"It was epic! I've never experienced a ride th. at before. Like, the most immersive experience ever! I can't-" Connor’s phone lit up on the table, it read,

_Text Message _

_Melissa Clark_

__

__

He glanced at it, expecting it to be his boss asking him to come in early for his shift like he did almost every Saturday. But when he saw her name, his mind went blank and he immediately started to panic. It had been nearly a month since the last message where they had agreed that it wasn't going to work for them to stay friends._ __What could she possibly have to say?_

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked, bringing Connor back into the room.

He looked up at his best friend who sat clutching his happy faced mug of coffee and was staring at him with a concerned expression on his face.

Jasper pressed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and adjusted in the hard wooden coffee shop chair. He was terrible with silence but know that he had to give Connor a moment to collect himself.

After a moment Connor took a deep breath and turned his phone around so Jasper could see the preview that had popped up on his Lock Screen on top of the beautiful picture he'd taken at the hotel pool in California.

Jaspers dark eyes widened, "Do you want to read it here?"

Connor looked around the coffee shop, it was that weird time after lunch only an har or so before they closed for the day, so it wasn't busy. All the way across the room was a young mother a who was obviously preoccupied with a young one in a stroller and another kid sitting at her feet playing with toy trucks on the floor. The only other people in the room where a couple older gentlemen playing cards.

"I guess,” he said picking up and unlocking his phone. Almost as quickly as he picked it up, he set it back down on the table and put his head in his hands.

"Whatever it is, we can handle it." Jasper tried to reassure him. " I’ll help you write a response. I promise she's not going to walk back into your life and make a mess of things."

When Connor lifted his head there were tears in his eyes. His soft brown hair was plastered to his forehead and his lip quivered as he said, "I think she's going to do exactly that. She's pregnant.”

"But, how?”

"I mean, I don't think she did this to purposely mess up my life. Of course she didn't, she never wanted this. But fuck, how am I supposed to pay for a kid? I was trying to save up to finally go to college. Wait," Connor interrupted himself to look at Jasper who was running his hands through his thick dark hair. "Did you just ask how? I'm pretty sure you know where babies come from even though you're fucking dudes.”

For a moment they laughed. But a tear quietly ran down Connors face.