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It was already nine, and by now she might have given birth. She called each one of her cousins finally reaching Dani who told her that Rachel was still in labor. She asked if she should come to the hospital, but Dani told her that everyone was just waiting around. Rachel was only half dilated and could take another few hours to give birth, but they’d let her know.
After hanging up the phone, she went to take a shower. She was free today since she had taken vacation for part of this week and all of next. She had the whole day ahead of her and had no idea what to do. Her usual routine of studying every waking hour was over. She needed to fill that time with something else. As she prepared something to eat, she realized that what had been a nearly empty refrigerator was now occupied.
Sometime yesterday Xander had gotten groceries. A look around the apartment told her that he had also cleaned probably while she was off drinking. In the corner, on a small table, she spied a vase of lavender roses that she hadn’t noticed last night. There was a card on the table next to them, she opened the envelope.
On the front was “Congratulations, you did it.” She opened the card to Xander’s bold script.
Ava,
I’m soproud of you. You’ll make a fine attorney, and I hope in the future you will do me the honor of becoming my wife. I want to make all your dreams come true. Let’s celebrate.
All my love,
Xander
“You’re an asshole,” she said out loud.
Here was a man that loved her no matter how horrible she was to him. And she had been horrible. Even so, he had taken care of her needs. She pushed him to the altercation the night before, probably because he was already on edge with her. Now, what was she going to do? He was furious, and she had spoken words that she could never take back. They were floating in the air like a cloud of acid.
She paced her apartment; two days, and she was leaving for Georgia. She couldn’t go to the office to apologize; Xander would be in court most of the day. She could go to his apartment and do the same for him that he did for her. But he had a cleaning lady two days a week, so he had no need. She knew that buying expensive trinkets was not going to make this better. She decided her best course of action would be to let sleeping dogs lie. He would need time. Maybe by Sunday, he would be ready to accept her into his life again.
At 5:15, Ava entered the maternity ward of the hospital. Rachel had given birth an hour ago to a healthy baby boy, Mateo Bartolomeo Vicaria. Rodrigo was in heaven passing around cigars even to the women. Ava stopped by to see Rachel then went on to check out little Mateo in his crib in the nursery. He had a full head of black hair like his father. The baby looked so peaceful and sweet as he slept wrapped in a tiny blue blanket.
As she watched him, she became aware of someone next to her. It was Xander. He looked dejected as she searched his hazel eyes.
“Hi,” She smiled weakly at him.
“Hi, yourself,” he said without a trace of anger.
“Can we talk?”
He grinned at her.
“Of course.”
He looked around to see if anyone was watching and then stroked her cheek with his fingers.
“Let’s go down to the cafeteria.”
When they got in the elevator, he reached out to wind his pinkie around hers.
“I’m so sorry. I’m disgusted with myself. I said some awful things to you, and I’m afraid I can’t take them back.”
“Shh, we both said awful things. The point is can we move past them or not?”
“Do you want to move past them?”
“Why would you think I wouldn’t? I don’t want to argue, but there is some truth in what is said. Do you think I resent you for getting pregnant?”
“I don’t know why I said that.”
They moved back in the elevator to let some other people on and their conversation ceased. They didn’t speak until they took a seat near the window in the cafeteria.
“We have been through a lot over the past few months. We never fully discussed my leaving you. If you have anger about that, I want to know. I don’t want to keep dredging this up time and time again. I’ve already told you that I beat myself up. I should never have left you.”
He reached across the table and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He loved her so much, and he needed to know they were okay.
“I’m not angry at you. You did what you needed to at the time. I just wish you had waited for me to wake up before you left.”
