I stepped into the night, the cool air finally bleeding the heat from my skin.
Alina stayed close, her arm looped through mine, her head resting against my shoulder like she had nowhere else to be. The city hummed around us, but in that stretch of sidewalk, it felt strangely quiet.
Alina was a warm weight at my side, her arm hooked firmly through mine as she rested her head on my shoulder.
I leaned my head against hers, breathing in the crisp autumn scent of her perfume beneath the lingering smoke and grilled meat from the restaurant.
"I still can't believe it," I murmured, "Zoey's pregnant. How could I have missed it?"
For the first time since I had married her, we were actually having a light conversation. There were no sharp teases, no veiled jokes. Every word she spoke felt heavy with a sincerity I wasn't used to hearing from her.
"Should we try for one, too?"
The question hit me like a physical jolt.
I stopped walking and pulled back slightly, staring down at her.
