Chapter 28

**Zac**

It’s late into the evening when I finally finish grading all of my papers when I slowly move to stretch my limbs. My body stiff from sitting all evening as I looked over each and every one of them. Hoping to keep myself busy until Alyssia woke up.

Stretching once more, I move to set my pen down, my eye now glancing over towards a clock. 9:00 pm. Frowning, I move to head for the bedroom, the need to check on her rising. *She should have been up by now, it’s late,* I ponder, my bare feet padding along the floor of the apartment as I did.

Having changed into something a little more comfortable once putting Alyssia to bed I opted for a pair of jeans that typically hung low around my waist. Opting for zero shirt, I quickly decide that this is how I want to look within my own home. Because after all, my sweet princess had already seen me naked so being shirtless shouldn’t be a problem.

Smiling at the logic behind being shirtless, do I move to approach the room, noises moving to greet me from within. Concerned, I move to open the door, my body pausing in the door frame as I suddenly take in all of her beauty,

“You're awake. You had me worried there for a second when I found you leaning against my apartment door like that” I move to say, almost startling her as I did.

Alyssia’s focus now on me even as I move to approach her and the bed, self aware that her eyes were still gazing at me curiously only to avert them the closer I got to her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to”

Frowning at her apology, do I move to intercept her words only to see her still avoiding me even as I move to sit upon the bed with her. Her body reacting in a way that made it almost seem like she was still afraid of something or someone.

“Don’t” I hear myself saying to her, my hand now coming to cup her by the chin even as I move to turn her focus over towards me, her gaze now set on mine even as I continue speaking. “Don’t ever look away from me. I worry because I care. Because I love you.”

Watching the shock slowly make its way along her face I know that she doesn’t fully trust me there. But that was okay because I would spend forever with her. A piece of me always making sure that she knew. Tears beginning to rise as they did.

“Shh…” I coo gently.

“Easy sweet girl. I’m not mad I promise. After all, how could I be?” I ask her, hoping that she would see the smile now sitting upon my face. Hoping she would know that I knew she was pregnant with *our* child.

My eyes still watching her carefully even as she begins to nibble on her bottom lip. Something she only ever did when she was nervous. A habit. Something I would have to help break her of as our relationship grew.

Sighing, she slowly moves to exhale, her body slowly sagging before me as if she’s finally came to some big decision on her own. A small wave of fear now bubbling just beneath my surface at what it could possibly mean for me, for her and our unborn child in that given moment.

“Daddy… I’m-I’m Pregnant.”

Blinking at those words, I slowly begin to process what it was that she just told me. A part of me already knowing that she was because of Annabel. Yet, a part of me probably would’ve been floored by the sudden bomb being dropped if not for already knowing about it for about 2 weeks already, only having to wait patiently for her to tell me the truth when she was ready to tell me.

My excitement now short lived when I slowly catch her averting her gaze once more. A piece of me now wondering why she wasn’t more excited about this like I was because I was absolutely excited. Excited to finally be starting a family and with the woman I loved too.

*Is-Is she afraid?* I wonder, trying to understand the reasoning.

Carefully connecting the dots, I slowly begin to understand. She wasn’t only just scared of the unknown but scared of my reaction to all of this too. To think I could possibly be disgusted by everything and no longer want anything to do with her or the baby now made total sense within my mind.

Fuck. I needed to fix that. And now.

Cupping her chin with my hand, I move to suddenly kiss her. Hoping and praying that she would feel everything through that kiss. My efforts rewarded as she began to melt against me, our kiss becoming more the longer we continued.

Keeping the kiss as gentle as possible, I slowly try coaxing her just a little further. A soft moan rising as my reward when I slowly pull away from her. Our eyes finding one anothers almost instantly.

“There she is. My beautiful, sweet girl,” I whisper, still coaxing her out of her shell the best I could.

“Daddy?” calls Alyssia gently.

“Yes Princess?” I answer back.

“Are you mad at me? For not telling you sooner?” asks Alyssia.

“Mad? Why would I be mad?” I ask, curious as to why she would think that all of a sudden.

“Because I never told you. And for the fact I kept it hidden from you for about 2 weeks. Plus… I avoided you of all people when I should've come to you when I knew” admit Alyssia, almost embarrassed by that small realization of not telling me sooner.

“No Princess. I’m not mad at you. I could never be mad at you” I admit to her carefully. My voice soft even as my eyes move to show her just how serious I was about it all.

“But-”

“No buts. You're giving me the greatest gift that anyone could possibly ever give me. A child. Our child. A child in which will be loved by both of its parents and not just one or the other” I tell her, wanting her to know that I would never abandon her or our child for that matter.

“But.. I don’t know how to be a mother though” whispers Alyssia, her true emotions now clear as day upon her gorgeous face.

“And that’s okay Princess. We’ll learn as we go. We’ll learn together and what it means for both of us to become a mother and a father to this little one we now share, that I promise.”

Seeing the hesitation again, I move to offer her a sweet smile of my own. Hoping that she’d believe me only for her to nod her head in agreement.

Baby steps. Because that was all I could ask for with her.

Yet when finally deciding to shift gears do I move to keep on smiling before speaking, knowing she was still hesitant in everything thus far, “Are you hungry? You’ve slept all afternoon, you must be famished by now.”

Blushing at my words, she slowly moves to nod her head yes.

“Yes”

Returning the smile yet again, do I move to slowly stand up. Offering her my hand as I do.

“Perfect. Come I’ll cook us something to eat then.”

Nodding her head, she moves to stand up with me. Her belly growling in protest at not eating all day. A small chuckle rising as I move to guide her over towards the door and to where the kitchen was, content with her watching me as I move about it all while cooking us dinner.

“Anything special?” I ask, my body still bobbing around the spacious kitchen collecting items as needed.

“Um… no not really” answers Alyssia, her voice again hesitant when she speaks, making me pause in what I was doing.

“Princess?” I say, a little more sternly than I wanted it to be. “Don’t hold back. I told you before and I’ll tell you again, you're mine. You and our unborn child. Both my responsibility to care for and thus want to know how you feel and what you crave. Got it.”

“Yes”

“Yes what?”

“Yes Daddy”

“Good girl. Now then, what would you like to eat?”

“Spaghetti”

“Spaghetti it is then”

Then, as if nothing else truly mattered at that moment, I go about making spaghetti for my woman. Excitement filling the air at the thought of asking her to stay the weekend with me as well.