Baby, Baby • OBX

1. What's With Today That Has All These Assholes Trying To Reconnect With Holly?

Holly awakens, her breathing labored and eyes frantically scanning the room in a desperate attempt to orient herself. Beads of perspiration cling to her skin, and the soft, warm breeze filtering in through the partially open window does little to assuage her growing sense of unease. As the fog of sleep dissipates, she recognizes the cozy, albeit cramped, spare bedroom of her aunt's home in the Cut. This new living situation has proven difficult, as unsettling moments like this have become commonplace since her arrival. Nevertheless, Holly is gradually acclimating to her surroundings, especially as the symptoms of her morning sickness appear to be fading.

With a deep breath, Holly rises from the bed to close the window, shuddering as a wave of nausea washes over her. The sound of her aunt bustling about in the kitchen next door provides a comforting reminder of the woman's steadfast work ethic, and Holly is grateful to have her as a loving and supportive presence in her life, especially in light of the past three months. The commotion serves as Holly's signal to begin preparing for the day ahead. Oh, the life of a pogue.

"Good morning, Aunt Cece," Holly greets with a broad smile as she enters the bustling kitchen.

"Ah, there you are, sugar. How did you sleep? And how is the little one treating you?" Cece inquires, casting a brief glance at Holly's growing bump before resuming her preparations for the day.

"I managed, despite the heat. And the little one seems to be doing well. Thankfully, the morning sickness is starting to fade," Holly responds with a note of relief in her voice. With a cup of water in hand, Holly takes a seat at the petite dining table, her gaze fixed upon her aunt in the kitchen.

"Well, that's a relief. Morning sickness can be brutal. Your cousin made it quite the struggle for me during my term, so it's good to see this one's being a bit kinder," Cece chortles.

As a teen mother herself, Aunt Cece understands precisely what Holly is currently facing, including being disowned by her family. It is one of the primary reasons why Cece was so open to taking in her niece.

"How is Finn doing? I haven't had a chance to catch up with him since he moved down to Georgia," Holly queries.

The age gap between her mother and Cece resulted in Holly and her twin brother being roughly the same age as their cousin, who was now off at college while Holly had to postpone what should have been her first year as a college student in the upcoming fall due to obvious reasons.

"You know him, always a free spirit. But he's doing well, from what he's told me. Taking some summer classes to finish up his degree and working. And between you and me, I think he's found a nice Georgia girl who's giving him a good reason to stay down there," Cece confides with a wink. "Well honey, I'm off to work but I'll text you later when I'm off. Maybe we can go out for some ice cream."

"Sounds like a plan. Have a great day at work, Aunt Cece," Holly replies with a warm smile, her aunt's offer of ice cream putting a spring in her step.

With a sigh, Holly glances at the clock on the wall and begins to gather her things. It is also time for her to start heading off to work. It has been a significant adjustment for her, having never held a job before, but with a baby on the way and no help from the father, Holly knows that she needs to start earning some money to support herself and her child.

It wasn't a situation that she had planned on, of course. Which Kook intentionally sets out to become a teen mom? But one careless night was all it took, and now Holly was facing the reality of her actions. Can you blame her though? Going through a tough breakup after finding out her long-term boyfriend had been cheating on her, Rafe Cameron had been there, tempting her in all his glory, and of course, the alcohol had only made things worse.