The idea that I might be a father soon made my pulse race. My brain was blank at the moment because nothing wascertain yet. I just wanted to know if this was true. If it were, then this baby would change the game forever.
As usual, I barged into her room without knocking, wearing a serious look on my face.
“Honestly, Artur, you need to learn how to knock,” she said, seated on the chair at her vanity.
Celine didn’t turn back; instead, she caught my gaze in the mirror in front of her. She was combing her hair when I walked in, a white towel wrapped around her body.
“Is it true?” I halted behind her.
She squinted her eyes by a fraction. “Is what true?”
“Are you pregnant?” I blurted out.
She paused, breath catching in her throat. The shock on her face was obvious, her eyes wide with something I hadn't yet identified. Celine lowered the comb on the desk and turned around to look at me.
“What—how—” she stuttered, blinking rapidly.
“Just answer the question,” I insisted, taking gentle steps forward. “Are you pregnant?”
Her gaze dropped to the floor, her chest rising and falling in anxiety. From where I stood, I could almost hear the sound of her drumming heart and racing pulse.
She coldly crossed over her chest, her head still lowered. These gestures alone gave her away; they hinted at the truth she was yet to admit.
Celine was shaking in fear, and it broke my heart to see her so afraid of my reaction to the truth. Perhaps she was scared because she wasn’t sure what to expect from me.
I closed the small distance between us. “Are you carrying my child?”
After a moment of hesitation, she answered, “Yes,” her voice barely above a whisper.
Silence.
Time stood still, and every other noise faded into the background. A thousand thoughts began tugging at my mind, threatening to rip it apart. The realization hit me harder than I had anticipated, and for a long while, I said nothing.
Then, she broke the silence, her tone laced with desperation. “I swear, I was going to tell you.”
“How far along are you?” I asked, staring her right in the face.
“With no proper medical checkup, I’m not sure yet.” She glanced down, avoiding my eyes. “But I’m guessing two weeks or so.”
I waited a few seconds. “I’ll call the family doctor first thing tomorrow morning to come and examine you.”
She nodded quietly. “If a confirmation is what you’re looking for, you can ask Hilda.” She raised her head and met my gaze. “Iamcarrying your child.”
I never doubted it for a second.
It all made sense to me now. The glow, the swollen breasts, the mood swings I ignored, and the other subtle signs.
Shewascarrying my baby.
Without a word, I reached out and touched her belly. A surge of emotions flooded me all at once: fear, anxiety, joy, and more. I was determined to do everything I could to protect that unborn child—and her too.
“A piece of me is growing inside you,” I whispered, a small grin tugging at the corners of my mouth. “This changes everything.”
She tilted her head a bit. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, even if I ever had any plans of letting you in the future, I won’t anymore.”
“What?” She pulled away from me, eyes glassy. “That’s not fair! You wanna make your prisoner forever, is that it?”