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As the tension dissolved, the Kings shared stories, teased one another, and engaged in a lively debate about the merits of holiday desserts while I sat back and quietly watched it unfold. I realized that maybe—just maybe—this Christmas Eve had the potential to be the turning point we never saw coming.
In the midst of the banter and laughter, I stole glances at Sylvie. Her eyes held a depth of emotion that mirrored my own, a silent acknowledgment that we were in this together, no matter the odds. As the evening wore on, I found myself falling even harder for her, my heart inexplicably tied to the woman who had turned my world upside down.
Once everyone left, we stood side by side in the kitchen. Sylvie refused to sit after the dinner, so I propped her on the counter, and she kept me company while I rinsed and stacked dishes into the dishwasher.
“Thank you for tonight.” She glanced over at me. “Having my family over, I mean. We could’ve just done something separate.”
I shook my head and dumped the silverware into the basket in the dishwasher.
She smiled, her hand resting on her belly as if the baby could hear her. “I know my family can be... difficult. But it means a lot to me that you were willing to do this.”
I gave her a half smile, my heart thudding a bit too loudly. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing Bug has a sense of humor, huh?”
Sylvie snorted and fell into a full belly laugh, a melodious sound that made everything seem a little brighter. “I couldn’t believe it.” She laughed again and let it fall into a sigh. “That Jell-O has been haunting us foryears. It’s so... odd.”
I had returned to the dishes with a smile when Sylvie gripped my arm. “Oh!”
My concerned eyes searched her face as she leaned forward and ran her hand down my arm, capturing my hand and pressing my palm into her belly. I searched her features to try to figure out what was wrong.
Then I felt it.
Tap-tap-tap.
My eyes flew to hers and back down again. “Was that— Is that the baby?”
Her hand squeezed my wrist, then shifted my palm to another area of her belly. “Did you feel it? The baby always goes wild around you.”
My fingers spread wider, my hand encapsulating a large portion of her belly as I searched again.
Come on, kid. Just one more time . . .
I waited, not daring to take my eyes off Sylvie.
Tap-tap-tap.
My breath exited my lungs, and my knees shook. I looked up at Sylvie, stunned into silence.
Her hand found my cheek. “Merry Christmas, Duke.”
I stepped between her knees, pressing my forehead to hers and weaving my fingers through her silken hair. I sucked a breath in through my nose, selfishly taking a hit of her scent and letting it soak into me.
I stood, looking into her honey-flecked eyes before reaching into my back pocket and pulling out my wallet. She looked down,confusion shifting to awareness as she recognized the small slip of paper from Dr. Hokum’s office.
“You’ve been carrying it around this whole time?”
I nodded. “I didn’t look, I swear. I was just too nervous to lose it.”
I handed her the paper and she held it, turning the small square over in her hands. “Do you want to know? I think I want to know.” She shrugged. “To be prepared.”
“I want what you want.” The words were pure gravel as they squeezed past the lump in my throat.
“Okay.” Sylvie’s whisper was barely audible as she looked me in the eyes and unfolded the paper.
TWENTY-SEVEN
SYLVIE
Boy.
