44

I sank back into the couch, the weight of his words pressing on my chest. “Sleep well.” His concern, wrapped in a kind of softness I wasn’t sure I deserved, hung in the air even after the call ended. It made everything feel more real, more impossible. Tomorrow was coming. And when it did, there was no going back.

Falcon lay beside me, his head resting against my stomach. I ran my fingers through his fur, trying to find some kind of comfort in his simple presence. He wasn’t concerned about paternity tests or secrets or the chaos waiting for me. He was just there, a small, fuzzy reminder that not everything in life had to be complicated.

But I wasn’t a dog. I couldn’t curl up and ignore the storm about to hit. No, I had to face it head-on.

I glanced at the clock, the minutes ticking by as the world around me seemed to move slower than it had any right to. The tension coiled tighter, knotting in my stomach, but I didn’t want to overthink it. I just had to make it through the night. Tomorrow, I would tell them. Tomorrow, everything would change.

But for now, the silence in the room was the loudest thing I’d ever heard.

I closed my eyes, trying to calm my mind, but sleep didn’t come easily. Falcon’s breathing was steady beside me, a soft rhythm that almost lulled me into a sense of calm, but every time I tried to relax, my thoughts crashed into me. The baby. The three of them. Carrie. The secrets that had already been set into motion.

The truth would have to come out, but how would it land? Would they understand? Would they stay? Or would they walk away?

I didn’t know. And that uncertainty was the hardest thing of all.

Eventually, exhaustion won out. My mind drifted into an uneasy sleep, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was filled with fragmented images—Cole, Dave, Evan , their faces twisted in confusion, anger, or worse, pity. And always, at the center of it all, was the baby, the one piece of the puzzle that tied everything together in a way I didn’t yet understand.

The next morning, the sun barely peeked over the horizon when I woke. My body ached from the tension I’d carried through the night, but the reality of what I had to do today pushed me out of bed and onto shaky legs.

I moved through my morning routine like I was on autopilot—shower, coffee, a quick glance in the mirror. But the reflection staring back at me felt foreign. I was about to change everything. I was about to tell them that I was pregnant, that one of them was the father. But which one?

Falcon followed me around as I moved through the house, his quiet presence offering a small comfort. I wasn’t alone in this, at least not entirely. But I knew the truth would be mine to bear, and theirs to accept or reject.

When I finally left the house, I could feel the weight of the day settling over me like a storm cloud. Falcon hopped in the car beside me, his tail wagging as if he hadn’t a care in the world. If only it were that simple.

The drive to Cole’s house felt like it took hours, though it was only a short trip. Every turn, every mile seemed to stretch out, my thoughts tangled in knots. I parked in front of his house and sat there for a moment, letting the car idle as I braced myself for the inevitable.

It wasn’t until Falcon let out an excited bark that I snapped out of my daze. I turned the engine off, grabbed my purse, and stepped out of the car, feeling a flutter of nerves in my chest. Falcon ran ahead of me, eager to get inside. I followed more slowly, each step heavy with the weight of the conversation to come.

When I knocked on the door, Cole was the one to answer, his usual relaxed demeanor unchanged. But even he couldn’t hide the tension that was starting to crack the surface. He stepped aside, letting me in.

“You’re here.” His smile was genuine but strained, like he could sense something was off.

“Yeah.” I nodded, trying to steady myself. “I’m here.”

Inside, Dave and Evan  were already seated at the kitchen table. The room was quiet, the air thick with anticipation. None of us knew how to begin.

I sat down across from them, Falcon jumping onto my lap, curling up as if to offer comfort. I couldn’t help but notice how all three of them looked at me—Dave with concern, Evan  with that steady calmness he always carried. But there was an underlying edge in the room, an unspoken question that hung in the air.

Dave spoke first, his voice low, but his eyes never left mine. “Becca , what’s going on?”

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. It was time. No more delays.

“I’m pregnant,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess myself.

The silence that followed was almost suffocating. Every inch of air in the room seemed to freeze, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

And then Dave, ever the one to cut through the tension, spoke again, his voice hoarse. “Pregnant?”

I nodded, my hands shaking slightly as I clutched Falcon’s fur for support.

“Is it mine?” Dave asked, his words sharper now, tinged with something I couldn’t quite place.

I didn’t have an answer. Not for sure. But it was time to tell them everything. And there was no turning back.