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Tru Valentino as Aaron Thorsen
**
The morning light streamed into the nursery, painting stripes across the room. Phoebe, cradling a mug of lukewarm coffee, leaned against the doorframe, a soft smile playing on her lips. It was a good day. The nausea that had plagued her earlier pregnancy was a distant memory, and the enforced stillness of bed rest, thankfully, was over. At six months pregnant, she felt...almost normal.
Nolan, his brow furrowed in concentration, meticulously applied a second coat of a soft, calming yellow to the walls. He hummed a tuneless melody, Across the room, Tim was kneeled down installing the crib with, a collection of screws and wooden slats spread around him on the floor.
"Everything alright over here?" Phoebe called out, her voice laced with affection.
Tim looked up, grinning sheepishly. "They make these things so complicated." He says with a sigh.
Phoebe chuckled, a sound that felt good, a sound that had been muffled by grief for too long. The last month had been a blur of sorrow and support. Her father and Jackson were laid to rest over the last month. Phoebe had spent time trying to grieve two important people. As well, as trying to destress. Tim had been a rock, a steady presence in the storm of her emotions. He'd held her while she cried, listened patiently while she talked about her father, about Jackson, about the overwhelming weight of loss that threatened to suffocate her. He'd made sure she ate, made sure she rested, made sure she knew she wasn't alone.
Now, watching him paint the nursery, seeing the love and care he poured into every brushstroke, filled her with a warmth that chased away some of the lingering chill of grief. Phoebe took a sip of her coffee, the sweet taste a comforting ritual in the midst of so much change. The air was thick with the scent of paint and the low murmur of conversation.
But even amidst the joy and anticipation, a quiet ache remained. She missed her father she had went so long thinking he was actually dead. For him to die right in front of her. She missed Jackson's easygoing charm, his infectious enthusiasm, his loyal friendship.
Tim noticed Phoebe's shift in emotions. He stood up excusing himself from Nolan and stepped out of the room. "You okay?" He asks her his tone was comforting.
"Thinking about them?" Tim asked, his voice soft. He'd sensed her shift, as he always did. Phoebe nodded, unable to voice the swirling emotions. He places a hand on her stomach in comfort. His eyes softening "They'll always be here with us Pheebs, in spirit" he tells her. She opened her eyes and met Tim's gaze, seeing the reflection of her own sorrow and hope in his. "Thank you," she whispered. He squeezed her hand. "Always."
