Liam looked at it curiously. “What’s this?”
“Open it,” she said, her voice steadier than she felt.
He untied the ribbon carefully, lifting the lid. Inside lay a tiny white sock, impossibly small, nestled beside a card with the hospital’s logo and a date penciled in for an appointment.
Liam stared at the contents, uncomprehending for a moment. Then his eyes widened, darting to her face, then her stomach, then back to the box.
“Sunny,” he whispered, voice rough with emotion. “Are you…?”
She nodded, tears pricking at her eyes. “Eight weeks. I’ve known for two, but I wanted to be sure before I told you. After last time…”
The memory hung between them — the devastating loss, the distance it had created, how close they’d come to breaking permanently. Liam set the box down carefully on the railing, then reached for her, drawing her into his arms.
“A baby,” he breathed against her hair. “Our baby.”
“Are you happy?” she asked, voice muffled against his chest.
He pulled back enough to look into her eyes, his own suspiciously bright. “Happy doesn’t begin to cover it. I’m… terrified. Excited. Overwhelmed.”
“That makes two of us.” She attempted a smile, but her lip trembled. “I’m so afraid of losing this one too.”
“Hey.” Liam cupped her face gently. “One day at a time, remember? That’s how we got here. That’s how we’ll keep going.”
“One day at a time,” she repeated, the familiar mantra settling her nerves.
“Does anyone else know?”
Sunny hesitated. “Maddie figured it out. That girl misses nothing.”
A surprised laugh escaped him. “Of course she did. She’s too smart for all of us.”
“She promised to keep it secret until we were ready to tell everyone.” Sunny leaned her forehead against his. “I think we should tell them tonight, all together. Before I burst.”
“Tonight it is.” Liam’s hand drifted to her abdomen, resting lightly over where their child grew. “I turned down that management position, by the way. The one Gerald offered.”
“You did? But I thought—”
“It would have meant more travel, more stress.” He shook his head. “What we have here — what we’ve built — is too precious. I don’t want to miss a moment of it, especially now.”
Sunny rose on tiptoes to kiss him, pouring all her love and hope and lingering fears into the contact. For a long moment, they stood wrapped in each other, the fireflies continuing their silent dance around them.
When they parted, Liam’s eyes were bright with unshed tears. “I love you, Sunny Anderson. You and every impossible, perfect thing you’ve brought into my life.”
“Even when I drive you crazy reorganizing your coaching plans?” she teased, blinking back her own tears.
“Especially then,” he grinned. “Should we call the troops out here now? Make the big announcement?”
Sunny nodded, suddenly eager to share their news.
Liam turned toward the house, calling through the screen door. “Maddie! Hailey! Ethan! Family meeting on the porch, right now!”
The ensuing commotion brought a smile to Sunny’s face — the thud of feet, squabbling voices, Ethan’s distinctive wail when someone inevitably bumpedinto him. Their noisy, perfect chaos.
The children tumbled onto the porch, Maddie dignified despite her haste, Hailey with a butterfly clip askew in her hair, Ethan clutching his favorite dinosaur toy. They arranged themselves expectantly, three pairs of eyes focused on their parents.
“We have some exciting news,” Liam began, his arm secure around Sunny’s waist.
Sunny took a deep breath. “There’s going to be a new baby in our family. I’m pregnant.”
