“I think I might,” I agree. Aunt Adriana knows Mom and Dad well enough to help guide me through this.
Andy’s phone rings, and in sheer coincidence, he lifts the phone, so I can see the video call coming in from Aunt Adriana. Even he looks surprised.
Wow, Universe, you’re on some roll.
“Hey, Mom.”
‘Hey, kid,” Aunt Adriana greets, all cheery as usual. “Dad just reminded me to remind you about the phone conference in an hour. He had to step out because Willow's damn dog ate something in the garden and started throwing up all green.”
“Thanks for the reminder, Mom, and gross about the dog.” Andy glances my way. “Actually, I’m here with Ava.”
Andy moves the screen over as Aunt Adriana waves.
“Look at you. You’re gorgeous as ever!”
“I’m pregnant.”
Aunt Adriana’s mouth falls open as her facial muscles turn slack. “Well, I didn’t expect that… ”
“Austin is the father,” I reveal.
“Austin?” she repeats in a high-pitched voice. “As in Millie’s Austin?”
I clench my jaw, annoyed at the reference, then nod. Just because they were once engaged doesn’t make him hers.
“Okay, you need to talk me through everything.”
Andy excuses himself, giving me a chance to speak in private. I begin with exactly what I told Andy, starting from Miami but reveal more about the morning after. Aunt Adriana and I have always been close, and at times when I felt I couldn’t share something with Mom, she has always been someone I can be honest with. When I finish, she lets out a long-winded breath.
“I need help,” I plead, trying to remain calm. “I don’t know how to tell my parents, let alone Millie.”
“In my experience, if you can control how it comes out, the better. Don’t let it slip through the grapevine.”
I nod with a deep breath. It makes sense. “Right, okay. Anything else?”
“We love you, honey. Your parents love you. Sure, Lex might act like an asshole, but you know him… let him cool off, and he’ll come around. We’re all here to support you, and you don’t need to do this alone.”
“But Millie…” I barely whisper.
“She’ll be angry. But she’s your sister, and if Lex can forgive me for marrying his worst enemy, Millie can forgive you.”
“Uncle Julian is Dad’s worst enemy?”
“Not anymore, but at one point, he was,” she confesses. “He had everything Lex wanted.”
Perhaps this situation is different. After all, we’re sisters. We share the same blood. We came from the same womb.
But there are so many band-aids to rip off, and which is worse is yet to be determined.
All I know is that Andy is right. Austin deserves to know. I’m about to change his life forever.
Though no matter how hard I try to find the courage to call him, it’s never enough to reveal the truth. I need to see him, and time is of the essence.
This baby isn’t going to stop growing.
And soon, the whole world will know exactly what I’ve done.
What we have done.