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Paige sighed. “Okay, just as serious. What do you want to do about it?” Paige stared at her.
Bex’s heart pounded in her throat. This could be the end of her career.
“Paige, I want this baby.”
“Okay.” Paige nodded and drummed her fingers on her chair before saying, “Well really, you have four choices. I’ll just name them off and you tell me which you want to do.” She ticked them off on her fingers. “One, you abort the baby and we never had this conversation. Everything continues as normal. Two, you have the baby and give up music to raise it. Which means either dissolving the band or finding them a new singer. Three, you have the baby and it stays home with daddy while you tour. You see them on breaks. Or four, you have the baby and take it on tour. Which means home life and work life don’t separate.”
Paige cleared her throat, then continued. “I just have to say... The industry will be rough for you — well, rougher, even — with a kid. Lovely Oblivion has already had a tough start with the cancelled shows from Jade’s stalker. You won’t be able to have a normal family life and raise the baby at home if you choose to keep it. Lovely Oblivion has to tour. You’ll have to choose whether or not you’re touring with them and how complex you want that to be.”
Bex nodded. “I understand. I want it all. I want the family and the tour. I’ll raise this baby on tour.”
Paige said, “That’s all well and good but it’s hard. That’s why you rarely see celebrities do it. You aren’t going to flake out on this midway, right? Are you committed?”
“I’m committed. I can do this.”
“What about the baby’s daddy? Is he on board?”
“Yes.”
“Will he generate bad headlines?”
Bex laughed. “No.”
Paige hummed and studied Bex. Then she nodded. “Okay. I have to sell it to the label, but if you’re committed I can do it. I’ll get them on board with the rockstar mom lifestyle. If that’s what you want.”
“I do.”
“Okay. So you tour as normal. A few restrictions like no heavy lifting or flips, that kind of thing. Whatever the doctor recommends. Eight weeks off when the baby is born. Nothing else changes.”
“Deal.”
“Okay. Congratulations, Bex.”
“Thank you,” Bex said, standing to shake Paige’s hand. “Thank you so much, Paige.”
* * *
Bex invited the band over to tell them, and everyone squeezed into her living room.
Bex sat on her loveseat with Aiden and looked around at all the familiar faces.
Everyone laughed and joked. Bex cleared her throat and all eyes turned to her. She grasped Aiden’s hand.
“I have an announcement. A couple of them, actually.” Bex cleared her throat.
“If you’re engaged, we expected that and Lyra wins the bet,” Polly teased. “I thought it would be at least a year, but she believed in you.” Fifty dollar bills passed down the room to Lyra.
Bex flashed her large diamond and squeezed Aiden’s hand. “That’s one announcement.”
Lyra let out a whoop of celebration and counted her winnings. The band all laughed.
Aiden smiled at her and squeezed her hand encouragingly.
“There’s one more announcement. It’ll affect everyone.” Bex drew a breath and looked at them. “I’m pregnant.”
“Huh,” Polly said. “Didn’t see that one coming. Although maybe I should have with how much you guys fuck. I thought you were on the shot.”
“I am. I was. But I accidentally missed a dose when I went home for the reunion.”
