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“No, he or she is keeping me warm.” She places her hand on her belly, and a tear rolls down her icy cheek.

“Clem, my love, I can’t help you if I don’t know the whole truth.”

She deliberately avoids my gaze.

“It’s me! You can tell me anything. Look at you, you’re a nervous wreck.”

“A wreck? As if I don’t feel rough enough already!” she says, with a bitter laugh.

“Oh stop it, you look beautiful… But you’re hurting, and I hate seeing you like this. Don’t you think it would help if you confided in me?”

“I feel pathetic, Alma.”

She can’t even look me in the eyes.

“Stop that! You messed up; it happens to everyone.”

“You’re going to hate me.”

“Of course I won’t!”

I make sure it doesn’t show on my face, but I’m actually starting to get scared.

“He means a lot to you. I’ve ruined everything!” she continues.

“What, do I know him? Is he a friend of ours? Clem, whoever it is, you mean more to me.”

I crouch down in front of her and force her to look at me.

“Clarence,” she says in a very small voice.

“Clarence Miller? My coworker?!”

“See? You hate me!”

“Oh, shut up and come here! Are you deaf or what? You’re my Clémentine, my sister from another mister, my evil twin since we were little… Who could possibly come between us?”

I sit down on the bench next to her and pull her into a tight embrace.

“You’re not going to replace me? Find a new best friend and dump me?” she sniffles into my neck.

“Clem! When was it?”

Her eyes wander again. She pauses, wiping away her tears as she searches for the right words.

“The night you introduced him to me. You know, the salsa party… Early September.”

“Early Sept—” I begin, before stopping dead.

“Yes. Almost four months ago.”

“The… The baby?”

She starts trembling, but all I can do is stare at her, wide eyed and open mouthed.

“I’ve been asking myself the same question all this time, and it’s eating me up inside. At first, I managed to convince myself that Yann was the father, but with every week that goes by, I have more doubts. I might actually be carrying Clarence’s child…”

She’s racked by sobs, her tears falling faster than she can wipe them away. I get a tissue out of my bag, just to make myself useful.