AVA'S POV
There are moments when silence feels like the loudest sound in the room.
I sat in the softly lit living room, my fingers resting gently over the curve of my belly.
The house had grown quiet again, filled only with the low hum of the heater and the gentle tick of the clock on the mantle. Even the wind outside seemed to pause, letting me breathe.
I could still hear Ethan's voice in my head from earlier today, his steady tone as he stood before the cameras, gently holding my hand, sharing our story with the world. We hadn't planned it to be that big.
It started with a small update at a charity function and ended with our photograph plastered across news outlets, the caption reading: "Ethan Kingsley and Ava Monroe Expecting Their First Child."
We didn't know it would catch fire so fast.
