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“We haven’t even told people we’re together yet, and I don’t know what any of this is supposed to look like.”

“You don’t have to.”

Her brow furrows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we figure it out together.”

She studies me for another heartbeat before her shoulders sag. “I kept thinking you’d wish…”

Her words trail away, but I already know where they’re heading. “You thought I’d wish there wasn’t a baby.”

She lowers her eyes, and the silence is answer enough.

I move closer until our knees touch, keeping both of her hands wrapped in mine.

“Emma, I wanted children with the woman I loved once before, and when I lost Celeste, I convinced myself that part of my life was over. I buried every plan I’d made because I couldn’t picture building another family with anyone else.” My throat tightens as I look at her. “Then you came back into my life.”

A tear slips down her cheek.

“You changed everything without asking me to forget what came before. You gave me room to love you while still loving the family I already had, and I never thought I’d be lucky enough to have that.”

She presses her lips together as more tears spill over.

“I’m terrified,” I admit, brushing my thumb beneath her eye. “I know how quickly life can change, and I know how much can be taken away. I’ll probably worry every day until this baby’s in my arms.”

My hand slips between us until it rests over hers.

“But I’ve never wanted anything more.”

She closes her eyes, drawing a shaky breath before looking back at me. “You mean that?”

“I’ve never been more certain of anything.”

Her composure finally breaks, and she wipes at her face with the back of her hand. “I’ve been so scared.”

I ease closer until my forehead nearly touches hers. “You don’t carry that by yourself anymore.”

She lets out a fragile laugh that barely makes it through the tears. “What if I’m terrible at this?”

“You won’t be.”

“How can you know?”

“Because I’ve already seen the way you love my girls. They’ll spend the rest of their lives arguing over who’s your favorite, and this baby’s going to grow up surrounded by more love than they’ll know what to do with.”

She smiles through another tear, and I lean in to kiss her, pouring everything I still can’t put into words into the way I hold her.

She melts against me, her hands sliding to my shoulders. I keep her close, unwilling to give fear another chance to speak between us.

When we finally part, I rest my forehead against hers and smile. “We’re going to have a baby.”

A watery laugh slips from her. “There’s one more thing.” She reaches into her bag, pulls out a white envelope, and places it in my hand. “The doctor did an ultrasound before they discharged me.”

I slide the photographs free and study the grainy black and white image.

“That’s our baby,” I say, smiling as I look up at her.

She smiles back, though nerves still tighten the corners of her mouth. “Look again.”