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austin

“ Y ou look like a woman in love.”

Dolly is at the end of my couch, stroking Gio as he sits on her lap, lounging like a tiny emperor on his throne.

“Do I?” I ask, sinking into the cushions and tucking my feet under me.

“Yes. You’re glowing.”

Am I?

I press my hands to my face and smile, but the second I feel how warm my cheeks are, I drop them, trying to downplay it. “I think it’s just the lighting in here.”

“Or maybe you’ve had too much wine.”

That can’t be it because I haven’t had any. I glance down at the wine glass sitting on the coffee table in front of me, the deep red liquid untouched.

None of it has passed my lips.

“I love the two of you together.” My best friend goes on. “It’s so fucking great seeing you happy—it’s about damn time.”

A warmth spreads through my chest, replacing the slight embarrassment with a feeling I can’t quite name. “Thanks, D. That means a lot. ”

She sighs dramatically, leaning her head back against the couch. “Men suck.”

And just like that, the moment is over. I laugh, shaking my head at her ability to switch gears so quickly. “Not all men suck.”

“Most men suck,” she amends, lifting her head to glare at me.

“Gio is clearly an exception. But the rest of them? Bottom of the barrel.”

I tilt my head, considering her words. She’s not wrong—Dolly has had her fair share of disastrous dates and flaky guys.

“You know,” I say slowly, “I seriously have to introduce you to Nova. The pair of you are basically the same person. Single, looking, and totally over dating apps.”

Her eyes light up. “The sister, Nova?”

“Yep. She’s hilarious, and honestly, you’d love her. She’s not afraid to call people out on their bullshit, and she’s got this infectious energy. Plus, she’s a great drinking buddy.”

I make a mental note to text Nova later. The idea of introducing the two of them feels like one of those things that could either be brilliant or an absolute disaster—there’s no in-between.

Not that I want Dolly to replace me with Gio’s sister, but the more the merrier—and I haven’t been giving her as much of my time since he and I started dating. And sleeping together. And all the things…

“Speaking of modern dating,” Dolly continues, her tone turning more serious, “how’s it going with Gio? I mean, really going. Any red flags I should be concerned about?”

I shake my head. “No red flags. Honestly, it’s kind of surreal how easy it feels with him. Like, I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it hasn’t.”

“Good.” She nods, her expression softening again. “You deserve someone who makes it easy. Relationships shouldn’t feel like a constant uphill battle.”

“I think I might actually be in love with him,” I blurt out before I can stop myself .

Dolly freezes, her hand hovering mid-scratch on Gio’s back. “Holy shit, Austin. Say that again.”

“I said I think I might be in love with him.” I repeat it slower this time, the weight of the words settling over me. “Is that crazy? It feels crazy.”

“No, it’s not crazy,” she says quickly, her eyes wide. “It’s amazing.”

I pick at the blanket folded across my lap and fail to meet Dolly’s eyes.

“What’s that look?”

My head shakes. “Nothing.”

Dolly’s eyes narrow, her no-nonsense expression settling in. “Austin,” she says firmly. “I’ve known you too long for that ‘it’s nothing’ bullshit. Spill.”

Gio shifts in her lap, grunting softly, but even he seems to be waiting for my response.

I sigh, my shoulders sagging under the weight of what I’ve been holding in.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I repeat, softer this time, finally glancing up to meet her gaze. “But I haven’t gotten my period yet.”

The words hang in the air, heavy and terrifying, and for a moment, Dolly stares at me, her mouth slightly open.

“You mean you’re late?”

I nod, a lump forming in my throat. “Yeah. By a few days.”

Her eyes widen. “Austin! Why are you just now saying something?”

“Cause! There are no other symptoms. And why would I be pregnant, we’ve only had sex like…” I try to add up all the times we’ve had sex in my head, but the math isn’t mathing.

“ Girl .” She stares at me like I’m an idiot. “Have you taken a test?”

I shake my head quickly. “No. I mean, it’s probably just stress or something, right? I’ve been busy with work and... Gio.” My voice falters at his name, and I grip the blanket tighter .

Dolly’s expression softens, but her concern doesn’t fade. “Okay, first of all, stressing isn’t going to help. Second, it might be nothing—but it also might not be nothing, so you need to know for sure. Have you told him?”

My stomach twists at the thought.

“No,” I confess. “I don’t even know how to bring it up. It’s just a missed period? It happens, right? So what if I say something and that makes things awkward and they didn’t have to be?”

Dolly sets Gio the dog gently on the floor and slides closer to me on the couch.

“Listen to me,” she says, her voice steady and calm. “You’re not doing this alone, okay? Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out.”

Gio has never given me a reason to doubt him—if anything, he’s shown me time and time again that he’s solid, dependable, and, most importantly, all in. But this feels different.

This is serious!

“What if he’s not ready for something like this?” I ask, my voice barely audible.

Dolly squeezes my shoulder. “Then he’ll have to get ready. That’s what grown-ups do. And from everything you’ve told me about him, I think he’ll step up.”

I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

“I’ll tell him. After I take a test.”

“But you won’t know until you’re sure,” Dolly says, her tone firm but kind. “Do you have a test laying around?”

I blink at her. “ No , why would I just have pregnancy tests laying around?”

“Uh—cause I do? Just in case?” Dolly whips out her phone with determination. “I’ll DoorDash us some.”

“You can DoorDash pregnancy tests?” I ask, eyebrows shooting up.

“You can DoorDash pretty much anything,” she replies, her thumbs flying across the screen. “This is what convenience is all about, babe.”

I bite my lip, watching her with a mix of gratitude and nerves as she scrolls through the app. “I feel so weird about this. Like, what if the driver judges me?”

Dolly snorts. “Trust me, they’ve seen weirder. Besides, they don’t know you. For all they know, I’m the one taking the test.” She flashes me a cheeky grin before holding up her phone. “Okay, I’ve got three different brands in the cart. Extra sensitive, digital, and one of those fancy ones that tells you how many weeks along you are. Anything else?”

“More snacks?”

She grins. “Oh look at you, pregnancy munchies already.”

I’m not amused. “That’s not funny.”

“Sorry.”

Forty-five minutes later, and Dolly springs to her feet like it’s Christmas morning.

“I’ll get it!” she announces, dashing toward the door. Gio barks excitedly, spinning in circles as if he knows something monumental is happening.

I sit frozen on the couch, my stomach churning as the reality of the situation sets in. Pregnancy tests. Three of them. My entire future could change with one tiny little plastic stick. My hands are clammy, and I rub them on the blanket draped across my lap, trying to ground myself.

Dolly returns triumphantly, holding up the discreet brown paper bag like it’s a trophy.

“Voilà! Our DoorDash hero didn’t bat an eye. Now,” she says, dropping the bag onto the coffee table. “Let’s get down to business.”

I stare at the bag as if it might bite me.

“I don’t know if I can do this.”

Correction: I don’t want to do this.

I’m scared shitless .

Dolly sits beside me, her tone gentle but firm. “You can. Whatever the result is, we’ll deal with it. Together. You’re not alone, okay?”

I nod, swallowing hard. “I know.”

She pulls out the tests one by one, lining them up on the coffee table like some sort of bizarre science experiment. “Alright, we’ve got options. The digital one is probably the easiest—no deciphering faint lines. Or we can go old school with this one. Your call.”

I hesitate, staring at the tests. My voice feels distant when I finally speak. “The digital one, I guess.”

“Good choice,” she says, tearing open the box with precision. “Go do your thing, and don’t overthink it. It’s just pee.”

“Just pee,” I echo, though it feels like so much more than that. My legs feel wobbly as I stand, and I clutch the test in one hand like it’s a ticking time bomb.

Dolly gives me an encouraging smile. “You’ve got this.”

The bathroom feels like the smallest, quietest room in the world as I close the door behind me. The instructions on the box are straightforward, but my hands shake as I follow them: Pee on the stick, try not to make a mess, set the test on the counter when I’m done.

Now comes the hard part: waiting.

I pace the tiny space, my mind racing with possibilities.

What if it’s positive?

What if it’s negative?

My stomach flips as I glance at the timer on my phone, the seconds ticking down like an ominous drumbeat.

Finally, the timer goes off and I freeze, my heart pounding. For a moment, I can’t bring myself to look. What if this changes everything?

A knock on the door startles me. “You okay in there?”

I take a deep breath and open the door, holding the test out to her without looking at it. “You check. ”

Her eyes widen. “Are you sure?”

I nod, my voice barely a whisper. “I can’t.”

She takes the test gingerly, her expression unreadable as she glances down. Seconds feel like hours as I search her face for any clue. Then she looks up at me, her lips parting as if to speak.

“Well?” I ask, my voice cracking.

“It’s…” She pauses, her expression softening. “Austin, it’s positive.”

When the room tilts, I grip the doorframe to steady myself.

I feel like I’m going to pass out.

Faint.

Literally topple over.

Dolly is at my side in an instant, wrapping me in a hug. “It’s okay—you can take another one to be sure.”

I nod, filling with dread.

Dolly hands me another small, white box, her hands trembling enough that I notice. I take the second test, removing the plastic stick from its plastic wrapper.

“It’s going to be fine,” Dolly says softly, but her voice wavers, betraying her own uncertainty.

I force myself to breathe, even though my chest feels tight. The walls seem closer, the air thicker. I lean over the sink for a moment, gripping its edge, trying to ground myself.

You can do this.

Just take the test.

I pee on another stick.

Wait.

My heart is pounding so hard it feels like it’s trying to climb up my throat. I pick up the test and force myself to look at the screen.

The digital screen says one word: PREGNANT

Again.

Dolly lingers in the doorway.

I hold up the test wordlessly; her eyes dart to it, and then to my face. She doesn’t say anything at first, but then she reaches for my hand, threading her fingers through mine.

“It’s real,” I say, my voice breaking on the last word. “This is happening.”

Dolly exhales shakily and nods, a faint smile flickering on her lips before fading. “We’ll figure it out,” she says, squeezing my hand.

“It’s going to be okay,” she tells me confidently. “You’re going to be okay. Gio is going to be okay.”

Tears prick my eyes as I nod against her shoulder, the weight of the news settling over me.

“What am I going to tell him?” I croak out. “Oh my God, Dolly—what if he thinks I’m trapping him for money?”

“He’s not going to think you’re trapping him. He slept with you clearly without protection.” Her lips purse. “It’s as much his responsibility as yours.”

My mind goes back to the day he came to my apartment, unannounced, and we had sex on the table in my entryway.

And the time we banged in the shower with no condom.

Still. Nothing is foolproof.

“Hey.” Dolly's hand squeezes my shoulder. “Do you want to celebrate with ice cream or cry into it?”

I laugh, the sound shaky but real. “Both?”

This is kind of a nightmare.

I can’t eat.

Can’t sleep.

The next morning, after Dolly has gone because she had to go to work—I act weird when Gio texts, unable to be my normal, upbeat self.

Gio: Everything okay babe?

I stare at his message, stomach curling.

I press a hand there.

Austin: Yeah, just tired. Long day.

I hate myself for lying, but what am I supposed to do? Spill my guts and admit the truth? That I’m not okay, that my thoughts are tangled in knots, that I don’t even know how to explain this overwhelming unease?

I have to figure this out before I self-sabotage.

Gio: Are you sure? You seem off.

Of course I seem off!

I’M PREGNANT!

I let out a shaky breath. How does he always know? It's like he has a sixth sense for when I'm not being completely honest. My fingers hover over the keyboard, but I can’t type anything. What do I even say?

Instead, I toss the phone again and flop backward on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The faint smell of Dolly’s vanilla-scented perfume lingers in the air. I miss her already—her calm presence, her ability to make even the worst situations feel manageable.

Another buzz.

I groan and pick up my phone.

Gio: I can come over if you need me.

My chest tightens.

He would drop everything he’s doing to come to my place.

The idea of seeing him now—having to look him in the eye and pretend everything is hunky-dory feels unbearable. But so does pushing him away. I type out a quick reply before I can overthink it:

Austin: Just need some time to myself .

Tears sting my eyes as I read his words. He’s being so understanding, so patient, and it makes me feel even worse for keeping this from him.

I clutch the phone to my chest and close my eyes, letting the tears spill over.

I need to tell him—OBVIOUSLY.

I can’t keep this to myself for long, I don’t have it in me to keep secrets. And I can’t lie to him.

But how do you tell the person you’re just learning to love that everything is about to change?