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“I’m sorry. Catch you at a bad time?” I winced.

“No. It’s just your typical Saturday chaos. The baby is sick and won’t separate from me. Baz is exhausted. Our nanny is on holiday. I literally called Mum this morning and asked her to come bail us out. So, she and Chris are coming.”

Chris was Lanie’s Mom’s partner.

“I’m sorry. I can⁠—”

“No, no. I can tell something is wrong. Speak.”

I took a deep breath. “Lanie, please tell me that cheap pregnancy tests don’t work well and are prone to errors.”

“Oh. My. Gawwwwd,” Lanie said. “Are you?”

“I asked a question, Lanie.”

“They all work the same. It’s like a generic versus name brand.”

"Coke and Cola aren’t the same.”

I envisioned Lanie rolling her eyes, “But they are both drinkable.”

“Debatable.”

“Well, the accuracy of that test is not,” Lanie said. “Are you?”

“I felt like hell and realize I skipped my period, so… yes. It’s positive—a little positive but… I’m probably only like four weeks, so it won’t be like⁠—”

“How? Wait, is this Sexy Daddy?”

“Lanie!” Baz said. “For the love of God!”

“You leave, Baz! I can’t move. I’ve got your progeny permanently attached to my nips.”

I cringed. Oh, how wonderful!

“So, is it?”

“Is it what? Yes, it’s positive?”

“The Cowboy?”

“Oh, uh… well, I haven’t slept with anyone else, so yes. But like… it can’t be. We’re both… old.”

“He’s Baz’s age and I’m yours! We have an infant and that required zero intervention unless you count an entire bottle of fine champagne.”

“But… I’m on the pill.”

“In your globetrotting, how well are you taking it? At the same time every day?”

I considered her words. “Well, no. Meg always kept my schedule so well⁠—”

“You don’t have Meg. Babes, what are you gonna do?”

I didn’t have an answer. “I don’t know. Please don’t tell anyone—you can tell Baz because lord knows you will and also he’s not going to tell anyone, but… I am not ready to say anything to him.”

“You must. He’s the dad. Unless you just want to get an abortion. But I still think you should tell him.”

“Why? To freak him out? He doesn’t want another kid. He’s done with that. He said he doesn’t date single moms because it’s complicated and doesn’t want to put Piper through that awkwardness.”