weight of Truth

I stared at my phone, my fingers tightening around it. Ten minutes. That was all I had left to figure out how to say, Hey, remember that one night stand we swore was just a one-time thing? Well, surprise you're gonna be a dad.

I closed my eyes, taking a shaky breath. No amount of preparation was going to make this easier.

At the Park

The night air was crisp, a sharp contrast to the warmth of my panic. I paced near the bench where we always met, my arms crossed tightly over my chest.

Kristoff arrived a few minutes later, dressed in his usual hoodie and joggers, hands shoved in his pockets. He flashed me his signature smirk, but it faltered the second he saw my face.

"Whoa," he said, stopping a few feet away. "You look like you're about to pass out. What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Kristoff's expression turned serious. "Ariella, you're scaring me. Just say it."

I took a deep breath, gripping the hem of my sweater like it was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. "I'm pregnant."

Silence.

The words hung between us, thick and heavy, sinking into the cold night air.

Kristoff didn't move. He didn't speak. He just stared at me, his face unreadable.

Seconds stretched into eternity, and the longer he stayed silent, the more my chest tightened.

Then, finally

"You're serious?" His voice was quiet, controlled.

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

He ran a hand down his face, exhaling a sharp breath. "Shit."

I braced myself for the worst. For him to get angry, for him to say something cruel, for him to tell me this wasn't his problem.

Instead, he did something I didn't expect.

He sat down on the bench, leaning forward, elbows on his knees. His fingers laced together as he stared at the ground, his expression unreadable.

The silence stretched between us again, but this time, it wasn't suffocating.

I swallowed hard. "I don't expect anything from you."

Kristoff's head snapped up, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "What?"

I forced myself to keep talking. "I just thought you should know. But if you don't want to be involved, I get it. I can do this on my own."

He frowned, his brows pulling together. "You think I'd just walk away?"

I shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what to think."

Kristoff shook his head, exhaling. "Damn, Ari. This is a lot."

I looked away. "I know."

For a moment, I thought he was going to tell me this was a mistake that he wanted no part of it. But then, he surprised me again.

"How far along are you?"

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me." His voice was steady now. "How far along?"

"About eight weeks," I whispered.

He nodded slowly, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "Okay."

I frowned. "Okay?"

Kristoff glanced up at me, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "Ari, I need you to understand something. I didn't plan for this any more than you did. But I'm not the kind of guy who runs from his responsibilities. So if you think I'm about to disappear, you're wrong."

I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

"I'm not saying I have all the answers," he admitted. "Hell, I don't even know what this means for us. But I do know one thing I'm not letting you go through this alone."

Tears burned my eyes. "Kairo…"

"I mean it," he said firmly. "This isn't just your responsibility. It's mine too. And no matter how complicated this gets… I'm here."

I bit my lip, a tear slipping down my cheek. "You sure about that?"

He let out a soft chuckle. "Guess we're both about to find out."

I let out a shaky breath, something inside me loosening for the first time that night. Maybe this wasn't going to be easy. Maybe it would be messy and confusing and terrifying.

But at least… I wasn't alone.

And for now, that was enough.

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