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I stood there in the shadows of my narrow hallway, crying into my best friend’s shoulder. I couldn’t believe it. I was pregnant. With Brett’s child. How the hell was this going to affect us? Affect my job? My future? I had to work. I couldn’t not work. I had bills to pay, and soon I’d have a small mouth to feed.
My gosh, raising a child took so much money.
“What am I going to do?” I asked through my tears.
“I can tell you what I do know,” Katie said.
I pulled away and wiped at my tears. “I’ll take anything at this point.”
She cupped my cheeks. “If Brett wants to push you away because you’re pregnant with his child, he’s a piece of shit who doesn’t deserve you.”
“But what about—”
“Doesn’t matter. None of it matters now. You’re growing a human being. That makes you priority number one, no matter what. And if you aren’t that priority to Brett, then he’s worthless and you need to move on. Period.”
“As a single mother? Move on?”
“Take him to court. Get him to pay child support. And lead your life, Olivia. That’s what you do if he doesn’t accept you and this child,” she said.
“Is this you pushing for us to not be together again? Because I really can’t take that right now,” I said.
“Doesn’t matter where it’s coming from. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s the truth.”
I pulled my hands away from Katie’s. Great. She was even using this as a way to drive a wedge between Brett and me. Again. I shook my head and turned my back to her, not knowing what else to do.
“Please leave,” I said.
“I can’t. We have to get you to a doctor, Olivia.”
“I’ll go tomorrow. Alone. But I’d like you to leave, please.”
“You really shouldn’t be alone right now.”
“Get out, Katie. Now,” I said curtly. “And don’t forget your money. Just pull it out of my wallet.”
“Don’t worry about it. Anything to help a friend,” she said flatly.
I winced when she stormed through my apartment, and jumped when she slammed my front door closed behind her. The nerve of her, to try and make this about splitting us up. Again. I piled myself back into bed and drifted off to sleep. I stayed like that, on and off all day, crying when I was awake and dreaming when I was asleep.
Nightmares, really. Of Brett tossing me out of his office. Out of his home. Out of his car. Nightmares of him rejecting me and disowning me for being pregnant. I woke up with tears running down my cheeks more times than I cared to count. But when his ringtone went off on my phone, drawing me from yet another nightmare, I began to quiver.
What was he calling for?
“Hello?” I asked.
“Hey there, sleepyhead,” he said.
“Hey, Brett. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I just wanted to call and check up on you. How are you feeling?”
“Oh. Yeah. I’m—I’m good. No fever or anything. Just a general ‘not feeling well’ sort of deal. I think I just needed sleep.”
“Well, then I’ll let you playing hooky from work pass. But only this once.”
“I wasn’t playing hooky,” I said, giggling.
“I don’t know, sick people don’t giggle like that.”
“Then you should stop making me giggle.”
“When I die, maybe. Sure,” he said.
I rolled over in bed, trying to forget the stark reality growing inside my body.
“How was work?” I asked.
“It was work. Nothing special. We can talk about it Monday when you come back in. But in the meantime, I was wondering if I could stop by. Maybe bring you some soup?”
“Mmm, not a good idea. I think I’m just going to go right back to sleep,” I said.
“Well, how about coming out with me tomorrow? Mason and I are supposed to get together for a couple of drinks. I’d enjoy it if you came with me.”
“Mason? You mean, Mason Mason?”
“Is there any other Mason?”
“There should be. That man hated me in college,” I said.
“Oh, come on. It was college. That was years ago. I’d really appreciate it if you came with me,” he said.
“But what if I’m still not feeling well tomorrow?”
“Then, Mason and I will come to you,” he said.
“Brett.”
“Look, Olivia. Everyone needs a day to rest. To sleep. I’ve taken plenty of them over the course of my career. It sounded like you needed it when you called this morning. But you didn’t have to tell me you were sick. I would have understood either way.”
“I’m sorry, Brett. I just—I wasn’t sure if—”
“It’s in the past, Olive. It’s fine. But you can make it up to me by coming out with me tomorrow night,” he said.
“You really want me to come, don’t you?” I asked.
He groaned. “Oh, always.”
I giggled and shook my head. “I’m too tired to even think about something like that.”
