Chapter 346

Nina

Enzo’s eyes widened, a glimmer of something that looked like hope lighting them up as he processed my words. Before I even uttered my decision, he seemed to realize what I was about to say.

“You want to keep the baby?” he blurted out.

“Yes,” I breathed with a slight chuckle, my eyes locked onto his. “I want to keep the baby.”

For a moment, Enzo was silent, his jaw dropped as he stared at me in disbelief. But then, a split second later, he swept me off my feet—literally.

“Nina, I’m so happy!” he grinned.

He twirled me around in a dizzying, joyous spin that blurred the edges of our living room into a tapestry of colors and shapes. My stomach churned with a nauseous excitement, a mixture of love, joy, and a hint of morning sickness.

“Enzo,”I laughed, gripping his shoulders, “put me down before I throw up on you!”

He halted mid-spin, the look of complete elation shifting to one of concern. “Oh, god, I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”

He set me down gently, and I took a moment to steady myself, my hands on my still-flat belly. Then we both burst into laughter. He leaned in and kissed me, his lips meeting mine in a collision of relief and happiness, as if in that moment, the universe had aligned just for us.

“You’re really sure about this?” he asked, his eyes wandering my face as he pulled away.

I nodded. Although I still had a hint of trepidation in the back of my mind, it was overpowered by the certainty that I wanted to start a family with him, to create a legacy, something bigger than us. “Yes,” I murmured, resting my head against his chest. “I’m sure.”

His eyes searched mine, the earlier seriousness replaced by pure wonder. “So, what changed your mind?”

My thoughts flitted back to the image of the young mother in the park—the joy in her eyes, the little toddler giggling as she played peek-a-boo, the way that he waved so innocently when I walked up to them.

The memory was something that I couldn’t shake from my mind, a moment in time that had dug its way into my very core. “I just can’t get that young mother in the park out of my head. She looked so... complete, so genuinely happy. And then I talked to my mom.”

“Oh?” Enzo asked, tilting his head slightly. “You did? And I take it she was supportive.”

“Yes,” I confirmed, my voice filled with warmth. My mother, despite our tense relationship over the years, had turned into my rock. I was glad to have mended my relationship with her so that we could now confide in one another.

“You know,” I continued, “she did raise Tyler practically on her own, followed by me when she took me in.”

“But her husband—” Enzo began, but I cut him off.

“That’s the thing,” I said. “Her husband at the time was no help. He was an awful man, and yet she stood up for herself, kicking him out and raising us on her own. And despite everything, I think she did her best. She told me that we can accomplish anything if we put our minds to it. Especially if we have the right people beside us.”

“And you believe her?” Enzo asked, his voice a whisper tinged with emotion.

“I do. I have you, Enzo. And with you, I believe we can tackle anything—even parenthood.”

His grin stretched wider, if that was even possible, and he pulled me into another impassioned kiss, leaving me a little breathless. “Well then, I promise to do everything I can to make this as perfect for you as possible.”

I smiled into his eyes, overcome by the incredible love I felt for this man, this soon-to-be father of my child. “You already make everything perfect, just by being you.”

We hugged tightly, our hearts pounding in a unified rhythm that drowned out the world around us.

It felt as though the culmination of all our hopes, fears, and indecisions had led to this perfect moment—two souls united, committed, and excited about the challenge ahead. We were going to be parents, and for the first time in a long while, that thought filled me with an unshakeable joy.

When Enzo pulled away, his eyes still shimmering with unspoken emotion, he took a deep breath. “Nina, I really do mean what I said: I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re comfortable throughout this whole pregnancy. I swear it,” he said. “I know it might be difficult for you, and there’s only so much I can do. But I’ll do my best.”

“I know you will,” I murmured. Just then, another thought came into my mind: one that had initially spurred on my indecision, and it was something that I couldn’t let go of. “But let’s get something straight: I’m not giving up on medical school,” I asserted, locking my eyes onto his.

“Of course. I wouldn’t ask you to,” he said, nodding in understanding. “We’ll make it work.”

He reached for his phone, tapping swiftly to find a contact. “I’m going to call Tim, let him know I’m not taking that job after all. I think it’s better if I stay here in Mountainview.”

Enzo’s words made my heart drop. This was my biggest fear: that he would give up on his dreams for me, especially when I had just told him that I wouldn’t be giving up on my own dreams. My hand darted out, snatching his phone before he could dial the number. “Don’t you dare do that. Don’t even think about quitting that job, Enzo.”

He looked bewildered, almost stunned. “Why not? Nina, we’re talking about our child here. I can find work around here; we can be closer. You can have support.”

“And I appreciate that,” I said. “I really do. But I can’t be the reason you give up on a golden opportunity, Enzo,” I pressed, trying to keep my voice steady.

He took a moment, looking at me as if he were trying to reach into my brain and uncover my thoughts. Then, a wry chuckle escaped his lips. “You don’t get it, Nina. Medical school, a baby—this is going to be a hell of a lot for you to juggle. What happens when I'm gone for months for this job?”

“And what happens when you look back and realize you gave up a life-altering career opportunity for something that could have been managed?” I shot back. “Look, my condition for keeping this baby is that we also keep our life plans the same. I still go to medical school, you still take the job, and we’ll work out the details. We’ll figure it out. We have to.”

Enzo stare at me for a few more moments, confusion and surprise still evident on his face. But then, as though realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, he sighed and put his phone down on the table between us. “Okay,” he said softly. “I hear you. But no promises, Nina. I need to think about this. It’s still my own decision at the end of the day.”

I felt a twinge of unease, but I nodded. “That’s all I ask, Enzo. Just think about it, okay?”

He nodded and pulled me back into his arms, holding me close. “All of that aside… This is crazy, you know that? We’re going to be parents, Nina. Parents!”

I chuckled, nuzzling into his chest. “It is crazy,” I murmured. “But it also feels right. So, so, right.”