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Tasha sits up, jarringly fast, and narrows her eyes “A promise? I don’t… What did you—Oh my God!” she exclaims as the e that detail when I cliyour dad” Ad my father, despitehim so I could keep my proether before his trip” When she looks at ed the boss on my first day of work Go me!” I puh

“There’s h school You know that; you were there when I got my first prescription” I stop, unsure how to say the rest

“Oh, boy I think I knohere this is going” There is pain in her voice but also love

I open ht picture, and hand it over to Tasha It’s displaying the picture I’d taken of the positive test just a few days ago “I found out the night of allery, after Beck took nant, too” She stares at it, unspeaking “Say so”

“Does my dad know?” When I nod, she asks if he knows about her I nod again “You pros

“I know, and I kept that one I swear I did!” I promise “Jean overheard us on the phone” I tell her about Jean atte away from Beck That leads into the public relations disaster at the party I finish before telling her about the engagemy best infomercial presenter voice, I say, “But wait! There’s more!” I hold out my left hand “Your dad asked me to marry him He proposed at the party after Jean told everyone about nant” With Tasha stunned into silence, I launch into the story about the ring and the kitten, and even how he’s proet one for the house instead if she doesn’tfor a response

“You’ve known you’re pregnant for a few days now and didn’t tell me?” Her chin tucks down into her chest, and I watch her chew on the inside of the cheek It’s a bad habit she hasn’t lost despite heras a child “Why did you wait?”

“I felt so awful about breaking my promise It was the only vow you ever askedI didn’t want to do anything to hurt you, to hurt our friendship, but—” I stopif she’s looked at her dad I know that won’t go over well “We kissed in the garage that day you got a call from Chris, and it was the best kiss oflike an idiot in love when I talk about kissing Beck “And then I tried to stop things when your dad hiredup on the roof, and there were stars and good food, and it was so easy to forget that he wasman who is as attractive inside as he is outside

“Beck is brilliant, kind, funny, and caring” I don’t talk about how good he is at sex; I can already iine the face she’llthe way, no ainst it And then Jean outed us to everyone, and your dad proposed toHave you seen aht So far at least “Would you have told nant too?”

I honestly don’t know I probably wouldn’t have told anyone until I started to show Putting it to words, I know the ra must be obnoxious, and my attempt at an explanation falls apart soy “I’m sorry I’m a bad friend,” I finally end with “You told nant the day after I found out You needed me I couldn’t do more to stress you out