Chapter 163: Daughter
Remo stepped outside the hospital room, his heart heavy with concern for his brother. Matteo sat on a bench nearby, lost in a haze of his own thoughts. His eyes were distant, his shoulders slumped with the weight of his emotions.
"Hey," Remo said softly, taking a seat beside Matteo. "How are you holding up?"
Matteo didn’t respond at first, his gaze fixed on some distant point in the horizon. Then, slowly, he turned to look at Remo, his eyes clouded with sadness.
"I don’t know, Remo," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like I’ve failed them both."
Remo placed a reassuring hand on Matteo’s shoulder, offering him what little comfort he could. "You haven’t failed anyone, Matteo," he said firmly. "Stella needs you now more than ever, and so does your daughter."
Matteo shook his head, a bitter laugh escaping his lips. "How can you say that, Remo? Look at me," he gestured to himself, his voice filled with self-loathing. "I couldn’t protect them. I couldn’t even be there for them when they needed me the most."
Remo’s heart broke at the sight of his brother’s anguish. He knew that Matteo blamed himself for what had happened, but he also knew that it wasn’t his fault. How can you protect your pregnant wife in labor?
"You can’t blame yourself for what happened, Matteo," Remo said gently, his voice filled with empathy. "Sometimes, life throws us curveballs that we can’t control. All we can do is face them head-on and do our best to support the ones we love."
Matteo looked at Remo, his eyes searching for reassurance. "But what if I’m not strong enough, Remo?" he whispered, his voice trembling with uncertainty.