Chapter 158 CHAPTER 158:THE SIGNS
~Elara’s Pov~
Elara knew something was different before she could explain it.
It wasn’t dramatic.
There were no flashing signs, no sudden revelations.
Just… a quiet shift.
She woke up that morning feeling heavier in a way she couldn’t describe. Not physically heavy but aware. Aware of her body. Aware of something humming beneath the surface.
Wayne was still asleep beside her, his arm thrown lazily across her waist.
She stared at the ceiling.
Her chest felt tight.
Her stomach felt strange.
Not pain.
Just unfamiliar.
She slowly slid out of bed, careful not to wake him.
The bathroom light flicked on softly.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
“You’re overthinking,” she whispered.
But her body didn’t feel like it usually did.
She placed her hand over her lower abdomen instinctively.
It had only been a couple of weeks.
Too early.
Way too early.
And yet
She felt different.
By mid-morning, she realized it wasn’t just imagination.
The smell of coffee which she normally loved made her pause.
She stood in the kitchen doorway while Wayne poured himself a cup.
“You okay?” he asked casually.
She blinked.
“Yes.”
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
“You look pale.”
“I’m fine.”
He stepped closer, brushing his fingers against her forehead. “You’re not warm.”
“It’s nothing,” she insisted.
But as he lifted the mug toward his lips, the smell hit her again.
Her stomach flipped.
She turned abruptly and walked back toward the bedroom.
“Elara?” he called after her.
“I just need air,” she replied quickly.
In the bedroom, she sat down slowly.
Her heart was racing.
This is ridiculous.
It’s too soon.
It could be anything.
Stress.
Hormones.
Imagination.
But deep down…
There was a whisper.
Later that afternoon, she found herself staring at her phone calendar.
Her fingers hovered over the dates.
She counted once.
Then again.
Her breathing slowed.
She was late.
Not dramatically.
Just by a few days.
But she was rarely late.
Her heart started pounding so loudly she could hear it in her ears.
“No,” she muttered.
She stood up immediately, pacing the room.
It could be stress.
The hospital results.
The baby talk.
Her body reacting to pressure.
That had to be it.
Right?
Right?
Wayne found her in the living room later, sitting stiffly on the couch, hands clasped tightly together.
“You’ve been quiet all day,” he said gently.
She forced a small smile. “Have I?”
“Yes.”
He sat beside her.
“Talk to me.”
She hesitated.
Her instinct was to wait.
To be sure.
To not raise hope prematurely.
But he knew her too well.
“What’s wrong?” he asked softly.
She swallowed.
“I feel… off.”
His expression shifted instantly.
“Off how?”
“I don’t know. Just different.”
“Are you sick?”
“No.”
“Dizzy?”
“No.”
She looked down at her hands.
“I’m late.”
Silence.
Not heavy.
But sharp.
Wayne didn’t react immediately.
He processed.
“How late?” he asked carefully.
“A few days.”
He nodded slowly.
“That doesn’t mean”
“I know,” she cut in quickly. “I know it doesn’t mean anything.”
But her voice trembled.
He reached for her hands.
“Look at me.”
She did.
His face wasn’t overly excited.
Wasn’t panicked.
It was steady.
“Whatever this is,” he said calmly, “we don’t jump to conclusions.”
She nodded quickly.
“I don’t want to be disappointed.”
“You won’t be alone either way.”
Her eyes softened.
“I haven’t taken a test,” she admitted.
He squeezed her fingers.
“Do you want to?”
She hesitated.
“Yes.”
They went together.
Not dramatic.
Not talking much.
Just walking side by side like they were carrying something fragile between them.
At the pharmacy aisle, Elara stared at the row of pregnancy tests.
So many brands.
So many promises.
Fast results.
Early detection.
Digital clarity.
Her hand hovered over one box.
Wayne stood close but didn’t touch anything.
“You choose,” he said gently.
She picked one.
Then another.
Just in case.
He didn’t comment.
He simply paid.
Back home, her hands trembled slightly as she set the box on the bathroom counter.
Wayne leaned against the wall outside.
“Do you want me here?” he asked softly.
She nodded.
“Yes.”
She followed the instructions carefully.
Her heartbeat was deafening.
Then came the hardest part.
Waiting.
Three minutes.
Three minutes felt like an eternity.
She stared at the small stick on the counter like it might explode.
Wayne didn’t speak.
He just stood close.
Present.
When the timer on her phone buzzed, she froze.
She couldn’t move.
Wayne looked at her.
“Elara.”
“I can’t.”
He stepped closer.
“Then I will.”
She nodded faintly.
He picked it up.
His eyes scanned it once.
Then again.
He didn’t speak.
Her breath caught.
“Wayne.”
He slowly looked up at her.
His expression was unreadable.
“Say something,” she whispered.
He walked toward her slowly.
And turned the test around.
Two lines.
Clear.
Unmistakable.
Positive.
For a moment, there was no sound.
No tears.
No screams.
Just shock.
Elara stared at it.
Her vision blurred slightly.
“Is that…” she began.
“Yes.”
Her knees felt weak.
Wayne caught her gently before she could sit down too quickly.
“Breathe,” he whispered.
“I” Her voice broke.
He cupped her face.
“You’re pregnant.”
The word hung in the air.
Pregnant.
Her hand instinctively moved to her stomach.
It didn’t feel different yet.
But everything felt different.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I wasn’t ready for it to be real this fast.”
He let out a shaky breath that sounded half like a laugh.
“Neither was I.”
She looked up at him.
“You’re not scared?”
“I’m terrified.”
That made her laugh through her tears.
He pulled her into his arms.
And this time, they both shook slightly.
Not from fear.
From the magnitude of it.
They sat on the edge of the bed afterward.
The test between them.
Elara kept staring at it like it might change.
“Are you sure?” she asked quietly.
“We can take another one,” he said immediately.
She nodded.
They did.
And again
Two lines.
Clear.
Certain.
This time, the tears came fully.
Wayne wiped her cheeks gently.
“You’re really crying now,” he murmured softly.
“I don’t know how to feel.”
“Then don’t decide yet.”
She laughed weakly.
“I thought I’d scream or jump or something.”
He smiled faintly.
“Sometimes happiness is quiet.”
She leaned against his chest.
“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“What if something goes wrong?”
He rested his chin against her head.
“We take it one day at a time.”
She placed his hand gently over her stomach.
“It’s so small.”
“Right now,” he whispered.
Her heart fluttered.
He knelt slightly in front of her, eye level.
“Elara.”
She looked at him.
“You don’t carry this alone.”
She nodded.
“And if at any point you feel overwhelmed, you tell me.”
“I will.”
He smiled softly.
“You’re going to be incredible.”
She wiped her eyes again.
“You’re going to cry when you hold the baby.”
“I am not.”
“You are.”
He chuckled.
“Maybe.”
They didn’t tell anyone.
They didn’t post anything.
They didn’t even say the word pregnant again for a while.
They just lay in bed facing each other.
His hand resting gently over her abdomen.
Not pressing.
Just there.
Protective.
“You feel different already,” he murmured.
“How?”
“You look… softer.”
She smiled faintly.
“Is that a compliment?”
“Yes.”
She reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers.
“I can’t believe this.”
“I can.”
She raised a brow.
“You believed this before I did.”
He shrugged slightly.
“I just had a feeling.”
She exhaled slowly.
“So this is it.”
“This is it.”
There was no dramatic music.
No fireworks.
Just the quiet understanding that life had shifted.
Irreversibly.
And as Elara closed her eyes, she whispered softly
“Hi, baby.”
Wayne tightened his arm around her slightly.
And for the first time since they started hoping—
Hope had turned into heartbeat.