My Only Sunshine
Two weeks had passed since the nursery incident. Harper had grown more restless and suspicious with every passing day. She finally couldn’t take it anymore and called Camilla.
They met at a quiet café on the outskirts of the city, away from prying eyes. Harper arrived first, tapping her nails impatiently on the table. When Camilla walked in, Harper didn’t waste time with pleasantries.
“So?” Harper asked sharply as soon as Camilla sat down. “Have you found anything about Emery’s ex-boyfriend? You said you’d dig into it.”
Camilla sighed, stirring her coffee slowly. She looked mildly frustrated.
“I’ve tried,” she admitted. “I hired a private investigator. I went through every contact I still have from before the wedding. I even checked old social circles and mutual friends… but nothing solid.”
Harper’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean ‘nothing solid’? She was seeing someone.”
Camilla leaned forward, keeping her voice low.
“That’s the problem. Her relationship was extremely secret.
Whoever she was dating, she hid it very well.
No public photos, no mutual friends who knew details, no leaked messages, nothing.
It’s like she was a ghost. My investigator said it looks like she was deliberately keeping the man completely hidden.
Probably someone important or someone she knew her uncle wouldn’t approve of. ”
Harper let out a frustrated breath and leaned back in her chair. “So we have nothing? After two weeks?”
Camilla’s expression darkened. “Not yet. But the fact that she hid it so well actually works in our favor. It means there’s something there. People don’t hide a relationship that perfectly unless they’re scared of what will happen if it comes out. We just need more time.”
Harper drummed her fingers on the table, clearly agitated. “I don’t have time. Every day I see the way Jesse looks at her. The way he defends her. The way he… touches her when he thinks no one is watching. It’s disgusting. She’s playing both my brothers and no one else seems to see it.”
Camilla’s eyes sharpened with interest. “You’ve seen them together?”
Harper hesitated, then gave a stiff nod. “Enough to know something is going on. But I need proof. Real proof. Not just my suspicions.”
Camilla reached across the table and placed a hand on Harper’s arm, her voice smooth and persuasive.
“Then give me a little more time. I’ll dig deeper.
I’ll check her old workplace, her university friends, even her uncle’s staff.
Someone has to know who she was seeing. And when we find him…
we’ll make him talk. Money, threats, whatever it takes.
Once we have that man saying the baby is his, Emery won’t just be thrown out. She’ll be destroyed.”
Harper stared at her coffee for a long moment, jaw tight.
“Fine,” she said finally. “Two more weeks. But if you don’t find anything by then, I’m done wasting my time with you.”
Camilla smiled, slow and cold. “Trust me. We’ll find him. And when we do… Emery’s perfect little life in our family will be over.”
Harper stood up, leaving her coffee untouched.
“Make it fast,” she said before walking away.
Camilla watched her go, a satisfied glint in her eyes.
The game was still very much on.
×××××××
The afternoon light filtered gently through the large windows of Jesse’s home office, casting a warm glow over the sleek black desk that he and Alexander had set up for Emery.
At twenty-four weeks, her bump was now prominent and round, making it a little harder for her to sit comfortably for long periods. Still, she was focused, typing away on her laptop, handling some client correspondence for the company.
The door opened softly.
Jesse walked in carrying a small bowl of fresh, ripe plums. He had washed and cut them into neat wedges, their deep red flesh glistening with juice.
Emery looked up and smiled the moment she saw him. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Jesse replied, his voice warm. He walked over and set the bowl beside her laptop. “I brought you something. You’ve been working for a while.”
Emery’s eyes lit up at the sight of the juicy plums. “Thank you. These look perfect.”
Jesse pulled up a chair beside her and sat down, watching as she picked up a slice. Juice ran down her fingers as she took a bite, and she let out a soft, contented hum.
“Mmm… so sweet,” she murmured.
Jesse smiled, resting his elbow on the desk and his chin on his hand as he watched her. “How are you doing? And how’s work?”
Emery leaned back slightly, one hand resting on her bump. “I’m okay. A little tired, but good. The baby’s been moving a lot today. Work is… actually nice. It feels good to use my brain again. I finished reviewing the quarterly reports Alexander sent me. Everything looks solid.”
Jesse’s gaze softened as he watched her. He reached out and gently brushed a stray drop of plum juice from the corner of her mouth with his thumb, the touch lingering for a second longer than necessary.
“You don’t have to push yourself,” he said quietly. “If it gets too much, you stop. Okay?”
Emery nodded, smiling at him with that familiar mix of warmth and quiet affection. “I know. I promise I’m listening to my body. But thank you… for checking on me. And for this.” She lifted another plum slice. “They’re really good.”
Jesse chuckled softly. “I picked them out myself. I remembered you said plums have been your favorite lately.”
For a moment, they simply sat there: Emery working with one hand while occasionally eating the fruit, and Jesse staying close, content to be in her presence. The quiet intimacy of the moment wrapped around them like a gentle embrace.
Jesse’s eyes drifted to her bump, and his expression grew tender. “He’s getting bigger every day.”
Emery placed her hand on her belly and smiled. “He is. I can’t believe we’re already at twenty-four weeks.”
Jesse didn’t say anything more. He simply stayed beside her, stealing these small, stolen moments of closeness while the rest of the world remained unaware.
×××××××
Jesse had just finished showering and was standing in his room, wearing a clean black t-shirt before bed. The house was finally quiet after another long day. He was reaching for his phone on the nightstand when the door opened without a knock.
Harper stepped inside and closed the door behind her, arms crossed tightly over her chest.
Jesse’s expression immediately hardened. “What do you want, Harper?”
She didn’t waste time. She leaned against the door, eyes narrowed as she studied him.
“I’ve been watching you,” she said, voice low and pointed. “You’ve been awfully… attentive to Emery lately. Always checking on her. Bringing her food. Defending her like she’s your personal responsibility. It’s almost sweet how close you two have gotten.”
Jesse’s jaw clenched. He turned fully to face her, his dark eyes cold.
“Get to the point or get out.”
Harper’s lips curved into a mocking smile.
“Oh, I’m just saying… it’s interesting. Alexander is barely home, recovering from being beaten half to death, and here you are, playing the devoted brother-in-law.
Running to her every time she needs something.
Looking at her like she hung the moon. Anyone would think you care a little too much for your sister-in-law. ”
Jesse took one step closer, his voice dropping into a dangerous, quiet tone.
“Shut up, Harper.”
Harper raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying that she had struck a nerve. “Did I hit a sore spot? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re awfully protective of the woman carrying your brother’s child. Almost like she means something to you.”
Jesse’s eyes flashed with warning. He moved closer until he was towering over her.
“Listen to me very carefully,” he said, voice low and cutting.
“You have your own mess to deal with. Your husband is filing for custody of your daughter because you can’t even be bothered to watch her for five minutes without screwing up.
You slapped Mrs Ryde. You’ve neglected Kitty for months.
So instead of spying on me and making up nonsense about Emery, why don’t you focus on trying to prove you’re not a completely useless mother? ”
Harper’s face flushed with anger, her eyes widening at the direct hit.
Jesse didn’t stop. “You want to talk about who’s close to who? Maybe start by asking yourself why your own husband doesn’t trust you with your child. Fix your own house before you come sniffing around mine.”
Harper’s mouth opened, but no sharp comeback came out immediately. The mention of the custody case and her failures as a mother clearly struck a deep nerve.
Jesse stepped back, his voice final. “Now get out of my room. And stay the hell away from Emery. If I catch you harassing her again, custody won’t be the only thing you lose.”
Harper glared at him, breathing hard, but she turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Jesse stood there for a moment longer, fists clenched at his sides, breathing through the anger.
He knew Harper was getting too close to the truth.
And that made everything even more dangerous.
×××××××
The gazebo was bathed in soft moonlight, the garden around it silent except for the gentle rustle of leaves in the night breeze.
Emery sat on the cushioned bench, her back against the wooden railing, one hand gently cradling her twenty-four-week bump. The silk nightdress she wore draped softly over her growing belly.
She was alone, the rest of the house long asleep. She had slipped out because the baby had been particularly active tonight, kicking and turning, refusing to settle.
Emery looked down at her belly and smiled softly. Her voice came out as a gentle, soothing whisper... a quiet lullaby she remembered Judith used to hum to her and Camilla when they were little.
“You are my sunshine… my only sunshine…”
She sang softly, her fingers tracing slow circles over the curve of her stomach.
“You make me happy… when skies are gray…”
The baby gave a strong kick right under her palm, as if responding to her voice. Emery’s smile widened, eyes glistening with emotion.
“You’ll never know, dear… how much I love you…”
Her voice cracked just a little, thick with love and the weight of everything they were hiding.
“Please don’t take my sunshine away…”
She continued humming the melody, rocking gently from side to side. Another kick came, softer this time, almost like the baby was calming down to the sound of her voice.
“I can’t wait to meet you,” she whispered between verses, pressing her forehead lightly against the top of her bump. “You’re going to be so loved, little one. Even if the world doesn’t understand how you came to be… you were made from love. Real love.”
She kept singing, voice barely above a whisper, pouring every bit of her heart into the simple lullaby.
Unbeknownst to her, Jesse stood just outside the gazebo in the shadows, having come seeing her sitting here. He stopped at the edge of the steps, heart clenching at the sight.
He didn’t step forward. He simply listened, eyes shining with unshed tears, as the woman he loved sang to their unborn son under the moonlight.
Emery finished the last line, voice fading into the night:
“You are my sunshine… my only sunshine…”
She placed both hands on her belly and whispered, “I love you so much already.”
Jesse remained hidden for a moment longer, overwhelmed by the pure, aching beauty of the moment, before quietly slipping away, not wanting to interrupt the private bond between mother and child.
×××××××