Page 37 of Dash to Me
“And they’d be absolutely right.”
Eva’s laugh turns into a yelp as I flip her onto her back, hovering over her. “Round two?”
Her eyes darken as she wraps her legs around me. “Actually, there is something we need to talk about.”
The dreaded words no one ever wants to hear.
My heart stops. My mind races through every possible scenario. Did I do something wrong? Is she moving out? Is there someone else? No, that’s impossible. We’ve been inseparable. But those words...
“What’s up?” I try to keep my voice casual, but there’s a slight tremor I can’t hide.
The playfulness from moments ago has vanished, replaced by something more serious. Not sad, exactly, but definitely intense.
She takes a deep breath, her eyes never leaving mine. “I took a test yesterday. And another this morning, to be sure.”
My brain short-circuits. Test? What kind of—oh. OH.
“You’re pregnant?” The words come out as a whisper.
Eva nods, her expression unreadable. “Six weeks, according to the doctor’s appointment I had this morning.”
I sit there, frozen, as the world tilts on its axis.A baby. Our baby. Holy shit.
“Say something,” she pleads, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of the sheet.
“I...” Words fail me. So I do the only thing that makes sense—I pull her into my arms and hold her tight. “Eva, this is... I mean, we talked about...”
“I know,” she says against my chest. “It wasn’t planned. And I know we’ve only been living together for a short time, and this is fast, even for us, but?—”
“I love you,” I interrupt, pulling back to look at her. “And I already love this baby. Our baby.”
The tension in her shoulders melts away. “Really? You’re not freaking out?”
“Oh, I’m definitely freaking out,” I laugh, running a hand through my hair. “But in the best possible way. We’re going to be parents, Eva. You and me.”
She smiles then, that radiant smile that makes my heart skip a beat. “You and me,” she echoes. “And a tiny human who’ll probably inherit your stubbornness and my inability to fold laundry properly.”
“God help us all,” I grin, placing a hand on her still-flat stomach. “Hey in there. I’m your dad. And I promise to love you and your mom more than anything in this world.”
Eva’s eyes fill with tears. “I was so nervous to tell you.”
“Never be scared to tell me anything, love. I’m all in. About you, about us, about this baby. About everything.”
I watch Eva’s face light up, and I swear it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. The worry that has been creasing her forehead melts away, replaced by a glow that I can only describe as radiant.
“We’re having a baby,” she repeats, as if testing how the words feel in her mouth.
I pull her close again, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts at once. “I should call my mom. No, wait, we should tell her in person. Should we do a dinner? One of those ridiculous gender reveal things? Actually, do you even want to know the gender? I don’t care either way, I just want them healthy, but?—”
Eva places a finger on my lips, laughing. “Slow down, daddy. We have time to figure all that out.”
Daddy.The word hits me like a freight train. I’m going to be someone’s father. A tiny person will call me daddy and look to me for guidance and protection and love. It’s terrifying and exhilarating all at once.
“I’m going to build the best nursery,” I declare. “With stars on the ceiling and those fancy noise machines and?—”
“Let’s start with dinner,” Eva suggests, her eyes twinkling. “I’m starving. Apparently, growing a human requires a lot of calories.”
I jump up, suddenly energized. “Right. Food. You need nutrients. What are you craving? I’ll get you anything. Literally anything.”
