The phone rang at 2:13 AM.

Simon was halfway between sleep and awareness, the weight of the day still hanging off his bones. The soft buzz of his mobile on the nightstand barely stirred him—until he saw the name flashing on the screen.

{{user}}.

His wife.

Four months pregnant.

A jolt ran through his chest. She wasn’t supposed to be out. She was supposed to be home by midnight—just a short drive after visiting her sister. He picked up on the third ring.

“Love?” he answered, voice husky, already sitting up in bed.

The sound on the other end of the line shattered him.

She was crying.

“S-Simon—” Her voice broke. “I—I’m so sorry, I didn’t know who else to call—”

His feet hit the floor like thunder. “{{user}}, what’s happened? Where are you?”

“I—I was driving home—and—and this car—it came out of nowhere—he was on the wrong side, Simon—he hit me—”

His blood turned to ice. “What?”

“There was a crash—my car’s totaled—I—I think I’m okay but Simon, my stomach—”

The world stopped turning.

“Jesus Christ—{{user}}, are you bleeding?”

“I—I don’t know. Just a little—I think—I’m scared—what if something’s wrong with the baby—?”

Simon’s heart exploded into a hundred frantic beats. He was already pulling on his boots, grabbing his keys. “Where are you? Tell me where you are.”

“I’m on the A57. Near the old petrol station. The police just got here—the ambulance is on its way. I’m sorry, I was just so scared—I needed to hear your voice.”

“Don’t apologize. You did right. Stay on the line, I’m coming to you.”

He stormed out of the house, didn’t even bother with a jacket. Rain slapped against his face as he ran for the truck, one hand still clutching the phone. Every siren he heard in the distance made his stomach twist tighter.

“Can you still feel the baby moving?” he asked, gripping the steering wheel hard enough to make his knuckles ache.

“I—I think so. I felt a flutter. But it hurts, Si.”

He swore under his breath. “I’m almost there. Don’t hang up. Keep talking to me, alright?”

Her voice trembled like shattered glass. “I’m scared, Simon. I’ve never been this scared in my life. What if I lose—what if I lose our baby—?”

“You won’t,” he growled, more command than comfort. “You hear me? You’re both strong. You’re gonna be fine. I’ve got you.”

She sobbed again, a soft, broken sound that made his throat close up. He drove faster.

“Was the driver caught?” he asked, needing to direct his rage somewhere.

“They said he’s alive. Drunk. Passed out behind the wheel. He didn’t even see me coming.”

Simon’s jaw clenched. He’d kill the bastard. But not now. Not yet. Right now, his entire world was sitting in a crumpled car, bleeding, scared, and carrying the life they created together.

He saw the flashing lights before he saw her.

Police, ambulance, wreckage.

And then—her.

Wrapped in a shock blanket, eyes wide and teary under the streetlamps, looking small and broken in the chaos.

He slammed the truck into park and ran. The second she saw him, she stood—wobbly, pale—and he caught her just in time.

Her arms wrapped tight around his neck, shaking. “I’m so sorry—”

“Stop,” he whispered, holding her like she’d slip through his fingers if he let go. “You’re here. You’re okay. That’s all that matters.”

He looked down at her belly, pressing a palm gently against it.

“I’ve got you both now.”