Miranda's mother finally reached Lizzie's mom, and Lizzie and Miranda listened tersely as Miranda's mom talked to Lizzie's, "Mrs. McGuire, this is Miranda's mother, I'm here with Lizzie, and she's in a terrible state. I really think it would be best if you and your husband came home to talk to her. I'm with her now, and she's fine. She just really needs her mother right now." There was a pause. "Yes, she's crying, but it's nothing a cup of hot tea and a long chat can't calm down, Mrs. McGuire." Pause. "Oh, your husband and son are camping?"

Lizzie nodded in confirmation.

Miranda's mother frowned, "OK, Mrs. McGuire, I'll stay with her until you get here. No problem. Thank you! Bye-bye!" She hung up the phone and then came and sat on the other side of Lizzie. She and Miranda stroked her hair. "Would you like me to put on a pot of tea so you girls can talk?" she asked.

Lizzie smiled, and Miranda nodded. Miranda's mother scurried off, and the two were left alone.

Miranda turned and sat crosslegged facing Lizzie on the couch, "Does Gordo know yet?"

"No," Lizzie replied.

"Well, don't worry about that yet," Miranda told her. "We'll talk to your mom first."

She said we, Lizzie noticed, but Lizzie knew that when it came down to it, she would be abandoned when the moment came to tell her mother. "How could this happen to me? We were always safe!" Lizzie cried, and collapsed against Miranda's shoulder.

"Shhhh..." Miranda whispered, but at that moment, the door opened and Mrs. McGuire rushed through the door.

She saw Lizzie, and hurried toward her. "Honey? What's wrong?" she sat on the couch next to Lizzie, and Lizzie turned towards her mother, her tearstained face raw with emotion.

"Mom!" she cried, and threw her arms around her mother's neck. She clung there for dear life, and didn't even hear when Miranda and her mother slipped out the front door. After she had finally calmed down, she pulled away, and they stared at each other for the longest time until Lizzie began to speak. "Mom, what I'm about to say, you're not going to want to hear. In fact, when I say it, you'll probably disown me as your daughter."

"Oh Lizzie!" her mother chastened her. "I would never EVER disown you as my daughter! I promise. No matter how bad it is."

And then it all came spilling out, "Mom, I took a pregnancy test today and it came out positive. It's Gordo's baby, and... and please don't hate me."