Chapter 66 – “One Breath Apart”

I still await new collections , If you like the story and want even more bonus chapters then kindly keep on adding to the Library, and I hope you'll stick with me to the end 😇😇😇😇.

Bonus Chapter(2/2)

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The pain came like a quiet betrayal.

Eliza was in the kitchen, barefoot, wearing one of Will's old shirts and sipping from her herbal tea when it struck low and sharp—more than the Braxton Hicks contractions she'd grown used to. She paused, one hand flying to the edge of the counter, breath catching in her throat.

A second wave followed, deeper. Harder.

She didn't cry out. She inhaled, long and slow, eyes fixed on the steam rising from her cup. The baby had been quiet all morning—too quiet.

Her phone was on the table. Will was downstairs in his home office, reviewing a contract. She could hear the hum of his voice through the vents, calm and distant.

"Eliza?" His voice called seconds later. "Everything okay?"

She didn't answer immediately. Another contraction twisted through her, gripping like a fist. She pressed her back against the fridge, closing her eyes.

Then, footsteps. Urgent now. Will appeared in the doorway, already frowning. His gaze swept over her in an instant—her pale face, the white-knuckled grip on the counter, the way her other hand had slipped protectively over her belly.

"Eliza."

She looked up. "It's time."

For a moment, nothing moved. Not the air, not the light, not the pulse roaring in his ears.

And then he crossed to her in three strides.

"Okay," he said, gently wrapping his arms around her, steadying her. "Okay. We've got this."

The hospital bag was already packed—he'd repacked it three times in the last week alone. He helped her into the passenger seat, one hand never leaving hers as he drove through the quiet, sleeping city. Rain had just begun to fall, soft and cold against the windshield, like the sky was holding its breath with them.

Eliza leaned her head back against the seat, lips parted, breathing through another contraction. Her eyes fluttered shut. Will reached across the console and gripped her hand tightly.

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know," he said. "Me too."

But he didn't let go.

At the hospital, nurses moved quickly. Paperwork blurred. Machines beeped. Will didn't leave her side once. He didn't flinch when she gripped his hand hard enough to leave marks. He wiped the sweat from her brow, murmured words she didn't hear but felt anyway—like soft anchors in the storm.

Hours passed in fragments. Her hair clung to her forehead, her voice broke on screams, and still he held her like she was the center of the universe.

"You're doing so good," he whispered. "Eliza, you're so strong."

When it was time to push, fear flared wild in her chest.

"I can't—"

"Yes, you can." His lips were against her temple, her jaw, her knuckles. "You already are."

And then—

A sound broke the air.

Not a cry.

A wail.

Raw and alive.

Eliza collapsed back against the bed, sobbing and laughing all at once as the nurse placed their daughter on her chest.

Lyra.

So tiny. So fierce. So… theirs.

Will's hand was trembling as he reached out, brushing one finger along her cheek. Tears streamed silently down his face. He didn't try to stop them.

"She's perfect," he whispered, voice cracked wide open.

Eliza looked up at him, eyes shining, exhaustion wrapped in joy.

"Hi, Lyra," she breathed. "We've been waiting."

And in that moment, with her heart thudding and her body spent, Eliza felt it—not just the miracle of life, but the miracle of becoming.

A mother. A family. A future.

One breath apart.

Now together.

Forever.

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The story will definitely get even more wholesome going forward , hope you guys are also as excited as me 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃