"You were gone a long time. Did Nic like his soup?" Mia asks, a knowing smile plastered on her face.

Oh God. She knows.

Which means the whole house probably knows. I didn't really care, but at the same I was a guest in their home. And as a guest, what I did was disrespectful.

Mia sits down across me, setting down her pen and notepad. "Don't worry, your aren't the first one to get caught with a Fierri." She blushes an adorable blush. "Once you get with a Fierri, there's no such thing as privacy anymore. Everyone knows everything."

"Oh, I'm not actually with him."

"Oh?" She says, her lips forming a letter "O" shape. "So... enemies with benefits then?"

I shrug. "I guess you could say that."

Mia wants to finish our conversation, but a customer walks in. Slowly pushing herself up to her feet, she suddenly pauses, a look of shock, worry, and excitement written all over her face.

There's a dark wet spot on her apron as she looks down at the pool of watery fluid on the floor. "Uh, I think my water just broke," she says nonchalantly. She shouts to her co-worker at the front register. "Leah, you're in charge! I'm about to have my baby!"

Leah's squealing and jumping up and down like a rabbit. People are clapping and congratulating Mia as she grabs her purse from the rack and shifts past the customer out of the door.

I rush to follow her, not sure if she can drive in her current condition. Seeming to read my mind, she says, "I need you to drive."

She pulls out a set of keys and tosses it to me. I catch them not-so-smoothly and rush to open the door to Marcellius' Ferrari. She plops down, working on maintaining a rhythm of slow, even breaths.

Joining her in the driver's side, I slip the key into the ignition. The car roars to life and I speed to the nearest hospital.

"Oh my goodness," Mia says, looking down at the wet seat. "Marcel is going to be pissed."

"You're literally about to have his third baby and that's what you're worried about?"

"He doesn't play about his car." Focusing on the road, I see her from the corner of my eye pulling out her phone and dialing her husband. He picks up on the second ring.

He answers the phone like he already knows what going on. He sounds panicked like Mia was just shot or something.

"No, honey I'm fine. My water just broke. Autumn's taking me to the hospital." She informs him of the hospital we're going to, before telling him she loves him and hanging up the phone.

"Is he always like that?"

"Yes, but he has a reason to. We've been through... a lot." She looks out the window, staring into the distance. She grows sad for a moment, thinking about the past before a contraction hits.

She groans from the pain, clutching her stomach, which only urges me to drive faster. I think I ran through several red lights and almost experienced a near death collision, before safely pulling up to the hospital.

Quickly exiting the vehicle, I help Mia out of the car, and lead her into the hospital. The contractions start to worsen, coming every minute now.

She's trying to keep it together, but she wails from the pain, her breathing all over the place. A Doctor having heard her cries, rushes over to us.

He doesn't say anything as he hurriedly leads her down the hall, leaving me standing in the lobby area, still pumping with adrenaline.

Five minutes go by, and Marcellius arrives. He rushes out of the limo, his suit jacket flapping against the cool breeze.

"Where's Mia?"

Before I can answer, the Doctor reappears. He's wearing blue latex gloves that match his scrubs layered with a long white coat.

"Mr. Fierri." He smiles at him. "You are just in time. Mia's getting ready to push."

The Doctor ushers Marcellius to follow him and they both disappear down the hallway and into one of the rooms.

Another couple minutes go by, and Cesare, Mama Fierri, Luciano, Niccolo, and Mia's parents and her children burst into the doors. Cesare's carrying Daimon, and Luciano, Isabel.

"Is the bambino(baby) here yet?" Mama Fierri asks excitedly, her eyes darting around the room in search of a baby she can get her hands on.

"No, not yet."

That's when a loud shriek coming from the hallway travels into the lobby. Mia's screaming from the top of her lungs like they're in there murdering her. I tense up, a chill running down my spine.

I can't remember if we used protection last night. I think we did. I hope we did. I really don't want it to be me in there pushing out an entire human. Just the thought alone scares me.

Yeah, hell no.

Mia's screams fill the entire hospital, doctors and nurses unfazed, while other patients, family and friends of the patients look around worried, and probably scarred just as much as I've been.

Thirty minutes that feel more like three hours pass by, and no one is able to move from their seat. Everyone's both nervous and excited. Mia has finally stopped screaming. It's silent, the anticipation nerve-wracking.

Marcellius comes out into the lobby. "He's here." He smiles, and I thought I caught a glimpse of a tear in his eye. But I wasn't sure.

He turns back around and we all follow him down the hall, and into the room. They weren't in the same room I saw them go into. This one was way bigger. It was a little cramped considering the whole family was here, but no one complained.

All eyes were on Mia and the little bundle of joy in her arms. He's swaddled in a white blanket with a matching hat on his head. Black hair peeks out of the hat, the baby stirring in his sleep.

Marcellius stands beside his wife, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "You did so good tesoro(darling)," he whispers softly into her skin. "I'm so proud of you baby."

She smiles up at him and it's the most touching moment I've ever seen. It's clear this child will be loved very much. It makes me think back to my parents and how I never got that.

I brush the thought aside, smiling and awe-ing as the baby's eyes flutter open. Dark chocolate brown eyes skim over us, and he cooes, resulting in another awe from everyone.

Daimon and Isabel were set down so they could get a closer view of their newest brother. Marcellius scoops them up in his arms.

"Baby!" Isabel shouts, giggling and pointing at her brother.

Marcellius nods. "Sí, il tuo fratellino(yes, your baby brother)," he tells them in Italian.

"What's his name?" Mama Fierri asks, excitedly. Her face is lit up, overjoyed to be blessed with another grandchild.

Mia glances at her husband, before turning her attention back to us. "His name is Christiano Giovanni Fierri."

I remember the name Giovanni being their father's name. I don't quite understand their relationship with him. At first, I thought they hated him, but now I'm not so sure. I guess it's a love-hate kind of relationship.

Mama Fierri claps her hands together, tears rolling down her cheeks. Walking over to the bed, Mia gently hands her mother in-law Christiano.

The baby stirs, a little arm managing to escape from the swaddle. Mama Fierri whispers sweet nothings to him in Italian.

"I want to hold him next," Cesare says, him and Luciano joining their mother's side to gaze at their new nephew.

"I just wanted to thank you Autumn," my attention shifts to Mia. Besides the faint bags under her eyes, she doesn't look like she just gave birth at all. She looks amazing.

Marcellius gives me a single head nod. "Grazie(thank you)."

"It was no problem at all," I tell them with a kind smile. I would've helped, even if she were a stranger on the street.

I glance over at Niccolo, who remains where is, leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. He's staring at the baby, his expression unreadable. His eyes flicker to me and I quickly look away, feeling a blush coming on.

After everyone who wants a turn gets to hold the baby, Marcellius walks up to his brother. "Would you like to hold the baby, Nic?" His eyes snap down to the baby, then back up at him.

"No, I wouldn't."

Marcellius frowns. "You won't hurt him. I promise fratello(brother)."

After a minute, Niccolo hesitantly holds out his hands and Marcellius lays the sleeping baby in his arms. Niccolo tenses up, uncertainty in his beautiful eyes.

The baby opens his eyes, just as Niccolo reaches down to graze his fingers over the baby's cheek. The baby coils his tiny fingers around Niccolo's finger. Niccolo blinks, caught off guard as his eyes grow wide.

It was such an adorable moment. It was my first time seeing Niccolo with a child in his arms. He looked so gentle. It seems Mia was right about him. The moment is quickly short-lived when Niccolo says, "this is the last one, right?"

I spoke too soon.

Everyone's rolling their eyes, Mia the only one laughing. She replies, "yes, uncle Niccolo." Everyone's laughing along with Mia now as Niccolo frowns and hands Christiano back to his father. "Would you like a turn?" Mia asks me.

"Sure." I myself wasn't that big a fan of children either, but there was no denying how cute the baby was. Mia might just be changing my mind. Maybe I do want to have children of my own someday.

Marcellius hands me the baby, I wrap my arm around his small body, and support his neck and head with the other. He's feels like a feather in my arms. He stares up at me and I melt. He's just so innocent, so... beautiful.

When I look up, Niccolo is staring at me. He's watching my every move, his facial expression stoic. I blush. I haven't been able to stop, and it's become irritating. I've never blushed this much, esepcially with Niccolo.

Does this mean my hate for him is beginning to fade?

If so, why does that scare me?