"Demanding."
"You like it."
"I really do."
He leads me upstairs to his room. We undress each other slowly, carefully. Then we're in his bed, wrapped around each other.
But we don't have sex. We just hold each other. His hand rests on my stomach, where our baby is growing.
"I can't feel anything yet," I say.
"Soon. In a few weeks, there'll be movement."
"Are you scared?"
"Terrified. I have no idea how to be a father."
"I have no idea how to be a mother."
"Then we'll figure it out together."
"Together," I echo.
I drift off in his arms, feeling safer and happier than I have in months.
And for the first time since this whole thing started, I let myself hope.
Hope that maybe this could work. That maybe we could build something real out of all this chaos.
That would be the best thing in the world.
25
AXEL
"Where are we going?"
Aurora's in the passenger seat of my car, wearing a sundress and sunglasses, looking more relaxed than I've seen her in weeks.
"You'll see."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only answer you're getting."
She huffs but doesn't push. We've been doing this dance for three days now, ever since our first date. Small moments ofnormalcy between the chaos. Coffee together in the mornings. Working side by side in my office. Falling asleep tangled together every night.
It's terrifying how quickly I've gotten used to it.
"At least tell me if I'm dressed appropriately," she says.
"You're perfect."
"That's also not an answer."
"But it's true."
She rolls her eyes, but she's smiling.
