Four years. Four years since your life flipped upside down. You were seventeen—just a kid—when two pink lines changed everything. The boy you thought you loved ran the second he found out, leaving you to deal with the fallout alone. Well… not alone. Chris had been there. From the moment you showed up at his door, tear-streaked and shaking, he had been there. You still remember the way his hands curled into fists when you told him what happened, his jaw clenching so tight you thought he’d break a tooth. He was furious. But more than that, he was there. When everyone else turned their backs on you, when people whispered behind your back in school, when former friends refused to be seen with you, Chris never left. Neither did Matt or Nick.

Now, four years later, you were heading to their house, Emily crying softly in the backseat. You tried to soothe her, but you knew she was just exhausted. It had been a long day, and to top it all off, you couldn’t find a nanny, so you had no choice but to bring her with you. The boys were filming a video and insisted you come—you hadn’t been around much lately, always too busy juggling work, school, and being a single mom.

By the time you pulled up, you were already exhausted. You barely had time to knock before the door swung open.

“There she is,” Matt grinned, pulling you into a hug.

Nick followed, greeting you with a teasing, “Finally decided to grace us with your presence?”

You rolled your eyes but laughed, setting your bag down. And then there was Chris. He didn’t say anything at first—he just walked past the others, reaching for Emily.

“C’mere, Em,” he murmured, scooping her up effortlessly. She settled against him instantly, her tiny fingers gripping his hoodie as her cries quieted. You let out a breath, relieved.

As you put your things down, you overheard Matt and Nick talking quietly in the kitchen.

“It’s kinda crazy, isn’t it?” Matt muttered.

Nick huffed a laugh. “Yeah. He’s basically her dad at this point