Limits & Expectations

Chapter 22

June 4, 2020

1 month later

Drew

*iMessage*

Starkey 9:57 am
Are you up?

Starkey 10:36 am
Okay, sleepyhead. I'm getting breakfast and coffee. Decide what you want to do today.

I've learned Sophie isn't a morning person. Not even in the slightest. Anything before 9am will cause tears and require 2 naps for her to get through the day. We don't talk about 6am call times. I get up early to go get her favorite coffee and breakfast from a cafe downtown, I make sure her lunch is ready when she gets back to her trailer and if Maddie and Bails are out later, I'll sneak into their apartment and have a bath ready for her when she gets home.

It's harder to do all these things when they're supposed to be a secret, but I'll always find a way to put a smile on Sophie's face. Just like this morning. We have the day off and I plan to enjoy spending the day together without anyone else around. I've been up since 4 but I waited until 10 to come see her. I wanted her in a good mood and an even better mood after she's eaten and had her coffee.

I unlock their door, balancing the bag of food and tray of coffees in one hand, softly closing it once inside. I quietly walk through the house, knowing she's probably still asleep since she never texted back. If she heard someone in the house, she'd freak and possibly kill me for scaring her.

There's a quiet click as I push the handle of her bedroom door, leaving it open so I have a little bit of light to navigate around the room. Just as I step in the room, I hear her sniffle and I freeze. She rolls over to look at me, before rolling back over to bury her face in the pillow and cry harder. I quickly set everything down, rounding the bed to get in beside her, pulling her into me.

"What's wrong? Do you feel okay? Do you need anything?" I rush out, pulling her closer into her head's resting against my chest. Her tears soak through my shirt and I know something is truly wrong. Did I miss something? Did I say something? I run my hand through her hair, resting my chin on top of her head, trying to see if I've forgotten about something. Her body presses against me as she shakes with a cry.

"Soph, I need you to talk to me. Do you need me to call Loren or Danielle?" A muffled cry comes out as she shakes her head. "Will you tell me what's wrong?" Her body goes tense, before relaxing and pulling away from me. I give her the space, eyeing her cautiously as she wipes her eyes and looks at me. "If I tell you, promise you won't freak out on me?" I quickly nod, sitting up as she sits up. She takes a deep breath, swiping at her eyes again, before looking at me.

"I think I might be pregnant." I freeze and my heart stops mid beat. Pregnant?! The panic must be plastered across my face, because Sophie's bottom lip trembles before she covers her face in her hands and wails again. I want to comfort her, but I'm frozen with the fear of the possibility of being a parent. We've known each other for a year and dating for only a month. We can't be parents. Not right now. Austin still doesn't know about us. How would we even break the news to him? Hey, we're dating. Oh, by the way, you're going to be an uncle?!

Sophie's cries break me out of my spiral, making me realize I need to say something. Something to get a handle on this. I quickly grab her, pulling her till she's straddling my lap, letting her body rest against mine. "Soph.." I push her hair away from her face, as I rub her arm, hoping to calm her down a bit. "Have you taken a test?" She shakes her head against my chest. I let out a sigh of partial relief. It's not real until we know. It might be denial but it's all I have right now.