Semua Bab Shared by My Husband's Best Friends: Bab 21 - Bab 27

The weeks after lunch with Derek were quieter. Not the heavy silence of the past. A different kind of quiet. The quiet of waiting.My belly grew. The baby kicked. I spent hours with my hand on my stomach, feeling her move.Eli worked from home. He watched me with soft eyes. He brought me tea. He read to the baby at night. Children's books. His voice was low and steady.Luca visited twice a week. He brought groceries. He fixed a leaky faucet. He asked about the baby but never about whose she might be.Derek texted every day. Short messages. How are you feeling? Have you eaten? Do you need anything? I answered. Short. Polite. Not distant. Not close.The garden at Eli's apartment was small. A patch of grass. A bench. A rose bush that had not bloomed in years. I sat there often, feeling the sun on my face, feeling the baby roll.One afternoon, Eli came outside. He sat next to me on the bench. He took my hand.He said he needed to tell me something. Something he should have told me a long

After I blocked Derek's number, the apartment felt different. Lighter. As if a weight had been lifted from my chest.Eli made dinner. Luca stayed. The three of us sat at the small table. The baby kicked.Luca kept looking at me. Not with hunger. With something softer. Something I had not seen before.After dinner, Eli went to the kitchen to wash dishes. Luca stood by the window. He stared at the dark street.I walked to him. I stood close. Not touching.I asked what he was thinking.He said he was thinking about the cabin. About the night they spent together. About the way she had said his name.I said I thought about it too.He turned to look at me. His eyes were dark.He said he had written her a letter. After he moved to the west coast. He had never sent it.I asked what the letter said.He said it said everything he could not say out loud.I asked if he still had it.He said yes. In his wallet. He had carried it for months.He reached into his back pocket. He pulled out a folded p

The words stuck in my throat. The baby is not yours. I could not say them. Not yet. Not at the dinner table with Luca sitting across from us, his fork halfway to his mouth.Eli looked at me. His eyes were soft. He asked if I was okay. I had gasped when the baby kicked. He thought it was just a strong movement.I said I was fine. Just surprised.Luca set down his fork. He looked at my face. He knew something was wrong. He did not say anything.We finished dinner. Eli cleared the plates. Luca helped.I sat at the table, my hand on my belly, my heart pounding.The baby kicked again. Normal. Healthy. But not Eli's.I did not know how I knew. A mother's instinct, maybe. Or just a feeling. Deep in my bones.I had to tell him.After the dishes were done, Luca said goodnight. He kissed my forehead. He shook Eli's hand. He left.The door closed.Eli walked to me. He took my hands.He asked what was wrong. He had seen my face at dinner.I led him to the couch. We sat down.I took a breath.I sa