LILY
Ididn’t wake up to the smell of apple turnovers or pumpkin bread like I was expecting. Instead, it was the rich, nutty smell of coffee brewing. I rolled over in bed and inhaled deeply, appreciating the scent even as I wondered about it. My mom kept coffee in the house for her best friend and neighbor, Lorraine, but the two of us preferred soda or tea. This seemed like an odd time to take up brewing it for us.
I pulled on an old, tatty robe from high school and padded out, half expecting to see Lorraine sitting at the table. Instead, I saw Con.
His back was to me, but I knew him instantly.
My mouth dropped open, and I looked from his broad shoulders to my mom’s face. She smiled at me. “Good afternoon.”
I stared, completely discombobulated. It couldn’t be the afternoon, and that couldn’t be Con.
I looked first at the clock over the stove and saw it was 12:01. I looked back at the man who had turned and stood from the table. It was really Con. Anger replaced disbelief, elbowing aside the happiness that had tried to surge at the sight of him. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m getting that question a lot.”
“Yeah? What’s your answer?” I self-consciously tightened the belt of the robe. Why hadn’t I kept the beautiful silk robe that matched my eyes? Why was I wearing something with ducks printed in irregular intervals instead? My anger took the edge on my happiness. Why was I worrying about what I was wearing when he’d treated me like dirt?
I put my hands on my hips, giving him an unobstructed view of the ducks. “Well?” I asked belligerently.
My mom quietly slipped out of the kitchen. I saw sunlight slice through the living room as she opened the front door. When she shut it behind her, I forced myself to meet Con’s eyes.
“You look beautiful,” he said, his gaze fastened on my face.
I doubted that. My face had to be puffy from all the crying I’d done the past thirty-six hours. “You look like you’re in the wrong place,” I said coldly.
“You asked what I’m doing here,” Con said, shifting directions so quickly I felt disoriented again. He stepped closer. I put my hand up, palm out, warningly. “Halley asked me the same thing when I went to see her. I told her I was there to tell her about you. I told her I never wanted to hurt her, but that I’d fallen in love with you.”
My mouth fell open in surprise.
“When your mom threatened to brain me with a lawn gnome if I didn’t get out of her yard, I told her I wasn’t leaving until I saw you, because I’m in love with you.” Con took another step closer until my hand was resting against his chest.
“That’s funny,” I said, managing to keep an edge in my voice even as the rest of me was dissolving, becoming boneless with surprise and longing for it to be true. “You said something pretty different to me the other night.”
Con shook his head sharply, as if trying to dislodge the memory. “I know. I was an asshole. Someone got pictures of us together, and they were going to give them to Kim. I was so fucking scared of what would happen to my relationship with Halley when she found out that I fucked over ours.”
“Pictures?” I whispered.
“Yeah. She had a PI tailing me the whole time.” He shook his head impatiently. “It doesn’t matter. I’m glad it forced my hand. I should have never kept you a secret.”
Maybe it was because I was about to become a parent myself, but I understood why he had. And even why he’d lashed out when his secret was threatened. I hadn’t even met my child yet, but I knew I’d do anything for them. “I’m not asking you to choose between us,” I said with difficulty. “Halley is your daughter.” I couldn’t tell him about the baby now. Not yet. It couldn’t decide our relationship for him like Kim’s pregnancy had.
Con reached for me. Pulled me closer when I didn’t resist. “This isn’t about her anymore. It’s about you and me. I am so fucking sorry about what I said. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me,” he said into my ear.
I crumbled, unable to hold myself rigid any longer. My fingers curled into his shirt front.
His arms tightened around me “It’s you and me now,” he swore, his eyes blazing into mine.
“Actually,” I bit my lip to hide my tentative smile, “I have a surprise for you.”
I told him in a rush of words. He shook his head. “Repeat that.”
“I’m pregnant,” I said, slower this time. Deliberately. My smile spread wider. Even if he wasn’t happy about this baby, even if it changed everything between us, I couldn’t hide my own joy. It was one of the only things that had kept me from sinking into total despair these hideous two days. Even if–
“We’re having a baby,” Con said quietly, wonderingly. The look on his face put my fears to rest. He was shocked, but he wasn’t horrified. He couldn’t quite believe it yet, but he hoped it was true.
And when the truth did finally sink in, I saw it register in his eyes. Excitement, peace, and joy. “We have to tell Halley,” he said.
I winced. That hadn’t been my first thought. More like, we’ll have to tell Halley eventually, somehow, but God, how will we do it? “Maybe we should wait a little bit,” I said hesitantly.
“No.” Con shook his head firmly. “You and this baby are my family too, Lily. I want everyone to know it.”
“It’s going to be hard,” I said, still hesitant. “Halley just found out about us, and now she’ll have to deal with–”
He cut me off with a long, hard kiss. “If we’ve learned anything over the last few months, it’s that we’re lousy liars, Lily. Let’s just tell the truth this time.”
Joy filling me at his words, I sank into the kiss and let it wash away my own fears.
Con was right. No more secrets.
Not anymore.