LOGINGRACE'S POV We got married on a Saturday in my backyard with thirty people watching. Small and intimate and nothing like our first wedding that had been all performance. This time everything was real. August and James were ring bearers, five years old and serious about their responsibilities. Li
CARTER'S POV Hope went to the NICU for observation because she was early. Standard protocol for thirty-five weekers the doctors said. Grace was exhausted but stable and I sat with her while nurses worked on our daughter in the next room. "I want to see her." Grace was trying to sit up. "Carter,
GRACE'S POV I called Carter Sunday morning with my conditions. "I read your letter five times. I believe you know me. But Carter, knowing someone and staying with someone are different things." I was sitting on my porch while the twins played inside with my mom. "I need you to prove you'll stay
CARTER'S POV I spent three days writing the letter. Not because I couldn't think of things to say but because I kept deleting what I wrote. Kept falling into old patterns of what sounded good instead of what was true. Dr. Chen told me to stop performing and just write honestly about why I loved Gr
CARTER'S POV The full reality hit me about thirty seconds after Grace told me. I was going to be a father again. Was going to have another chance at the beginning I'd missed with August and James. Was going to be there from the first moment if Grace let me. I sat down hard in her office chair be
GRACE'S POV I'd been nauseous for a week. Blamed it on stress from the press conferences and therapy and trying to figure out if Carter and I were actually doing this. My mom noticed first. "Grace, you look green. When did you last eat?" She was watching me push food around my plate at Sunday di
I got up quietly, went to the kitchen to get snacks because the twins would need them soon and because I needed thirty seconds alone to process what was happening in my living room. I stood at the counter cutting apple slices and told myself the tightness in my chest was just stress, not emotion. To
The three weeks passed faster than I expected. Ethan sent the full itinerary exactly one week before the date like he'd promised. Eleven Madison Park at seven-thirty, car service details, expected timeline. Professional and thorough and exactly what he'd said it would be. I hired a babysitter I'd u
"You're angry." I stood too, crossed my arms. "You're actually angry that I went to dinner with someone." "I'm not angry. I'm terrified." Carter stopped pacing, faced me. "I'm terrified that some other guy is going to come in and be everything I should've been. That August and James are going to li
She looked up when I came in. Her eyes were red but she was composed. "Thank you for this. For today. It was more than I deserved and I know it." "They liked you." I sat across from her. "August giving you permission to come back is genuinely high praise. He doesn't do that with everyone." "He's r







