Page 65 of Maybe in Another Life

“You know it’s going to be OK, right?” she says.

I look at her through my tears. I nod and do my best to say “Yes.”

“Does Ethan know?” Gabby asks.

I shake my head. “No one does. Except you. And Charlemagne.”

“Who is Charlemagne?” she asks me.

I look at the dog and point to her.

“Oh,” Gabby says. “Right. Makes sense. I didn’t think we were still naming people Charlemagne.”

I start crying again.

“Hey,” she says. “Come on. This is good news.”

“I know,” I say through my tears.

“It’s Michael’s,” she says, as if it’s just dawning on her.

“Yeah,” I say. Charlemagne starts whining and jumping, trying to join us on the couch. Gabby looks at her and then picks her up and puts her in my lap. She curls up and closes her eyes. I do feel better, honestly, having her in my lap.

“OK, stop crying for a minute,” Gabby says.

I sniffle and look at her.

“We are going to handle this, and we are going to be fine.”

“We?”

“Well, I’m not going to let you go through this alone, you moron,” she says. The way she says the wordmoronmakes me feel more loved than I’ve felt in a long time. She says it as if I’d be a complete idiot to think I was ever alone. And to know that the idea is absolutely absurd to her, to know that it’s so far-fetched as to make me a moron, it’s a nice feeling. “You know, years from now, you’re going to look back on this as the best thing that ever happened to you, right?”

I snort at her. “I’m having a baby with a married man, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to ruin my relationship with my new old boyfriend.”

“First of all,” she says, “let’s not go assuming things. You never know what Ethan will say.”

“You know what I’m pretty sure he’s not going to say? ‘Hey, Hannah, I’m super excited to take on the responsibilities of raising another man’s baby.’ ”

I’m right, of course. Which is why Gabby changes the subject. “You are going to love this baby,” she says. “You know that, right? You are such a loving person. You have so much love to give, and you are so loyal to the people you love. Do you have any idea what a great mom you are going to be? Do you have any idea how loved this kid is going to be? The love it will have from its Aunt Gabby will eclipse the sun.”

I laugh, despite myself.

“Hannah, you can do this. And one day soon, you’re not going to imagine how you ever found meaning in your life before you did.” Maybe she’s right.

“What if your dad fires me before I’m even hired? ‘Hi. Hello. You gave me this job when you thought I wasn’t pregnant, and now you’re stuck with me.’ ”

“This is why you puked at dinner,” Gabby says.

“Should have been your dad’s first clue.” To be honest, it probably should have been my first clue.

“Would you listen to yourself? We’re talking about my dad. The man who picked up the boutonnieres for our dates to the prom. My dad once sat there with a pair of tweezers pulling tiny pieces of glass out of your foot when you dropped my mom’s favorite crystal vase.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” I say.

“But that’s my point. My dad loves you. Not like ‘Oh, I’m telling you my dad loves you.’ I mean, he has love in his heart for you. My father loves you. Both my parents do. They like being there for you. My dad’s not going to fire you when he finds out you’re pregnant. He and my mom are going to jump for joy and tell everyone who will listen that the generation of grandchildren is finally arriving.”

I laugh.

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