"I didn't have the abortion."

I looked at Lulu, sure that this was all a horrible joke. "What do you mean you didn't have the abortion?"

"I couldn't go through with it," she replied hesitantly.

"You let me think that you went through with it all night. You let my family and I mourn for a child that we thought was dead. How could you not tell me?"

"I wasn't sure that I was going to keep it still. I didn't know how I would feel, or how you would feel about me. I wanted to figure out a few more things before I went through with it."

"And you couldn't tell me that? I would have understood that, Lulu."

"I know what I want to do now."

"Unless you are telling me that you're going to keep the baby, don't speak to me," I spat angrily. I couldn't believe she was doing this to me, putting me through this again. I know it's her body, but this is my heart.

Oh, don't pretend like you know how I feel, because you can't. And if I want to sit in here and stare at the walls all day, then that's my choice and it's not yours.

Lulu looked down at her hands in her lap and took a deep breath. "I'm going to keep the baby. Our baby." Tears shone as her eyes met mine. I covered my mouth in disbelief, gaping at her unsure that this was all real. She turned away from me, seemingly unable to maintain the connection.

Slowly, I made my way back to where she was huddled in her bed. Reaching down, I took her chin in my palm and brought her eyes back to mine. "Our baby," I repeated in a whisper. She nodded silently as I sat on the bed next to her. Tears were beginning to stream down her delicate face. Pulling her into my arms, I held her like I should have the night that she told me she was pregnant. "We're going to be parents."

"I don't know how we're going to do this."

"I don't either, but we'll do this together. Lu, that's what I was talking about earlier when I told you I had figured some things out. I figured out that I don't want to live my life without you in it. You and this baby are all that matter to me right now."

"What about Georgie?"

I looked at her, knowing that part of me was still in love with Georgie. Everything was so confused and jumbled inside. I wanted to tell her that she was the only one I loved, but I couldn't lie to her. Lies had brought us here in the first place. "I honestly don't know."

"That's not good enough for me, Dillon. I want you to be a father to this child, but I won't be with you until you want to be with only me. I can't let myself get hurt like that; it wouldn't be fair to you, me or our baby."

"But Lulu…"

"Just go, Dillon. I'm tired. We don't have to figure out everything tonight."

"What will we tell my family?"

"I said we don't have to figure this out tonight!" she shouted with fiery anger in her eyes. "Just get out."

"Lulu."

"Get out!" she demanded. She pulled herself out of my grasp, her arms crossed protectively over her abdomen.

The events that came after that have been blocked out by some part of my mind. She continued to get angry, shouting accusations and threats at me. I knew that she was scared, and a part of me wished that I had just lied to her. Finally, I obliged her request and ended up tramping back upstairs to my bedroom alone. I couldn't sleep, I knew that I was so wound up that I wouldn't be tired for hours. Instead, I sat on the balcony and looked across the quiet Quartermaine estate. In my hands, I clutched a photo album. It was photographs of all of us together, Georgie and Maxie and Lulu and Diego and Brook Lynn and Lucas and me. On the front page, there were two photographs – one of Georgie and me on her graduation day. The other was of Lulu and me before prom. Alice had insisted on taking a photo.

My life isn't your concern anymore. You're not tied to me by some sense of obligation. You don't love me. And hell, if you didn't even talk to me anymore, I'd be just fine.

I shut the book angrily and went back in the house. I pulled the two photos from their protective sleeve and set them against my bedside lamp. Turning the light on, I noticed that the beam flooded Lulu's image brightly, leaving Georgie in the dark. Was it a sign?

A soft knock at my door interrupted my revelation. I knew it was her. "Come in, Lu."

"How'd you know it was me?"

"Because I figured it would take you this long to feel bad about what you said."

"I was just scared, Dillon. I don't want to lose you. But I didn't mean what I said…I won't be fine if you don't talk to me. I know that you love me in some way, you just don't know how yet. And I know that you care about me, my life is your concern because of that."

"I wish I could promise that this was going to be easier, but there is so much I don't know right now. But you were right, we don't have to figure this out yet. We have nine months."

"Eight," she corrected me. We both laughed, probably for the first time all night.

"Grandfather is going to be thrilled."

"Your mom, too."

"And your dad?"

"He'll be happy that I made the right decision for myself. He told me that he would try to be a better grandfather. I don't know, Dillon. It may be the hormones, but I believe him."

"I'm happy for you. It's good that you have him."

"He left again, you know."

"I know. How are you dealing with it?" I asked as she settled into my bed beside me. Pulling the blanket around her body, she rested her head on the pillow next to mine. Turning to face me, we were laying on our sides. My arm wrapped around her back, pulling her closer to me. I needed to feel her warmth."

"He's doing it for me. I trust him. He promised that he would come back and keep in touch, and he will. This didn't just change everything for you and me, it changed something in my dad. I don't know how to explain it."

"Maybe we are all getting a new beginning."

"I don't know if I believe that Dillon," she whispered sleepily, "but I can sure hope for it. I just know that I made a decision and I will carry it with me for the rest of my life."

You fail a lesson in life, and you're done. You're marked forever. You don't get a second chance.