"The Caregiver and the Mob Boss (pt.2)"
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Avelina has always cared for those who can't care for themselves. With a baby on the way, and a man who can't stand her, she has to still find a way to put herself first.
Adrik cares for Avelina. Avelina car...
"Sometimes memories sneak out of my eyes and roll down my cheeks." —unknown
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—Six months later—
IT WAS FOOLISH of her to believe in dreams. Dreams were only just that, dreams. It was something people created in their minds to have all of the pain and struggle miraculously make sense. She knew that now.
With her hope trembling away from her without a spare glance, she was left in a pit of darkness. She was left with the world and all of its empty promises. She was left tired of dreaming.
"Would you like to know the gender, Miss Santos?" Doctor Fitzgerald questioned. She anxiously shook her head back and forth. Her anguish pressed her lips together and warned her to not shed a single tear.
She felt like knowing the gender was something both parents should be present for. She hated herself for the way her body kicked and screamed for Adrik like a child throwing a tantrum. Avelina learned to console herself, cradling her body in her own arms, knowing that he wasn't there anymore. She had to pick herself up when she fell, kiss her own cheek when she cried, and be both the father and mother to her unborn child.
"Okay, that's fine. Well, if you don't have any questions for me, I will be seeing you at our next appointment. One of the nurses will be sure to set that up for you," he smiled tenderly. Just as the snap from snatching his gloves off had echoed through the room, Avelina cleared her throat.
"I actually do have a question," she let out with her voice barely hovering above a whisper. "The baby's father..."
Her mind trailed over to Adrik Zolotov, the man she should have never gotten involved with. He was the man who filled her heart only for it to explode in the process. Adrik was someone she never thought would hurt her, but he turned out to be the one who did the most damage. Even though it killed her, she missed his beautiful smile and the way his eyes shut as he played on the piano. She missed the way he held her because it was the only way he could show how much he loved her. She missed his hair with the way it danced on his shoulders like a princess flourishing in the night with her handsome prince. Adrik was supposed to be her hope, her dreams, her fairytale. He turned out to be her disappointment, her nightmare, and her horror story.
"The baby's father... he has Autism Spectrum Disorder," she informed her doctor before gulping down nothing but air. The doctor's brows rose as he studied her.
"Is he in the picture?" Dr. Fitzgerald asked. She shook her head in response, hoping he wouldn't press the matter.
He nodded his head in understanding. "Autism Spectrum Disorder, ASD, is genetic. Eighty percent of all children who come from a parent with ASD ultimately end up with it as well. Being alone and taking care of a child with Autism can be difficult, but of course, it is possible. You may want to begin planning and researching how to properly care for not only a child but one with autism. I will be here to answer all of your questions along the way."
