The late November air carried a quiet chill when Bella and Lucas reached Rachel's school. Children were already spilling out of the gates in loud groups, their laughter filling the cold afternoon.
Bella rubbed her hands together as she waited near the entrance. "It's colder than I expected. The morning was much warmer."
Lucas glanced at her. Without saying anything, he slipped off his coat and placed it around her shoulders.
Bella blinked in surprise. "Lucas, you'll get cold."
"I won't."
"You absolutely will."
Lucas ignored the protest and adjusted the coat around her more securely. "You're the one who's shivering."
"I am not shivering."
He raised an eyebrow. Bella crossed her arms stubbornly but didn't remove the coat. It was warm and faintly smelled like his cologne, which only made her more aware of it.
Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice shouted, "DADA!"
Rachel ran toward them with full speed, her backpack bouncing wildly behind her.
Lucas barely had time to brace himself before she crashed into him. He steadied her easily, one hand coming up to hold her shoulders. "Careful princess."
Rachel grinned brightly up at him. "Guess what!"
Lucas crouched slightly so they were eye level. "What happened?"
"I got selected for two races!"
Bella laughed softly. "Two?"
Rachel nodded proudly. "The running race and the relay!"
Lucas considered this information seriously, as if she had just announced something extremely important. "That means we'll need to train."
Rachel's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Of course. This has become a serious business now."
Then she suddenly grabbed his sleeve. "You'll teach me, right?"
Lucas didn't hesitate. "Of course."
Rachel visibly relaxed, as if that answer had been extremely important. "Good. Because if you don't, I'll lose."
"You will not lose," Lucas said calmly.
Rachel squinted at him suspiciously. "You're just saying that."
Bella smiled. "Your Dada believes in you."
Rachel beamed proudly at that.
As they walked toward the car, the chilly breeze picked up again. Rachel rubbed her hands together dramatically. "My fingers are freezing."
Lucas took both her small hands between his palms and rubbed them gently until they warmed up. "Better?"
Rachel giggled. "You're like a heater."
Bella watched the interaction quietly. Sometimes it still surprised her how naturally Lucas fit into their routine. As if he had always been part of their small family.
Once they reached the apartment, Rachel immediately dropped her bag near the door. "Training time!"
Bella blinked. "Already?"
Rachel grabbed Lucas's hand. "We have to practice!"
Lucas looked at Bella like he was hoping for help. Bella only smiled sweetly. "You did promise."
Lucas sighed softly but allowed himself to be dragged toward the door again. "Fine. We'll go to the park but only after having lunch."
The nearby park was only a short walk away. The evening air had grown colder, and the sky was slowly turning the pale blue of early winter evenings.
Rachel immediately ran toward an open path between the trees. "Okay! This is the race track."
Lucas looked at the uneven path. "This track seems suspicious."
Rachel ignored him and drew a line on the pavement with the toe of her shoe. "Start here. Finish at that bench."
Bella sat down on the bench she had pointed to, wrapping Lucas's coat tighter around herself. She had not taken it off even after reaching home, and surprisingly, Lucas didn't ask for it either.
Rachel looked between them seriously. "Both of you have to watch carefully."
Lucas crossed his arms. "If I win, what do I get?"
Rachel gasped dramatically. "You're not supposed to win!"
Bella laughed softly from the bench. "That does sound unfair."
Rachel waved them off impatiently. "Ready?"
Lucas crouched slightly beside the start line.
Rachel raised her arm dramatically. "Three… two… one… GO!"
She ran as fast as her small legs could carry her. Lucas followed a moment later. Rachel reached the bench first and turned around triumphantly. "I WON!"
Lucas arrived a second later, barely out of breath.
"Impressive," he said calmly.
Rachel lifted her chin proudly. "I told you I'm going to win on sports day."
Bella clapped lightly. "That was very fast."
Rachel grinned proudly and immediately demanded another round. They repeated the race two more times before Rachel finally collapsed on the grass, laughing and slightly out of breath.
Lucas walked over to the bench where Bella was sitting. "You're quiet."
Bella leaned back slightly. "Just watching."
Lucas studied her for a moment. "You're tired."
"I'm fine."
Lucas didn't argue. Instead, he walked to a nearby cafe and returned a few minutes later with a warm drink.
Bella looked up in surprise when he handed it to her. "What's this?"
"Hot chocolate."
"You went all the way there just for that?"
"It's chilly," he replied simply and Bella sighed before taking the cup anyway. The warmth immediately spread through her hands. Lucas sat beside her as they watched Rachel run in circles.
Rachel eventually returned, climbing onto the bench between them. "I'm definitely winning."
Lucas nodded. "I expect nothing less."
By the time they walked back to the apartment, Rachel was already yawning. She tried to keep talking about sports day while they ate dinner, but her sentences slowly became shorter and slower.
Lucas noticed first. "Time for bed."
Rachel protested weakly. "I'm not sleepy."
She yawned again immediately afterward. Lucas stood up and lifted her easily into his arms.
Rachel didn't resist this time. She wrapped her arms loosely around his neck as he carried her toward her room.
By the time he tucked her under the blanket, she was already half asleep. "Goodnight, Dada," she murmured.
"Goodnight princess."
When Lucas returned to the living room, Bella was sitting on the couch reading. The apartment was quiet now.
A few minutes later Lucas's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stood up, stepping onto the balcony to answer it.
Bella watched him through the glass. His voice was low and serious. "Yes.... Sunday morning works."
A short pause followed.
"I understand. I'll handle it."
When he came back inside, Bella looked up from her book. "Everything okay?"
Lucas placed his phone on the table. "Just work."
Bella studied him for a moment but didn't push further. He sat beside her on the couch. Outside, the wind rustled quietly against the windows.
A few minutes later Bella decided to wash the dishes while Lucas was in the shower. It took her a little over ten minutes to finish.
She finished rinsing the last cup in the kitchen sink when she noticed Lucas leaning against the counter, watching her.
"You should rest," he said.
Bella glanced over her shoulder. "I've been resting all evening."
"You walked to the park."
"That hardly counts as hard work."
Lucas didn't argue, but his eyes followed her movements until she finally wiped her hands and turned toward him.
"Happy?" she asked.
"A little."
Bella rolled her eyes slightly and walked past him toward the bedroom.
The room was dim except for the soft yellow light of the bedside lamp. Bella sat on the edge of the bed and brushed her hair slowly. Lucas, however, was already moving through his quiet nightly routine. He placed the water tumbler on the side table, adjusted the pillows so Bella would be comfortable, and closed the curtains.
The quiet between them felt peaceful rather than awkward. Bella eventually slipped under the blanket with a small sigh. "It's colder tonight."
Lucas switched off the lamp and slid into bed beside her. Bella shifted slightly, turning onto her side.
For a moment neither of them spoke. Lucas stared up at the ceiling, his mind still circling around the same thought that had been bothering him all evening.
Friday. He exhaled slowly.
After a moment he turned toward Bella and gently wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer. She didn't protest. Instead she relaxed against him almost immediately, as if the movement was natural.
Bella's head rested lightly against his chest. Lucas hesitated before speaking.
"Bella."
She made a small sound in response but didn't move.
"I need to tell you something."
There was a pause. She didn't reply.
Lucas lowered his gaze slightly, realizing her breathing had already slowed.
"Bella?" he tried again, quieter this time.
Still nothing. He shifted slightly so he could see her face. Her eyes were closed. She had fallen asleep.
Lucas stared at her for a moment, half amused and half exasperated.
"You fall asleep faster than Rachel," he muttered under his breath.
Bella didn't react. Her breathing remained slow and even. Lucas sighed quietly and leaned back against the pillows, though he didn't remove his arm from around her.
For a moment he simply watched her. The soft light from the streetlamp outside filtered through the curtains, casting faint shadows across her face.
A few strands of her hair had fallen across her cheek. Without thinking, Lucas brushed them aside carefully.
"You always do this," he murmured softly.
No answer. He studied her expression again. Even in sleep she looked tired.
Lucas's gaze dropped briefly to where the blanket curved gently over her stomach. His child.
The thought still felt strange sometimes. Strange… and oddly grounding.
His hand moved slightly, resting lightly over the blanket for a moment before he stopped himself and pulled it back.
"You should probably know," he said quietly, though he knew she couldn't hear him now. "I'm leaving on Friday."
The words sounded heavier out loud. Lucas leaned his head back against the headboard.
"But I don't know how to tell you this. I don't know what to expect," he added under his breath.
The silence of the room seemed deeper now. Bella shifted slightly in her sleep, instinctively moving closer to him.
Her hand rested lightly against his shirt. Lucas looked down at it. For a moment something in his expression softened.
"You're making this difficult," he murmured.
Bella's fingers curled slightly in the fabric of his shirt as if holding onto it. Lucas huffed a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"You don't even know yet."
He gently pulled the blanket higher around her shoulders.
"Sleep," he said quietly.
Bella didn't move again. After a while Lucas finally closed his eyes as well, though his arm remained loosely wrapped around her.
Outside, the cool wind moved softly through the quiet city while the apartment stayed warm and still.
And somewhere between the steady rhythm of Bella's breathing and the quiet weight of her resting against him, Lucas eventually fell asleep too.