Page 10 of Dubious Secrets

“She won’t hate you. She loves you.”

Stassie stares at me deadpan. “I’m knocked up by her boyfriend.”

“An accident that can be explained,” I say with a stern look. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.”

“If she even believes us. She could think we’re lying. My mother always thought I was.”

I frown. “What? Lying?”

She nods, glancing between her phone and grabbing a bottle off the shelf. “Yeah, whenever she asked me about something. She’d already made up her mind on the answer, and if I said something different, then obviously I was lying.”

I grab her arm to turn her toward me. “Mary isn’t your mom. She grew up with her too. I think she knows the type of person you are.”

Stassie’s nostrils flare and a sheen forms over her eyes. “Does she? Because I don’t even know who I am at this point.”

My heart twists and I pull her into my arms. She hugs me back, sniffling into my chest. My hand strokes down her back, spiraling the ends of her curls with my fingers.

“It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, you and the baby are going to be okay.”

Stassie shrugs and pushes away from me as she wipes her tears. “I want to believe that. I do, but the more I think about it, the more I don’t see the possibility of her ever forgiving me.”

“While I don’t believe that, you have to decide if it’s worth it. Are you okay with raising a baby with just me and my family?” I ask her.

She scowls a bit. “Do you think I can’t?”

“Hey, woah,” I say, pulling her back into my arms and holding her tight. “Don’t go there. That’s not what I was saying and you know that. I’ve already told you I think you’ll be a good mother, and I’m going to be there every step of the way.”

Stassie shakes her head. “Do you think I’m dumb for not even considering the alternative? It would solve all our problems, we can act like nothing ever happened and Mary would never know.”

My heart twists, and I lick my lips before looking down at her. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Her eyes sparkle with amusement. “What?”

“I don’t think there’s anything at this point that can make me forget what happened.”

The smile drops off her face and we stare at each other. I clear my throat, letting go and stepping back. “That the one you want?”

She lifts the bottle in her hand. “Sure, it will work for now.”

“Let’s head home then.”

Stassie sits on the couch, flipping through the TV channels as I cook us dinner. I can’t help but keep looking over at her. The morning sickness comes and goes; it seems to be worse at night if she doesn’t eat enough. So I’ve been tracking her food for the past few days, making sure to give her at least something small to keep her stomach settled.

The rattling of keys and the door unlocking startles me as Mary comes in. Stassie’s mouth drops open as we both stare at her. Mary groans, taking off her shoes and smiles at her sister as she walks toward the kitchen.

“Guess what,” she says, standing next to me at the counter.

I swallow my nerves, my heart pounding in my chest. We hadn’t been doing anything, so why do I feel like we got caught? I turn back to the pasta, stirring it gently. “Tell me.”

“You know that traveling contract I wanted in Washington? And it fell through?”

I pause, glancing back at her. “Yeah.”

She grins, jumping excitedly. “The nurse that snatched it up had to drop out, so they offered it to me again!”

“And you accepted?” I say, briefly studying Stassie still on the couch. Mary follows my attention and sighs, moving to sit next to her.

“I know we haven’t spent much time together since you moved in, and this is horrible timing, but this contract could get mesome great networking opportunities. This is the hospital I want to train in.”

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