WHAT LOVE IS

REINAI stir the sauce with one hand while the oil crackles in the pan, rereading one of my supplier emails with the other hand. My apartment smells like garlic, pepper, and onions now, nice enough to almost make me forget how exhausting today was.Pregnancy is truly a full time job. Because how else do you explain the extreme tiredness?I set my phone down with a tired sigh before reaching for the seasoning beside the stove. My back aches from standing too long already, but at least cooking calms me down these days. The knock on the door catches me completely off guard.I glance toward the clock first. Almost nine.My brows pull together instantly because nobody visits me this late except delivery people, and I didn’t order anything tonight.The knock comes again.I quickly wipe my hands on a towel before walking toward the door. I pause for a second, then twist the doorknob open.And freeze.Alan stands there in a dark suit with one hand in his pocket while the other holds his ca

A PROMISE TO KEEP

ALANI stand in the bathroom doorway, the test stick cold against my fingers. Those two pink lines just stare back at me. Reina scrambles out of bed, the sheets rustling loudly as she tries to find her words, but my brain completely locks up. She keeps calling my name, her voice shaking with a panic that tells me everything I need to know. I don't look at her. I just walk back into the bedroom and start picking my clothes up off the floor, my jaw clenched so hard my teeth ache. She reaches out to grab my arm, trying to pull me back to talk, but I shake her off. The anger building in my chest makes me feel like I am about to tear the walls down. I button my shirt with numb fingers, grab my keys and jacket, and walk out into the cold night without giving her another chance to lie to me again.The drive home is a blur of pure fury. I push the accelerator down way too hard on the sharp curves of the road. My hands grip the steering wheel until my knuckles turn white, the image of those

SEDUCTION

ALAN “You have to keep your eyes closed, Dad! No peeking or the magic trick gets ruined,” Ethan orders, his hands patting down on my knees over the heavy duvet. I keep my eyes shut just like he asked, leaning my head back against the pillows while a small smile tugs at my mouth. Reina lets out a soft laugh from the edge of the mattress, and I hear the familiar rustle of a deck of cards being shuffled between her fingers. They laugh together, and it’s just like old times. Fuck. How did I live without this? "Alright, the cards are ready." Reina announces. "Show him what we practiced in the kitchen.” “Okay, you can open you eyes now!” Ethan chirps. I open my eyes to find Ethan holding a slightly bent three of hearts right in front of my nose. Reina is sitting cross-legged right behind him, her chin resting on her hands as she watches us with a cheeky smile on her face. “Pick a card, Dad. Any card you want, but don’t look at it,” Ethan instructs, holding the cards out with

COME HOME

REINA“You’re staring, Al.” I say, shifting slightly under the heavy duvet, my eyes still shut even if I’m awake now.I still feel his eyes on me, and I hear him set his laptop onto the nightstand. Excitement makes my lips curl into a smile. “I am allowed to look at my wife.” He says.“First off, I’m not your wife yet. Secondly, I’m just lying here in an oversized t-shirt with messy hair, there’s nothing special to look at right now.”“Oh you’ll be my wife, Miss Summers. And there is everything to look at,” He murmurs, his deep voice sounding incredibly raspy in the quiet bedroom. He plops down on the mattress and slides his large hand under my chin, his thumb brushing slowly against my bottom lip. “I spent weeks in this empty house wishing I could see you exactly like this.”“Cute. What else were you doing while waiting for me?” I ask teasingly.“Fucking my fist.”My eyes snap open and I slap his chest. “Al!”“Good. I want that face red for me. Your ass too, if you’re offering.”My

A MOMMY

REINA“Are you sure we should tell him right now, Alan?” I ask, my fingers nervously twisting the edge of my Christmas themed knitted sweater as we stand right outside the door to Ethan’s room.“He needs to know, Reina. As soon as possible. Ethan can be rough with you. We need him to be careful around you from now on.” Alan murmurs, his large hand coming down to cover mine entirely, his thumb rubbing slow circles over my knuckles to stop my shaking.“I’m just terrified he’ll think a new baby means we won’t have enough time for him anymore, especially since I just got back into his life a few days ago.”Alan frowns. “Ethan loves you too much to ever think that, so just take a deep breath and trust me on this one, baby.”I take a deep breath like he’s requested. Then with my eyes still trained on his, I say, “Okay, let’s go inside before I completely lose my nerve and run back to the kitchen.”Alan pushes the door open with a gentle nudge, and we step into the room where Ethan is sittin

THE PARENTS

ALAN“You look beautiful, Reina, you’ll ruin the lace of the dress if you keep touching it.” I murmur, catching both her hands and pulling them gently against my chest.She lets out a nervous breath and looks around the ballroom again. The hotel hall is packed with people dressed in expensive suits and gowns, moving beneath giant crystal chandeliers while soft violin music drifts through the air. Champagne glasses clink from every direction, and the low hum of conversation fills the room with the kind of polished energy these rich events always carry.At the center of the ballroom, a long display table is covered with Reina’s wig bundles and extensions, all arranged inside elegant boxes tied with gold ribbons. I already had my staff make sure every important guest leaves tonight with one of her sample boxes.Reina glances toward the table again before looking back at me. “These people are used to raw bundles and elite extensions. Are you sure they’re going to pick my stuff?”I shake m