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Olivia let out a breath she felt like she’d been holding for a lifetime. A small, shaky laugh escaped her lips, and she pressed a hand to her still-flat stomach. A baby. A tiny, half-Derek, half-Olivia life was starting to take shape inside her. 

Despite everything, a warm, golden wave of happiness washed over her. She’d always wanted this—a real family, a house filled with the kind of love she’d seen in her parents’ eyes.

But as the initial glow began to fade, a cold prickle of anxiety took its place.

Derek. 

She leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection. They had just barely survived the "living together" argument. He'd not even brought the topic up again, especially as she spent more time at his place, and though she knew he loved her with a terrifying intensity, a baby was… a lot. It was the ultimate commitment. It was the whole package arriving before they had even agreed to living together permanently.

Derek Hawthorne was a man who liked to be in control. How would he react to a life-changing variable he hadn't planned for? Would he see this as the beautiful next step she saw, or would he feel cornered? Would he panic at the thought of being responsible for something so small and fragile?

She picked up the test, sliding it into the pocket of her silk robe. She knew she had to tell him—and soon—but the fear of seeing that old, guarded look return to his dark eyes made her want to stay in this quiet bathroom forever. She had asked for the whole package, and now she had it. She just prayed Derek was ready to carry it with her.

—-------------

“Hello? Earth to Liv,” Isabella said, her voice cutting through the fog of Olivia’s thoughts like a siren.

Olivia turned slowly, the flickering light of the television reflecting in her eyes. She found Isabella and Tessa staring at her, their expressions a mix of amusement and growing concern.

“What?” Olivia asked, her voice sounding far away even to her own ears.

Isabella shook her head, gesturing toward the hand Olivia had clenched tightly around the remote. “Press 'Next' on the remote, Liv. The credits have been rolling for almost a minute. You completely zoned out.”

“I did?”

“Mmm-hmm,” Tessa chipped in, leaning forward and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She scrutinized Olivia’s face with the precision of a lifelong friend. “You’ve been staring at the screen like it holds the secrets of the universe. And you look worried. Is everything okay?”

Olivia stared at them, the weight of the secret in her heart—and in her body—feeling heavier than ever. Was everything okay? It was the million-dollar question. Everything would be perfect if Derek looked at her with joy when she told him her big news —their big news. But if his jaw tightened, if that old, guarded wall went up, if he felt like this was a trap he hadn't consented to…

She looked at the eager, concerned faces of her two best friends. Pregnancy wasn't a secret that kept well; eventually, the morning sickness or the changing curve of her waist would give her away. And right now, the secret was suffocating her.

“I have some news,” she began, her voice barely a whisper.

Isabella groaned, throwing her head back against the sofa cushion. “Oh, boy. I don't like the sound of that tone. My brother has screwed up again, hasn't he? What did he do this time? Did he forget something important? Or is he just being a stubborn prick?”

Olivia let out a small, hollow chuckle and shook her head. “No,” she replied, a soft, wistful look crossing her face. “He’s actually been perfect lately. Better than perfect.” She looked from Isabella to Tessa, her heart beginning to hammer against her ribs. She took a steadying breath, her fingers trembling as she finally let the words out. “Which is why I’m so terrified... because I’m trying to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to tell him...” She swallowed hard, the room suddenly feeling very small. “...that I’m pregnant.”

Isabella’s eyes didn’t just widen; they nearly tripled in size before she let out a piercing, high-pitched scream of pure adrenaline and excitement before jumping a foot into the air.

Tessa was more silent but no less stunned. She slammed her palms over her mouth, her muffled gasps echoing through her fingers as her eyes danced with a frantic, joyous light.

“Nooooo,” Tessa finally breathed, her voice a mix of disbelief and awe.

Olivia nodded, a shy, shaky smile tugging at her lips. “Yes.”

“No,” Tessa insisted, as if saying it enough times would make the physics of it make sense.

“I’m serious, Tess. Yes. Two lines. Definitely a yes.”

Tessa dropped her hands, a wicked, knowing grin spreading across her face. “Damn, Liv. You and Derek really don’t waste any time, do you? One minute you guys are broken up, and the next you're pregnant?”

Olivia’s face went from pale to a deep, burning crimson. She tucked her chin, her hair shielding her eyes. “Hey… It’s not as if we sat down with a calendar and planned this, Tess,” she murmured, her voice thick with embarrassment. “It just… it happened. Fast. And I have to admit, we've been kinda careless.”

“Who cares about any of that?” Isabella cut in, practically catapulting herself off the sofa. She began pacing a tiny, frantic circle on the rug, her hands flying through the air. “The point is that I am going to be an Auntie Izzy. The best Auntie ever. I’m going to buy the most expensive, most obnoxious baby clothes in the city and….”

“Izzy, breathe,” Olivia reminded her, though she was laughing now, the weight on her chest beginning to lift. “Your brother is going to be a father. Maybe we should focus on that part instead. I'm worried about how he's going to take it.”

“You haven't told him?” asked Tessa. 

Olivia shook her head, “No… I've been too worried to say anything,” 

Isabella stopped her pacing and turned toward Olivia. The manic excitement in her eyes softened into something deeply sincere. She moved back to the sofa, sinking down beside Olivia and throwing her arms around her in a fierce, bone-crushing hug.

“I know,” she whispered into her hair, squeezing her tight. “I know he’s a lot to handle, and I know he’s got his walls. But Liv? This is going to be the making of him. Mom and Dad are going to absolutely freak out—but in a good way, the 'champagne-at-breakfast' kind of freak out.”

She pulled back just enough to look Olivia in the eye, her hands resting on Olivia’s shoulders. “He loves you, Liv. I don't think you realise just how much Derek has grown. A mini-Derek running around? He’s going to be terrified for exactly five minutes, and then he’s going to be the most overprotective, devoted dad on the planet. I promise.”