The store was unusually calm that night.
No inspectors.
No pranks.
No cursed boxes humming in the storage room.
Only the low buzz of the lights, the hum of the refrigerators, and the soft tapping of rain against the front windows.
Bella stood behind the counter, staring at nothing.
Garruk noticed first.
"You've been quiet," he said, setting down a crate. "Too quiet."
Bella didn't answer right away. She took a slow breath, one hand resting unconsciously on her stomach. The silence stretched, thick and fragile.
Nyx glanced up from her phone. "Okay, that's not normal. Someone say something before I panic."
Vario leaned on the counter. "Is the store haunted again?"
Bella finally looked up.
"No," she said softly. "It's not that."
Garruk straightened. His expression shifted from casual to alert in an instant. "Bella?"
She swallowed, then exhaled slowly, like she'd been holding the air in her lungs all night.
"I'm pregnant."
The words landed gently—but the room went completely still.
The hum of the fridge felt louder.
The rain outside slowed.
Even Nyx forgot to breathe.
"…What?" Nyx whispered.
Bella turned toward Garruk. Her voice trembled just a little. "It's yours."
For a heartbeat, Garruk didn't move.
Then he stepped forward.
"Mine?" he repeated quietly.
Bella nodded.
Garruk stared at her, then at her stomach, then back at her face—like he was afraid the world might shatter if he blinked too hard. His hands clenched, then relaxed.
"You're sure?" he asked, not out of doubt—out of disbelief.
"I'm sure," Bella said.
Nyx slowly covered her mouth. "Oh my gods…"
Vario straightened, eyes wide. "Wait. This is—this is real? This isn't a prank? Because I cannot handle—"
"It's real," Bella said.
Garruk laughed once, breathless and stunned. Then his eyes burned with something fierce and unshakable.
"I—" He stopped, voice catching. "I don't even know what to say."
He knelt down in front of her without thinking, resting his forehead lightly against her stomach.
"I swear," he said quietly, "I'll protect both of you. No matter what."
Bella's eyes softened. She reached down, resting a hand on his shoulder. "I know."
Nyx wiped at her eyes, pretending it was dust. "Wow. Night shift just became legendary."
Vario looked away, smiling faintly. "Guess this store really does create miracles… and disasters."
Outside, the rain kept falling.
Inside the store, for once, the chaos didn't come.
Only the quiet realization that something new—something fragile and powerful—had just begun.