The Second Worst Love Story Ever (+18)

34. Gray Clouds

I took Valentina to see the kids at the hospital. She was a big hit with them, told them stories, -- she knew tons, actually, all of which I translated -- played with them, and took lots of pictures, which she didn't post, may I add.

How could she think she'd be a bad mom? I thought as I watched her being showered with kisses by those little angels.

"See that little princess over there?" I asked her later, pointing at a tiny five-year-old girl with blond hair.

"Vicky?" She groaned. "She's a doll! I know it's wrong, but I think she's my favorite."

"She's an orphan."

She suddenly looked like I had wounded her. "Oh, no... Can the orphanage afford her treatment?"

"No, that's why I'm doing it," I told her, and she snapped her head to look at me. "Don't tell this to anyone."

"I won't..." She looked back at the kids, biting her nail.

"I've been visiting the orphanage for years. Ada and I help there ever since we were teens." My eyes went back to Vicky. "I was the one who saw the first signs of her disease. A huge blotch on her back; it was so big I could see it creeping up her tank top. I arranged for her to see a doctor, and we found out it was melanoma."

"Is she... okay?"

"For now, she is. They removed it surgically, but it can always come back, so we keep an eye on her."

"Why are you telling me all this now?"

"I don't know." I shrugged. "I think I'm just venting off... I'm frustrated."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted to adopt her."

"Then why don't you do it? Are you afraid of getting attached?"

I snorted. "That ship sailed long ago, skat. No, I just... I'm always traveling. I don't think I'll be a good father to her."

"If you can have this baby with me, you can certainly raise this little girl."

"It's different. The baby will have you. She will only have me."

"Do it, Ash. Seriously, you have no idea how happy you'll be making her. She adores you! You'll be giving her love and a home. She won't mind if daddy has to travel to make movies now and then."

Daddy... How good it felt to be referred like that. I looked back at little Vicky, and she met my gaze with more affection than I could ever ask for. I imagined how it would be to have this precious little thing call me dad, and I realized Val was absolutely right.

Val and Noah went back to Ireland a little ahead of me. The studio had given me a little more time to grieve. By the time I went back, however, both my mom and Ada were shaping up a little better. It was crazy, but Val's presence had actually helped everyone heal. My sister was already talking to me again, but of course, the fact that she would be an aunt was ninety percent of the reason. She and mom were over the moon with Val's pregnancy.

It wasn't different when we finally told the guys she was expecting. Carla nearly lost her voice from so much screaming, jumping around and hugging her like she was about to disappear. Ethan swept Val from the ground and spun on his heels, screaming he was going to be an uncle.

"Come on! What about me?" I asked the traitors. "I had a part in this too, you know."

Everyone had their own kind of reaction to that comment, ranging from disgust to respect. Noah jumped on me, yelling about how happy he was.