I snort. "You're impossible."
"And yet," he murmurs, holding one out to me, "you married me."
I take it, shaking my head.
"Give me a minute," heading toward the bathroom.
He follows. Of course he does. I stop in the doorway, turning slowly to face him. The look I give him is the same one I've given him every day for the past week. He pauses. Considers. Then lifts his hands slightly in surrender.
"I'll wait."
I raise a brow.
He doesn't move.
"…Outside," he adds.
"Thank you."
"I'm a reasonable man."
I shut the door in his face.
A minute later, I step back out, test in hand. He's exactly where I left him. Pacing. I don't even try to hide my smile.
"Relax," I soothe, setting it down on the counter.
He looks at it like it might explode. Then at me. Then back at it.
"Is it…?"
"It takes a minute," I remind him.
He exhales slowly, dragging a hand through his hair. For a man who commands an entire city, he looks wildly out of his depth right now. I slip my hand into his. He laces our fingers together immediately, his grip tight, grounding.
We stand there. Waiting. Neither of us speaks. The seconds stretch. Longer than they should. Long enough for my heart to start beating a little faster. For the weight of it to settle. What this means. What this could mean.
Massimo's thumb moves over my knuckles, slow, steady. A quiet reassurance. Or maybe he needs it as much as I do.
Then—
A shift. I see it before I fully process it. My breath catches. Massimo's grip tightens.
"Jenna," he breathes loudly.
I look at him.
Then back at the test.
Pregnant.
The word feels unreal for a second. Like it belongs to someone else. I laugh. A soft, breathless sound that turns into something brighter. Real. And so different from the last time I stared at a test in desperation.
"It worked," I whisper.
Massimo doesn't say anything at first. He just stares at it. Then at me. Like he's making sure this is real. His hand comes up to my face, rough and gentle at the same time.
"Again," he says, voice low. I smile, tears already burning behind my eyes. "Again."
