LOGINBella's POVThe first thing I heard was the cry. I had forgotten how to breathe for a moment as I lay back against the hospital bed, drenched in sweat, tears streaming down my face, while I felt relieved. My body trembled uncontrollably, every one of my muscles still aching from the last push, my vision swimming.But that cry—God, that cry made everything worth it.“He’s here,” one of the nurses said softly. “You did so well, Mrs. Warren.”Another nurse held the tiny, squirming newborn up just enough for me to see him before carrying him to the station, where they cleaned him. I couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything but stare with shaking lips parted, my chest rising and falling as if I’d been underwater for minutes.Cole was beside me, holding my hand so tightly it might’ve bruised, but I didn’t care. His grip was the only thing keeping me tethered to the ground. He leaned down and kissed my forehead over and over again, breath uneven, voice shaking.“You did it, Bella. My love, you di
Bella's POVI was not asleep.I had been lying there for nearly an hour, curled on my side, pretending to breathe like someone who had peacefully surrendered to slumber. Fear had stolen everything from me. Beside me, Cole slept soundly, one arm flung across his middle, his chest rising and falling.My phone vibrated again. The screen lit up beneath the blanket where I had hidden it.Eric Damon calling…Again. For the thirteenth time.My breath caught, my heart pounding so loud I was terrified it would wake Cole from across the mattress. Why was he calling at this hour? What did he want? He should have been asleep, living his life, moving forward.I stared at the glowing screen until it stopped vibrating. It went dark. For a full minute, I felt nothing but silence. Then another vibration. But this time, it was a message alert. Voicemail.My throat tightened. I knew I shouldn’t listen. I knew I shouldn’t touch anything connected to him, but my hand moved anyway, slowly. I plugged the ea
Erc's POVNight had long since settled by the time I finally got Rose to sleep. It had taken longer than usual as she was restless, fighting her own tiredness the way toddlers often did, her small fingers clutching at my shirt.“Err-ick, stay,” she had whispered, half-asleep, her curls brushing my chin.“I’m right here, angel,” I’d murmured, rubbing her back in gentle circles.Her breath had eventually evened out, her tiny fist loosening, her body sinking into the comfort of my arms. I held her for a long minute before laying her gently onto the bed, pulling her blanket that she had grown to love up to her shoulders.I sat at the edge of her bed for a few minutes, watching her chest rise and fall.My thoughts, as always, drifted to Bella. They always did. It had been two years since our marriage fell apart. Two years since I let her walk away, broken by my own cowardice, my mother’s suffocating presence, and the poisonous assumptions she’d been fed.Two years since I watched the best
Eric's POVThe day in the office had been long. I loosened my tie slightly, exhaling. The automatic doors parted, my car was already waiting by the curb, door open, driver standing by. I gave him a nod as I reached for the handle.But before I could slide inside, I heard a voice.“Eric!”I turned. Sarah was hurrying toward me, her hair loose around her shoulders. She must have run, because she was slightly out of breath, clutching her phone tightly as if afraid it might slip from her fingers.“Sarah?” I asked, brows furrowing. “Is everything alright?”She stopped a few feet away, eyes darting over my face before she nodded quickly. “Yes—yes, everything’s fine. I just—” She hesitated, lowering her voice. “I was wondering if I could come with you. To your place. I… I’d like to see Rose.”I blinked, surprised. Sarah rarely asked for that outright. She visited often, yes, but usually under the pretense of work, updates about my schedule, or Rose’s hospital records, or something related to
Bella's POVThe restaurant Sarah had chosen was one of those quiet little bistros tucked between glass towers. I'd come a little early, hoping to calm myself, but my fingers wouldn’t stop tapping on the table. Every time I glanced at the door, my pulse jumped. I was sitting alone at a corner table with two glasses of water sweating in front of me, I waited.A few minutes past twelve, the glass doors opened, and I knew instantly that it was her.Sarah Harland didn’t look like what I expected. I’d imagined someone older, maternal maybe, with a gentle face. Instead, she was young. When she reached my table, she stopped, crossed her arms for a moment, and then pulled out the chair opposite me.“You’re Bella Hayes,” she said, but it wasn't a question.I nodded slowly. “I am. And you must be Sarah Harland.”She sat down, resting her bag on her lap, her gaze unwavering.For a few seconds, we just looked at each other. I tried to smile, something to ease the tension, but her expression didn’t
Bella's POVI woke up this morning to the sound of Cole’s voice somewhere in the background as he spoke to someone over the phone. He looked so handsome standing near the window in his dark navy shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair still damp from the shower.I watched him from where I sat on the bed, spooning the last bits of yogurt and strawberries into my mouth, my robe loosely tied around me. I was just another woman having breakfast with her husband, waiting for him to leave for work.Cole ended the call and turned to me with a small smile. “You’re up early,” he said, placing his phone down on the nightstand before taking a seat at the edge of the bed. “I thought you’d still be sleeping in.”“I couldn’t,” I murmured, pushing the empty bowl aside. “The baby was moving a lot this morning. I think he likes to stretch around five a.m.”He chuckled softly, his hand instinctively resting on my stomach. “He’s just making sure his mother stays active.”“Or making sure his mother ne







