"Boom!" It was like a detonation in Davis’s head. The floor beneath him seemed to dip, his vision tilted. His hand trembled lightly, his eyes widening as the words continued to echo in his ears. Yet, one word resonated drowning out everything else.
"Pregnant."
It felt foreign and unfamiliar as it struck him like a thunderclap tearing through a calm sky, the sound of lightning slicing across his thoughts.
For a moment, he stood frozen, rooted to the spot,—paralyzed, staring, breath shallow, lips parted but unable to form words.
Jessica, watching his stunned silence, felt her heart race with growing trepidation. His reaction was far from what she had imagined. She didn’t know whether to fear it or brace for impact. She didn’t want to imagine his next action. She feared what he might say.
She stared at the man who had just moments ago been full of life, now turned to stone by a single sentence. Under any other circumstance, it might have been amusing. But not now. Not with something so life-altering. Perhaps she’d laugh about it later—but not now.
As Davis remained silent, unmoving, just staring at her, her nerves which had only just begun to settle after she worked hard to calm them frayed all over again.
Her pulse jumped violently. Her heart thudded in her chest, loud and fast, threatening to burst free. She couldn’t take it anymore.
She slid toward the edge of the bed and stood up slowly. His body remained still, but his eyes followed her, silently. Tentatively, she reached out and took his hand in hers, her fingers caressing the back of his palm.
"Dav, can you say something? You’re scaring me." Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she were mumbling to herself.
Davis withdrew his gaze on her briefly as his eyes landed instead on the pregnancy test strips she’d left on the bed—their red lines glaring back at them as if daring anyone to question their truth.
Like a robot, he turned his head toward her. His lips parted, but no words came. Emotion clamped tightly around his throat.
Jessica let out a long sigh. She had been shocked when she first discovered it, but compared to Davis, she realized she had been too calm. But now she wasn’t so sure if she was right.
"Hubby, did you hear what I said?" she asked again, her tone gentle and her voice steadier now.
Davis nodded slowly. Then, without a word, he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Jessica gasped, her eyes wide, caught completely off guard. She froze, unsure where to place her hands, stunned by the sudden closeness. His arms tightened around her, almost desperate, as though he wanted to fuse her into his very being.
She struggled for breath. "Dav... I can’t breathe," she whispered.
But then she heard him murmur, voice shaky and thick with emotion, "Baby, thank you. I’m proud of you."
Jessica pulled back, blinking rapidly. "Did you just say ’thank you’?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.
His smile answered her, soft and sincere, before he pulled her into another embrace and kissed her forehead gently.
"Yes," he said. "I’m really grateful... for everything."


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