Funny How Things Work Out

Funny How Things Work Out
Months Later
Arianna sat on the lid of her toilet and stared at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test.
"What does it say?" Jynelle rushed out. She was dying in suspense.
"I'm pregnant," Arianna whimpered.
Jynelle let out an excited scream while Arianna felt like her world was crashing down around her. The Big Man upstairs was playing yo-yo with her life. She was happy but was fearful of the future and her baby's health. She needed to schedule an appointment with her OB/GYN immediately because she was more than sure her pregnancy would be considered high-risk.
Arianna had already decided that she would have to pack up and move back to San Antonio within the next couple of months. She needed to call Pierce and let him know he would be a father, but only after she had passed the first trimester.
"Reggie is going to be sooooo happy! You guys can get back together!" Jynelle said excitedly.
"Wait... no... no... no. Jynelle...Reggie's not the father."
"What?" Jynelle asked. The smile instantly melted off her face. Reggie would be completely devastated. He'd swung by the house the evening Arianna received her second opinion, and the man was inconsolable. He kept crying about how it wasn't fair and how Arianna didn't deserve it when there were people out there who had multiple kids and didn't care for them, or they aborted them. Reggie quickly apologized to Jynelle once he realized what he said, but Jynelle quickly reassured him she didn't take offense. Reggie saw a future with Arianna. He bought her a ring and everything. Jynelle would know; she helped him pick it out. When Arianna and Reggie split, he was crushed; however, he held out hope that once they both accepted the things they couldn't control that they would be together again.
"Who is the father?"
"...Pierce. We slept together when I went back to Texas."
"Oh, Ari. Are you okay? How are you dealing with this?" Jynelle worriedly asked.
"Truthfully, I'm scared I'll lose my baby."
"Don't do that shit, Arianna. You have to think positive thoughts. You've already overcome an obstacle. The doctors told you there was a 99.9999999% chance you wouldn't be able to conceive, and now here we are. Take the blessings as they come, and don't talk yourself out of one."
"You're right. But...how am I going to tell Reggie?" Arianna cried.
Jynelle let out a heavy sigh and sat on the vanity chair in Arianna's bathroom.
"If I weren't Reggie's friend, I would say fuck him, that's not his business. And truthfully, it's really not, and you don't owe him an explanation, but...you know, he had hoped you two would get back together."
"He's going to hate me," Arianna said, sniffing back her tears.
"You know he won't. Reggie is one of the most rational human beings I've had the pleasure of knowing. Will he be bummed that he isn't your baby's father? Absolutely. But more than that, he would be over the moon knowing you will be a mother after all."
"You're right," Arianna replied, wiping away her tears.
"I-Reggie? What the hell are you doing here?" Jynelle gasped.
Arianna's head shot up, and she was shocked to see Reggie standing in the bathroom doorway. She was so shocked that she forgot she was tightly gripping the pregnancy test in her hand.
"Reggie? What are you doing in California? Better yet, what are you doing in my apartment?"
"I-I still had a key, and I wanted to surprise you. A-Are you pregnant?"
"I think I should go," Jynelle quietly said before slipping out of the bathroom. Arianna didn't speak until she heard the front door close.
"Um...we need to talk," Arianna whispered.

A Month Later

Pierce nervously bounced his leg as he waited for her to arrive. He called her and told her they needed to talk, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. This talk was long overdue.
"Pierce."
"Stella," Pierce grimly greeted.
"You look good," she purred, taking her seat from across him. Pierce rolled his eyes and ignored her attempt to flirt with him. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you, but I'm glad you called. I've found myself in a little bit of a pickle, and I need some...financial assistance," Stella lowly mumbled as her eyes darted around the upscale restaurant, hoping no one she knew recognized her.
"Don't you have a job?"
"I do, but a cocktail waitress doesn't make enough money to fund the lifestyle that I'm used to. Do you know how much the oil change is on a Bentley? It's half my rent. The shit is ridiculous."
"But it wasn't ridiculous when I had to pay it?"
"That was your responsibility as a husband."
"I'm not giving you any money."
"Well, then we have nothing to talk about. I can't believe you wasted my time like this," Stella growled, standing to her feet.
"You know...I asked you here today because my therapist has been hounding me for years to talk things over with you and get closure so I can move on. I told her it wouldn't do any good because you're not sorry for the pain you've caused me, and asking you to apologize is like asking a fish to breathe out of water. You have been deceitful and spiteful for years, and I've come to the realization that God was looking out for me because I wouldn't have EVER gotten rid of you if we had kids, natural or adopted. You would take them and use them as a bargaining chip against me to get whatever you wanted. Have fun living in your Bentley when you're evicted, you broke bitch."
Stella gasped at how Pierce went off on her. How dare he talk to her like that? And in public!
"You'll regret this, Pierce. I promise you!" Stella sneered before storming out of the restaurant.
Pierce whistled a happy tune while he paid for his drink and left the restaurant. He paused to answer his phone that buzzed in his pocket.
"Hello?"
"Mr. White? This is Kendall."
"Hey, Kendall. How is everything going?"
"Everything is going great. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time."
"Nope. Not all."
"I'll just get right into it. Congratulations, Mr. White. You're a father!"
"Are you serious?" Pierce asked as he leaned against his car for support.
"Yes! Your surrogate, Jennifer, is pregnant. She has a doctor's appointment in a few weeks if you want to attend."
"Of course I do."
"Wonderful. I'll send you the details later. Congrats again."
"Thank you," Pierce said before hanging up. He didn't even have a chance to celebrate when another call came in.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Pierce."
"It's so good to hear your voice, Arianna."
"You too. I arrived in town today, and I want to take you to dinner."
"Sure. Is there a particular reason?"
"...We need to talk."