Chapter 328
She gasped for air between sobs, her chest tightening with the unbearable weight of it all.
“This is so unfair!” she cried out, her fists pounding weakly against Asher’s chest. “So damn unfair!”
But Asher didn’t flinch. He didn’t pull away.
He just held her. Let her cry. Let her hit him, let her fall apart.
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And when she had nothing left but ragged breaths and exhausted tears, his arms tightened around her, anchoring her in a way she hadn’t realized she needed.
“Shh… shh… listen to me, Andrea. Just listen.*
Asher’s voice broke through her sobs, gentle but firm. His arms were still around her, holding her steady, anchoring her to him as her world crumbled. His breath was warm against her ear, his voice low and soothing, weaving through the darkness like a lifeline.
“In another month, a little boy will be born,” he murmured. “A healthy, crying, scrunched–up little thing, red–faced and perfect. He’ll have ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes…” He paused, rubbing slow circles on her back. “And he’ll drink his milk, sleep in your arms, and smile up
at his mommy.”
Andrea sniffled, her tears slowing as she listened, drawn in by the quiet certainty in his voice.
“And then… next Christmas, he’ll be walking,” Asher continued, his voice like a lullaby. “Wobbly at first, clinging to your fingers for
balance, but walking. And the year after that?” He smiled, as if he could see it playing out before him. “He’ll be talking. He’ll run around
the house saying, ‘Mommy, look!‘ over and over again because he’ll want to show you everything.”
Andrea’s breath hitched, her mind beginning to replace fear with something else–something fragile but bright.
“And outside, there’ll be a big Christmas tree in the living room,” Asher went on, his voice painting the picture for her. “The biggest one
we can find, with a giant star at the top and lights wrapped all around it, twinkling like magic.”
Andrea could almost see it–golden and warm, a home filled with love instead of loneliness.
“It’ll be cozy inside, toasty from the fireplace, and beneath that tree, there’ll be presents. Beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts, just waiting to be opened.” He grinned. “That year, he’ll get a toy car… and a stuffed animal of his choice. And he’ll be so happy, Andrea.”
Something inside her cracked–this time, not from fear, but from hope.
“And before you know it, another Christmas will come,” Asher continued, his voice full of certainty. “The house will glow like a damn lighthouse, so bright you’ll be able to see it from miles away.” He chuckled. “He’ll be in school then, running off every morning in his brand–new tennis shoes because he won’t have to wear the same ones for years. That year, he’ll get the gaming console he’s been begging for, and you’ll be the best mom in the world for making it happen.”
C
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Chapter 328
Andrea had stopped crying entirely now, She didn’t even remember what had made her so scared.
Asher was painting something beautiful–something impossible not to believe in.
🙂))
“He’ll go through a rock music phase in middle school,” he added, smirking. “You’ll have to buy noise–canceling headphones just to
survive it.”
Andrea let out a startled laugh, a real, joyful laugh that made her chest ache in a different way.
“And then high school…” Asher’s eyes softened, his smile deepening. “He’ll be tall, handsome. The star football player. The one all the
cheerleaders have a crush on.”
Andrea laughed again, this time with tears in her eyes–tears that no longer carried fear, but something warmer, something softer.
And when she looked up at Asher, she realized he was smiling too. A quiet, dreamy smile, like he could see every piece of this future as
clearly as if it had already happened.
“But… how?” Andrea whispered, her voice barely holding together.
The tears that had stopped only moments ago came back with a vengeance, burning hot as they welled up in her eyes. She bit her lip hard, trying to hold them back, but it was useless.
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“How?” she asked again, her voice breaking.
Asher’s soft smile deepened, his eyes glistening with something unspoken, something profound. He didn’t hesitate, didn’t waver. Instead, he looked at her with a certainty that stole her breath.
“Because I will make sure it happens,” he said, his voice steady, unwavering. “Because Asher Junior will be the happiest child in the
world.”
The words had barely left his lips when the baby kieked, so forcefully that Andrea let out a surprised little umph. Asher’s gaze snapped to her belly, his breath catching as he saw it–a tiny limb pressing out against her skin, a quiet hello from the life growing inside her.
His expression shifted then, his awe so raw, so beautiful, that it made Andrea’s heart ache. Slowly, hesitantly, he lifted his hand.
“May I?‘ he asked, his voice hushed, reverent.
She nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat.
His hands were warm as they pressed against her swollen belly, right under her navel, his touch so gentle it sent a shiver through her. And as if sensing him, the baby kicked again, stronger this time, as though acknowledging his presence.
Asher sucked in a breath, his eyes flicking up to hers, full of wonder. And then, without warning, he bent down and pressed a kiss against her belly–soft, lingering.
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18:03 Fri, Apr 10 M…
Chapter 328
Andrea’s breath hitched.
Then he kissed her.
:.
She wasn’t sure who moved first, if it was him or her, but suddenly, his lips were on hers–slow, careful, yet filled with something
undeniable.
“Asher, I- Shée meant to stop him.
This couldn’t happen. This wouldn’t go anywhere.
It would only end in pain.
It would hurt her.
She should have said all of that. But she couldn’t.
All she could do was stare into his beautiful, stormy blue eyes, utterly mesmerized, just as she had been when he had spun her a dream of a happy, healthy boy growing up with everything he had never had.
Only this time, he was showing her another dream.
A dream where she wasn’t alone.
A dream where she had him.
“I don’t care who I was before,” Asher murmured, his forehead resting against hers. “I don’t care if I ever remember or not. But I never- never–want to forget this life that I have here, with you.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
