Gerald drove her back to his place and instructed her to settle in. "It's a nice place you've got here; very cozy," she said about his lack of furniture. "Spacious," she said.

"Well, I just got back from the military so I'm just trying my best to adjust," he commented, throwing his keys on the table next to the door. "Can I get you something to drink? I can't promise you that I have anything good. I didn't have much time to go grocery shopping."

"Then why did you offer?" She was still in a bad from the hospital where her fate and the fate of the unborn child was already determined. "Maybe Michael has some food. He has servants, doesn't he? How lucky he lives right next door with his own family." Bitterness stained her voice.

Gerald took a seat on the sofa chair next to the fireplace. "About that...how long were you two together?"

"You mean how long were we having an affair?" She corrected him. "Almost a year. How long was I aware of we were having an affair...two months. I ended it two months ago, and now I'm here." Kim answered. She gave in and took a seat on the sofa next to him. "I have no idea how I got here," she chuckled. "Two months ago we were having dinner in a restaurant, just like we did almost every other day, and one phone call ended it. Sounds so cliche." Her smile faded. "How could I have not known? One year; we've been together for one year and not even one suspicion."

"That's Michael for ya. When we were sixteen, Michael stole his Mom's car at least three times a week when she was sleeping. His parents still don't know that secret." He stared at Kim who was staring back at him. "He's good with secrets."

Kim nodded, "Someone should have given me that memo." She stood up and wandered into his kitchen. "I need a drink." She opened the refrigerator door, but was stopped before she could see anything. "Hey! I know you have beer, you're a guy and this is a guy's apartment. It practically screams alcohol."

"You're pregnant," he justified. "You're not getting close to any type of alcohol."

"Can you really consider my pregnant? It's hardly a baby!" She pointed to her temporary thin stomach.

Gerald shook his head and opened his fridge, handing her bottle. "Orange juice? She stared. "With pulp?! You're kidding!"

He smiled at her,  "It's healthy for you and your...your...your lack of a baby," he . "Come on, we'll go out to dinner."

She looked at him, "Are you flirting with me, Mr. Anderson? You do know I'm pregnant with your best friend's baby, right?" She raised an eye brow to him.

He laughed, and pulled her in front of him, "That better be finished when we get there," he smiled.

It was a very low-key diner. Empty booths surrrounded them, and they got a chance to eat by the window. "I guarantee you this place has the best chili you'll ever taste."

"Are you sure that's allowed on the menu, Dr?"

He didn't smile, "I got something for you." He reached into his pocket and took several small brochures. "I took them from the hospital."

The joking seized, and seriousness flooded her. "Prenatal care? First Steps on Pregnancy? Helpful hints on Expecting?" She laughe, "Seems like you're the one pregnanct, not me."

"Kim this is serious. You're expecting a child. We joked around a little bit, but that's over now. You're thinking about two at this moment."

She sighed, "And what if I don't?" She didn't look at him. "What if I don't want to be thinking about two?"

"What are you trying to say? You want to terminate?"

Kim looked at him now,  "I don't know what I want! Listen, I've known about this pregnancy for less than a month, and all of a sudden it's 'Kim, you need to do this, you need to do that' and not once did anybody ask me what I wanted to do." Her hands covered her face. "You and Michael planned this entire thing out for me. Me living with you, Michael paying for all my bills, keeping him away from me for the time being because his wife is having a hard time. I'm the one having the baby!" She reminded him. "All I could do in the hospital was stare at the hallway watching this family, and all I could think about was that I am never going to get that; not even if I had a choice because all my choices from here on out were made based on the non-present father." She took a deep breath as the waiter came by with their orders. "Look, I'm grateful that you're giving me a place to stay. But if it wasn't for you; if you weren't here, do you really think Michael would still be doing all of this? Do you really think he'd give me a place to stay? He wants to do the right thing. He wnats to play daddy because that's what he does, that's who he is, but at the end of the day, he is using you to play his part. He knows that if I wasn't living with you, he'd never see this baby."

The door swung open on the other side of the room and loud voices took over their conversation.

"Would you really do that? Take a child away from his father?"

"Would you have an affair with a woman, get her pregnant and force her to make that decision?" She shot back. "Look, I don't know what I want to do. All I know is that I need time to think about it, time to breathe and really assess this situation. You and Michael aren't helping when you guys are ordering me around and handing out pamphlets," she said.

He nodded, "But you have to promise me something. Whatever you choose, you need to tell Michael. There's no running away from this. You can't run away from this."

"Of course she will, if comes with my husband's money," Marissa's voice erupted from behind Kim.

Kim let out an exhausted sigh. "Good evening, Marissa. What do we owe this fantastical meeting to?" She smiled fakely towards her.

Marissa mimicked her actions, "Well, I saw my best friend, Gerald, sitting here, and I thought to myself It's been far too long since I had dinner with him, so I came over here, and then I smelled tramp and knew it was you."

Kim scoffed at the distasteful comment. "Well, it could've been your husband, I mean he was the one that cheated. Maybe he is the one you smell; probably that guy," she pointed at a random guy at the counter, "whose flirting that woman over there." She shot back.

"Okay, that's enough," Gerald warned. "Marissa we're here having dinner, if you'd like to join us, go ahead; just leave that attitude outside."

"Where's the fun in that?" She smiled. Marissa caught glimpses of the pamphlets on the table. "Wow, already planning, are we?" She said in a sarcastic tone. "You know I think you're missing something. What's that book called? "The Secret Life of a Pregnant "?" She made up.

Kim had enough. "Okay, I'm not dealing this anymore." She stood up, and pushed past Marissa. "Gerald, I'm going back to the apartment." She looked at Marissa. "'I get it, you're angry and you're spiteful. But before you want a point a finger at me, I'm not the one who was married. I'm not the one who had two kids and a wife at home. Not only did he keep you in the dark, he kept me in the dark. I had no idea you even existed."

Marissa's composure broke down into laughter, "Where's the violin?" She ridiculed.

"I'm done," Kim said, walking away.

"My husband is off-limits. He already impregnated you, so stay away!" Marissa called out after her, causing stares and glares on Kim's part. She laughed and sat on Kim's vacant seat, pushing the papers away. Gerald stared at her condescendingly. "What?" He didn't flinch at her ignorance. "I was joking. I should at least get a grace period for what I'm going through."

He nodded,  "Okay. Then you could have that grace period alone. Or with your husband who slept and got another woman pregant." He slid out of the booth and walked out the same way as Kim.

Back at the apartment, Kim changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. She taxi'd home, which took half the time it took for the two of them to walk there. She didn't let it known, but she was more aware of the situation than she let on. Out of her bag, she took a couople more pamphlets than Gerald took home for her, and began reading about prenatal care and vitamins.She was interrupted with the door swinging open. "You're back," she said. "I would've thought you'd be having dinner with the potty-mouth."

"About that..."

She shook her head. "Look, I get that she's angry. She has every right to be. You know, I'd be upset if I were her. Probably would even ask for a divorce. But she's sticking with him, which makes me get the shorter end of the stick. Not matter what I do, how many times I apologize, it's going to be her husband's word against mine .Maybe it'll be better if I just walk away and not look back."

"Kim, 'Riss will get over it. She's angry, but she had no right to talk to you like that. But you need to stay here."

"Do you think I'm a tramp?" It's been the question that's been lingering in her mind since the moment they agreed on the living arrangements.

Gerald took off his coat. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I don't exactly know where you stand on this situation. Do you feel awkward? Or indifferent, because you hardly talk about your feelings, or about me. I’m having your best friend’s baby, who already has a family of his own. His wife thinks I’m a and everyone in their little social network – correction: large social network.” She began pacing the room. “I’ve seen the way the doctors and nurses look at me. They know Michael pretty well; I remember him talking about donating about thirty thousand dollars into the hospital, so they must like Michael and his family, and despise someone threatening them, despite my unknowing contribution to this mess. So you must have a whole lot to say or at least an opinion about me, especially since I’m planning on keeping it.” She decided it on the way home. In the short four minute drive, she couldn’t even think about giving the baby away, it went against everything she believed in, and even disgusted herself for thinking about it for a split second in the diner.

“Well, are you going to use this baby to trap Michael into being with you?” Gerald asked, showing her a glimpse of the way he thought about her and her actions.

She scoffed at that question, but she could only blame herself; she asked him how he thought of her, and this question just proved everything she’s been saying. “Have this baby to trap Michael – gee, why didn’t I think of that!” She answered sarcastically. “Being his…mistress,” she spat, “I’ve seen the way he was with kids. He loves kids, and I can only imagine how he feels about his own! Why not make him feel guiltier – tie him to me forever with a baby he didn’t want, but will feel obligated to provide for, right?!” Gerald was the only one she could be honest with, in this private home of his.

“You said you fell in love with Michael?” He wanted to clarify.

“Yeah, I fell in love with Michael, and the lies just came with it. You know he was the sweetest guy I’ve ever known, he bought me dinner, he gave me presents on different occasions, told me he loved me countless times, so yeah, I was madly in love with Michael.” She replied, wiping her eyes dry.

Gerald couldn’t look at her. “Well, maybe someday, you’ll think that he’ll come back to you, and love you back, especially since you’re the mother of his child.”

“And now this baby went from a mistake, and accident – quoting Marissa – to an excuse to stay with Michael.” She said, full of anger. “Did you really think I wanted to get pregnant? I found out I was pregnant a month after I found out about Michael and Marissa. I didn’t see Michael, didn’t want to see Michael and desperately avoided running into him at all costs. I’m twenty-four years old; I’m not one of those people who want to get tied down early and stop living life. A baby was in my plan, especially not now, so did I want to get pregnant? No, but I’m not going to let this baby suffer for my mistakes, and you better think twice if I’m going to allow Marissa to talk to me that way,” she was reminded of the scene in the diner.

Kim’s voice broke, “I may have made a wrong judgment, and maybe should of given Michael a background check in the beginning, but she had no right to speak to me that way. She spoke like I was garbage. Newsflash – I was just a girl head over heels for a guy, and I’m someone with feelings.” She looked at Gerald who still couldn’t look at her. “So, back to my original question – do you think I’m a tramp? That I’m garbage, trash? I couldn’t blame you, because Marissa and the whole town think so. So I want to know what you think.”

“Kim, it doesn’t matter what I think.” He answered.

“I always hated that expression.” She turned her back and continued on pacing the floor. “I mean, what is trash, exactly? Human garbage? Someone so low, no one worthwhile? No one ever wants or needs them? Someone so tacky that you just walk right by them on the street and you don’t even them?”

He stopped her, “What does this have to do with the baby and Michael?”

She nodded, “You can do something wrong, something you regret, and still love someone.” She admitted. “You can be a liar and a hustler, you can be trash, but it doesn’t mean you don’t feel.”

“You’re not trash.” He answered, meeting her grateful glance. “You don’t fit into any of those categories. I don’t think you’re trash – I know. Kim, having this baby when you didn’t plan on it, when you didn’t want it, it doesn’t make you less of a person. It doesn’t make you less human, less anything. I understand what it feels like to be looked at like dirt. No one’s ever called me trash, but they called me a whole lotta other things.” He informed her. “Try taking down an enemy and be glared at, yelled at, cried at by their on-looking family,” he recalled from his service. “So do I have an opinion of you? Yeah, I do. I think you’re honorable and blessed to have this baby. And you’re strong to be able to make that decision on your own, and to be standing here right now – it take unbelievable strength you have. You’re not someone’s mistress, you’re not trash; you’re someone who has feelings, and you’re a mother. And nothing can take that away, not even Marissa’s harsh words or evil glares you get from people. They don’t make you who you are or who you will become. You decide that, you don’t you dare let them.”

“Thank you.”