They needed this moment alone. As soon as the door shut behind Pie, the air in the car felt heavier. Adair’s chest rose witha deep breath, one hand still warm on Sabine’s thigh, the other moving up to cradle the back of her head.
“Look at me,” he whispered, and she did. Slowly. Her lip trembled. “You’re pregnant,” he said like he needed to hear it out loud, like maybe it would help it make sense. Then his voice dropped lower. “You’re pregnant.”
Sabine couldn’t speak. Her mouth opened, but no sound came. She just nodded, eyes brimming again. Adair cupped her face gently, thumbs brushing beneath her eyes.
“I…I amsoscared, Dair.”
“I know,” he said immediately. “I know, baby but you’re not alone.”
“But what if it happens again?” Her voice broke on the last word. “What if I lose this baby too? I didn’t even get toknowAriyah. I didn’t get to be her mother the way I wanted to. And now I don’t know if I have it in me to survive that kind of pain again.”
Adair held her tighter, pulling her forehead to his. “Then we’ll carry that fear together. You hear me?”
She nodded, barely.
“I can’t promise everything will be perfect,” he said. “I can’t swear this baby is gonna come into the world without any complications. But what Icanpromise—what Idopromise—is that you won’t be alone through a second of it. I’ll go to every appointment. I’ll sit in every room. I’ll drive to every craving and rub your back until you fall asleep. I’ll build a crib with my bare hands from scratch. I’ll do every hard thing and every small thing if it means you know I’m here. I’mhere, Sabine.”
Her breath hitched, tears falling freely now.
“I didn’t get it right before,” Adair continued, brushing the hair back from her damp cheek. “But I’ve been praying for the chance to dosomethingright by you and this…this baby…it’s a miracle. And I know we don’t say that word easy after what we’velost but you’re a miracle too. And so is Ade. And so was she, even if we didn’t get to keep her.”
Sabine’s whole body trembled again.
“And if this baby stays? Which I know it will,” he said confidently. “We’re gonna love them so full they won’t even know how much came before them. And if this baby doesn’t…” His voice cracked but he pushed through it. “Then we will cry. And rage. And hold each other like we are right now but we willnotlose each other again. I swear to God.”
Sabine let out a sob that shook the windows.
Adair kissed her forehead, her temple, the tip of her nose. “I got you,” he whispered. “We’re gonna walk through this slow. With Pie. With faith. With each other. You don’t have to be strong right now. You just have tolet me be here. Let me be here with you through this.”
And for the first time since she heard the wordpregnantan hour ago, Sabine exhaled like her body believed her heart was safe again. She leaned into him fully.
“I want it to be okay,” she whispered.
“Then let’s take it one day at a time until it is.” Adair closed his eyes, holding her tighter. “I love you,” he said. “And we already got through what should’ve destroyed us. This? We can face this. Together.”
TERMS & TENDERNESS
ADAIR
ADAIR
Today was the day.
Adair exhaled slowly through his nose, one hand resting on the edge of his desk. This wasn’t just another deal, and not because the numbers were unusually large or the clauses particularly complex. It waswhowas on the other side of the deal.Whatit meant.
Sabine’s name was on that paperwork—her startup, her ideas, her voice. And today, his firm would help seal it into something real. Something binding. He couldn’t stop smiling.
They hadn’t talked about what the future looked like, but he was at her house every morning. Every night. He knew which drawer in her kitchen held the tea bags, which side of the bed she rolled toward in her sleep. Ade didn’t even ask questions anymore, he just woke up grinning when both parents were there.
Most of all, she waspregnant.
Sabine was pregnant with another one of his children and that… kept him on the good foot—every hour, every day. Like hehad purpose again. Adair hadn’t known he could still feel like this. Like a man who didn’t just get another shot, but who knew damn well not to waste it.
His phone was buzzing across the desk, vibrating against the wood with the familiar contact name that still made his chest soften without warning:
Momma.
He picked it up, smile already forming.