Ethan POV
I glanced at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time that night. The hands ticked past three, then four in the morning, and still Julia hadn’t come home. I’d planned a surprise for her—a soft blanket for the nursery and her favorite pastries from the all-night bakery, a little celebration for making it through another grueling shift. The anticipation of seeing her smile had kept me awake, but now worry gnawed at me with every passing minute.
By five, my anxiety had become a physical ache in my chest. I tried to rationalize—maybe she’d been called into an emergency, maybe she was comforting a family, maybe she’d just lost track of time. But Julia always texted, always let me know when she’d be late. Tonight, my phone was silent.
Unable to wait any longer, I dialed the h
