The words land like a physical blow. My heart stutters, then kicks into overdrive. Heat floods my face, crawls down my neck.
“He hasn’t said that.”
But even as I say it, I know it’s true. I’ve known for weeks, maybe longer. The way he looks at me. The way he shows up every single day without asking for anything in return. The nursery he built. The groceries he sends. The way he holds me at night like I’m something precious.
“He doesn’t have to. It’s obvious to everyone who sees you two together.”
“Jess—”
“I’m not trying to pressure you. I’m just saying, when a guy shows up the way Jake shows up for you? That’s love. And maybe it’s worth letting yourself feel it back.”
I want to. God, I want to so badly it scares me. I want to let myself fall completely, to trust that he’ll catch me. But what if I’m wrong? What if this is just him being a good guy, doing the right thing because I’m carrying his baby? What if I let myself believe this is real and it all falls apart?
“I’m not ready.”
The words taste like a lie. Or maybe like fear dressed up as truth.
Jess reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I just want you to be happy. And from where I’m sitting, it looks like Jake makes you happy.”
“He does.”
“Ok then, tell me about baby names. Have you guys decided yet?”
We spend the next hour on lighter topics like name options, nursery colors, and the terrifying reality of labor and delivery. By the time we part ways, I’m feeling lighter.
But Jess’s words stick with me.
He’s in love with you.
And somewhere deep down, underneath all the fear and doubt and self-protection, I know the truth.
I’m in love with him too.
thirty-one
. . .
Jake
I’m stillshocked Natalie agreed to come to my house. We haven’t been back since I showed her the nursery, and honestly, I wasn’t sure she’d say yes when I asked her to dinner tonight.
I take the salmon out of the oven and set the pan on the stovetop to rest. It looks good. Crisp edges, center still soft. I check one piece with the back of my fork to make sure it flakes but doesn’t fall apart. Perfect.
The table’s already set. I probably went overboard on the flowers, but if that’s the worst thing I do tonight, we’re fine. I check my phone on the counter, look at the text that came in about twenty minutes ago.
Natalie
Just leaving the office. Be there in 20.
Jake
Drive safe.
She should be here any minute. I adjust the oven to lowso the salmon stays warm, toss the salad one more time, double-check the dessert in the fridge. We’ve basically been living together since just before Christmas. She never said no when I floated the idea of her and the baby moving in. She just said she needed time. And in the weeks since, we’ve slipped into a life that already feels like the answer.
Tonight is about saying it out loud.
I open the drawer by the stairs, touch the small velvet box resting there, then close it again. My heart kicks a little harder, but my hands are steady.
