Chapter 17 Seventeen

• I lie with my head on Dante's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. His arm curves around me protectively, his hand tracing lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. The baby has settled, no longer kicking, as if he too is at peace in this moment.
• We’ve been like this for almost a week. Like an actual family.
• I've never felt so connected to another person, so completely seen. It terrifies me how much I want this to be real.