Chapter EIGHT

 
Anella felt sick right after Fernando’s birthday celebration party. They had decided to keep it private but turning 50 was a huge point in his life and they felt it would be best if they shared it with everyone.
Fernando rented Castello Odescalchi for the evening and invited all their friends and a few media houses for exclusives.
Throughout the evening, she and Fernando drank wine, ate good food and enjoyed their night with the ones who mattered most to them.
When they were returning home Anella felt a sharp pain in her stomach.
“Fernando!”
“Sweetheart, what is it?”
“My stomach it hurts, oh it hurts.”
Fernando punched a button and spoke to his driver.
“Frederique, to the hospital quickly!”
 
“Mr. and Mrs. Marcello, I have been studying your notes for ten minutes and it is my belief that against so many odds, you are pregnant.”
“WHAT?” Both of them exclaimed.
“The doctor told me I shouldn’t get pregnant again so he burned my tube ends. How is this possible?”
“The body is a mysterious machine but you are definitely pregnant, about 3 months to be exact.”
“Fernando?”
“Ah my love, this is a good thing, let’s not worry about why and how. I am happy, are you?”
“I will always be happy to have your baby you know this but I’m almost 45.”
“Well you seem to be in good health but we will consider you to be high risk and treat the pregnancy as such so, no stress, no drugs, alcohol, and no travelling either. Come back to see me in a week if you feel any pain or notice any spotting.”
“Thank you doctor.”
“What are we going to tell the children?”
“That they will have another brother or sister, Anabella my love, don’t worry, this will affect the baby. Come let me take you home and pamper you.”
The children were surprised but happy for their parents, they told everyone they were going to have another addition to the family.
In the months following, Anella gave complete control of M-Studios to Tylan. She was confident he could run it with his eyes closed. She spent her days in the garden, going to lunch with her husband and chatting with her daughter over the phone about small issues.
As she neared 9 months Anella started to feel sick every day. She had enjoyed little morning sickness, she had a healthy appetite carried the baby full term but during the delivery, both she and the baby developed complications and Fernando had to choose.
 
“Doctor, I know you cannot garauntee me the life of either one of them but I choose my wife, I know she will hate me for this but I cannot live without her.”
 
Fernando signed the papers and prepared for the worst. Fernando had paid for a private ward and he was glad that he did.
 
The operation lasted 3 hours. Fernando named the baby girl after her. There was no funeral, fernando had his daughter cremated and her ashes were placed on the mantel in their living room.
 
When she woke up and didn’t see the baby, she screamed. She knew her baby was gone.
“Fernando what did you do?”
“I couldn’t let you go.” He whispered softly.
“You have had me for years why couldn’t you let her live. I HATE YOU! Go away!”
 
The doctor had to sedate her quickly and within minutes she was sleeping soundly.
 
The day Anella was ready to leave the hospital was a dreary and dismal one. Fernando had locked the new nursery and when his wife came home that’s the first place she went.
 
“Open this door now.”
Her husband did as she wanted.
 
He tried talking to her but she refused to acknowledge him.
Anella went into depression, Fernando stopped working and the children were not coping. Tylan had already moved out but in wanting to be there for his family he would come over every day, Anabella was overseas and she flew home a few days after her father called. Cenzino was becoming more and more distant and eventually he left to start his own business away from the family. He loved Anella for taking him in but he always felt like an outsider and he was glad that she understood this.
 
As the weeks passed Anella started to come around, she was sleeping in the nursery away from her husband. She would come down to breakfast, lunch and dinner and go back to the nursery each time. Her husband continued to talk to her, show his love and be as understanding as he could be.
 
One morning he was sitting at the brrakfast table and she came down. Everyone had gone back to their busy lives and it was just the two of them. What Anella saw broke her heart all over again. The man she fell in love with, had three children for was crying his eyes out.
 
Anella stood in the doorway beind him not knowing what to do. Then she heard him.
 
“I don’t know if there is a God but if there is, I beg of you this one thing, heal my wife, there is nothing more in this world that I need more than this. I love her with everything that I am and if I could take the place of my baby girl just to make her happy I would. I hope that someday she will forgive me.”
 
It was then Anella realised how selfish she had been, she was so wrapped up in her depression and loss that she ignored how Fernando must have felt knowing he was the one who made the choice..... he chose her. He chose to risk her anger and rejection knowing what the baby meant to both of them..... he chose her.
 
“Fernando.”
He spun in his chair to face her.
“I.....”
“Let me, please. I love you and I’m sorry for saying those nasty words to you at the hospital, I’m sorry for ignoring you and making you suffer all these weeks. I do not need to forgive you for chosing me. I understand why you did it and she was your baby too. I want us to get on with our lives, I don’t want to be sad anymore, I want to see my children and be thankful that I still have them. I want to make love to you like we used to and truth be told if I got pregnant again, I would do it all over again because the love you have shown me has reinforced what I knew all along........ I always have you no matter what life throws my way.”
 
Fernando got up and then he hesitated.
She opened her arms and he rushed over to her.
 
Fernando decided to take Anella on vacation and during that time, they met two wonderful children, adopted them and brought them home.