"What are you doing? Put that down, right now!"
Topanga dropped the box of books on the floor with a loud THUD. "Cory Matthews, do you really expect these books to move my themselves?"
"Eh, they're books from last semester... Burn them," Cory laughed. "You shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting, sweetheart. Remember, you're pregnant." He walked up behind her, hugging her and caressing her stomach.
It's been two months since Topanga revealed her secret to Cory; two months since she had told Shawn the horrible news. Cory had been delighted to hear about Topanga's pregnancy, and immediately began showering his pretty young wife with extra affection and care. He never noticed Topanga's quiet nervousness, or her anxiousness when the baby became a topic of conversation. As far as he was concerned, Cory was the baby's father, and that was it.
"Honey, I'm only four months along now. I've only just begun to show," she forced a smile.
"It doesn't matter," Cory replied, kissing the nape of her neck, "I don't want anything bad to happen to this baby... our baby. Isn't it time we started thinking about names?"
"I'm not even halfway along!" Topanga exclaimed, "I think you're getting overly excited about the baby. Now, why don't you sit on the couch while I-"
"Why shouldn't I be excited? Isn't this a wonderful thing? It's what we've always wanted, Topanga. Education, marriage, and a baby... Why do you seem so upset?"
"It's just..." It might not even be your baby, Topanga thought, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. She didn't want to lose her husband, and she knew that if Cory found out Shawn might have fathered her baby, Cory would leave her... for good, this time.
"Well?"
"We're young, Cory... And very poor," Topanga told him, kicking the box of books into a corner to at least get it out of the way. "We're having enough trouble paying our tuition, and our jobs barely put food on the table. And when this baby comes, I'll have to take time off from work, so that's even less money. I'm afraid we'll lose the apartment, or that I may even lose YOU..."
"Don't say such things," Cory embraced her, "Why on earth would I leave you? Especially alone with a baby? First of all, there's no need to worry about the money. We graduate in three months. After that, it's only the loans we need to worry about; no books, no activities fees, no meal plans... Second, and I know you don't want to hear this, but my parents would be more than willing to help out."
"Your parents were MORE than upset that I got pregnant in the first place," Topanga retorted, "They thought we were too young to get married, and then have a baby less than a year later. We were barely prepared for MARRIAGE, let alone THIS major life experience."
"Honey, we were perfectly ready for marriage. Sure, we got married younger than most people, but everything's worked out fine. We're together, we're stable, we're happy... What else could you ask for?"
I want this baby to be yours, Topanga thought. It kills me that your DNA might not match. It kills me that you could find out. And it kills me that something this terrible could have happened between the two people you live most in this world.
"And I would never, EVER leave you," Cory reassured her, "You're sweet, you're beautiful, and you're the mother of my baby. My son or daughter. Topanga, why are you crying?"
She looked up at him with tearful, pleading eyes. "I just love you so much," she said, "and I don't want to lose you. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I want you to know that."
Cory kissed her softly on the lips, then her forehead. "I love you, honey. Don't you forget that."
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"Look at you... You're starting to show!" Angela cried happily. "My friend, the little wife and mother. God, everything's happening so fast."
"Tell me about it," Topanga replied, sipping her iced tea. The two friends had decided to stop at a little Bistro in town for lunch and catch up on each other's week. "It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant."
"My, how time flies. So, have you and Cory picked out names yet?"
"No, I won't let him," Topanga replied. Angela looked at her quizzically. "I mean, not that I don't want to. But I don't want anything to jinx it. I'm not even five months along yet. No sense in getting super excited when there's such a long way off."
Angela pursed her lips. "I know you've always wanted children, Topanga. You love them more than anything, and it's all you talked about before the wedding. And now, you're not nearly as excited as I assumed you would be. You're my best friend, and this doesn't seem like you. Is something wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?"
"There's nothing wrong with the baby," Topanga replied, wanting to tell Angela more than anything the secret that haunted her. "As a matter of fact, I had an ultrasound last week, and so far, everything's perfectly fine."
"Then what is it? I know when something's bothering you, and this has to be a big one, because you're obviously not ecstatic about the kid."
"Angela, I want to tell you more than anything... But promise you won't judge me, and promise you won't tell anyone. Shawn is the only one that knows. You have to promise me, Angela, that you won't think less of me for it."
"Just tell me already, Topanga. I can tell you want to."
"Well... There's a slight possibility that the baby could be... Shawn's..."
Angela choked on her coffee, then stared sharply at her friend. "I really hope you're not telling me what I THINK you're telling me."
"You promised you wouldn't judge me!"
"I promised nothing, Topanga. What the hell were you thinking? When did this happen?"
"Remember when I told you about my last fight with Cory? When he stormed off with an overnight bag and said he didn't know if he was coming back?"
"Oh, Topanga..."
"Yeah... That was almost five months ago. Which is why this baby could be Shawn's. Unfortunately, I was... with... both of them within that same week. You know... Cory and I reconciled shortly after Shawn and I..." Tears sprung to her eyes.
"Like I said. You're my best friend, and I love you. You know that. And you know I'll stand by you and support you through this. But that doesn't mean I don't think that this is the stupidest thing you've ever done."
"Don't I know it?" She sighed. "It's horrilble, Angela. I can't live like this. But I can't tell Cory, either. He'd be heartbroken. Especially now that I'm this far along with the pregnancy. He's so thrilled that we're having this baby. I can't take that happiness away from him."
"So what's he supposed to do 20 years down the road, when the kid needs a blood transfusion or something, and their DNA doesn't match up? Are you going to take his child away from him then?"
"I don't want to... EVER... disappoint Cory. And there's still a possibility that the baby is his. So why put him through all that stress for something that we might not even have to worry about?"
"Well, then you shouldn't worry about it, either. If nobody else is going to worry, then you shouldn't have to." She took a deep breath. "And what does Shawn have to say about all of this?"
"He hasn't really talked to me since. In fact, he's practically avoided visiting us since I told him. Rachel came back a few weeks ago, saying she made a huge mistake, and now they're living in bliss. I'm sure my pregnancy is the farthest thing from his mind right now."
"Hm... I'm sorry, Topanga. I wish there was something I could do."
"So do I," Topanga replied, "So do I..."
Topanga dropped the box of books on the floor with a loud THUD. "Cory Matthews, do you really expect these books to move my themselves?"
"Eh, they're books from last semester... Burn them," Cory laughed. "You shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting, sweetheart. Remember, you're pregnant." He walked up behind her, hugging her and caressing her stomach.
It's been two months since Topanga revealed her secret to Cory; two months since she had told Shawn the horrible news. Cory had been delighted to hear about Topanga's pregnancy, and immediately began showering his pretty young wife with extra affection and care. He never noticed Topanga's quiet nervousness, or her anxiousness when the baby became a topic of conversation. As far as he was concerned, Cory was the baby's father, and that was it.
"Honey, I'm only four months along now. I've only just begun to show," she forced a smile.
"It doesn't matter," Cory replied, kissing the nape of her neck, "I don't want anything bad to happen to this baby... our baby. Isn't it time we started thinking about names?"
"I'm not even halfway along!" Topanga exclaimed, "I think you're getting overly excited about the baby. Now, why don't you sit on the couch while I-"
"Why shouldn't I be excited? Isn't this a wonderful thing? It's what we've always wanted, Topanga. Education, marriage, and a baby... Why do you seem so upset?"
"It's just..." It might not even be your baby, Topanga thought, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words. She didn't want to lose her husband, and she knew that if Cory found out Shawn might have fathered her baby, Cory would leave her... for good, this time.
"Well?"
"We're young, Cory... And very poor," Topanga told him, kicking the box of books into a corner to at least get it out of the way. "We're having enough trouble paying our tuition, and our jobs barely put food on the table. And when this baby comes, I'll have to take time off from work, so that's even less money. I'm afraid we'll lose the apartment, or that I may even lose YOU..."
"Don't say such things," Cory embraced her, "Why on earth would I leave you? Especially alone with a baby? First of all, there's no need to worry about the money. We graduate in three months. After that, it's only the loans we need to worry about; no books, no activities fees, no meal plans... Second, and I know you don't want to hear this, but my parents would be more than willing to help out."
"Your parents were MORE than upset that I got pregnant in the first place," Topanga retorted, "They thought we were too young to get married, and then have a baby less than a year later. We were barely prepared for MARRIAGE, let alone THIS major life experience."
"Honey, we were perfectly ready for marriage. Sure, we got married younger than most people, but everything's worked out fine. We're together, we're stable, we're happy... What else could you ask for?"
I want this baby to be yours, Topanga thought. It kills me that your DNA might not match. It kills me that you could find out. And it kills me that something this terrible could have happened between the two people you live most in this world.
"And I would never, EVER leave you," Cory reassured her, "You're sweet, you're beautiful, and you're the mother of my baby. My son or daughter. Topanga, why are you crying?"
She looked up at him with tearful, pleading eyes. "I just love you so much," she said, "and I don't want to lose you. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I want you to know that."
Cory kissed her softly on the lips, then her forehead. "I love you, honey. Don't you forget that."
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"Look at you... You're starting to show!" Angela cried happily. "My friend, the little wife and mother. God, everything's happening so fast."
"Tell me about it," Topanga replied, sipping her iced tea. The two friends had decided to stop at a little Bistro in town for lunch and catch up on each other's week. "It feels like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant."
"My, how time flies. So, have you and Cory picked out names yet?"
"No, I won't let him," Topanga replied. Angela looked at her quizzically. "I mean, not that I don't want to. But I don't want anything to jinx it. I'm not even five months along yet. No sense in getting super excited when there's such a long way off."
Angela pursed her lips. "I know you've always wanted children, Topanga. You love them more than anything, and it's all you talked about before the wedding. And now, you're not nearly as excited as I assumed you would be. You're my best friend, and this doesn't seem like you. Is something wrong? Is something wrong with the baby?"
"There's nothing wrong with the baby," Topanga replied, wanting to tell Angela more than anything the secret that haunted her. "As a matter of fact, I had an ultrasound last week, and so far, everything's perfectly fine."
"Then what is it? I know when something's bothering you, and this has to be a big one, because you're obviously not ecstatic about the kid."
"Angela, I want to tell you more than anything... But promise you won't judge me, and promise you won't tell anyone. Shawn is the only one that knows. You have to promise me, Angela, that you won't think less of me for it."
"Just tell me already, Topanga. I can tell you want to."
"Well... There's a slight possibility that the baby could be... Shawn's..."
Angela choked on her coffee, then stared sharply at her friend. "I really hope you're not telling me what I THINK you're telling me."
"You promised you wouldn't judge me!"
"I promised nothing, Topanga. What the hell were you thinking? When did this happen?"
"Remember when I told you about my last fight with Cory? When he stormed off with an overnight bag and said he didn't know if he was coming back?"
"Oh, Topanga..."
"Yeah... That was almost five months ago. Which is why this baby could be Shawn's. Unfortunately, I was... with... both of them within that same week. You know... Cory and I reconciled shortly after Shawn and I..." Tears sprung to her eyes.
"Like I said. You're my best friend, and I love you. You know that. And you know I'll stand by you and support you through this. But that doesn't mean I don't think that this is the stupidest thing you've ever done."
"Don't I know it?" She sighed. "It's horrilble, Angela. I can't live like this. But I can't tell Cory, either. He'd be heartbroken. Especially now that I'm this far along with the pregnancy. He's so thrilled that we're having this baby. I can't take that happiness away from him."
"So what's he supposed to do 20 years down the road, when the kid needs a blood transfusion or something, and their DNA doesn't match up? Are you going to take his child away from him then?"
"I don't want to... EVER... disappoint Cory. And there's still a possibility that the baby is his. So why put him through all that stress for something that we might not even have to worry about?"
"Well, then you shouldn't worry about it, either. If nobody else is going to worry, then you shouldn't have to." She took a deep breath. "And what does Shawn have to say about all of this?"
"He hasn't really talked to me since. In fact, he's practically avoided visiting us since I told him. Rachel came back a few weeks ago, saying she made a huge mistake, and now they're living in bliss. I'm sure my pregnancy is the farthest thing from his mind right now."
"Hm... I'm sorry, Topanga. I wish there was something I could do."
"So do I," Topanga replied, "So do I..."