Chapter 72

We arrived at the park just as the late afternoon sun began to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the grass. It was lined with beautiful, lush trees. I got out of the car, breathing in the fresh, crisp air as Eric found a parking spot. The park was vastly empty, aside from a few sets of people walking their dogs or jogging in the distance. It felt like the nature had cleared the stage just for us.

Eric got Finn out of his car seat first, then grabbed the heavy picnic basket. I stepped up beside him, looping my arm through his, and we started walking deeper into the park toward a secluded cluster of oaks. There was a weight to the way he walked—steady, confident, yet somehow more relaxed than I had ever seen him.

I pulled the picnic blanket from the top of the basket, about to spread it on the soft green grass, when Eric gently took it from my hand. He didn't say anything; he just did it himself, smoothing out the fabric with a level of attentiveness that made me blush. He had placed Finn down by my side, when he was seated he placed the toddler between his own legs to keep him steady while I began offloading the food I had packed.

It was a simple meal, but it was everything I could ask for. We ate with easy laughter, spending the entire time talking about nothing and everything at once. My heart felt full under his gaze. Looking at him now, I couldn’t deny how much he made me happy. There was no one else for me. For a few hours, I forgot everything. I just existed in that moment, in the presence of the two most important people in my life.

Eventually, the food was cleared away. Eric leaned back, resting his head on my lap as we watched the sky.

“Look at that one... it looks like a bunny,” Eric said, pointing at a fluffy cloud drifting lazily above us.

I looked up, following his finger. “Hmm,” I said, resting my finger on my chin as I squinted. “Your eyes are finally giving up on you, old man. That's just a blob.”

He rolled his eyes at me, a mock grumble escaping his throat. “I am not old,” he insisted, snuggling deeper into my stomach just like Finn did when he was mad about something.

“You’re right,” I said softly, leaning down to kiss his forehead before running my fingers through his dark hair. My hand stopped suddenly near his temple. “No way.”

“What?” Eric shot up to a sitting position, looking concerned. “Did you see a spider?”

“You have a grey hair on your head! Right there!” I said in surprise, pointing to a silver strand that caught the sunlight. “You really are an old man.”

I started giggling, clutching my stomach as I teased him. His face went through a cycle of shock and denial that was so funny I could barely breathe. He wasted no time tackling me to the ground, pinning my shoulders to the blanket. I let out a yelp of surprise, my laughter echoing through the trees.

“Mommy?” Finn asked, pausing from playing with his toys to look at us with wide eyes.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Eric said, looking over his shoulder to placate him. “Me and your mommy are just playing rough. Go back to your dinosaurs.”

Finn went back to his toys, and Eric turned his focus back to me, giving me a mock glare. I bit my lip to hide my smile, but I couldn't stop my eyes from dancing.

“Now, what was that about me being an old man?”

“But you do have grey hairs,” I reasoned, trying to sound serious.

He scoffed, sitting back and running his hand through his hair as if he could hide the evidence. “If I do, it was due to stress. Being the CEO of a billion dollar company tends to do that to a man.”

I looked at him, my heart softening. “If you do have grey hair, it would actually be a good thing. You could finally rock that salt-and-pepper look. You’d look like a silver fox.”

“You think it would look good on me?” he asked, turning to me with a raised eyebrow.

“Absolutely. You’re already hot, but imagine that look... you’d look ten times hotter.” I started gushing, my mind already wandering into a daydream. I had always had a thing for attractive older men who pulled off that look while maintaining their physique. I was practically drooling thinking about it.

“Hello? Earth to Autumn?” He snapped his fingers in front of my face. I gave a polite ’hmm’ to show I was listening. “I was asking if I should just get it dyed, but with you already imagining me with it, I think I should just let it happen.”

“Don’t dye it,” I warned. “The look has to come naturally for it to suit you.”

We fell into a comfortable silence after that, both of us watching Finn play in the grass.

“I wish I had met you earlier,” Eric said quietly, his voice barely a whisper.

“But you did,” I reminded him.

“No... I mean earlier. In my twenties. My early twenties,” he said, his eyes closed as he drifted into his own thoughts.

“Eric, did you forget there is a thirteen-year age gap between us?” I asked, a smirk playing on my lips. “I would have been in middle school by then. You would be in prison.”

His eyes snapped open in absolute horror. He started stuttering apologies, his face turning a deep shade of red as the math finally clicked in his head. I couldn't help but laugh at his flustered expression. It was so rare to see the "Untouchable Eric Kingston" lose his cool.

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, reaching out to hug his still-red face. “We are here now. That’s all that counts.”

I took this opportunity, while his guard was down and his face was hidden behind his hands, to slip the small gift box from my bag into his lap. He looked down, his eyebrows shooting up when he felt the weight of it.

“What’s this? I thought we weren't doing gifts,” he said, looking puzzled.

“Oh, yeah... I never opened it,” he stated slowly, my heart starting to pound against my ribs.

I watched him open the lid. The confusion on his face was clear as he pulled out the tiny baby shoes, the onesie, and the bib. He stared at the items for a long time, the silence stretching between us until it felt like the air was vibrating. He looked up at me, his eyes searching mine for a confirmation he was afraid to believe.

“Well... I’m pregnant,” I said.

I watched his face cycle through a thousand emotions in three seconds—shock, disbelief, terror, and finally, a raw, pure joy. Tears began to gather in his eyes, a sight I never thought I’d see twice. He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he placed it over my still-flat stomach.

“You’re pregnant? You really are?”

I could only nod, whispering ’yes’ over and over again.

“I’m going to be a dad again,” he breathed, caressing my belly as if he could already feel the life inside.

He spent the next hour bombarding me with every question he could think of—how I felt, when I found out, if I needed anything. The joy in his eyes was blinding. With his hand resting firmly on my belly, we watched the sunset together, the sky turning into a canvas of pink and orange.

I wished this moment could remain like this forever. I wished we could stay in this empty park, I knew the world we lived in wouldn't make it easy.

But for now, we were just a family. And that was enough.