I’m not sure what happened earlier. One second I was there and in complete control of my body and the next I wasn’t. I . . . fainted, which I’ve never done in my entire life. After, I felt like I was in a dream. I could feel and hear what was going on around me, but I couldn’t see it.

Thank God for Parks. I don’t know what I would’ve done if it weren’t for him. Would I have died? The thought alone makes me shiver, and he pulls the hospital blanket up further around me, tucking me in like a child.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to call your parents?” It’s the third time he’s asked me, and I still can’t bring myself to say yes.

“I don’t want to worry them. What do you think is taking them so long?” We’ve been here for hours. By the time he pulled up to the hospital, I was awake, and all they’ve given me is some anti-nausea medicine and hooked me up to an IV, which was a horrible experience. It took the woman damn near ten times to find the vein in my arm.

“I’m sure they’ll be in soon. Are you feeling better, at least?”

“I feel strange.”

“Isn’t that how you normally feel?” I roll my eyes. Leave it to Parks to make me smile during a time like this.

“Thank you for waiting, Miss Wrenshaw,” the doctor finally returns, and my stomach tightens in fear, automatically imagining the worst. “So, I have some answers for you. But first, I have a few questions.”

“All right.”

“How often do you drink?”

“Ummm, once a week. Maybe a little more frequently as I’ve been going through some issues lately.” I look at Parks, not sure if I answered the question correctly.

“Issues?” the doctor asks.

“Yeah, I lost my job, broke up with my boyfriend . . .”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he says.

“It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”

“Good. Well, I’m not really sure this is the news you were expecting, but you’re pregnant.”

“What?” I swear to God my heart stops beating. Everything in the room stands still, and I almost expect the doctor to crack a smile, slap his leg, and tell me he’s joking and got me. But a few seconds go by, and no one is laughing.

Shit!

How is that even possible? I haven’t been with anyone since . . .

Jesus Christ, it’s Leo’s baby.

“Ar-are you sure?” Parks stutters just as baffled.

“Yes, sir. We ran the test twice, per procedure.”

Leaning my head back against the pillow, I close my eyes as the walls around me finally collapse. My life as I once knew it is over. Everything that was so bad and horrible suddenly seems like it was so good. I’m not ready to be a mom, no way, no how, especially not the mother of Leo’s kid. I don’t want to be linked to that asshole forever. Fuck!

How am I going to raise a baby? I don’t know the first thing about kids.

Parks grabs my hand and holds on to it tightly. The doctor says to us, “I’ll give you guys some time.”

“Thanks,” Parks responds and then cups my face. His soft hands make me finally open my eyes, and I just shake my head, tears streaming down my cheeks.

“It’ll be okay, Fallon.”

“How can you even think that?”

Okay is the last thing I feel that I’m going to be. The tears drop from my eyes faster than a torrential downpour, and I hold onto Parks’ arm as he softly rubs my face. He pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my hair.

My life is officially ruined. I’m fucked! This poor child is screwed before it even has a chance. Literally, almost everything that could’ve gone wrong for me lately . . . has.

* * *

I walk into the living room and furiously sit down on the couch next to Parks. “That one positive, too?”

“Yup!” I humph and cross my arms. I’ve taken a handful of pregnancy tests since we got back and all of them are positive. I could take a hundred more, and I still wouldn’t believe the news.

“I’m sorry you’re going through this,” he tells me, and I pull my feet beneath me.

“Thanks.” He’s trying to be so positive, and I have no clue how considering the news is the farthest thing from happiness I could think of. As a little girl, I always dreamed that when I found out I was having a baby, it’d be nothing but happiness for my husband and myself. I never imagined things to be like this in my wildest dreams.

“What am I going to do? I can’t take care of a baby; I can’t even take care of myself.”

“Yes you can, that baby is depending on you.”

“What about insurance? Mine from the hospital is gonna expire at the end of the month, and I’ll be screwed.”

“I’ll add you to mine.”

“No, no way. Plus, I’m not your spouse.”

“Then we’ll get married, Fallon. I wasn’t fucking joking when I told you that everything was going to be okay. We’re gonna get through this.”

“How can you say that? This isn’t even your problem. I’m not your girlfriend, Mallory is.”

“You’re right, it’s not, but it’s your problem, and anything that involves you, I care about.”

“Jesus, I probably already hurt the baby drinking.”

He rolls his eyes at me—we’ve been over this one already. The doctor already told us the chances were very, very slim.

“So, are you done worrying?”

“What am I gonna tell my parents?”

“The truth!”

“No, no way, they’d freak out if they knew I was having a baby with Leo. Heck, I’m freaking out because I’m having that asshole’s baby.”

“Then just say it’s mine.”

My jaw drops open, and I blink at him as my brain processes his offer. “So what? You just wanna get married and raise this kid with me? I’m sure Malloy would love that.”

“Abso-fuckin-lutely, I do! If it’ll stop you from stressing, then let’s do it.”

“That’s crazy, Parks.”

“What other options do you have? I mean, you could call up Juan Pablo from last night and tell your parents it’s his? Your dad would love him, tattoos and all.

“His name wasn’t Juan Pablo,” I grumble, pushing away the point.

“What’s the difference? He looked like a fucking drug lord and clearly didn’t have your best interests in mind.”

“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“Don’t you remember what he said?”

“No, what?”

“Never mind. It was nothing, really.”

“Don’t do that, Parks, out of all people, don’t lie to me. Just tell me.”

“Fine, after I made him leave he said something like he’d just go home and bang his girlfriend.”

I drop my head into my hands and contemplate the new depths of my life. God, how am I going to manage? Really? I brought home some guy who had a girlfriend? Way to go, Fallon, I snagged another winner. “What a fucking asshole.”

“Yup, you always pick the good ones,” he responds in a teasing tone, and I can’t help but wonder if maybe I’m doomed when it comes to love.

Parks squeezes my knee, bringing me back into the moment, and I know what I have to do. “I can’t allow you to let me have this baby here and complicate your life, too. You have a girlfriend; you don’t need me or my baggage weighing you down.”

“Would you just shut the fuck up, Fallon? Do you realize how lucky you are to be pregnant? Some women can’t have kids.”

“I know, I just didn’t imagine it going this way.”

“That’s life, sometimes you gotta suck it up and make the best of what’s thrown at you.”

“I want to.”

“Then do it. My entire life, you’ve been the most positive person I’ve ever known. When I lost Meg, you were all that got me through it. Now let me return the favor and get you through this.”