Love's Rebirth

Chapter 3

Delia's POV

The car entered the wrought iron gates of the family estate. A sprawling mansion lay ahead, with lush greenery following the driveway. Trees and flowers filled the gardens. The house itself was huge, made with a light stone. It had 20 bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, a formal dining room with a table that seats 50, a family room with a smaller table for intimate family dinners, a game room, a home theater, a gym, a library, 2 offices and a huge kitchen. The outer building housed the servants' quarters. It was a 2-storey building with 8 rooms and 4 baths. We employed 6 people full time and hired an external cleaning company for weekly cleaning. We also hired external companies for landscaping and pool maintenance. Security was stationed near the gate in a security booth that had 1 bedroom, a kitchenette, and 1 bathroom. The booth was mostly for the gate guard, while the perimeter patrols changed every 4 hours, not requiring accommodation of any sort.

We entered the house, heading to our respective rooms. My dad pulled me into his arms for a hug at the base of the stairs before heading to his room. I followed behind him, reaching the 4th floor and walking down the hall. My room was 3 doors down from my parents' room. I entered my room, dropping my bag to the floor, and took off my shoes. I quickly got undressed and went into the bathroom for a quick shower before dinner. I dressed casually and made my way downstairs, hair in a bun to keep it from dripping on me and the my food. I made my way to the family room and took a seat next to my mom. "Hi, mom." I kissed her cheek softly. She smiled at me gently and touched my cheek. "Delia, sweetheart. How was your day?" I recounted my day to her as my brothers filed into the room.

My parents had 4 biological children, 1 girl and 3 boys. They were, in order of age from oldest to youngest, Jennifer (who would've been 36 , Kyle (33), Trent (30), and Samuel (28). Jennifer died at the age of 6 from childhood Epilepsy. She had a bad seizure and hit her head, leading to a severe brain injury. She was declared brain dead and taken off life support. My mother desperately wanted another daughter, but she couldn't have any more children after her 4th pregnancy due to severe post partum hemorrhaging that led to a hysterectomy. I was adopted 5 years after my yongest brother was born when I was 2 years old, and the family welcomed me with open arms.

My parents and brothers doted on me as though we were biologically related. They never once made me feel like I didn't belong. My brothers were also extremely overprotective, sometimes bordering on controlling. I didn't mind, though, because I knew it came from a place of love.

We ate dinner and made conversation, everyone recounting their day. Trent works in the tech and software development branch of Cooper Holdings, while Sam works in the hospitality branch. We all worked hard to make Cooper Holdings more successful every year. My brothers were in the middle of a serious debate about sports (ugh!!) when I started to feel dizzy. Mom noticed right away and asked me what was wrong. I shook my head, struggling to explain what I was feeling. I tried to get up, but my legs gave out, and the last thing I heard before blacking out was my mom's scream.

I started to stir and felt a warm hand holding mine. I opened my eyes and squinted against the harsh light of the hospital room. My mom breathed a sigh of relief. "What happened?" I croaked. My voice was raspy, and my throat felt dry. My mom stroked my cheek. "You fainted. I was so scared. The Dr ran some tests. We're waiting for the results." I looked around the room and saw the worried expressions on my dad and brothers' faces. I don't think I've ever seen them look this panicked. "I'm ok. It's probably just stress." I managed to say. My dad came to my other side, grabbing my hand and squeezing gently. "You work too hard. You need to take a break." I looked at him, and he seemed to have aged 10 years in 1 night. "I'm sorry, everyone. I didn't mean to scare you." My mom immediately jumped in. "You have nothing to be sorry for. We're just glad you're awake." The doctor entered the room and glanced at me with a pleasant smile on his face. "I'm Dr. Waverley. I'm glad to see you're awake. I have some of your results, and so far, there aren't any abnormalities except for low hemoglobin levels. We even did a pregnancy test, which came

back negative. Did you notice any symptoms before your collapse?" I looked at my parents before answering, knowing they weren't going to like what they were about to hear. "I've had headaches. I normally get them when my period is due, but these have been worse than usual. I'm on my period as we speak. It started this morning." The doctor nodded as I explained my symptoms. "It's most likely related to your period. We'll wait for the results of the iron studies. You're probably anemic. Do you get heavy periods?"he asked. I nodded. "They've always been heavy, with really bad cramps. I also sometimes get nauseous." My mom started tearing up. "Mom, I'm ok. It's just my period. I'll be fine." She squeezed my hand gently. My brothers all breathed a sigh of relief. My father thanked the doctor before returning his attention to me.

After another 2 hours, the doctor confirmed I had anemia and initiated me on iron supplements and Folic Acid. He said I didn't need a transfusion yet, but to come back in 3 days for a repeat CBC. If my Hb had dropped further, then he'd have to transfuse me and give me IV iron. We thanked him, and I was discharged shortly after.

It was midnight by the time we got home. Kyle carried me up the stairs while everyone else followed behind. He placed me on my bed, and they all gave me serious looks. Kyle was the first to break the silence. "You're taking the rest of the week off. No negotiating." I was about to argue when my dad put his hand up, stopping me. "Your brother is right. You need to rest. Work can wait." They all nodded in unison. I took a deep breath before responding. "Tomorrow is packed. I can't reschedule any of the client meetings. I need to attend those. I'll have Abi with me, and I'll make sure not to push myself, but I need to go to work." My mother was about to say something, but she saw my expression and changed tactics. "OK, but you leave after your meetings and come straight home. Then you take the rest of the week off. Agreed?" I nodded, and they all left my room, with Kyle lingering at the door. "Don't scare us like that again." he said as he slowly closed my door. It dawned on me that mom, dad, and Kyle were probably reliving the trauma of losing Jennifer. I worried that this incident would make them even more overprotective going forward.