New Rowan

The silence hung in the air for what felt like an eternity, each passing second stretching out like the weight of decades on Rowan's shoulders.

She battled with her own hesitation, a war raging within her, until she could no longer contain it. Her voice, hoarse and uncertain, broke the stillness.

"You believe this is James' child," she uttered.

David's response was a question, wrapped in a mixture of disbelief and curiosity, "Isn't it?"

He closed the physical gap between them in just a couple of strides, leaning in until his face was inches from hers. His words were a low whisper, carrying a sense of both challenge and intrigue, "Or are you about to tell me that you're carrying my child?"

Their proximity made it impossible for Rowan to ignore the sardonic curl of his lips, blown up to an exaggerated scale. She swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat.

The confession she longed to make lingered unspoken, trapped in her chest. She realized, deep down, that no matter how earnest her