Chapter 17: A Promise in the Storm

My belly, now rounded at eight months, was a constant reminder of the imminent arrival of our child. And yet, behind this fragile calm, I could sense a growing tension. Alessandro spent long hours locked in his office, his phone always within reach, his features increasingly marked by a worry he tried to hide from me.

That evening, as Alessandro worked in his office, he called to me in a soft voice. I joined him, and without even giving me a chance to ask, he pulled me onto his lap, as he had been doing more frequently in recent days.

"Stay with me, cuore mio," he murmured, wrapping an arm around my waist to settle me comfortably against him.

I adjusted myself, letting my head rest on his shoulder. His hand instinctively found my belly, his fingers tracing gentle circles that had a way of calming my thoughts.

"Are you still working?" I asked, glancing at the scattered documents on his desk.