Chapter 265 Love isn't Divided

Chapter 265 Love isn't Divided
Amelia's POV
Luke and I exchanged concerned glances. "Of course we do," Luke said softly. "Your feelings are important to us, sweetheart."
When she finally looked up, I was startled to see tears brimming in her green eyes. "I know it's... logical for you to want your own baby," she whispered. "I don't have any right to feel sad about it."
My heart broke at her words. I immediately moved to kneel beside her chair, taking her small hands in mine.
"Sophia, listen to me," I said firmly but gently. "You are our daughter. Not our 'adopted' daughter, not our 'rescue' daughter—our daughter, period. Nothing will ever change that."
"But what if..." her voice trembled, "what if it's a little girl too? You might not need me anymore."
Luke joined us, crouching on Sophia's other side. "That could never happen," he assured her, his voice thick with emotion. "Each of our children has their own special place in our hearts. No one could ever replace you, Sophia."
"I'm just scared," she admitted, a tear finally spilling over. "What if you love the baby more because it's really yours from the start?"
"Oh, sweetheart," I murmured, wiping her tear away. "That's not how love works. Love isn't divided—it multiplies. We don't have a limited amount to go around."
Lucas, who had been watching this exchange with growing concern, piped up. "Like how Mom loves both of us the same, even though I was here first!"
His innocent comment made everyone smile, easing the tension slightly.
"Exactly," I agreed, giving him an appreciative look. "And Sophia, do you know what else? You'll always be our first daughter. Nothing can ever change that special place you have in our family."
Sophia wiped at her eyes. "But what if the baby looks like both of you, and I look different? Everyone will know I don't really belong."
"You absolutely belong," Luke said with such conviction that even Sophia couldn't doubt him. "And you know what? I think you look just like Amelia sometimes, especially when you concentrate really hard on your math problems."
That earned us a wobbly smile. "Really?"
"Absolutely," I confirmed. "The way you furrow your brow? Exactly like me."
"And," Luke added, "I think you got your incredible math skills from me."
Sophia thought about this for a moment, then asked in a small voice, "Do you promise you won't love me less?"
"We promise," Luke and I said in unison, without hesitation.
"I don't even think that's possible," I added. "We love you more every day, not less."
Sophia took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Okay. I'll try not to worry about it."
"And anytime you do worry," Luke assured her, "you can talk to us. Deal?"
"Deal," she agreed quietly, some of the tension leaving her small shoulders.
Two weeks later, Luke and I were in his study at our mansion, waiting for our family doctor to arrive for our pre-conception consultation. Luke's leg bounced nervously as we sat on the comfortable leather sofa.
"You okay?" I asked, placing my hand on his knee.
He stopped bouncing and gave me a sheepish smile. "Just anxious, I guess. I want everything to be perfect."
"We're just getting checked out today," I reminded him. "One step at a time."
He nodded, then looked at me with sudden seriousness. "I've stopped drinking, by the way. Completely."
I raised my eyebrows. "You have? Since when?"
"Since the night you found the name book," he admitted. "I wasn't a heavy drinker anyway, but I read that it can affect... you know."
"Sperm quality," I finished for him, amused by his sudden shyness about reproductive terminology. "I didn't realize the big, bad CEO of Carter Group could get embarrassed talking about basic biology."
Luke's cheeks flushed slightly, which only encouraged me.
"What other terms make you blush?" I teased, leaning closer. "Ovulation? Fertilization? Or is it just the word... sperm?" I whispered the last word directly into his ear.
His eyes darkened in that way that always sent shivers down my spine. In one smooth motion, he caught my wrist and pulled me onto his lap.
"You think you're funny, Mrs. Carter?" he murmured, his lips dangerously close to my neck. "I can show you exactly how comfortable I am with the entire process."
His hand slid to my waist, fingers finding the edge of my blouse as his mouth moved to the sensitive spot below my ear.
"Luke!" I gasped, simultaneously wanting to push him away and pull him closer. "The doctor will be here any minute!"
His chuckle was low and promising. "Then I guess we'll have to continue this... conversation... later."
"I surrender," I laughed breathlessly, extracting myself from his embrace. "For now."
The heat in his eyes told me he was looking forward to resuming our "discussion" once we were alone.
"That's really sweet though," I said, composing myself and returning to his thoughtfulness. "I've started taking prenatal vitamins already. Our doctor recommended building up the nutrients before conception."
"We're really doing this," Luke said, a mixture of awe and excitement in his voice.
The family doctor was a distinguished older gentleman with kind eyes and an air of discretion that had earned him the trust of Ivywood's elite families for decades. After examining both of us thoroughly, he sat across from us in Luke's study, reviewing his notes.
"Mrs. Carter," he said, looking up at me with a professional smile, "overall your health is excellent, but I do have some concerns about your current physical condition for optimal conception."
My stomach tightened. "What do you mean?"
"You're slightly underweight for your height, and your body fat percentage is lower than ideal for conception and sustaining a healthy pregnancy." He adjusted his glasses. "It's not uncommon among women with your active lifestyle and demanding schedule."
Luke reached for my hand, squeezing it gently.
"What would you recommend?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I'd suggest gaining about eight to ten pounds before attempting conception. A more balanced routine with less stress would be beneficial as well." He looked between us. "I understand this may be challenging given your current commitments."