The Billionaire Playboy’s Secret Family
Chapter 39

Regina sighed as she sank onto the couch. Savannah and the boys were far more subdued now that they were home. Normally it was quite boisterous whenever they returned home but without Gabriella everything was different. Regina blinked back tears. Usually the little one's giggles filled the small apartment but now it was strangely empty without her.

If something happened and Gabriella didn't...

Regina closed her eyes forcing the thoughts out of her mind. She couldn't think like that. Natalie was watching over Gabriella and the doctor promised that tests would give them answers. Her phone vibrated in her bag stirring her from her thoughts. Regina leaned forward and dug into her bag but didn't get to it before it stopped.

Finally replaceing it she looked at the caller ID and frowned when she saw her sister's name. She had been so concerned about Gabriella she had put everything else out of her mind. Sighing she saw there were several missed calls not just from her sister but also her mother as well. Hesitating she selected her sister's name and called her back.

"Regina! I've been calling and calling!" Renata practically screeched over the phone.

"I'm sorry. I was just too busy worrying about Gaby."

"Don't be sorry. Are you home now?"

"Yeah, Savannah and the boys are getting ready for bed," Regina said hearing the shower run. No doubt it was Savannah as the boys didn't really worry about cleanliness. "Savannah and the boys? What about..."

"Gaby is still at the hospital. They wanted to keep her for observation and run tests tomorrow."

"But if you're at home then who's..."

"Natalie was working tonight. She's staying with her."

"...Oh. Natalie will keep an eye on her and she's a nurse if anything happens....not that anything is going to."

"So what happened after we left?" Regina asked wanting to change the subject.

"Mom gave dad a serious talking to. I mean, you remember how mad mom got when we accidently broke grandma's bird statue?"

"Yeah."

"Imagine her ten times that angry."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"It must have really brought the party down."

"No, your rant pretty much did that. Mom's was just the icing on the cake."

"...I don't really think it's something to laugh about," Regina frowned.

"Regina...you didn't mean what you said, right? I mean, you're not really going to never come home again."

"....I meant every word. As long as he is there we won't be setting foot in that house again," Regina said. "I have to go Renata. The boys are being too quiet." "...Okay. I'll let you go."

"Oh, could you pick Savannah up from school tomorrow?"

"I can, but why?"

"I don't know how long the tests will take and..."

"I see. Don't worry. You focus on Gaby." "Thanks."

Regina sighed as she hung up the phone. She should call her mother too but she couldn't take any more family drama for tonight. A sudden crash from the kids' bedroom startled her from her thoughts and she jerked to her feet. She knew it had been too quiet. When Savannah and the boys were finally asleep Regina collapsed in her bed but sleep did not come easily. She tossed and turned while fears gnawed on her half-waking mind. Even the last text from Natalie hadn't brought her comfort.

... We're playing Connect 4 right now. Gaby's beaten me twice already...

It seemed Gabriella had woken up and getting her to go back to bed wasn't an easy task. Regina knew that from experience. But it sounded like she was in good spirits.

The next morning Regina helped herself to an extra cup of coffee. Savannah and the boys were very much subdued and eager to set off. Dropping Savannah off at school Regina hurried to the hospital afraid of what she would replace. Gabriella was already up having had an early morning test. Natalie remained even after her shift finished keeping the little one in good spirits.

"Mommy!" Gabriella exclaimed the moment Regina and the boys arrived.

"Hello angel," Regina scooped her up and held her close thanking whatever guardians watched over her baby through the night.

"There is one more test the doctor wanted to run. It'll be about another hour," Natalie said.

"That's fine," Regina readily agreed. "Thank you, for staying with her."

"Of course, it was fun. Certainly the best night shift I ever had. Later, auntie!"

"Bye, Auntie Nati!" Gabriella giggled as her mother sat down on the bed and arranged her in her lap.

Carlos and Tony dumped a puzzle on the floor without hesitation. The pair focused on putting it together while they waited for the doctor. With their sister in good spirits they could relax.

"Mommy, guess what," Gabriella giggled.

"What?"

"Last night my daddy came to visit me."

Regina frowned, "Baby that's...that isn't possible. Your daddy...your daddy isn't around."

"But he did come here," Gabriella insisted. "He held my hand and patted my head and said to be strong. He said I was going to be all right and that he would come home soon!"

Regina sighed. Of all her children Gabriella had always been the most curious about her father. Savannah had only asked about hers once. Noticing her mother's reluctance she never asked again. Carlos and Tony seemed willfully ignorant of their father. Given the treatment they endured from their grandfather they seemed to have decided a father would be more the same and never bothered.

Gabriella on the other hand always had questions. Like her older sister she knew her mother was reluctant to talk about him so she only asked a few at a time. Last year she had conjured up an imaginary friend she called daddy and insisted he help around the house. Savannah was good enough to play along though Carlos and Tony found it annoying.

"Baby..."

"He did, mommy. He really did."

"Okay," Regina finally agreed. It was unlike Gabriella to be so insistent even though Regina knew it was impossible. She didn't want to upset her so it was best to agree for now. Gabriella would eventually forget about it.

"Good morning, Miss Torrez, Gaby, boys," Bernice smiled as she stepped in. "How are we this morning?"

"Good spirits," Regina said. The difference in Gabriella's condition was night and day. "Natalie said there was another test?"

"Yes. We did an electrocardiogram and an echocardiogram. I also sent blood samples out for genetic testing."

"Genetic?"

"Since we only have your family medical history I wanted to rule out any genetic issues she might have inherited. The last thing I want to do is a chest x-ray."

"Is it necessary?" Regina asked worried about the effect it would have on Gabriella.

"It's simpler and easier for Gabriella than an MRI," Bernice explained. "And not as scary."

"I'll be okay mommy. Auntie Nati said it'll be just like taking a picture. I just stay still and smile," Gabriella said.

Regina chuckled kissing her temple, "All right. Are we doing that now?"

"We have to wait for the technician if that is all right?"

"Sure," Regina nodded. She had been hesitant but if Gabriella was content there was no reason to interrupt.

When it was time a nurse appeared with a wheelchair to escort Gabriella to radiology. It was hard not to fear the worst. While the boys played Regina paced the small room in what was the longest wait of her life. When Gabriella returned she happily joined her brothers. Regina watched allowing herself to relax a moment. A knock caused her to jump as the doctor returned.

Bernice smiled gesturing for her to take a seat before sitting in the other chair herself. She smiled as the trio continued their game on the floor before turning to Regina.

"All right, so given Gabriella's symptoms and the test results...I can say with certainty we're dealing with cardiomyopathy."

Regina hesitated, "What's that?"

"Well, basically Gabriella's heart is not pumping efficiently like it should be. It's working harder than it should. That's why she gets short of breath and fatigues faster." Regina slowly nodded, taking it in.

"Do you know of any heart disease in your family?"

Regina shook her head.

"And her father...do you know of any in his family?"

Regina hesitated before shrugging. She remembered Marcus's father died rather young but had no idea how or why.

"I ask because there are some genetic factors with cardiomyopathy we should consider. The samples I sent out for testing will take a few weeks to come back, so we'll go with what we have," Bernice explained. "From the chest x-ray I didn't see any enlargement nor any fluid buildup, which are good things."

Regina let out a slow breath.

"With the other tests I did hear some palpitations in the heart."

"So Gaby..."

Bernice reached out and squeezed her hand knowing what Regina feared to say, "Given the severity of Gabriella's condition...eventually she will probably need surgery, maybe even a pacemaker implanted but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now we are going to try medication. I'm going to prescribe a few things that will help Gaby's heart beat more efficiently and prevent abnormal heart beats from developing."

Regina nodded slowly digesting the information.

"I also want to schedule a follow-up in a few weeks for a recheck and I would like to schedule an MRI at that time too so we can get a clearer picture of her heart and access the situation from there."

Regina nodded. Though she was concerned about the cost she couldn't say no, not with her baby's life at stake. She would get the money, after all her dignity was cheap.