As Lacey collapsed onto the big double bed she and Brian shared, she saw her husband look up from his book, which was strange because Brian never read actual books, and smile as she sighed.

“Rough day?”
“You don’t know the half of it. Did you hear about Zacky and Anna?”
“What that she finally left him? Hell, I got the phone call at least an hour after it actually happened. The man’s fucking thrilled”

Lacey doubted he’d be as thrilled when Lizzy was done talking to him. She was over there now, having chosen to bait him with his favourite wine and an evening in her company before she told him the big news. When Lizzy had come to her all those days ago, when Brian was occupied with Tyler, and told her sister in law that she thought she was pregnant- but wasn’t sure who the father was- it had been Lacey’s first concern at what the men in her life would think. She wouldn’t be surprised if Brian flipped his shit, and that her father would have a similar reaction.

But Zacky? She was sure he would take full responsibility and take care of mother and child like they were a proper family.

“Where’s Liz? She seemed a little off when you two went out today, is she OK?” Brian asked, slipping the book onto the bedside table and shifting onto his side so he could look over at Lacey properly. The sun was just setting over the ocean, and the pinky yellow sunlight that was streaming through the window made her skin glow like it was covered in a sparkle not even the water in the summer could capture. Yet she looked…torn. Between saying something and holding her tongue.

“Lace, you know you can tell me anything, right? And if it’s about Lizzy, it makes it doubly important” Brian said slowly and she nodded, biting her lip.
“But I don’t think I can tell you about this. Because I already know what your reactions going to be, and I don’t want to drive you into something like that”

This was all it took for Brian’s heartbeat to accelerate, and he leant forward, almost so he was close enough to his wife to kiss her lips, something he did every day to remind himself how lucky he was to have such a beautiful woman to call his own.
“Lacey Haner, tell me what is going on with my little sister”

“I can’t! She’ll hate me if I do. She was so worried about your reaction, and she made me promise not to tell you!” Lacey cried frustratedly, getting off of the bed and walking into the bathroom. She hated having to lie to her own husband, but for Lizzy’s sake, it was something she would just have to do. She ran a brush through her hair and rubbed her eyes, hoping he didn’t break down her defences anytime soon. But as soon as she walked out of the bathroom, she was ambushed by him again.

“Please Lace! Now I’m really worried about her. She’s my little sister, you can’t expect her to keep secrets from me. We’ve told each other everything. What could be so bad that she can’t even tell her older brother?” he pleaded, almost prepared to get down on his knees so he could have a legitimate answer. Lacey sighed, knowing that she should’ve just given up when she had the upper hand and sighed, flopping back down onto the bed. Lizzy was going to kill her after she found out.

“Lizzy’s pregnant. With Zacky’s baby”

***

“Zack, the real reason I came over here is…we need to talk”

Lizzy had bought Zacky his favourite wine, and had offered to cook anything, even though the smell of the food was making her nauseous already and it wasn’t even the morning. She wasn’t used to handling another human being hanging out in her uterus and it was driving her up the wall that she couldn’t do certain things.

“And there was me thinking this was just a lighthearted dinner date. What’s bothering you baby?” Zacky asked happily, and Lizzy grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the couch in the living room. He wasn’t going to be happy when she told him.

“When you called earlier…I was at the doctors. Lacey and I went down there this morning because…I was worried. About something big” Lizzy started, hoping he hadn’t already worked out that there was a mini him growing in her belly. Zacky put his wineglass down on the table and reached out for Lizzy’s hand, squeezing it a little.

“Are you sick? Is something wrong?” he asked gently and she shook her head. Being pregnant wasn’t wrong, it just felt…strange. Maybe it was happiness; maybe it was sheer terror that in nine months she’d be pushing something the size of a football out of her lower half.
“I’m not sick, Zack, as such” she paused, taking a deep breath before she looked her high school sweetheart straight in the eyes and let it all come out at once.

“I’m pregnant. And it’s yours”

Zacky looked like he was about collapse.

He’d gone at least four shades paler than he had been before she walked in, and the way he opened and closed his mouth like a fish, no words being able to form themselves out of his mouth, she knew he was going to freak out.
“I-I-are you sure? It could be that guy in New York’s, Liz, it might not be mine…” he started, but the horrible truth was that Lizzy already knew it couldn’t be Todd’s. She was only a month along, and she’d been in Cali for a month.

Truth was before she left, she and Todd hadn’t had sex in weeks. It was Zacky’s.

“It’s yours. I’m only one month along, and Todd and I…we hadn’t had sex for a few weeks before I left. You’re not…angry are you?” she asked timidly, almost cowering away from him. If worst came to worst, she’d go and get rid of this baby, yet she didn’t want to kill it. In one month, she’d become rather attached to it. Zacky stared at her a little while longer and then shook his head, pulling her into a hug and kissing the top of her head.

“Babe, I’m not angry. If you want to keep this baby, and it’s my child, then I’ll be here for you. I’ll support you and take care of that child if it’s the only thing I do. I love you Lizzy. I’m going to be right here with you” Zacky said softly and pressed his lips up against Lizzy’s.

Suddenly his front door slammed open, and the sound of arguing voices rang through the house, until a fuming Brian appeared in the archway of the living room, his wife behind him.

Once he spotted Zacky, he roared in anger and dragged him up from the couch and smashing him up against the wall, clutching at the weak skin of his throat. Lacey was already at Lizzy’s side, the same Lizzy who wanted to throw up and pass out at the same time.

“YOU GOT MY LITTLE SISTER PREGNANT!?”