Hazel's POV
“There is one more thing I have been keeping from you,” I said softly, watching Julian’s face shift instantly from calm to alert, bracing for a secret the way our family always seemed to.
It was a full year after the gala, the garden behind our home blooming warm and golden in early summer, Grace chasing butterflies across the grass while Julian and I sat together on the porch we had claimed as our own quiet corner of the world.
“Hazel,” he said carefully, setting down his coffee. “After everything we have survived this past year, please tell me it is a good secret.”
I laughed, reaching for his hand and pressing it gently against my stomach, watching realization dawn slowly across his features.
“We are having another baby,” I said softly, tears already gathering as his exp
