Chapter 5, Part 1: "We're going home, buddy."

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I dialed Kaitlyn's number, and then I erased it. I did that over and over for at least half an hour. Thinking of how to tell her I was not only pregnant, but single and pregnant, stressed me out so much. She was going to be so mad or disappointed. Or both.

"Rachel! I missed you!" Kaitlyn chirped on the other end when she picked up. "How've you been? How's Gerald?"

Oh, no. Where do I even begin?

"Uh," I laughed with a shaky breath, twirling a piece of hair between my fingers. I finally took a shower so it was clean again. "I don't even know how to answer that, Kaitlyn."

"What's wrong?" She asked, a bit of concern in her voice.

I heard a door shut behind her, followed by some shuffling. She probably moved into the bedroom away from Grady so we could have some privacy.

"Well," I said as I felt my cheeks get hot. "My period never came, I guess I'll start with that. I'm pregnant."

The other end fell silent, but she didn't disconnect the call. I waited patiently for her to say something.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked, laughing slightly. "Please, tell me you're kidding. And please tell me it's not Gerald's."

Great.

"I wish I was," I said softly, my voice already cracking. "It's Gerald's, Kaitlyn..."

She groaned loudly. I could tell she was disappointed. I didn't blame her.

"And what does he have to say about all of this?" She asked, a little angrier this time. "I know he's not fit enough to raise a baby, Rachel."

"That's the thing," I said with a long pause, trying to figure out how to word my next sentence. "He told me to pick between him or the baby. I picked the baby. We broke up, and haven't really talked in days..."

Every cuss word under the sun came out of Kaitlyn's mouth.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she yelled. "He left you?! Knowing you're fucking pregnant? Rachel, I love you to death, and you're my best friend, but you're fucking stupid for having a baby with this man."

I couldn't even be angry. She was right. But it still hurt to hear her call me stupid.

"I-I..." I started to say, taking a deep breath to try and collect myself. "I know. But I can't get rid of it, Kaitlyn. He left, and he has no intentions of getting into contact with me, that I know of."

"So what are you going to do now?" She asked. I heard another voice in the background and assumed it was Grady's. He probably heard her yelling. "You're up there in Manhattan by yourself, single with no family or friends around. God, Rachel, what were you thinking?!? I knew it was a bad idea to get back together with him. He's no fucking good for you."

Here comes the part where I try to make her not so mad at me.

"I'm moving back to San Francisco in a few days," I said. "James is coming up here to help me. I found an apartment that's ready for me to move into in two weeks. So I'll just stay in a hotel until then. I got a job at ABC7 as a news producer."

"Okay, first of all, fuck James. I'm your best friend," she said with a hint of a laugh in her voice. "I'm coming to help you pack, and Grady is too."

I heard a "what?! I am not," in the background, followed by a groan. I know she slapped him.

"Oh, um," I said, biting down on my lip. "Gerald doesn't know that I'm moving back ... so could you not tell him? At least until I figure things out."

"I'm not telling that selfish asshole anything," she said as she moved the phone away from her ear. "And you're not staying in a hotel. You can stay here with Grady and me until your apartment is ready."

"I have a dog," I said as I looked over at Bentley, who was sleeping soundly next to me on my bed. "Is that okay?"

Kaitlyn set the phone down, and I could hear her and Grady discussing something in the background.

"My house isn't a hotel!" Grady said as he raised his voice. "That dog is going to scare your cat."

"It's just temporary until her apartment is ready in two weeks!" Kaitlyn yelled. "Please, Grady?!"

I heard him groan.

"Fine," he muttered. "But she's sleeping in the guest room. And she has to do her own laundry."

I laughed slightly. I've been doing my own laundry since I was 16.

Kaitlyn came back to the phone bursting with happiness.

"You can stay with us until your apartment is ready!" She beamed. "I'll be up in a few days, but don't think you're off the hook just yet. We're going to talk about this, and you're going to tell me everything."

I bit down on my lip.

"Okay," I agreed. "Thanks, Kaitlyn, and tell Grady thanks."

"I will," she replied. "I love you, Rachel. It's going to be okay. I'm going to be here whenever you need me, every step of the way."

Hearing her words made me tear up.

"I love you, too," I said as we hung up the phone.

I looked over at Bentley and pet his sleeping head.

"We're going home, buddy."

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