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."

though, and I could tell

at her. "You

but didn't meet my eyes. "Just feels...

we were to

and gave us a little

should frame it, our first official parenting paperwork. Sarah

The place smelled amazing, and I found myself

see Greg, an old friend, grinning at me. He looked a little older, a little rounder, but still the same easy going guy

shook his hand, genuinely glad to see him. "Man, it's been years. How've you

kids now. Life's chaos, but you

We're just gearing

the kind of belly laugh that made everyone around smile. "Oh, man,

how he'd accidentally put a diaper on backward in the middle of the

said, wiping his eyes. "Because if you don't, you'll cry, and

was weirdly comforting, hearing his stories. Parenting

maybe that was okay.

food was ready, Greg patted my shoulder. "You'll do fine, Richard. Just remember: no one knows what they're doing. You figure it out as you

legs and a soft glow from the lamp beside her. She looked up when I came in, her face lighting up at the sight of the takeout bags. "You're a hero," she said,

I teased, handing her

container.

comfortable silence for a while, the sounds of forks scraping

after a while. She'd been quiet since the hospital, and I could tell something

chewing thoughtfully. "Just thinking. Today made it feel... close,