WILLOW
The smell of coffee fills the bakery’s kitchen as I pour myself another cup, my hands trembling slightly. Frankie sits at my feet, wagging his tail and looking up at me like he knows something’s up.
And he’s right.
I glance at the clock. June should be here any minute. I texted her last night asking her to come by before the bakery opens, and now, as the minutes tick by, my nerves start to spike.
What if I’m wrong? Or worse... what if I’m right?
The bell over the front door chimes, and June’s voice carries through the shop. “Willow? You here?”
“In the back!” I call out, setting my coffee down and wiping my hands on my apron.
She appears a moment later, her brows furrowed as she takes one look at me. “Okay, you sounded weird last night, and now you look weird. What’s going on?”
I gesture for her to sit at the small table in the corner, and she does, her eyes narrowing as she studies me. “Spill,” she demands, crossing her arms.
I sit down across from her, my heart pounding. “I think I’m pregnant,” I blurt out, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
June’s eyes widen, and for a second, she just stares at me. “Wait... seriously?”
I nod, biting my lip. “I’ve been feeling... off. Tired, nauseous, just not myself. And then I realized... I’m late.”
Her mouth falls open. “How late?”
“Two weeks,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper.
June leans back in her chair, her brows shooting up. “Well, damn, Willow. Have you taken a test?”
I shake my head. “Not yet. I bought a couple yesterday, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”
“Okay, first of all,” she says, sitting up and pointing at me, “we’re taking those tests right now. Second of all... how do you feel about this?”
I let out a shaky breath, my hands fidgeting in my lap. “I don’t know. I mean, I love Brock, but... we’re still so new, June. This wasn’t exactly in the plan.”
June tilts her head, her expression softening. “But?”
“But... it feels right,” I whisper, my throat tightening. “Like maybe this was meant to be.”
Her face breaks into a smile, and she reaches across the table to grab my hands. “Okay, let’s find out for sure.”
The next ten minutes feel like an eternity. June waits outside the bathroom while I take the tests—three of them, just to be sure.
When I step out, holding the sticks in my shaking hands, she looks up at me expectantly. “Well?”
I can’t even speak. I just hand them to her, and she glances down at the results.
“Holy crap,” she breathes, her eyes darting between the tests and my face. “Willow... they’re all positive.”
I sink onto the chair beside her, my chest tight with a mix of fear and excitement. “I’m really pregnant.”
“You’re really pregnant,” she says, her voice soft but full of awe.
Tears well up in my eyes, and I let out a shaky laugh. “What am I going to do?”
“You’re going to tell Brock,” she says firmly. “And you’re going to realize that this baby is already so loved. You’ve got this, Willow.”
I nod slowly, my hand resting on my stomach. It’s terrifying, and it’s overwhelming, but deep down, I know she’s right.