Mom moved closer. “Well, thank God. I was going to hop up on the sofa.”
“Just a minute,” I said absently as she came around the corner.
“Oh! Where did you find that?” she asked me.
“Ahh, in the trash.”
She put her hand to her mouth. “Goodness, Beckett. You think Piper is pregnant?”
“That’s the only conclusion I can draw.” My voice was robotic.
“I take it you didn’t know,” Mom said softly.
“Of course I didn’t know.” I swallowed hard. But why didn’t I know? “She must have taken it this morning. But why didn’t she tell me anything?” I was asking Mom as much as myself. Piper wouldn’t do this. Piper would tell me.
Ellawould do this. In fact, she was apparently done with Charlotte for good. I’d heard from her lawyer—all was final with the paperwork. She was satisfied.
Our paths were never going to cross again.
“This is an important moment in a woman’s life. She probably needs to process it,” Mom said, as if that explained everything. But it didn’t fly.
“I get it, but we’ve talked today several times. I sensed something was off and asked her point-blank. She didn’t tell me what’s going on.”
“Hon, don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe she wanted to make super sure before talking with you.”
Charlotte was cooing, and I was in a complete fog, barelyable to focus on anything other than the plastic stick in my hands.
“How are you doing?”
“Mom, I’m clearly not processing it yet. I’m still stuck on the part where she didn’t tell me.” I didn’t want to sound angry, but I figured that’s how I came across, because she suddenly went quiet.
I looked at the test, trying to wrap my mind around all the implications.
“Another baby,” I said slowly.
Mom was smiling and tentatively said, “Yes.”
Then, when I didn’t jump down her throat, she added, “A little brother or sister for Charlotte.”
“Mom, fuck. Charlotte is basically not even out of the newborn stage.”
Mom’s smile faded, and I felt like shit. “This might be why Piper didn’t tell you.”
“I… What? Why?” God, I was a mess. “What do you mean?”
“Maybe she thought you wouldn’t be very happy.” Her voice was cutting now. I didn’t blame her; I was being an ass.
“I didn’t say I’m not happy. I’m just…” Jesus! Another child! But with Piper, who was the most amazing woman I’d ever met. She loved Charlotte even though she wasn’t hers, and now she was carrying my baby.
I need to get a vasectomy.
“You’ll be a wonderful father, dear. Youarea wonderful father to Charlotte.”
I let out a huge breath. “That’s not what this is about. Of course I’ll take care of my child and Piper. I’m just struggling to understand why she wouldn’t tell me.”
“With Charlotte’s mom, you know that was something completely different,” Mom said, then scolded me. “Don’t place Piper in that category.”
“Of course not! But Piper has always said that she loves kidsand wants to have a lot of them. I would’ve thought she’d show me the test and be all happy about it.”
