Chapter 88

FREYA

Tiny giggles filled the living room as Gia twirled in front of me, her favorite pink tutu flaring out around her. Her curls bounced with every step, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She had been unusually chatty all afternoon, practically bursting with something she wanted to share.

"Oh, there's your daddy," I said playfully, as I spotted Aiden walking into the room.

He looked effortlessly handsome, with that air of calm confidence that still made my heart skip. "What are my girls up to?" he asked, his voice warm as he bent down to kiss my forehead.

I grinned, looking at Gia. "You wanna tell Daddy what you just told me?"

Gia hesitated, looking shy. She peered up at Aiden, her fingers twisting the hem of her tutu. "What is it?" Aiden asked, looking between us with a raised eyebrow and piqued interest.

Gia took a breath and leaned closer to me before saying, "I kissed Owen."

The look on Aiden's face was priceless. He looked frozen, his brow furrowed, as if for a moment he couldn't process a word. "You what?"

"I kissed Owen. On the cheek," Gia repeated blandly, her voice sweet and firm, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Who's Owen?" Aiden's voice sharpened, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"A boy in her class. She's in love with him," I said, unable to resist adding fuel to the fire.

"You cannot kiss Owen," Aiden said to Gia, his voice both bossy and amazed.

"Why not? He's adorable. I like him," Gia said with the innocence only a seven-year-old possesses.

I burst out laughing at the horrified expression on Aiden's face. He looked as though someone had dropped a bombshell in the middle of his perfectly ordered world. His mouth opened and closed, searching for words that wouldn't come.

Gia, perhaps sensing his discomfort, turned on her heel and dashed off to her room, her cheeks red with embarrassment.

Aiden gazed after her for a second before turning back to me, his jaw clenching. "Where does this Owen live?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

I crossed my arms, still grinning. "Why? You're going to go to his house and terrorize a little kid?"

"Well, if I have to," he said, completely serious.

"No, you don't. It's just a kiss on the cheek," I said, shaking my head at his overprotectiveness.

"She's seven. She shouldn't be kissing anybody," he said, his voice rising to a pitch I'd never heard from him before.

"Oh, it's just a harmless crush," I said, leaning back against the couch. "It'll be worth watching when she turns a teenager and starts dating."

"She's not dating that early," Aiden exclaimed, his eyes wide with panic.

"Everyone dates in their teenage years," I countered, amused by his naiveté.

"Well, she won't. She will date once she's forty," he declared resolutely.

"Yeah, right," I said, rolling my eyes but smiling at his ridiculousness.

Aiden came closer and knelt beside me. His hand lay gently on my belly. At seven months pregnant, I was as big as a house and could constantly feel the baby move. "I hope this is a boy," he said, his voice softer now. "I won't be able to take the stress of yet another girl."

I laughed, covering his hand with mine. "You say that now, but you'll be wrapped around this one's finger the same way you are with Gia. Boy or girl."

He grinned, but his gaze lingered on me, more serious now. "What's wrong?" he asked, sensing the shift in my mood before I could speak.

I hesitated, nibbling on my lower lip. It wasn't easy to put my feelings into words, but they had been gnawing at me for weeks. "I'm so scared," I finally admitted, my voice barely a whisper.

"Why?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

"Because everything is going so great," I told him, "and I just don't know. I keep thinking something's going to go wrong at any second."

Aiden's hand gripped mine, anchoring me back to reality. His eyes softened, filled with a certitude I desperately wished for myself. "It won't," he said clearly. "Believe me, we've crossed all the hurdles. Now we're going to be happy. We have Gia, we're having another baby, we'll get married. Everything's going to be perfect, and we're going to be happy."

Just then, the baby kicked—that strong, purposeful motion made me laugh amidst my fear. "Oh, the baby agrees," I said, my smile restored.

Aiden chuckled as his hand felt the kick. "That's my little one," he said in wonder.

For a moment, we just sat there, and the chaos of the world faded away as we focused on the life we were building. But then, because Aiden could never let things go, he said, "I still want to meet this Owen kid."

I groaned, laughing as I swatted his shoulder. "Leave the poor boy alone."

"Not a chance," he muttered, though the grin on his face told me he was half-teasing. At least, I hoped he was.

Gia peeked her head back into the room, her face still a little pink but curious. "Is Daddy mad at me?"

"Never," Aiden said immediately, holding out his arms. She paused for a moment before running into them, giggles resurfacing as he lifted her off the ground.

Watching them together, I felt a warmth that chased away my fears, at least for now. This was my family. My imperfect, overprotective, sometimes ridiculous family.

And despite my worries, I knew Aiden was right. We were going to be okay.