Chapter 2 OOPS, A MISSED PERIOD DOESNT MEAN A BABY RIGHT

Viva kicked off her heels the second she stepped into her apartment, groaning as the ache in her feet pulsed up her legs. The day had been brutal.

Goldie, her boss at Soul Sisters, had been more unbearable than usual, barking orders and treating her like a glorified errand girl rather than an aspiring designer.

Coffee runs, scheduling meetings, fetching last-minute fabric swatches- that was her job. Not sketching, not creating, not designing.

She threw her bag onto the couch and collapsed next to it, exhaling heavily. Her body felt drained, her mind even more so. Even the ringing of her phone barely stirred her, but when she saw Lily flashing on the screen, she forced herself to pick up.

"What's up, baby girl?" Lily's voice was bright, energetic.

Viva let out a sluggish sigh. "Mmm."

"Uh-oh." Lily paused. "Are you alright?"

"I am," she mumbled. "Goldie is just stressing me the hell out. She treats me like I'm invisible. I swear, if I bring her one more oat milk latte, I might just spill it on her."

Lilly snorted. "You know you can always come to Westview, right? There are so many designers who would actually see you. CEOs who'd treat you better."

Viva shook her head, even though Lily couldn't see her. "I know, but my life is here, Lily."

"Ugh, fine," Lily huffed. "Enough about your nightmare of a boss. Want to hear about my day?"

"Go for it," Viva said, rubbing her temples.

"Well," Lilly drawled dramatically, "I went shopping, got myself some comfort snacks, because someone-" she emphasized, "-is about to go through the worst few days of her life."

Viva frowned. "Worst few days?"

"My period, dummy." Lily groaned. "I swear, I need time off just to deal with it. Luckily, Harry is a decent human being and gave me a few days to rest."

Viva sat up a little, something cold trickling down her spine. "Wait... Lilly, what's today's date?"

"Uh... the fifteenth?"

Her stomach clenched.

"...Sh*t."

"What?" Lilly asked, her tone immediately suspicious.

"I think... I think I'm late."

Silence.

"Wait, late late?"

Viva swallowed hard. "Middle of the second month late."

Lily let out a sharp breath. "Okay, okay. It's probably stress."

"No." Viva's fingers trembled as she pulled up her period tracking app, scrolling through the dates. "Lily... I get tired easily these days. And-" Her eyes darted to the screen. Her last recorded cycle was nearly seven weeks ago.

"Oh my god."

Lily's voice turned deadly serious. "Vee. A missed period doesn't automatically mean you're pregnant, but..."

Viva clutched her phone tighter. "But after a one-night stand and no morning-after pill..." Her voice trailed off as sheer panic gripped her.

Lily whispered, "Oh my god."

Viva's heart pounded in her chest, the realization hitting her like a wrecking ball.

This couldn't be happening.

She might be pregnant.

With a stranger's baby.

*********THE TWO LINES OF TRUTH *******

Viva had been absent-minded the entire day, her mind spinning in endless circles. The moment she stepped into Soul Sisters that morning, she knew she was in no state to work. She could barely focus, barely breathe.

It wasn't until Goldie's sharp voice cut through her fog that she snapped out of her daze.

"Viva! You sent the wrong email to the entire team-do you even have a brain in that pretty little head of yours?"

The entire office went silent.

Heat burned up her neck as she stammered, "I-I'm sorry, Goldie. I must've-"

"You must've what?" Goldie scoffed. "You've been zoning out all day. I don't have time for incompetence. Just go home before you screw something else up."

Viva swallowed her pride and grabbed her bag. She wanted to yell, to fight back, but she didn't have it in her today. She walked out of the office in a haze, barely aware of her surroundings as she made her way to the nearest pharmacy.

The moment she saw the pregnancy test kits lined up on the shelves, her stomach twisted. Her fingers trembled as she picked one up. The cashier barely looked at her as she paid, but Viva felt like the entire world was watching, judging.

By the time she got home, she was shaking.

With the box in her hands, she sat on the edge of her bed and pulled out her phone. She needed to hear her voice.

Lilly picked up on the first ring. "Hey, baby girl."

Viva swallowed hard. "I'm about to take the test."

Lily's tone softened. "Vee... whatever happens, we got this. I'm here. Always."

Viva exhaled shakily, gripping the test. "But what if I am pregnant, Lilly? What happens then? My dreams of becoming a designer-what if they disappear? How do I even explain that a one-night stand brought this to me?"

Lily was silent for a moment before saying gently, "We'll take it one step at a time, Vee. But first, you need to know."

Tears welled in her eyes. "My mom will probably never speak to me again."

"She loves you," Lilly assured. "It'll be hard, but you won't be alone."

Viva closed her eyes, gripping the test in her hands. "I'll lose my job. I'll-"

"Breathe," Lily soothed. "Just take the test."

With her heart pounding, she stepped into the bathroom. Her hands were shaking so badly she nearly dropped the test.

She did what she needed to do.

Then, she waited.

Every second felt like a lifetime.

Lilly stayed on the line, whispering reassurances, but Viva barely heard her. Her mind was a whirlwind of panic, hope, and terror.

Then, the timer went off.

With trembling hands, she reached for the test and turned it over.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Two lines.

Positive.

A cold chill shot through her entire body.

"No," she whispered.

The walls felt like they were closing in. The floor tilted beneath her feet.

Then, the scream tore from her throat.

"Nooo!"

"Calm down, Viva," Lilly's voice was firm but soothing. "You-we-are doing this."

Viva felt her breath hitch, panic still gripping her chest. "But I can't do this alone," she choked out. "Raise a stranger's baby all by myself?"

The silence on the other end of the line was sharp, like a blade cutting through the moment. Then Lilly's voice came, low and serious.

"Vivian May David."

Viva flinched. Lilly only ever used her full name when she was dead serious.

"How dare you say that?" Lilly's voice trembled, not with fear, but with fierce determination. "You were raised by just your mom, and you turned out fine. More than fine. That baby is yours as much as he-whoever he is-belongs to him. But don't you ever sell yourself short."

Tears burned at Viva's eyes as Lily continued, her voice unwavering.

"If anyone can do this, it's you. For crying out loud, you made me dream, Vee! You made me a better person. You inspired me. So what you should be thinking about is how to make this baby the best version of you. Not drowning yourself in negativity."

Viva wiped her tears, swallowing hard.

"No more of that crap," Lilly said fiercely. "That's our baby, bonehead."

A shaky laugh bubbled out of Viva. "Our?"

"Damn right," Lily shot back. "You're not alone. And that baby? Already has an entire army behind it."

Viva let out a long, shuddering breath. Maybe she wasn't ready. Maybe she was terrified.

But she wasn't alone.

And for now, that was enough.

"So what do I do first?" Viva exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I have to tell my mom. And I need to quit my job. Goldie would never let me work while pregnant."

Lilly listened attentively as Viva paced the room, brainstorming her next moves aloud.

"Goldie's the easy part," Viva muttered, rubbing her temple. "Mom is the real hurdle."

Silence stretched for a second before Lily let out a cool laugh. "Now that's the Viva I know. Who would believe that just a few minutes ago, you were all whiny and tearful? Now look at you-almost picking out baby clothes and sending it to college."

"Oh, come on, Lily. That's far-fetched," Viva groaned.

"Is it?" Lily teased. "Next thing, you'll be talking about nursery colors and reading baby books."

Viva sighed. "Let me survive the first conversation with my mom first."

Lily's voice softened. "You'll be fine, Vee. No matter what happens, we got this."

Viva swallowed hard. She hoped Lily was right.

But something told her this was just the beginning.