Sunday evening.

Hanna "Finally home!" She says, as they pull into the driveway.

The familiar sight of their house brings a wave of relief as she stares out the window.

Caleb "Finally home." He repeats while parking.

Hanna "My mom says she's bringing Chocolate herself. She wants to see me." She tells Caleb while checking her phone, then tosses it into her purse before opening her door.

Caleb "Okay, babe." He responds while getting out of the car.

He goes around the car to help Hanna, but when he gets to her side, she's already carefully getting out. She supports her baby bump with one hand and uses the other to grip the edge of the car door, steadying herself as she slowly stands up. Caleb is by her side in an instant, ready to offer support.

Hanna takes a deep breath of the fresh evening air, feeling the tension of the past days start to melt away. "It feels so good to be back." She says, smiling at Caleb.

Caleb smiles back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you inside and settled."

/

Around an hour later.

Hanna is cuddling on the huge "L"-shaped couch with Chocolate. She's half-sitting in the corner, resting her back against a couple of pillows and a cushion. Her legs are folded up, with her feet resting on the couch. Chocolate is lying with his head on her thigh and against her baby bump. Ashley is sitting on the couch by Hanna's feet.

Ashley "You should have told me what was going on sooner, Hanna. I would have been there for you, and I could have given you and Caleb a hand. You two were on your own."

Hanna "We had friends in the city who could have helped us if we needed, mom. It was my decision to be there only with Caleb. And I didn't want to worry you… I was going to call you if it turned out Hallie was going to be born there, but we were lucky, and she's still in here." She smiles slightly while rubbing her baby bump with one of her hands, as she keeps stroking Chocolate's fur with the other.

Ashley "I understand, sweetheart. I'm just relieved everything turned out okay. Just promise me you'll let me help next time, alright?"

Hanna "I promise. The next time I'm admitted to a clinic, it will be to finally meet this little one." She says, shifting her eyes from Ashley to her baby bump for a moment. "And I definitely want you there, mom." She adds, looking back at her mom.

Ashley smiles at her.

Caleb "You've got some more visitors, babe." He says, showing up over there followed by Emily and Spencer.

Spencer "Hey there!"

Emily "Han! How are you?" She says, rushing to Hanna and pulling her into a hug.

Hanna "Hey, guys!" She says, hugging Emily back.

Spencer "Hi, Ashley! Long time no see." She greets Ashley with a smile.

Ashley smiles at her. "Hi, girls!" She greets both Spencer and Emily.

Emily "Hi, Ashley!" She greets back, while pulling away from Hanna and sitting down by the edge of the couch, next to Chocolate.

Ashley "Congratulations on your baby, Spence. He's adorable."

Spencer "Thanks!" She grins.

Ashley "Well, I'll get going now." She says, standing up from the couch. "I'll come to see you tomorrow, honey. Please, call me if you need anything. I mean it." She says seriously, staring directly at Hanna.

Hanna nods. "I will. Thanks, mom."

Ashley leans forward to press a kiss to Hanna's forehead. "Take care, sweetheart. Get some rest… Bye, guys! See you around!" She greets the girls too and finally walks away. Caleb walks her to the door.

Spencer "Han, I can't believe you didn't tell us what you were going through!" She says while sitting down by her feet where Ashley was sitting before.

Emily "Yeah, you should have texted us, Han." She agrees with Spencer, caressing Chocolate's head, who is still peacefully resting on Hanna's thigh.

Hanna unfolds her legs and extends them, resting them on Spencer's lap. "There was nothing you guys could do from here, and I just needed to focus on calming down because I was freaking out too much…"

Spencer nods, understanding her point. "Oh, Han… it must have been awful. I'm so glad everything turned out well."

Hanna sighs. "Yeah, it was scary."

Emily "So, what happens now? What did they tell you? Complete bed rest?"

Hanna "Kind of… I mean, I don't have to stay in bed the whole time, but I have to take it easy, no physical efforts, zero stress, no sex, I need to stay hydrated… I have to take some meds… Anyway, I have an appointment with my doctor here tomorrow. I already had this appointment because she told me I had to go there every week during my last month of pregnancy, but the doctor from New York told me that maybe my doctor here would want to see me more often now for my checkups…"

Emily "So, you're done with work?"

Hanna nods.

Emily "What about the fashion show?"

Hanna "It's still on, I'm just missing it. Leo will handle it."

Emily "Leo's great. He'll do an amazing job."

Spencer nods, agreeing with Emily. "You just focus on taking care of yourself and Hallie."

Hanna "Yeah…" She says, a trace of sadness in her voice.

Caleb returns. "Everything okay?"

Hanna "Yeah, everything's fine. Just catching up with the girls."

Caleb smiles. "Good. Want something to drink?" He offers.

Spencer "We're good, don't worry."

Caleb "Okay, I'll be upstairs." He looks at Hanna. "Give me a shout if you need anything."

Hanna nods.

Emily "Go do your things, Caleb. We've got them." She says, lovingly placing her hand on Hanna's pregnant belly.

Caleb smiles again before heading for the stairs.

Hanna "Enough about me... How are you guys doing?"

Spencer "I'm exhausted." She says, leaning back against the couch. "A newborn, an almost three-year-old boy, and a new dog... my house is a mess. Our family routine is a mess, Toby's and my sleep schedule is a mess. Basically, everything is a mess, but I'm trying to hold on and take it as relaxed as possible, convincing myself that this is just temporary until we find our new normal."

Hanna smiles. "Well, at least it sounds like a beautiful mess." She says, picking up her phone and typing on it.

Spencer "Yeah, tell that to Toby. Finn came into our room the other night because he had a nightmare. I was feeding Liam, so Toby got up to go with him. Two seconds later, I heard Toby cursing from the hallway. He had stepped on Cookie's poop."

Hanna and Emily laugh.

They continue chatting, discussing lighter topics and sharing updates about their lives. After a while, Spencer checks her phone and sees a text from Toby.

Spencer "Oh, I just got a text from Toby. Liam is getting fussy. I need to get home to feed him."

Hanna "Of course, Spence. Thanks for coming by. Give Liam and Finn a kiss from me."

Spencer "I will. Take care of yourself, Han. And call me if you need anything."

Emily "Yeah, me too. We're here for you."

Hanna "Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it."

Spencer gathers her things and stands up, giving Hanna a gentle hug.

Hanna "Are you leaving too?" She asks Emily, seeing that she's standing up.

Emily "Yeah, why? Do you need anything?"

Hanna "Nope, it's fine. I was just asking... actually, can you get Caleb upstairs for me before you leave? I texted him a while ago to see what he's in the mood for dinner, and I want to order something from The Grille, but he hasn't texted back."

Emily "Sure, no problem."

Spencer "See you soon, guys!" She says, heading to the door.

Emily "Bye, Spence! See you around."

Hanna "Thanks again for coming by, Spence. See you soon."

Emily goes upstairs. After checking Caleb's office, she heads to Hanna and Caleb's bedroom. She finds the door fully open, leans in, and sees Caleb lying on the bed, sprawled out with his feet hanging off the edge, his shoes kicked off nearby.

Emily "Caleb?" She says softly while approaching him. She notices he's fast asleep and decides to leave him be.

Back downstairs, Emily returns to the living area.

Emily "He's asleep, Han... I didn't have the heart to wake him. He looked so peaceful."

Hanna "Poor baby... he must be exhausted. He slept in a chair the last couple of nights, and he's been there for me the whole time."

Emily "How about I stay with you for dinner? Let's order something." She suggests, sitting back down next to her.

Hanna "Are you sure, Em? You don't have to stay. I've got this."

Emily "I know. I want to stay with you. Let's see what to order." She says, taking out her phone.

Hanna "Let's order something for Caleb too. He'll be hungry when he wakes up from his nap... if he does. It wouldn't surprise me if he slept for three days straight. We just went through a lot of emotions. I still feel kind of worn out too."

Emily nods. "Caleb loves the steak from The Grille. Let's get him that. What about you?"

Hanna "Something light. I've been trying to avoid heartburn."

Emily "Got it. How about a salad or some grilled chicken?"

Hanna "Salad sounds good. Let's do that."

They place their orders and continue chatting, Hanna appreciating the calm and the coziness of being home after the recent storm.

/

After dinner.

Emily has gone home, and Hanna heads upstairs to check on Caleb. She finds him still sprawled out on the bed, sound asleep. She gently shakes his shoulder.

Hanna "Baby… Wake up." She says softly, sitting down on the edge of the bed next to him.

Caleb stirs, blinking awake. "Hey…"

Hanna "Emily just left… We had dinner."

Caleb "Oh, I must have really crashed…" He rolls over to lie on his back and get a better look at Hanna.

Hanna "You did. Wanna eat dinner now? We ordered you a steak."

Caleb smiles a little. "Maybe in a little while."

Hanna nods.

Caleb reaches out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "What are you doing upstairs? I was planning on helping you up the stairs…"

Hanna "It's okay, I was extra careful. Took my time on each step."

Caleb "Come here with me." He tells her, extending his arms to her.

Hanna smiles and happily lies down next to him as he wraps his arms around her, the side of her baby bump resting against him.

Hanna "It's so good to be back home." She says once more, as they both stare at the ceiling.

Caleb looks down at her and presses a kiss to her temple. "Home, with you, and with our little bun still in the oven."

Hanna smiles again and places her hand on her baby bump. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Caleb "After the appointment with your doctor? I'll work from here."

Hanna "It's okay if you need to go to the office. I'll be fine."

Caleb "I want to stay with you."

Hanna nods and falls silent.

Caleb "Besides, someone has to unpack our suitcases and do the laundry tomorrow, and I want you to rest."

Hanna "We should also start washing Hallie's clothes… we need to start getting ready for her arrival."

Caleb "Okay, we can start with her clothes right after I finish with our suitcases."

Hanna "Can you also buy some diapers? Not too many though, Spencer told me that Liam already grew out of his newborn diapers."

Caleb "Sure… anything else?"

Hanna "I'll make you a list of the things we haven't bought yet… I want to start packing the bag for the clinic. We need to get it ready just in case."

Caleb "Okay, you make that list and I'll take care of it. Also, if you need me to get anything for yourself…"

Hanna "Yeah, um… actually, I haven't bought any maternity pads yet, so…"

Caleb "I take care of those too." He says, rubbing her lower back.

Hanna "Thanks, baby." She tilts her head up and presses a very tender kiss to his cheek. "Help me up, I wanna take a quick shower before turning in."

Caleb "Okay, just… five more minutes." He tells her, squeezing her tighter against himself.

Hanna smiles and closes her eyes.

/

A couple of days later, on Tuesday evening, Caleb arrives home from work. Although he managed to stay with Hanna the previous day, today he had to go to the office to handle some matters.

As he approaches their bedroom, he hears Hanna talking to someone through the door. Then he remembers she mentioned having an online session with her therapist today. He's about to walk away to give her some privacy, but what he overhears makes him pause, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Hanna "I know, but still… I feel sad and I feel guilty about feeling sad. Missing the fashion show makes me sad, but I know it's silly because it's so insignificant compared to almost delivering our baby a month early. I feel like I should be happy and thankful that Hallie and I are both okay and home to continue the pregnancy, and I am. But missing the fashion show still makes me sad. I know it's stupid, so I try to hide it, especially from Caleb. I don't want him to think I care more about it than the pregnancy, because I don't."

Therapist "It's completely okay for you to feel sad about missing something you've worked so hard on, Hanna. Your feelings are valid. It doesn't mean you're any less happy about being able to continue your pregnancy or less committed to the care you need to take for yourself and your baby. It's normal to have mixed emotions, and it's important to acknowledge them rather than dismiss them."

Caleb quietly steps back, deciding to give Hanna the space she needs. He heads to the kitchen, letting his mind mull over what he heard. He wants to support her, but he's unsure of the best way to approach it.

A little while later, Hanna comes downstairs. She seems surprised to see Caleb already home.

Hanna "Hey, you're back. How was work?"

Caleb "It was fine, busy as usual. How was your day?" He asks while putting a water bottle back in the fridge.

Hanna "It was okay, I guess. I spent the day in bed… tried to come up with some new designs, but I'm a bit blocked today."

Caleb "How are you feeling?" He asks, approaching her.

Hanna "My back is still sore and my feet are still a bit swollen, but… no odd sensations or pains in my belly, so everything's okay." She answers as Caleb places his hands on her shoulders.

Caleb "No, I mean… how are you? You know, with everything going on, it's okay if you're feeling a bit down. You've been through a lot lately." He decides to gently broach the topic without revealing what he heard.

Hanna looks at him, slightly taken aback. "I'm okay."

Caleb "Okay… just… if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here for you. No matter what it is, you know that, right?"

Hanna stares at him, searching his face for any sign that he overheard her session. But she dismisses that thought quickly. Caleb's always been this thoughtful. She simply nods and walks away from him, heading to the couch.

Caleb "Where's Chocolate?" He asks, following her.

Hanna "At daycare. They should be dropping him off soon." She answers as they settle on the couch.

Caleb "Oh, really? Already? That was fast." He replies, surprised since Hanna had just contacted the place for information the previous day.

Hanna "Yeah, I made the payment this morning, and they picked him up at noon. I only arranged for him to go there for half a day. This is just so he can go out and be with other dogs, now that you don't have much time to walk him or take him to the park, and I obviously can't do it myself… but I want to keep him here with me the rest of the time." She rests her head on Caleb's shoulder and his arm immediately wraps around her shoulders.

Caleb "I'm sure he's having a blast."

Hanna "Yeah, he was so excited when he left. He loves going out so much… I told Spencer about this place too. They might send Cookie there. Two babies and a dog is a handful."

Caleb "Well, we'll be in that same situation soon enough…"

Hanna chuckles. "Hey!" She elbows him. "Slow down, babe. I haven't even given birth to our first baby yet, and you're already talking about another one."

Caleb grins and kisses her temple. "Just thinking ahead." He says, squeezing her gently.

/

Next day.

Caleb gets home after another day at the office. Just like the previous day, the first thing he does is go upstairs to check on Hanna. He finds her half-sitting in bed, resting on a pile of pillows, but what catches his attention immediately is her red and swollen eyes.

Hanna "Hey!"

Caleb "Hey… Are you okay?" He asks, walking to the bed and climbing onto his side.

Hanna nods. "I just miss Chocolate, but he'll be back soon."

At that, Caleb gives her a knowing look.

Hanna "Really, I was just feeling a bit lonely…" She insists.

Caleb "Okay, I'll stay with you tomorrow."

Hanna "You don't have to. I know you're busy." She says while carefully sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, placing her feet on the floor. "I'll be okay." She places her hand on her lower belly and finally gets up.

Seeing Hanna get up, Caleb gets up too and approaches her, ready to offer help with whatever she needs.

Caleb "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Hanna "Yeah, I just need to use the bathroom." She says, heading for the bathroom. "And stop asking me if I'm okay every five damn minutes. I'm fine." She adds, before closing the door.

When Hanna emerges from the bathroom some minutes later, she finds Caleb sitting at the end of the bed, on his phone.

Caleb "Thanks, man. I owe you one… Sure! Anytime." He smiles. "Perfect! See you around!" He ends the call as Hanna climbs back on the bed and turns to look at her. "All settled, babe. I'll stay home with you tomorrow."

Hanna "I told you you didn't have to." She says in a grumpy tone while resting back on her pile of pillows. "I'm just having a bad day, that's all. I'll be over it."

Caleb "I know you said that, but I want to be here with you. We can spend some time together, maybe watch a movie or something."

Hanna "Watch a movie? Really? I've watched like three movies and started two different series between yesterday and today. This is barely my third day resting at home and I'm already going crazy, and you suggest we watch a movie?"

Caleb "Okay, no movies then. I just want to be here for you."

Hanna "Go to work tomorrow. I don't need you to babysit me. I'm not a child."

Caleb "I know, Han. I just want to support you. If you need space, I can give you that too. Just let me know what you need."

Hanna sighs, her irritation evident. "Like I even know what I need."

Caleb stands up from the edge of the bed and walks to the bedroom door. "Yeah, I feel like we've had this same conversation over and over again for months… I'll be downstairs waiting for Chocolate. Give me a shout or text me if you need anything." He says before leaving.

/

About an hour later.

Chocolate has been home for a while now and went upstairs as soon as Caleb unleashed him.

Now, Caleb is lying on the couch, a beer in his hand, when his phone buzzes beside him. He picks it up and sees a text from Hanna: a simple red heart emoji. Smiling, he sends one back. And that's how they start a text conversation even though they are in the same house.

Hanna: "Are you still downstairs, or did you leave me already?" She includes the emoji of a face with hands covering the eyes but peeking through the fingers, letting Caleb know she's in a playful mood now.

Caleb: "Still here. You won't shake me off that easily." He replies with a winking face emoji. "Just savoring a cold one." He adds, attaching a pic of his beer bottle.

Hanna: "I miss having beer so much…"

Caleb: "I'll have a six-pack ready the day you stop breastfeeding Hallie. Promise."

Hanna: "Don't forget about the sushi you promised. I miss it too."

Caleb: "Anything else you miss? Or maybe… someone?" He sends with a smirking face emoji.

Hanna: "Nope, Chocolate already came up to say hi." She teases him.

Caleb: sad face emoji.

Hanna sends him a bunch of texts:

"You know I miss you too."

"I'm sorry about earlier."

"I was feeling frustrated. Everything feels overwhelming right now."

"I'm scared about becoming a mom and all this free time I suddenly have isn't helping, it has me overthinking a lot…"

"That's why I've been crying today. I just needed to have a good cry to keep going."

And just like that, their text banter turns into a serious conversation.

Caleb: "Thanks for telling me this, Han. And I'm scared too btw. I worry about being a good dad and supporting both you and Hallie. I feel this huge pressure to be good enough. This is actually my own family. I don't want to screw up. So… I'm sorry if I'm a bit suffocating sometimes." Unlike Hanna, he opts to send it all in one single text.

Hanna sends several texts again:

"Oh, baby. You are the best!"

"Really! Relax, you've been the perfect partner in all this."

"Don't worry about being a good dad, you are a natural."

"But I totally get you. I sometimes feel like I'm not doing enough, even when I know I need to rest."

Caleb: "You're doing exactly what you need to do, baby. Resting and taking care of yourself is the most important thing right now. My turn: I sometimes feel helpless seeing you in pain or stressed, and I wish I could do more."

Hanna: "Again, you've been perfect Caleb." She includes a red heart emoji. "Just being here with me helps more than you know. And I love you for always trying to make things better."

Caleb: "I love you too."

Hanna: "Come upstairs and keep me company?"

Caleb: "On my way." He includes a heart-eyes emoji.

Caleb places his empty beer bottle on the coffee table and heads upstairs. As he reaches their bedroom, he finds Hanna sitting up in bed, Chocolate nestled by her side. She smiles at him, her earlier moodiness replaced by warmth and affection.

Hanna "Hey."

Caleb "Hey." He walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. "You feeling any better?"

Hanna nods. "Yeah, I think talking things out helped, or texting, actually." She chuckles.

Caleb smiles.

Hanna "I guess some things are easier to type than to say out loud…"

Caleb nods, completely agreeing with her. He made his own confessions while texting that he's almost sure he wouldn't have been able to say otherwise. "Anyway, you know you can talk to me about anything, right? From small things, even if they seem silly, to big stuff. Really, anything." He says seriously, staring right into her eyes, hoping that maybe she opens up now about how she feels about the fashion show.

But he isn't so lucky. Hanna only smiles slightly and takes his hand.

Hanna "I know."

Caleb "Or you can also just text me." He teases her.

Hanna smiles again while looking down at their joined hands. "So… are you staying with me tomorrow?" She asks, gently scratching her fingernails against his palm.

Caleb "I'd like to stay with you and see if I can make this resting thing easier for you somehow, but only if that's what you want or need. I get it if you need some space."

Hanna "I want you to stay with me… just please, no more movies." She looks up at his face.

Caleb chuckles. "Yeah, don't worry. I've got that part very clear. We'll find something else to keep ourselves entertained."

They both smile at each other.

Caleb "So…" He says, using his free hand to caress Chocolate's ear. "Since when is he allowed back on our bed?"

Hanna "He's been back to normal for a while, Caleb. I need him with me, not out in the hallway in his own bed. It's either this, or I do my bed rest on his bed with him in the hallway... He got the point, we're in charge, not him. And he doesn't jump on the bed unless I invite him first."

Caleb nods, even though he's not entirely okay with risking months of hard work with the dog trainer and the progress they've made correcting Chocolate's overprotectiveness toward Hanna.

Caleb "I guess we can try it as long as it doesn't turn into a setback."

Hanna "Good, because I don't think I'll be able to get up from his bed on the floor if I lie down there to cuddle with him." She jokes, resting her free hand on her baby bump. "She weights a lot now."

Caleb "Just a little while longer, Han… She'll be out soon and I'll be able to hold her too."

Hanna "I know. I'm not complaining. I'm so glad she's still in here after the scare in New York."

Caleb leans in and kisses her forehead. "What are you in the mood for dinner? I'll make something."

Hanna "Whatever you feel like cooking, baby. Just… I'll go downstairs with you. I need to get out of this bed for a little while. I'll stay sitting and only keep you company, I promise."

Caleb "Let's go, then." He says, already standing up and pulling down the covers from her.

Chocolate raises his head right away at hearing "Let's go."

Caleb "Wanna join us making dinner, buddy?" He tells the dog as he helps Hanna up.

/

Later on.

It's been around an hour since Hanna and Caleb went to bed. But as has become usual for Hanna, she's still wide awake. Even though she's settled on a pregnancy pillow that, all things considered, makes finding a comfortable position to sleep a bit less complicated, it's still difficult for her to fall asleep. She reaches out for Caleb with her hand, resting her palm on his shoulder and rubbing circles on his skin with her thumb.

Caleb "Need anything, babe?" He asks right away.

Hanna "Not really, but... since you're awake, I could use a kiss…"

Caleb smiles in the dark and turns toward her. He carefully shifts his position, mindful of the pregnancy pillow. Propping himself up on one elbow, he leans over her, his hand gently brushing her cheek. Pressing his lips softly against hers, he starts a tender, lingering kiss.

Hanna sighs softly against his mouth, her hand moving to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss for a few more seconds before they pull away. Caleb rests his forehead against hers, breathing in the moment.

Hanna "I really don't get why I can sleep so well during the day but can't sleep a wink at night." She says softly.

Caleb rests his head on Hanna's pillow, his hand caressing the side of her bare baby bump under the sheets. Unlike Hanna, he is sleepy, so he closes his eyes, continuing to brush his fingers on her skin.

Hanna "Are you sure you can stay with me tomorrow? Am I not complicating your life again? I mean… all those days in New York, plus the weekend at the clinic, and now I'm keeping you from work again. Be honest with me."

Caleb "Everything is under control, baby. The transfer of the software to the LA servers is complete. Greg is coming back from LA this Friday. And I still have time to work on the updates they asked for. I just had a meeting with a new client tomorrow, but Toby's taking care of it." He explains, not bothering to open his eyes.

Hanna "I thought you weren't meeting up with clients anymore."

Caleb "Yeah, I stopped to focus on the software, but I sent Greg to handle everything in LA so I didn't have to go there myself, so… someone's got to deal with clients here."

Hanna reaches out with her hand and starts running her fingers through his hair, caressing him. "I love you." She raises her head for a moment to kiss his forehead. "So, so much."

Caleb "Love you too."

Hanna rests her head back on her pillow, keeping her face very close to his.

/

Next morning.

After a quick shower, Hanna changes into comfortable clothes, getting ready to lie down in bed again. But just as she's about to, Caleb enters the bedroom. He showered before Hanna and is already fully dressed.

Caleb "Wait up, babe…" He says, grabbing Hanna's new fluffy slippers that Ashley gave her a couple of days ago for her resting-at-home days. "Here." He places the slippers by her feet. "Put these on. I've got something planned for us today."

Hanna looks at him, confused.

Caleb "Put on your slippers. We're going downstairs."

Hanna "Why so mysterious?" She asks while sliding her not-so-swollen-anymore feet into the slippers.

Caleb just smiles.

Once Hanna is ready, they head for the stairs. Caleb patiently accompanies her slow and careful descent. When they reach the living area, Hanna spots a plate with croissants, bagels, and a couple of take-out coffees on the coffee table. She also notices some boxes carefully placed next to the couch.

Hanna "Oh, you took care of breakfast!" She grins. "What are those boxes?" She asks as they head for the couch.

Caleb "Those are some boxes from the attic… I thought we could go through them together…"

Hanna pauses, looking at him. "Are these the boxes with your family's stuff?"

Caleb nods as he sits down.

Hanna remains in her place, still staring at him.

Caleb "Are you going to help me or what?" He asks, already pulling one of the boxes closer.

Hanna sits next to him. "Are you sure you want to do this? If you're just trying to keep me entertained, you don't have to. Watching a movie doesn't sound so bad. I was just in a bad mood yesterday."

Caleb takes her hand. "It's not just to keep you entertained, babe. What you said a few weeks ago got me thinking, and you're right. It's time to get some answers. They might not even be in these boxes, but let's take a look."

Hanna squeezes his hand. "Okay, let's do this then."

She grins, happy not only because her curious mind will finally find out what's in those boxes, something she's wondered about many times, but also because Caleb has decided to find out more about his family and himself. She's sure it'll help him heal wounds he's not aware of, or tries to ignore.

Hanna starts to stand up to get another box, but Caleb stops her, gently resting his palm on her thigh.

Caleb "I don't want you making any effort, babe. I'll pass the things from the boxes to you."

Hanna nods.

Caleb starts going through the first box.

Hanna "Which one is my coffee?" She asks, already taking a croissant.

Caleb "The decaf, of course. It's marked." He answers, pulling out a family album from the box.

Hanna and Caleb spend more than an hour going through the many items in the boxes: family albums, photo frames, Caleb's grandparents' wedding album, and Claudia's baby book, which Caleb barely glances at while Hanna takes her time going through it. They find a few VHS tapes labeled with different places, likely family vacations, along with some travel souvenirs, Claudia's childhood drawings, letters from Henry, Caleb's grandfather, to his grandmother, Claudia's school items like awards and yearbooks, and an old notebook filled with Caleb's grandmother's handwritten recipes. They come across a variety of family memories that confirm they were an ordinary, loving family. However, there's no clue about Caleb's past, Claudia's pregnancy, who his father could be, or why this seemingly normal family didn't keep him.

Caleb stretches and stands up from the couch. "I think we're done here."

Hanna glances at the box next to her. "We're not done yet. There's still another box inside this one, at the bottom. I can't reach it. Help me, please?"

Caleb sighs. "There's nothing here, Han. Just a bunch of old souvenirs and pictures of a family that doesn't even feel like mine. It's like going through a stranger's stuff. What do you want for lunch? I'll go to the store."

Hanna smiles gently, understanding his frustration. "Okay." She knows it's been hard for him, as he was mostly silent while they went through the boxes, only commenting briefly on a few photos of Henry's fishing trips, which even included an around-twelve-year-old Toby. "Is it okay if I take a look at it myself? This box seems to be your m-… I mean, Claudia's. I'm sure it's her own box of memories."

Caleb nods and retrieves the box she's referring to from the bottom of the larger one. It's an old, floral-covered box, about the size of a shoebox, with a label on the lid that reads, "Claudia's Stuff. Do Not Touch." He hesitates for a moment before placing it next to Hanna on the couch.

Hanna looks up at him. "Is it okay if I take a look?" She asks once more, just to be sure.

Caleb nods again, then turns and heads toward the front door. "I'll be right back." He calls out before leaving.

Hanna immediately picks up her phone and texts him: "It's still early to think about lunch, and we just had a massive breakfast. I can tell you just needed a break from this. Just letting you know I'm here for you."

Already sitting in his car in the driveway, Caleb smiles and texts her back: "So this is how we're communicating now?" He adds a smiley face emoji.

Hanna: "Seems to work for us." She includes a red heart emoji.

Caleb: "True. Thanks for understanding. I'll just take a quick drive to clear my head."

Hanna: "Take your time. And maybe pick up something for lunch on your way back? We'll still need something for lunch. LOL."

Caleb chuckles while starting the engine. Before pulling out, he texts her back: "Sure, baby." He sends it along with three red hearts.

/

A bit more than an hour later, Caleb gets back home carrying a couple of grocery bags. Hanna is lying on the couch, and she's put everything back into the boxes except for Claudia's box, which is on the coffee table.

Hanna "Welcome back, Hallie's hot-as-hell daddy." She greets him as he shows up by the living area.

Caleb chuckles. "Hey there… did you find anything interesting?" He asks, gesturing toward Claudia's box of memories.

Hanna "Just some teen stuff, like concert tickets, pics with her best friends, a couple of old music cassettes, and there's also a journal… do you mind if I read it?"

Caleb shrugs, still holding the grocery bags. "Claudia's been gone for years, I don't think she'd mind." He says, heading for the kitchen.

Hanna stands up and follows him. She watches him for a moment as he starts putting away the groceries. He seems okay, so she decides to ask a simple question she's been dying to know the answer to.

Hanna "So… what do you think?"

Caleb "About what?"

Hanna "About everything… you wanted answers and we found nothing in those boxes, not even a trace of a boyfriend or love interest of Claudia's that could be a lead to your dad."

Caleb "We confirmed they were just a normal family, and it seems like Claudia had a good childhood. I guess she got pregnant with me shortly after high school and just didn't want to have a baby." He says while putting some items into the fridge, not giving it much importance.

Hanna "That's just an assumption, baby."

Caleb "What else could it be? She seemed to have it all. Maybe she wanted to go to college instead of taking care of a kid. That's fine." He says, still putting away groceries, not even turning to look at Hanna.

Hanna "We don't know."

Caleb "And we probably won't. They're all gone." He looks at Hanna now. "It's okay, I've changed my mind. I don't want any answers. I don't need them."

Hanna "Look, babe, I know this is an awkward situation for you, but we've barely started looking for answers. I think you're just speaking out of frustration right now. Take some time to clear your mind, and then we'll keep looking."

Caleb sighs. "I'm not frustrated, babe… or well, yes, maybe a little, but… I'm more like… pissed off." He confesses, stepping closer to Hanna. "Finding those pics of my grandfather with Toby made me happy at first, but then I couldn't stop thinking it should have been me. I don't even recall exactly where I was at that age, but I can assure you it wasn't nice. So yes, it's frustrating and it pisses me off. They were a great family, and I missed out… and I love Toby, but I should have been the boy fishing with my grandfather, not him."

Caleb's words make Hanna emotional. She steps closer to him and, baby bump in between, pulls him into a hug.

Hanna "You're right. It should have been you." She says, completely understanding his point as Caleb's arms wrap around her. "But you're right where you belong now." She presses a tender kiss to his neck. "Right with me."

Caleb takes a deep breath, holding Hanna a little tighter. "I have no doubts."

They remain in the embrace for a little while until Hanna pulls away.

Hanna "So… am I still allowed to read Claudia's journal?" She checks again.

Caleb nods.

Hanna smiles and pecks his lips before stepping away from him.

Caleb "Go do that, I'll make lunch."

Hanna "Actually, I think I need a nap right now. I'm dead tired." She yawns. "Don't wake me up for lunch, okay? You have lunch whenever you want. I'll eat when I wake up."

Caleb smiles. "Alright, go get some rest. I'll see you when you wake up."

It takes Caleb about an hour to prepare lunch. He tries to be as quiet as possible since Hanna is napping on the couch in the living area. With the new open layout of the ground floor after the renovations, no walls separate them. Once lunch is ready, he decides to check on Hanna, just to see if she might be awake.

Approaching the couch, he finds her sound asleep, lying on her side with her legs slightly bent and her pregnancy pillow supporting her large baby bump. Caleb gently takes a blanket and drapes it over her, making sure she's comfortable and warm, before placing a tender kiss on her forehead. Despite the unanswered questions about his past, he knows he has everything he needs right here and now.

Satisfied that she's resting peacefully, he quietly heads back to the kitchen to enjoy his lunch, knowing Hanna barely slept during the night and might nap for hours.