"Mom, I want to tell you sothing."
Charlotte’s fingers trembled slightly around her phone. She sat in the waiting area, her heart still racing from everything that had happened. Damon had gone to pick up the dication the doctor had prescribed to help strengthen her pregnancy.
On the other end of the line, Hattie’s voice was filled with concern. "Charlotte? Is sothing wrong?"
"No," Charlotte let out a nervous laugh. "Actually, it’s good news."
"What is it?" Hattie asked impatiently. "Don’t keep your mother worried like this."
Charlotte took a deep breath, then blurted it out in one breath. "I’m pregnant."
Silence.
One second. Two seconds.
Charlotte’s grip on the phone tightened. ’Why isn’t she saying anything?’
Was her mother unhappy? After all, her parents hadn’t fully accepted Damon as part of their family yet, especially since Charlotte herself had once admitted to her mother that she still wasn’t sure about her feelings for him.
"M-Mom?" she asked hesitantly. "Are you still there?"
A quiet sniffle ca through the speaker.
Then a sob.
Charlotte’s heart leaped in panic. "Mom?! Are you okay?"
"I’m sorry, sweetheart," Hattie finally spoke, her voice filled with emotion. "It’s just ... I’m so happy for you." She paused for a mont before adding, "I always knew you’d be an incredible mother."
Tears welled in Charlotte’s eyes as her mother’s words settled deep in her chest.
Hattie still rembered that before Charlotte had married Julian, she had often talked about how much she wanted children. How she dread of building a warm, loving family.
Her daughter had always been kind to children, often donating to local orphanages every month. Charlotte had once told her, "Every child deserves love. And one day, I’ll give all my love to my own children."
However, that hope had eventually turned into a nightmare.
Julian had never let her forget how useless she was for not being able to bear a child. Sothing that once filled her with happiness had beco the very thing she feared most.
The joy she used to feel when seeing children play with their mothers had turned into a deep, aching wound. She had been jealous, furious with herself for failing to achieve sothing she once longed for so desperately.
But it had never been just about having a child. No, if she had truly been infertile, Charlotte would have accepted it. She would have found peace in the idea of adopting and loving children who had no parents of their own.
It was Julian’s relentless cruelty—his constant insults, his deaning words—that had made it impossible for her to let go of her supposed failure.
But in the end, she had never been the problem.
"Does Damon know about this, sweetheart?" Hattie asked, concern evident in her voice. "Does he want this child? If he doesn’t, you co back to , okay? I’ll take care of both of you."
Charlotte let out a soft chuckle, touched by her mother’s imdiate instinct to protect her and her baby. But more than that, she felt relieved because it ant her mother would love this child, no matter what.
"Damon is here with , Mom," she said, glancing over at him. He was still waiting at the pharmacy, his broad shoulders unmistakable even from a distance.
A warm smile tugged at her lips.
"He’s really happy," she murmured. "He can’t wait to be a father."
Hattie sighed softly, and Charlotte could almost picture the way her mother’s expression must have softened on the other end of the line.
"That’s all I needed to hear," Hattie murmured. "As long as you’re happy, sweetheart, that’s all that matters to ."
Charlotte’s grip on the phone tightened. Happiness. It was such a simple word, yet for years, it had felt so out of reach.
But now, for the first ti in a long ti, she felt it.
She looked over at Damon again. He was leaning against the counter, waiting for the pharmacist to hand him the prescription. As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head and t her eyes.
A warm smile stretched across his lips, and just like that, warmth blood in her chest.
This man.
The father of her child.
The one who had walked into her life and without hesitation chosen to stay.
"I am happy, Mom," Charlotte whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I really am."
And for the first ti, she truly believed it.
"Can you tell Dad about the news?" Charlotte asked. "I tried calling him, but it kept going to voicemail."
Hattie laughed. "Oh, your father is just busy with his new project. He’s going to be so grumpy once he realizes he missed a call from his daughter ... and his grandchild."
Charlotte smiled at the thought. Her father had always been a bit dramatic when it ca to missing important monts, and this was definitely one of them.
"I’ll tell him as soon as he gets ho," Hattie assured her. "But don’t be surprised if he calls you in the middle of the night, demanding every little detail."
Charlotte chuckled. "I wouldn’t expect anything less."
Just then, Damon returned, holding a small paper bag with the prescribed vitamins and supplents. His gaze imdiately softened when he saw her, and without a word, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
What did your mom say?" he asked, glancing at her phone.
"She’s thrilled," Charlotte said with a smile. "And she’s going to tell my dad as soon as he gets ho."
"I think they’ll be visiting us sooner than usual," Damon guessed, offering his hand to Charlotte. She took it, letting him pull her up with ease. "We should celebrate this news as soon as we get ho."
Charlotte hesitated. "Do you think everyone at ho will be happy about this?"
Damon slid an arm around her waist, pulling her closer as they stepped out of the hospital. "Sweetheart, the mont we walk through that door, your ears are going to be ringing from all the screaming."
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