Page 171 of California Wild

She exhaled slowly, fingers resting over her lower stomach.

She wasn’t ready for information.

She needed comfort.

Something real. Something to fill the silence.

So instead, she sang.

No guitar. No piano. Just her voice—soft, steady, breath-warmed. The lullaby had no name, no chorus, just a melody she’d written weeks ago, long before she even admitted to herself she was going to keep the baby. It lived in her ribs, in her throat. A little patchwork tune she hummed while folding laundry or staring out windows too long.

Now, she sang it into the quiet.

Her hand splayed over her stomach as her voice floated out into the room. Slow and low. A whisper wrapped in a tune. A promise she wasn’t sure she knew how to keep.

She sang it just once.

Then again.

By the third time, her voice broke on the last note.

Her eyes stung.

She curled forward, gripping the edge of the baby book until her knuckles went white.

Where was he?

Why hadn’t he called?

The lullaby faded, and the silence that followed was unbearable.

She grabbed her phone again.

Her thumb hovered over Jesse’s name, jaw tight, heart cracking open in her chest.

One more try.

Just one more.

She pressed Call.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

Then—voicemail.

And this time, she didn’t stop herself.

Her voice cracked as soon as she spoke.

“Jesse…”

A shaky breath.

Then—

---