Chapter 2

Two weeks.

For two entire weeks, you and Paige had kept the pregnancy a secret.

Not because you were ashamed.

Not because you regretted it.

But because neither of you knew how to start a conversation like:

“Hey, by the way, we’re twenty years old and having a baby.”

So instead, the two of you spent the last fourteen days alternating between excitement and panic.

One moment Paige would be researching baby names.

The next she’d be staring at the ceiling wondering how she was supposed to be a mom while still playing college basketball.

And now came the hardest part.

Telling her parents.

Paige sat in the passenger seat of your car, bouncing her leg so aggressively it was practically shaking the entire vehicle.

“Paige.”

“Hm?”

“You’re doing it again.”

“What?”

“The leg thing.”

Immediately she stopped.

Three seconds later it started again.

You laughed.

“You’re nervous.”

“I’m terrified.”

“You’ve played in national championship games.”

“That’s different.”

You nearly choked on your drink.

“Different?”

“Very different.”

She pointed toward the house coming into view.

“National championships don’t involve telling my mom she’s going to be a grandmother.”

Fair enough.

You couldn’t argue with that.

The closer you got to the house, the more nervous Paige became.

You reached over and squeezed her hand.

She immediately squeezed back.

Hard.

Very hard.

“Paige.”

“Sorry.”

She loosened her grip.

A little.

Not much.

You parked outside the house.

Neither of you moved.

Neither of you spoke.

The silence lasted almost thirty seconds.

Then-

“We could leave.”

You looked at her.

“Paige.”

“I’m serious.”

“We are not leaving.”

“What if they hate me?”

Your eyebrows shot up.

“Why would they hate you?”

“Because I’m the reason you’re pregnant.”

You stared at her.

Then burst out laughing.

Paige looked offended.

“I’m being serious.”

“I know.”

“Then stop laughing.”

“I’m trying.”

She crossed her arms dramatically.

You leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“They love you.”

“Hopefully.”

“They do.”

Another deep breath.

Then another.

Finally Paige opened the car door.

“Okay.”

You got out too.

“Okay.”

“We’re doing this.”

“We are.”

Paige looked like she was heading into battle.

By the time you reached the front door, she was pale.

You knocked.

A few moments later the door swung open.

“Paige!”

Her mom immediately pulled her into a hug.

“Hi, Mom.”

Then her attention shifted to you.

“And hi, sweetheart.”

You smiled.

“Hi.”

Within minutes the three of you were sitting around the kitchen table while Paige’s stepdad finished making coffee.

The conversation started normally.

Classes.

Basketball.

Life at UConn.

Everything except the giant secret hanging over your heads.

Paige was barely listening.

You could tell.

Her knee was bouncing again.

Her coffee sat untouched.

And every few seconds she’d glance at you.

You finally gave her a small nod.

A silent You’ve got this.

Paige inhaled deeply.

Then set her mug down.

“Mom?”

Her mother’s smile immediately softened.

“Yeah?”

Paige swallowed.

“We need to tell you something.”

The room instantly grew quiet.

Her stepdad sat down.

Both parents looking concerned.

Paige’s hand found yours under the table.

You squeezed it.

Then Paige said the words.

“Y/N is pregnant.”

Silence.

Complete silence.

Paige’s heart dropped straight into her stomach.

Three seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Nobody spoke.

Paige was convinced she’d somehow broken reality.

Then-

“What?”

Her mother blinked.

Paige nodded.

“Pregnant.”

Another silence.

Then her mom looked at you.

Then Paige.

Then you.

Then Paige.

And suddenly-

“Oh my God.”

Paige froze.

Her mom’s hands flew to her face.

“Oh my God.”

That wasn’t anger.

That definitely wasn’t anger.

It sounded more like shock.

Lots of shock.

“You’re serious?”

You nodded.

“Very.”

“Oh my God.”

Paige’s stepdad looked equally stunned.

“You guys are having a baby?”

“Yeah.”

Another moment passed.

Then unexpectedly-

Her mom started crying.

Immediately.

Paige panicked.

“Mom?”

Her mother stood up so quickly her chair nearly tipped over.

Then she wrapped Paige in the biggest hug imaginable.

“You idiot.”

Paige blinked.

“What?”

“You thought I was going to stop loving you?”

That was enough to make Paige emotional.

Because if she was being honest…

Part of her had worried exactly that.

“Mom…”

Her mother pulled away just enough to cup her face.

“You are my daughter.”

Tears filled Paige’s eyes.

“Nothing changes that.”

At that point Paige completely lost the battle against crying.

Across the table you were crying too.

Her stepdad looked emotional as well.

Then he smiled.

A genuine smile.

“You know this is going to be hard, right?”

Paige laughed through her tears.

“Yeah.”

“Really hard.”

“I know.”

“But you’ll figure it out.”

That simple vote of confidence nearly made Paige cry all over again.

Her mother sat back down.

Still emotional.

Still stunned.

But smiling now.

“So.”

Paige groaned.

“Oh no.”

Her mom pointed at her.

“When were you planning on telling me?”

“We needed time.”

“Two weeks?”

“We were panicking.”

“I can tell.”

Everyone laughed.

The tension that had been suffocating Paige for days finally disappeared.

For the first time since finding out about the pregnancy, she felt like she could breathe.

Her mother reached across the table and placed a hand over yours.

“How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”

“That sounds about right.”

You laughed.

Paige smiled as she watched the interaction.

Because something beautiful was happening.

The fear she’d carried for weeks was slowly being replaced by something else.

Support.

Love.

Family.

Her family wasn’t turning away.

They were leaning in.

And as she sat there listening to her mom already talk about baby clothes and nursery ideas, Paige found herself smiling.

Maybe things weren’t going to be perfect.

Maybe there would be challenges.

Maybe there would be difficult conversations ahead.

But one thing was certain.

This baby was already loved.

And judging by the tears in her mother’s eyes and the smile on her stepdad’s face…

Their child was going to have a whole lot of grandparents spoiling them. ❤️🏀👶🏻