The silence that followed Zoe’s question was so dense it seemed to fill every corner of the room. Her voice—steady and trembling all at once—still echoed in the air:

“When were you going to tell me… that you’re going to be a father?”

Arthur froze on the spot, car keys hanging loosely between his fingers, as if time itself had stopped.

“W–what do you mean… a father?” he asked, brows furrowing, trying to understand whether this was some kind of prank.

Zoe kept staring at him, her eyes glistening.