"Adriana?"
Craig repeated it slowly, staring at Merlina like the syllables were foreign, like maybe he'd misheard or she'd meant someone else entirely.
Merlina nodded once, small and tight. Still, the words didn't register, his mind refused to process anything beyond the sound of them.
He let go of Merlina's shoulders with a slow, conscious ease, then, wordlessly, he reached for her hand, guiding her toward the couch, fingers laced with hers, not letting go even as they sat.
Craig turned toward her fully, knee brushing hers, his eyes searching her face, jaw working, his breath a little uneven.
"What exactly did she say to you?" he asked at last, voice soft but edged, like he was bracing himself to hear things that couldn't make sense.
Merlina drew in a long breath, trying to keep her expression from crumbling. "She said…" Her voice snagged, then steadied with effort. "She's ten weeks pregnant. She said the baby's yours."
