Three Months After the Exhibition.
Nana stared at the pregnancy test, her hands trembling.
Two lines.
Two pink lines that changed everything.
She'd suspected for a few days—the nausea, the exhaustion, the way certain smells made her want to throw up.
But seeing it confirmed, seeing those two lines declaring that she was carrying Xavier's child, their baby—
Nana let out a squeak of pure joy, bouncing on her toes in their bathroom.
They were having a baby. A BABY. The family they'd dreamed about, the child they'd lost in the Qing Dynasty—this time they'd get to keep it. Get to raise it. Get to watch it grow.
She had to tell Xavier. Right now.
Immediately.Nana practically flew to their bedroom where Xavier was still sleeping. He'd been working overtime lately—preparing lectures, grading papers, staying late at the university.
He'd come home exhausted last night and collapsed into bed still half-dressed.
And now he was sleeping like the dead, sprawled on his back with one arm thrown over his face, his silver hair messy, completely oblivious to the life-changing news Nana was about to deliver.
"Xavier," Nana said, climbing onto the bed beside him. No response.
"Xavier, wake up."
Still nothing. Xavier could sleep through anything when he was truly tired.
Nana smiled and leaned down to kiss his lips gently. "Xavier. Wake up, sleepyhead."
A slight furrow appeared between his brows but his eyes stayed closed.She kissed his nose. His cheek. His jaw. Trailing soft kisses across his face, trying to coax him awake through pure affection.
Finally, FINALLY, Xavier stirred. His lips curved into a smile even before his eyes opened, his hand coming up to cup the back of Nana's head and hold her in place for a proper kiss.
"Morning, Starlight," Xavier mumbled, his voice rough with sleep.
"This is a nice way to wake up."
"Xavier." Nana could barely contain herself. "Xavier, I have news. Important news. Amazing news. The best news ever and—"
She was bouncing so excitedly that Xavier finally opened his eyes properly, blinking up at her with concerned affection.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"I'm perfect!" Nana thrust the pregnancy test at him.
"Look! Xavier, LOOK!"
Xavier took the test, stared at it for a long moment. His expression went blank. Completely, utterly blank, like his brain had short-circuited.
"Xavier?" Nana's excitement faltered slightly. "Are you—do you understand what that means?"
"Two lines," Xavier said slowly, his voice hollow with shock. "Two lines means... means you're..."
"Pregnant!"
Nana finished, her smile so wide it hurt.
"I'm pregnant, Xavier! We're having a baby!"
Xavier blinked. Once. Twice. His hands started shaking where they held the test.
"Xavier?"
Nana touched his face gently.
"Talk to me. What are you thinking?"
"A baby," Xavier whispered. His eyes were swimming with tears now, his expression cracking open with emotion so raw it stole Nana's breath.
"We're having a baby. Our baby. Our little star."
Then he was moving, carefully pulling Nana into his arms with such gentleness it was like he thought she'd shatter. His face buried in her hair and he started crying—deep, broken sobs that shook his entire body.
"Xavier!" Nana held him tightly. "What's wrong? Why are you—"
"Nothing's wrong," Xavier choked out.
"Everything's perfect. Nana—Starlight—we lost them. In the Qing Dynasty. Our first baby. I held you as you died with them still inside you and I've—"
His voice broke completely.
"I've wanted this for so long. Wanted to be a father. Wanted to give you the family you deserve. Wanted to heal that loss. And now—"
He pulled back to press a hand gently against her still-flat stomach, his touch reverent.
"Now there's a baby here. Our baby. Growing inside you. Alive and safe and—"
Fresh tears fell. "I'm going to be a father. Really, truly a father. Not losing them this time. Not watching you die with our child. Just—"
He couldn't finish. Just cried and held her and pressed his hand against her stomach like he was already protecting their little star.
Nana was crying too now, overwhelmed by Xavier's reaction, by the depth of his emotion, by the realization that this wasn't just about becoming parents—this was about healing. About finally getting the family that had been ripped away in their previous lifetime.
"We're going to be parents," she said through her tears. "Real parents. Raising our baby. Watching them grow."
"Teaching them to climb trees," Xavier added, his voice thick with emotion. "Catching fireflies with them. Telling them stories about stars and kingdoms and love that transcends lifetimes."
"Creating new memories instead of just living with loss."
"Exactly."
Xavier kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her lips.
"Thank you. Thank you for surviving. Thank you for searching for me. Thank you for giving me this—"
His hand pressed gently against her stomach. "This gift. This chance. This everything."
They sat together for a long time, just holding each other and crying happy tears, marveling at the miracle of new life after so much death.
Finally, Xavier said:
"We need to tell our parents. They'll want to know. And I need to—"
He looked around their bedroom like he was seeing it for the first time.
"I need to baby-proof everything. And we need a crib. And clothes. And toys. And—"
"Xavier, I'm barely pregnant. We have time."
"We need to start now. No, we needed to start yesterday. We're behind schedule—"
"There's no schedule for pregnancy preparation."
"There is now." Xavier was already reaching for his phone. "I'm calling my mother. She'll know what to do. And your parents. Everyone needs to know. Everyone needs to—"
"Xavier, it's 6 AM."
"This is important! Our little star is more important than sleep!"
But Xavier was smiling, practically glowing with joy even as he tried to be serious.
They called their parents. All of them answered despite the early hour (Xavier's mother actually shrieked with joy so loudly they had to hold the phone away from their ears).
Within an hour, both sets of parents had descended on their house with bags of supplies, despite Nana's protests that she didn't need anything yet.
"Nonsense!" Nana mother said, already unpacking prenatal vitamins.
"You need everything! Mei, help me organize these—"
"On it!" Mrs.shen was setting up what looked like a pregnancy care station in their living room. "Nana, sit down. You shouldn't be standing."
"I'm fine—"
"SIT."
Both mothers said simultaneously.
Xavier immediately guided Nana to the couch, settling her carefully like she was made of glass. Then, to her complete shock, he lifted her and placed her in his lap.
"Xavier, what are you—"
"You're sitting in my lap from now on,"
Xavier said firmly. "Safer this way. I can monitor you better. Make sure you're comfortable."
"I can sit in a chair—"
"No. My lap. Final answer."
Xavier wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, his hand splayed protectively over her stomach.
"Our little star needs to know their father is close."
Nana's father was trying not to laugh.
"Son, she's not going to break."
"You don't know that," Xavier said seriously. "Better safe than sorry."
What followed were weeks of Xavier being the most overprotective, overly cautious, slightly neurotic expectant father in the history of the universe.
He wouldn't let Nana do anything. Cooking? No, too dangerous, what if she burned herself? Cleaning? Absolutely not, cleaning chemicals could harm the baby! Walking up stairs? Only with his hand supporting her elbow and him walking slightly ahead in case she fell.
"Xavier, I'm pregnant, not dying," Nana protested after he'd carried her to bed for the third night in a row because Xavier said stair are dangerous.
"Im aware. But you're carrying our little star. That makes you precious cargo."
He insisted on feeding her himself during meals, holding the fork and bringing it to her mouth like she couldn't manage on her own.
"I have hands," Nana pointed out.
"But this way I can make sure you're eating enough. For you and the baby. Open—there's a good Starlight."
He took over all household chores completely. Cooking, cleaning, laundry—everything. Nana wasn't allowed to lift a finger.
"I'm going to get bored," she warned.
"Read. Paint. Rest. Grow our baby. That's your job now."
Every evening, Xavier would massage her legs, her arms, her back—anywhere she even slightly mentioned feeling sore. His touch was gentle, reverent, his hands trembling slightly like he still couldn't believe she was pregnant.
"You don't have to do this," Nana said as he worked on her feet one evening.
"I want to. Need to. You're growing our child, Starlight. The least I can do is make you comfortable."
Xavier pressed a kiss to her ankle.
"Besides, I love taking care of you. Always have. Across five lifetimes."
He talked to her stomach constantly. In the morning before leaving for work, Xavier would kneel beside the bed and speak softly to the barely-there bump.
"Good morning, little star. It's your father. I just want you to know I love you. I love your mother. I'm going to protect you both. Always. You're safe. You're wanted. You're so, so loved already."
It made Nana cry every single time.
At night, Xavier would rest his head against her stomach, listening for movement he logically knew wouldn't come for months yet.
"Can you hear anything?" Nana asked, running her fingers through his hair.
"Just your heartbeat. And—"
Xavier pressed closer. "And maybe, if I'm very quiet, I can hear theirs too. Our little star. Growing. Getting stronger."
"You're going to be an amazing father."
Xavier looked up at her with eyes swimming with emotion. "I hope so. I want—"
His voice caught. "I want to give them everything. Safety. Love. A childhood full of wonder. Want to watch them grow. Teach them. Protect them. Want—"
"Want to heal," Nana finished gently. "Want to make up for the child we lost."
"Yes." Xavier admitted. "Every time I think about the Qing Dynasty, about holding you as you died with our baby—" He couldn't finish. Just pressed his face against her stomach and breathed deeply.
"This is our second chance. Our do-over. And I won't waste it."
"We won't waste it," Nana corrected. "We're in this together. Parents together. Raising our little star together."
Xavier kissed her stomach gently. Then crawled up to kiss her properly, soft and sweet and full of love.
"Together," he agreed. "Always together. You, me, and our little star."
As the weeks passed and Nana's bump began to show, Xavier became even more protective (which Nana hadn't thought possible). He held her hand constantly when they walked. Insisted on driving her everywhere.
Practically growled at anyone who got too close in public.
"Xavier, you can't threaten the grocery store clerk for asking if I need help with bags."
"He got too close. You're pregnant. Personal space."
"That's not how society works."
"Don't care. Our little star's safety is more important than social conventions."
But beneath the overprotectiveness, beneath the neurotic caution, was pure love. Pure devotion. Pure gratitude for this second chance.
And every night, as Xavier held Nana close with his hand on her growing bump, as he whispered to their little star about how loved they were, how wanted, how safe—
Every night, they healed a little more from the tragedy of the Qing Dynasty.
Every night, they built toward the future they'd fought so hard to have.
A future with no curses. No death. No separation.
Just love. Just family. Just their little star, growing strong and safe inside his Starlight's belly.
Finally, finally getting their happy ending.
.
.
.
.
.
To be continued __