She laughed merrily through her smile. “I am.”
“I…I can scarce believe it. A child.” Joseph’s throat bobbed, and his eyes misted as they drifted to her belly. Stepping forward, he closed the few inches between them and enclosed her in an embrace that filled every tiny crevice in her soul. His velvety tone was fissured with joy. “I am so happy, my darling.”
Hannah gripped his strong back, savoring the ethereal beauty of a moment she’d thought would never come. As she gazed out over the shimmering water, birds trilling, insects humming, her eyes brimmed with emotion. “I am not sure how to carry so much joy.”
“All this we owe to our Father in heaven and to your father.” Joseph stroked her back and rested his chin on her hair. “I cannot bear to think of what our lives might have been without his sacrifice.”
Hannah could only whisper her reply, her throat so thick with sorrow and gratitude. “I think of it every day.”
“As do I.” He made little circles on her arm with his thumb. “I pray I may live worthy of it. And now, knowing we shall have a child…”
“God has given us so much.” Pulling away, she took his hand in hers. “I am so pleased that at last our past sorrows are no more.”
“’Tis our past that brought us to where we are—our griefs and our joys.” He tugged her back into his arms and rested his cheek against her hair. “We cannot know what awaits us, but I promise you this. Whatever comes, we need not fear, for we shall face it together, my darling. Hand in hand. Forever.”