The following day

Monday May 30th

Joe and Kelsey were sitting at her table eating the dinner she made. It was the first time they were seeing each other in a couple days since everything that happened. Joe was hoping to get some clarity and answers tonight on what his feelings were.

During dinner Joe was telling her about his day full of nothing but good police work, per her request. She wanted to try and get used to it if she was going to be with him, she didn't have much choice.

"Yeah so I'm chasing this guy down the alleyway and I'm drawn on him. Then he stops and he's staring at me, he's got this face… and I knew he had a gun so I'm cautious. Well then this homeless dude pops out behind a dumpster, scares the shit out of both of us! It was perfect though because I got him on the ground as soon as he turned around." Joe rambled on laughing.

"Wow that's a good one." Kelsey said taking a drink.

"You don't think it's funny? Cmon, that's funny!" Joe said laughing.

"Yeah no it's funny!" She replied.

"Well you didn't laugh" he pointed out. Kelsey rolled her eyes and set her fork down, sighing.

"What?" Joe asked.

"Nothing" she shook her head.

"No what? What's wrong? Too much info?" He asked her gritting his teeth.

"Ha, nothings wrong." She said getting up to take her plate to the sink.

"Kels."

"Just…stop. It's nothing, ok?" She got serious.

"Alright" He held his hands up in surrender and left her do the dishes, while he cleared the table. Something was definitely on her mind but he dropped it.

"You didn't drink all your wine? Should I save it for later?" He asked.

"No dump it." She told him.

"You didn't like it?" He asked.

"No." She continues to wash the dishes in the sink.

"Alright that's all of it…it was delicious by the way." He told her with a kiss on her cheek after setting it all beside the sink.

"Thanks." She said scrubbing a pot.

"I'm going to go get a shower before the game starts." He said and headed off, leaving her and whatever new attitude she had alone.

"Joe…" she called out stoping him from getting to the bathroom.

"Hm?" He turned around to listen to her.

"I'm late." She said keeping her back to him still standing at the sink, she couldn't look at his reaction, her stomach was in her throat.

"…How late?" He started to sweat and his heart stopped.

"Uh…ha…" she nervous laughed.

"Kelsey, how late!?" he asked again and walked back over to her, wanting to see her face.

"Couple weeks…" she said hesitantly.

"A couple weeks!? What the hell? You didn't think to mention it sooner!?" Joe freaked out.

"I didn't know!" She argued back.

"I thought you got it the other week when you were laid out on the couch!?"

"No, I thought I was getting it but it never came." She explained trying to remain calm unlike Joe.

"Kelsey why wouldn't you tell me!? Did you not put two and two together!? Fuck." He was very frustrated.

"Stop!" She yelled at him, she was already stressed, and he made it worse, she burst into tears and walked off.

"Kels." He tried to stop her but she shut the bathroom door behind her.

"Fuck." He said under his breath throwing his head back as he took a walk around the apartment thinking, vigorously scratching his head and neck.

This can't be happening right? Who was he kidding, they've been having sex like it was nothing the last month…of course it was happening. With protection he didn't understand but I guess that isn't 100%. He took a deep breathe before he tried to talk to her through the door. Remaining calm this time.

"Babe I'm sorry. I shouldn't have raised my voice…" he said through the door waiting for a response. She didn't say anything back, he could hear her crying though.

"Can we talk please?" He asked.

"Babe?" He said once more, he was mad at himself for reacting the way he did. She opened the door then.

"I'm pregnant Joe, please don't stress me out anymore then I already am." She said trying not to cry but failing miserably. Hearing those words come from her was crazy and surreal.

"I'm not trying too, but you can't just keep running from me now. You have to talk to me, like I talk to you! You don't think I'm stressed too? We aren't ready for this, we've been together for what? Not even two months! This is fucking insane!" He told her still trying to cope with all this.

"You think I don't know that!?" She barked back.

"Huh. I don't know. I don't know what to even think or say. I'm just shocked. I can't really believe it honestly." He said shaking his head. His stress was rubbing off on Kelsey, she sat down on the couch growing upset again.

"I'm sorry." Joe sat beside her when she saw how upset she was. He grabbed her and hugged her, she completely lost it in his chest.

Neither one of them was thrilled about this at all. Hell, little does she know, just last night Joe was seriously contemplating breaking up with her!

"Are you really sure you are?" He asked her softly.

"I'll show you the test if you want." She let go of him and wiped away her tears. He followed her into the bathroom, she pulled 5 tests from a drawer and set them on the counter for him.

"Geez how many did you take?" He asked.

"I know." She agreed it was a little over the top.

"When did you find out?" He wondered looking at all the positives.

"Last night…"

"What? I talked to you last night."

"After that, I got sick and I don't know, it just clicked." She said.

"So did you tell anyone else?" He wondered.

"Hell no. I didn't even tell Kristen and Savannah." She said talking about her best friends who Joe hadn't even met yet.

"What do you think they'll say?"

"Huh. I don't know." She sighed heavily.

"Well just know I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." He said taking her in an embracing hug.

His life sorta flashed before his eyes, all he could think was that now he's gonna be strapped to Kelsey. No matter what, they're gonna raise a baby together. Whether they end up together or not, he's gonna be in her life forever. Last night he didn't think he could see a future with her, now he didn't have much choice. Crazy.

———

Woahhhhhh! I think the last thing Joe was expecting to hear tonight was this! Definitely got a little heated! What will the family say? What will his mom say!? How will they make this all work!?