For a few seconds, chaotic thoughts thundered through her head. Where was Gage … what had happened last night … peeing on a stick.
Oh, fuck. The fight.
Oh, fuck. I’m pregnant!
As if to hammer this point home, her bladder protested fiercely. Rylee ran to the bathroom, knowing that she’d have to get used to frequent bathroom breaks in the months to come.
Her stomach did a little flip as she headed back to her room. She didn’t know if morning sickness was already rearing its ugly head or if it was just a reaction to the previous night.
Probably both.
She sat on the edge of the bed, picking up her phone from where she’d left it on the nightstand. She knew she’d need her friends to get through this. Rylee texted everyone in the group chat, asking to meet at their favorite brunch place. Since it was very unusual to meet up early the day after their usual late Friday night, everyone agreed to be there.
Rylee sighed, full of determination. She was scared but quickly pulled herself together. She called her doctor, requesting an appointment as soon as she possibly could. There was nothing wrong with being afraid. It was a long, hard road, and she was going to be walking it alone, but she’d made up her mind.
The sperm donor might not want to be in their life, but Rylee wanted this baby, and she was going to make sure everyone knew that.
She cleaned herself up after last night’s crying, making an effort to take care of herself with a warm shower and comfortable clothes. She figured the others would be taking their time after a long night out, and she didn’t have to rush.
On the way, she stopped at a pharmacy and bought prenatal vitamins. She was determined to do her very best for the baby, and she considered this one of the first steps.
This is going to change everything.
Rylee picked up her pace as she headed to the restaurant. She was feeling scared again, and she needed her friends. She might have decided to do this alone…and for the most part, she would be…but she knew her friends would always be there for her.
When she arrived, she was surprised to see Cassie, Sydney, and Maeve were already there. Cassie wore big dark glasses, and Sydney was a bit slumped in her chair. Maeve looked only a little rough compared to the other two.
Rylee was touched that they had all come out so early just for her. She stood by the table, having absolutely no idea what to say or how to say it. So, she just took out her bottle of prenatal vitamins and put it on the table.
The three women stared at it as if it were a bomb about to go off. Looks were shot around the table, bouncing between the bottle and Rylee as well as the other three girls.
Almost as if everyone’s brains had switched back on at the exact same time, all three girls exploded with questions. Rylee looked around at them, wondering where to start. Cassie held her glasses to her face and waved, shushing the others.
“Easy, everyone. Take it easy. The first, most important thing is," she turned to her, "are you okay, Rylee?”
She sat, feeling a bit teary but also excited. “I’m okay,” she said, nodding. She managed a small smile.
Cassie looked at the bottle of pills and then back to Rylee’s face. “So, how are you feeling about all of this?”
Rylee smiled, looking around at her friends. “I’m a bit shocked, but I’m happy,” she said, a little bashfully. “Unexpected, sure, but not unwanted.”
There was a moment of silence before all three girls erupted in squeals and cries. They fell over each other in their eagerness to hug Rylee, all of them trying to say congratulations at the same time.
Rylee felt an incredible warmth growing inside her. This was good. It was exactly the comfort she needed after Gage’s reaction last night. She felt safe, loved, and supported. She put one hand on her belly, hoping that the baby could feel it too.
They began to settle down as they ordered their food, and there was a stretch of silence as they all took their first sips of coffee. Rylee was pleased to find that decaf tasted just as good as regular coffee, but she wasn’t looking forward to the inevitable withdrawal.
“So, I don’t wanna be that gal …” Sydney said softly. “But what about the father, Rylee? I’m guessing if it was all good news, you would have said something about him, by now.”
Rylee nodded, looking her friend straight in the face. “It was a one-night stand. Not a big deal. He won’t have anything to do with the pregnancy or the baby. I’m doing this by myself.”
Rylee stared down into her coffee, still catching the looks her friends exchanged even after turning her eyes away. She knew they probably had a lot more questions, but they loved her enough to keep them to themselves, for now.
She was relieved that none of them wanted to push the issue. She was feeling very much like a hormonal pregnant woman right now, and it felt very good to have their respect and support.
The food arrived and broke the mood. Rylee had ordered some fruit and a sweet pastry, not feeling well enough to tackle anything with more protein. When the smell of Cassie’s salmon and eggs hit her nose, Rylee practically swayed in her seat.
“You okay?” Maeve asked from across the table.