“Claire…” he whispers, his voice breaking. “Are you… are you sure?”
“Two tests,” I manage. “Both positive.” A sound leaves him that I’ve never heard before, something between a sob and a laugh as he folds me into him.
He presses his forehead to mine. “You did it,” he whispers fiercely. “My brave girl. My strong girl. You did it.”
I cling to him, crying into his shirt. “It’s ours,” I breathe. “A baby that’s ours.”
“Our baby,” he echoes, his voice thick with awe.
The city hums far below, but up here it’s just us, the man who found me in the darkest moment of my life and dragged me back into the light, and the woman who finally believes she deserves a future.
“Daddy?” I whisper.
His eyes soften instantly. “Yes, baby?”
“I’m so grateful that we chose each other.”
He kisses me slowly and reverently, the kind of kiss that says "home."
“I’m going to take care of you both,” he vows against my lips. “Every minute. Every breath. You’ll never be unsafe again.” I believe him completely.
The instantwe go back inside, the atmosphere shifts.
Erik closes the balcony door behind us and turns, the emotion in his eyes shifting into something deeper, hunger and devotion intertwined.
“Come here,” he murmurs.
My body moves before my mind does, because when his voice drops like that… I melt. Every time. He lifts me, thighs wrapped around his waist, carrying me to our bedroom with a careful strength that never fails to make me feel small and cherished.
When he sets me on the bed, he pauses, searching my face, tracing a thumb along my cheek.
“Sweetheart,” he whispers, “I need to worship you.” Heat shivers through me.
“Please, Daddy,” I breathe. His pupils darken instantly.
“Good girl.” He kisses down my neck, along my shoulder, his hands sliding under my shirt with a tenderness so overwhelming it almost hurts.
"I want you to feel adored," he murmurs into my skin. "Loved. Safe. Especially now."
My breath trembles. "Make me feel that way, Daddy." His answering growl vibrates through my bones.
ERIK
Her body goes soft in my arms afterward, sinking into me, filling every crack that ever existed inside my chest.
I wipe her plump thighs gently, kissing her knee. “Are you okay, baby?”
She nods, dreamy and flushed. “So wonderful,Daddy. So loved.”
I exhale shakily and lie beside her, pulling her into my side so her head rests on my chest. “My girl,” I murmur. “You’re giving me a family.”
She smiles into my skin. “I want this future with you.”
“You have it,” I whisper. “Forever.”
CLAIRE
We fall asleep with our bodies intertwined. The quiet weight of the day finally lets go as my body settles against his. His warmth is steady and grounding, and my hand rests low over my belly like I can hold on to this moment a little longer if I stay still.
