"You know I felt happy that time because... I saw the baby for the first time," he admitted, his voice rough with emotion. "But I was also sad because I thought... that might be the last time I'd ever see it."
Her heart ached at his words, but she pressed on, needing to get everything out. "I was scared," she continued, her voice breaking slightly.
"I kept thinking about Rachel, about how much I love being her mother. She made me feel the joy of motherhood, something I never thought I'd have."
She paused to catch a breath and continued "And this... this baby... I always wanted a child of my own, in a proper marriage. I wanted to fall in love, date, and then get married. I wanted to plan for a baby, not have it come out of nowhere."
He reached out, taking her hands in his, his touch warm and grounding. "I know," he said softly. "I know this isn't how you imagined it."
She nodded, tears streaming down her face now as she continued "But when I heard that heartbeat... it was like the baby was telling me it's alive, that it wants to live. And in that moment, I realized how cruel I was to even think of taking its life."
She hiccuped," I panicked. I wasn't thinking clearly. But now I know... I can't go through with that. I want to keep this baby."
For a moment, he just looked at her, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a soft smile spread across his face, one filled with relief and something that looked a lot like hope.
"You don't know how much it means to me to hear you say that," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I was ready to support whatever decision you made, but... I can't lie. I wanted this baby too. I want to be there for you, for our child."
She looked up at him, her heart feeling lighter than it had in days. "I don't know what the future holds, but... I know I want to give this child a chance. And I want us to figure it out together."
He nodded, pulling her into his arms, holding her tightly as if afraid she might change her mind. "We will," he whispered into her hair. "We'll figure it out."
For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.
He pulled out of the hug and squeezed her hands, his eyes shining with something she hadn't seen before. "We'll do this together," he promised. "I know it won't be easy, but... I want this. I want us. And I want our baby."
She could see the sincerity in his eyes—the promise he was making, not just to her, but to the baby as well. It felt like the beginning of something new, something powerful.