The next few days passed in a strange blur.
Lillian spent most of them at Chloe's apartment.
Sleeping.
Thinking.
Worrying.
Trying not to think.
Nothing seemed to work.
Every time she managed to distract herself, reality eventually returned.
She was pregnant.
And she still hadn't fully processed those words.
This morning, however, there would be no more uncertainty.
Today was her doctor's appointment.
Today she would get answers.
And somehow that terrified her more than not knowing.
"Lillian."
Chloe's voice broke through her thoughts.
Lillian looked up from her tea.
They were sitting at the kitchen table.
Neither had eaten much breakfast.
Mostly because Lillian's stomach had other plans lately.
Chloe glanced at the clock.
"We should leave soon."
Lillian nodded.
Her hands tightened slightly around her mug.
"Right."
The nervousness in her voice was obvious.
Chloe immediately noticed.
"You okay?"
Lillian let out a short laugh.
"No."
"Fair."
That managed to pull a tiny smile from Lillian.
Only for a moment.
But it was something.
The drive to the clinic was quiet.
New York moved around them as normal.
People walked to work.
Shops opened.
Traffic flowed through the streets.
Life continued.
Meanwhile Lillian felt like she was heading toward a completely different future.
She sat staring out the window.
Lost in thought.
Chloe occasionally glanced at her.
Concern written clearly across her face.
Eventually she spoke.
"You don't have to be scared."
Lillian looked over.
"I'm not scared of the doctor."
"No?"
Lillian shook her head.
"I'm scared of hearing it."
Chloe understood immediately.
The confirmation.
The certainty.
The moment possibility became reality.
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
The waiting room felt surreal.
Lillian sat beside Chloe while nervously twisting her fingers together.
Around them were other patients.
Couples.
Families.
Pregnant women.
People reading magazines.
People chatting quietly.
People who looked completely comfortable being there.
Lillian felt completely out of place.
Her eyes drifted toward a woman sitting nearby with a visible baby bump.
The woman was smiling while showing ultrasound pictures to her partner.
The sight made something tighten in Lillian's chest.
Because suddenly she wasn't thinking about the pregnancy.
She was thinking about the future.
About what came after.
And for the first time, she realized this wasn't just a medical appointment.
This was the beginning of an entirely different chapter of her life.
"Lillian Parker?"
Lillian looked up.
The nurse smiled politely.
"We're ready for you."
The appointment itself felt strangely calm.
The doctor was kind.
Professional.
Patient.
Exactly what Lillian needed.
She answered questions.
Discussed symptoms.
Talked about her recent nausea and exhaustion.
Then came the confirmation.
The doctor looked over the results before smiling gently.
"Well, congratulations."
Lillian's heart stopped.
The doctor continued.
"You are pregnant."
Even though she already knew.
Even though she'd taken the test.
Hearing a doctor say it aloud felt completely different.
The room suddenly felt quieter.
The doctor kept speaking.
"Based on everything we have, you're approximately four to five weeks along."
About a month.
A month.
Lillian stared down at her hands.
Four to five weeks.
The timeline fit perfectly.
And suddenly there was no denying it anymore.
No uncertainty.
No questions.
Just truth.
The doctor continued discussing future appointments and recommendations.
But Lillian barely heard any of it.
Because one sentence kept repeating in her mind.
"You are pregnant."
A little while later, after the appointment ended, Chloe and Lillian sat together in the car.
Neither spoke immediately.
The confirmation papers rested in Lillian's lap.
The reality of everything felt overwhelming.
Finally, Chloe broke the silence.
"So."
Lillian stared out the window.
"So."
Chloe smiled slightly.
"How are you feeling?"
Lillian thought about it.
Really thought about it.
Scared.
Overwhelmed.
Heartbroken.
Confused.
But beneath all of that...
Something else.
Something quieter.
Something unexpected.
She lowered her gaze toward the papers.
Then unconsciously rested a hand over her stomach.
And for the first time—
she smiled.
Small.
Fragile.
But genuine.
"I think..."
Her voice wavered slightly.
Then steadied.
"I think I'm keeping the baby."
Chloe's expression softened immediately.
There wasn't even a moment of hesitation.
Not really.
Because despite everything that had happened, despite how difficult her circumstances were, the moment Lillian heard the confirmation she realized something.
She already loved this child.
The realization surprised her.
But it was true.
Tears stung her eyes.
Not sad tears.
Not entirely.
Just emotional ones.
"This baby didn't do anything wrong."
Chloe reached over and squeezed her hand.
"No."
Lillian swallowed.
"I want to keep them."
The words felt right.
For the first time in weeks, something felt certain.
Not the future.
Not Sebastian.
Not what would happen next.
But this.
This felt certain.
The drive home was much quieter afterward.
Eventually Lillian spoke again.
"I think I should stay with my parents."
Chloe looked over.
"You do?"
Lillian nodded.
"I don't want to cause you trouble."
"Lillian."
Chloe immediately frowned.
"You are not causing me trouble."
"I know."
And she did know.
Chloe had been incredible.
But pregnancy wasn't a few days.
Or a few weeks.
It was months.
Appointments.
Support.
Recovery.
Everything.
"My parents should know."
Chloe considered that.
Then nodded.
"That's fair."
A pause.
Then dramatically:
"So you're abandoning me."
Lillian stared at her.
Then laughed.
Actually laughed.
The first genuine laugh she'd had in days.
Chloe grinned.
"There she is."
The sound faded.
But the warmth remained.
Back at the apartment, Lillian sat quietly in the guest room.
Her phone rested in her hands.
She stared at her parents' contact information.
Nervous.
Suddenly very nervous.
Chloe sat beside her.
"You can do this."
Lillian exhaled slowly.
Then pressed call.
The phone rang twice.
Then Caroline answered.
"Hello sweetheart."
Immediately, Lillian's throat tightened.
"Hi, Mom."
Caroline instantly noticed something was wrong.
"Lillian?"
Lillian closed her eyes.
"I need to tell you something."
The concern in Caroline's voice doubled instantly.
"What happened?"
A moment passed.
Then Lillian finally said it.
"I'm pregnant."
Silence.
Complete silence.
For several seconds nobody spoke.
Lillian's anxiety immediately spiked.
"Mom?"
Then Caroline finally inhaled sharply.
"Oh sweetheart..."
And that was all it took.
Lillian burst into tears.
Weeks of stress and uncertainty came rushing out.
Caroline's voice softened instantly.
"Oh sweetheart, don't cry."
"I didn't know how to tell you."
"We're not upset."
The reassurance came immediately.
And somehow that made her cry harder.
A second voice suddenly appeared.
Thomas.
"What happened?"
Caroline quickly explained.
A pause.
Then Thomas spoke.
"Lillian."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
Comforting.
"Are you alright?"
Not angry.
Not disappointed.
Just concerned.
The question nearly broke her heart.
Because it reminded her exactly why she loved her parents so much.
"I don't know."
Her voice cracked.
"I really don't know."
"That's alright," Thomas said gently.
"You don't have to know everything today."
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
Caroline immediately started asking questions.
Had she seen a doctor?
Was she eating enough?
How far along was she?
Did she need anything?
Within minutes she had fully entered protective mother mode.
And somehow it helped.
For the first time since finding out, Lillian didn't feel completely alone.
That evening, after the call ended, Lillian quietly packed her belongings.
Not much.
Just enough for a temporary move.
Tomorrow she would go stay with Thomas and Caroline.
The guest room slowly returned to normal as she folded clothes and packed bags.
Eventually she sat down on the edge of the bed.
The room was quiet.
Peaceful.
Her hand drifted toward her stomach again.
This time she left it there.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Just acceptance.
A tiny smile appeared.
Small but genuine.
Everything was still uncertain.
Her relationship with Sebastian.
The future.
The pregnancy itself.
All of it.
But despite everything—
she knew one thing.
She wanted this child.
And no matter how difficult the road ahead became, she would love them.
Lillian looked down and whispered softly into the quiet room.
"We'll figure this out."
The words felt strangely comforting.
Then after a moment she added quietly:
"Your grandma is already worried about you."
A small laugh escaped her.
And for the first time since her world had fallen apart, a tiny piece of hope appeared.
Not enough to erase the pain.
Not enough to erase Sebastian.
But enough to help her take the next step forward.