BZZZZZ. BZZZZZ. BZZZZZZ. Bzzzzzz.

The vibration of Riley’s phone as it dug into her elbow jerked her awake. She gasped and shot backwards, wide-eyed and startled out of a deep sleep. Papers scattered in every direction, all based around research and articles regarding real estate trends. She’d been working steadily for a real estate company in Japan, writing blogs and other content for their websites.

“Holy crap,” she muttered as soon as she found her senses. Letting out a soft giggle, she answered the call while picking up all the papers she’d displaced. “Hello?”

“Riley?” Jessica’s voice sounded almost confused on the other line.

“Yeah, it’s me, you dork.” Riley laughed. “You’re the one who called me, why do you sound so out of sorts?

“Well... I guess I just feel weird about wanting to go baby shopping with you.”

Riley laughed. “Baby shopping as in getting baby supplies or baby shopping as in–”

“Supplies! Supplies, I swear!”

She burst into laughter. “All right, I’ll come and get you in a few minutes.”

“Okay, yes! But first, question: Did you have sex with a certain someone again?”

Riley laughed again. “Jess! You’re incorrigible, I’m telling you. I’ll meet you at Piper’s Baby Things, okay?”

“I know, it’s why you love me. And okay!”

Riley could just imagine Jessica with her tongue sticking out, and she giggled quietly. “Yeah, yeah. See you there.” Before her friend could make any more comments, Riley snapped her phone closed. She had next to no idea how to shop for babies, but she had to start somewhere, didn’t she? With Jessica’s support, everything was always so much easier anyway, and so she told herself to just breathe and focus on not stressing.

“You can do this... you got this...” She snatched the keys off the coffee table where she’d unceremoniously dumped them last night after the dinner date gone wrong. After quickly assessing that she had everything she needed, she headed out the door.

The entire drive to Piper’s Baby Things was full of Harrison. Every song she heard on the radio, she could somehow relate to him. Every stop light or stop sign where she had to wait, her thoughts drifted. She felt so torn and had no idea how she was going to broach the subject with him that she was pregnant despite that she’d gone over that very same topic numerous times before. The more weeks that went by, the tougher it was to keep such an immense secret from him.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally arrived in the baby store’s parking lot. Jessica’s car was there already, but she didn’t see her in the store; she must have gone inside already. She licked her lips as she locked her car and headed for the door. She was all nerves as she resisted thinking about Harrison, and she had the absurd idea that he might be in there looking for baby supplies right now.

This is crazy, she thought. When did I become such a paranoid idiot?

“Riley! There you are!”

Jessica’s voice jerked her out of her thoughts, and she tried not to jump too high. She let out a quick, semi-nervous laugh and wrapped her arms around her in the tightest squeeze she could muster. “Jess, hey! Would you believe I hit every red light on my way here? The traffic is nuts!”

“Um... no, it’s not. What’s happening? Why are you so insane right now?”

She chewed briefly on her bottom lip and grabbed Jessica’s hand, leading her into a quieter area of the store. “It’s just everything. I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind. I don’t even know what’s me and what’s the hormones anymore. Besides which, I have a person growing inside of me, and I have no idea how to deal with that. Or what to tell Harrison or my parents. Or anything. Oh my god, I’m losing my mind, for real...” She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead and squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s okay, hey... it’s okay.” Letting out a sympathetic laugh, she wrapped Riley into her arms and hugged her tight. “Listen. Here, listen. Do you remember last year when you were driving me to school? It was pouring rain out. Like, sheets of rain, thunder, lightning, the works. And I was an absolute wreck. I could barely breathe, I couldn’t speak, all I could do was curl back against the seat and sob. It came out of nowhere, and instead of ignoring it, you pulled over to the side of the road, in the middle of this insane storm, got out of the car, and curled up with me in the back seat. You didn’t even say anything, you just held onto me because you somehow knew that it was what I needed. After a little while, when I finally stopped sobbing, you told me that everything would be okay. I said there was no way that it could be, since I had a screenplay due by the end of the day and it was nowhere near finished. Do you remember what you did, Riley?” She paused and smiled widely. “You stayed with me, right there in the back of that damn car in that stupid downpour, and you helped me finish the screenplay. Of course in hindsight, writing it all in the back of your car probably wasn’t the best place to do it, but we got it done in time together. And I ended up getting an A.”

“I remember...” She sniffled and wiped at her eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’m telling you this because I’m not going to leave you. I’m here to stay, and we’re going to figure this out together, just like we always do. Okay?”

She pulled back from Jessica. Her head shook, and she gave her the best smile she could muster. “Okay...you always did know exactly what to say... I don’t even know how you do it.”

“Because I’m awesome. And because you have never turned your back on me. I’m not about to do it to you.” Jessica grinned.  “Now let’s go see what we can find, shall we? What are you wanting to check out first?”

“Yes... okay. Good idea.” She squared her shoulders and swiped hair back from her face. “Um... I actually have no idea. How about something that’s fun...like little shirts and little pants or toys or...something.”

“Perfect choice! Oh my god, look at these!” She held up a purple and blue jumpsuit. “Can you believe that we were both this small once upon a time? Look at how cute... and the feet! Riley, the feet aren’t even as big as my hands. I can’t handle it! Take it!”

They both laughed as Riley took the jumper and pressed it against her cheek. She smiled and gave it a squeeze, imagining how a baby would look in such an adorable piece of clothing. It made her wonder, too, what sex her baby would be; she wouldn’t know until at least the next ultrasound. “Hey, Jess, you need to help me pick out a name, as soon as we know what–” As she turned around, still speaking to Jessica, she felt all the color drain from her face; Owen was standing already directly beside her.

“Owen...” she couldn’t keep the shock from her voice, and she was pretty sure that her eyes were wider than dinner plates at that moment. “What are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too.” Instead of the grin she’d seen on him numerous times at the movie premiere, now he had a furrowed brow and a suspicious expression. “But uh...why were you talking about...babies? Why are you here? Are you really pregnant or is this just some giant joke?”

“What? No, I’m not pregnant. I’m just here to support Jess; she’s due in a few months, and we just want to make sure we’re prepared and everything, that’s all.”

Owen tilted his head, and his eyebrows slowly lowered. He was quiet for nearly thirty seconds before he said, “Uh huh. So I was just hearing things when you said you had a little person inside of you? You’re an even worse liar than Harrison.” He almost laughed, but then frowned. “Wait... is the baby Harrison’s?”

“Owen...” Riley took a small step closer to him, struggling to hold back her defensive nature; it was clear that he already knew, and upsetting him would only make things worse. When she saw Jessica open her mouth, she held out a hand and shook her head in an ‘I got this’ gesture. “Please don’t tell him; you can’t.”

“Holy shit, it is his? Are you serious? And he doesn’t know?” He raked fingers through his hair and stared at Riley incredulously. “Why haven’t you told him? He has a right to know, Riley.”

“Hey, you need to mind your own business, buddy.” Jessica had her hands on her hips, and she was glaring at Owen through hard brown eyes. “Seriously, you can’t just show up here and start drilling her; she’s been through enough.”

Owen shrugged. “I’m not ‘drilling’ her; I just overheard the conversation and I got a little concerned, that’s all. Riley, you seemed really upset and if I came across as callous or rude, I didn’t mean to. It’s just... Harrison is my best friend, and I really think he’s got a right to know if he’s got a baby coming into the world, okay?”

Jessica frowned and folded her arms across her chest, but seemed to calm with Owen’s words.

“Listen... I didn’t say one way or the other whether it’s even his, and I don’t have to. The bottom line is, Harrison isn’t even my real boyfriend, and I’m not his girlfriend. In the same token, I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell him... please?” Riley held her breath and folded her arms loosely across her belly.

“That’s for her to do,” Jessica chimed in. “It’s her and Harrison’s business, Owen, and I understand that you’re his friend...but if you get involved, it could just complicate things further because you don’t know the whole story.”

Owen looked at the two of them, an awkward look in his eyes. It was as though he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to be shocked, angry, confused, or all three. He rubbed a hand along his jawline and hefted a long, deep sigh. Finally, he briefly lowered his head. “All right... fine, I won’t tell him. But if I find out that the baby is his and you didn’t tell me, you’re both going to owe me way more than just one.”

Inside, Riley was in a near panic. She swore she hadn’t seen Owen when she’d come in here; if she’d known he was here, she never would have broken down the way that she had. Outwardly, however, she looked calm; while not exactly composed, she was at least breathing and functioning...for now. “Thank you, Owen, really. Thank you. We absolutely do owe you one, and I know how hard it is to keep secrets from your friends, believe me; but I just need more time to figure out what I’m going to do before I tell him.” She rubbed hands down her face before she asked, “on another note, what exactly are you doing here?”

Owen seemed perplexed about the subject change, but responded anyway: “One of my cousins just had a baby, so I’m trying to figure out what to get her. Shoes or toys most likely.”

“How about this?” Riley held up the little jumpsuit and smiled, giving it a bit of a shake.

“It’s cute, but...no.” He smiled back at her, and while it appeared genuine, Riley could sense the concern in the expression.

“Listen... Owen...” She gently took him by the arm and guided him closer to the back of the store; her voice was a low whisper. “I’m not trying to hurt Harrison... that’s why I need time to think about what to say to him. I really need a game plan here, so this needs to stay a secret. And it needs to come from me. Okay?”

He didn’t look convinced but nodded slowly. “I get that, I do...but the man’s been hurt enough to last multiple lifetimes. That’s all I’m saying, and you know I can’t go into detail. He’s just been through a lot, and you need to know that.”

“I do...believe me, I do. Please, just...try your best to not say anything. Not yet. Because I have no idea how he’s going to react, and that...almost scares me more than him finding out.”

A wobbly little smile appeared on Owen’s mouth, and he tilted his head. The worry was starting to ease away. “You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yes...I do. I wish I didn’t, but...I do.”

“Well, just so you know, he really likes you, too. And when I say ‘like,’ I mean borderline obsessive. I’m serious, Riley. He might not talk to me much about it, but what he does say, well... I’ve known him long enough now that it’s obvious that he cares for you more than he wants to, which is why I really don’t want to see him get hurt over this; he doesn’t deserve that.”

She nodded and glanced over his shoulder at Jessica, who was watching them both while she pretended to browse. After a heartbeat, she looked back to Owen. “One day I hope he will tell me those things, but I want to hear them from him; just like he needs to hear about this pregnancy from me.”

He sighed again. “He will, because I won’t say anything. You have my word.”

“Thank you so much. Thank you.” She gave one of his shoulders a brief squeeze before she turned and made her way back to Jessica.

“Well?” Jessica glanced over Riley’s shoulder toward Owen.

“He’s going to keep quiet on the grounds that I owe him for his silence. I have no idea what that means, and I don’t really want to know, but...we’re safe for now; Harrison isn’t going to find out from him.”

“Good.” She touched the back of Riley’s arm in a comforting gesture and dragged her into a brief, but meaningful hug. “It’ll be okay, Riley... everything will be okay.”

“I really hope so.” She hugged Jessica back and then stepped away and offered her the best smile that she could muster. “Ready to do some actual shopping now that that awkwardness is out of the way? I’ll even let you pick out some shoes.”

“Pfft, ‘let me?’ Please, you know I’m gonna go ahead and do it anyway!”

They both laughed again, the sound of their relieved joy reverberating throughout the small store. Riley found herself almost wishing that it had been Harrison rather than Owen, just because at least then she wouldn’t have to hold onto this immensely important secret. As she browsed through little pants and toys, her thoughts drifted back to the problem at hand: How was she going to tell Harrison that she was pregnant?