“You didn’t mess up. It was an accident.” I sigh, taking her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. “Let’s just wait and see what the sticks tell us before you go beating yourself up over missing a pill. It happens to plenty of people.”
Digging her fingers into her hair, she stares at me, making me wish I had the answer. She always comes to me for the answers. Not like I’m any kind of expert. I usually know the right things to say, but even I am having a hard time with this situation. A baby would change everything.
“One more minute,” I say, glancing down at the cell phone in my trembling hand.
“I cannot believe this is happening,” Kennedy says more to myself than to me. “I am so fucking stupid. How could I swap them out without noticing? I’ve been taking the same pills for years. My schedule is like clockwork. I wake up, grab my medicine, brush my teeth—”
“Stop dwelling on it,” I say, trying to snap her out of one of her self-loathing rants. When she does that, I get so pissed. She should believe in herself a lot more than she does. “There’s nothing you can do about it now.”
“I finished the sugar pills days ago and hadn’t even noticed I still had one left. How? Was I half asleep when I took them? Probably,” she says, answering her own question.
The alarm on my phone beeps, causing my heart to pound out from my chest with each ring. I shut it off and pull myself to my feet, using the edge of the vanity for support.
“I’m afraid to look,” she tells me. “You have to do it for me.”
Kennedy watches me, most likely praying for a sign of relief. But I am not sure how to feel about the results. Part of me is happy, the other part sad. I am in charge of delivering the biggest news.
How will she handle it? Is she ready to be a mom? Am I ready to become an aunt? Can I even help her care for a baby? I sure hope so. This is a significant step for all of us.
The corners of my mouth pull up into a happy smile as I turn to face her, hoping she won’t have a stroke. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I am going to be an aunt, and I am so damn excited about it.”
I think I am. It’s too soon for me to process this information. My best friend is going to be a mother. All of this feels so surreal.
“I’m pregnant!” She shoots up from the toilet seat to check out the tests for herself. All of them have two lines, indicating that Kennedy is having Tyler’s baby.
I think a small part of her is excited. After their first sexual encounter, Tyler had a fit and threw Kennedy out of his house. I quickly learned that Tyler has a bit of a temper and a mean streak. So, I hope he doesn’t do the same when Kennedy tells him the news.
I wrap my arms around Kennedy and snuggle my cheek against her, the scent of vomit still on her breath. At the very least, I should have her brush her teeth before she goes home. “You’re going to be a mom, K. This is so exciting.”
I want to be happy, and I am to some extent. But I have trouble being enthused about the situation without knowing how Tyler will respond. She left the house this morning as his girlfriend, and now she’s the mother of his child. Talk about going from baby steps to crossing the Gra
nd Canyon in one day. And they haven’t been together long enough to know if they can make this work. I have legitimate concerns, so I know Kennedy’s are a thousand times worse.
“How do I tell Tyler?” She stutters the words, her nerves getting the best of her.
I take a step back from Kennedy, holding her at an arm’s-length and staring into her eyes. “You tell Tyler he’s going to be a father, and if he has a problem with it, he will have to deal with me.” My smile reaches up to her eyes, and it must be contagious because Kennedy finally joins in. I guess my words provoked a reaction from her. About damn time.
For the first time in over an hour, she’s smiling. No matter the outcome of her conversation with Tyler, it does not change the fact that she is having his child. He will have to suck it up and learn how to deal with a baby. Kennedy is strong and can make it work with his hockey schedule, her paper, our blog, and a baby though I suppose she will have to cut down on some of those things once she has a screaming child to take care of.
“I guess I better get home.” She slips away from my grasp, throwing her hands onto her hips as she stares down at her stomach. “What will I look like a few months from now? With the way I eat, I will end up being the size of a house, and Tyler will be repulsed by me.”
I shake my head and then brush a loose curl behind my ear. “I can see you already, glowing and gorgeous and the cutest mother to ever rock Chanel.”
“There’s no way I’ll fit into Chanel in a few months. The last time I checked, they don’t sell maternity clothes.”
“Hey, they have a maternity wedding gown. I’m sure we can find you some maternity clothes to go along with it.”
“Oh, God. Now you’re freaking me out. Wedding gowns, babies, this is all too much at one time.”
“Just focus on my little niece or nephew that is cooking inside your belly, and I will worry about you being the best dressed baby mama this city has ever seen.”
She laughs at my insanity, and I keep my fingers crossed that Tyler will respond in the same fashion.
Chapter 8
Carter
When I walk through the front door of Tyler’s house, his German shepherd puppy assaults me. Roxie almost knocks me over with the force she uses to leap into my arms, digging her paws into my chest. She scratches her nails along my arms, her grip on me just tight enough that she leaves marks on my skin. Her breath smells horrible, a mixture of dog food and vomit.