"Now you are the one who is lost in thought," he said with a quiet chuckle, his voice tinged with amusement.
She turned her face just enough to see the corners of his eyes crinkle with mirth. The sight softened something inside her, but it did not chase away the weight pressing against her ribs.
Her lips parted, and before she could reconsider, she gave voice to the question perched nervously on her tongue. "Have you ever wanted to be a father?"
A faint crease formed between his brows, so subtle she might have missed it had she not been studying him so intently. Then, just as quickly, a playful gleam slipped into his eyes.
"Is this your way of trying to tell me something?" he asked teasingly in a way that made it obvious that he was insinuating something and he laughed outright when she swatted at him for it.
She rolled her eyes, but her heart was still fluttering nervously.
