I press the heels of my palms to my eyes, trying to stop the racing thoughts, but it doesn’t help.
A soft knock at the door breaks through my thoughts.
“Gi?” Siena’s voice is gentle but concerned. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Come in.”
She slips inside and perches on the edge of the tub, wearing one of Matti’s hoodies, her long brown hair twisted into a knot.
“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper.
She lowers herself to the floor beside me, crossing her legs.
“It’s your body,” she says quietly. “You’ve been through hell. I don’t know Tommy well, but from what I’ve seen, and from what Matti has told me, you can do no wrong in his eyes. He’ll back whatever you decide.”
I laugh, but it’s hollow. “You think so?”
“I do.” She gives a faint smile. “If you want, we could talk about your options. All of them.”
I nod, though the motion feels mechanical.
“This pregnancy is fairly new,” she says carefully. “An abortion is still an option. It’s safe and private. I’m sure Tommy would understand.”
“Maybe,” I whisper. “But I don’t know if that’s what I want. I don’t know if a baby is what I want. The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to lose Tommy.”
Her expression softens. “He loves you, Gi. You didn’t choose this. It happened to you. He’ll understand that.”
Tears well up and spill down my cheeks before I can stop them. “I love him too. I just…” I choke on the words. “He’s always wanted kids. Literally the first time he kissed me, he talked about me having his babies. And now—” My voice cracks. I look down at my stomach.
Siena reaches for my hand, her grip warm and grounding. “Stop. Don’t get ahead of yourself. There’s no point in trying to guess how he’ll respond. Just tell him.”
I nod, but my shoulders hunch tighter.
Siena studies me, then asks, “He hasn’t noticed?”
I let out a shaky laugh. “Please. I gain and lose weight all the time. He doesn’t notice. If anything, he prefers me thicker.”
She smiles. “He’ll notice soon. So if you’re going to tell him, you should probably do it before that happens.”
“I know.” My voice breaks. “I’m just…terrified.”
She nods. “That sounds like a normal response.”
She squeezes my hand, and for a while, neither of us says anything. Then she says quietly, “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you. If you want to get an abortion, I’ll take you. If you want to keep it, I’ll babysit.”
I laugh, wiping my tears away and glancing at her belly. “You know, if I keep it, our kids will be about the same age.”
She smiles and laughs with me. “How cute would that be? They would be best friends.”
“Cousins!” I say.
“Or soulmates,” she adds, her smile widening. “They’re not blood related, so you never know!”
I laugh again, wiping my face. Siena stands, offering me her hand, and I let her pull me up.
Before either of us can say another word, a loud, pounding knock reverberates through the penthouse. We both freeze and stare at each other.
When we step out into the hall, Matti waves us back, drawing his gun. The pounding knock comes to the door again, and Matti flicks open his phone, thumbing over the screen and tapping.
