A few months passed. My belly grew bigger, and every day felt like a new miracle. The baby in my womb moved around, kicking, as if telling me that he couldn't wait to come out and see the world. Nathaniel was never absent. He accompanied every doctor's appointment, read books to our baby every night, and even learned to massage my back when I complained of soreness. The mansion was filled with preparations, a nursery painted in neutral colors, a specially carved baby crib, toys piling up in the corner of the room. "I can't wait," he said one night, as we lay in bed, his hand stroking my bulging belly. "I can't wait to meet him." "We don't know yet if it's a boy or a girl," I said. "I know." He kissed my belly. "It's a boy. I can feel it." And he was right. That night, I woke up with a piercing pain in my stomach. I held my breath, trying to calm myself, but the pain came again, stronger, more regular. I reached for Nathaniel's arm, who woke up immediately. "What's happening?"
Last Updated : 2026-10-11 Read more