Laura looks different than when I last saw her. She’s dyed her hair back to its natural mousy brown. To me, she looks no less vibrant than before. Her story lies behind her eyes, not in the color of her hair. I can see the fire in them when she stares me down. I know she’s angry with me.

I’d be angry, too.

Laura’s hand hovers above the first dotted line, but she doesn’t sign. She’s biting down on her lip like something’s on her mind.

She slams the pen down on the table and shakes her head. “I can’t do this.”

I frown. “What’s wrong?”

Laura turns toward me. Her face has drained of all color. She looks petrified. “There’s something I need to tell you. I should have told you a long time ago, but I couldn’t find the right time.” She raises her eyes to meet mine. “I’m pregnant.”

The room starts spinning around me. My mind is running over every time we had sex. Did we use protection? Did we not use protection? I can recall getting lost in the heat of the moment and not thinking about contraception. It’s possible.

Does it matter now?

“I know you probably don’t believe me,” Laura says softly. “Why would I wait until now to tell you, right?”

She disappears into the bathroom and comes back with a shoebox filled with dozens of used pregnancy tests. She lays them down on the coffee table and steps back.

“I’ve done the tests, like, a hundred times. I’ve got more packs in my bathroom. I’ll pee on one right now if you want me to.”

I pick up the first test from the pile. Two thin blue lines mean a positive result. I pick up another. This one’s digital and spells out as clear as day, the word “Pregnant.” I pick up stick after stick. By the fifth or sixth one, I don’t need any more evidence. I jump up to my feet joyfully and sweep Laura up into my arms. “I think these tests are a hundred percent accurate. This is wonderful news.”

Her voice breaks into a sob, and she clings to me. “I thought you’d be angry.”

I pick up one of the discarded tests and look at the positive result again. I feel lighter than air. All my dreams of being a father are becoming a reality right now. Even better, Laura is the mother of my child. If there were ever such a thing as fate, I feel it pushing us toward each other now.

“It’s the opposite of anger. I’m thrilled.”

“What about Alice?”

“I told you, we’re done.”

“Madeleine at the hospital said you always get back together in the end.”

“She didn’t know the whole story.”

“You don’t have to stick around just because I’m pregnant.” Laura straightens up proudly, protecting her stomach with a hand across a belly that hasn’t even started to swell. “I’m going to keep it, but I’m prepared to raise the baby alone. I’ve thought about it a lot.”

“Ssh, ssh.” I quiet her gently. “You’re not doing anything alone. I’m going to move to Illinois.”

Laura’s mouth falls open in shock. “Are you kidding?”

“No. I don’t want to miss a single thing.”

“But your life is in Michigan.”

Visions of the perfect life are dancing in front of my eyes. I’ve loved Laura since the moment I laid eyes on her. She’s going to bring another wonder into my life. I don’t want to be anywhere else in the world. Regardless of whether or not my problems with Alice really were caused by distance, I won’t let the same mistakes happen with Laura. I’m going to be by her side every step of the way if she’ll have me.

“Not anymore. Laura, this is amazing.”

Her smile is wide and contagious. She laughs through her tears. “As easy as that? I’ve been killing myself over whether I should tell you for such a long time.”

“How long have you known?”

She hangs her head slightly. “About six weeks. I’m seven weeks along. I found out early.”

I put a hand to my head in disbelief, stumbling back in surprise. “You’re almost done with your first trimester. Did you think I wouldn’t be there for you? Did you think I’d tell you to get rid of it?”

She blinks, and a couple of tears roll down her cheeks. Her eyes are red. Her expression is both scared and relieved. She looks like someone who’s just found out the worst thing they could imagine isn’t going to happen after all.

“I thought you’d try to hide it,” she confesses. “I thought you’d keep me in the shadows and carry on your life with Alice.”

My heart sinks. I can’t blame Laura for predicting that. I didn’t behave in a way that would make her think I was reliable. I step up and take her shoulders in my hands, holding onto her firmly, and dipping at the knees to meet her eye. “You won’t be doing this alone. You won’t be in the shadows. I’m not going to keep this a secret. Hell, I’m going to be shouting it from the rooftops.”

I pace around Laura’s small apartment in excitement. “I’ve got to call the office. I’m going to take the rest of my leave in one hit so I can move over here. Once I’m settled in, I’ll take a break from work while we prepare for the baby.”

Laura lowers herself onto the seat of the sofa, looking slightly shell-shocked. On her face is an absent, uncertain smile.

“Adam, you don’t have to do all this. I’m not going to keep you from seeing your child. You don’t have to try and stay on my good side thinking I’m going to drive a wedge between you and the baby.”

I stand in front of her. “What do you mean?”

“You’re dropping everything. You’re talking like we’re going to be together.”

My idea of a perfect life crumbles. After hearing the news of the pregnancy, I never considered the possibility that Laura wouldn’t want to be with me. But nothing has really changed. I still dragged her along through the shards of my broken relationship with Alice. I still hid her from my ex-fiancée. I still begged her to travel with me, then went back to another woman. How could I ever expect her to forgive me for everything I’ve put her through?

I drop to my knees in front of her and take both her hands in mine. I look up into her sweet, hurt face, and hope she can see the earnest in my eyes.

“You are the only thing I want.”