42

Becca  stood still for a moment, her mind whirling as she tried to shake off the uncertainty gnawing at her. The weight of the situation pressed down on her chest, making it hard to breathe, but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand.

Falcon, now settled in her lap, gave her a comforting presence, his warm body a gentle reminder of the loyalty and love that was in her life, even if everything else seemed so uncertain. She kissed his head and set him down with a promise that she would be back, even if her heart wasn’t entirely convinced.

Silvy’s voice on the phone pulled her from her thoughts. The urgency in her tone reminded Becca  of what needed to be done, no matter how much she wanted to delay facing reality. Work called, and there was no escaping it. Falcon’s antics were a distraction, but she couldn’t afford to let them be one. Her emotions, though, were another story. They swirled around her as she drove to the coffee shop, uncertain whether she was running from her own feelings or just trying to survive another day.

Once inside, Silvy wasted no time getting Becca  into the rhythm of work, needing her to take charge. The sharp clang of the kitchen, the sizzle of the coffee machine, the clink of cups — it all buzzed around her. She managed to plaster on a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. The customers were becoming more impatient, more demanding, and Becca ’s patience was wearing thin. Each wrong order, each frustrated sigh, each dismissive comment chipped away at the thin layer of composure she still clung to.

And then, as if the universe had a cruel sense of humor, a man who looked like Evan  walked in. Her heart skipped, just for a moment, before reality set in. It wasn’t him. It wasn’t one of them. It was just some guy who looked like him — a reminder of the desire she wanted to ignore, the ache she couldn’t shake. Her feelings were too tangled, and everything about this situation felt like it was spiraling.

When the man ordered something simple, a plain black coffee, Becca  felt a bitter laugh rise in her chest. Here she was, questioning the depths of her emotions, trying to figure out what it all meant, and he was just ordering coffee. It was mundane, yet so full of the contradictions she felt in her own heart.

She handed him the coffee, her smile strained as she mentally tried to reset herself. There was no time for the questions her mind was asking, no space for the deep conversations she needed to have. All she could do was get through the next customer, the next order, the next shift.

And somehow, she’d have to figure out what to do about Dave, Evan , and Cole. But not today. Today, she had to keep moving, keep surviving.

Becca  froze, the weight of Silvy’s question settling heavily between them. She could feel the blood rushing to her face, her heart pounding a little too fast for comfort. “Pregnant?” Her voice was almost a whisper, as though the word itself could somehow make everything more real.

Silvy, clearly unaware of the storm of thoughts suddenly crashing through Becca ’s mind, continued as if the question was nothing more than a casual curiosity. “I mean, the way you’re acting… It’s like when my mom was pregnant. You’ve been a little off lately. You sure you’re not? Maybe you missed a period or something?”

Becca  took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm. Her hands tightened around the edge of the counter. “I’m not pregnant, Silvy. It’s just… everything’s been a lot lately.” She tried to laugh it off, but it came out stiff and unnatural. Her mind was already racing back to everything that had happened. The night with Evan , Cole, and Dave, the confusion, the mess, the emotions that felt like they might overwhelm her.

Silvy didn’t seem convinced. She raised an eyebrow and gave Becca  a skeptical look. “You’re sure? Because I’ve never seen you this wound up before, and I’ve known you forever.”

Becca  bit her lip, her thoughts spinning. The idea of pregnancy, of something so drastic and life-changing, caught her off guard. She hadn’t even considered it. Not with everything else going on. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her emotions—her reactions to everything—had been off. She felt exhausted, constantly on edge, like there was a storm inside her waiting to break.

“I’m sure.” Becca ’s voice came out firmer this time, but she wasn’t entirely convinced herself. She just needed to push the thought away, at least for now. “I’m just… I don’t know. A little lost, I guess. Trying to figure everything out.”

Silvy narrowed her eyes, but she let it go. “Alright. But if you’re sure.” She gave Becca  an exaggerated, teasing look. “Just don’t come crying to me when you’re feeling sick and you don’t know why.”

Becca  chuckled, despite herself. “I’ll let you know.”

The door chimed again, and Silvy shifted her attention toward the new customer. Becca  exhaled slowly, her heart still pounding a little faster than usual. She couldn’t help but feel like Silvy’s question had cracked open a whole new set of worries—ones she wasn’t ready to deal with yet. It wasn’t just about her potential future with Dave, Evan , and Cole. It was about everything—her life, her choices, the paths she was walking down without really knowing where they were taking her.

She pulled herself together, plastering a fake smile on her face as she grabbed the next order. Whatever was coming, she’d have to face it. But right now, she was just too tired to think about it.