Avery woke up smiling.
That in itself felt like a miracle.
Sunlight streamed through her tiny dorm window, casting warm patterns on the floor. The air smelled like cinnamon toast — Lexi was probably baking again. Her bank app buzzed, and she glanced at it.
The balance was healthy. The bills were paid.
Tuition? Covered.
Rent? Handled.
Groceries, data, even that overpriced anatomy textbook? Bought.
It was like someone had hit pause on the chaos and let her breathe for once.
She deserved this. After everything she'd done — the secret she buried that night at the lodge — she needed just one moment where life didn't feel like it was crashing down on her.
She walked to class humming under her breath, wearing her favorite oversized hoodie and fresh lip balm. It was a good day.
For once.
---
She sat in the middle row of her Health Science class, her laptop balanced on her knees. The lecturer — Dr. Allen, a gray-haired woman with energy that didn't match her age — paced at the front.
"Now remember," Dr. Allen said, "missing your period can mean a number of things. Stress, poor nutrition, hormonal imbalance. But for young women—especially college students—if your period is more than ten days late, that's your body's red flag."
Avery's fingers froze on the keyboard.
Ten days?
She blinked slowly.
Wait.
She mentally backtracked through the month. Last time she remembered her period was… what? Four weeks ago?
No. Five.
Wait.
Six?
Her throat tightened. Her palms began to sweat.
The room suddenly felt too hot. Her hoodie clung to her skin like plastic wrap.
She leaned toward Lexi, whispering, "Hey, do you… do you remember when I last had my period?"
Lexi frowned. "Um… I don't track yours. Why?"
"I… I think it's been a while."
Lexi sat up straighter, her brows pinching together. "Like how long?"
"Six weeks," Avery whispered. "Maybe more."
Lexi blinked. "Wait, what?"
Avery swallowed hard. "I need to go to the clinic."
---
They sat side by side in the waiting room, the silence louder than the TV buzzing in the corner. Every second felt like an hour. Lexi squeezed Avery's hand every few minutes but didn't say much.
Avery's mind was racing.
It's probably stress.
Or maybe my diet.
Or the weather.
God, please let it be anything else.
A nurse finally called her name.
She peed in a cup with shaking hands.
---
When the doctor returned, she had a small folder and a soft smile that made Avery's stomach drop.
"Avery," she said gently, "your test is positive."
Avery stared at her. "Positive…?"
"You're pregnant. About eight weeks along."
The room spun.
Lexi stood up, her voice high and trembling. "Wait, pregnant? That's not possible. She—she hasn't been with anyone!"
The doctor gave Lexi a polite but distant smile. "The test is accurate."
She handed Avery a pamphlet. "We'll need to schedule a follow-up ultrasound. I'll give you both some time."
Click. The door shut.
Lexi stared at her like a stranger. "Avery…"
Avery couldn't meet her eyes. Her throat burned. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Lexi stood there, stunned. "You—you actually slept with someone?"
Avery nodded, shame dripping off her shoulders like ice water. "Just once."
Lexi's jaw tightened. "You didn't tell me."
"I couldn't."
Lexi crossed her arms. "So what now? You're just… what, going to keep it?"
Avery looked at her hands, her lap, anywhere but Lexi. "I think I want to."
Lexi said nothing.
She didn't need to. The silence said it all.
---
Back in the dorm room, Avery sat on the edge of her bed while Lexi folded clothes with short, jerky movements.
"Are you mad at me?" Avery asked.
"I'm not mad," Lexi replied. "I'm just… disappointed."
Those words stung more than anger ever could.
---
Later that night, when Lexi left for study group, Avery did the one thing she didn't want to do.
She texted Mia.
Avery: Can we talk?
Mia: About what?
Avery: I'm pregnant.
Seen.
Typing…
Mia: Wait. You didn't take anything after that night?
Avery: No… I didn't think I'd need to. I didn't even know what to take.
Mia: Avery, come on. You're not new to how this works. I told you to be careful.
Avery's hands trembled as she typed back.
Avery: You never told me anything about pills.
Mia: You should've asked. Now you've got a whole baby growing in you because you were careless.
Tears welled in Avery's eyes. Her chest tightened. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard but didn't respond.
She wasn't careless. She was desperate. And scared. And naïve.
And now she was pregnant.
Alone.
---
She stood in front of the mirror, hands gently resting on her stomach.
Eight weeks.
Two months.
There was life inside her.
A little piece of that night she tried to forget.
She knew what people would say. She already knew the judgment in Lexi's eyes. She could imagine her parents' faces—her mother's sobs, her father's silence like thunder.
But even through the fear, there was one thing she couldn't deny.
She didn't want to end this.
Abortion was against everything she believed. Against everything she'd grown up being taught. Her faith wasn't something she flaunted, but it was there — rooted deep in her, like the heartbeat she now shared with something growing inside her.
She touched her flat stomach again.
"I'm keeping you," she whispered.
---
The next morning, she packed a small bag and booked a bus ticket home. She stared at the screen for a long time before clicking confirm.
Tomorrow, she'd tell them.
Her mom. Her dad.
She'd walk into that house with a secret she could no longer hide.
She didn't know what they'd say.
She didn't know if they'd throw her out.
She didn't know if she'd make it out in one piece.
But she did know this:
She was going to be a mother.
And there was no turning back now.