"You're having a baby?" Fiona clarifies.
"Yes," Jackie confirms to Fiona, while looking at her oldest daughter.
Grace sits silently at the other side of the table, with an unchanged facial expression.
"Can I help name it?" Fiona wonders.
"Of course," Jackie agrees.
"Where is it going to sleep?" Fiona queries.
"That is something else I wanted to talk to you guys about. I was hoping you two would be willing to move to another room."
Grace furrows her brow, "What other room?"
"We can cross that bridge when we get to it."
"Ok," Grace concedes.
"Grace you're being awfully quiet about this. Are you ok?"
"Why would you want to have another kid? Aren't we enough?" Grace responds.
"I didn't plan this. The two of you are my whole world."
"So it was an accident?" Grace replies.
Jackie nods, "I guess that you could say that."
"Oh."
Early Friday morning she's sitting at the nurse's station when the phone rings. She answers it. She hangs up after a few moments, finding herself summoned to Mike Cruz's office. She trudges down the hallway, like a kid who has just been called to the principle's office. She steps into the office, and closes the door behind her. He stands behind his desk, just looking at her.
"Something you want to tell me?"
"Nope."
"I think you need to reconsider that. Jackie, when were you going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"That you're pregnant?"
"Who told you that?"
"No one told me that. I have eyes. I can see that you're pregnant."
"Maybe I am just getting fat."
"You're pregnant."
"What does it matter to you?"
"I would have appreciated it if I hadn't been blindsided by it. A little warning, or heads up would have been nice. I walked through the E.R. this morning, and I find you bagging someone. The first thing I notices was the ambu-bag. The second thing I noticed was your stomach."
"What do you want me to say?"
"An apology would have be nice."
Jackie shakes her head, "I am not going to apologize to you."
"You know, it's funny I asked other people, and they flatly denied everything. I know that they are all in your corner, but seriously, this shit has got to stop. The shenanigans have to stop. Ok?"
"Whatever," she rolls her eyes.
"I'm your boss, why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you are also a douche bag. Can I go back to work now? I think this conversation is over."
"This conversation is not over."
She turns, and leaves the room, despite this statement.
When Zoey gets home, she finds Jackie laying on the floor in the living room, between the couch, and the coffee table.
"What are you doing?"
"Laying here," Jackie answers.
"I can see that. Why?"
"My back has been killing me. I thought that if I lied on the floor it might help."
"And did it?"
"Yeah."
"Then why are you still laying there? Did your back go out?"
"No."
"Do you need help getting up?"
"I'm not that big, yet."
"I know. So why are you still on the floor."
"Cruz knows."
"That you're having his baby?"
"That I'm pregnant. I didn't tell him that part."
"You know he's going to figure out."
"How? I'm not going to tell him."
"When you have the baby he'll figure it out."
"I hope not."
"Jackie you can't runaway from this. Just because he doesn't know that you're six and a half months along doesn't mean he won't figure it out, eventually. You have to tell him."
"I can't."
"Why not? Why are you so afraid to tell him?"
"I don't have the greatest track record. I'll be damned if he tries to come along, and take my kid from me."
"Jackie, he doesn't have the greatest track record either."
"But he is looking for redemption."
"Aren't you, too?"
"It's my baby.""It's weird to hear you say that sentence."
"It is even weirder for me to say it."
"I know. I am going to go start dinner."
"I'll be here," Jackie answers.
Zoey leaves the room, and goes into the kitchen.
Jackie wakes up to the sound of the alarm clock going off. She opens her eyes, and finds that she's still in bed. She stares in front of her, at the bump. Her hands rise from their resting spot. She places them on her stomach. The baby moves underneath her hand. In her wildest dreams she could never have pictured this. The thought of having a kid at her age completely terrifies her. The thought of having another kid, at all scares her. There are so many things that can go wrong. So many things she could screw up.
She wonders if this is supposed to be a punishment, or a reward. And, when would she figure it out. Even though she can feel the baby move, part of her still feels numb. Part of her still doesn't want to believe that any of it is happening. Deep down part of her still doesn't want this. Just part of her.