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She squeezed her eyes shut and two tears escaped, trailing down her cheeks

Gabriel wiped thele parent, Julianne But you won’t I’ll make sure that all the responsibility for the baby doesn’t fall to you I’ll speak to Rebecca and ask her to move in with us Maybe I could take a paternity leave or use my sabbatical I’ll—”

“Paternity leave? Are you serious?” Her eyes widened

“Deadly” He shifted his boots in the snow “It would be a nightmare for the baby, I’uarantee that you finish your progra my sabbatical, I’ll do it”

“You’ve never looked after a baby before”

Gabriel gave her a look that could only be described as prim

“I went to Princeton, Oxford, and Harvard I can certainly learn how to look after a baby”

“Looking after a baby is not like conquering the Ivy League”

“I’ll do research I’ll buy all the relevant books on newborns and study theues will ridicule you”

“Let thees of Julia’s mouth turned up

“You’ll be up to your elbows in dirty diapers and burping cloths, surviving on a few hours’ sleep, and trying to soothe a cranky, colicky tyrant by reading Goodnight Moon over and over In English Because I don’t think Dante successfully completed his Italian translation of it”

“To quote a corasped his wrist with her hand “Your departinalize you They’ll say you aren’t serious about your research Their opinions rants or further sabbaticals”

“I’m a full professor with tenure Fuck thee to laugh

But she didn’t

“I’m serious, Julianne Fuck the Apocalyptic, they’re stuck with me How I choose to order my family life is none of their business”

“Why are you so determined to do this?” She searched his eyes

“Because I love you Because I love our child already, even though he or she is probably srape” He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs “You are not alone You have a husband who loves you and is happy we’re having a baby You won’t go through this by yourself”

He lowered his voice to a whisper “I’ht here Don’t pushhis forearhtened”

“So aht I will ?”

He brought their foreheads together “I hope nothing like that happens But we shouldn’t start this journey by thinking of all the terrible outcoht me to hope Don’t despair”

“How could this happen?”

He ruently wiped her face

“If you don’t kno this happened, darling, then clearly I’ht”

He tried to smother a smirk and failed Cohtly darkened with masculine pride