**Kyra
The technician's smile was kind as she glanced at the two of us, still glued to that screen like it might vanish if we blinked.
"I'm going to step out for a few minutes," she said, hand already on the door. "Take your time getting dressed. I'll be right outside when you're ready."
The door clicked shut. Suddenly it was just me, Zaire, and the quiet hum of the machine.
I let my hands settle on my stomach, trying to breathe it all in. My heart was doing this weird fluttering thing, half joy, half terror.
Zaire turned to me. His face was blank for a second before it cracked into something soft. Overwhelmed.
"A girl," he said again, like saying it out loud made it more real.
I laughed, but it came out shaky. "A whole little girl."
His thumb brushed under my eye, catching the tea
