"I stayed up all night terrified you'd ask for a divorce. I barely fell asleep at five AM, only to be woken at eight when they came looking for you."

Ethan's voice was heavy with exhaustion, his eyelids like lead weights. He forced them open, unwilling to miss a single nuance of her expression.

"Let's go."

Jenna's heart skipped. She hadn't expected him to care so deeply about her absence.

She mattered this much to him.

Back in their bedroom, Jenna lay quietly beside him. Ethan fell asleep instantly, his arm locked around her waist. She didn't dare move, afraid to disturb him.

Sunlight slanted westward as Jenna drifted into a light doze.

When she opened her eyes again, the wall clock read 3 PM.

"Oh no," Jenna murmured. "I'll never sleep tonight."

Ethan rubbed his eyes as he sat up, his voice rough with sleep. "What time is it?"

"Three," Jenna said, sitting up beside him. "You missed work this morning. Still going in?"

"Light schedule today." He threw off the covers. "Just need to splash some water on my face."

The cold water finally chased away his drowsiness.

Jenna waited in the living room. "If you're not going to the office, come to the orchard with me."

"Okay." Ethan headed to the kitchen. "Let me grab some water first."

He drained the glass in one go. Jenna stood by the entryway with her bag, watching him wipe droplets from his lips.

......

Two weeks later, Grandma Blanche's late-night call shattered the bedroom's tranquility.

"The wedding photo studio is booked." Ethan hung up and turned to Jenna. "When are you free?"

"That's my line." Jenna bit her lip. "You're the busy one... Actually, I need to visit the hospital tomorrow."

Ethan's spine went rigid. "Are you sick?"

His gaze suggested he was seconds away from dialing 911.

"My period's two weeks late, and I've been exhausted." Jenna avoided his intense stare. "Online says it could be hormonal imbalance. Just want to check."

Ethan exhaled in relief.

"I'll go with you."

"No, you have meetings." Jenna insisted. "Stella can take me."

What she couldn't say aloud: What if it's something worse...

Ethan's brow furrowed, but he yielded to her stubborn expression. "Call me immediately if anything's wrong."

As night deepened, Jenna stared at the ceiling, fingers twisting the sheets.