Dirty Little Secret

9. Epilogue A Year Later

epilogue: a year later

. . .

Magnus

I pause in the doorway, the scene before me twisting my stomach into knots too tight to unravel. Tessa’s silhouette dances provocatively, stark against the waning sunlight that frames her. But it’s the object in her hands that steals the breath from my lungs—a familiar white stick. The kind we’ve pinned our hopes for a family on for weeks.

Tessa turns to face me fully, her smile a mixture of nerves and stifled expectation. “You’re home early.” Her voice carries a tremor that belies her composed exterior.

“Is that—” I start, but my voice falters. The reality of the situation presses down on me with a weight both terrifying and exhilarating.

I close the door softly behind me, still planted at the threshold, my feet suddenly glued to the floor. The distance between us is charged with a tangible energy as I digest the significance of the object in Tessa’s delicate grip.

Tessa’s eyes meet mine.

“Are we…?” My voice trails off, incomplete, unable to articulate my joy.

“Yes.” Tessa’s voice is a soft mix of hope and nervousness. She walks toward me, her movements careful in her heels. With each step she takes, my future becomes something entirely new.

As Tessa reaches me, she slides her free hand into mine, warmth spreading like wildfire through my veins. I sweep her into my arms, the drink almost spilling over my shoulder. “We’re going to have a baby,” I whisper into her hair, feeling strands tickle my nose.

“We’re going to have a baby,” Tessa repeats into my chest, her body vibrating with laughter or tears, maybe both. She looks at me with eyes full of dreams and just a hint of fear. “Are you happy?” she asks, biting her lip.

“I’m more than happy,” I reply without hesitation. “I’m terrified, overwhelmed, but above all, thrilled. We’re starting our family.”

Her head rests on my shoulder as we watch night take over what was left of the day, our intertwined hands a promise of every sunrise and sunset we’ll share from this moment forward.

“I’m going to make you a real daddy now.” Tessa laughs and sways playfully in my embrace.

“I was always a real daddy, baby girl.”

Setting her down gently, I step back just enough to see her face. Her eyes are bright, as if they contain the entire universe—my universe. I pull her close again, feeling her heartbeat against mine, and allow myself to drown in the moment, surrendering to whatever comes next with an open heart.

THE END