Third person pov:
A few weeks after that cozy night with Reece, Marjorie found herself staring at a positive pregnancy test, her heart pounding. Excitement and nerves swirled together as she thought about telling Reece, but before that, she felt an urge to share the news with someone else close to her.
Later that day at the nursery, Marjorie pulled Autumn aside, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement. Autumn, as usual, wore her calm, slightly reserved expression, but Marjorie noticed a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
“What’s going on?” Autumn asked, raising an eyebrow.
Taking a deep breath, Marjorie whispered, “I’m pregnant.”
For a moment, Autumn’s expression softened, her usual cool demeanor giving way to a hint of genuine warmth. She didn’t say anything at first, simply letting the words sink in, and then nodded slowly. “Congratulations,” she said, her tone still calm but with a gentleness that Marjorie appreciated.
Marjorie couldn’t help but smile. “I haven’t told Reece yet. I thought I’d tell you first, since… you know, it’s your family, too.”
Autumn looked at her, a glimmer of understanding in her gaze. “I won’t say anything to him,” she said quietly, a rare, reassuring smile appearing. “But I think he’ll be over the moon.”
Marjorie nodded, feeling a little more grounded with Autumn’s calm support. Having her there, even with her usual reserve, made her feel ready for this next step.
Just as Autumn and Marjorie shared that quiet moment, the door opened, and in walked Winter and Reece, both laughing about some inside joke. Winter looked between the two women, sensing a shift in the room, and Reece quickly picked up on the same.
Reece tilted his head, grinning. “What’s going on here? Looks like you two are in on something.”
Marjorie took a deep breath, her excitement growing. She glanced at Autumn, who gave her a small nod of encouragement. Turning to Reece, she couldn’t hold back her smile.
“I… have some big news,” Marjorie began, reaching for his hand. “Reece, we’re going to have a baby.”
The words hung in the air, and for a split second, Reece’s face was a mix of shock and joy. Then his whole expression softened, his smile spreading wide as he pulled Marjorie into a tight hug. “Are you serious?” he asked, his voice choked with happiness.
Marjorie nodded, laughing as tears welled up in her eyes. “Yes. We’re going to be parents.”
Winter, who had been standing nearby, finally broke the silence with a cheer, clapping Reece on the back. “Congratulations, you two!” he beamed, looking genuinely thrilled.
Reece turned to Autumn, his face still beaming. “Did you know about this?”
Autumn gave a small nod, her lips twitching into the tiniest of smiles. “I did. But I thought you should hear it from Marjorie.”
Reece’s gratitude was clear in his eyes as he hugged Marjorie again, overwhelmed by the news. Winter raised a toast—albeit with a coffee mug—to the new parents-to-be, while Autumn gave Marjorie an approving nod. For that brief moment, they all stood together, the room filled with quiet joy, knowing that this new chapter in their lives had only just begun.
As the excitement in the room settled into joyous chatter, they didn’t notice the figure lingering just outside the office door. Carly, the 17-year-old apprentice, had been walking by when she caught snippets of the conversation. She stood frozen, her heart racing as she processed what she had just heard.
