✦ CHAPTER — "Build It Again." ✦
Jay's POV
I found him in the nursery at 2AM.
Standing silently in the middle of the empty room.
😭🫀
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The lights were dim.
Rain tapped softly outside the windows while Keifer stood there alone wearing black sweatpants and a loose shirt, hands in his pockets.
Just staring.
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At first I thought something was wrong.
But when I walked closer quietly—
his expression stopped me.
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Soft.
Distant.
Thinking too much.
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"…Keifer?"
He looked back immediately.
And the second he saw me—
his face softened even more.
"Why are you awake?"
I walked toward him slowly, one hand resting under my bump automatically now.
"You weren't in bed."
---
His eyes moved down to my stomach instantly.
They always did.
Like instinct.
Like gravity.
😭🤍
---
Then he glanced around the empty room again.
"…I was thinking."
I leaned slightly against his arm.
"About?"
A long silence followed.
Then quietly:
> "Her room."
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My heart melted immediately.
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The next morning—
absolute chaos started.
😭💀
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Because apparently Keifer had decided: HE would build the nursery himself.
Not workers. Not professionals.
Him.
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Which sounded romantic and emotional until I realized—
this man had anger issues and zero patience with furniture.
😭🤍
---
"Boss," one worker said carefully,
> "we can assemble the crib for you."
Keifer looked offended immediately.
> "I can do it."
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Three hours later—
he absolutely could not do it.
😭💀🫀
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I sat nearby on a chair eating strawberries while watching him aggressively stare at crib instructions like they personally insulted his family bloodline.
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"This paper is useless."
I laughed softly.
"You're holding it upside down."
Silence.
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Slowly, he flipped it.
The mafia men nearby immediately looked away trying not to laugh.
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Meanwhile Keifer became obsessively protective over every nursery detail.
Actual insanity.
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"This paint smells toxic."
"It's baby-safe paint."
> "I don't trust it."
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"This stuffed toy has buttons."
> "What if they come loose?"
"Keifer, she won't eat the bear."
> "You don't know that."
😭💀🫀
---
By evening the nursery slowly started taking shape.
Soft cream walls. Warm lights. Tiny furniture.
And somehow—
seeing it made everything feel more real.
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I watched quietly while Keifer adjusted the crib one last time carefully.
So focused.
So serious.
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Then softly I asked:
"…why are you doing all this yourself?"
He paused immediately.
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The room went quiet.
Only rain outside now.
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Then finally—
he answered without looking at me.
> "Because I never had this."
My chest tightened instantly.
😭🤍
---
He looked around the room slowly.
At the crib. The blankets. The tiny clothes folded nearby.
Then quieter:
> "I want her to."
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I think something inside me broke softly hearing that.
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I stood up slowly and walked toward him.
Then wrapped my arms around his waist carefully.
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Immediately his hands moved to my bump protectively.
Always there.
Always us.
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"She's lucky," I whispered softly.
He looked down at me.
"…why?"
"Because she gets you"
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For once—
Keifer looked genuinely speechless.
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Later that night, exhaustion finally hit me hard.
I ended up curled sideways on the nursery couch while waiting for him to finish adjusting shelves.
Mochi sleeping beside my bump protectively like always.
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I didn't even realize I fell asleep.
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Keifer's POV
I turned around—
and froze immediately.
😭🫀
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Jay was asleep.
Curled carefully against the couch pillow.
One hand under her stomach protectively.
Mochi pressed beside her.
Warm nursery light glowing softly around them.
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My girls.
The thought hit me so suddenly it almost hurt.
😭🤍
---
For a long moment I just stood there silently.
Looking between: the nursery, my sleeping wife, and our daughter growing safely inside her.
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Then slowly—
I walked over and crouched beside her.
Carefully brushing hair away from her face.
---
She stirred slightly in sleep.
Immediately reaching for me.
Even unconscious
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"I'm here," I whispered softly.
And instantly she relaxed again.
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Carefully, I lifted her into my arms.
One arm under her legs. One supporting her back and stomach protectively.
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Before leaving the nursery, I looked back one last time.
At the crib I built badly. At the tiny blankets. At the future waiting for us there.
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And for the first time in my life—
home didn't feel temporary anymore. 🫀🤍