Charlotte's POV
As we sat together over dinner, the warm lights casting a golden glow across the table, I caught Jack watching me. His gaze wasn't intense—it was tender, thoughtful, like he was memorizing every detail of my face. And though I tried to focus on the meal in front of me, my stomach fluttered with anticipation.
We were going to have a baby. That alone should have been enough to fill my heart, and yet... a part of me hoped for more. I didn't dare say it out loud, not even to myself, because it felt selfish, childish, even. But it lingered all the same: the desire for something permanent, something that would bind us together not just as parents, but as partners.
I reminded myself to stay grounded. I was going to be a mother. My strength had to come from within, for the sake of the tiny life growing inside me. And Jack being here, holding my hand through it all, should have been enough.
But then something shifted.
