The city lights glowed like stars, and the red carpet stretched ahead like a promise. Hannah stood at the edge of it, her hand resting gently in Ethan’s. Her other hand cradled her growing baby bump. She wore a flowing dark green gown that shimmered under the lights, hugging her figure and showing off her small belly. Her hair was pinned back softly, her makeup simple but elegant. She looked… radiant.Ethan glanced down at her, eyes full of quiet admiration. “You okay?” he asked.She took a breath. “Yeah,” she said, smiling. “I think I’m more than okay.”The moment their feet touched the carpet, the flash of cameras exploded around them. Reporters leaned over the barricades, microphones outstretched, shouting questions.“Hannah! Over here!”“Hannah, are you pregnant?”“Is this your first official appearance as head writer?”“Ethan! How does it feel supporting the woman of the night?”She gave a graceful smile and stopped in front of one reporter.“Yes,” she said clearly, placing her h
It started slow, but Ethan and Hannah had been trying to rebuild their relationship. It started with dinners first, then came weekend play dates. Trips to the park. Movie nights with popcorn and juice boxes. And after the kids went to bed, it turned into late-night talks on the porch. Sometimes about the past. Sometimes about nothing at all.The tension between Ethan and Hannah began to soften, like winter finally giving way to spring. There were still moments of doubt. Still quiet pauses where either one wasn’t sure if the other truly meant to stay. But the longer they kept showing up, the easier it became to believe that maybe this time, they could make it work.The kids noticed first.“Mommy, why is Daddy smiling so much now?” their daughter whispered one morning while eating her cereal.Hannah laughed. “Maybe he’s just happy.”And maybe, for the first time in a long time, she was too. One breezy afternoon, while Ethan was helping the twins build a cardboard rocket ship in the livi
After Julian left, the house felt different. Still and quiet. The air wasn’t tense like before, but it wasn’t calm either. It was something in between. A strange, thick silence that settled over the living room like a fog.Ethan sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows resting on his knees. Meanwhile, Hannah stood by the window, arms folded over her chest, eyes scanning the street, even though she wasn’t really looking at anything.For a long time, neither of them spoke. The only sound between them was the distant hum of traffic and the soft ticking of the old wall clock. The boys were upstairs, quiet in their room, unaware of the storm that had just passed downstairs.Hannah finally turned around and looked at himand she could see almost for the first time that he looked tired. Not just physically, but deeply. The kind of tiredness that sits in the heart and doesn’t go away with sleep.She walked over slowly and sat next to him. Not too close. But close enough that she could feel the
Hannah froze when she heard Ethan’s words at the grocery store. "Why do I feel like you’re hiding something from me?"She hadn’t expected him to say that. Not so directly. Not with that quiet mix of confusion and pain in his voice.Her chest tightened, and for a long second, she just stood there with her grocery bags in hand, her heart racing. She could’ve told him then. Could’ve looked him in the eye and said, “I’m pregnant.”But instead, she smiled weakly, cleared her throat, and said, “Goodbye, Ethan.”Then she walked away. But she didn’t look back. She couldn’t. Later that evening, Ethan sat in his car outside the house, staring at the front door. He hadn’t planned to visit today, but something tugged at him. A gut feeling. Maybe it was the way she walked away earlier… maybe it was her eyes.He just needed to see the kids. Needed to remind himself that he still had a place here, even if everything else was falling apart.He knocked once and let himself in using the spare key. The
The next morning, the sun broke through the windows like it had every other day, but something inside Hannah had changed. Maybe it was the moment with her daughter. Maybe it was the way she’d cried so hard the night before and still managed to get up. Whatever it was, she decided she needed a bit of normal.So she threw on some jeans, a hoodie, and sunglasses and made her way to the grocery store. She told herself it was just for milk and fruit, maybe a few frozen meals. Nothing serious, but deep down, she just needed to get out of the house. Breathe. Pretend everything was fine for a little while.She walked into the grocery store and immediately went to the food section. At this point she couldn’t tell anymore whether it was just her cravings or not, but it felt relieving to be here. She turned the corner of aisle five, scanning for cereal, and then suddenly stopped, frozen in shock. There he was — Ethan.He was standing there, holding a box of granola bars, staring like he didn’t b
Hannah stood in front of the bathroom mirror, her hand resting on her lower stomach. The test was still tucked inside the drawer, but the result lived in her head like an echo she couldn’t silence.She was pregnant. And she hadn’t told a soul. Not even Ethan. Especially not Ethan.She told herself she was just waiting for the right time. But the truth was, she was scared. What if he didn’t want it? What if he saw it as a mistake—something born out of a drunken night and confusion? What if he walked away?She couldn’t handle that. Not again. So she kept it a secret. Over time, it became a silent storm building inside her.That morning, she got ready for the Screenguild meeting. It was an important one. A well-known creative director would be attending, and there was talk about a new series being developed—a major project that could shift her entire career.She touched up her makeup, forced on a confident smile, and told the kids she’d be back soon.Julian texted her on the way: “Want m