The nursery was done. The secret was out. The baby was coming.
But life didn't stop.
Jay sat at her home office desk. Laptop open. Reports everywhere. Keifer across from her, same chaos.
Their home office. Two desks. Two CEOs. One baby on the way.
Jay: "The quarterly reports are due Friday."
Keifer: "The Marquez merger needs final approval."
Jay: "And I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow."
Keifer: "I'm coming."
Jay: "You have a board meeting."
Keifer: "I'm coming."
Jay: "Keifer—"
Keifer: "Board meeting can wait. Doctor's appointment can't."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
The phone rang.
J&S Enterprises. Jay answered.
Assistant: "Mrs. Watson, the investors are asking about the pregnancy. They want to know if it will affect your work."
Jay: "Tell them it won't."
Assistant: "They're concerned about—"
Jay: "Tell them I'm still the CEO. Still running the company. Still making decisions. The baby doesn't change that."
Assistant: "Yes, ma'am."
She hung up.
Keifer: "Everything okay?"
Jay: "Investors. Worried about the pregnancy."
Keifer: "They're idiots."
Jay: "They're investors."
Keifer: "Same thing?"
Jay: "Same thing."
His phone rang.
Watson Enterprises. He answered.
Assistant: "Mr. Watson, the board is asking about paternity leave. They want to know your plans."
Keifer: "I'll be taking time off when the baby comes."
Assistant: "They're concerned about—"
Keifer: "Tell them Watson Enterprises will survive without me for a few weeks. It survived my mother leaving. It can survive me taking care of my child."
Assistant: "Yes, sir."
He hung up.
Jay: "Paternity leave?"
Keifer: "Paternity leave."
Jay: "They're worried?"
Keifer: "They're always worried."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
The doorbell rang.
Section E. Of course.
Ci-n burst in. "SISTER JAY! BROTHER KEIFER! WE HEARD ABOUT THE INVESTORS!"
Rakki: "Ci-n, how do you hear everything?"
Ci-n: "I HAVE SOURCES!"
Percy: "I'M THE SOURCE! DOCUMENTING THE CEO PREGNANCY!"
Mica: "Are they really giving you trouble?"
Jay: "They're just worried."
Calix: "About what?"
Jay: "That a baby will make me less effective."
Freya: "That's ridiculous."
Edrix: "Completely ridiculous."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Rory: "Studies show that parents in leadership positions often demonstrate increased efficiency and time management skills."
Drew: "I'm taking bets on how many investors change their minds."
David: "All of them. 500."
Drew: "Bold."
Eren arrived with Kevin the Nineteenth. "Kevin thinks you should fire them."
Josh nodded. Firmly.
Baster hummed a "CEO power" melody.
Aries and Ella arrived.
Aries: "Heard about the investors."
Jay: "Word travels fast."
Ella: "You're running two companies and growing a human. They should be impressed."
Aries: "They should be terrified."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
Serina came by. Jasfer with her.
Serina: "I heard about the board meeting."
Keifer: "It's fine, Mom."
Serina: "I handled investors when I was pregnant with you. They ask questions. They worry. You show them you're still in charge."
Jasfer: "And if they don't listen—"
Serina: "You make them listen."
Jasfer: "That's my girl."
Serina: "Your best friend."
Jasfer: "Same thing?"
Serina: "Same thing."
Jay's grandma appeared. Yuri's grandma beside her.
Jay's grandma: "INVESTORS! I HAD INVESTORS ONCE!"
Yuri's grandma: "YOU SOLD LEMONADE!"
Jay's grandma: "THOSE WERE INVESTORS!"
Yuri's grandma: "THAT WAS A STREET CORNER!"
Jay's grandma: "SAME THING!"
Yuri's grandma: "NOT THE SAME THING!"
They went back to arguing.
Grazel Jay ran in. Flower basket ready.
Grazel Jay: "AUNTIE JAY! UNCLE KEIFER! I HEARD ABOUT BAD PEOPLE!"
Jay: "They're not bad, baby. Just worried."
Grazel Jay: "WORRIED ABOUT WHAT?"
Keifer: "That the baby will make your auntie too busy."
Grazel Jay stared at him. Then threw flowers at the phone.
Grazel Jay: "AUNTIE JAY IS NEVER TOO BUSY! SHE'S THE BEST! BABY IS LUCKY!"
Denzel: "She's not wrong."
Grace: "She's never wrong."
Jay looked at Keifer.
Jay: "We're running two companies."
Keifer: "We're running two companies."
Jay: "And having a baby."
Keifer: "And having a baby."
Jay: "And dealing with investors."
Keifer: "And winning."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
The next day. Investor meeting.
Jay walked in. Keifer beside her. Matching blue. Matching confidence.
The room was full. Men in suits. Women in power. All watching.
Investor: "Mrs. Watson. Mr. Watson. We're glad you came."
Jay: "We're glad to be here."
Investor: "We have concerns about the upcoming—"
Jay: "Let me stop you there."
She stood. Faced them all.
Jay: "I'm pregnant. Yes. I'm having a baby. Yes. I'm also the CEO of J&S Enterprises. I'm also the Co-CEO of Watson Enterprises. I'm also the woman who built an empire from nothing with my mother-in-law."
She paused.
Jay: "A baby doesn't change any of that. It adds to it. Because now I'm building something even more important. A family."
She looked at Keifer. He smiled.
Jay: "Keifer and I are running these companies together. We've faced villains. We've faced prison breaks. We've faced every challenge thrown at us. And we've won."
She turned back to the investors.
Jay: "So if you're worried about a baby making us less effective—don't be. We're more effective than ever. Because now we have something bigger to fight for."
Silence.
Then—
Clapping.
One investor stood. Then another. Then all of them.
Keifer stood beside her.
Keifer: "Any other concerns?"
Investor: "When is the baby due?"
Keifer: "Six months."
Investor: "And your plans?"
Keifer: "I'll be taking paternity leave. Jay will be working from home. Our teams are prepared. Our companies are prepared. We're prepared."
Investor: "And if something comes up?"
Keifer: "We handle it. Like we handle everything. Together."
The meeting ended. Hands shaken. Concerns addressed.
Jay and Keifer walked out.
Jay: "That went well."
Keifer: "That went perfectly."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "OUR thing."
He kissed her.
They got home. Section E was waiting.
Ci-n: "WELL?!"
Jay: "We still have our jobs."
Rakki: "That was never in question."
Ci-n: "BUT THE INVESTORS!"
Jay: "They're on board."
Mica: "Good."
Calix: "Really good."
Freya: "They should be."
Edrix: "Very should."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Percy: "I HAVE SCREENSHOTS OF THE MEETING! FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Honey: "How?"
Percy: "I HAVE CONNECTIONS!"
Tita Gema brought food. Jasfer brought music. Serina brought peace.
Jay's grandma: "MY GRANDDAUGHTER SHOWED THEM!"
Yuri's grandma: "MY GRANDSON'S FRIEND'S WIFE SHOWED THEM!"
Jay's grandma: "THAT'S STILL A STRETCH!"
Yuri's grandma: "I'M COMMITTED!"
They hugged.
Grazel Jay ran over.
Grazel Jay: "AUNTIE JAY! UNCLE KEIFER! YOU WON!"
Jay: "We won."
Grazel Jay: "FLOWERS FOR WINNING!"
She threw petals everywhere.
Keifer: "Thank you."
Grazel Jay: "BABY IS PROUD!"
Jay: "Baby is sleeping."
Grazel Jay: "BABY IS DREAMING OF VICTORY!"
Denzel: "She's been practicing that line."
Grace: "For days."
Grazel Jay: "WORTH IT!"
That night. Their room.
Jay's head on his chest. His hand on her stomach.
Jay: "We're really doing this."
Keifer: "We're really doing this."
Jay: "CEOs. Parents. Everything."
Keifer: "Everything."
Jay: "Scared?"
Keifer: "Never."
Jay: "Liar."
Keifer: "Maybe."
Jay: "Me too."
Keifer: "But together."
Jay: "Always."
He kissed her. Hand on her stomach. Their baby. Their empire. Their future.