Heartless Soul Book 2 of the Heartless Series

Chapter 17 - Compromise

Carmela's POV

We laid there for hours just holding each other, not really knowing the time but that didn't matter really. Romeo continued to draw circles on my belly as I danced my fingers over the back of his hand. "How far along are you?" I shrugged. I really didn't know but I oddly didn't want to know, nor did I want to know the sex of the baby. Did it really matter. I didn't know, I've never known anyone that was pregnant, or has been pregnant. "Do you think we should schedule a doctor's appointment?" I shrugged again. "Is everything alright Rose?" I turned in his arms to face him. "Yes, everything is fine. I just don't feel like I need to know. Well not yet anyway." He smiled at me, knowing that was something I would definitely reply. "Okay, but you have to at least take it easy while training the girls. I know you've been fighting hand to hand with them, but I think that might be a little dangerous now." The concern in his voice was adorable, or was it annoying. Damn these hormones, I can't tell.

"Okay, but that means one of you guys will have to do it." I smirked knowing that was the last thing he would want. Enzo would get far to distracted with Mel in the same room and he needed them both to sort the problems that have been neglected since the bounty. "I'll have Lorenzo come help you out." His smug smile showed that he thought he got out of helping.

I let it go, no point arguing this one when I knew at some point there will be bigger a battle to fight about. My stomach rumbled then and we both laughed at the room. He slipped out of bed and extended his hand towards me. "Come on, let's go feed that baby of ours Mrs Giovanni." I took his hand and allowed him to pull me out of bed. I pulled on my shorts and t-shirt before wrapping my fluffy robe around me again. "Come on then, you can attempt to cook me something." He rolled his eyes knowing full well that he is not that good in the kitchen without instruction.

As we made our way into the kitchen, everyone was sat around the dining table with empty plates, Amy looked expectantly at me. I knew exactly what she wanted to ask but didn't want to say it out loud. I nodded at her and bit my lip before making eye contact with Mel who also had a huge grin on her face and excited eyes. "What's got you all excited?" Enzo asked while looking between me and Mel. "Nothing." She laughed as she lowered her gaze to the table, and pushed a meatball around her plate. "Tell me." He teased her and poked at her side.

Romeo clocked on to what was going on and looked at me. "So the girls know then?" He whispered to me. I scrunched my nose and nodded. "And your mother knows." I whispered back, he again rolled his eyes, he should have known full well that girls talk and of course they would know before him.

"Well as most of the table knows, might as well fill the rest of you in." Enzo looked up from his tickle fight with Mel. "Rose and I are going to have a baby." The whole table erupted in cheers and claps. "Damn, I wouldn't have guessed that." He pulled Romeo into a half bro hug and slapped him on the back. "Congrats to you both." Timo joined in the man hug and they all laughed and joked about the sleepless nights and dirty nappies he would have to clean.

Valentina was the first to come to me and took my hands in hers. "I told you." She teased and I rolled my eyes. "Fine, you were right this time." I teased back and pulled her into a hug. "You will make an amazing mother." I held her tighter, feeling as if my mother was with us too, tears slid down my cheeks and I rushed to wipe them away. "Damn hormones." I growled as I let her go. Amy and Mel had cracked open a bottle of bubbles and was pouring 6 glasses as Mel poured apple juice into a champagne glass which I guessed was for me. When everyone had a glass she toasted. "To Camy and Romeo, enjoy the crying shit machine when it gets here." I couldn't help but laugh at her choice of words and we all clinked our glasses together.

Romeo's arms found their way around me while I took an overwhelmed minute at the back door. "We need to go back to New York. I refuse to hide anymore, I want to go home." He nodded at my side. "We can go back as long as you agree to go and see the midwife when we do." I sighed. "Okay, but I don't want to know the sex of the baby and if I don't know. You don't know." I could tell in his body language that he didn't expect my comment. "What? But I want to know. I think we're going to have a boy and I've put money on it." I laughed at his cliché response, of course he wanted a boy, he wouldn't be able to handle a little girl especially when she grew up. "Tuff, you will have to wait the same as me." He reluctantly agreed threw gritted teeth, which made me laugh.

3 Days Later

Carmela's POV

The private midwife's office was modern and simple but reminded me of every other doctor's surgery there ever were, private or not. Romeo insisted we go private as he felt the care would be better and it would be just that, private. Then insisted on changing our names to definitely make sure. So as the midwife came to the door and shouted for Mr and Mrs Black, I didn't even acknowledge her, it wasn't until Romeo nudged me that I knew it was our turn.

The office was white and clean with the strong smell of disinfectant in the air, which didn't do anything for my morning sickness. Now I knew what it were it seemed to happen more and more, and I hated it, why did we even have to feel like shit before we even have the damn thing, I moaned to myself. "So Mr and Mrs Black, is this your first pregnancy?" the midwife asked as she motioned toward the chairs in front of her desk and took her own seat. "Yes. When does morning sickness stop?" I asked hoping she would say today but knew I was asking too much. "Well that would depend on how far along you are." She smiled. Definitely asked to much. "When was your last bleed?" She continued to ask and got a calendar out from her top drawer. "I don't exactly know. I've been under a lot of stress at... work so I haven't kept track." She nodded jotting things down on the computer to the left of her.

"Not to worry. Have you got the urine sample the receptionist asked you to do?" I dug into my pocket to retrieve the sample and handed it to her. She went over to the side cupboards and started fiddling with things. My knee began bouncing through nerves, Romeo took hold of my hand and squeezed it reassuringly, I quietly sighed and forced my knee to stop. On her way back she brought a small blue tray. As I looked at the contents it was clear she wanted to do blood tests. "The test was positive, but you both already knew that. So now I just need to take some pre-natal bloods, these are routine to see if you are deficient in iron and such, to which we can give you supplements for." I offered my left arm to her and she began her blood testing.

After she had done her urine and blood tests and we answered all the questions she asked. She motioned towards a short plastic bed and asked me to lay down, so she could do an ultrasound scan, I mentioned that I did not want to know the sex of my child, to which she assured me it was too soon to tell. The scan didn't take long and after she put cold jelly on my stomach and pressed into it with the scanner. I got to hear the most amazing sound, the fast paced heartbeat of my baby filled the room and I think I stopped breathing. To allow me to hear it uninterruptedly, there wasn't much to see on screen just a few white blobs. She took a few measurements and determined that I was 8-10 weeks pregnant. Once she removed the scanner and the sound stopped, I instantly felt lost, I didn't know I needed something, anything to feel close to my baby. It was weird to think that I was so far along and never actually knew, well not consciously knew anyway.

Romeo's POV

Carmela's nerves were clear as she fidgeted and bounced her knee. It really was like she didn't want to know anything, so she could keep her secret close to her chest and let no one find out. The use of a private midwife and fake names were to help her feel like she was keeping her secret but that didn't help. It wasn't until she heard our babies heart beating that she finally stopped being nervous and only concentrated on the screen in front of us. The sound was remarkable, and I didn't quite know how to feel other than pride, love and protective, but I also knew I couldn't keep her locked up like I had done before. I needed to keep her close and allow for her to be who she is. I would have to keep reminding myself that she knew how to protect and defend herself and our baby, she wasn't stupid, plus if I thought she was lethal before, I pity anyone who thinks they can get to her now.

Once we were back in the car, she finally spoke to me. "Thank you. I was reluctant to go to the midwife, I worried that it was all in my head or that something would be wrong, but after hearing our babies heart beat it was amazing." I leaned over the centre console of the car and kissed her softly. I knew never to piss off a pregnant woman and telling her I told you so wasn't going to go down well. "You're welcome, shall we go home."