“My life already changed, Jon.” She swipes away her tears and sits up straight. “I’ll be keeping my baby. This isn’t your responsibility, and it’s not your fault. I can do this. I can do it on my own.”
He chokes on emotion. “No, Sissy, not alone. Never alone. I’m not walking away now.”
She nods and wipes at her rapidly leaking nose. “Thank you.”
“Can we see?” Jack pushes away from the cold-pizza-counter and nods at the envelope. “The scan,” he clarifies.
“Yeah.” Jon coughs away the lump in his throat. “Is that a picture of the baby?”
Iz fingers the corners of the white envelope contemplatively. “Umm, yeah. Here.” She shakily passes the envelope to Jon, who slowly, carefully, peels it open with his own shaking hands. Aiden and Jack step in close and look over his shoulders. Jon slowly slides the single image from the envelope, and all three guys turn their heads to the side as they study it.
Jack narrows his head and turns it on a ninety-degree angle. “Nope. I don’t see it…”
Iz lets out a watery laugh. “Yeah. It’s kind of just a blob, but the lady showed us his tiny arms and legs on the screen.”
“He?” Aiden’s eyes come up. “It’s a he?”
“No. I don’t know. It’s too soon to find out.”
Jack moves closer to the picture so his ear practically touches Jon’s. “When can you know?”
“I don’t know, maybe another seven or eight weeks?” She shrugs. “Don’t know if I’ll find out.”
Bobby takes my hand and brings me to my feet, only to steal my chair and pull me back into his lap. I look down into his eyes and smile. “Need a hug,” he mumbles. With his hand on the back of my head, he brings my face down to rest on his throbbing heart, and when I’m comfortable, his pulse slows and his eyes go back to his pregnant sister. “Izzy, honey? When will you tell Ben?”
“Dunno…” She sniffles and leans into Tink. “Do I have to?”
“Yes, Sissy, you do,” Jon admonishes. “Of course you do!”
“But we broke up. I don’t want his help. I don’t need him.”
“We know, Sissy. You don’t need him, and you sure as shit won’t be going back to him. But he still needs to know.”
“What if he wants to keep my baby?” she whispers. “What if he wants to take him away?”
Aiden’s silent planning stops with a frown. “He won’t, Sissy. No one’s taking your baby away, we’ll make sure of it. But you still have to tell him…” He points at Jon, then at Bobby. “What if it was one of us? What if we never find out we have a baby because a girl wants to keep it from us. That’s not okay.”
Tink clears her throat and adds, “But not only that. Your blob might ask one day, Iz. He might ask why his daddy isn’t around. If the answer is because you didn’t tell him, you didn’t give him a chance to step up, that makes you the bad guy.” She stands and grabs the three teacups and takes them to the sink. “Don’t be the bad guy. Be fair to your baby.”
Izzy’s chest shudders with fear. And uncertainty. And a million other unknowns. “Okay, you’re right.” She nods and accepts the printed image from Jon. “I’ll tell him. Not today. Not tomorrow. But soon, I promise.” She looks to Bobby and me. “I won’t ruin your wedding, I promise. This week’s about you guys. Then after that, I’ll deal with Ben.”
Jon nods and grinds his teeth together. “I’ll come with you. I have shit to say to him, anyway.”
“Jon, no–”
“And what the fuck was that‘I love you always’bullshit with Jim? You best be telling me that was a platonic brotherly thing.”
She clears her throat nervously. “Umm…”
“No!” Exploding, he stands over us. “He’s your brother, Iz! Do you have any clue how messed up that is?”
“He’s notmybrother, Jon. He’s my best friend. Hewasmy best friend before I ripped his heart out. But it’s done now. I’m dead to him.”
“Don’t say that,” Jon grinds out. “You’re not dead to anyone. I worked too fucking hard to keep you safe, Sissy. You’re not going anywhere.”
“I’m pregnant with another man’s baby, Jon. Whatever Jim and I had doesn’t allow for me to be pregnant with a baby that isn’t his.”
His face washes white. “Don’t ever say that again. That sentence.” He shakes his head. “No.”