A Heart Caught In Crime

Chapter 24 - New Horizons

The crisp autumn air nipped at my face as I raked leaves in our front yard. The trees lining our suburban street were ablaze with reds and golds, a sight I was still getting used to after years in the concrete jungle of Manhattan. I paused, leaning on the rake to catch my breath and admire the view.

"Looking good, neighbor!" Owen's voice called out. I turned to see him jogging up the sidewalk.

"Thanks," I replied, gesturing at the piles of leaves. "Though I'm starting to think I should have hired a service for this."

Owen laughed, coming to a stop at the edge of our lawn. "Where's the fun in that? Nothing like a bit of manual labor to make you appreciate your home."

I nodded, wiping sweat from my brow. "True enough. How was the run?"

"Great," he grinned. "Hey, Serena and I are having a little get-together tonight. Some colleagues from work and a few neighbors. You and Natasha should come."

I hesitated for a moment. Natasha was now eight months pregnant, and her energy levels weren't what they used to be. "I'll have to check with Natasha, see how she's feeling. But thanks for the invite."

Owen nodded understandingly. "No pressure. If you can make it, great. If not, we'll catch up soon."

As he jogged off, I couldn't help but marvel at how different our lives were, despite living next door to each other. Owen and Serena seemed to be constantly on the go - attending work events, jetting off for weekend getaways. Meanwhile, Natasha and I were deep in nesting mode, our world revolving around the impending arrival of our daughter.

I made my way inside, finding Natasha in the nursery, carefully folding tiny onesies and stacking them in the dresser. Her face lit up as I entered, though I could see the fatigue in her eyes.

"Hey, sugar," she said, her Southern drawl more pronounced when she was tired. "How's the yard looking?"

I crossed the room, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Getting there. Owen and Serena are having a get-together tonight. Invited us over."

Natasha's brow furrowed slightly. "Oh, that's nice of them. But I don't know if I'm up for a party, Christian. Just the thought of all that standing and small talk makes my feet hurt."

I nodded, relieved that we were on the same page. "No worries, mia cara. I'll let them know we're staying in tonight. How about I run you a bath instead?"

Her grateful smile was all the answer I needed.

Later that evening, as Natasha soaked in the tub, I found myself on our back porch, nursing a glass of whiskey. The sound of laughter and music drifted over from Owen and Serena's yard, punctuated by the clinking of glasses and bursts of conversation.

A part of me felt a twinge of... something. Not quite regret, but perhaps a hint of nostalgia for the days when Natasha and I could have been at that party, mingling carefree with a drink in hand. But as I felt Rhydian's strong kick against my palm when I helped Natasha out of the bath, I knew I wouldn't trade this for anything.

The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of final preparations for Rhydian's arrival. We attended our last childbirth class, put the finishing touches on the nursery, and packed and repacked our hospital bag more times than I could count.

Through it all, Owen and Serena remained friendly but somewhat distant neighbors. They'd wave as they left for work in the morning or returned from another of their adventures, but our interactions were largely limited to quick chats over the fence or brief encounters while collecting the mail.

It wasn't until a crisp October morning, as I was installing the car seat in our SUV, a task that was proving far more complicated than I'd anticipated, that I had a real conversation with Owen again.