Chapter 38

"Go back to your bed now," Kaitlyn says in a hushed tone, her words carrying the weariness of the hospital room.

"I don't want to," Dean persists, defiantly nuzzling into the curve of her neck, his embrace protective around her pregnant belly.

The sterile atmosphere of the hospital bed, laden with the scent of antiseptics and medicinal undertones, is momentarily swept away by the unmistakable aroma of fresh strawberries emanating from Kaitlyn.

'She really does smell like strawberries,' Dean muses, a genuine smile playing on his lips.

However, the intimacy becomes a source of discomfort for Kaitlyn. Unwanted memories surge within her; she doesn't want her ex-husband's touch, yearning instead for the familiar embrace of someone else.

Her thoughts involuntarily drift to Kyle. A soft whimper almost escapes her lips as she dearly misses him, trapped in a poignant longing that her current circumstances render unchangeable.

Yet, her resolve to sacrifice her own yearning persists, driven by t