chapter 117: A future with her
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Chapter 117 – Ethan's POV
"A Future with Her"
She was sitting on the couch, one leg tucked under her, hair falling in waves over her shoulder, wearing nothing but my shirt and a soft smile as she scrolled through her phone. The sunlight danced across her skin, making her glow, and something in my chest squeezed tight.
God, she was beautiful.
I should've been used to this by now — the sight of her wrapped up in my world, so effortlessly blending into my space like she'd always belonged. But I wasn't. Every glance, every soft breath she took in my presence still felt like a gift I didn't deserve.
And yet… she was here.
Mine.
And I couldn't stop the thought — the one that had crept into my mind slowly over the past few weeks and had now settled in deep, wrapping itself around my heart like roots.
What would she look like pregnant?
Would she glow the same way Arya did when she was carrying Liam? Would she walk around in my oversized shirts, belly round with life, hand resting on it like it was the most natural thing in the world?
Would she smile at me with tears in her eyes when she first saw our child's heartbeat?
My mouth went dry just thinking about it.
I didn't even realize I was staring until she glanced up, blinking. "What?"
"Hm?"
"You're looking at me like I grew a second head," she teased.
I smiled faintly. "Just… admiring you."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "That's not just admiration. That's deep thinking. Suspicious thinking."
She shifted slightly, her thigh brushing against mine as I sat down beside her. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my thumb linger on her cheek longer than necessary.
"I was thinking about you," I admitted.
She raised a brow. "Okay… still vague."
I hesitated.
Was it too early to say it?
Was I being selfish for wanting it?
"Thinking about you… pregnant."
Her eyes widened, and for a second, she said nothing. No teasing. No witty comeback.
Just silence.
Then she laughed, soft and slightly nervous. "That's… unexpected."
"I know." I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, trying to find the right words. "It's not something I planned to think about. Not now. Not so soon. But the idea just hit me."
She tilted her head, studying me. "And what does that idea feel like?"
I turned my head to look at her. "It feels… right."
She sucked in a breath.
"Not because I want to trap you or rush you," I added quickly. "I just… I've never pictured a future with anyone before. Not really. Not past a year, or a month, or a night. But with you, I can see it. I can see everything."
She looked down at her lap, fingers fidgeting with the hem of my shirt.
"I saw you, just now, sitting there with the light on your skin… and I imagined you with a bump. With swollen feet and random cravings and that glow everyone talks about. I imagined you laughing at me when I run to the store at 1 a.m. for spicy mangoes or rubbing your back when you can't sleep."
I reached for her hand. "And I liked it. I wanted it."
Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You want a baby?"
"I want you. And I want whatever comes with loving you for the rest of my life. If that means late-night cries and dirty diapers and tiny socks all over the house—then yes. I want that baby. Our baby."
She looked at me, eyes glassy now, lips parting like she wanted to speak but couldn't.
I cupped her cheek gently, leaning my forehead against hers. "But only when you're ready. Only when we're ready. I don't want to scare you."
"I'm not scared," she whispered.
I leaned back just enough to see her face. "No?"
She shook her head. "Just… surprised."
"You've thought about it?"
She nodded slowly. "Not in full detail like you just did, but… yeah. Sometimes. Especially lately."
I smiled, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip. "I'm not saying now. Not even tomorrow. But I need you to know — that future? I see it. I want it. With you."
She climbed onto my lap, straddling me, her arms wrapping around my neck, eyes locked with mine.
"I used to think no one would ever want all of me," she murmured. "Not my fears, or my past, or the mess I sometimes feel like. But you see it all. You still look at me like I'm something beautiful."
"That's because you are."
She kissed me, soft and slow, like she was pouring everything she couldn't say into that moment.
When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against mine, her voice shaky but full of hope. "Maybe one day, Ethan. When we're both ready. I'd love to see what a little version of us would look like."
My heart clenched.
She didn't say no.
She said one day.
And that was more than enough.
We sat like that for a long time, wrapped around each other in silence, until her stomach growled and she groaned into my shoulder.
"You're hungry again," I teased.
"Shut up."
I laughed, lifting her off me as I stood. "Come on, future mama. Let's feed you."
She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were still red. "You're going to be so annoying about this, aren't you?"
"Absolutely."
I reached for her hand and led her into the kitchen.
Because someday — someday soon — I'd be leading her into hospitals and baby stores and nurseries.
And I wouldn't want it any other way.
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End of Chapter 117 – Ethan's POV