****
The snoring in her ear woke her. Mira blinked in the dark. He slept so close his tall frame covered her. His large muscular arm was thrown over her and so was his thigh. She ached between her legs from the workout he gave her just hours before. Gently she moved his arm and tried to ease from the bed.
“Where are you going?” he groaned pulling her back under him.
Mira smiled. “I have to use the toilet sweetheart. Be right back.”
Giovanni released her and rolled away. Their room was exceptionally cold at night. She found her slippers first and then slipped on his robe, which felt like it was several sizes too big. She peeked in at Eve. Her daughter kicked away her blanket but slept peacefully with her pacifier plugged in her mouth. Mira made sure to cover her. She pressed a kiss to her fingers and then pressed her fingers to Eve’s cheek before she smoothed back silky curls from her face. In a few hours she would wake to more toys than one child could manage. And she couldn’t wait to share the moment with Giovanni.
Eve’s nightlight and the moon rays from the balcony outside of her bedroom provided the only light through the silent darkness filling the adjoining rooms. She crept back inside to the bathroom and locked the door. She had hid the pregnancy box in her vanity bag under the sink. Mira found it and read the instructions in the dark. Quickly she opened the package and squatted on the toilet. She peed on the wand and then placed the plastic stick on the edge of the sink. Mira sat there patiently waiting. She hadn’t brought her watch inside to time the wait. So minutes dragged on and she resisted the urge to peek.
“Mira?” Giovanni called out, his voice loud enough to wake Eve.
“I’m coming sweetheart.” She answered. If he woke his daughter, she’d kill him. Wiping and flushing, she washed her hands and sucked down a deep breath to calm her nerves. If she was pregnant, it wouldn’t be a surprise. He would be thrilled, and she would be a mother again. She stared at her reflection. How was it that just two years ago her only dreams were to take over the fashion world? Motherhood wasn’t anything she’d ever fathomed. And was she a good mother? After all, she brought her daughter here based on love not sensibility. The Battaglia’s were a complicated, dangerous family, and Eve would grow up behind these walls influenced by all she’d learn and see. Mira closed her eyes and pushed down her surfacing doubts. She remembered her promises to Giovanni and herself. Love did matter. It would change things. It would change all of them. And this baby could do so as well, if she was pregnant.
Mira opened her eyes. She reached for the wand and paused as her heart and mind registered the truth. A plus sign meant another bambina or bambino for the family. They were pregnant.
“Mira? What are you doing?” Giovanni called out again.
“Good grief.” Mira groaned. The man acted like it was unnatural for her to use the bathroom. She wrapped the wand in a tissue and stuck it back in her vanity bag. Washing her hands once more, she finished and returned to bed.
“What were you doing in there?” he asked, a bit of irritation in his voice.
“Giovanni! I was using the bathroom!”