Her face was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. Her head was resting on the bed and her hands were holding mines. It took me a minute to realize that I was in the hospital room. I scanned the room and saw my baby laying on her bed besides me. She was safe. I did not imagine the last thing I saw before I passed out.
"Hey monkey," I heard Carm said. "Hey, hey" she kept saying while kissing me incessantly. "You're safe now. You're safe."
I held her face in my hands to take a look at her. She was crying. I wiped her tears and brought back her lips on mine.
"Hey," I said, smiling at her.
"Hi." Then she pulled me into a hug. "I thought I lost you."
"You meant us, right?" I said while turning her face toward our daughter.
"Of course I meant you two." She sighed as she stared at our daughter sleeping. "She's so beautiful." She turned her gaze to me. I could see her happiness through her eyes. "I am sorry to ruin the moment but I need to know what happened."
"Well, as you already know, your mom was behind this all along. She said she needed a piece of me to complete the sacrifice that would free her great love, and my baby was perfect for the task. That's why she impregnated me during that pap-test. Oh and she was the one who gave me something that provoked the bleeding so she could kidnapped me and accelerated the birth of our girl."
"How did she manage to do that?"
"Remember the restaurant we went to on Monday, she was there and slipped something in my food."
"That bitch..."
"Hey" I said, caressing her cheeks. "I am alright now. Thanks to you. You saved us both. How did you find us?"
"I heard you calling my name. You were far though, but my vampire abilities helped me. I just followed your voice, and the thought of being in danger kept me motivated to find you. And when I saw you on the floor and her about to give in sacrifice our baby, I did what I had to. The thought of losing you again... Laura?"
It was me this time that could not stop my tears. Everything came back to me: the men trying to shut me up, Carm's mother trying to sacrifice my baby, me helpless...
"It's over now cupcake," Carm said while rocking me in her arms. "She's gone." She kissed me and the feel of her lips, their softness told me that she was making me a promise.
"God, take a room already!"
I broke the kiss to see who was interrupting me.
"Oh hey LaF and Perry."
"Hello to you too frosh," she said, pulling me into a big hug.
"The hell, group hug." Perry said, joining us.
"I'm glad you're okay Laura. And thanks for rescuing her." They said. "And look at this angel sleeping."
They both went over the baby's bed and stayed there. I put my head on Carm's shoulder and observed them looking at my daughter. She looked a little bit like Carmilla. No idea how was possible.
~
"She's so beautiful," Carm said.
"You've been saying that since I woke up in the hospital a week ago." I said, smilingly.
"That's because it's the truth. She inherited your beauty."
"I don't know, she looks a little bit like you."
"She does?"
"Yeah."
She stared at the baby and shook her head. I could not believe how happy we were considering our situation seven days ago. I wanted to engrave that image of Carm playing with our daughter in my mind forever. She barely left our sides, always got up when the baby was crying at night. I heart felt like it was going to explode because me being too happy.
I got up and went over where Carmilla was making funny at our daughter. I put my hands around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder. Then I spun her to face me. I grabbed her neck and kissed her.
"I love you," I said when I released her lips.
"What was that for," she said while smiling, totally surprised by my action.
"Nothing, just felt like it."
She leaned and rested her forehead against mine.
"I love you too monkey."
We stayed like that for awhile before we heard Perry and LaFontaine calling us for dinner. I forgot we had guests at our house. Mattie stopped by to meet her niece, although she was not really fond of babies. That was a real surprise to me.
I had a huge smile on my face as I sat down at the table and looked at how those people I had the chance to call family, blood related or not. I was only glad that my daughter would be surrounded by love.
THE END!
