Winning Back His Ex's Wife's Broken Heart by Hayley

Chapter 134 Sarah pov.

The morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, painting everything in soft, warm hues.

I stirred my tea absently, watching the steam swirl up as I tried to sort through the jumble of thoughts in my head. Yesterday's check-up had gone well-better than I could've hoped, really. Still, a tiny part ofcouldn't shake the doctor's advice.

"Eat this, avoid that, don't stress, stay active but not too much," I muttered under my breath, swirling my spoon in circles. It felt like there were a hundred rules to remember, and I was terrified of messing something up. "You're going to wear a hole in that mug if you keep stirring like that," Richard teased, setting a plate of scrambled eggs in front of me.

I blinked and looked up at him. He was still wearing the soft smile he'd carried since yesterday's appointment, the one that madefeel like everything might actually be okay.

"Just thinking," I said, resting my chin in my hand.

"About?" he prompted, sitting down across from me.

I sighed, picking at the edge of my toast. "About how I have to keep all of this straight. What if I forget something? What if I eat the wrong thing or miss a dose of the vitamins? It's just... a lot." Richard reached across the table, covering my hand with his. "Hey, we've got this. And by 'we,' I mean you're not doing this alone. I'm here, remember? Your Chief Pregnancy Support Officer." I couldn't help but laugh at that. He'd started calling himself that yesterday, and even though it was silly, it did makefeel less alone.

"You're going to regret saying that when I wake you up at 3 a. m. for watermelon and pickles," I teased.

He grinned. "If that's what you want, then watermelon and pickles it is. I'll even bring a spoon for the pickle juice." I wrinkled my nose. "Okay, that's disgusting, even for cravings." Richard's laughter filled the kitchen, and for a moment, the knot in my chest loosened.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of emails and light tidying around the house. I was halfway through folding a pile of laundry when my phone buzzed.

"Zoe," I said to myself, smiling as I picked it up. She rarely called unless there was something funny or ridiculous to share.

"Finally!" she said as soon as I answered. "I was starting to think you'd gone full zen and abandoned your phone." I laughed. "Not quite. Just folding laundry and trying to remember which vitamin I'm supposed to take first." "Ah, yes, the glamorous life of impending motherhood," she said, her tone dripping with mock seriousness. "How are you feeling today? And don't givethat 'fine' nonsense. Real answers only." I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling. "Hopeful, mostly. I'm a little nervous. Okay, I'm a lot nervous." "Of course, you're nervous," Zoe said. "You're Sarah. You probably have a color-coded checklist for this baby already." "Not yet," I admitted, laughing. "But don't tempt me." "Look, you're going to be amazing at this," Zoe said, her tone softening. "You've already managed to wrangle a company, a husband, and me. A baby will be a piece of cake." "Thanks for the vote of confidence," I said, feeling a little lighter. "How's everything on your end? The office is still standing?" "Barely," she joked. "But don't worry, I haven't let them burn it down yet. Though I did have to talk someone out of using Comic Sans on a client proposal." I laughed, shaking my head. "You're a hero, truly." "It's all in a day's work," she said tically. Then, after a pause, she added, "Seriously, though, you don't need to worry about us. Focus on you and the baby. We've got things covered here." I swallowed the lump in my throat. Zoe didn't say things like that often, and when she did, they hit hard. "Thanks, Zoe. That means a lot." "Anytime," she said. "Now go take a nap or something. You've earned it." I promised her I'd rest and hung up, feeling a little more steady than I had that morning.

By the tevening rolled around, I decided it was tto unwind. I lit a few candles in the living room, hoping to create a cozy atmosphere.

Richard had been fussing overnonstop since yesterday, and I wanted to do something nice for him for a change.

"Hey," I called as he walked in from the garage, carrying a bag of groceries. "What do you think about a movie night? Just us, popcorn, and something cheesy on Netflix?" "That sounds perfect," he said, dropping the bag on the counter.

As I started gathering blankets, Richard hesitated, scratching the back of his neck.

"Actually, there's something I should probably mention," he said.

I paused, raising an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?" "No, no," he said quickly. "It's just... My cousin Marina might be stopping by tomorrow. She's in town and wanted to say hi." I froze, the blanket slipping from my hands. "Marina?" Richard nodded, looking sheepish. "Yeah. I figured it'd be nice for her to see you. It's been, what, years since you last saw each other?" "Years for a reason," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?" he asked, tilting his head.

"Nothing," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "That'll be... nice." Richard didn't seem convinced, but he didn't press the issue. Marina. Of all people.

I sat down on the couch, trying to ignore the twist in my stomach.m Marina wasn't exactly terrible, but she had a way of getting under my skin like no one else. Her unsolicited advice, her constant critiques, her air of superiority-it was exhausting.

And now she was coming here, just when I thought I might finally catch my breath.

Can't i just breath? "Everything okay?" Richard asked, sitting beside me.

"Yeah," I said, nodding. "Just... thinking."

He gavea look, the kind that said he knew the exe to the story.

But thankfully, he let it go.

I leaned into his side, trying to focus on the warmth of his arm aroundinstead of the growing dread in my chest. "Movie night," I said, forcing a smile. "Let's do it." Richard kissed the top of my head, and for a moment, the world felt okay again.

But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that Marina's visit was going to be anything but relaxing.