The next morning, the city was still asleep when Tiana woke. A soft gray light seeped through her bedroom window, catching the dust in the air like it had something to say. She lay there for a while, one hand resting on her stomach, trying to decide whether the flutters she felt were real or imagined.
She hadn't dreamed about the baby, but she had dreamed about Leo.
They were on a beach. Not one she recognized just sand and wind and the sound of waves. He was laughing, barefoot, holding a tiny pair of shoes in his hands. She was running toward him, but no matter how fast she moved, she never got closer. She woke up before she reached him.
By the time she made it to the kitchen, the kettle was already screaming. She hadn't even remembered turning it of.
She poured hot water over a tea bag and
stared out the window, watching a delivery truck double-park across the street. Normal life, still happening, like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
Her phone buzzed again. She glanced down, half-expecting Leo's name, but it wasn't him.
Mom? "good morning'.
Where you expecting your daddy to call you? Morning.
Call me when you're up. I had a dream about fish so, obviously, someone's pregnant. She said.
Tiana rolled her eyes. Mother's and their dream prophecies. She hadn't told her mother yet. She hadn't told anyone, really not fully. Leo didn't count. He was in it, whether he wanted to be or not. After a sip of tea, she opened her messages. Still nothing from Leo.
She didn't know why she cared. He had shown up yesterday. He had stayed quiet when she needed quiet. He had held space for her really held it. And that heartbeat… it had rearranged something in both of them. Still, she wasn't sure what came next. There was no rulebook for this. For co-parenting with someone you barely knew anymore. For letting someone back in when you weren't sure if they were staying.
Her phone buzzed again.
Leo: Morning. Hope you're okay. I can bring food later if you're up for it?.
She stared at the message, thumb hovering over the screen.
Tiana: Yeah. Okay. She hit send before she could change her mind.
Tiana spent the next hour pretending not to care.
She cleaned the kitchen even though it was already clean. Rearranged the spice rack alphabetically, then back by color. She caught herself checking the time more than once, annoyed at how much space Leo suddenly took up in her mind.
When the knock finally came, it was soft. No doorbell, no text. Just a knock like he belonged here.
She opened the door.
Leo stood there with a brown paper bag in one hand and a sheepish smile on his face. "Hope you're still into breakfast sandwiches from Millie's."
Tiana blinked. "You went to Millie's? That's not even close to here."
"Yeah, well… your cravings used to be predictable."
She raised an eyebrow. "Used to be?"
Leo shrugged. "I took a gamble."
She stepped aside, and he walked in like he remembered the layout because he did. There was an ease in how he moved, but also caution, like he knew not to overstep.
They sat on opposite ends of the couch, the bag between them. She unwrapped her sandwich, the smell of melted cheddar and egg filling the space.
"Okay, this was a good call," she said, taking a bite.
"Thank you," he said, but there was something in his tone like he wasn't just talking about the food.
Tiana leaned back, chewing slowly. "You didn't have to come."
"I know," he said. "But I wanted to."
There it was again. That space between them, stretched tight with all the things they weren't saying.
She looked over at him. "Yesterday felt… big."
"Yeah," he said quietly. "It did."
"I don't know what that means for us. I don't even know what this is." She gestured vaguely between them. "I don't want to get ahead of myself,
Leo."
"I'm not asking you to," he replied. "I'm just asking to show up. One day at a time."
Tiana looked at him, really looked at him. His hair was a little messy, like he'd rushed to get here. His eyes were tired but honest.
Maybe that was all she needed right now someone who showed up, even messy.
She nodded slowly. "One day at a time."
He smiled, small and genuine. "So… does that mean I can stay for coffee?"
"Only if you're making it."
He stood, heading to the kitchen like he'd never left.
Tiana watched him go, her hand once again resting on her belly.
One day at a time. That, she could do.