Chapter 1

The apartment was unusually quiet.

Not that Paige minded.

For once, there wasn’t a basketball game playing on the television, there weren’t teammates blowing up her phone, and there wasn’t a mountain of homework waiting for her attention.

It was just you.

And her.

The way she liked it.

Paige sat on the couch with her laptop balanced on her knees, pretending to work on an assignment while secretly watching you move around the kitchen.

“You know I can feel you staring at me, right?” you called out.

Paige grinned.

“No, you can’t.”

“Paige.”

“Okay, maybe a little.”

“A little?”

“Fine. A lot.”

You laughed, shaking your head as you grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.

Four years.

You’d been together for four years.

From awkward high school dates to moving across the country together for college, Paige couldn’t imagine her life without you anymore.

You weren’t just her girlfriend.

You were home.

Which was why she immediately noticed something was off.

You looked tired.

More tired than usual.

And you’d been acting strange for the last week.

Not bad strange.

Just… different.

You’d been sleeping more.

Skipping your favorite coffee.

Getting distracted easily.

Paige had noticed every little thing.

Because she always noticed everything about you.

“You okay?” she asked.

You froze for a second.

“Yeah.”

Paige raised an eyebrow.

“That wasn’t convincing.”

You sighed.

“I know.”

The nervous look on your face instantly made Paige close her laptop.

“Hey.”

Her voice softened.

“Talk to me.”

You stared down at the water bottle in your hands.

Then back at her.

Then down again.

Paige’s stomach twisted.

“You’re scaring me.”

“I’m not trying to.”

“Then what is it?”

For a long moment, you didn’t answer.

Then you reached into your sweatshirt pocket.

Paige frowned.

“What-“

You placed a small box on the coffee table.

And suddenly Paige couldn’t breathe.

Because she knew exactly what kind of box it was.

Her eyes slowly lifted to yours.

Neither of you spoke.

The room felt impossibly still.

Finally, you whispered-

“I took three.”

Paige looked back at the box.

Then at you.

Then back at the box.

“…Three?”

You nodded.

“All positive.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Paige’s brain stopped working.

She stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Until eventually one thought managed to break through the shock.

A baby.

You were pregnant.

Her heart immediately started racing.

A thousand emotions crashed into her all at once.

Fear.

Shock.

Confusion.

Excitement.

Joy.

Terror.

Hope.

Every single feeling possible.

“Paige?”

Your voice was small.

Uncertain.

Like you were afraid of what she might say.

That snapped Paige back to reality.

Immediately.

She stood up so fast she nearly tripped over the coffee table.

Before you could react, she was kneeling in front of you.

Taking both your hands.

Holding them tightly.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

You blinked.

“What?”

“Are you okay?”

The concern in her voice made your eyes water instantly.

And Paige felt her own eyes sting.

Because that was the first thing that mattered.

Not basketball.

Not school.

Not anyone else’s opinion.

You.

You and the baby.

“I’m okay,” you whispered.

Paige nodded.

Then laughed.

Then immediately started crying.

Which made you laugh through your tears.

“Oh my God.”

Paige buried her face in her hands.

“Oh my God.”

“That’s your response?”

“I don’t know what my response is supposed to be!”

You laughed harder.

And somehow that made Paige cry even more.

She looked up at you.

Eyes red.

Smile trembling.

And for the first time, it became real.

There was a baby.

Your baby.

The two of you were going to be parents.

Paige carefully placed a hand over yours.

Then gently over your stomach.

Even though she knew it was far too early to feel anything.

Her heart still melted.

“There’s really a baby in there.”

Your smile softened.

“Yeah.”

Paige laughed again.

A disbelieving, emotional laugh.

“That’s insane.”

“A little.”

“A lot.”

You both sat there for a moment.

Taking it all in.

Then the worry finally appeared.

The thing Paige had been trying not to think about.

Her family.

Her faith.

The expectations she’d grown up with.

You immediately noticed the change in her expression.

“Hey.”

Paige looked up.

“We’ll figure it out.”

She swallowed.

“What if everyone’s disappointed?”

Your hand found hers.

“Then they’ll get over it.”

Paige let out a shaky breath.

“I just…”

You squeezed her hand.

“I know.”

She stared at you.

At the woman she’d loved since she was sixteen years old.

The woman carrying her child.

The woman she wanted beside her for the rest of her life.

And suddenly one thing became incredibly clear.

No matter what happened next…

She wasn’t going anywhere.

Neither were you.

Nor was the baby.

Paige leaned forward and pressed her forehead against yours.

“I love you.”

You smiled.

“I love you too.”

A small laugh escaped her.

“We’re really having a baby.”

You nodded.

“We are.”

Paige looked down at your stomach again.

Then back up at you.

And despite all the fear still sitting in her chest…

A smile spread across her face.

A genuine one.

Because for the first time all day, she wasn’t thinking about what could go wrong.

She was thinking about what could go right.

And somehow, for the first time since seeing those two pink lines…

The future didn’t seem so scary anymore.