The smile she wore vanished instantly, replaced by a look of pure concern. Her whole demeanor shifted.

“The smile? Don’t tell me it was just a joke?”

There was a sharp edge to her voice, even though she spoke slowly. She was paranoid, clearly reacting to whatever her instincts were telling her.

But I was even more furious… furious at myself. Filled with regret. I should have told her about the pregnancy long before she went through all this chaos alone.

“It’s not a joke. You’re ...