CHAPTER 25 — THE SECOND SEED
A year after their trip to Paris, when Clara was three, Emily stood in the bathroom holding a small plastic stick. She watched as two distinct pink lines materialized through the chemical window.
She wasn't afraid.
Her heart beat fast, but it was the rapid thumping of excitement, not the cold dread of past trauma. She walked out into the living room, where Ethan was building a elaborate tower of wooden blocks with Clara.
“Daddy, look! Big tower!” Clara shouted, balancing a green block on the top.
“Very big, sweetie,” Ethan laughed, then looked up as Emily approached. He noticed the look on her face immediately—the soft, glowing smile, the slight tears in her eyes.
He stood up, his gaze dropping to her hand, which she held behind her back. “Emily?”
She brought her hand forward, showing him the test.
Ethan froze, his eyes widening. He looked at the test, then at Emily, then down at Clara, who was currently knocking the block tower down with a loud crash.
“Are you... is it...?” he stammered, his voice losing its usual stability.
“We’re going to need a bigger stroller,” Emily smiled.
Ethan closed the distance between them in a single step, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around gently, mindful of the life beginning inside her. He buried his face in her neck, his shoulders shaking with silent, happy sobs.
This time, there was no anxiety about what could go wrong. There was no shadow of an abusive family member lurking in the background. There was only the pure, unadulterated joy of expanding their family.
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Clara ran over, wrapping her small arms around their legs. “Group hug! Group hug!” she cheered, wanting to be included in the emotion she didn't quite understand yet.
They knelt down, bringing their daughter into the embrace. They were a circle, complete and unbroken. The new pregnancy was not a replacement for what they had suffered; it was a continuation of their victory.
