Chapter 46: 46

After a few more minutes, Becca  hung up the phone and let out a breath. “I’ve got an appointment for next week. For the ultrasound.”

“Good.” I crossed the room, gently touching her shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, Becca . We’re here for you every step of the way. Don’t worry about school right now. We’ll figure it out.”

She looked at me with a hesitant smile, her hands clasping together as she tried to steady herself. “Thanks, Cole. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

Dave cleared his throat, stepping forward. “I know we don’t have all the answers yet, but we’ll figure this out together. No one’s leaving anyone behind. Not now, not ever.”

Evan  didn’t say anything, but I could tell from his posture that he wasn’t convinced. He was still wrestling with his own demons about this, but that was a problem for later. For now, all that mattered was Becca —and making sure she knew she wasn’t in this alone.

Becca ’s face softened, the harsh lines of fear easing slightly. “I don’t want to mess things up. For you guys. For the baby…”

“You’re not messing anything up.” I knelt beside her again, taking her hand in mine. “We’ll work it out. Together. All four of us.”

Evan  shifted, his eyes flicking over to me briefly. There was something unresolved there, but I wasn’t going to press him on it now. “We’re in this for the long haul,” he said finally, his voice low and almost reluctant. “If you want us, we’ll stick around. I’m not going anywhere.”

Dave nodded, his usual stern expression softening slightly. “Me neither.”

Becca ’s eyes welled with tears, and she turned into me, her face pressing against my chest as her body shook with a quiet sob. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tightly, trying to offer whatever comfort I could.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered through the tears. “I never expected this to happen. I didn’t know what to do…”

“You don’t need to apologize,” I murmured, stroking her hair. “We’ll take it one step at a time. We’ve got you, Becca . Don’t worry about a thing.”

The three of us stood in a semi-circle around her, a quiet understanding between us all. We were a mess of confusion, fear, and uncertainty, but one thing was clear—we weren’t going to walk away from this. Not now, not ever.

And no matter how we got here, we were going to figure it out together.

Dave shook his head, his jaw tightening as he crossed his arms. “That might work in the short term, but it’s not a permanent solution. We need something more concrete.”

Evan , still leaning against the wall, finally pushed off and stepped forward. “What about online classes? You could still work toward your degree and we wouldn’t have to hide anything. You wouldn’t have to quit, and you wouldn’t be under so much pressure.”

Becca ’s eyes darted between us, her expression conflicted. “But what about the social part? I can’t just hide away forever, not if I still want a career in… well, anything.” She bit her lip, looking down at the floor, lost in thought.

I understood her concern. College was about more than just getting a degree—it was about connections, experiences, and finding your place in the world. Being isolated because of this pregnancy wasn’t fair to her, and it wasn’t a solution I was happy with either.

“Couldn’t we come up with a compromise?” I asked, trying to think of something that would make her feel supported without giving up on the parts of her life she valued. “What if you took a few online classes and kept up with some in-person ones, just to stay connected?”

Dave’s brow furrowed as he processed the suggestion. “You might be right,” he said slowly. “It could give her the balance she needs without sacrificing her future. But we also have to think about how much time she’s going to need for appointments and everything else.”

Becca  seemed to consider this, and after a long pause, she finally nodded. “I could try that. Maybe it’ll work for a while. But…” She hesitated. “I don’t want you guys to get hurt because of me. I can’t let this ruin everything.”

I placed my hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring squeeze. “We’re not going anywhere. You don’t have to do this alone.”

Evan ’s voice broke the tension that had been building. “Well, we’ve all got our work cut out for us, but we’re all in this. No matter what.”

Becca  smiled weakly, her fear not entirely gone, but softened. “I don’t know what I’d do without you guys. Seriously.”

I leaned in, brushing my thumb gently over her cheek. “You don’t have to worry about that. We’ve got you, Becca . Every step of the way.”

She nodded, a small sense of relief flooding her eyes, though the weight of everything still hung heavily in the air. But at least we were taking steps forward, together, and for the first time today, it felt like we might just be able to make this work.

The room was silent for a moment, but the weight of the situation was no longer as suffocating. We’d figured out a plan, a way forward, and we were one step closer to making this chaotic mess into something that could work. Whatever came next, we’d face it as a team.

Evan  glanced at me and Dave, and for the first time, there was a quiet understanding in his eyes. “We’re going to make this work, aren’t we?”

Dave met his gaze, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah. We are.”