Chapter 35 Thirty-five

• The pain meds make the room swim around me. I blink, trying to focus on the clock. 11:43 PM.
• Dante hasn't returned from the NICU. The nurses told me Matteo is stable but needs to stay in the incubator. I wanted to see him, but they insisted I rest after the difficult delivery. My body feels empty, like something important is missing. Which it is. My son is somewhere in this hospital without me.
• I shift in the bed, wincing at the soreness between my legs. The private room is quiet except for the occasional beep from my monitors. Dante's influence again: the best room, the best care. Despite everything, I'm grateful for that, at least.