I can't help but chuckle at how proud Millie looks, her eyes sparkling with the joy of watching Aura pick up on things so quickly. My heart swells as I watch the two of theminteract—Aura with her chubby little hands and infectious enthusiasm and Millie with her patient, nurturing smile.
Moments like this make me realize how lucky I am to be here. To get to experience this with them both.
Aura grabs another card, a bright yellow one this time, and holds it up to Millie, who leans in to look at it. "And this one, Sweets. What color is this?"
"Yewow!" Aura squeals, and I laugh softly under my breath.
"Yellow," Millie corrects gently, but her smile is just as wide. "You're doing so good, baby."
As she continues helping Aura learn colors, I feel a quiet warmth in my chest. My girls. They're everything I ever wanted and more.
But as I watch them, something stirs within me—an excitement that I've been ignoring for months. The thought of our family growing. The thought of adding another little one to the mix.
I shift on the couch, adjusting my position so I can watch them more comfortably, trying not to interrupt. But then Millie looks up, catching my eye, and I can see a little glint of something in her gaze—a secret, maybe.
I push myself up from the couch and walk over to where she's sitting, crossed-legged with Aura. I kneel beside them, my fingers brushing the top of Aura's hair, her curls wild and untamed like her.
"You're doing so good, Beanie," I tell her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, and she giggles, wiggling away, too busy with the flashcards to care.
Millie watches me, the playful smile on her slips slowly turning into something softer. "What's on your mind?" She asks, her voice gentle, but there's an underlying tone of curiosity. I can tell she's been thinking about the same thing I have.
I sit beside her, my arm brushing against hers, and I let out a quiet sigh, my gaze drifting to Aura as she picks up another card. "I've been thinking about…well, about us." I pause, feeling the weight of the words I'm about to say. "About our family."
She tilts her head slightly, her brow furrowing in that sweet way it does when she's trying to figure out what I'm really getting at.
"I don't know… I just feel like the luckiest man, Millie. Every day, I feel like I'm waking up in this beautiful dream with you and Aura. It's everything I ever wanted. But…” I glance at Aura, still preoccupied with her cards. "I keep thinking about how much more our family could be. How much more we could have? I know Aura is still so little, but I don't know… I can't help but get excited about growing our family one day."
Her eyes soften as she looks down at Aura, who is now stacking the cards into a tower, oblivious to our conversation. Then, slowly, Millie turns her gaze back to me. There's a pause—one of those quiet moments where I wonder what's going on inside her head, but I don't want to push her.
Then, almost shyly, she brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know… I've been thinking about that, too. About what it would be like to have another one." Her voice is soft, like she's testing the waters, making sure I'm not rushing into anything.
I nod, feeling a nervous excitement bubble up in my chest. "Yeah?"
She glances at me, and there's a small, almost hesitant smile on her lips. "I took a pregnancy test yesterday."
I freeze. The words hang in the air between us, and for a second, I'm not sure if I've heard her right. My heart skips a beat, and I lean closer, my breath catching in my throat.
"You did?" I whisper, almost breathlessly. "And?"
She meets my gaze. Her cheeks turn pink as she bites her lip, a shy smile spreading across her face. "It was positive."
The world feels like it stops for a moment. My chest tightens, then bursts open with a kind of joy I didn't know I was missing. I can barely process the words—positive—and all I can do is look at her in disbelief and wonder.
"You're…really?" I ask again, though it's a stupid question. But I'm so overwhelmed by the news that I need to hear it again, just to make sure it's real.
She nods, her hands trembling slightly as she reaches out to take my hand, her eyes filled with both excitement and the hint of nervousness that I know she's feeling too.
"I'm pregnant, Gabriel," she whispers, her voice soft but full of certainty now. "We're gonna have another baby."
I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her as I kiss her forehead. "This is… this is incredible," I say, my voice thick with emotion. "I'm so happy, Millie."
She laughs softly, a lighthearted sound that makes my heart swell. "Me too. It feels crazy, but good crazy."
Before I can answer, a phone rings, it's Millie's. She holds up a hand to signal to wait.
"Hey, Kenna," she answers, her voice light but laced with curiosity. She's been texting with Kenna all week—some sister drama.
But this time, Kenna's voice sounds frantic.
