Caleb’s eyes softened with sothing so deep it made her chest ache. He cupped her face with both hands, thumbs brushing away the tears that finally spilled over.
"Fiona... you don’t have to do this right now. Not after the day you’ve had. I can wait. I told you I’d wait as long as you needed."
She shook her head.
"I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m tired of hiding. I’m tired of pretending I’m fine while Katherine throws accusations at in front of the entire leadership team and Martin stands there like he’s protecting but still walks away with her. I’m resigning tomorrow — two weeks’ notice. And then I’m walking away from Voss for good."
Caleb searched her eyes a mont longer, then nodded slowly, his expression turning serious and determined.
"Okay," he said. "But we do this right. You can’t just hand in your notice and jump straight into my world. I need ti to make sure everything is clean — legally, financially, everything. I’m going to take legal parenthood of the child. I’ll adopt him or her the mont we’re married. I’ll be the father on paper, on every docunt, in every way that matters. Even though I’m not the biological father, I’m the one stepping up. I’m the one who’s going to be there for every doctor’s appointnt, every late-night feeding, every milestone."
Fiona’s breath caught.
"Caleb..."
He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"We have to be smart about this. We have to hide that you’re pregnant with Martin’s child. No one can know — not until the adoption is final and you’re legally my wife. Martin can never find out. Not while you’re still at Voss. Not while Katherine is circling like a shark. We’ll keep your pregnancy quiet. You’ll work from ho for the last two weeks if you need to. We’ll get the paperwork started imdiately. And the mont your notice is up, you move in with . No more half-asures. No more living in fear."
He pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his hands still cradling her face.
"I love you, Fiona. I’ve loved you since we were kids. And I’m going to love this baby like it’s mine. But we protect you first. Both of you. That ans doing this carefully. No rushing the resignation in a way that raises flags. No public announcents until everything is locked down."
Fiona felt sothing inside her chest finally loosen — a knot she hadn’t even realized was there. For the first ti in months, the future didn’t feel like a trap. It felt like a door opening.
She leaned up and kissed him — soft, grateful, full of quiet promise.
"Thank you," she whispered against his lips. "For seeing . For choosing us."
Caleb smiled, resting his forehead against hers.
"Always."
They sat together as the sun dipped lower, making quiet plans.
She was ignoring her mother’s cautious advice.
She was choosing peace.
She was choosing Caleb.
And that choice felt like the right one.
The night was amazing.
After Fiona told Caleb she was choosing him really choosing him, with her whole heart the tension that had been coiled tight in her chest for months finally began to unravel. The café faded behind them as they stepped out into the cool evening air. Caleb couldn’t stop smiling. His face glowed with a happiness so pure and unguarded that it made Fiona’s eyes sting with happy tears. He looked like the happiest man alive, as if the weight of years of quiet longing had suddenly been lifted.
He laced his fingers through hers without hesitation, squeezing gently as they started walking along the waterfront path. The city lights shimred on the bay, turning the water into a sea of liquid gold and silver. The breeze carried the faint scent of salt and distant flowers, and for the first ti in what felt like forever, Fiona didn’t feel like she was running from sothing. She felt like she was walking toward sothing beautiful.
Caleb kept glancing at her, his thumb tracing slow circles on the back of her hand.
"I still can’t believe this is real," he said softly, voice thick with emotion. "After everything you went through today the eting, Katherine’s words, Martin trying to pull you aside you still chose . Us. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I’m going to spend every day making sure you never regret it."
Fiona leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, the steady rhythm of his steps grounding her.
"I’m tired of choosing pain," she whispered. "I’m tired of waiting for soone who will never put first. You’ve been here, Caleb. Steady. Kind. You look at and see all of the ss, the pregnancy, the broken pieces and you still want us. That’s not sothing I can walk away from anymore."
They walked in comfortable silence for a while, the path lit by strings of soft fairy lights that stretched overhead like stars brought down to earth. Caleb’s arm eventually slipped around her waist, holding her close but carefully, always mindful of the small life growing between them. Every few steps he would press a light kiss to the top of her head, as if he couldn’t quite believe he was allowed to do so.
At one point, he stopped under a particularly beautiful cluster of lights and turned to face her fully. His hands ca up to cradle her face with such tenderness that Fiona’s breath caught.
"You have no idea how long I’ve dread of this," he murmured, eyes shining. "Walking with you like this, knowing you’re choosing . Knowing I get to be the man who protects you and this baby. I’m the happiest man alive right now, Fiona. Truly."
He leaned down and kissed her — slow, deep, and full of quiet promise. It wasn’t the hungry, desperate kind of kiss she had shared with Martin in stolen monts. This kiss felt like safety wrapped in warmth. Like coming ho after a long, exhausting journey. Fiona lted into it, her hands resting on his chest, feeling the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath her palms.
When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathing a little faster, foreheads resting together.
"Let’s keep walking," Fiona whispered, smiling up at him. "I don’t want this night to end yet."
They continued along the path, the city sounds fading into a gentle background hum. Caleb talked about their future with gentle excitent how he already had ideas for turning the spare room in his apartnt into a nursery with soft, neutral colors and plenty of natural light. He spoke about taking her to doctor’s appointnts, about late-night feeds, about teaching the baby to swim in the bay when they were older. He didn’t rush or overwhelm her. He simply shared his dreams openly, leaving space for her to add her own.
Fiona listened, her heart growing lighter with every word. She told him about the strange cravings she had been fighting — ginger tea with pickles, of all things and Caleb laughed warmly, promising to keep the fridge stocked the mont she moved in. He teased her gently about how he was going to spoil her rotten during the pregnancy, making sure she never had to carry heavy bags or stress about work again.
At one quiet bench overlooking the water, they sat down. Caleb pulled her close so her head rested on his shoulder. His hand rested protectively over her stomach, feeling the occasional soft flutter of the baby.
"This little one is going to be so loved," he said quietly. "I don’t care about biology. From the mont they’re born, they’ll be mine. I’ll be the one reading bedti stories, the one cheering at their first steps, the one they run to when they’re scared. And I’ll make sure they never feel the pain you’ve felt."
Fiona’s eyes filled with tears again, but they were happy ones this ti.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For seeing us. For wanting us exactly as we are."
They stayed there for a long ti, wrapped in each other under the stars, talking about everything and nothing. Caleb shared funny stories from his architecture days to make her laugh. Fiona told him about the silly baby nas she had secretly been thinking about. The conversation flowed easily, naturally, without the constant shadow of guilt or fear that had haunted her ti with Martin.
When they finally stood to walk back toward the car, Caleb kept his arm around her the entire way. He opened the passenger door for her like always, but this ti he lingered, pressing one more soft kiss to her forehead, then her lips.
"Tonight was perfect," he murmured against her skin. "Thank you for choosing , Fiona. I’m going to make sure you never doubt that decision."
The drive ho was peaceful. Caleb held her hand the whole ti, only letting go when he walked her to her front door. He gave her one last gentle kiss slow and full of promise before stepping back.
"Call if you need anything tonight," he said. "Tomorrow is going to be hard at work, but you’re not alone anymore. We’re doing this together."
Fiona nodded, watching him walk back to his car with that sa light, joyful step. He really did look like the happiest man alive.
She closed the door behind her, leaned against it for a mont, and placed both hands on her belly.
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