“Are you sure you’re okay?” Rach reached over to touch my forehead.

I was lying in bed, hugging one of my plush pillows. With a tired smile, I gave her the thumbs-up.

“I’m just tired, that’s all. No big deal. I may have to cancel my classes today, though.” The thought of canceling my classes made me wince. I’d never done it before, and it was an indication that I actually was unwell. But damn, I felt like I’d caught a bug or something.

“I finish early today, so I’ll get some chicken soup on the way.” Rach was still staring down at me with a concerned expression.

“Sounds great.” My eyes closed again. “Get the spicy version. I want the soup to burn my tongue.”

The rest of the morning was uneventful. I laid in bed, dozed, got up to pee, and then slept again. When I tried to eat a donut around ten, I felt queasy and quickly lost my appetite. I wondered if it was that time of the month and it had somehow left me more susceptible to germs. It would be just my luck to get sick and have my period at the same time.

Wait, though.

That’s what I wondered a couple of days ago.

Standing in the kitchen, I stared out the window, trying to remember the last time I had my period.

I pivoted and hurried into my bedroom, flipping through my mini calendar.

I’d skipped my period.

Skipped.

This had never happened to me before, ever. I was one of those blessed women whose period came like clockwork. I’d been so consumed with Denton and the separation and everything else that I hadn’t bothered to check my cycle.

“Please don’t let me be pregnant.” I pressed my palms to my eyes. “Please, please. That’s the last thing I need right now.”

Not to mention Denton would probably freak out. Although Ernest might finally get that great-grandchild he kept asking for.

I called Rach and when she picked up, I asked her to get a pregnancy test kit on the way.

“What!” She shouted the word, nearly bursting my eardrum. “Are you kidding me? Wait… is that why you’ve been feeling so crappy lately?”

“It might be. Just get me that damn kit, alright? I’m really nervous.”

Roughly two hours later, Rach and I stood in the bathroom, waiting for the results. I was hoping for one result: not pregnant. There was no way I could raise a baby right now.

“Two lines.” Rach glanced up at me, her lips thinning. “I see two definite lines. You’re knocked up, kiddo.”

At the news, the room went swimmy, darkness closing in from the sides of my vision. The last thing I remembered was Rach’s arms closing around me.

* * *

“I’m fine, really.” I swatted Rach’s hands away. “Actually, can you bring me the soup? All I had today was one bite of a stale donut.”

“Good thing they ran out of the spicy version.” She poured the warm contents of the container into two bowls. “I bought the chunky soup instead.”

She joined me on the couch to eat our meal. The soup was delicious, with lots of chicken pieces, vegetables, and just the right amount of seasoning. I hugged my bowl, enjoying the warmth seeping into my body.

“Are you going to tell Denton?” Rach asked, looking serious.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t want my pregnancy to influence his ultimate decision. He either wants me or he doesn’t.”

“But—”

“But nothing. I’ll tell him after the three-month period.” With a regretful sigh, I rearranged myself in the cushions. “Ernest would be so happy to hear the news, though.”

“Then tell him.”

“I can’t. There’s no way he’ll keep it a secret from Denton.” I resumed eating my soup. “He’ll have to find out when everyone does, I guess.”

Silence settled between us, each lost in our own thoughts.

There was a tiny fetus growing inside me. The concept felt foreign and wonderful at the same time. Would it be a boy or a girl? Blond-haired or brown? Would it look like Denton or me?

Thinking about that brought a strange sense of comfort. I won’t be lonely ever again. I’ve got my little baby.

“I guess this means the European Christmas trip is canceled,” Rach said, trying to hide her disappointment.

“No, don’t do that. I want you to go.”

She looked indignant. “Well, I’m not going alone! Imagine spending Christmas all by myself in Europe. That’s not fun, it’s just insane.”

“You won’t be going alone. Give my ticket to what’s-his-name.” I was referring to the cute guy who’d helped tow her old car.

Her eyes lit up. “You mean Dylan? Are you sure? Should I ask him to pay half of the costs?”

“It’s a lot of money to cough up in such a short time. It’s the least I can do, Rach. I’m staying at your apartment for free, after all.”

“Yeah, but you bought me a new car, and I don’t want you to be alone on Christmas.”

“I won’t be alone.” I smiled, the first true smile I’d had in days. “I’ll be spending Christmas with my mom.”

That seemed to soothe some of Rach’s concerns, but she kept repeating, “Are you sure? You won’t regret it?” until I finally put a stop to it by pretending I was going to bed.

The thought of spending Christmas with Mom made me want to cry, and in a good way. It would be nice to spend some quality time with family—Mom, me, and the baby growing in my womb. We could binge on turkey and sugar cookies, exchange presents (I’d be able to get her something decent this time), and just watch TV all day long.

And if I felt brave enough, I might come clean about what I’d done, and my current knocked-up situation.

“Ugh.” Crawling into bed, I tried to block out the nightmare I’d gotten myself into.

I spent the evening trying to relieve some tension by watching YouTube videos of talking dogs and guinea pigs, while finishing off Rach’s chunky chicken soup. Rach stayed in the kitchen, making a batch of cookies and other delicious-smelling treats.

Around seven p.m., there was a knock on the front door.

Rach hollered something rude and yanked open the door, which was quickly followed by loud curses. The male at the door spoke in a placating voice, trying to calm her down.

“Who is it, Rach?” I called out, padding into the hall in my woolly slippers.

She didn’t need to answer my question. Andy stood in the doorway, his gaze narrowing as soon as he saw me.

“I knew it,” he said, inviting himself inside. “That day when you came to Tiff’s Coffee, I knew something was up.” Dropping a bag of fragrant croissants on the coffee table, he pulled off his scarf and made his way toward me. “My god, Tiff, you look a frightful mess. What did that fucker do to you?”

“Nothing. He didn’t do—” Andy smothered the rest of my sentence by crushing me to his chest. When I tried to pull away, he tightened his hold on me.

“I told you it wouldn’t work out, didn’t I? I told you not to jump into this marriage. And now, you’re going to be divorced at the age of twenty-three!”

“Hey, asshole, no one invited you in,” Rach broke in, rage filling her face. “And how did you know Tiff was staying with me anyway? Were you spying on us?”

“I noticed her hanging around the neighborhood more often than usual, so yes, I kind of followed her a few times.” Andy’s worried eyes returned to me. “I’m here for you, Tiff. Do you want to talk about it? We could order some Thai takeout like we used to and just relax.” He gave me a grin. “My treat, of course.”

At the mention of free Thai food, Rach’s fury quickly disappeared.

Rolling my eyes, I decided, why not. “You can stay if you get me the mild chicken curry and noodle salad. What about you, Rach?”

She rattled off a long list of dishes that were sure to cost Andy a small sum, as payback for his unannounced visit and prior assholery. Then she took a deep breath and demanded several bottles of expensive white wine from the liquor store across the street.

Without missing a beat, Andy grabbed his phone and put in the orders.