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As she h the maze of tables, Tabitha looked up and waved fiercely Sylvia, Carly and Ashley quickly turned Carly rose as Pippa approached

She got hugs from everyone and finally she squeezed into the booth beside Ashley, who looked at her with concern

"What’s wrong, Pip? Carly called us all but she wouldn’t say as the matter"

"I haven’t told her yet," Pippa said ruefully "Iout and need your help sorting through my options"

"Oh, my God, what is it?" Tabitha exclaimed

Sylvia frowned She was the older and roup Not to mention ultrapractical She’d have solid advice Pippa would bet any amount of money on it

Pippa drew in a deep breath "I could be… Well, there’s at least a slinant"

"What?"

Pippa winced as all four of her friends exclaimed at the same time

Ashley’s eyes rounded and she stared at Pippa in question "Oh, Pip, how sure are you?"

"I had a one-night stand the other night" She glanced up at Ashley and griether He took me to his house and we had sex Lots of sex"

Ashley looked robbed of speech Sylvia just kept wearing that frown That da frown that reminded Pippa way too much of how a mother would look Well, Pippa’s hter on snaring a wealthy baby daddy and then tell her to milk him for all he orth Not exactly mother-of-the-year material

Oh, Miranda wasn’t evil She wasn’t even a bad mother She was just superficial and very mercenary Pippa supposed she could even ad so shrehen it caley was out for nuize to anyone for it

"I’," Tabitha said slowly "Maybe I’m dense here If you just had sex with hinancy?"

"Because one of the condo is perfect in my cycle," Pippa replied

"Ca on hiasted," Pippa muttered "The attraction was mutual, I assure you"

Ashley looked i her tightly "Of course it was, sweetie Oh, osh, poor you!"

"I’ couldn’t be worse Oh, nancy scare, I just blanked it out, but the lease on the building space fell through I don’t have a place for round I have no health insurance and I’m in no way prepared to be a "

"You cry, honey," Carly said fiercely "We’ll figure this out"

"You knoe’d do anything for you," Ashley said "You all helped h such an awful time with Devon I can never repay you for that"

Pippa sniffled, trying to hold back the tears that threatened "You never have to repay uys"

"When exactly did you have sex?" Sylvia interjected

"Saturday night All of Saturday night Well into Sunday o to your doctor and have hio to the doctor, Pip," Ashley said "I’ll take you myself"

An uneasy flutter settled into Pippa’s chest She rubbed absently at the disco un

"Pippa?" Sylvia asked gently

"Oh, God, I feel so stupid," Pippa whispered "I can’t make that kind of decision in an instant How can anyone?"

"Okay, what is your gut telling you?" Carly asked "What are you afraid of? Is it the pregnancy itself that scares you? Or is it the idea of being an unwedable to support yourself and a baby?"

"You aren’t ," Pippa ht this etting a shot aren’t your only options You could totally wait and see if you even are pregnant and then pursue your options then Women have many choices these days, Pippa"

Ashley squeezed Pippa’s hand and stared urgently at her friend "If you want this baby, if there is a baby, you have to knoe’d help All of us You wouldn’t be alone I just want you to make the best choice for you But whatever that is, you have our absolute support"

Pippa could no longer hold back the tears They streamed down her face as she stared at her best friends in the world "I don’t knohat I’d do without you guys"

"You forget one important part of the equation," Sylvia pointed out

Everyone looked at Sylvia

"The father Obviously you’ll have us, but is he going to take responsibility in this matter?"

Pippa nodded "He would I have no doubt he would I told hinant and until then to back off I just had to process all this, you know?"

"Yes, honey, we know," Carly said sympathetically

"This probably sounds crazy to all of you, but fro changed for h I could take a pill and it would all go away…" She took a deep breath "I’m not sure that’s what I want"

She looked up at each friend in turn, but she saw no judg love and support Determination Loyalty

"If… If there’s a baby I think I want it" She sed the knot in her throat and then spoke with et used to the idea," Sylvia advised "There’s no hurry You don’t have to make up your mind today or even tomorrow"

But Pippa knew the more the initial shock wore off, theand keeping her baby

Her baby

Already she felt fiercely protective of it