you sat on the floor of your dimly lit apartment, staring blankly at the ultrasound picture in your hands. the grainy image of a tiny life growing inside you felt like a cruel paradox — proof of love that had vanished as quickly as it had been professed. your boyfriend had left the moment you told him. "i’m not ready for this," he’d said, walking out the door and taking your sense of stability with him.

you’d tried to hold yourself together, but cracks were beginning to show. jay, your best friend since forever, noticed. he always did. one night, he knocked on your door with a bag of groceries and an unshakable determination in his eyes.

“you shouldn’t be doing this alone,” he said softly, setting the bags on your counter. when you tried to brush him off, he just shook his head. “don’t even start. i’m not going anywhere.”

over the following weeks, jay became your rock. he drove you to appointments, cooked your meals, and sat with you through your quiet tears. one evening, after he’d helped you put together the crib, you caught him sitting in your living room, holding a tiny pair of baby socks with an almost wistful expression.

“you okay?” you asked, leaning in the doorway.

he looked up at you, eyes soft. “yeah, just… thinking about her.”

“her?” you blinked.

jay smiled, shy but unwavering. “our baby.”

the words hung in the air, warm and solid. your breath hitched.

“jay, you don’t have to-”

“i want to,” he interrupted, standing up and stepping closer. “i’ve wanted to be here for you, for both of you, from the moment i found out. you’ve always had my heart, and now she does too.”