The hospital walls had never felt so cold.
Celeste sat silently in the nursery, cradling baby Zara against her chest. The infant's quiet breathing was the only sound in the dimly lit room. A nurse had offered to take her, but Celeste had refused. She needed this time — this last thread of connection to Naomi.
It had been three days since the funeral.
Three days since she walked in on her boyfriend and best friend.
And three days since she decided to raise a child she hadn't given birth to — but loved as if she had.
Celeste ran her hand gently over Zara's soft curls. The baby squirmed, then settled again, her tiny fingers curling around the edge of Celeste's blouse.
A quiet knock on the door stirred her.
Adrian stepped in, his expression unreadable, his dark eyes focused on her like always — with a gaze that never asked questions, only offered presence.
"I brought you something," he said, holding up a thermos. "Your favorite. Cinnamon ginger tea."
Celeste offered a faint smile. "You remember everything, don't you?"
He walked over and sat beside her, careful not to wake Zara. "Only the things that matter."
They sat in silence for a few moments. Adrian's presence was like a warm coat — steady, solid. Not flashy or demanding like Ethan had been. Just there.
"Thank you for the other night," she said finally. "You didn't have to... stay. Or listen."
"I wasn't going to let you go through that alone."
She exhaled, leaning her head against the wall. Her voice dropped, raw and soft. "I keep thinking about Naomi. How she called me her sister in that voice message... how she trusted me with her daughter. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye."
Adrian glanced down at Zara. "You're giving her the best kind of goodbye."
Celeste looked at him, tears burning behind her eyes. "I want to adopt her. I have to. But the social worker said... I need to be married."
Adrian didn't flinch. "I know."
She blinked at him. "You know?"
He nodded slowly. "I asked around. Discreetly."
She laughed bitterly. "Of course you did."
Another beat of silence. Zara stirred and shifted, one hand reaching out and brushing against Adrian's.
Then she grasped his finger tightly.
He froze.
Celeste watched as Zara's small grip tightened like she didn't want to let go. Adrian didn't move either. Something shifted in his eyes — something unspoken. Soft. Protective.
"She never does that with strangers," Celeste whispered.
"I'm not a stranger," he replied without hesitation.
Celeste's chest tightened. In that moment, she saw him in a way she hadn't before — not just as the quiet guy in the background, or the one who was always around.
But as a man who had already begun loving the child that wasn't his.
A man who had always, quietly, loved her.
"I'm going to see Ethan tomorrow," she said suddenly.
Adrian looked up.
She swallowed hard. "Not because I want him back. God, no. I just... I need closure. One last goodbye so I can close the chapter for good."
Adrian's jaw tensed slightly, but he nodded.
"I'll be here when you're done," he said.
Celeste blinked. "Why?"
"Because I don't want you walking away from him into silence. You should walk into something better."
She looked down at Zara — still clutching Adrian's finger like it was her lifeline — and felt something warm crack open in her chest.
Maybe... just maybe... she wasn't as alone as she thought.