Alex’s Child

Emma's arms tightened around Alex, her body trembling with relief. She buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling the familiar scent of him—warm, steady, and... home.

For the past few minutes, she had been terrified of losing him, of walking into a nightmare at the hospital. But here he was, standing strong, holding her just as tightly. It wasn't a dream. It was real and he was fine.

She pulled back, blinking up at him through blurry eyes. "I hate you," she choked out, though the shaky smile on her face said otherwise.

Alex chuckled, brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. "I love you too and happy birthday, baby."

Emma huffed, smacking his chest lightly before turning to Ivy, her eyes narrowing.

"You!" she accused, crossing her arms. "You lied to me! How could you?"

Ivy winced, knowing what was coming. "I—"