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Author: S.T.Rose
last update publish date: 2026-10-21 08:34:14

Zaire***

I hear her stir before she speaks. That soft, confused breath she takes when sleep has not let go yet.

"Zaire?"

"I'm here," I call back, keeping my voice level. Calm. Normal.

She shuffles into the kitchen, hair all over the place, eyes still heavy. It hits me again how fragile this all feels. How close I came to not seeing this.

"How long was I out?"

"Not long."

She studies me. Kyra always sees too much. "You didn't wake me."

"You needed the rest." True. Also true: I
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  • His accidental surrogate    Still

    Kyra*** The house settled into night the way it always did when nothing needed fixing. Quiet. Safe. I turned off the last light downstairs and followed Zaire up. I was already halfway out of my clothes by the time I hit the bedroom, moving slow, humming under my breath. His shirt was draped over the chair, and I slipped it on without thinking. It hung loose over my thighs, soft cotton worn thin from years of washing. It still smells like him. I climbed into bed, fluffed my pillow, rolled onto my side. "Come on," I said, patting the space beside me. The mattress dipped under his weight when he joined me. He pulled the covers up and his arm settled around my waist like muscle memory. I fit there. Easily. Perfectly. I sighed, not because I needed to say anything, just because I was comfortable. I tucked myself closer, resting my hand over his where it lay on my belly. The baby shifted, a gentle nudge. Nothing dramatic. He smiled against my shoulder. I felt it. Then his lips

  • His accidental surrogate    Masked

    Zaire*** I hear her stir before she speaks. That soft, confused breath she takes when sleep has not let go yet. "Zaire?" "I'm here," I call back, keeping my voice level. Calm. Normal. She shuffles into the kitchen, hair all over the place, eyes still heavy. It hits me again how fragile this all feels. How close I came to not seeing this. "How long was I out?" "Not long." She studies me. Kyra always sees too much. "You didn't wake me." "You needed the rest." True. Also true: I needed the quiet. Needed to sit with the noise in my head without her worrying. She lets it go, but then she asks, "You okay?" "I'm good." The lie slips out easy. Too easy. I catch myself. "Just thinking." Closer to the truth. She steps in, rests her head on my shoulder for a second. I do not pull away, but I do not sink into it either. I cannot. My whole body feels like a wire pulled taut. "We don't have to fix everything today," she says, quiet. "I know." But I feel like I do. Lik

  • His accidental surrogate    On days like these

    Kyra**** The house finally feels quiet again. Not the heavy kind of quiet that makes your chest tight. This one feels settled, like we can breathe. I shift on the couch and exhale while I fix the pillow behind my lower back. "Whew, okay. I love your mom, but that was a lot of emotion before noon." Zaire smiles softly and sits beside me, pulling my legs gently into his lap. "Yeah. She has that effect." I glance at him, then down at my belly. I need to shake off the serious stuff. "Alright. Enough serious stuff for the day. Come talk to your child." He raises a brow. "Talk?" "Yes," I say, taking his hand and placing it over my stomach. "She listens. I swear." He laughs under his breath but leans in anyway. "Hey," he says quietly, and I hear the warmth creep into his voice. "It's me." Right on cue, a small kick presses against his palm. Zaire's eyes widen. "See? She got jokes already." I laugh, and it feels pure and easy. "You see why I stay entertained?" His hand s

  • His accidental surrogate    Moms here

    Zaire*** I didn’t rush this morning. Didn’t want to. I help Kyra down the stairs, one hand hovering near her back, the other laced with hers. She doesn’t need me to do it. I know that. But I like knowing she wants me there anyway. The TV’s murmuring something soft. Sunlight’s pouring through the windows, laying warm across the floor, making everything feel ordinary. That’s the best part. She settles on the couch, feet propped up, and looks at me. “You working today?” “Later,” I tell her. “I cleared my morning.” Her eyes narrow, but there’s a smile behind it. “For me, or for you?” I can’t help the small smile that pulls at me. “Both.” I sit beside her, arm stretched along the back of the couch. For a few minutes we just watch the light move. Quiet. Easy. Then her voice comes, quieter this time. “When you were sick,” she says, “did you ever talk to anyone about how scared you were?” I shake my head. Habit. Truth. “Not really. I was raised to handle things. Be str

  • His accidental surrogate    I’ll be right here with you

    Zaire’s pov I didn't let go of her right away. I kept her pressed against my chest, feeling the solid weight of her hand spread across my back. The steady, rhythmic thumping of my heart filled the quiet between us, and I held her just as tightly, terrified that if I loosened my grip even a fraction, the heavy fear I’d been carrying would rush right back in. After a moment, she pulled back slightly, lifting her head to look at me. "When is the appointment?" "Two weeks," I answered, my voice rougher than I wanted it to be. "They just want to be sure. Scans. Blood work. The usual." "Then we're going together," she said. There wasn't a single doubt in her voice. I blinked, the protective instinct immediately kicking in. "Kyra—" "No," she cut in, her tone gentle but completely unyielding. "I don't care if you've done this a hundred times before. I'm your partner. I'm the mother of your child. I'm coming." A small, helpless smile broke through my seriousness. The sheer force

  • His accidental surrogate    No more secrets

    Zaire*** The next morning crept in softly, leaving the house wrapped in a heavy, fragile quiet. I stood alone in the kitchen, the phone pressed tight to my ear. My back was turned toward the stairs, my shoulders tense as if I could physically block the sound of my voice from traveling upward. The coffee maker hummed loudly in the background, but I barely heard it. My entire focus was pinned to the clinical, steady voice on the other end of the line. "Yes, doctor... I understand," I said, keeping my tone a disciplined whisper. "The checkup date is coming up soon." A pause stretched over the line. "No, I haven't noticed any new symptoms," I continued, staring blankly at the countertop. "I feel fine. Better than I have in a long time, actually." Another pause. I felt my jaw tighten so hard it ached. "I remember what happened last time," I said quietly, the words tasting like ash. "When it came back." Just saying it out loud opened a door I spent every day trying to keep l

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