The room didn't feel the same anymore.
It wasn't just because of what I had said.
It was because of what it meant.
The truth was no longer something hidden inside me.
It was out.
Spoken.
Real.
"I'm pregnant."
Those words still echoed in my mind, even though several minutes had already passed.
No one rushed to speak.
No one rushed to react.
It was as if we were all sitting inside the weight of it together.
Trying to understand it.
Trying to accept it.
Starlet was the first to move.
She stood up slowly and began pacing the room, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
It wasn't anger.
It was her way of thinking.
Her way of processing things when they felt too big to handle all at once.
Riley stayed close to me, her arm still wrapped gently around my shoulders.
Her presence was warm.
Steady.
Comforting.
Melyne remained seated, her eyes still fixed on me, calm but thoughtful.
"You've been carrying this alone the whole time?" Starlet finally asked, stopping mid-step.
Her voice was quieter now.
Less demanding.
More… hurt.
I nodded slowly.
"Yes."
She let out a soft breath and shook her head.
"Jessy…" she murmured.
Not in frustration.
But in disbelief.
Riley squeezed my shoulder gently.
"You should have told us," she said softly.
"I know," I whispered.
"I just… I didn't know how."
And that was the truth.
There had never been a right moment.
Every time I thought about saying it, fear would stop me.
Fear of judgment.
Fear of disappointment.
Fear of making everything real.
Melyne finally spoke.
Her voice was calm, as always.
"What are you going to do?"
The question hung in the air.
Simple.
Direct.
But heavy.
I froze.
Because I didn't have an answer.
Not a real one.
Not yet.
"I don't know," I admitted.
The words felt small compared to the situation.
But they were honest.
Starlet turned to look at me again, her expression serious.
"You have to start thinking about it," she said.
"This isn't something you can ignore."
I nodded.
"I know."
And I did know.
That was the terrifying part.
The reality of it was beginning to settle in.
Slowly.
Deeply.
I wasn't just dealing with fear anymore.
I was dealing with a future.
A future that had already begun.
Riley shifted slightly beside me.
"Have you gone to the hospital?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"No."
"Jessy…" she said gently, "you need to."
Her tone wasn't forceful.
But it carried truth.
The kind of truth I couldn't avoid anymore.
"I will," I said quietly.
"I just… I needed time."
Time to process.
Time to accept.
Time to breathe.
But time didn't change reality.
It only delayed facing it.
Melyne leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees.
"And Cypher?" she asked.
My chest tightened at the sound of his name.
The room seemed to shift again.
The comfort I had begun to feel from my friends dimmed slightly under the weight of that one question.
"He knows," I said.
"But he's not really… here."
Starlet frowned.
"What do you mean?"
I hesitated.
Trying to find the right words.
"He's distant," I finally said.
"He barely calls. He barely replies."
The silence that followed felt different.
Heavier.
Sharpened by understanding.
Riley's arm tightened slightly around me.
"That's not right," she said quietly.
"No," Starlet added, her voice firmer now. "It's not."
Melyne didn't speak immediately.
But her expression changed.
There was something in her eyes now.
Something sharper.
"He can't disappear like that," she said finally.
Her tone was calm.
But there was an edge to it.
"He has a responsibility too."
Her words hit deeper than I expected.
Because they were true.
But they also reminded me of something I had been trying not to face.
Cypher wasn't just distant.
He was choosing to be.
And that realization hurt more than anything else.
"I don't think he wants this," I said quietly.
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
And once they were spoken, I couldn't take them back.
The room fell silent again.
Not the same silence as before.
This one was heavier.
More painful.
Riley looked at me, her eyes filled with concern.
"And what about you?" she asked softly.
The question caught me off guard.
Me?
I hadn't really allowed myself to think about that.
Not fully.
Not honestly.
What did I want?
Did I even know?
I swallowed hard.
"I… I don't know," I admitted again.
And this time, the words felt even heavier.
Starlet stopped pacing and sat down across from me.
Her expression had softened.
"Jessy," she said gently, "you need to figure that out."
Her voice wasn't pushing.
It was grounding.
"This is your life too."
Her words stayed with me.
Your life too.
Somewhere along the way, I had started seeing this situation only through fear.
Through uncertainty.
Through what Cypher might do.
But I hadn't stopped to think about myself.
About what I wanted.
About what I was ready for.
The realization felt overwhelming.
But also… necessary.
For the first time since everything began, I felt something shift inside me.
A small, quiet awareness.
This wasn't just happening to me.
This was my life.
My decision.
My future.
And whether I was ready or not…
I had to face it.
Melyne stood up slowly.
"We'll go with you," she said.
I looked at her.
"To the hospital."
Her tone was simple.
Certain.
As if there was no question about it.
Riley nodded immediately.
"You're not doing this alone."
Starlet gave a small, determined nod.
"Not anymore."
Something inside my chest tightened again.
But this time, it wasn't fear.
It was something else.
Something warmer.
Something steadier.
Support.
For so long, I had been carrying everything alone.
The fear.
The silence.
The uncertainty.
But now…
I didn't have to.
Tears filled my eyes again, but I didn't try to stop them this time.
"Thank you," I whispered.
My voice was soft, but filled with emotion.
Starlet gave me a small smile.
"That's what we're here for."
And in that moment, something became clear.
The situation hadn't changed.
I was still pregnant.
Cypher was still distant.
The future was still uncertain.
But I wasn't alone anymore.
And somehow…
That made everything feel just a little more possible.
As the silence settled around us again, it no longer felt heavy.
It felt steady.
Grounded.
Real.
And for the first time since everything began…
I felt like I might actually be strong enough to face what was coming next.