8. I won't Marry You

Ellie Foster didn't know if she should laugh or cry at the whole Valerie and Antonio situation.

This whole situation was absolutely ridiculous. Valerie looked at Antonio like she wanted to tear his dick off, but Antonio still stood there with a smug expression on his face.

And River...he was livid. Ellie stayed on guard in case River decided to make the hospital room into a battleground.

Oh boy.

"No," Valerie said. Ellie could tell she was trying to make her voice as steady and firm as possible, but it wavered slightly. "I won't marry you, Antonio."

He cocked his head. "You sure?"

"I am sure."

"Well, that's a shame," Antonio murmured, feigning disappointment. His devilish grin never faded. "It would have been such an entertaining spectacle."

"You're one sick man, Costello," River growled, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "Do you think relationships are games?"

Ignoring River's comment, Antonio sauntered over to Valerie's hospital bed and looked down at Landon, who was sleeping peacefully in her arms. "He is an adorable fella," he said in a strangely sincere tone. He reached out his arms as if to hold Landon. "May I..."

"Stay away from my son!" Valerie exclaimed, instinctively hugging Landon closer to her chest.

Antonio chuckled at her defensive reaction and slowly backed away. "Don't worry," he quipped. "I'm not here to steal your baby boy. But my offer still stands."

"And I am still not interested," Valerie snapped.

"Then I suppose I should take my leave now. Goodbye, my Bella."

With one last smirk, Antonio made his way to the room's door. But right before he stepped out, he turned around and said with a playful wink, "I will call you tomorrow when you are more...stable."

Valerie made an odd squeaking sound as if the air was sucked out of her lungs.

With a final wave of his hand, he walked out of the room, leaving behind a stunned silence. River was the first to regain his senses and rushed towards the door, intending to chase after Antonio.

"I'm going after him," River declared with a stern set on his face.

"No." Ellie stopped him again.

"But Elle..." River began.

"No buts, River!" Ellie shot back. "We need to focus on Valerie and Landon right now. You can deal with Antonio another time."

River gave Valerie an apologetic look before resigning himself next to Ellie.

"Yeah, you are right. This is not the time or place," he said.

Suddenly, the room felt full again, full of warmth and joy despite what had just unfolded, thanks to Antonio's outrageous antics.

Valerie sighed, a mixture of relief and exhaustion washing over her. "I can't believe Antonio signed the birth certificate. And then proposed! That man needs some serious psychiatric help."

Or maybe he just needed a wife, Ellie thought.

"We'll get it sorted out," Ellie assured her. "River will take care of it, won't you, honey?"

River nodded, though his eyes still flickered with residual anger. "Absolutely. First thing tomorrow, I'll speak with the hospital administration and make sure everything is corrected," he declared.

"He is such a strange man," Ellie said absentmindedly.

That man almost sounded genuine when he said he wanted to be Landon's father. But that couldn't be right. Why would a man like Antonio want to raise a stranger's son? Ellie thought to herself.

Valerie sighed again, leaning back against her pillows. "I just want everything to be normal. I want Landon to have a stable life, free from all this craziness."

"We'll make sure of it," Ellie said firmly, squeezing her hand. "We're here for you every step of the way."

The room fell into a comfortable silence, each of them lost in their thoughts. Landon stirred in Valerie's arms, letting out a tiny sigh before settling back into his peaceful sleep. The sight of the newborn brought a sense of calm and hope to the room, a reminder of the love and support surrounding them.

River cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "I will go and discharge you so we can go home."

Valerie looked up, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you, River. I just want to take Landon home and start our life together."

River smiled softly, brushing a hand through his hair. "We'll get you both home soon. Just sit tight."

As River stepped out to handle the discharge paperwork, Ellie sat down on the chair by the bed. "I'd have to admit, Valerie. When I arrived here, I didn't expect to see an Italian don cradling your son in his arms and declaring him as his adoptive son." Ellie giggled. "You have to admit, the situation is kind of funny and...adorable."

Valerie snorted. "Adorable? God...it's the most ridiculous thing I've experienced. What is wrong with that man anyway?"

"It's kind of sweet, though. Don't you think?" Ellie asked. "Him offering to be Landon's father I mean. Some men disappear because they don't want to be responsible for a child but he is trying to do the opposite. But I will say that the marriage proposal was insane." Ellie chuckled.

"Yes," Valerie said, suddenly going quiet.

"River did mention that the man is kind of...eccentric," Ellie continued, shaking her head with a chuckle.

"I guess so," Valerie said, a small smile tugging at her lips. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by anything anymore."

"At least we can look back and laugh about it someday," Ellie said, trying to lighten the mood. "One day, this will just be a crazy story we tell Landon."

"That a scar-faced Italian Don proposed to me right here at this hospital bed? He would never believe me." She laughed.

Ellie wrinkled her forehead. "How do you think he got that scar on his face? It looks pretty serious. Nearly covers half of his face."

Valerie shrugged. "He is in the Mafia, Ellie. He could've gotten it from an enemy. Maybe he was stabbed there. River has quite a bit of scars on his body, too, right?"

"Yes, but not like that," Ellie said.

"Julian also donned some scars. But I guess not like Antonio either," Valerie said thoughtfully.

Ellie frowned at the mention of Julian's name. Ever since Valerie moved in with them, she often wondered about him. Valerie told them about him but never in detail. She hardly ever mentioned his name unless someone asked. And if Antonio's men killed Julian, how come Valerie wasn't more hostile toward Antonio? Didn't Valerie love Julian? The father of her child? Ellie wondered.

She was curious but now was hardly the time to ask Valerie about that. Her thoughts were interrupted when River returned with a triumphant look on his face. "Alright, everything is set. You're officially discharged."

"Thank you, River," Valerie said, her relief palpable.

"Let's get you home," Ellie said.