Chapter 498 Fragile Joy
Chapter 498 Fragile Joy
+10 Free Coins
Quinn rose, puzzled by the terror etched across Julius‘ features–so far from the happiness she had imagined.
“Yes, I am. Eight weeks already. Aren’t you happy?”
Julius held his silence.
Earlier–before that meeting with his father, before the old man’s cold warnings–he would have been over the moon. He would have marveled at the tighter bond between them and dreamed of the child who carried both their blood.
Now fear eclipsed everything.
He dreaded the baby might be unhealthy, dreaded Quinn might condemn him, dreaded losing the love he had fought so hard to earn.
Most tragic of all, he lacked the courage even to tell her why terror had replaced joy.
“I… I’m not unhappy. I’m just… shocked. I never imagined you were expecting,” Julius muttered.
“Neither did I. I suspected it yesterday, but didn’t want to celebrate too soon. So I kept quiet, went to the hospital this morning, confirmed it, and planned to surprise you. Then I drifted off.”
Julius pulled her into his arms, hiding the bitterness twisting his features against her hair.
“Are you… truly happy?” he asked.
“Of course. It’s our child. Yes, it came early, but that just means we’ll get the license once we’re home and throw the wedding after the baby arrives.”
“But if the baby isn’t healthy… would you still want it?”
Quinn paused, her lashes lifting as she locked eyes with Julius. “You’re afraid of this? Because of your mother’s mental illness? Julius, that was acquired. It isn’t hereditary.”
A slight tremor rippled through his frame. “I’m only afraid that, what if the child inherits something… unhealthy?”
Quinn offered a soft, reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. Neither of us carries any genetic curse.”
1/3
14:04 Wed, Oct 22
Chapter 498 Fragile Joy
+10 Free Cons
His brows drew tighter. “But what if someone farther up the family tree or some distant relative left a fault behind? Suppose the baby really…
Quinn kept her tone calm, almost clinical. “We can screen during pregnancy. Blood tests, ultrasounds, even amniotic analysis can confirm the baby’s health.”
“But…”
She lifted her chin, meeting his troubled gaze. “If, heaven forbid, this baby isn’t healthy, we’ll face the decision together then. Right now, the little one has only just arrived. Everything is brand–new. There’s no reason to drown in worry. And you and I are both in good shape. Our child will be fine.”
Words crowded Julius‘ throat, yet none made it past his lips.
Quinn sensed an unfamiliar, almost desperate anxiety vibrating off him.
She broke the uneasy silence. “If something else is gnawing at you, say it. We’re meant to be each other’s closest person for the rest of our lives; what could possibly be too heavy to share with me?”
His voice fell to a whisper. “I’m afraid… that anything bad in me might touch the baby. I fear you’ll blame me. I fear I can’t give you the life you deserve.”
Quinn shook her head, almost amused. “Genetics is a game of odds. No one can promise a baby will be one hundred percent free of every flaw. Near–sightedness, eczema, balding—those are hereditary, too. Have their parents stopped having children? Besides, creating a child belongs to both of us. If I pass on something imperfect, will you condemn me?”
The answer shot from Julius without a beat. “I never would!”
“Exactly, and I won’t either. One more thing…”
Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Divorced Military Queen Awakens (by Sadie Baxter)