Determined to keep my promise, I spend the entire day searching for the perfect engagement ring after dropping Jennifer off at the district attorney's office.
I know her style—simple, minimalist—but let's be honest, every woman loves diamonds, right?
So, after wandering through more than fourteen jewelry stores, scrutinizing countless rings, and nearly losing my sanity, I finally find the one.
It's perfect.
When Jennifer slides into the passenger seat at the end of the day, she exhales, looking exhausted.
"Hi," I greet her softly.
"Hi, babe," she murmurs, closing her eyes as I lean over to kiss her forehead.
Before she can relax, I reach into my pocket and place a small velvet blue box in her hands.
Her eyes blink open immediately. "What's this?" she asks, looking at the box in surprise.
I grin, heart pounding in anticipation. "I hate seeing that beautiful finger of yours bare like that."
Jennifer gasps, her eyes instantly welling with tears. "Aww… baby…" She sniffs, already emotional as she carefully unties the delicate white ribbon.
"I hope you like it," I say, unable to hide the nervousness creeping into my voice.
Slowly, she opens the box.
"Gosh!" she exclaims, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes shimmer with unshed tears as she stares at the ring in awe.
She turns to me, completely overwhelmed. "Baby… this is beautiful."
"Really?" I ask, just to be sure.
Jennifer nods repeatedly, her lips trembling. "Like it? I love it!!" she cries out in pure joy.
My chest tightens with warmth as she throws her arms around me and kisses me, making me feel like the luckiest man alive.
"Let me see it on your finger," I whisper against her lips.
She pulls away just enough to slip the ring onto her finger. It fits perfectly.
The rose gold band complements her skin tone like it was made for her. The perfectly cut almond-shaped pink diamond glows softly in the light, and the delicate pink hue enhances the stunning green of her eyes.
It's even more breathtaking on her hand than I imagined.
"It's beautiful on you," I murmur, satisfaction swelling in my chest. I knew it would look good, but I never imagined it would look this good on her.
Jennifer admires it, turning her hand slightly as the light catches the diamond. "This must have cost you a fortune."
I shrug, trying to sound cool, though my voice betrays me with boyish excitement. "Hey… a woman who said yes to a can ring proposal deserves the most expensive thing I can afford."
She giggles before kissing me again. "Thank you, baby," she whispers against my lips. "I love you."
"I love you too."
I look at her, so radiant, her face still damp with happy tears. And for the first time in a long time, I promise myself—I will do everything in my power to keep that joy on her face.
"Hey, do you want to hear our baby's heartbeat?"
Jennifer's sudden question catches me off guard.
I blink. "Really? I mean… we can already hear it?"
She nods, excitement twinkling in her eyes. "Yes! The heartbeat starts in the second month, but it was so faint I could barely hear it. Doctor Denver said it would be much clearer now that I'm in my fourth month."
A deep warmth spreads in my chest. "That's amazing, baby." I kiss her temple. "Of course, I want to hear it too."
She beams. "Great! I have an appointment with Doctor Denver at 7 PM. You can come with me."
I nod, glancing at my watch. It's only 5:30 PM.
"We can grab dinner on the way," I suggest, knowing Jennifer shouldn't skip meals.
Jennifer immediately perks up. "Yes, please! I'm starving!" Then, as if realizing something, she sighs dramatically. "Even though I just ate two donuts before I left the office."
I chuckle, shaking my head. "Hey, you're pregnant. It's the baby's demand."
Jennifer's eyes light up mischievously. "Then we should have tacos for dinner!"
I arch an eyebrow. "Tacos?"
She nods eagerly, then adds, "It's the baby's demand."
I burst out laughing. "Okay, fine. But with extra veggies."
Jennifer groans, rolling her eyes. "And cheese!" she quickly adds, giving me the most pleading puppy-dog look ever.
I smirk, shaking my head. "Fine. Extra cheese."
Her whole face lights up like a kid on Christmas morning.
I swear, I adore this woman.
----------
After stuffing ourselves with tacos and burritos, we head to Jennifer's obstetrician. Now, we're inside Doctor Denver's office. Jennifer is lying comfortably on the special chair while I stand beside her, anticipation bubbling inside me.
The door opens, and a deep, cheerful voice fills the room. "Hello, Miss McCourtney."
A tall, broad-shouldered man steps inside, dressed in a white coat. He looks to be in his forties, with dark chocolate skin and thin glasses perched on his nose. Despite his deep voice, there's a warmth to it, something inherently comforting.
Jennifer lifts her head slightly to see him. "Hello, Doctor Denver! How are you?"
"I'm great, thank you. And how are you and the little one?" he asks, beaming at her.
"We're doing fine," Jennifer replies with a smile.
Dr. Denver's gaze shifts to me, his friendly smile widening. "And I suppose this is the father?"
"Yes, I'm Bennet," I confirm, reaching out to shake his large hand.
"Glad you could make it this time, sir," he says with a knowing nod before settling onto his rolling stool. His heavy frame sinks into it with an exaggerated sigh, making Jennifer giggle. "Alright, let's take a look at how this little one's doing, shall we?"
Jennifer lifts her shirt slightly, and Dr. Denver squeezes a dollop of cool gel onto her belly before picking up the ultrasound probe.
The moment he glides the tool over her stomach, the screen flickers to life.
"There it is," he announces warmly.
I lean in, eyes locked on the black-and-white screen. The image isn't crystal clear, but I can see it—a tiny form inside a dark, circular space, with delicate, string-like attachments.
My jaw drops slightly, and I stare, unmoving.
Jennifer giggles beside me. That's when I realize I haven't blinked.
I glance at her, my heart nearly bursting.
"Can we hear the heartbeat, Doc?" Jennifer asks excitedly.
"Of course." Dr. Denver presses a few buttons, then moves the probe lower on her belly.
A second later, the room fills with sound.
A rhythmic, rapid thumping.
It's loud and strong.
I freeze again. My throat tightens. My chest feels too small for the emotions swelling inside me.
Jennifer's face is already streaked with tears, her lips trembling as she nods repeatedly, unable to speak.
"That's our baby's heartbeat, babe," I whisper, still dumbfounded.
She nods again, gripping my hand tightly. I kiss her forehead, my own eyes burning with emotion.
"You can find out the gender today, if you want to," Dr. Denver suddenly announces, grinning.
My head snaps toward him. "Wait—really? We can? Like, right now?"
Dr. Denver chuckles. "Yes, right now."
Jennifer doesn't hesitate. "Of course we wanna know, Doc!" she exclaims, practically bouncing in excitement.
Dr. Denver laughs, clearly enjoying our reactions. He moves the probe slightly, pointing to a new area on the screen.
"Alright. Here's the head… the chest… and look, you can see both hands up near the face."
Jennifer and I lean forward, completely entranced.
"And here's the belly," he continues. "Now, let's look below it. Do you see anything sticking out?"
I squint at the screen, trying way too hard to spot something—anything. Jennifer does the same.
"I see… nothing," I murmur, slightly frustrated. I know I'm supposed to be looking for a tiny penis, but I just don't see it.
Jennifer sighs, shaking her head. "Me neither."
Dr. Denver hums, clearly enjoying himself. "Hmm… you really can't see it? It's veeeery tiny… right… there…" He points again, dragging out the suspense.
Jennifer leans even closer, frowning. "I still don't see—wait. Does that mean—"
"That's because there isn't one," Dr. Denver announces with a wide grin.
Jennifer gasps. "OH MY GOD!"
"Congratulations!" Dr. Denver beams. "You're having a daughter!"
Jennifer shrinks in joy, throwing her arms around my neck and squeezing way too tightly.
I can barely breathe, but I don't care.
I laugh, hugging her just as tightly.
A daughter.
I feel like my heart just skipped a beat.
I look at Jennifer, who is still crying, still beaming, still perfect.
"A daughter?" I repeat, needing to hear it again.
"Yes, sir," Dr. Denver confirms, grinning.
Jennifer pulls back just enough to cup my face. "We're having a girl, baby!"
I can hardly believe it.
I hadn't told Jennifer, but deep down, I had wanted a girl. Not because I wouldn't have loved a son, but because… somehow, having a daughter made me feel like she'd be further away from my darkness. Less likely to become a monster like me.
I can already imagine it—my life surrounded by two beautiful girls.
It's… perfect.
Suddenly, Master Long's words echo in my mind.
"Protect your wife and daughter."
I freeze.
He knew.
He knew my baby's gender yesterday.
That old man is incredible.
Still holding Jennifer close, I close my eyes for a second and make a silent promise:
I will protect them.
No matter what.