I stared at her. There was no way I was going to guess on this one. I needed her to say it. Needed to know for certain.
“Well, let's just say, it's a good thing we're getting married tomorrow instead of in a couple months,” she said. “Because my dress wouldn't fit.”
“Nori?” My hand slid down to her belly.
“Surprise,” she said. “I got the call from the doctor just after dinner.” A concerned expression filled her face. “Are you okay with that? I mean, I know we'd talked about having kids, but never about right now.”
I cut off anything else she would've said by pressing my lips against hers. Then I rested my forehead on hers as my fingers started tracing patterns on her stomach.
“I love you,” I said. “And I love our baby.”
She reached up and put her hand on the scarred side of my face, a smile spreading across her own.
A baby.
I was going to be a father.
The realization made my chest tighten, but it wasn't anxiety or fear. Nori had shown me that I was a good man, that I could be better, and I knew that, with her at my side, I would be the best father any child could have. I wouldn't be perfect, but I'd sure as hell try.
Suddenly, I laughed.
“What is it?” Nori asked, her fingers still soothing my skin.
“I was just thinking,” I said. “If it's a girl, I'll need to buy a shotgun.”
She laughed as she snuggled closer to me. I heard her breathing slow and knew that, now that she'd told me her news, she was going to sleep. Me, I'd probably stay awake a bit longer. My life had changed so much in the last fifteen months, all of it leading to this point where everything was going to change again.
Come tomorrow, I would be a husband, ready to be a father. And the thought didn't scare me like it would have in the past. I was done living in the darkness. My future was right here in my arms, and I fully intended to embrace it, and never look back.
The End