Chapter 51

Agnes

Hearing Thea cry, even over something as small as not wanting to leave vacation, made my heart break.

“Oh, baby,” I murmured, dropping to a crouch and pulling her into my arms. She melted into me instantly, her little body shaking as fresh tears soaked into my shirt. I held her close, rubbing small circles on her back as I tried to think of what to say. “I know it’s hard to leave when you’re having such a good time.”

She sniffled, pulling back just enough to look at me with those big, glassy eyes of hers. “It’s not just the fun stuff,” she said, her bottom lip quivering. “I like it when you and Daddy are together. It feels like we’re a real family.”

My breath caught, her words hitting a little too close to home for comfort.

Sighing, I brushed a strand of dark hair away from her damp cheek and did my best to swallow the lump forming in my throat. “Thea, we are a real family.”

“But not really,” she said stubbornly, a little hiccup breaking through her words. “You and Daddy haven’t fallen in love yet. And when we’re home, you don’t laugh or hang out with each other.”

I had no idea what to say to that. Because she wasn’t technically wrong. Things had been completely different here this past week while we were on vacation. Elijah and I had been playing house, and while it was far from perfect, it had given Thea a glimpse of something she clearly craved—a family that felt whole.

Not two parents that had to be duped into sharing a bed.

I hugged her even tighter. “I know things feel different here,” I said softly. “But I promise, when we get home, we’ll find ways to spend more time together. We’ll do something fun, just the three of us. How about that?”

“Like what?” she asked, sniffling loudly.

“Hmm.” I pretended to think, tapping a finger against my chin. “How about a trip to the zoo? Or maybe a picnic in the park?”

Her tear-streaked face lit up just a little. “Can we get ice cream too?”

“Of course,” I said, smiling. “What’s a picnic without ice cream?”

She giggled softly, and the sound was enough to ease some of my own lingering anxiety.

“Okay,” she said, nodding. “But you have to promise.”

“I pinky promise,” I said, holding out my pinky. She hooked hers around mine, and for the first time that morning, she smiled.

Packing to return home was a little easier after that, although Thea still sniffled every now and then as we folded up our clothes and tucked away our new souvenirs. By the time we were heading to the airport, she seemed back to her usual self, holding each of one of our hands and chattering about all the things she wanted to do when we got home.

Once we got on the plane, Elijah lifted our carry-ons into the luggage compartment and Thea sat between us, swinging her legs happily. The stewardess came by to offer beverages while we waited to take off.

“What a sweet little family,” the flight attendant cooed as she poured our drinks. “Family vacation, I take it?”

My face heated a little at yet another reminder of that word—family—but before I could answer, Elijah jumped in.

“A wonderful vacation,” he said with an easy smile as he accepted his drink from the stewardess. “Someone was a little upset about going home this morning, though.”

The stewardess fawned over Thea after that, offering her an extra cookie and a cup of juice to cheer her up, and I just sat there, feeling a little more awkward than usual.

Family.

If I found out that Thea was my daughter, could that be our future? A family? Just the three of us? Even if Elijah and I weren’t romantically involved, the thought of us being there for Thea as a real family still made my heart flutter.

Or would Olivia find a way to ruin that, too?

Soon enough, the plane took off. The flight started off smoothly enough. First class was a novelty for Thea, and she was thrilled by the wide seats and the small, fancy meal trays. Elijah sat beside her, helping her adjust her seatbelt and answering her endless questions about planes. I shut my eyes, leaning back and trying to relax as the plane climbed higher.

But the turbulence hit about halfway through the flight, and my stomach didn’t handle it well, to say the least. The gentle bumps turned into sudden dips, and the motion sickness set in faster than I expected.

I pressed a hand to my mouth, praying it would pass, but it only got worse. Before I knew it, I was fumbling for the sick bag, my face burning hot with humiliation.

“Elijah,” I croaked, barely able to get the word out before I leaned forward and emptied my stomach into the bag. The seats around me went silent, and it felt like everyone was staring at me.

Even Thea let out a soft, “Eww….”

I wanted to disappear.

Elijah, however, was at my side in an instant, placing a steady hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “Just breathe. You’re going to be fine.”

I shook my head, mortified beyond belief. “This is so embarrassing,” I muttered, my voice muffled by the bag. Before I could say anything else, another wave came. I didn’t even eat this much today. Where was it all coming from?

“Agnes, don’t feel bad,” he said, fanning my face with the in-flight magazine. “You’re not the first person to get motion sickness, and you won’t be the last. Just focus on breathing, alright?”

I nodded weakly, letting him take the bag from me once I was done. He handed me a cool towel from the flight attendant, his hand lingering on mine for just a moment longer than necessary.

“Better?” he asked.

“Not really,” I admitted, leaning back against the seat and closing my eyes as I sipped the ginger ale the flight attendant handed me. “But thanks.”

To my surprise, Elijah swapped seats with Thea and stayed beside me for the rest of the flight, making sure I had water and whatever else I needed. It was hard to stay mad at him when he was like this—so attentive, so steady. So much like the man I always dreamed of having in my life.

By the time we landed, I was feeling marginally better but still drained from the experience. Elijah carried most of the bags while Thea clung to my hand, her nonstop talking actually soothing me a little and taking my mind off of my motion sickness.

As soon as we got to the house, I collapsed onto the bed, too exhausted to do much of anything else. Elijah took Thea to change out of her airport clothes and they disappeared down the hall together, their voices fading into the background as I reached for my phone.

But when I opened the news app, I wished I hadn’t looked at all.

There, plastered across the top of the entertainment section, was a grainy photo of me and Elijah kissing in the hallway of the restaurant last night… followed by another from today. Of me puking my guts up on the plane.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. I thought I might be sick all over again as I read the headline beneath it.

“Is Luna Agnes… Pregnant?”