Page 86 of Tangled

“I’m pregnant,” I blurt out before she can finish her thought.

“Oh, fuck. Are you positive?”

I nod even though she can’t see me. “There are three tests in my bathroom that all say so.”

“Fuck, Liv. Does Kane know?”

I shake my head. “No, I just took the tests and I had to tell someone. My mom knew I was late when I was stressing about it at Thanksgiving, but by today I was five days late, so I knew I couldn’t procrastinate any longer. I had to know.”

“Liv…”

“This is all kinds of messed up, right? I finally find this amazing man that allows me to see my entire future, everything I’ve wanted and feared I’d never have, and then I go and get knocked up after knowing him for only a few months. How do you think he’s going to take it?”

Clara stays silent for a moment while pondering her response. “First of all, I’m impressed. I told him to put a baby in you and he did!”

“Clara…” I warn, which shuts her up fast.

“Honestly, I admit I don’t know the guy as well as you do, but from what you’ve told me about him and how I saw him with you the other night, I actually think he’ll be thrilled.”

“Really? Because I’m terrified he’ll think I trapped him, or he’s not ready for that kind of commitment. I love him, Clara. I do. But this might be too much for him…”

“You won’t know that until you tell him, Liv. And you need to tell him everything—how he’s going to be a father, how much you love him, and how you want the white picket fence and everything with him.”

“What if…”

“Liv, stop. You can sit here and play the what if game with yourself until you turn blue in the face. Or, you can let him decide what he wants and just go from there. I know this is not even close to being the plan you wanted your life to follow. But maybe this is finally your wake-up call that life doesn’t always work out like we plan. You need to take your type-A personality and tell it to fuck off. Sometimes we just have to roll with the punches and accept what happens. Hell, you never planned on moving home, but you did. And look what happened…”

I huff. “Yeah, I got knocked up,” I say while wiping the snot and tears from my face.

“And you fell in love, a love you’ve always wanted. You were never this happy with Trevor. You never lit up around him like the way you do with Kane. And I know you’ve never had sex that great either.”

Her bluntness makes me chuckle as I sink back into the couch. “Clara, I’m so scared. I have no idea what I’m doing…”

“Most people don’t, Liv. Not with kids, not in life… we’re all just faking it and making it look easy… but it’s anything but easy.”

I let out a long sigh, feeling an ounce of relief as I process this with Clara. But then I realize the person I should be processing this with is Kane.

“Okay, I need to call him.”

“Oh, don’t tell him over the phone,” she reprimands.

“I’m not. I just need to ask him to come over so I can tell him in person.”

“Yes, do that. And then call me and let me know how it goes. Are you sure you don’t want me to come over?”

“No, I’m good. Thank you, Clara. I know you’re a giant pain in my ass, but you really are the best friend when I need you.”

“I offer many services, some more sexual for a small fee.”

This girl. Always making something dirty. “I love you. Thank you.”

“Anytime, momma-to-be.”

“Oh, God…” I whine while Clara laughs on the other end.

“Good luck,” she tells me before ending the call. Staring at my phone in my hands, I bring up a message to Kane and send him a text. There’s no turning back now.

Me: Hey you. Can you come over, please? I need to see you.

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