The soft glow of the lamp bathed the bedroom in golden light as you curled up on the couch, resting a hand on your growing belly. Paul sat across from you, writing in his notebook with that familiar look of concentration—brows furrowed, lips slightly parted, completely lost in thought. Every so often, his big brown eyes flickered up to you, like he was making sure you were still okay.

“You alright, darlin ?” he finally asked his thick accent noticeable, as he set the notebook aside. His voice was softer than usual.