The island had gone quiet again.
Too quiet.
I spent the morning in the nursery, slowly folding the same tiny onesies I had folded the day before. The repetitive motion was soothing a small anchor in the middle of everything that felt like it was spinning out of control. My belly was heavy now, the baby active and strong, kicking with a rhythm that sometimes felt like a heartbeat of its own.
Daddy found me there, as he always did. He leaned against the doorframe for a moment, watching me with that intense, unreadable expression before stepping inside.
“You’ve been in here a lot lately,” he said softly, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. His hands settled over my belly like they belonged there. “Does it help calm you?”
I leaned back against his chest, letting hi
