Chapter 45 #45

Chapter 45 #45
Chapter 45
~Shailyn~

I stood there, frozen, staring at the house that was supposed to be mine. That was supposed to hold four years of memories I couldn't access.

"Home," I repeated, the word feeling strange on my tongue.

It should have felt familiar. It should have triggered something, warmth, recognition, a sense of belonging. Instead, I just felt... empty. Like looking at a stranger's house in a magazine.

"Come on," Dante said gently, guiding me toward the front door. "Let's go inside."

My legs moved on autopilot, following him up the stone pathway. Everything about the exterior was perfect, the landscaping, the modern architecture, the expensive cars visible in the garage. This was clearly the home of successful people.

But it didn't feel like mine.

Dante pulled out a key and unlocked the door, then turned to me with a smile. "Ready?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

He pushed the door open and stepped aside, letting me enter first.

The interior was just as impressive as the exterior. High ceilings, an open floor plan, expensive furniture arranged with obvious care. Everything was pristine, perfectly decorated in neutral tones with pops of color. Abstract art on the walls. A grand piano in the corner of what looked like a living room.

It was beautiful.

It was also completely unfamiliar.

"What do you think?" Dante asked, coming to stand behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders.

"It's beautiful," I said honestly. "Really beautiful."

"You helped design most of it," he said, and I could hear the pride in his voice. "You spent months picking out furniture, choosing colors, making sure everything was perfect."

Did I? I thought, looking around again. Because nothing about this place felt like something I would choose. The colors were too cold, too impersonal. Where were the warm touches? The personal items? The things that made a house feel lived in?

"Let me give you a tour," Dante said, taking my hand. "Maybe being here will trigger some memories."

We walked through the ground floor, the living room with its uncomfortable-looking designer sofa, the dining room with a table that could seat twelve, the kitchen with top-of-the-line appliances that looked like they'd barely been used.

"We had our first dinner party here," Dante said as we passed through the dining room. "Remember? We invited some colleagues from SentientIQ. You made that amazing pasta dish."

I shook my head. "I don't remember."

"That's okay," he said quickly. "We'll make new memories."

We moved upstairs, and Dante showed me the master bedroom, another perfectly decorated space that felt more like a hotel room than somewhere two people in love would sleep.

"This is our room," Dante said. "Your side of the closet is on the left. Mine's on the right."

I walked over to the closet he'd indicated and opened it. Rows of clothes stared back at me, designer labels, expensive fabrics. But looking at them, I felt the same disconnect I'd felt at the manor. These didn't feel like my clothes.

"There's something else I want to show you," Dante said, his voice taking on a different quality. Excited. Almost nervous. "The real surprise."

He took my hand again and led me back into the hallway. We walked past two other doors before stopping in front of a third door at the end of the hall.

This door was different from the others. It had a small decorative sign hanging on it that read "Coming Soon" with little stars around the words.

"Close your eyes," Dante said.

"What?"

"Just trust me. Close your eyes."

I did, feeling foolish but also curious. I heard him open the door, and heard his footsteps as he moved inside.

"Okay," he said after a moment. "You can look now."

I opened my eyes and gasped.

It was a nursery. A complete, fully decorated baby nursery.

The walls were painted a soft sage green with white accents. A beautiful white crib sat in the center of the room, already made up with the softest-looking bedding I'd ever seen. There was a rocking chair in the corner, a changing table stocked with diapers and supplies, shelves already filled with books and toys.

"Dante," I breathed, stepping into the room. "When did you... how did you..."

"I've been working on it," he said, coming to stand beside me. "I wanted it to be a surprise. I wanted you to see that I'm serious about this. About us. About our family."

I walked slowly around the room, taking in every detail. The mobile hanging above the crib with little stars and moons. The growth chart on the wall. The stuffed animals arranged perfectly on a shelf.

It was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

"Do you like it?" Dante asked, and there was genuine anxiety in his voice.

"I love it," I said, and I meant it. "It's perfect. Really perfect."

"Yeah?" He came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, his hands splaying over my stomach. "I wanted our baby to have the best of everything. Just like their mother deserves the best of everything."

I leaned back into him, feeling tears prick at my eyes. This was what I'd wanted. A husband who loved me. A baby on the way. A beautiful home and nursery.

So why did something still feel wrong?

"There's more," Dante said, his breath warm against my ear. "Look in the closet."

I moved to the small closet in the corner and opened it. Inside were rows and rows of baby clothes. Tiny onesies in every color. Little shoes no bigger than my thumb. Blankets and hats and outfits that looked like they'd been chosen with meticulous care.

"Dante, this is too much," I said, turning to look at him. "The baby isn't even born yet."

"Nothing is too much for our baby," Dante said firmly. "Nothing."

“I love you”. I said.

“I love you too baby, so much.” He responded 

Suddenly, my phone rang, cutting through the moment. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the screen.

Unknown number.

"Hello?" I answered, pressing the phone to my ear.

Heavy breathing. 

"Hello?."

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone, my hand shaking.

"Who was that?" Dante asked, his voice sharp.

"I... I don't know," I said. "Wrong number, I think."

But even as I said it, the words from the mysterious caller echoed in my head.

I looked around the perfect nursery, at the perfect house, at my perfect husband standing there watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

And I wondered, with growing dread, who was that?