Chapter 64 MY SISTERS ARE WITCHES

Chapter 64 MY SISTERS ARE WITCHES
I guess my sisters really did have some kind of psychic connection to my ovaries, because the "jet lag" I thought I had was actually a whole human being making itself at home.
It was a Tuesday morning, and I was at the hospital for a boring, routine checkup. I just wanted to make sure my iron levels were fine after eating basically nothing but carbs in Italy. My doctor, Dr. Aris, has been seeing my family since I was a kid. She’s the only person who doesn't get intimidated by my mom’s "Simmons" energy.
"So, Althea, everything looks great," she said, looking over her tablet. "But since you mentioned that little stomach bug at brunch, I ran a full panel. Including a pregnancy test."
I laughed, leaning back on the crinkly paper of the exam table. "Honestly, Doc, save your time. My sisters have been manifesting that for weeks, but it's just espresso and travel stress. I'm definitely not—"
"You're three weeks along, Althea."
The world didn't stop. The room didn't spin. It just felt like someone had hit the mute button on the entire universe. I stared at her, my mouth slightly open.
"I’m… what?"
"You're pregnant," she said with a warm smile, turning her screen around to show me some numbers that looked like gibberish but apparently meant my life was changing forever. "It’s very early, which explains why you just feel a bit tired and off your food. But yeah. Congratulations, you’re going to be a mom."
I didn't cry immediately. I just sat there. Three weeks. That meant the Maldives. That meant the quiet nights on the balcony. That meant the "First Day of Forever" was literally the start of a whole new person.
When I walked out to my car, I felt like I was walking on air. I didn't call my mom. I didn't text Rose. For the first time in my life, I had a secret that belonged only to me and Rowan, and I wanted to keep it that way for at least a few more hours.
On the way home, my brain was going a thousand miles a minute. I couldn't just blurt it out while he was playing video games or checking emails. This was the biggest "receipt" of our lives. It needed to be perfect.
I stopped at a high-end boutique and bought a tiny, neutral-colored knit set—a little sweater and matching booties that were so small they looked like they were for a doll. Then, I went to a florist and grabbed a bunch of white lilies, Rowan’s favorite.
When I got to our new house, the silence felt different. It didn't feel empty anymore. It felt like it was waiting.
I spent the afternoon setting up the vibe. I cleared off the coffee table in our private sunroom and laid out the tiny clothes. I put the ultrasound photo—just a tiny, tiny little dot—right in the center. I lit a few candles that smelled like vanilla and sea salt, and I ordered his favorite takeout from that one place downtown that never misses.
I was shaking the whole time. Not because I was scared, but because I was so excited I felt like I was going to explode. Every time I looked at the little booties, I got this weird, fluttery feeling in my chest that had nothing to do with anxiety and everything to do with love.
Rowan got home around 6:30 p.m. I heard his keys in the door, and my heart started doing backflips.
"Althea? I’m home!" he called out. "I brought those pastries you like, the ones without the lemon filling since you said lemon was 'offensive' to you this morning."
I stood in the doorway of the sunroom, trying to act normal. "In here, babe!"
He walked in, loosening his tie, looking a little tired from a long day at the office. He stopped when he saw the candles and the setup. He gave me a confused, cute little smile.
"What’s all this? Is it our one-month-and-one-day anniversary or something?" he joked, walking toward me.
"Not exactly," I said, my voice a little hitched. "I just… I went to the doctor today. For that checkup."
Rowan’s face immediately went into protective mode. He dropped his bag and took my hands. "Wait, is everything okay? Did the tests come back weird? Are you sick?"
"I'm not sick," I whispered, leading him toward the table. "I'm just… very occupied."
I pointed to the little knit sweater and the tiny black-and-white photo.
Rowan looked down. He stayed silent for a long time. He picked up the ultrasound photo, holding it like it was made of thin glass. He looked at the photo, then at the tiny booties, then back at me.
"Althea?" his voice was barely a whisper. "Is this… is this real?"
"Three weeks," I said, a tear finally escaping and rolling down my cheek. "You’re going to be a dad, Rowan. For real this time. No drama, no swaps, just ours."
Rowan didn't say anything. He just dropped the photo and pulled me into his arms, lifting me off the ground. He buried his face in my neck, and I could feel him shaking. When he finally pulled back, his eyes were completely red.
"A baby," he breathed, a massive, goofy grin breaking across his face. "We’re having a baby. A little us."
"A little us," I agreed, laughing through my tears. "My sisters are going to be so annoying about this. They’re never going to let me live down the 'glow' comments."
Rowan laughed, kissing me over and over. "Let them be annoying. Let the whole world be annoying. I don't care. We’re starting our own family, Althea. A real one."
We spent the rest of the night sitting on the floor of the sunroom, eating our takeout and talking about things that felt a million miles away just yesterday.
"We need a nursery," Rowan said, already looking around the house like he was planning a renovation. "The room next to ours gets the best morning light. We can paint it something calm. No 'Simmons Gold,' okay? Just something normal."
"Deal," I laughed. "And no Pierce-level security guards in the hallway. I want our kid to actually be able to play."
"I’ll try my best," he promised, leaning back against the sofa. "But you know your mom is going to try and buy the kid a private jet before it can even crawl."
"Oh, 100%," I said. "She’s probably already looking at baby Chanel bags as we speak. We are going to have to set some serious boundaries."
We sat there in the candlelight, just us. It was the most peaceful I had ever felt. All the stuff we had been through—the fake Jane, the mess with Alan, the fear of the Pierce name—it all felt like it had led us right here. Like we had to go through all that chaos just to appreciate how beautiful this quiet moment was.
"Are you scared?" Rowan asked quietly, taking my hand.
"A little," I admitted. "I want to be a good mom. I want our kid to grow up knowing they’re loved for who they are, not because of their last name."
"They will," Rowan said firmly. "Because they have you. And because we’re doing this together."
I looked at the tiny sweater on the table. It was so small, but it represented everything we had fought for. It was a new legacy. A real one. One built on truth instead of secrets.
My phone buzzed on the table. It was a text from Rose.
“Just saw a TikTok about how nausea is a sign of a girl. Just saying! CALL ME BACK.”
I looked at the phone and then at Rowan. I didn't pick it up.
"Let her wait," I said, leaning my head on his shoulder. "This is our news for now."
"Best secret we’ve ever had," Rowan agreed.
As we sat there in our new home, the world outside felt small. The rumors, the boardrooms, and the legacy didn't matter. All that mattered was the tiny heartbeat that was officially the newest member of the Simmons-Pierce family.
And for the first time in my life, I wasn't worried about the next chapter. I was just happy to be exactly where I was.