The days after I told Zaire about the ultrasound appointment settled into a different kind of rhythm.
Everything was still calm. Still steady. But there was something underneath it now. Something neither of us talked about.
Friday was coming.
And with it, answers.
Monday
Around lunchtime, my phone buzzed with a text from Zaire.
Appointment confirmed on my end. Cleared my day.
I stared at the message for a moment.
It shouldn’t have surprised me. He’d already told me he would be there.
Still, seeing it written out did something to me.
No meetings.
No calls.
No work emergencies.
Just a cleared schedule for one appointment.
For our baby.
I typed back a simple response.
Okay. Thanks.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing emotional.
But later that afternoon, I found myself opening the mes
