Chapter 10 - The Nursery and the Storm
The revelation hung over the farmhouse like a suffocating shroud. My mother hadn't just been an accomplice to financial fraud; she had expedited Grandmother Evelyn's death to prevent Evelyn from changing the trust in my favor before Robert’s debts mounted.
The next day, Caroline took the medical records straight to the state homicide division. An emergency order was signed to exhume Grandmother’s remains for forensic toxicological testing.
For the first time in weeks, Bradley insisted on taking a break from the war.
"Today," he said, gently kissing the tip of my nose as the morning sun warmed our bedroom, "we are going into the spare room down the hall, and we are going to start clearing it out."
I looked at him, my heart melting. "The nursery?"
"The nursery."
For six hours, the world outside ceased to exist. Bradley rolled coats of soft sage-green paint onto the plaster walls while I sat comfortably in a rocking chair, sorting through swatches of cream curtains and wooden mobile designs. Every time Bradley stretched upward to reach the ceiling with the roller, his shirt rode up slightly, revealing the strong lines of his back, and I felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude for this man who had stood by me when the entire world felt cold and cruel.
Around three in the afternoon, while I was resting my hand on my belly, I felt a faint, distinct flutter beneath my palm.
It was like the brush of a butterfly’s wing from the inside.
"Bradley!" I gasped, freezing in place.
He dropped the roller instantly, hurrying across the drop cloth on his knees. "What's wrong? Are you hurting?"
"No," I laughed through sudden tears of wonder, grabbing his paint-flecked hand and pressing it against my lower abdomen. "Feel right there. Wait a second."
He held his breath, his eyes wide and completely focused. A moment later, another gentle tap pressed against his palm.
Bradley’s breath hitched. A slow, breathtaking smile spread across his face, his eyes shining with pure, unfiltered joy. "That's... that's the baby."
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"That's our fighter," I whispered.
He buried his face against my neck, breathing me in, his strong arms wrapping around me as if he could shield us from every shadow in the universe. "I swear to you, Shelby. I will build an unbreakable life for the two of you. Nobody will ever make you feel small again."
