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Giovanni was still trying to grasp the fact that their babies had been switched. “How much did he weigh?”
“The chart said eight pounds, four ounces. He was twenty-two inches long. He’ll be tall like you. My baby’s father was five foot ten. It explains why he’s a little lighter and smaller.”
His eyes lingered on her features. “Vito has so much of you in him, it’s uncanny. I thought it odd that he was born with blond hair, but I never considered that he wasn’t mine.”
“My brother told me it was my mother’s intuition.”
Giovanni nodded. “If my wife hadn’t refused to see him, she would probably have felt something wasn’t right.”
She expelled a deep sigh. “The mystery has now been solved.”
“But not the agony,” he finished the thought she hadn’t spoken. “Our situation is so unique, there’s no precedent to follow. I’ve read that out of four million babies born every year, twenty-eight thousand are switched temporarily, or permanently.”
“I read the same article and was surprised it was that high,” she murmured. “The doctor told me the car accident caused both myself and your ex-wife to deliver while we were in the ambulances taking us to the hospital. The mistake must have happened after we arrived at the ER.”
His eyes found hers. “Were you injured?”
“No. I was already in labor. Everything happened so fast, I guess the impact sped up the process.”
“The same thing happened to Tatania. She’d started bleeding, so her family called an ambulance for her. But she got the help she needed in time to recover with no aftermath of problems.”
“Thank heaven.”
“It’s a miracle the accident didn’t do more damage. I’m afraid my ex-wife’s family will probably sue the hospital. Signor Conti hasn’t said as much, but you know it’s what he’s fearing.”
Valentina lifted the baby to her shoulder to burp him. “I can tell he’s really sorry. He even offered counseling to help us. But as far as a lawsuit goes, I don’t want to sue anyone. A ghastly mistake was made, but today it’s been rectified. Surely whoever put the wrong bracelet on the boys had no idea what he or she had done. It happened.” She kissed his little head. “No one’s perfect.”
“You’re right.” In a sue-happy world, Giovanni found her attitude not only amazing, but refreshing. In fact she appealed to him so much, he wanted to spend the rest of the day with her so they could really get to know each other.
“I’d better get going.”
“Please don’t leave yet.” His mind raced ahead to prevent her from leaving. “I can understand why there’s a rule that parents don’t meet under a situation like this. The sooner we get our birth babies home, the sooner we can bond with them. But you and I have met. I’m not sorry.”
After a slight pause she admitted, “Neither am I.”
“Thank heaven you said that because I have to tell you I love Vito from the bottom of my soul. To forget him would be impossible. I want, need, to stay in touch with you.”
Tears glistened in those fabulous blue eyes. “You’ve taken the words right out of my mouth. Ric is the most precious thing in my life. I held him all night, not wanting to let him go. Seeing the two of them together like this is tearing me apart. I know I have to give Ric up, but I can’t bear it. If only there were a way to share them, but of course that’s impossible.”
He clasped Ric a little tighter. This was a place in Hell he didn’t know existed. No way was he going to let her and his son just walk out of his life! He stared at her. “Maybe there is a way.”
Her startled gaze met his. “What do you mean?”
“Since we both feel the same, I have a suggestion. After what happened today, it’s clear we need time to spend together with both children so they get used to both of us. When they’ve learned to trust us and be happy with both of us, then we’ll decide when we can safely make the separation, knowing it won’t traumatize them.”
“But how would that work?”
“You could stay at my villa with Vito for a few days. I’d get an extra crib. Then I could stay at your home for a few days with Ric. After a time we could separate and take one of them home with us and see how they handle being away from us overnight.”
She averted her eyes. “According to everything I’ve read, that’s exactly what we shouldn’t do.”
“Does it matter? We’re talking about you and me and our babies.”
Valentina bit her lip. “Even if it were possible, I’m living with my brother, so the idea of your staying at his house isn’t possible.” Giovanni Laurito had been a thorn in her brother’s side. To consider getting involved with him when she knew how Rini felt made the whole situation precarious. Valentina couldn’t believe the coincidence of both families having been brought together under such bizarre and astonishing circumstances.
“Where do you live?”
“Here in Positano.”
“I live in Ravello. My home is open to you for as long as is needed. Why don’t you fly home with me now so we can talk and make plans?”
She stirred restlessly. Much as she wanted to go with this man, Rini would never condone it. “People would think we were out of our minds.”
“I don’t particularly care. They would have to be in our shoes to understand how we feel. We’re alone in this and we love both boys. Their welfare is all that matters. Don’t you agree?”
“My brother would never permit it.”
“Forget your brother for a minute.”
He didn’t know what he was asking.
“What is it you want? I caught you in the doorway wanting to find me, though you shouldn’t have. I heard Vito crying and couldn’t stay away from your door, either. Nothing about this situation has gone according to the book.”
“I know,” she whispered. “I—I need to think about it.” Valentina was so tempted to go with him, it was killing her. The babies’ needs aside, she felt an overpowering attraction to this man, who made her think and want things she’d thought were dead inside her.
“Then let’s do this. We’ll program our phone numbers into our cells. Since both babies are asleep, let’s exchange them now. I’ll take Ric home with me. You take Vito. We’ll see how it goes tonight. In the morning we’ll talk again. How does that sound?”
Valentina had to admit it sounded wonderful.
Though she didn’t say anything, she reached in her purse with her free hand and pulled out her phone. He did the same. Once the programming was done she said, “My brother is waiting for me. I’ll leave first before Vito wakes up and finds out he’s with a stranger. Please keep the quilt I made for Ric. He’s used to it.”
“Did you make it?”
“Yes. My mother made beautiful quilts. I learned from her.”
His eyes traveled over her face with an intensity that made her heart race. “You’re remarkable, and can make something this beautiful and be a loving mother, too. I hope you know I’m in awe of you, and for going through this whole experience alone.”
She felt his sincerity. His words boosted her confidence and thrilled her in a way he couldn’t possibly understand. “I—I’d better get going.” Her voice faltered.
“Be expecting my phone call in the morning.”
Valentina knew herself very well. She was already hoping to hear from him. He could have no idea how much.
Her glance strayed to Ric. Her first impulse was to kiss him, but after a slight hesitation, she left the room, taking Giovanni’s son with her in the quilt he’d bought him.
She walked out to the lounge of the outpatient department in a complete daze. The reality of Giovanni Laurito being Ric’s father was stunning.
The man was stunning.
More than that, he was breathtakingly handsome, charming, reasonable and so loving to both babies it brought tears to her eyes. In a word, he was wonderful.
To think that all this time the famous CEO at Laurito’s had been fathering Vito, her son. All this time Valentina had been mothering his son, Ric. The whole thing made reason stare.
She found her brother pacing the floor while he did business on his phone. As soon as he saw her, he put it away. How to tell him the true facts? She needed to think about it for a while first because she knew it would be a shock to him when he learned Giovanni Laurito was Ric’s father.
“Sorry I was so long.”
“Don’t apologize for anything. Are you going to let me see my nephew?”
She nodded and turned the sleeping baby around so he could get a good look. “His name is Vito. He’s so precious I can’t believe it.”
After a minute, her brother stared at her with a somber expression. “He’s yours all right. Genes don’t lie.”
“No. They definitely don’t.”
“I know this is hard on you.”
“You have no idea. Let’s go. I want to get him home before he wakes up.”
“I’ll bring the car around the entrance.”
“Thank you.”
In a few minutes she got in the backseat with the diaper bag and settled Vito in the car seat. So far he hadn’t stirred. She felt Rini’s piercing gaze through the rearview mirror. If he knew what she and Signor Laurito had talked about, he’d quash the idea in a heartbeat.
No one had a greater right to an opinion than Rini. She owed him everything. But Vito’s father had asked her a salient question. Is it what you want?
It didn’t take long to reach the villa. She hurried inside with Vito and went straight to the nursery. Bianca followed her and grew misty-eyed. She’d loved Ric, too, but now that she could see Vito, she marveled over the likeness to Valentina and was smitten with him.
After putting him in the crib, she leaned against the bars and looked down at him. He truly was adorable, but she could never forget that this had been Ric’s bed several hours before.
By now he was probably at his new home in Ravello. Signor Laurito’s villa was a little over an hour away from Positano. Had Ric awakened and discovered she was gone? Her pain went so deep she broke down sobbing.
She felt Rini’s arm close around her. He pulled her into him, where she buried her face against his shoulder. “I wish I could comfort you.”
“You’ve done everything for me any human could ask for, but this is a problem not even King Solomon could make right. The truth is I want both babies.” She lifted her head, aware that she’d soaked his shoulder. “They’re both mine.”
He kissed her forehead before releasing her. “I admire you more than you know for handling this with such grace and dignity.”
For her brother to say that went a long way to make her feel better about herself as a capable person and mother. “I’m trying to, but I’m afraid Signor Conti is expecting the hospital to be sued.” That was Signor Laurito’s opinion.
“I suppose it’s possible,” he reasoned. “Look at the turmoil this has cost because someone made a serious mistake by not following the hospital rules. Everything about this has been handled wrong.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She sank down in the rocking chair, her eyes focused on her baby. “But everyone makes mistakes. Mine was worse for getting involved with Matteo when I knew better. He’d fed my ego and look what happened. But the person who put the wrong wristbands on the babies didn’t do it willingly.”
“That’s one of the things I love most about you, Valentina. You have a generous heart. I can’t think of another mother who wouldn’t want justice after what has happened.”
She flicked her gaze to him. “But what good would it do now? The damage has been done. Our mother would say the same thing. All I can do is love my birth baby and pray that God takes my pain away for losing Ric. It’s so strange. I feel like I gave birth to both of them.”
“I feel your sadness. What can I do to help?”
Valentina grasped his hand. “You’re helping right now by listening to me. I couldn’t have gotten through all this without your love and encouragement. But right now I’m exhausted. I think I’ll lie down for a few minutes and ask Bianca to let me know when he wakes up for another bottle.”
“I’ll stay in here with him.”
“I love you, Rini.” She got up and kissed his cheek. Another glance at Vito and she went to her bedroom down the hall. Her body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. She sank down on the bed and cried herself to sleep while visions of Ric and his striking father played in her mind.
When she was next aware of her surroundings, the baby was crying. She sat up. “I’m coming, Ric!” Valentina flew out of the bedroom, but when she reached the nursery, she discovered Rini holding Vito and she realized her mistake in thinking it was Ric. He was crying his little heart out.
She reached for him. “It’s all right, Vito. I’m here, darling.” She put him against her shoulder and walked around the room patting his back. To her surprise it was dark outside. She must have been asleep for hours. Her life had been turned around and upside down. Rini looked as tired and frustrated as she felt.
“How long has he been this upset?”
He flashed her a wry smile. “Almost from the moment he woke up and saw me looking at him. He needs you.”
“I wish I were the person he wanted.”
“Before long you’ll be the mother he turns to.”
Now was the time to tell Rini the truth of the matter. Valentina had made the mistake of getting involved with Matteo without the benefit of her family’s knowledge until it was too late. If she planned to have any more contact with Signor Laurito, she didn’t want to hide it from her brother, no matter if he didn’t approve.
“Rini? There’s something you should know. I found out Vito’s mother gave him up at birth.”
He frowned. “Is she mentally ill?”
“Maybe. She and his father are divorced, so it’s the father I met at the hospital. His name is...Giovanni Laurito.”
Her brother’s eyes narrowed in reaction. “You must be joking.”
She shook her head. “Signor Conti introduced us when he discovered we’d gotten together to quiet the babies. Nothing about this situation has been normal. But the point is, the children will have a hard time adjusting. Signor Laurito has made a suggestion that I’ve been considering to help the babies adjust.”
A long quiet ensued. “What might that be?” he asked in a cool tone. When she told him, he took his time before responding. “Signor Laurito doesn’t recognize boundaries.”
Valentina swallowed hard. “Has he done something criminal?”
“No.”
“Then what is it you have against him?”
“Ernesto did work for our company before Laurito discovered him. Now he wants to buy him out.”
“Is that wrong?”
“No.”
“Isn’t that business? Invading someone else’s boundaries?”
Her brother lifted his head. “Yes.”
