess I just never liked going to the doctor. I have to get over it sometime, so I think you’re right,” I admitted with a light blush on my cheeks. Apologizing and admitting when I was wrong was never my forte, but I would make an exception or two with my new family. I could definitely live with that.