Sonny let out a small breath, running her hand through her hair. She was about to tell her boyfriend a huge secret nobody but her, her mother and her cast mates knew about. Her stomach was in knots and she felt sick, just thinking about how to tell him. Not once had she ever felt this way about telling somebody something. Her stomach flipped as the door to hers and Tawni's dressing room opened.
"Hey, my Random," Chad said, walking over to her.
"Hey," she said.
"So. What are we talking about?" He asked, sitting next to her on the couch.
"Um… It's complicated."
"How complicated can it really be?"
"Well…"
"Mommy, someone missed you," Sonny's mother Connie said as she walked into the room with a little girl.
"Mommy?" Chad asked.
Sonny let out a breath and looked at the little girl that ran up to her. "Thanks, Mom…" she said, lifting her up into her lap.
"…You haven't told him yet…" Connie said.
"I was getting to it."
"Sorry… She was fussy, she wouldn't calm down."
"Mommy?" Chad repeated.
Sonny stayed silent for a few seconds and looked at Chad. "…This is Kayla. She's my daughter."
"…Wow…"
"Do you want me to take her back home?" Connie asked.
"No, Mom, it's fine. Can I talk to Chad alone, please?" Sonny asked.
"Sure. I'll be at home. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay."
The door shut when Connie left, and Sonny looked at Chad again. "…I'm sorry I never told you, Chad…" Sonny said.
"Sonny, this is huge…" Chad said.
"I know… Are you mad? I completely understand if you are."
"No, I'm not mad, I'm just… I'm surprised. Why would you keep something like this from me?"
"I'm protective over her… I don't like to just blurt it out that I'm a mother. Do you know how people look at me when they find out? They look at me like I'm some… freak show."
"You're not a freak show."
"I'm sixteen years old with a baby."
"There are younger kids out there with babies."
"Still…"
Chad watched Kayla play with Sonny's necklace for a few seconds. "How old is she?"
"Eighteen months."
"She looks just like you."
"Yeah… Stinky, can you say 'hi' to Chad?"
"Hi," Kayla said.
"Hi. You're cute," Chad said.
"Toot."
"How are you today?"
"Toot."
"…Is that all she knows how to say?"
"Well, she's only a year old, so… Pretty much. She just knows little words. She doesn't really know how to respond to any question yet," Sonny said. "Stinky, tell Chad 'okay'."
"Otay," Kayla said.
"See? She'll say it if you tell her to."
"Aw, baby can't talk without Mommy's help. That's so cute," Chad said.
"Sonny, where is my–oh, my baby's here!" Tawni said, coming into the room. "Hi, Kay Kay," she said, walking over to the couch and picking Kayla up.
"Tata," Kayla said.
"Wait, wait… Tawni knew?" Chad asked.
"Yeah… She found out when she came to my house. And then blabbed to the cast," Sonny said.
"Hey, I couldn't keep something this adorable a secret," Tawni said.
"So, the Randoms knew but I didn't?" Chad asked, standing up from the couch.
"Uh oh. Looks like Mommy's gonna be in trouble. Let's go get something yummy to get hyper on," she said, starting for the door.
"No ice cream, she's lactose intolerant," Sonny said.
"I learned that the stinky, messy way last time."
Sonny looked at Chad as Tawni left and she sighed. "Chad, I'm sorry…"
"I don't think you are," Chad said.
"I am…"
"Why would you let Tawni know, but not your own boyfriend?"
"Chad, she found out on accident."
"And then told the Randoms, but you didn't have the decency to tell me?"
"Chad, I…"
"Save it, Sonny. You know, if you can't tell me about your own daughter, then you probably don't tell me about a lot of things. I don't think I can deal with that," he said, starting towards the door.
"Chad, please, I–"
"I'm done, Sonny."
Sonny stared after Chad as he walked out of the room and she let tears slide down her cheeks.
"Ew, what is that horrible smell?" Tawni asked from her vanity set.
"Stinky, do you need your diaper changed?" Sonny asked.
"No," Kayla said.
"Yes you do. Come here."
Kayla stood up from her play mat and she toddled over to Sonny, starting to untape her diaper.
"Do not take that diaper off, young lady," Sonny said, picking Kayla up as she stood up.
"That would have been a disaster," Tawni said.
"A stinky disaster," she said, walking towards the bathroom.
"Sonny, I need a girl to girl talk," Zora said as she walked into the room.
"She's changing Kayla's diaper. I'm a girl," Tawni said.
"Not the girl I wanna talk to."
"That's hurtful. Tell Tawni what's on your weaselly little mind."
Zora sat on the couch, crossing her arms. "I have a boyfriend."
"What kind of messed up in the head boy would go out with you?"
"Sonny!"
"I'm busy!" Sonny called.
"Tawni's being mean!"
"Tawni, be nice!"
"I didn't do anything to her," Tawni said.
"I heard what you said to her," Sonny said as she walked out of the bathroom. "What's the issue, Zora?" She asked, putting Kayla down.
"I have a boyfriend," Zora said.
Tawni laughed and Sonny stared at her for a few seconds. "Really? She has a boyfriend. You have nobody."
"Don't rub it in," Tawni said.
"What's wrong with having a boyfriend?" She asked, looking at Zora.
"I don't like him," Zora said.
"Why are you with him, then?"
"Because he's so emotional!"
"Zora, if you don't like him, then maybe you should just be friends."
"I don't wanna break his heart, he's too sweet. Curse that emotional crybaby."
"Well, maybe you'll start to like him. Give it a little while."
"I thought about that… Your kid's eating Tawni's lipstick, by the way."
Sonny looked over to Tawni's vanity set and she watched Kayla for a few seconds before looking at Tawni. "Tawni. Get that away from her."
"She's not my kid," Tawni said.
"It's your Coco Mocha Coco."
"Kayla, that's Auntie Tawni's favorite lipstick," she said, taking the lipstick away from Tawni.
"No!" Kayla said.
"Kayla Heather Munroe," Sonny said. "That's Aunt Tawni's, get away from the table."
"Tata."
"Come here, Stinky."
"No. Tata."
"Aunt Tawni's getting ready for her act, come here."
"No."
"Now."
"Tata."
Sonny sighed and she ran her hand through her hair. "You're making Mommy really mad right now, Kayla. Come here."
"No."
"Auntie Tawni will take you out for pizza later if you go to Mommy," Tawni said.
"Mom."
"Yeah, go get her."
Kayla ran over to Sonny and held her arms up. "Up."
Sonny picked Kayla up and kissed her cheek. "Make Aunt Zora feel better."
"Hug," Kayla said, holding her arms out to Zora.
"Your hugs always make me feel better," Zora said, taking Kayla from Sonny and hugging her.
"Otay."
"I can't wait to have my own baby."
"Yes you can," Tawni and Sonny said.
