Chapter 48
CHAPTER 48
RAVEN
H e stares into my eyes, the intensity softening into something more profound—something that takes my breath away. A small smile begins to curve his lips, widening slowly but surely. It’s a smile that knows too much, that holds an unspoken truth. My chest tightens, a flutter building inside me.
“I saw it,” he says softly, his voice laced with both tenderness and certainty.
I blink, confused. “Saw what?”
His gaze flickers, his smile deepening as though the words themselves are precious. “The pregnancy test,” he says simply. “In the bathroom.”
The air rushes out of my lungs. I can’t tell if it’s panic or relief—or maybe both—that courses through me as I struggle to form words.
“I …” My voice falters, and I look down at the rough hospital blanket. Should I apologize for not telling him sooner? Explain that it wasn’t planned, but I don’t regret it. Or that I didn’t know how to bring it up after everything that has happened?
Before I can untangle my thoughts, Earl leans forward, his hand reaching out to cup my cheek. His thumb brushes over my skin. “My darling,” he says, his voice unwavering and filled with a strong emotion that makes him feel like he will forever be my rock, my port in the storm. “You’ve given me the greatest gift I could’ve ever asked for.”
I stare at him, my breath catching. “You mean it?” I whisper, barely able to get the words out.
He nods, his eyes never leaving mine. “I love you,” he says, his voice breaking slightly. “With all my heart, baby. And I already love the new life growing inside you too, more than I thought was possible.”
Tears well up in my eyes. I can’t hold it in any longer. I lean forward, capturing his lips in a kiss that speaks of everything I feel. The fear, the gratitude, the overwhelming love that has grown inside me, not just for the life we’ve created but for this man who has fought so hard to be with me, who has endured so much to stand by my side.
“I love you too, Earl,” I whisper against his lips, my voice trembling but certain. “With all my heart. Forever. And ever.”
His arms wrap around me, pulling me close as we kiss again, this time slower, deeper, as though sealing a promise we’ll carry with us for the rest of our lives.
The moment stretches, the world narrowing to just the two of us. The weight of the past lifts, replaced by something that shines like stars in the night, something unbreakable. And as we hold each other, I feel it—the certainty that whatever comes next, we’ll face it together.
Forever.