*Thank you so much to those of you who are following/reading/reviewing! It's hard juggling a full time teaching schedule and planning a wedding, so this little story of mine seems to get pushed back further in my mind. I will try to be better at writing more frequently- just stick with me!

Andy followed me home in his rental. I left the garage door open so he could get in the house- I had lost him in the Fourth of July traffic of the highway. My mind was numb and yet so many thoughts continued to fly through it. My first instinct was to go to the fridge and pour a chilled glass of white wine.

"Fuck," I muttered to myself. Couldn't do that for a few more months.

I went into teacher mode and grabbed a pen and paper that I leave on the kitchen counter. I had to get all my thoughts organized or I would drive myself crazy.

Andy pulled into the driveway as I was writing "make appointment with doctor". He walked in through the garage, politely hitting the button on the wall to shut it before coming inside the house.

He smiled warmly as he watched me stand at the breakfast bar scribbling out my list.

After getting all my thoughts onto paper, I sighed and set the pen down before looking him in the eye.

"Feel better?" He teased.

"I think I'm freaking out." I confessed, tapping my nails on the counter top.

"Lets sit on the couch." He reached for me and pulled me to the plush surface in the living room.

"How are you not freaking out?" I wondered.

He shrugged a shoulder, taking a moment to find the right words. "I don't know, Kate. I think it's because I've been so ready for this for such a long time. It's almost a relief."

I took comfort in his words, but it didn't soothe all of my unspoken fears.

"So, by my guess- I'm a month or so along. Which means I'll be due around February or March. So I'll take my maternity leave in the spring."

"Okay," Andy replied, being agreeable. But that was only scratching the surface.

"What are we going to do about living in two different cities?" I asked, my eyes welling up.

It's been such a problem since the beginning of our relationship. Now with a baby…

Andy sighed and looked down at his hands. I could tell the thought had crossed his mind too.

"One of us will have to make the move." He finally said after a few moments.

I snorted, "One of us. We both know who that one person will have to be." The sarcasm was dripping off my words. He looked up at me then, almost wounded by what I had said.

"Kate," He said in a pleading tone. "You know I would move back here in a heartbeat. But my job is so important to me now."

"So is mine." I countered. "Yeah but you can teach…" He stopped his sentence before he could finish it, especially when my face went dark.

Andy sighed and rubbed his forehead, "This is getting nowhere. I never pictured it going this way."

"Well I'm sorry for making things so difficult for you!" I hissed. I jumped off the couch and made my way to the stairs, grabbing my phone out of my bag along the way. It was like I had no control over my own body, it was moving on it's on accord.

I had just shut the bedroom door before it all came exploding out of me, and I sobbed. I sat on the step going up into the room and let it all out. Deep, wrenching sobs came out of me and I couldn't stop it.

I was scared out of my mind. Not just of the situation Andy and I found ourselves in, but being a mom in general. It was such a big deal, and yet a chasm sat before us. A chasm that started our first fight. On a night that should have been happy and joyous.

I began to cry even harder.

After ten minutes, my crying subsided but my breathing still shuddered. I heard Andy come up the stairs. I was ready to apologize and talk things out logically. He knocked softly on the door and I moved to open it when his words halted me, "I think I'm going to crash at Dwight and Angela's tonight. I think we need some space before we say something we're going to regret."

I stood on the other side, putting my hand on the door as though I could feel him through the wood.

"Kate I love you so much." I heard his words break, and I bit my lip as more tears threatened to spill out.

"Please let that be enough." He added, and then the sound of his footsteps going down the stairs followed.

"Andy," I said hoarsely, but I knew he wouldn't hear it.

He was gone.

The next morning, I called Pam. She went through the whole ordeal with her and Jim living far apart and it almost ruined her marriage. I knew she was the person to confide in. I hadn't heard from Andy and assumed he was still at the farm.

"What would you do differently about Philadelphia?" I asked her curiously, holding the phone up to my ear as I lay in bed. I hadn't moved and had no intentions to.

She took a breath before she spoke, "I think I would have put more effort into showing my support for him. Maybe actually finding a job. I was so relieved that the one interview I went on was terrible because I could hide behind it as an excuse."

"Do you think that's what I'm doing?" "I don't know, Kate. You said it yourself a few months ago that it was going to be a big change on your end, and that you would have to be the one who moved if it came down to it. I think you've known the inevitable all along. The question you need to be asking is, do you want to make the move?"

"I honestly don't know. I love it here. It's safe."

"Why is it safe?" "Well, probably the same reasons you wanted to stay here, too."

"Kate I wanted to stay in Scranton because I was scared."

That one hit a little close to home.

"I can't have this baby by myself while it's father lives hours away. It's not fair to anybody."

"So let me ask you this- what is keeping you in Scranton?"

"I love who I work with."

"What else?" Pam asked.

I stopped, realizing that was it. Truthfully, as much as I loved the condo, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to sell it.

"I guess that's it."

"Well, I love who I worked with, too. But that's why we have Facebook, email, and cell phones. I can keep in touch with them still."

"But the inconveniences…" I began, and almost scolded myself for sounding ridiculous.

"What's more important- a few changes and inconveniences, or beginning your family with Andy?"

As if on cue, I heard the door open downstairs.

"He's here. I guess it's time to face the music." I said quietly, almost fearfully.

"Good luck, let me know how it goes." She said before bidding goodbye and hanging up.

I took a deep breath and slowly went downstairs.