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“I don’t need decorative pieces. It’s a baby not visiting royalty.”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t put a few cute animals on the walls, and matching curtains.”

There’s really no point in arguing with her now. However, if boxes start showing up at my door I’m going to have to put my foot down.

“Are you going to go to Gigi’s today?”

I shake my head. I may not know many things, but I need at least one night to work up the bravery to tell Gigi about this unplanned but nonetheless amazing pregnancy.

“No. I’ll go tomorrow. Give myself a night to get used to the idea so I can say it out loud without crying. Or barfing.”

“Good idea. I’m going to make us some dinner and I’m staying the night. No arguing. You should not be alone tonight.”

She points a no-nonsense finger at me, and I raise my hands in defense. “No arguing here.”

“Good. Now is there anything you’re craving?”

“Pickles.”

Chapter 13: Raelyn

You finally did something spontaneous

Confessing to the woman who raised me that I got knocked up by a guy who has no interest in a family, or even living in the same city as me, would be bad enough. Lying to her and telling her it was a one-night stand with a stranger is going to be worse.

Standing outside Gigi’s front door I steel my spine and suck in a deep breath. I can do this, it’s just Gigi. She won’t be mad. I hope.My internal reassurances aren’t exactly motivating, but I can’t not tell her.

Last night Izzy slept over and we stayed up for hours googling everything I might need to know about being pregnant. Searching for O.B.G.Y.N.’s in Kenai, a city about an hour and a half away from Homer, so news of my pregnancy doesn’t spread through town before I want it to. I’ve decided not to tell anyone but Izzy and Gigi about it until I’m too large to hide it anymore. That should give me at least five months to figure everything out.

Not that I think I can figure everything out in such a short amount of time but at least I can get somewhat prepared for the baby’s arrival and more comfortable with the idea of being responsible for an entire human being.

Being a single parent isn’t going to be easy, but I’ll have Gigi, Izzy and even Owen. Between the group of us we should be able to figure it all out. Right?

I raise a shaking hand and knock on the door before using my key to enter. Accidentally walking in on Gigi in the middle of naked hot yoga session once was more than enough times to warrant a warning knock before entering unannounced.

Gigi meets me halfway to the kitchen, smiling broadly.

“Raelyn, I wasn’t expecting you today. What a lovely surprise.”

If she loves that surprise, she’s going to love the next one.

“Hey Gigi.”

She pulls me in for a quick kiss on the cheek before ushering me back to the kitchen table, the heart of her home. I’ve spent many nights and special occasions around this table. Blowing out birthday candles, working on homework, gossiping with Izzy, the one time we all got into a spaghetti food fight, Gigi included, and it took a week to get all the sauce off the walls.

“Sit down, I just made fresh cookies.”

The kitchen is warm from her baking, and I slip out of my heavy winter coat, hanging it on the back of the wooden chair at the dining table. I sit because I’m too nervous to stand and maybe a nice warm gooey chocolate chip cookie is exactly what I need to calm my nerves.

“Here you go sunshine, fresh from the oven.”

She calls me sunshine because when I was younger, she always said I was her little ray of sunshine. The endearment stuck, so sometimes I’m sunshine to her. It’s kind of funny now that I think about it, but two of the most important people in my life rarely call me Raelyn. Warren always calls me Bambi and Gigi calls me sunshine.

Gigi sets a plate of cookies and a glass of milk in front of me. I eagerly pick up a giant chocolate chunk cookie and shove at least half of it in my mouth, chewing like a chipmunk who’s filled its cheeks to the brim.

Gigi chuckles. “Slow down Rae or you’ll choke. There’s plenty more, no need to go so fast.”

I finish chewing and swallow down a large gulp of milk. The warm gooeyness helped but my heart still pounds feverishly in my chest. Here goes nothing.