Avery Kane Deveraux paced nervously in her apartment, the scent of dinner wafting through the air. She glanced at the clock—Ryan would be there any minute. The small, elegantly decorated cake she had picked up earlier from the bakery sat in the center of her dining table, hidden beneath a sleek glass cover.
The cake was a masterpiece. Its white fondant exterior was adorned with delicate gold accents and the words “We Are Pregnant!” written in elegant script on the top. Inside, the layers were pink and blue, a subtle nod to the excitement of the unknown.
Avery smoothed her dress and took a deep breath. “This is it,” she whispered to herself. “No turning back now.”
Just as she lit the last candle on the table, there was a knock at the door. Her heart leapt as she hurried to answer it.
Ryan Hayes stood on the other side of the door, his hazel eyes lighting up when he saw her. He was holding something—a small, squirming bundle wrapped in a blanket.
“Hey, beautiful,” he said, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “I have a surprise for you.”
Avery blinked, her eyes dropping to the blanket. “What’s that?”
Ryan grinned, unwrapping the blanket to reveal a tiny golden retriever puppy with floppy ears and the sweetest brown eyes Avery had ever seen.
“Ryan!” she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh my God, you got a puppy?”
“Correction,” Ryan said, stepping inside. “We got a puppy.” He set the wiggling puppy on the floor, where it immediately stumbled toward Avery, wagging its tiny tail.
Avery dropped to her knees, scooping the puppy into her arms. “I can’t believe this. She’s perfect.”
“She’s ours,” Ryan said, crouching beside her. “I’ve been planning this for weeks. I wanted to do something special for you, something that would bring more love into our lives.”
Avery looked up at him, her eyes misty. “Ryan, this is… I don’t even have words. Thank you.”
“You haven’t even heard her name yet,” Ryan said with a playful smirk.
“She has a name?” Avery asked, her fingers gently scratching behind the puppy’s ears.
“Yup. I thought we could call her Sunny,” Ryan said. “Because she’s going to bring a lot of light into our lives.”
Avery’s heart swelled. “Sunny,” she repeated, looking down at the puppy. “It’s perfect.”
After a few minutes of cuddling Sunny, Avery stood, brushing her hands on her dress. “Well, Mr. Hayes, as much as I adore Sunny, I have a surprise for you too.”
Ryan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? What kind of surprise?”
“Come with me,” Avery said, taking his hand and leading him to the dining table.
When they reached the table, Avery lifted the glass cover off the cake with a flourish, revealing the words “We Are Pregnant!” written across the top.
Ryan stared at the cake, his mouth slightly open, as if he couldn’t process the words. “Wait… what?”
“We’re having a baby, Ryan,” Avery said softly, her voice trembling with emotion.
For a moment, Ryan didn’t move. Then, a wide smile broke across his face, and he let out a disbelieving laugh. “Avery… are you serious?”