Chapter 352: Aaron
Chapter 352: Aaron
[Sarah]
The dim light from my bedside lamp cast soft shadows across the room as Theodore settled beside me, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. I could feel the tension in my shoulders beginning to ease, though my guard remained up. This man had hurt me more than once, and I wouldn't be foolish enough to let my defenses down completely.
"I realize now that I don't know you well enough," Theodore said quietly, his voice cutting through the silence. "That's something I need to learn from."
I glanced at him sideways, noting the exhaustion etched in the lines around his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I made assumptions about you, about your character. I should have trusted my instincts instead of letting doubt cloud my judgment." He turned to face me, his ice-blue eyes searching mine. "May I... could I see your belly? I want to make sure you and the baby are okay after everything that's happened."
The request caught me off guard. There was something vulnerable in the way he asked, so different from his usual commanding tone. I hesitated for a moment before slowly lifting the hem of my maternity pajama top, exposing my rounded stomach.
Theodore's breath caught as he looked at our child growing inside me. Without asking permission, he gently placed his palm against my skin, his touch warm and surprisingly tender. The baby shifted, responding to the contact, and I saw Theodore's eyes widen in wonder.
"He's moving," he whispered, almost in awe.
I pulled my shirt back down and reached for my phone, suddenly feeling the need to share this moment with someone who would understand. While Theodore was in the bathroom brushing his teeth, I quickly snapped a photo of him through the doorway—he was shirtless, his hair slightly messed, looking nothing like the polished CEO the world knew.
Sarah: He's watching me like I'm some kind of fascinating science experiment
I sent the photo to Olivia, who replied almost immediately.
Olivia: OMG is that really Theodore Pierce??? He looks so... normal?
Sarah: LOL what exactly were you expecting?
Olivia: I don't know, something more Silicon Valley? This guy looks like he could be a regular dad worrying about his pregnant girlfriend. It's throwing off my entire "billionaire supervillain" mental filter.
Sarah: Complicated different. Are you and James home safe?
Olivia: Yeah, just got in. James is making his famous midnight grilled cheese. He says Theodore's lucky you're giving him another chance.
Sarah: I'm not giving him another chance. This is just about the baby.
Olivia: Sure it is. Get some sleep, mama. You need your rest.
I set my phone aside as Theodore approached the bed. "Turn off the light," I said softly.
The room plunged into darkness, and I felt the mattress shift as Theodore lay down beside me. For a moment, we both stayed carefully on our respective sides of the bed, but then I felt his arm slowly wrap around me, drawing me closer.
"You want to know what I want?" he murmured against my hair. "I want to give you everything you've ever dreamed of. Everything you want, everything you need—it's yours."
His words sent an unexpected warmth through my chest. "Theodore..."
"As long as you and our baby are healthy and safe, I don't need anything else," he continued, his voice thick with emotion. "That's all that matters to me now."
I closed my eyes, allowing myself to sink into his embrace. Despite everything that had happened between us, there was something deeply comforting about his solid presence behind me, his arm protectively curved around my belly where our child grew.
"We'll figure this out," I whispered into the darkness.
"Yes," he agreed simply. "We will."
---
I woke at seven-thirty to sunlight streaming through the windows and the sound of Theodore already moving around the room. My body felt rested for the first time in weeks.
Theodore was already reaching for his phone. "I'll have my assistant bring over some clothes and toiletries. What size do you wear now?"
"Theodore, you don't need to—"
"Sarah." He looked at me seriously. "Let me take care of these small things. Please."
I gave him my size, and within minutes he was speaking to someone on the phone with the efficiency that made him a successful CEO. When he hung up, he turned back to me.
"Actually, he says he already delivered everything last night. Mrs. Thompson has it all ready downstairs."
I blinked in surprise. "You planned this?"
A slight flush colored his cheeks. "I hoped."
After we'd both showered and dressed—Theodore in a fresh suit that had indeed been delivered, and me in comfortable maternity clothes that fit better than anything I currently owned—I found myself looking at the iPad where I'd been making lists the night before.
Theodore noticed my attention and glanced at the screen. "You were making a shopping list at two AM?"
"I couldn't sleep," I admitted. "I realized how unprepared I am. I need a hospital bag, baby clothes, a car seat..." The list felt overwhelming.
"We'll get everything today," Theodore said without hesitation. "I'll come with you."
"You don't have to—"
"I want to." His voice was firm. "Besides, I've been thinking about what you said yesterday. About custody arrangements."
I tensed slightly, waiting for him to try to renegotiate.
"I think the baby should be raised here, in your home, with both of us present," he continued. "If you're agreeable to that."
It wasn't what I'd expected him to say. The idea of him living here, of sharing daily parenting duties, was both appealing and terrifying. "That's a big change for you."
"I've made bigger changes for less important reasons," he said simply.
---
Three hours later, we sat in an upscale restaurant near the shopping district, surrounded by bags from Bloomingdale's and several high-end baby boutiques. Theodore had been surprisingly knowledgeable about car seat safety ratings and had insisted on buying two of everything—one set for my house, one for his apartment.
"You didn't need to buy me all the other things," I said, gesturing to the bags containing maternity clothes, comfortable shoes, and prenatal vitamins that cost more than my monthly grocery budget.
"They're necessities," Theodore replied calmly, cutting into his salmon. "You're carrying my child. Making sure you're comfortable isn't optional."
I was about to argue when our conversation turned to something I'd been avoiding thinking about.
"Have you thought about names?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual.
"I assumed the baby would take the Pierce name," Theodore said, then seemed to catch himself. "But that's negotiable."
"Actually, I was thinking about Aaron Sullivan," I said, testing the waters. "Aaron was my grandfather's name."
Theodore's expression shifted slightly. "Aaron Pierce has a nice ring to it too."
I felt a familiar flutter of irritation at his assumption, but then something unexpected happened. Theodore set down his fork and looked at me directly.
"Actually," he said slowly, "I think Aaron Sullivan sounds perfect."
I stared at him. "Really?"
"The Pierce name comes with a lot of baggage," he admitted, his voice taking on a harder edge. "My father made sure of that. If our child can grow up without carrying that weight..." He trailed off, but I could see the pain in his eyes.