Chapter 52 – “Everything After That”

They didn't make a big announcement. No press release. No social media post.

But inside the walls of Darcy Innovations, the change was obvious.

Will Bennett's name now sat beneath hers on the company's internal masthead. Eliza Darcy hadn't just welcomed him into her heart — she'd welcomed him into her legacy.

It was quiet. But it was loud enough.

Their lives began to thread tighter.

Mornings weren't rushed anymore — coffee poured with easy smiles, laptops side-by-side at the kitchen table, interrupted by casual foot brushes under the counter.

Afternoons blurred between board meetings and site walkthroughs, new initiatives taking shape with both their names attached.

Evenings were slower. Softer. Sometimes they made love with urgency, all tongue and teeth and hands clutching for more. Other nights, it was just her legs draped across his lap as they read in companionable silence.

One night, as Will combed his fingers through Eliza's hair while she dozed on his chest, a thought settled quietly in his chest:

This is what we fought for.

A few weeks later, Eliza stood in the bathroom, hands pressed to the counter, staring at the pregnancy test on the sink.

One pink line.

Then another.

She didn't breathe. For a moment, her world didn't move.

And then it did.

She sat down on the closed toilet lid, heart rattling in her chest.

Fear wasn't new to her. But this wasn't fear of loss or failure.

This was the kind that came when your whole life had just been rewritten — and you didn't even need a pen.

Will found her on the couch a few minutes later, staring out the window, the unopened test box clutched in one hand.

He didn't ask.

He just sat beside her.

And when she finally turned to look at him, eyes a little glassy, she whispered, "We're going to need a new toothbrush cup."

He blinked.

Then laughed — one quiet, breathless laugh that turned into something softer as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

"You're sure?"

She nodded.

He rested his palm on her stomach.

Nothing visible. Not yet.

But already, it felt like the future was pressing its hand back.