I was home again at my parents' house in California. Shawn was currently back on tour and he was performing in Amsterdam right now. Everyone was still at work or running errands so it was just me at home. I was watching television in the living room when my phone started buzzing and Elle's caller ID flashed on my screen.

My heart started to beat more quickly than usual. I haven't spoke to Elle since she and her boyfriend accused me of hitting on him. I decided to answer the phone.

"Hello?" I asked, placing the call on speaker.

"Hey Alana" Elle's voice sounded somber. "Is there any chance you're home?"

"You've called at the right time. I'm at my parents' house. Why?"

"I need to talk to you" Her voice sounded small. "I'm outside"

I hung up the phone, walked to the front door, and looked out the peephole. Sure enough, Elle was standing outside wearing a grey cardigan and some leggings. I slowly opened the door.

"Hey" I said.

"Hi" She gave me a small smile. "Mind if I come in?"

"Sure, come in. How are you?" I closed the door and led her to the couch where we sat side by side.

"I wanted to apologize for everything" She placed her hands on her lap. "I don't know why I didn't believe you when I knew I should have"

"Did something happen with Timothy?"

She nodded. "About a month ago. He cheated on me with some girl in New York"

"I'm so sorry, Elle"

"No. You have nothing to be sorry about. I don't know why I didn't see it coming. He was too good to be true"

I didn't know what to do at this point. It's been more than half a year since Elle dropped me for her boyfriend. This girl who was once my best friend now feels like a stranger to me.

"I heard you and Shawn got married a couple weeks ago. Congratulations. You looked beautiful"

"Thank you" I smiled. "It was weird not having you there"

She gave me a small smile then looked down to the floor. "I think I should be going now. It was good catching up with you" She stood up and I led her back to the front door.

She was on the porch then turned back around. "I'm sorry again, Alana. I know we're not as good of friends as we used to be and I hope we can go back to that"

"Sure thing" I solemnly smiled and closed the door as she left. A sort of rumbling in my stomach caught me off guard and I felt something rise in my stomach. I ran to the bathroom and ended up puking my lunch into the toilet.

The sudden anxiousness from Elle calling me and her talking to me must have stressed out my digestive system. I wiped my mouth with a napkin then flushed the toilet and went back outside to continue the show I was watching.

—————————-

"Honey. Wake up" My mom softly patted the top of my head to wake me up.

"Mmm. Hi mom. What time is it?" I fell asleep on the couch while watching the Office earlier.

"It's almost five pm. What time did you fall asleep?"

"Around one I think?" I put my hand on my forehead as I sat up. "I feel kinda dizzy"

"Are you alright? Are you sick?" She asked, her concerned motherly voice showing through.

"No. I think I'm just dehydrated" I stood up from the couch and went to the kitchen to get some water from the fridge.

My mom followed and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Go get ready! We're all going out to dinner. We're going to the new Korean barbecue place!"

————————

hey honey

You back from dinner?

I miss you :(

Yes!

I miss you too.

So does everyone here. Especially mom

Did you see Layla?!

How much did she grow since we last saw her?

You wouldn't believe me if I told you

She had the biggest growth spurt

And guess who I saw today?!

Who??

Elle.

She came over and apologized

Timothy cheated on her apparently

aw man that sucks

Hey. I have to go now

Gerty's calling me for rehearsals

Good night!

Love you lots

love you lots more

I turned off my phone and placed it on the nightstand. The hardest part of being away from Shawn were the time zones. Whenever it's nighttime here, it's day time there and he has rehearsals or press conferences. I felt the same grumble in my stomach as I did earlier. I got up from the bed and ran over to the toilet to puke my dinner.

I sighed. When was the last time I had my period? About a month ago? I went back to the bedroom to check the date on my phone. I'm about two weeks late.

———————-

"Just this?" The cashier at the pharmacy asked me.

"Mhm" I agreed. She scanned the barcode on the blue and pink box.

"Are you planning?" She asked me.

I looked up at her, surprised, since I was dazed in my thoughts. "I'm sorry?"

"Are you planning for a baby? I just assumed since you're buying a pregnancy test and all"

"Oh" I swallowed my throat. "My husband and I have always wanted kids but we never really planned on them right this moment"

"Newlyweds?"

"Yeah" I smiled. "How'd you know?"

"It's always the newlyweds who want kids but don't expect them to come in looking for a pregnancy test. You're total will be $16.12"

I handed her a twenty dollar bill. "Keep the change. Thank you"

"No, thank you. And good luck!"

————————

Four pregnancy tests. I bought four pregnancy tests and peed on all four of them. They're currently sitting faced down in front of me on the bathroom counter. I waited three minutes like it said on the box and now it was time for me to turn them all over.

I picked up the first one and turned it around so the little screen faced me. Pregnant.

I picked up the second one and turned it around. Pregnant.

I picked up the third. Pregnant.

The fourth. Pregnant.

I set them all down on the counter as I was holding all four of them with shaky hands. Holy crap. I'm pregnant.

I need to tell someone.

But I couldn't tell anyone yet. Not until I was sure that I was really pregnant. There was such a thing as faulty tests. Right?

———————

I sat on the examiners bed in the hospital as the doctor, Dr. Cruz, rubbed the cold jelly all over my stomach. She used the probe to search for something while moving it all around my belly.

She was quiet for a couple seconds until, "Ahh. There! Congratulations Mrs. Mendes. You're pregnant!"

I looked at the screen but didn't see anything. "I'm sorry where?"

She pointed her gloved hand to a tiny spec of white on the screen. "That's your baby. Well, it's not a baby yet but it will be soon!" She took off the probe from my belly and gave me a wipe to wipe off the gel.

"I'm going to run your blood tests and give you some more information" She left the room, closing the door behind her and the first thing I did was call Elena over the phone.

"Hi baby sister! What's uppers?"

"Hey Elena. Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Sure! From who?"

"Everyone"

"That's sounds pretty serious. Hit me"

"I'm pregnant"

She shrieked and a loud dropping sound occurred, causing me to have to pull the phone away from my ear.

"I am so sorry" She said a little too loudly. "I dropped my phone. You're pregnant?!"

"Yes. I am! And I want to surprise everyone and that's why I'm asking you to keep it a secret. But I still want to tell someone and that person is you!"

"Oh my gosh! My baby sister is having a baby! How many weeks are you? How big's the baby? What are you going to name it? When are you going to tell Shawn?" She asked the questions without taking a breath.

"Woah hold your horses there. First two questions, I don't know. The doctor is currently checking up on that. Three, I need to consult with Shawn. Four, I'm planning on surprising him next week at his meet and greet in Paris"

"Ooh la la! Paris!" She said in the worst French accent I have ever heard.

There was a knock on the door.

"Whoop. I have to go! Doctor's back!"

"Congratulations. I love you!"

"Love you too!" The doctor came in right as I hung up the call. She had a clipboard in her hands.

"Alright! Let's talk business" She took a seat on her wheeled chair and rolled it towards me. "You are currently four weeks pregnant, five in three days. You're baby is smaller than a grain of rice and he or she is due on February 13th, the day before Valentines Day!"

I smiled. "Wait so, this baby has been inside of me for four weeks now?"

"Mhm! Which reminds me to ask. I know you're married but is the father in the picture? If so, we need his name for our files"

"Yes! We just got married around two weeks ago"

"Oh wow! It looks like you had an uninvited guest at the wedding. Congratulations!"

"Thank you! Wow! This is all so crazy. Um. The father's name is Shawn Mendes"

She wrote it down on her chart. "Shawn Mendes" She whispered under her breath.

"Quick question. My husband is out traveling a lot. He's going to for the next year or so and I was planning on going with him. Would I be able to do that?"

"Absolutely" The doctor nodded her head. "You need to have a checkup once a month for the next 6 months but you can just go to a hospital in the area and they can send the labs and paperwork over to me. Once you reach your seventh month, the third trimester, it's recommended not to fly much"

"Sounds good!"

"Keep me updated. If you need anything, just come on by!"

I stood up and shook her hand. Before I left she stopped me. "Oh. Mrs. Mendes. Don't forget these"

She gave me a roll of pictures with an arrow, pointing to the little white speck in the midst of all the black. Baby Mendes.

—————————

Just two more days until I see you!

I know! I can't wait!

guess who I met today?!!

who?!

sTOP

You met Mason?!

WALMART YODELING BOY

MY SON?!

And he got me a cool outfit to match his!

You jealous?!

HELL YEAH IM JEALOUS

i wish i went there sooner

to see me right?

NO

to see mason ramsey

You hurt me sometimes

and you love me for it

Little did Shawn know, I wasn't coming in two days. I was at the airport while I texted him a final "good night" as I was called to board my plane for Paris.

Wow. A record. Two chapters in one day. I couldn't wait any longer. My middle name's impatient