Her gray eyebrow arches in curiosity. “What’s going on, honey? Why do you look like you just found twenty dollars on the floor?”
I can only laugh, a bright, bubbling sound I haven’t made in weeks. I practically tackle her with a hug, wrapping my arms around the older woman and squeezing tight.
Ms. Poitier stiffens in surprise, then gradually pats my hair with confusion. “Now I’m getting concerned. What’s happened?”
I pull back, unable to stop grinning. “I’m pregnant.”
“What?”
“I’m pregnant,” I repeat giddily. “Dr. Tulio just told me. He took a blood test and it came back that I’m seven weeks!”
Understanding dawns on her face like a sunrise. Her smile spreads to match mine as now she’s the one to pull me into a hug.
“Oh, honey, congratulations! I knew it would happen for you two! But you know what that means, don’t you?”
“No more dancing?”
“Well… you’ll definitely have to go easier in that studio. No more leaping and spinning around. But I more so meant you’ve got to take care of yourself now. It’s not just you anymore. There’s a baby in there.”
The reality of it hits me all over again, and I nod, more tears threatening to spill over. “I will. I promise.”
“Good.” She squeezes my shoulders. “Now go tell that stubborn man of yours. He’s going to lose his mind.”
I’m already moving, practically bouncing on my feet as I head for the stairs. He’s resting, but he’d want to know. He’d be furious if I held onto this info for hours and didn’t tell him.
I take the stairs quicker than usual, energized by a surge of adrenaline and joy. Cracking open the bedroom door, I peek inside and smile at what I find.
Caelian’s already awake, propped up against the pillows with theDresden Gazettespread across his lap. His brow is furrowed as he reads the newspaper, probably catching up on all the chaos our shootout caused in the criminal underworld.
He looks up as I enter, his gray eyes narrowing in suspicion. “What’s got my ballerina looking so pleased?”
I can barely contain myself as I cross the room and crawl onto the bed, kneeling beside him. The words are right on my tongue, but this is such a huge moment it takes me a second to even speak them.
This is life changing for us both.
So instead, I grab his large hand and place it flat against my stomach.
“I know why I’ve been so exhausted lately,” I say quietly, looking him in the eye. “Cael, I’m pregnant.”
Shock unfolds across his face like a slow-motion explosion. His square features widen, his eyes going impossibly large as the words register. His mouth opens, closes, then opens again. The muscle in his jaw jumps as he swallows hard.
“You’re pregnant?” he repeats barely above a whisper. “You’re growing our...”
“Yes!” I answer in a laugh. “I’m growing our baby!”
He stares at his hand on my stomach like it’s the most precious thing he’s ever touched. Then his eyes lift to mine, and I see wonder flickering in them.
Pure, undiluted wonder.
“It’s a miracle,” he breathes. “Through all the darkness and chaos we’ve endured... we made this together, Nevi. This was all us.”
I throw my arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as I dare without pressing against his healing chest. His long, thick arms wrap around my back, and he kisses my forehead and buries his face in my hair.
“I’m going to be a father,” he whispers into my hair.
I pull back just enough to look at him, blinking away happy tears. “Tulio thinks I’m about two months along. So not very far at all.”
“Two months?” He pauses as he processes that revelation, likely thinking the same things I had; that we’ve been through so much in recent weeks and the entire time I was expecting. “Nevaeh, you’ve been so worried about me when you should’ve been taking care of yourself this whole time! From now on, you’re the priority. I want you getting proper sleep and rest, eating as much as possible to make sure our son is big and strong?—”
