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Beck reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a single car key “This is to one of the fleet cars It’s in parking spot twenty-three, the one right by the door into the garage off our stairwell Just bring it back Monday, okay?”

I let e once I arrive at Beck and Tasha’s house, and I’m surprised to see Tasha’s car parked in her spot She wasn’t supposed to be home yet Bile rises in my throat, sour and acrid as I s it back down If I don’t do this noon’t be able to I’ll chicken out I’ to tell her that not only did I sleep with her dad, that I’ up the keys on the little hook beside the door, and set off to find Tasha This has been like a second hoh it as I look for her She’s not on the o outside when I hear the faint thuo down to the recreation rooames I find her curled up on the oversized black leather couch

“Lia?”

I plan to tell her, all the potential coh my mind “Hey, Tasha”

She’s surrounded by tissues; the end table is littered with the now as hard as I was earlier, and o to her, not knohat else to do, and my eyes burn with my own tears I hate that I’ve betrayed her trust and caused her this pain

“Do you reo, Lia?” she asks

I nod, kneeling in front of the couch The words are on the tip ofmy promise, even if it breaks her heart It’ll take tih this “I re me to speak

“Chris and I hooked up that weekend Like we planned But the condoht it would be okay He pulled out right away I’ with the force of her sobs, and launches herself into ht, I pet her hair and co on with me and Beck, not with her like this

I s her father had said to me, just an hour before, to cal pissed when he finds out I have no doubt that he will at least be disappointed, but I hope he won’t take it out on her

It’s unintentionally funny how things have worked out for Tasha andto be a father “I’ain” I repeat the words tothe, or even that she did this purposely, I just can’t believe we’re having a baby My baby is growing inside her If that isn’t a sign that we should be together, I don’t knohat is

Despite traffic being h I have to talk to Lia et her into a doctor for a checkup… Is she on vitaet her so to make sure she and the baby are taken care of as well as they can be They deserve no less froht lane and quickly take the exit, glad no police are around to ticket ht now, though She’s going to haveround with the baby as it grows, and how I’ll be able to feel the little one ical tih it’s been h this, I reh for h Carrie’s stoirl? A boy? Twins? Sowith my excitement as I pull into the pharmacy and park my truck I alanted more than one child, and while this is not how I expected that to occur, I’ to a stop when I jump out and slam the door I couldn’t hide the skip in my step if I tried, so I let the buoyancy I feel carry me to the store and down to the reproductive health aisle