A Lifetime With You by Athrhteera

Alena

Matteo and I were sitting in the gynecologist's clinic, waiting for our turn to enter the office. Some of the women were here with their partners as well while a few were alone. They were reading magazines or scrolling on their phones. My eyes wandered to the pregnant women, seeing some of them had really big bellies. I assumed they were a few weeks away from giving birth.

When I first came here to get my IUD inserted, I was a nervous wreck. Mostly because I read on the internet, and they said it was a painful process. The reason why I wanted an IUD was because it was going to be*****sle-free. With my hectic schedule, there was no way I could remember cating my birth control pills according to time. To me, at the time, IUD was the way to go.

Honestly, it

was a very uncomfortable experience for me. It didn't hurt as much but it was still painful-luckily enough, I took painkillers before my appointment. Now, I was nervous on getting it out because I knew it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience either. Matteo was holding onto my hand as he scrolled his phone with the other hand, his brows furrowed.

Are

you okay, Alena?" He asked, turning to look at me.

Yeah, just a little bit nervous."

"If you want to reschedule, we can do this another day." "No, I want to get it done today. I don't want to wait."

"Okay, but you're I stopped f fidgeting

're shaking."

legs before letting out a sigh, realizing I was a nervous wreck all over again. It was different this time because Matteo was here with me so, it felt slightly calmer, "I'm sorry. I'm just scared it will hurt," my lips curved up into a small smile.

my

I be with you all the time, okay? We'll go get ice cream afterwards if that's going to make you feel better," he replied before pinching my nose, making me giggle. He was treating me like a little kid, as if I was going to feel better with ice cream. Well, he wasn't wrong because obviously, I was going to feel good with ice cream. This was going to be a new beginning for me. I was going to take the next step and I was more than ready. Besides, I needed the change in my life.

My final I year of f residency was coming to an end, and I needed to prepare for my board certification examination. Then, I was going to be able to focus on my specialty. "Ice cream sounds really nice,

"We'll get your favorite, mint chocolate chip."

Ismiled, nodding my head. "That sounds like a good plan."

A few women were staring at our direction, somehow saying something as they looked at Matteo. While I noticed their stares, Matteo didn't bother to look at their direction. He was busy tucking a few strands of hair behind my ear, playing with

my hand and even just staring at me.

He was giving me his full attention.

The women were smiling and giggling. They were probably ogling over him. Well, I didn't have to ask why because I knew the reason why.

My

husband

was s**y, handsome, and d***n attractive. Any human bei

was bound to be attracted to him. I was included too when I first met him at the charity event-he was standing out the most. Even if he was standing in a secluded area, he was the only one who caught my eye.

"Do you know that you're handsome?" I asked, smiling at him.

T

He raised an eyebrow, "I can tell when I look in the mirror."

The response caused used me to laugh before leaning onto his shoulder, loving the smell of his cologne.

He sighed, kissing on top of my head.

Within seconds, my name was being called and we walked into the office.

Dr. Pere

Perez

was sitting on her stool as she helped me to lay back. Matteo was taking a seat on the one near the corner, slightly further away from us but he could see the procedure being done. "It's been a while since I last saw you, Alena. How are you?" She asked, starting conversation before putting on her gloves.

I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm good. I j I just got a new nephew,"

"Oh, that's nice. Congratulations,"

"Thank y you."

Dr. Perez was very sweet and gentle. She tried her hardest and her best to reduce any discomfort when she was doing her procedures-she was the best as many had reviewed. So, many women came back to visit her on a routine basis. "You're getting your IUD removed, is that correct?" She asked, looking at the file. ves, that's correct."

"Yes.

"You've had it in for almost ten years now. So, are you going to need a new one or permanently removing it?" "I'm permanently removing it. My husband and I are planning to have a baby," smiled,

She

"That's wonderful. It won't be as painful as when we got it inserted but there are a few things you should expect when you get home. There may be some cramping or small vaginal bleeding for several hours to several days, you can use tampons or pads until the bleeding stops. This is totally up to you, whichever you feel comfortable. Once your IUD is removed, it may take three months or more for your menstrual cycle to return. So, the reason that you're removing your IUD is to conceive, any other contraception methods are not needed. Is everything clear? Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask them." all clear." "Great, I'll give you a couple of minutes before we start."

Dr, Perez looked down at the equipment before grabbing the tools. I began to feel uncomfortable when the procedure started and within a few minutes, I felt her pulling onto the strings using the forceps. 26

When the IUD arms folded up, it felt a bit painful but once it was out, I managed to let out a breath of relief.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds before sighing.

"And you're done. It's all good," she spoke.

Once everything was done, she told me the same thing she said earlier. She also added that I wasn't supposed to have any intercourse for the first twenty-four hours or until any bleeding stopped to reduce any discomfort or pain. I had no problem with that because I wanted to feel better first.

We stepped out of the clinic with a small bag of medicine in my hand. She had prescribed me with painkillers in case I needed them for the next few days.

Matteo drove me to the park, where we decided to go on for a walk.

We came across an ice cream stall and my lips immediately curved up. He took out paying for our ice cream.

45

45

"S wallet, grabbing a few dollars before

My eyebrows furrowed when I saw him ordering two mint chocolate chip flavored ice cream. Knowing Matteo, he never liked the flavor. He preferred caramel or pistachio other than mint chocolate chip-a toothpaste he once said. "Why did you order mint chocolate chip? You hate it."

He tasted the ice cream, "I'm starting to like it."

Ismiled as we walked side by side, enjoying the view. We found an empty bench and we decided to take a seat-it took me a while to realize we never had the chance to go somewhere ever since he confessed his love.

This was our first time out as a real couple. A real married couple.

!

My eyes wandered to a couple sitting on the other side. Her husband or partner was holding onto the stroller, where their baby was inside while she held onto the leash on her dog. A toddler was giggling and walking around them; I immediately assumed it was their first born. They looked happy as they watched their son.

I imagined it to be us when we grew older. Maybe, one day it was going to be us.

I always wanted a family of my own, regardless of what happened with mine. I just knew I could be a better parent for my children. Even though career wise, I was a busy woman, but I was willing to sacrifice a lot of things for my little ones.

Matteo disrupted my thoughts by touching my cheek, causing me to look at him. He was wiping a slight smudge on the corner of my lips, "You had a little ice cream there."

I blinked a few times, continuing to look at him.

My shift at the hospital last night was fine. Matteo had dropped me off to work last night after dinner, but he didn't let me step out of the car until he was satisfied of kissing me.

Ana had also left when she woke up, thanking Matteo for the breakfast. She said she was happy I finally found someone. She wanted nothing more but happiness for us.

My sister was a sweetheart. Matteo thought so too.Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

"Matteo..." I called out. "Yes?"

"What about our contract?

C+

The contract we previously signed before we got married. It was confidential and only the two of us knew about it other than his lawyer. It stated everything we needed to know about our marriage. The terms and conditions but things changed. Matteo and I were in love.

Was I in love? Of course, I was crazy not to.

But I never said it to him before.

"I want to dispose it. If you're okay with that,"

wouldn't I be?"

"Why would

"I just thought I'd ask for your permission, too. I want what we have now to be real, Alena. I don't want to pretend anymore. I want everything with you. A future with you. Cute little children with you. I want to give you everything. I really want to make you mine."

I smiled; my cheeks were turning pink. "I love you, Matteo."

He leaned in, kissing me softly on the lips.

"And I love you."

I never thought it was possible to find someone like him.

The day had come, and it was his birthday.

After the trip to the gynecologist yesterday, we didn't do much when we got home. We were spending the rest of the day and night watching movie until we fell asleep. We had fallen asleep in the living room, laying in each other's arms on the sofa. The blankets were too comfortable and so was the warmth of his body. We couldn't even remember about the movie.

I

I was headed to work this morning and now, I was busy at the hospital.

had

plans in my head about surprising Matteo for his birthday. It was going to be his thirty-fifth birthday and I wanted it to be something special-at least, memorable enough for him to remember in the next ten years.

"Earth to Alena. Hello?" Lily came beside me, waving.

Oh, hey"

"Were you zoning out again?"

"I was just thinking."

"Mm, about what? Your s***y husband?"

I laughed, "Stop that."

"Oh, come on. We both know your husband is hot."

"Well, there's no use in denying but I was actually thinking about ways to surprise him for his birthday today."

She kept quiet for a few seconds before pretending for the idea to come, "I have an idea. Just wear nothing as you wait for him to come home. Trust me, it's the best surprise you can give."

"That's all you ever think about. Hot and sweaty sex."

Her lips curved up into a smile as she whispered, "And the mind-blowing o**m."

Lily!"

"Don't

"Don't act like you're innocent, Mrs. Lerclerc."

Then, she continued to walk down the hall, leaving me to smile on my own. It was obvious I was never innocent-Matteo had shown me different ways of making love. We had tried different positions in different spots, and I couldn't stop thinking about them sometimes. He was a beast in bed, and I loved it. He knew how to please me before he focused on pleasing himself.

So, I was planning to give him a normal birthday surprise. Something not too extravagant, just something at home. When I finished work, I went ahead to the grocery store to grab a few things I needed to cook us dinner. I never was a good cook, but I was willing to learn even though it was going to make me longer and an endless repeat of watching the recipe. were

Then, we After that, we could do anything we want. Anything for the birthday boy.

going to enjoy our dinner with a single candlelight.

pressed onto the butt button to to lock my car before holding tightly onto the groceries, walking inside the house. As I placed the groceries on the kitchen island, I saw a few things were misplaced which caused me to frown. I blinked a few times, trying to recall if it was Matteo or me before we left for work.

But we left at the same time.

a used glass near the sink and the fridge wasn't fully closed. This hadn't happened before.

saw a used

I heard noises coming from upstairs which caused me to slowly walk up, gripping hard onto my phone.

The noises weren't stopping, and I realized it was coming from Matteo's room.

Well, ever since that night, Matteo and I slept in his room. My room was used for whenever I wanted to get dressed but when I was sleeping, it was with Matteo.

"Matteo?" I called out, hesitating.

My eyebrows furrowed when the noises stopped, and the door was being pulled open.

And I was in shock as soon as the figure came into full view. Light brown hair in waves as it fell down her chest and piercing light blue eyes stared into my brown ones-she looked familiar and the same as in the pictures. In Matteo's album.

This was Matteo's wife.

She wasn't dead.