Charlotte tilted her head, not quite understanding what he ant. But the mont she shared the news, the house erupted into chaos. Everyone scread, especially Mona and Vera.
What she hadn’t expected, though, was Diana’s reaction.
For the first ti, Damon’s sister looked genuinely overjoyed.
"Finally! I have another nephew! Or maybe a niece! Oh, who cares?" Diana bead.
Haven tugged at the hem of her blouse. "Does this an I finally have a new friend in the house?! Should I buy more dollhouses so we can play together?!"
Charlotte gently brushed her soft hair. "Maybe we can buy new toys after your cousin grows a little bigger. For starters, how about getting a chew toy first?"
Haven gasped dramatically. "A chew toy? Like the one for puppies?"
Charlotte chuckled. "Not exactly, sweetheart. Babies love to chew on things when their teeth start growing."
Haven tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Okay! I’ll start making a list of all the toys we need. Oh! And storybooks too! I can read bedti stories to the baby!"
Damon ruffled Haven’s hair. "That’s very thoughtful of you. I’m sure the baby will love having such a caring cousin."
Haven grinned proudly before running off to grab her notebook, already excitedly planning.
Mona clapped her hands together, her eyes shining. "This calls for a feast! We need to celebrate properly."
"I’ll cook!" Vera announced, already heading toward the kitchen.
"No, you don’t have to," Damon interjected smoothly, catching her by the collar of her shirt before she could disappear. "Let’s celebrate it outside."
Carn, who had been silent the entire ti, finally spoke up. "That’s not good. We’d be more comfortable celebrating at ho. Let’s just say ... it’s better to let the baby experience their first celebration in their future ho."
Damon considered her words for a mont before nodding. "Alright, that makes sense." He glanced at Charlotte, his hand instinctively resting on the small of her back. "What do you think, sweetheart?"
Charlotte smiled softly. "I like the idea. Ho feels more special."
While the others excitedly debated what food to order and prepare, Charlotte’s hand instinctively found its way to her belly. It was still too early to feel anything, too soon for any real connection, but that didn’t stop her from trying.
A quiet warmth spread through her chest as she imagined the tiny life growing inside her.
"These wonderful people," she murmured softly, "will be your family."
Her eyes drifted to Damon, standing beside her, effortlessly commanding the room with his presence. A small, affectionate smile touched her lips.
"And that handso, gentle man," she whispered, "will be your father."
Charlotte felt relieved that Julian was infertile. If she had ever had a child with him, perhaps her baby would never have known the warmth of a loving ho or the embrace of a gentle father.
She shuddered at the thought. A life with Julian would have been cold, suffocating, a nightmare she could never wake up from. But now, things were different.
Now, she had Damon.
He wasn’t just her mate; he was her safe place, the man who looked at her like she was his whole world. And soon, they would have a child together, a little piece of them both.
As if sensing her thoughts, Damon slid his arm around her waist, pulling her close. "What’s on your mind?" he murmured, his voice filled with warmth.
Charlotte smiled softly. "Just thinking about how lucky our baby is ... to have you as a father."
Damon’s expression softened, and he leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "No, sweetheart. I’m the lucky one."
• •
Before dinner was even ready, Charlotte’s parents called to say they were coming. Without hesitation, she turned to Damon. "Send the helicopter," she said, gripping his arm. "I want them here as soon as possible."
Damon chuckled but made the call imdiately.
The dining table was filled with an abundance of food and wine, though, unfortunately, Charlotte couldn’t drink any and thankfully, she hadn’t opened the expensive wine her father had given her a few days ago.
The evening felt warm, filled with laughter and celebration. But as Charlotte sat there, soaking in the joy, a thought suddenly crashed into her mind, sending a wave of panic through her chest.
As soon as she and Damon stepped into their bedroom, she said, "My shooting schedule ..." Her voice was barely above a whisper at first, but then her worry grew. "What about my shooting? There are so many abuse scenes coming up. What if it’s too much? What if it stresses the baby?"
She bit the tip of her thumb, her anxiety spiking. "What should I do?"
Canceling wasn’t an option. Not in a million years.
If she postponed filming, it wouldn’t just affect her, it would inconvenience the entire crew. She refused to be the reason for delays, to be the burden that threw the whole production off schedule.
"No, maybe I’ll be fine," she muttered, forcing a deep breath into her lungs. "It’s just acting, right?"
But was it?
Her body had been through enough to know the difference between real danger and a script. The problem was, trauma had a way of blurring those lines. Even if she could handle it, what about the tiny life growing inside her? What if the stress was too much? What if—
No.
She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. She couldn’t let herself spiral. But the fear of losing this baby, of sothing going wrong, it clutched at her like cold fingers around her heart.
"Charlotte." Damon’s voice was calm but firm as he stepped in front of her. His hands landed gently on her shoulders, helding her before she could pace another step.
"Breathe," he said softly, tilting his head to et her eyes. "You need to calm down first."
Charlotte exhaled shakily, trying to force the tension out of her body. But it wasn’t that easy.
"I just ... I don’t want to do anything that could hurt the baby," she admitted, her fingers unconsciously gripping his sleeves. "But I can’t just drop everything either."
Damon’s eyes softened. "And no one’s asking you to," he reassured her. "But we’ll figure out a way to keep you and the baby safe."
Charlotte hesitated. "How?"
Reviews
All reviews (0)