The moment the truth settled between them—that two new lives were growing inside her—something in the room changed. Marnie felt it first, like the air had thickened around them, charged with something heavy and beautiful. Michael felt it too; she could see it in the way he looked at her, eyes bright and shaken, as if he were seeing her for the first time and all over again.
He held her against his chest for a long time without speaking. His breaths were uneven, not like the controlled, steady rhythm of Dr. Michael Co, cardiologist, problem-solver, always composed. This was Michael, the husband, the man who loved her, trembling under the weight of overwhelming happiness and fear.
Marnie rested her ear against his heartbeat. It was racing.
Almost faster than hers.
“Love…” she whispered,
