Blackie looked vastly relieved. “Does this mean you really do forgive me?”

“Not necessarily. It mostly means I feel weak from not eating much today, and I need to sit.”

She turned and Blackie closed the front door before following her to the living room. Julie chose to sit in one of the recliners. If she took a seat on the sofa, she was afraid he would sit beside her, and she didn’t trust herself not to throw herself into his arms.

Blackie sat on the couch and braced his arms on his knees with his hands folded. “I honestly didn’t mean what I said. It was my insecurity talking. And . . . well, Julie, the news did take me off guard. It was a bit of a shock. I had no time to think before I spoke.” He sighed. “I’m as responsible for this pregnancy as you are. I could’ve worn a condom. I didn’t even ask about protection until after the fact. So where was my head that first night when you told me you were protected? I saw you hurl but didn’t consider the possibility that you might have missed doses, and that was as much my responsibility as it was yours.” He met and held her gaze. “We did this together and we should deal with it together.”

Julie wanted to hug him, not because she intended to resume their relationship, but simply because he was now being a stand-up guy. “Blackie, I appreciate your sense of obligation, but the truth is, you never wanted to be a dad at this stage of your life, and I don’t want my baby to be a mistake that you feel obligated to deal with.”

He sighed. “I had that coming. I know I didn’t react well to the news. But now that I’ve had time to think about it, I’m excited about becoming a father. I’ve always wanted kids. Granted, I wouldn’t have made this decision for myself or for the baby, but it happened. I can’t help but think that maybe it’s God’s way of taking the decision out of my hands and giving me one of the most beautiful gifts of my life, a wonderful woman to love and a child to raise.”

Julie realized she was staring at him through tears, and she was unable to hold them back. The moment her shoulders started to jerk with suppressed sobs, he shot to his feet, pulled her up from the recliner, and enveloped her in his arms. His embrace felt so hard and warm and safe. Unable to resist his solid strength, she sank against him.

He held her until she stopped weeping, and then he continued to hold her. “I love you. I knew that long before you told me about the baby. I even told you before we made love. The baby doesn’t change that, not one iota. You need to know you’re the most important thing in the world to me, and you need to believe that our baby has also become one of the most important things to me.”