Malachi always said he didn’t want kids—not because he hated them, but because the thought of being someone’s father terrified him. Babies overwhelmed him, and deep down, he was scared he’d never know how to be the kind of dad a child deserved. So when Y/N finds out she’s pregnant, telling Malachi becomes almost as frightening as the pregnancy itself. His reaction isn’t excitement. It’s silence, distance, and fear. But as the months pass, Malachi starts changing in ways neither of them expected. An ultrasound picture disappears into his wallet. Baby furniture gets built in the middle of the night. His hand starts finding Y/N’s stomach without him even realizing it. Malachi may not be ready. But maybe becoming a father was never about being ready. Maybe it’s about choosing to stay.