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“I’ve been thinking,” I began, my voice soft. “I’d like to visit my mother again. To see her... to really talk to her, after everything that’s happened.”

Lucas paused, his gaze searching mine. I couldn’t quite place the emotion in his eyes, but it softened as he processed what I’d said. A part of me feared he might want to keep me here with him, that he might be reluctant to let me go, even if only for a short time. But instead, his voice was steady and full of support.

“Of course,” he said. “You should go. But... I don’t want you to go alone.”

I blinked in surprise, unsure if I heard him correctly. “What?”

His hand gently cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my skin as he looked at me with such sincerity. “I’ll go with you. I think... I think we both should go.”

“You want to go with me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He nodded, a soft smile pulling at his lips. “I do. I’ve been too close to losing you, so I’m not letting you out of my sight any time soon.”

It sounded like a joke, but I knew that it wasn’t.

I smiled, feeling a sense of relief flood through me. “Thank you,” I whispered, the gratitude in my words more than just for his offer. It was for everything he had been to me.

“Anytime,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead. “We’ll go together, whenever you’re ready.”

“Great,” I said, a little apprehensively, wondering if this could be the right moment to tell him what I had been meaning to for a while now. But so many things had happened, preventing me from doing so. “Because uhm… there’s something that I need to tell her, but before I tell her, I think you should know it first.”

“What is it, my love?” he asked softly.

I took a deep breath, my fingers nervously brushing against my stomach. It was subtle, but the change was there, and it had been for some time now.

I couldn’t hold back the smile that curled on my lips, the happiness bubbling up inside me like a flood. “I’m pregnant, Lucas.”

The words left my mouth, and for a split second, everything froze. I saw his eyes widen in shock, then something else, something warm and utterly joyful.

“Pregnant?” His voice was hoarse, almost a whisper as he stepped toward me, his hand reaching out to gently touch my stomach. It was a soft, almost reverent gesture, as though he were trying to make sure this was real.

I nodded, my heart soaring as I watched him. I could see the joy spreading across his face, his smile growing wider, and I knew, in that moment, everything had shifted.

“I thought... I thought maybe I was imagining it, or it was just the stress of everything we’ve been through,” I continued, the excitement building in my chest. “But the truth is, it’s real. We’re going to have a baby, Lucas.”

His eyes shone with something unrecognizable. It was hope, love, a new kind of purpose. And then, without a second’s hesitation, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly against him.

“A baby,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “Annika, this is... this is everything.”

I laughed softly, feeling the tears threaten to spill over, but they weren’t from sadness. No, they were from the sheer joy of this moment, the realization that something beautiful was starting. Together.

“Are you happy?” I asked, my voice trembling just slightly. I needed to hear it, needed to know that this would be just as magical for him as it was for me.

“I’m more than happy,” he said, pulling back to look at me with a look so full of love that it almost took my breath away. “I’m overjoyed, Annika. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life.”

I smiled, feeling warmth spread through me, deep and true. This was it. This was our future, together. No matter what challenges we faced, we would face them as a family.

“You’re going to be an amazing father,” I whispered, resting my head against his chest.

“And you’re going to be an amazing mother,” he whispered back, pressing a kiss to the top of my head.

We stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for a moment, letting the reality of the news sink in, both of us basking in the warmth of our happiness. But then, of course, Lucas’s mischievous grin slowly crept onto his face, and I knew he was already thinking of something to say.

“So,” he began, his voice teasing, “have you already thought of names? I mean, I was thinking we could name them after a great hero, someone like—”

I raised an eyebrow, already knowing where this was going. “Like who? A great warrior or a mighty ruler?”

He smirked, clearly amused by the idea he had in mind. “How about Lucian for a boy? Sounds strong, doesn’t it? The name of someone who commands attention.”