<b>Chapter </b><b>161 </b>


    <b>4576 </b>


    128


    -CELINE-


    The waiting room at Dr. Martinez’s office buzzed with the quiet energy of expectant parents. I sat beside Hunter, his hand warm and steady in mine, trying to calm the nervous flutter in my stomach.


    “Celine Brown?” The nurse called from the doorway, clipboard in hand.


    Hunter squeezed my fingers as we stood. “Ready?” he asked softly.


    I nodded, though my heart was racing.


    Today we would finally know if we were having a boy or a girl. Part of me was terrified–not of the baby’s gender, but of how real everything


    would be once we knew.


    Dr. Martinez greeted us with her usual warm smile. “How are we feeling today, Celine?”


    “Good. The morning sickness has finally stopped, thank goodness.”


    “Excellent. And you, Mr. Reid? Any questions or concerns?”


    Hunter shook his head, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He had been quiet on the drive over, lost in thought.


    “Alright, let’s take a look at this baby,” Dr. Martinez said, patting the examination table. “Same routine as before.”


    I settled onto the table, lifting my shirt to expose my belly. The bump was more pronounced now at twenty weeks, unmistakably a pregnancy


    rather than just bloating.


    Hunter’s eyes fixed on the gentle curve, and something soft crossed his features.


    The cool gel made me shiver, and then Dr. Martinez ced the ultrasound wand against my skin. The familiar whooshing sound filled the room as she moved it around, searching.


    “There we are,” she murmured, and suddenly the screen came alive with the grainy ck and white image of our baby.


    Hunter leaned forward, his grip on my hand tightening. “Is that…?”


    “Your daughter,” Dr. Martinez said with a smile. “Congrattions, you’re having a girl.”


    The words hit me like a physical force. A daughter. I was going to have a daughter.


    But it was Hunter’s reaction that stole my breath. His face transformedpletely–wonder, joy, and something that looked almost like fear mixed in his dark eyes.


    He stared at the screen like he was seeing a miracle.


    “A girl,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “We’re having a girl.”


    Dr. Martinez continued the examination, pointing out tiny fingers and toes, the baby’s profile, and her strong heartbeat. But Hunter seemed transfixed, hanging on every word.


    “Everything looks perfect,” Dr. Martinez assured us. “She’s measuring right on track, heartbeat is strong and steady. Would you like some pictures?”


    15:08 Sat, 9 Aug


    “Yes,” Hunter said immediately. “All of them. Every angle.”


    Iughed despite the tears pricking my eyes. “Hunter, we don’t need twenty pictures.”


    “We need them all,” he said ‘seriously, making Dr. Martinez chuckle.


    As we walked to the car afterward, Hunter was unusually quiet<b>, </b>clutching the ultrasound photos like precious artifacts.


    “Are you okay?” I asked as he started the engine. <fn1168> Read full story at find?novel</fn1168>


    He was quiet for so long I thought he hadn’t heard me. Then he turned to look at me, his eyes bright with unshed tears.


    “I’m going to be a father to a little girl,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I keep thinking about… everything I want to give her. Everything I want to protect her from.”


    My heart clenched at the vulnerability in his voice. “She’s going to be so loved, Hunter. By both of us.”


    “I want to give her the world,” he continued, pulling into traffic. “The best schools, travel, opportunities… but also just normal things. Bedtime stories and tea parties and teaching her to ride a bike.”


    “You’re going to be an amazing father.”


    “What if I’m not? What if I mess this up like my father messed me up?”


    <b>45</b><b>% </b>


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    The raw fear in his voice made me reach over and ce my hand on his thigh. “You’re nothing like your father<b>, </b>Hunter. Look how you are with Caesar–patient, kind, yful. Our daughter is going to adore you.”


    He covered my hand with his, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. “A daughter,” he repeated, like he was testing how the words felt.


    “Caesar’s going to be such a good big brother.”


    ~HUNTER~


    That night, after Caesar was asleep and the apartment was quiet, I found myself unable to settle. The ultrasound photos sat on my nightstand, and I had already looked at them a dozen times.


    Celine appeared from the bathroom in her silk nightgown, her hair wet from her shower.


    She looked beautiful–glowing with pregnancy, her body changing in ways that made my chest tight with possessive pride.


    “You’ve been staring at those pictures for an hour,” she said, settling beside me on the bed.


    “I can’t believe she’s real. That we made her.”


    Celine curled up against my side, her head on my shoulder. “Talk to me,” she said softly. “You’ve been distant since we left the doctor’s


    office.”


    I was quiet for a long moment, trying to find the words. “My father wasn’t a good man, Celine. I’ve told you bits and pieces<b>, </b>but…”


    “You don’t have to….”


    “I want to.” I turned to face her, needing her to understand. “When I was growing up, I promised myself I would never have children. <b>Never </b>continue the Reid legacy.”


    Her eyes widened. “Hunter…”


    “My father was cold, calcting. Everything was about business, about maintaining the family reputation. He married my mother because she was suitable, not because he loved her.” I paused, the memories bitter.


    “Actually, that’s not entirely true. She was his mistress first.”


    Celine’s hand found mine. “What happened to his first wife?”


    “She died mysteriously when I was five. Car ident, they said, but…” I shrugged. “My mother moved from mistress to wife very quickly <b>after </b>


    that.”


    “Oh, Hunter.”


    “I grew up watching him destroy everything he touched. His businesses, his rtionships, even his own son. I was so grateful when the doctors told me I had a low sperm count.” Iughed bitterly.


    “I thought it meant I would never have to worry about repeating his mistakes.”


    Celine was quiet for a moment, then she lifted her head to look at me. “But if that were true, Caesar wouldn’t exist. And neither would our


    daughter.”


    The simple truth of it hit me like lightning. “You’re right.”


    “You’re not your father, Hunter. The way you love Caesar, the way you’re already nning our daughter’s future with such tenderness… you’re going to break the cycle.”


    I cupped her face in my hands, overwhelmed by her faith in me. “What if I don’t know how? What if I can’t protect them from this world?”


    “We’ll figure it out together,” she said firmly. “But Hunter, I need you to know something. Raising children in your world… it scares me


    sometimes.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “The scrutiny, the expectations, people like your mother who think they can decide what’s best for our family.” Her voice grew smaller.


    “What if our daughter grows up thinking she’s not good enough because of where I came from?”


    The fear in her voice broke something inside me. I pulled her closer, burying my face in her hair.


    “She’ll know she’s perfect exactly as she is,” I said fiercely.


    “She’ll know her mother is the strongest, most beautiful woman in the world. And anyone who suggests otherwise will have to deal with me.”


    Celine pulled back to look at me, tears shining in her eyes. “I love you so much it terrifies me sometimes.”


    “Good,” I said, brushing my thumb across her cheek. “Because I love you more than I ever thought possible.”


    <b>3/3 </b>


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    <b>15:08 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>9 </b><b>Aug </b>