ASTHERIEN'S POV :-
Why is he so late?
This wait is making me even more nervous.
How would he react?
Maybe he'll start dancing.
The thought almost made me smile.
Almost.
How am I supposed to tell him?
I didn't even prepare a surprise.
I had imagined this moment so many times in my head. I'd thought about how I would tell him, what I would say, how he would react...
But now that the moment was actually here, my mind had gone completely blank.
I paced around the hall.
Once.
Twice.
I had no idea how many times I'd walked from one end of the room to the other.
My hands were cold, and I kept rubbing them together, trying to calm myself down.
I was nervous.
More nervous than I'd ever been.
Before I could even decide how to tell him, I heard the sound of someone at the door.
My heart immediately jumped.
It's definitely him.
What do I do now?
I stood frozen for a second, staring at the door as if it held the answer to everything.
Then the door opened.
And there he was.
Kai.
The moment he stepped inside, I could see the worry written all over his face.
"Are you okay? What have you been doing? Why didn't you pick up my calls? What did the doctor say?"
His questions came one after another, almost furiously.
He threw his phone onto the sofa and immediately walked towards me.
I opened my mouth to say something.
Anything.
But he wasn't even giving me the chance.
"Tell me! What happened?"
His voice softened as he reached for my hand.
His fingers wrapped around mine, and I could feel how tense he was.
"Calm down first."
That's what he needed.
More than I did.
He stared at me, his brows still drawn together with worry.
I swallowed.
From where do I even start?
How do I tell the man standing in front of me that his entire life is about to change?
"Will you tell me now?"
His eyes softened.
There was something in his voice now.
Something almost pleading.
I couldn't manage to say a single word.
So instead, I reached into my pocket.
My fingers trembled slightly as I pulled out the test.
And handed it to him.
Two red lines.
That's all it took.
I watched his eyes fall to the test.
Then they stayed there.
He didn't move. He didn't speak.
He just stared.
My heart started pounding harder.
Doesn't he know what this means?
Oh God.
Don't tell me he doesn't know.
"Kai..."
I called his name softly.
He didn't answer.
"Wait."
He finally spoke. Just one word.
Then silence.
He looked at the test again.
Then at me.
His eyes widened slightly.
"Are you..."
He stopped.
His voice broke.
He looked at me again, as if he needed to hear it from me.
As if two red lines weren't enough.
This man needs double confirmation.
Oh, Lord.
I nodded.
Just once.
And that was all it took.
A tear slipped down his cheek.
My breath caught.
Kai didn't even seem to realise he was crying.
He just stood there, staring at me with tears filling his eyes, as if he was trying to understand how this could possibly be real.
Then, suddenly, he pulled me into his arms.
I didn't even have the chance to react before I was wrapped in his warmth.
His arms tightened around me.
And that's when I broke.
I buried my face against his shoulder, gripping the back of his shirt as tightly as I could.
His tears soaked my shoulder.
I could feel his hands trembling slightly against my back.
Neither of us said anything.
We didn't need to.
For once, words weren't enough.
I couldn't hold it anymore.
This was what I'd been dreaming of for years.
After everything.
After all the pain.
After all the hardships we'd endured.
After all the moments when we'd wondered if we'd ever make it to a place like this...
We finally had.
We were going to have a family.
The family we'd always wished for.
The family we'd once thought might only ever exist in our dreams.
And now...
It was real.
We both cried in each other's arms.
No one said a word.
We couldn't.
Every time I tried to speak, my voice disappeared somewhere between my heart and my throat.
His hand slowly moved up and down my back.
Mine stayed tangled in his shirt.
As if letting go would somehow make this moment disappear.
I don't know how long we stood there.
Maybe seconds.
Maybe minutes.
It didn't matter.
For that moment, it felt like the entire world had stopped just for us.
Eventually, Kai loosened his arms around me.
But he didn't let go completely.
His hands remained on my arms, as if he needed to make sure I was still standing there.
Still real.
Still his.
"I love you..."
The first thing he said after we finally pulled apart.
His voice was soft.
His eyes were still filled with tears.
I stared at him.
My heart felt strangely full.
I reached up and gently wiped the tear from his cheek with my thumb.
His hair was a complete mess.
His eyes were red.
He looked almost like a little boy who had just been handed the greatest gift in the world.
I smiled through my own tears.
"I love you too..."
The words left my lips before I could even think about them.
And somehow, saying them felt different this time.
More certain.
More honest.
More like the truth I'd been carrying inside me for far too long.
I leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he opened them and looked at me with the softest smile.
"You'll be a great mom."
His fingers gently brushed through my hair.
I leaned into his touch.
"I know."
I paused.
Then smiled.
"Because you're here."
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
But I saw it.
That tiny moment when my words reached somewhere deep inside him.
He didn't say anything.
He just pulled me into another hug.
And this time, I hugged him even tighter.
I pressed my cheek against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
The same heartbeat that had comforted me through so many nights.
The same arms that had held me when I thought I couldn't go on.
He was here.
And somehow, that made everything feel less frightening.
I wish I could live this phase of my life again.
It had only been a minute.
Maybe even less.
But I already knew I would miss this moment someday.
I'd miss the way his eyes looked when he heard the news.
I'd miss the way he held me.
I'd miss the tears on his face.
I'd miss the way we stood there, holding onto each other as if the rest of the world didn't exist.
I knew this moment would become a memory.
One of those memories I'd look back on years from now and wish I could experience just once more.
So, for now...
I didn't want to let go.
"Let's stay like this for now."
That was the only thing I said.
Kai didn't answer.
He didn't have to.
His arms tightened around me.
And somewhere between the warmth of his embrace, the sound of his heartbeat, and the tears that had finally turned into quiet smiles...
I fell asleep in his arms.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE :-
I'm sorry, readers! This chapter might be a little shorter than usual for now, and updates may also be a little delayed. I hope you understand. 🤍
But I wanted to point out something that some of you might have noticed...
"I love you too..."
That's the first time Astherien has ever said those words to him.
And I don't know if you guys noticed it! 👀
After everything they've been through, I really wanted this moment to feel different.
Because sometimes, the biggest emotional moments aren't about grand surprises or dramatic speeches.
Sometimes, it's just two people holding each other, crying, and finally realising that they've made it this far together.
Thank you for reading! 🤍