Chapter 113

• Lucas POV
• It’s strange, this waiting. You know something monumental is coming, but it drags on, stretching time into something unbearable. I watch Aurora pace the living room, her movements slow but determined, her hands occasionally pressing against her lower back. I want to tell her to sit, to rest, to stop pushing herself so hard, but I bite my tongue. Irene and Siriadne were clear: keeping active will make the labor easier, less painful in the long run. So I stay silent, swallowing the urge to hover, even though the tension in the room is thick enough to choke on.
• Aurora glances at me with every lap, her eyes sharp despite the strain on her face, and I can feel the air growing heavier, charged with anticipation. “Any time now,” Irene says, her voice calm but carrying the weight of experience as she adjusts the towels on the couch.