Ruby woke on a Thursday morning feeling different.
She couldn't explain it at first. It wasn't fear. It wasn't excitement. It was something deeper, something primal. A knowing that settled into her bones and refused to leave.
She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her hand resting on her stomach. Something had shifted. Something had changed.
Nicholas was already awake, propped up on one elbow, watching her with those pale blue eyes that still made her breath catch after all these years. "You're awake early."
"I couldn't sleep."
"Bad dreams?"
She shook her head. "No. Not bad. Just... I don't know. Something's different."
He reached out and touched her face, his fingers gentle on her cheek. "Different how?"
She hesitated, not sure how to put it into words. "I feel... full. Like there's something new inside me. Something that wasn't there before."
Nicholas's hand stilled. His eyes searched hers, and she saw the exact moment he understood. "Ruby..."
