Finally being able to get something out of a straight Alexander spoke. 'How...umm... how are you feeling?...Better?' He asked cautiously."
She gave a slight nod before pausing, her lips pursed.
After a while, she said, "You're still in your PJs," as though noticing it for the first time.
That prompted Alexander to also look at his outfit, and he let out a nervous chuckle. "You just went down...it was scary, and I didn't have time to change."
With her usual air of indifference, she added, "Thank you for bringing me here," in a dry tone.
"There's no need for that. I'll do the same for anyone I find in such a condition," said Alexander with an encouraging smile.
He sat down on the edge of her hospital bed and looked down at his hands.
After a long pause, he finally sighed. "Did Doctor Hamilton tell you..." He trailed off, still unable to believe the news.
It was just one night, how could she have gotten pregnant? he internally questioned himself.
"Yes, he told me," she responded with no emotion.
Alexander nodded and exhaled deeply. "So you...what are we going to do about it?" He asked, unsure of what to say next.
"You mean, what am I going to do about it?" She asked with the same indifferent tone.
He blinked, confused by her response, and waited for her to clarify that statement.
When he saw that she wasn't going to, he inquired, "What do you mean?" then added with hesitation, "Doesn't this involve both of us?"
Camilla gulped a little before speaking. "I'm not keeping it," she whispered and averted her eyes from Alexander as much as possible.
He took in her reply.
A few moments passed before he finally replied, "W..wha..." was all he managed to utter before he lost the ability to say any more.
"I'm terminating the pregnancy, Alexander. I'm not keeping the baby," she said, looking him in the eye a little more confident.
And then there were several moments of silence between them.
Alexander stood frozen, still trying to process what she had just told him.
When he felt like he could take another breath, he blurted out, "Why would you be terminating a pregnancy you just found out about?!" Clearly taken aback.
Her shoulders stiffened before answering quietly, "Because I'm not ready to raise a child. I can't." Her voice sounded hollow, yet full of determination.
Her expression remained stoic and cold before adding, "It's in my body, so it's my decision."
Alexander stared blankly, still stunned by her announcement.
He couldn't even think properly anymore, so all he could say was, "But...you've just found out!"
Camilla's gaze shifted away again, still staring into nothingness.
"The reason why I actually wanted to talk to you was just to inform you about it, not to take your permission on it," she admitted after a long silence.
Alexander swallowed hard before responding, "It's probably the drugs they gave you that are working on you or something, but I'll come back when you're really okay." Then turning around, he headed towards the door and went out of the room without saying anything else.
Camilla looked up at the ceiling in silence for a while before asking, "What's the worst that could happen?... seriously!" She asked, sounding hysterical.
"A lot actually can happen, Cami... so much you never thought of," she said to herself.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Alexander emerged from Camilla's hospital room, lost in thought about what she had just told him.
He felt frustrated and tired with the whole situation.
Camilla's constant mood swings were wearing him out.
He never expected that their night together would result in her pregnancy.
The news was shocking and a lot to deal with, but he never expected her to make the decision to abort their child without even considering his opinion.
"Hello," a coarse female voice interrupted his thoughts, and he jumped in surprise.
"Sorry, you seem lost in thought," said the older woman standing beside him, observing his deeply furrowed brow.
"No, I'm fine," Alexander assured her, glancing over at Alessia and Fernando who were deep in conversation with the rest of the family.
"If you say so," Camilla's grandmother remarked doubtfully.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, she spoke again. "I know the news is a little overwhelming, but you'll both be fine in the end," she comforted him in a soft tone.
Alexander stared at her for a while then forced a smile. "Thank you, ma'am," he said, and the woman chuckled.
"Oh, call me Nonna (Grandma)," she insisted. "You're already a part of the family. You'll be welcoming a child with my granddaughter soon," she stated proudly.
Alexander smiled faintly before nodding. "Right, Nonna," he murmured under his breath.
Amara, still irritated by all the attention being given to Camilla, spoke up. "Nonna,(Grandma) can you please stop this? Can't you see you're making the poor man uncomfortable?" she complained with annoyance in her voice.
"Camilla is having a baby, so what? What's so new or special about it?" she retorted, her annoyance evident.
"Amara! Chiudi la bocca! (Shut your mouth!)" Riza scolded her daughter, turning to her mother-in-law with a pleading expression, "Madre, per favore non ci badare, probabilmente ha bevuto troppo durante la celebrazione. Adesso la porto fuori io. (Mother, please don't mind her. She probably drank too much during the celebration. I'll take her out now.)" She said, dragging a reluctant Amara out of the place.
The older woman didn't say anything and instead stared at her son, Carlos, who was obviously embarrassed by his daughter's behavior before moving to the others.
"Amara aveva ragione. Dato che Camilla sta bene non c'è bisogno che restiamo tutti qui. Puoi andare a casa e riposarti, è stata una lunga notte. (Amara was right. Since Camilla is doing fine, there's no need for all of us to be present here. You can go home and rest. It's been a long night.)" She stated calmly.
At those words, Fernando and Alessia shared a relieved look that nothing had gotten out of control despite Amara's attempt to cause a scene.
"Yes, you all should go home and rest after all the partying we did. You surely must be tired," Alessia quickly added, backing up her mother-in-law to avoid any resistance.
"But who's going to stay with her?" Esmeralda interrupted.
"She has me and her father here as well as..." She trailed off, gesturing to Alexander, who appeared lost from all the Italian they were just speaking, not understanding a thing.
"You guys go. Okay?" She urged.
As they all began leaving, Esmeralda looked back at her grandmother, "Nonna, non vieni? (Grandma, aren't you coming?)"
The old woman looked a little uncertain before finally replying, "Sì, (Yes) I'll be there in a minute. I just want to speak with this young man here first." She said, and Esmeralda nodded before continuing to walk out of the hospital.
As everyone left, Alessia became apprehensive about what her mother-in-law wanted to discuss with Alexander.
The situation between him and Camilla was getting quite precarious, and she knew it.
Although she hadn't planned or expected this to happen, she was still happy that she would soon be a grandmother.
"Madre,(Mother) what do you want to discuss with him? It's already midnight, and you know you shouldn't be staying up this late," Alessia intervened, but the old woman dismissed her words.
"I only want to say a few words to him, nothing more. You don't need to worry about anything," she said.
Alessia frowned in disagreement, but she didn't say anything else seeing that the old woman seemed adamant.
The old woman turned to Alexander with a smile on her face. "I know we have only known each other for a little while, but I can see that you're feeling a bit nervous, even if you don't want to admit it."
"Just remember that it's completely normal to feel that way. Having a child is a big responsibility, but it's also one of the most rewarding experiences you'll ever have."
"You're going to be a good father, and I have no doubt that you'll rise to the occasion."
"So don't worry too much, and enjoy this incredible journey," she said, patting his shoulders before walking away.
Alexander just stood there watching her go.
'If only she knew what that stubborn granddaughter of hers was planning,' He said inwardly to himself, feeling somewhat sorry for himself and for the family members who were excited by Camilla's pregnancy.
"Are you alright?" Alessia asked cautiously, breaking him out of his thoughts.
He looked to his side, staring at the couple for a while before he nodded.
"Yes ma'am, I just need to get something from my car. I'll be back," he said with a fake smile before leaving them standing there.
Alessia, seeming not to believe his words, looked at her husband worriedly.
"I don't think he's fine," she said, and Fernado rolled his eyes at her overthinking things as usual.
"I'm sure it's nothing. He's probably a little overwhelmed by the news," he replied.
She sighed, resting her head and hand on his chest. "I hope so," she whispered.