“No,” I whispered, a chill creeping down my spine.
“Call an ambulance!” Alyssa shrieked, her voice raw with panic.
Lizzie, her hands shaking, was already on the phone, desperately trying to relay the situation, her voice trembling but determined.
Chloe’s hands turned to jelly, and her phone slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground as her eyes remained glued to the scene unfolding before her. Her lips quivered, betraying the horror she felt.
Roman gently lowered Emily onto the grass, his hands trembling as he pressed his ear to her chest, searching for any sign of life. “Come on,” he murmured, urgency lacing his voice. His hands found Emily’s tiny sternum, and he began compressions-fast, frantic, as if he were trying to wrestle death away from her with each push.
“Come on, baby girl. Come on,” he whispered, water dripping from his lashes onto her still form. “Wake up.”
Alyssa was inconsolable, her sobs echoing in the air as she struggled to crawl toward her daughter. I held her back, my voice firm yet gentle. “Let him work. Let him-Alyssa, please, let him work.”
–
Dean knelt beside Roman, poised to take over if necessary. The atmosphere felt thick, as though time itself had frozen in a moment of sheer terror.
“Please save my baby girl. I’m begging you,” Alyssa wailed, her voice breaking under the weight of her anguish.
Roman didn’t falter. His hands moved with an urgency that spoke of desperation, his lips pressing against Emily’s in a rhythm of hope, over and over, until-
A cough.
A splutter.
Emily jolted, coughing up the water that had threatened to claim her.
A collective breath escaped everyone around us, a sigh of relief that seemed to echo through the air.
Roman gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. His eyes were squeezed shut, tears mingling with the water on his cheeks. “I’ve got you. You’re okay, sweetie. You’re okay. Daddy’s here,” he murmured, his voice a soothing balm against the chaos.
Time felt like it had come to a standstill.
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the way he held her, so fiercely, so passionately.
Daddy? Was that a slip of the tongue? Perhaps he was simply overwhelmed by the moment.
No one seemed to register what he had said-either too shaken by the ordeal or distracted by Lizzie, who was frantically calling my mom and dad, her voice a flurry of urgency.
Roman himself appeared oblivious to his own slip, his focus solely on cradling Emily, rocking her gently as though she were his own. Fear was etched across his face, a palpable testament to the gravity of the situation.
Alyssa let out a raw, guttural cry, scrambling to them, wrapping her arms around both of them, her tears flowing freely now that Emily was breathing again.
She collapsed onto the grass, pulling her daughter away from Roman, her sobs filled with apologies whispered into Emily’s damp curls. The rest of us stood in stunned silence, witnesses to the raw emotion unfolding before us.
“Thank you. Thank you, Roman. Thank you for saving my daughter,” Alyssa gasped, her hands gripping him tightly, as if afraid he might disappear.
Dean fell back, looking lost and pale, the color drained from his face.
Roman turned toward me, water still dripping from his shorts, his expression a tight mask of worry and restrained emotion.
Moments later, the paramedics arrived, their presence a whirlwind of activity just as Emily began to cry in her mother’s arms, a sound that was both heart-wrenching and beautiful.
–
Roman stepped aside to speak with the paramedics, gesturing firmly. “She was unconscious. Took in water. You need to check her lungs,” he instructed, urgency lacing his voice.
The paramedics worked swiftly-oxygen mask in place, checking vitals, preparing to load her onto the gurney. Alyssa refused to let go of Emily’s hand, her grip fierce and protective.
“I’m going with her,” she choked out, her face pale with shock. “I’m not leaving my daughter.”
“You’re going,” I confirmed, quickly grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my sister’s trembling body. “We’re all going.”
As Roman hastily slipped into dry clothes, he cast a glance my way, his voice steady yet commanding. “I’ll drive.”
We moved with a sense of urgency that made my heart race. I quickly pulled on a pair of leggings and a hoodie, my hair still damp from the earlier chaos. Lizzie, her expression determined, grabbed a bag, while Dean, drawn in by the commotion, appeared at the car, his face pale and drawn, betraying the gravity of the situation.
We split into two vehicles-Dean, Chloe, Lizzie, and I crammed into one, while Alyssa, Roman, and Emily took the ambulance.
Our parents were already en route, their worry palpable even from miles away. Aunt Janice and Aunt Thelma, having just returned from a spa trip, were also making their way to the hospital, their laughter now replaced by concern.
Chloe was nestled in Dean’s arms, her sobs quiet yet heavy, or perhaps she was merely pretending. I knew her too well; she thrived on the attention, even in moments like these.
To my surprise, Roman enveloped me in a brief hug, pressing a gentle kiss on my temple just before the ambulance doors swung shut. The warmth of earlier had vanished, replaced by a chill that seeped into my bones.
Reality had struck with a force that left us all breathless.
Hospitals possessed a unique scent-sterile, sharp, a mix of bleach and the weight of grief that hung in the air like a thick fog.
But in this moment, that familiar smell was overshadowed by Alyssa’s soft sobs in the corner. She clutched her midsection tightly, as if trying to hold herself together. Roman stood beside her, his tall frame casting a shadow, his expression grim and unyielding, while Lizzie paced restlessly, unable to contain her anxiety.
Mom, Dad, and Aunt Janice huddled together in a flickering light, their faces drawn with worry. Aunt Thelma had stepped away, seeking solace in prayer.
Mom’s tears flowed freely, a testament to her fear and helplessness.
The doctors had reassured us that Emily was stable now, all thanks to Roman’s quick thinking and sharp instincts.
I glanced over at Emily, who lay peacefully asleep, a cartoon octopus grinning behind her head, a stark contrast to the turmoil surrounding us. Yet, I couldn’t shake the fear that gripped me, my eyes glued to her tiny chest rising and falling, terrified it might stop again.
But Alyssa’s tears were unending. The doctors’ words echoed in my mind: “She’s lucky. A minute longer and…” The unfinished thought lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating.
I sat rigidly on one of the green plastic chairs, which squeaked with every slight movement, my hands clenched tightly in my lap. A janitor moved quietly through the corridor, mopping the already spotless floor, the scent of bleach intensifying with each stroke of the mop.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.