Forbidden Desires: The Neighbour Next Door

A Promise in the Silence

The next morning the test came back positive, and Ethan could hardly contain his excitement. He stood in the small bathroom, staring at the result, the two unmistakable lines confirming what he had suspected all along. Isabelle watched him from the doorway, her arms wrapped around herself, her expression a mixture of hope and nerves.

"Isabelle," Ethan breathed, turning towards her with a look of utter disbelief. "It's positive. You're pregnant."

Isabelle smiled softly, but there was a hesitance in her eyes. She stepped forward, taking the test from his hand, her fingers trembling ever so slightly. She looked at the lines, then back at him.

"I know," she whispered. "But Ethan, we need to be sure. I want to see a gynaecologist before we say anything to anyone."

Ethan's face softened, his excitement tempered by the seriousness in her voice. He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around her, and pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're right, love. We'll go to the doctor, we'll confirm everything properly. But Isabelle..." He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, his hand moving gently to rest over her stomach. "This is real. I know it is."

Isabelle nodded, resting her head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. "I just want to make sure everything's going our way. I need to know that everything is okay, that our baby is healthy."

Ethan held her tighter, understanding her need for certainty. His own heart was racing with excitement, but he knew that Isabelle's cautiousness came from a place of love and care for what they were about to bring into the world.

"We'll make an appointment," he promised. "We'll see the doctor, and we'll do everything right. Then... then we'll tell Sarah."

Isabelle stiffened slightly at the mention of Sarah, the ever-present shadow looming over their relationship. She still hadn't figured out how it would all unfold, but for now, she needed to focus on their baby. Sarah could wait.

"Let's just take this one step at a time," Isabelle said softly, pulling away from him to look up into his eyes. "I don't want to get ahead of ourselves."

Ethan nodded, though his excitement was barely contained. "Agreed. One step at a time. But I can't wait to see our baby, Isabelle. Next Friday... we'll see everything."

They spent the rest of the day in a kind of quiet anticipation. The positive test had changed everything, but outwardly, life went on much the same. Ethan returned to his routine with Sarah, playing the role of the perfect husband while his thoughts remained firmly on Isabelle and the life growing inside her.

Chloe, too, had started coming around more frequently. As her eighteenth birthday approached, she had become more involved in her studies with Ethan, though Isabelle couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else on Chloe's mind. The way the girl looked at Ethan sometimes, the lingering glances and coy smiles, made Isabelle uneasy. But for now, her focus was on their baby, and she couldn't let herself be distracted by Chloe's adolescent behaviour.

One evening, as they sat together in the flat, Ethan turned to Isabelle with a smile that lit up his entire face. "It's all arranged. We'll see our baby next Friday."

Isabelle looked up from the book she had been pretending to read, her heart fluttering at the thought. The appointment was so close now, and with it, the reality of everything they had been working towards.

"Next Friday," she echoed, setting the book aside. "It feels so real now."

Ethan moved to sit beside her, his hand instinctively finding its place on her belly. "It is real, love.

In just a few days, we'll see everything. The scan, the heartbeat... our baby."

Isabelle smiled, placing her hand over his. "I can't wait. But I'm still nervous. What if something's wrong? What if—"

"Nothing's wrong," Ethan interrupted gently, his voice filled with a certainty that soothed her nerves. "Everything is perfect. You'll see. And once we've confirmed everything, we'll talk to Sarah."

Isabelle nodded slowly, though the thought of that conversation still made her uneasy. She knew Ethan's feelings for her were genuine, but Sarah was an obstacle they had yet to fully confront. And with every day that passed, the weight of that unspoken truth hung heavier between them.

"Do you think she'll understand?" Isabelle asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan hesitated, his thumb gently rubbing circles over her abdomen. "She'll have to. This is about more than just us, Isabelle. It's about the future. Our future, and our baby's. Once Sarah knows, she'll understand that."

Isabelle wasn't entirely convinced, but she nodded, knowing that they couldn't dwell on Sarah right now. The most important thing was the baby, and making sure everything was going according to plan.

"I just want everything to go smoothly," she murmured, leaning into him.Ethan kissed the top of her head, his arms wrapping around her protectively. "It will love. It will."

The days leading up to the appointment passed slowly. Isabelle found herself hyperaware of every little change in her body, every slight twinge or flutter. She wondered constantly if it was a sign, if it meant something. Ethan, for his part, remained the ever-attentive partner, his excitement bubbling over in small moments—his hand resting on her belly, the way he spoke about the future, the way he looked at her with a mixture of awe and pride.

Finally, Friday arrived. The day of their appointment.Ethan had insisted on driving her himself, a mixture of nervousness and excitement making the journey feel both longer and shorter than it was. As they walked into the clinic together, hand in hand, Isabelle felt a mixture of emotions—anticipation, fear, and hope.

Once they were seated in the waiting room, Ethan turned to her, his eyes bright with excitement. "This is it," he whispered. "We're about to see our baby."

Isabelle smiled nervously, squeezing his hand. "I can't believe it's happening."The nurse called their names, and they stood up together, walking into the examination room with a shared sense of purpose. Isabelle lay down on the bed, her heart pounding in her chest as the sonographer prepared the ultrasound equipment.

"Are you ready?" Ethan whispered, standing beside her, his hand once again resting on her stomach.

Isabelle nodded, her eyes fixed on the screen as the cold gel was applied to her abdomen. And then, as the probe moved across her skin, the image began to take shape."There," the sonographer said, smiling as she pointed to the screen. "That's your baby."

Ethan's breath caught in his throat, and Isabelle felt tears welling up in her eyes. There it was—a tiny, fluttering heartbeat. Their baby. Their future.

Ethan grinned, his eyes shining with emotion. "Isabelle... that's our baby."

And in that moment, everything else seemed to fade away. The doubts, the fears, even the looming conversation with Sarah. All that mattered was the life they had created, the tiny heartbeat echoing in the room, a promise of the future they had been dreaming of.