unexpected love [c.l.]

chapter five

"Charlie?"

"Yes, mon coeur?" he replied, sitting down next to her.

They were at his house, and while the girls were in May's room playing, the two of them were in the kitchen getting lunch together. The four of them had been spending a lot of more time together in the last couple of days, a silent understanding between Charles and Evie that they were preparing the girls for the changes ahead.

Evie let her hand slip into his, squeezing it to give her comfort. "Should we tell them?"

"What?"

"Should we tell them about the baby?" Evie looked Charles in the eye, biting her lip slightly.

Charles looked at her. "Are you ready?"

"I don't think it's about being ready anymore," she looked at her own belly, "soon there will be no way to hide the pregnancy, and I want them to know before the media takes control of something that is supposed to be a happy private thing. This baby is going to change their lives too."

Charles' hand slipped to her belly, gently caressing the small bump that had started to show, and kissed Evie's temple, making her lean more into him. "I know. We have to do it before anyone sees us together and puts two and two together. When do you want to do it?"

"Today?" she suggested, looking at him.

"Yeah?" Charles asked with a smile, making her nod. He softly kissed her forehead. "Then we will tell them today."

They finished preparing lunch in comfortable silence, both of them lost in their thoughts. When the food was ready, they called the girls down to eat. The four of them sat around the table, chatting lightly about their day, but there was an underlying tension that both Charles and Evie felt, but the girls were oblivious to. They exchanged glances, silently encouraging each other to go through with their decision.

After lunch, as the girls were getting ready to return to their playtime, Charles cleared his throat. "May, Poppy, can you both come here for a moment? We want to talk to you."

May looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity, while Poppy just followed her footsteps gripping her teddy bear. They both came over and sat down on the couch, with Charles and Evie taking seats across from them.

Evie took a deep breath, her heart pounding. Charles reached for her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Girls, there's something very important that we need to tell you," she began, her voice gentle but steady. "You both know that Charles and I care about each other very much, right?"

May nodded, her eyes wide, while Poppy just blinked up at them with innocent curiosity.

"Well," Charles picked up where Evie left off, "we wanted to let you know that someone is going to join the four of us."

May frowned, her small face scrunching up in confusion. "What do you mean, Dada?"

Evie smiled, playing with Charles fingers and trying to ease the girls into the news. "We're having a baby. You're going to be big sisters."

Poppy's face lit up with excitement. "A baby? Really?"

Charles chuckled, nodding as he brushed a hand over Poppy's hair. "Yes, poupette. A little baby."

The little girl smiled and threw herself into her mother's lap making the two adults laugh. But while Poppy seemed to be taking the news well, May's reaction was different. Her face fell and she looked down at her lap, her little hands twisting together. "But... what about me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Charles' heart broke at the sight of his daughter's distress. He reached out, pulling May into his lap. "Oh, mon étoile, you're so important to me. This baby doesn't change that."

"But you'll love the baby more," May mumbled, tears starting to wet her face. "You won't have time for me anymore. It happened with my friend from school. Her dad doesn't have time for her anymore, now that he has a new baby."

Evie felt a pang of sadness as she watched the exchange. She scooted closer, with Poppy on her lap, and gently placed her hand on May's knee. "Schat, I know this is a big change, but your dad loves you so much. That will never change. And I promise, this baby won't take that away from you."

Charles kissed the top of May's head, holding her close. "You're my little girl, May. I'll always have time for you. This baby is just going to bring more love into our family, and you will be the best big sister ever."

May sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Really?"

"Really," Charles confirmed, his voice soft but firm as he gently kissed her head. "You're so important to me, May. That's something that will never change."

May hesitated, looking between Charles and Evie. "But what if the baby needs you all the time?"

Evie smiled softly at her, squeezing her hand gently. "The baby will need a lot of attention, especially in the beginning, but that doesn't mean your dad will stop spending time with you. It just means our family is growing and there will be one more tiny person to love."

May gave a small nod, still a little unsure, but smiled faintly. "Okay."

Evie gently squeezed May's hand. "You're going to be an amazing big sister, May. And remember, you're always allowed to talk to us if you're feeling unsure or worried, okay?"

May nodded again, glancing between Charles and Evie.

Charles kissed her head again, his heart aching a little at how small and vulnerable she seemed. "Good. Now why don't you and Poppy go play for a bit?"

The girls slipped off the couch and ran back toward May's room, their giggles slowly returning as they resumed their playtime. Charles and Evie watched them disappear down the hall, a lingering silence settling over them.

Charles let out a deep sigh, rubbing his hand across his face. "I knew May would be a little upset, but I didn't expect that," he said, his voice heavy with concern.

Evie slid closer to him on the couch, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "She's just scared, liefje. It's a big change for her, and she's worried about losing you."

He frowned, leaning back against the cushions, his eyes distant. "I don't want her to feel like I'll love her any less. She's my little girl."

"I know," Evie said softly, brushing her thumb over his arm. "But this is all new to her. It'll take time for her to adjust. You've done a great job reassuring her today, but maybe you should do something extra. Spend some one-on-one time with her."

Charles looked over at Evie, a flicker of hope in his eyes. "You think that would help?"

Evie smiled gently. "I do. You could plan a daddy-daughter day. Just the two of you. Let her see that nothing's changed between the two of you and that she still has you all to herself sometimes."

A small smile tugged at Charle's lips as he considered it. "Yeah... I could take her to the zoo or the park. She loved that."

Evie nodded, her eyes soft. "That sounds perfect. It'll show her that no matter what happens, she'll always have her dad."

Charles leaned forward, resting his forehead against Evie's. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice full of gratitude. "You always know what to say."

Evie smiled, gently pressing a kiss to his lips. "We're in this together, remember?"

He kissed her back softly, then pulled away, his eyes filled with warmth. "I'll talk to her after you guys leave. I want her to know how much she means to me."

Evie squeezed his hand. "She already knows."