I woke up, remembering it was the weekend and feeling so glad. I lay on my side because it was the only position I found comfortable anymore. I was seven months pregnant, and I had a bump on my stomach to show. In the next couple of months I’d grow even bigger. I was not looking forward to it.

My phone rang with a notification, and I sighed, shifting so I could stretch my hand out to where it lay on the nightstand. I sat up, maneuvering around my bulging stomach, and read the message.

“Fuck!”

All my friends knew I was pregnant. Of course, they didn’t know who the father was, and I wasn’t talking. Thankfully, neither was Olivia. No one else seemed to know Zach and I had hooked up, and I’d insisted on Olivia not telling him, so he still didn’t know I was pregnant. I wanted him to find out from me first, but I hadn't been able to sum up the courage to even answer his calls and messages.

The message was from Sasha, asking me to go to a group get-together, something I’d been waiting for since the news started to spread that I was pregnant.

“I’m not interested in going,” I murmured as I sent a quick text back.

I barely put the phone down when it rang. I winced, knowing who it was, but picked up the call anyway.

“What do you mean you aren’t coming?” Sasha said. She was a little loud, and I had to pull the phone away from my ear a bit. “It’s been a while since we all met up. Please come, Scarlett?”

I rolled my eyes at her enthusiasm. I wasn’t sure if she was still on a high from getting married or just her being her usual self.

“The last time we got together was before your wedding, wasn’t it? So whose fault is it we haven’t been able to meet up?”

“You were all at the wedding,” she complained. “Then Donny and I had our honeymoon after that, and we got busy catching up with what we’d missed at work. There was no better time to meet up, and there probably won’t be for a while. This was the only time where I could catch everyone free, so if not today, then we’ll have to wait for the holidays.”

I sighed and slumped back into my bed. I wasn’t exactly avoiding my friends, but I’d been doing a good job of explaining very little when it came to the pregnancy. Knowing my friends, I knew this get-together was an excuse for them to question me about my life choices.

There was nothing wrong with being curious, and I cared for all of my friends, but sometimes I would have liked to keep some things private. Not that they would force me to answer, but I was often told I was an open book. If they happened to ask the wrong question and I couldn’t control my expression, I’d let them know something I wasn’t ready for them to know unwittingly.

“Would you please just come?” she pleaded.

“Sasha, you know my condition. I’d much rather go to sleep.”

“So you’d pass up a free meal?”

The mention of food made me pause. My appetite had grown quite a bit in the past several months. I was saving up cash for when I went on maternity leave, so I was incredibly tempted to say yes if only for the food.

When I didn't reply, Sasha realized I was thinking about her offer, and she laughed.

“Sure, Sasha,” I finally said. “I’ll be there. Tell me where.”

She squealed in happiness, before giving me the directions I needed.

“I’ll see you in an hour?”

“Sure,” I said.

As I hung up I saw the time and was surprised to see it was well past eleven. I’d be meeting them for lunch, but I decided to get up and fix myself something to eat in the meantime. I all but dragged myself out of bed and to my kitchen. I didn’t have much in, just some cereal and fruit, and was suddenly so much more thankful that I would be meeting my friends later.

After eating, I had a shower and got dressed. With my stomach getting larger by the second, I’d had to get a new closet to accommodate it. Olivia had helped. I picked something easy, a dress I slipped on over my head, paired with a sweater for the chill. I thought about asking Olivia to accompany me but decided I didn't need to bother her.

The front of the restaurant was made up of red brick and large glass windows. It was a favorite of the group since some of us had been coming to the place with our own families long before we all met in college.

I walked through the door, smoothing a hand over the front of my dress and my bulging stomach self-consciously. My friends were easy to spot, they sat at the largest table in the room, and it already looked crowded even without me there. For a moment, I got cold feet. I would have turned and run away if Sasha hadn’t picked that moment to look up. She’d probably been keeping an eye out for me, and her face lit up when she caught sight of me. She waved at me, catching everyone’s attention.

The action made more than just people from our table turn my way, and I felt my face warm in a flush as I hurried over. Olivia was there already, and she stood up to meet me as I drew close, pulling me into a quick hug before pulling my chair out for me.

“So glad you could make it, Scarlett,” Sasha said, followed by likewise happy greetings from everyone else. “Well, that’s everyone, so I guess we’re ready to order.”

Donny, seated by her side, as he should be, nodded and raised his hand to call a waiter.

“Don't tell me you guys waited for me?” I said with a disapproving look, aimed mostly at Sasha.

She gave me a sheepish look. “Sorry. I just really wanted us to all be together first, all right?”

A waiter finally appeared interrupting us as we talked. The guy looked at our little crowd wearily, holding a pencil poised over his notebook. With so many people there, it took some time for him to get down all our orders, then he left us alone.

“Now,” Sasha said, clapping her hands together and squirming happily in her seat. “I know this is the first time we’ve gotten together as a group since the wedding,” she sent a look my way, and I ducked my head down, “but it’s not like anything has changed.”

Olivia snorted. “Oh, honey, everything has changed. You fell to the dark side and joined the married life.”

There were chuckles and snorts and rolled eyes in the group. I gave Olivia a warning look, wondering if she was trying to reference my current problems. But she gave me an innocent look before turning away.

“It doesn’t feel all that different, to be honest,” Sasha said.

It was easy to tell she was lying. Yeah, their feelings hadn't changed much from before they got married, but Sasha shone in a way that she hadn't before because now she had a ring on her finger to show people she was taken, not to mention she’d had the wedding of her dreams.

Then my friends were suddenly talking all about the ‘married life’. It occurred to me soon after that I was one of the few at the restaurant who wasn’t married. I felt my face warm in another blush, feeling out of place. Food came out to our table in rounds and we talked until the last plate was laid down.

I’d ordered a big meal, even though I’d had breakfast not that long ago. As the rest of them talked, I started to eat, just barely holding myself back from scarfing all the food down.

“Are we seriously just going to ignore the fact that Scarlett changed most?” someone mentioned.

I gulped as all eyes turned to me and stopped eating altogether. The statement could be taken as meaning I was the only pregnant one there. I’d been waiting for it, but having all that attention on me still worried me.

Sasha hummed. “That’s true. You have no idea how shocked I was when you told me the news. I thought you were messing with me until you showed me your stomach. I never knew you were interested in kids before that.”

When she put it that way, I couldn't exactly say I was even fond of kids. I’d never thought about having them because what was the point when my relationships never seemed to work out? I would have rather kept the pregnancy from everyone else, as much as I’d held it back from Zach. But unlike him, they had ways to get in contact with me and could just as easily come to my place to see me.

But just because I had to tell them didn't mean they needed every detail.

“It wasn’t exactly in my plans,” I said slowly. “It just kind of... happened, I guess.”

In a lot of ways, I regretted it. Until I realized there was life growing inside of me, and I liked the thought.

Suddenly, Sasha laughed. I arched a brow in her direction, wondering just what it was that she found so funny. I wasn't the only one confused. She caught the looks but waved them away and waited for her breathing to calm down to answer us.

“I just find it kind of funny, you know? I’m the one that went on a honeymoon, and you’re seven months pregnant.”

“Will you guys be trying for children?” I asked, curious.

None of the married couples in our group had children, and I hadn't heard anyone mentioning having kids either. A part of me was glad I had this first above them getting married before I did—if I ever would, after this—and I couldn’t help rubbing a hand over my belly.

Having a child was daunting, and there were moments I thought I wasn't ready. But then I’d think about how this child was mine, and the possessiveness was all the answer I needed about what to do when it came to my pregnancy. Of course, I was going to keep the baby, regardless of whether or not I got help from the father.

Donny shrugged. “Eventually, maybe, but not at the moment. We’d like some time to ourselves before we decide to grow the family.”

“Oh! But if you ever need help with the baby, we’d be glad to help. It would be good practice for our future after all.” Sasha’s gaze dropped to the hand I still had pressed over my stomach, then she and Donny shared a secret look and a smile.

Something quivered in my chest, and I thought I might cry. And I wanted to, because the way she said ‘their future’ had me thinking about my future and Zach's, because I was pretty sure once he found out I was pregnant, he wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

When I let myself think about it too much, I started to panic. Because, really, what did I know about raising a child? Even worse, doing it on my own. I knew my friends would help me, but I’d still have to do most of the work. I couldn’t have my friends looking after my baby all the time. I’d have to learn to be a mom way before I was ready for it.

I should have hated Zach, just a little.

“If you wouldn’t mind helping me out…” I said slowly because I was scared enough to want the help from my friends.

“We’d be glad to,” she said, reaching across the table and giving my hand a sympathetic squeeze.

I gave her a trembling smile in return, grateful.

“So, Scarlett,” Chad, another friend in the group, asked. “Who’s the baby’s father?”

At his words, the whole table went quiet and all eyes turned to me. I winced, holding back a string of curse words.

No one else had outright asked the question, probably trying to be considerate because I hadn't mentioned anyone. They must have thought the father was my last boyfriend. Only the math didn’t add up since I’d broken up with him over a month before the wedding, and I was only seven months along in the pregnancy. I wasn’t dating anyone else, and they would have known if I was. So another assumption would be that I was hiding a boyfriend from them.

“Uh,” I floundered, not sure what to say. Everyone waited for me to say something, but I couldn’t. “The baby’s father is…”

I couldn’t come up with anything, and out of panic, I turned to the one person that knew all my secrets, giving her a pleading look. Her eyes widened as attention suddenly turned to her, and I noticed Sasha frown.

“Olivia, do you know who the father is?” Sasha sounded almost hurt.

“Not technically,” she said slowly. “Scarlett came to me when she thought she was pregnant, and I’ve been helping her out, but that’s about it.”

“Is it that guy you dated before? His name was…” she frowned as she tried to remember.

“It doesn’t matter,” I cut in. “I haven’t been able to contact the dad yet, so he… still doesn’t know.”

“And do we know who the dad is?” the question came from Chad, and the intent way he was eyeing me worried me just a little.

“Well, I guess you could say that,” I said in a small voice.

His eyes narrowed at me, and I knew immediately what it meant. He knew. Or, he guessed.

Dammit.

I realized too late that Zach might have told him about our one night stand. The two of them were close, I knew that. Probably close enough to tell each other about their conquests. He suspected, but he didn’t have proof. I prayed he wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.

He ignored my silent plea.

“How well would you say we know this guy?” he continued. “Say, for example… were they at the wedding?”

The others shared confused looks, while Olivia met my gaze with the beginning of panic in her own eyes.

“The wedding?” Sasha repeated, sounding confused.

“Yeah,” he glanced over at them, before looking back at me. “Remember, the wedding was seven months ago? If you met someone at the wedding then we’d know him, wouldn’t we? If you can't contact him, one of us probably could.”

“Oh, definitely,” Sasha jumped in. “I still have the guest list, and I have contacts for everyone that attended… somewhere. If you need it—”

“Thanks, Sasha, but it’s fine.” I knew she was trying to help, but I had to shut the idea down before they started calling everyone up. Someone else might remember I left with someone, and they might know who it was. I wasn’t going to tell my friends who the father was before I told the man himself. “It wasn’t someone at the wedding,” I said to throw them off.

Chad’s eyes narrowed at me again, and I quickly looked away from him.

“Then who?” he questioned.

“Um, I dated someone. After the wedding. I’m pretty sure he worked for the catering company or something that did your wedding. I met him at the wedding rehearsal and we clicked.” The lie felt awkward on my tongue, but to them, I had no reason to lie. “I guess I took my last breakup harder than I thought, and I realized I’d made a mistake getting into something else so early, so… we haven’t talked for a while now.”

It painted a pretty pathetic picture of myself, but of course, they bought it. After all, in my world, it wasn’t anything new. I had rebounds that fell through quickly after some of my breakups. I didn’t always do it, of course, I knew it was wrong, and the result was always the same: me feeling even worse than before.

“Would you guys excuse me for a bit?” I said suddenly, scooting my chair back. Olivia, picking up her cue, jumped up to help me. “I need to head to the bathroom.”

“I’ll go with you,” Olivia said, holding onto my arm as she helped me up.

I winced at the light ache in my lower back, moving slowly through the restaurant.

“Fuck, I hate that I still have months to go before this is over,” I grumbled.

I should have been able to go by myself. Olivia was just going along so we could talk privately, but I needed her help a lot more than I had expected. I leaned on her as I moved one foot in front of the other, wincing every few steps because my feet had swollen along with the rest of me.

Olivia was silent the whole way. I’d used it as an excuse to get away, but I did need to use the bathroom. My visits had increased. Some days it felt like the baby was lying on my bladder. As far as I knew, it could have been. Olivia waited for me to finish my business and met me at the sink as I washed my hands.

“Scarlett, maybe you should tell them,” she finally said.

I shot my friend a betrayed and threatening look. “Not now. I’ll tell them, Olivia, but just not now.”

She tightened her lips, looking unhappy. “But when?”

“I’m going to talk to Zach… eventually. After that, I might tell them. I’ll apologize for lying when the time comes, but please don’t say anything, Olivia. I’m asking as a friend.”

I could see the reluctance on her face, but I knew she wouldn’t go around telling my secret when she didn’t have my consent, she was too good a friend for that.