No longer a bean with a yolk sac, but a tiny body with an alien head.
Everly’s hand tightened in mine, but I barely felt it. I was staring at a tiny limb on the screen, something so small and fragile it made my chest ache. I narrowed my focus and realised it was a leg and foot. A whole damn foot.
My God. Had I not met Everly when I did… this moment, this life, this future would never have existed.
The sonographer shifted the wand again. The image disappeared. My jaw locked, ready to demand where the hell it went—but it slid back into view.
“A little boy,” she said softly.
I glanced at Everly. Her eyes shimmered, tears waiting. Of course, she felt it instantly—she always did.
I squeezed her hand, clumsy in the attempt, because my mind was stumbling.
Then it hit me—why I didn’t feel relief yet.
Boy or girl, it didn’t matter.
I suddenly had no idea how I was supposed to protect a child from the world. From life. From everything I knew could go wrong.
The thought punched a hole straight through my chest.
“Is his head supposed to be that shape?” I rasped.
Everly tried to yank her hand free, but I held on.
“Sorry—our son is perfect… I’m just in shock,” I said, throat tightening. “Fuck, I think I’m about to throw up.”
“Uh, you’d better take a seat.” The wand was set aside, and the older woman pushed a chair toward me.
Utter humiliation washed over me. But I sat down and found myself contemplating the upcoming appointment I had with the private security firm. I needed more than a few cameras to survive fatherhood.
I had six months to sort myself out, and I was not going to fail, not as a husband or a father.
Chapter 24
Everly
The food smelled amazing. Connie had been trying out some wild new recipes that involved more vegetables and my favourite bean—chickpeas. I glanced at Silas’s plate, which had noticeably less on it, before looking at mine.
“Is this some kind of plot you and Connie are part of to ensure I become the size of an elephant?” I demanded, waving my fork between our plates.
His eyebrow twitched, and Connie didn’t even bother hiding her grin.
“I’ve been gradually increasing your portion sizes,” Connie said with zero shame.
She swung her tea towel over her shoulder as she turned to leave.
I didn’t say anything, mostly because she had an organic oat-based strawberry cheesecake coming up next. Priorities.
Plus, she’d been so excited to see our son’s scan picture. It hit me a little harder than expected—how Connie had been more of a mother to me than Eris ever managed.
I lifted my cutlery and noticed how quiet Silas was.
I think today’s appointment broke his brain.
“How are you feeling?” I asked with a smirk.
He frowned and lifted his cutlery like he was trying to recover dignity through posture alone.
