Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Richard

pov.

The morning was off to a slow start, but I didn't mind. Sarah looked like she needed the extra few minutes in bed.

I watched her for a moment, her hand resting on her growing belly, her hair messy from sleep. It hit me again, like it had been hitting me every day for months now: I was going to be a dad. "Richard," she mumbled, her eyes barely open. "Don't stare. It's creepy."

I chuckled, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "It's not staring, it's admiring. Totally different."

She groaned, throwing the blanket over her head. "Go admire the coffee machine."

She wasn't wrong. We had a hospital pre-registration appointment later, and I figured a cup of coffee might help me face the mountain of paperwork that probably awaited us.

The hospital was about as inviting as hospitals could be-sterile, bright, and slightly intimidating.

We sat in a small office, and a nurse handed us a clipboard full of forms. I took one look at the stack and whistled.

"Looks like they want my entire life story," I joked, flipping through the pages. "I'm surprised they didn't ask what I had for breakfast in 1997."

Sarah shot me a look that said, Behave, but the corner of her mouth twitched. "Just fill it out, Richard."

I tried to focus, but the questions felt overwhelming. Name, address, emergency contacts, insurance information-it all seemed so official, so adult.

"Do you think they'll still let us take the baby home if I accidentally spell something wrong?" I muttered, scribbling my signature.

"Richard," she said, this time full-on smiling, "you're not getting out of this with sarcasm. Keep writing."

I could tell she was a little

at her.

but didn't meet my eyes.

filling out those forms, it hit me how close we were to this

and gave us

we should frame it, our first official parenting paperwork. Sarah rolled her eyes, but she

dinner while Sarah rested at home. The place smelled amazing,

looked up to see Greg, an old friend, grinning at me. He looked a little

glad to see him. "Man, it's been

good," he said, leaning against the counter. "Married, three kids now. Life's chaos, but you know, in a good

raised an eyebrow. "Three kids? You're braver than me. We're just gearing up

the kind of belly laugh that made everyone around smile. "Oh, man, you're in for it. But it's

stories-how his youngest once painted the dog with peanut butter, how he'd accidentally put a diaper on

said, wiping his eyes. "Because

comforting, hearing his stories. Parenting wasn't

maybe that was okay.

my shoulder. "You'll do fine, Richard. Just remember: no one knows what they're doing. You figure it out

over her legs and a soft glow from the lamp beside her. She looked up when I came in, her face lighting

it," I teased,

container.

of forks scraping against plastic the only noise in the

since the hospital, and I could tell something was on her

made it feel... close,