training wheels. // evan 'buck' buckley

liv. flicker of hope

i paced the length of my apartment, my nerves fraying with every step. the ultrasound picture sat on the coffee table, an undeniable reminder of the storm i was about to walk into. for days, i had debated how to handle this conversation with eddie. bobby’s advice rang in my ears: “take it one step at a time. start with the truth.”

it wasn’t just the truth that terrified me - it was the ripple effect it would cause. with a deep breath, i grabbed my phone and texted eddie.

can you come over? i need to talk to you about something important.

on my way. everything okay?

not really.

when the knock came, it startled me. i opened the door to find eddie standing there, concern etched on his face.

“what’s going on?” he asked, stepping inside.

i motioned for him to sit, my heart pounding. “there’s... something i need to tell you.”

eddie sat, his posture tense. “you’re scaring me, charlie. just tell me.”

i took a deep breath and handed him the ultrasound photo. his brow furrowed as he looked at it, then back at me.

“you’re pregnant?”

i nodded, my voice barely above a whisper. “i’m pregnant.”

eddie’s eyes widened, confusion flashing across his face. “is it...?”

i cut him off, my voice shaking. “i don’t know. that’s why i wanted to talk to you. we need to figure this out.”

the weight of my words sank in, and eddie leaned back, his expression unreadable. finally, he nodded. “okay. what do we do?”

the following day, we sat in the waiting room at the clinic, the tension between them palpable. eddie fidgeted with the strap of his watch, while i stared blankly at the floor.

“you don’t have to stay,” i said softly.

“i’m not going anywhere,” eddie replied firmly.

when the nurse called my name, we walked back together. the doctor went over the necessary steps to confirm paternity once the baby’s further along but suggested starting with a blood test for eddie to help narrow possibilities.

the process was clinical, detached - everything i wished i could feel. but my emotions churned beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. eddie stayed quiet through most of it, but his presence was grounding.

as we left the clinic, he finally broke the silence. “charlie... whatever happens, we’ll figure this out. i promise."

i wanted to believe him, but the weight of the unknown felt too heavy.

a few days later, the call came. i was at work when my phone buzzed. stepping into the hallway, i answered.

“ms. meyers, this is dr. ramirez. we’ve reviewed the initial results, and it appears there’s a strong possibility that the baby’s father is edmundo diaz.”

i felt the floor drop out beneath me. “oh,” i managed, my voice barely audible.

“let us know how you’d like to proceed,” the doctor continued, but i was barely listening.

when the call ended, i stood frozen, the information crashing over me in waves. how was i supposed to tell eddie? how was i supposed to tell buck?

for days, i buried the truth, plastering on a facade of normalcy. i laughed at jokes, joined conversations, and kept my secret locked tightly away. but the strain was evident, and eddie noticed almost immediately.