Chapter 87 Cupcakes & Quiet Victories
The sun streamed through the kitchen windows, casting a golden glow across the mountain of food on the table—towering sandwich platters, vibrant summer salads, glass pitchers of fresh lemonade sweating in the heat, and an absurd number of cupcakes Emilia swore she hadn't made all herself.
Emilia leaned against the counter, laughing so hard she had to hold her stomach, watching Lily try—unsuccessfully—to tempt Beau into trying one of Yanique's legendary spicy Caribbean deviled eggs.
"I'm just saying, live a little," Lily teased, holding out the plate like it was pure TNT.
"I am living," Beau said, inching backward dramatically. "Living with fully intact taste buds."
Across the table, Jason and Roxanne looked like they'd wandered in from a movie set, which, to be fair, they had. Roxanne wore oversized sunglasses indoors like a hungover celebrity, and Jason kept calling everyone "babe," clearly still shaking off his latest role.
Now that filming had wrapped, the chaos had slowed. The house buzzed with the kind of energy that only came from being home—finally, fully home.
Henry wandered up behind Emilia and slipped an arm around her waist, hand resting just above the subtle curve of her belly. It wasn't obvious to anyone else yet, but to him. He noticed every tiny shift. His thumb brushed over her shirt like he couldn't help himself.
"You sure you don't want me to blurt it out?" he murmured against her ear, his breath warm. "I could stand on a chair, do a toast, start crying dramatically—really sell it."
Emilia tilted her head up to look at him, lips twitching. "Tempting. But I was kind of hoping to avoid any crying this early in the day."
"Too late," he said, nudging her affectionately. "You already made me emotional when you brought out the chocolate cupcakes. You know what they do to me."
"That was strategic," she said with mock innocence. "You're way easier to manage when you're sugared up."
"Oh, you think I'm manageable?" he teased, dipping his head to brush a kiss over her cheek.
"Ewwww!" Lily groaned from across the room. "Can we not make out during the deviled egg dare?!"
Emilia laughed and stepped forward, tapping a fork against her glass. "Alright, before Lily throws something and Beau sues for emotional distress, we've got a little announcement."
The chatter simmered down as everyone turned to look at them.
"I'm pregnant," Emilia said, her voice soft but steady, her smile blooming. "We're having a baby."
Silence—then an explosion of chaos.
Roxanne shrieked like she'd just won the lottery. Lily jumped up so fast her chair tipped over. Jason high-fived Beau and then Yanique, who was crying openly and reaching for napkins. [This book is available exclusively and for free on Wattpad. If you find it anywhere else, it has been stolen. Please report any unauthorized copies.] Even Cayden, usually cool as ice, blinked a little too much and raised his glass toward Henry with a subtle nod.
"You're what?!" Roxanne gasped, grabbing Emilia in a hug that nearly knocked her backward. "You monster! Why didn't you tell us earlier?!"
"I wanted to be sure everything was okay," Emilia said with a sheepish grin. "We're almost two months now, so..."
Jason grinned. "This baby's gonna be a smoke show. Just look at the parents."
"Seriously," Roxanne agreed. "It's basically a future Calvin Klein ad."
Beau raised an eyebrow. "I call dibs on godfather. And I'll start the trust fund immediately."
Henry smirked and tightened his arm around Emilia. "You're three weeks late, buddy. I already opened the account and picked the tax-smart options."
Everyone burst out laughing, and for a moment, the room was just joy and sunlight and cupcakes and ridiculous love.
This—this—was what Emilia had always imagined but never quite believed she'd get. A kitchen full of chaos and people she loved. Henry's hand steady and warm on her body. A baby. A future.
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Sabrina's phone buzzed softly on the table. She glanced down, and her expression shifted—subtle, but enough to still the room around her.
Scarlett caught it instantly. "Uh-oh. That's your 'someone's getting sued' face."
Sabrina looked up, voice low. "It's official. Hallie's going to trial."
No one asked what for. They already knew.
"For attempted murder," she added. "Pretrial hearings start next month. Florida's not playing around."
Silence fell for a beat—not shock, just the weight of it settling in. Final. Inevitable.
Henry's jaw tightened. His arm instinctively curled tighter around Emilia, steady and sure. A moment later, Jason passed a drink to him, his hand lingering briefly on Emilia's shoulder. The touch wasn't flashy—it was grounding, reminding them all of the strength of the people around them.
"Good," he said quietly. "She's never getting near you again."
Emilia leaned into his chest, her hand resting over his heart. "I thought I'd feel better hearing it. But it still... stings."
"That's normal," Roxanne said gently. "But she's behind you now. She doesn't get to take up space here."
"She tried to destroy everything," Henry murmured, pressing a kiss to Emilia's temple. "But we're still here."
A murmur of agreement passed around the room. Not triumphant—just true.
Then Jason clapped his hands like a man resetting the vibe of the entire universe. "Alright, now that justice is officially in motion, can we please discuss the real matter at hand—baby names."
He slid a cupcake toward Emilia. "Still casting my vote for Cupcake Jr."
"You're not even on the committee," Yanique said, eyeing him over her wine glass.
"I am the committee," Jason declared. "I bring snacks and chaotic energy. That's 80% of parenting, right?"
"Wrong," Liam said flatly. "But I respect the confidence."
"If it's a boy," Beau cut in, "the name has to be Beau. That's just tradition."
Henry arched a brow. "Since when?"
"Since right now," Beau said, completely unfazed. "Passed by unanimous vote. Me and my reflection."
"Oh my god," Lily groaned. "Do not let Beau name the baby. We'll end up with someone named, like, Beau-nathaniel."
"I like that," Travis said, thoughtfully. "Strong. Presidential."
Daniel nodded. "Sounds like a kid who'd definitely get kicked out of preschool for tax fraud."
"Guys," Emilia said through laughter. "We are not naming our baby Cupcake Jr. or Beau-nathaniel. We're going with something timeless. Classic. Like Henry Jr."
"Ooh," Cayden said, grinning. "Little H.J. I like it. He'll be born with a tiny vest and a spreadsheet."
"Only if he inherits Henry's 'serious but secretly soft' energy," Scarlett said, smirking. "Otherwise it's a no."
"Henry Jr. only works if he behaves," Emilia added, teasing.
Henry grinned, utterly shameless. "So... probably not Henry Jr."
His dad let out a chuckle. "Smart boy."
Henry's mom nodded at Emilia. "Name the baby whatever you want, sweetheart. Just make sure he's got your heart."
"Too late," Henry said, eyes on Emilia. "He already does."
The group let out a collective groan.
"Boooo," Roxanne said, throwing a napkin at him. "Get out."
"That was sweet!" Henry protested.
"That was Hallmark Original Movie sweet," Jason corrected. "We have standards."
"And we're lowering them by the second," Liam muttered.
"I'm emotionally unwell," Scarlett said, dabbing her eyes with a chip.
Emilia just laughed and curled tighter into Henry's side, letting the noise and the warmth of them all wrap around her. Her people. Her chaos.
They still had a long road ahead.
But in this moment—in this loud, ridiculous, perfect little room?
They were safe.
And that was everything.
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As laughter and chatter filled the room, the weight of the day settled into a soft hum of contentment. But outside the warmth of the house, in the shadow of the mountain, things were changing.
A phone rang in the quiet of a darkened room.
Zoey's voice, low and dangerous, answered on the other end.
"We're not done yet. Not by a long shot."
Levi/Ethan's voice, steady but cold, came through next. "We've got one more play to make. Emilia and Henry won't see this coming."
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Later, when the house was quiet again and everyone had either gone home or drifted off to nap in guest rooms, Emilia curled up on the couch with her feet in Henry's lap. He rubbed slow circles into her ankles, the motion comforting, familiar. His eyes were steady on hers.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded, her voice soft. "Today was... a lot. But a good lot."
He smiled, brushing his thumb gently along her skin. "I was thinking about October."
She tilted her head. "Our wedding?"
He nodded. "We picked the date two months ago and didn't even know we'd be bringing a guest."
She laughed. "Tiny, slightly parasitic guest."
"Speak for yourself," he said, grinning. "I think they're gonna be charming as hell."
She gave him a sleepy smile. "Still want to do it then? I'll have a bump by October. Probably need a dress with... architecture."
Henry leaned in, voice low and certain. "I still want to marry you. Nothing's changed. If anything, it just makes me want it more. I want our baby to grow up knowing exactly what love looks like."
She kissed him then slow, and grateful. "Okay," she murmured.
"Okay?" he asked, just to hear her say it again.
"Okay," she repeated, her smile curling soft at the edges.
And for a while, they just stayed like that, folded into each other, cocooned in the kind of peace that didn't need words.