*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much!

NATALIE:

"Mommy, you're pregnant?" Angelina asks me.

There is no sense in me lying so I just tell her the truth and say, "possibly. I still have to go to the doctor's to make it official."

"So I am going to be a big sister?" she asked with more excitement than I have ever heard in her voice.

"It's a possibility," I say as I look at my brother.

"Yay!" she says with a smile.

"You're pregnant?" asks my brother Jay in a condescending tone.

"Hey, Angelina," says Aspen, "how about we go for a walk?"

"Why?" she asks.

"Because I think your Uncle Jay and your mom need to talk so let's give them some privacy to talk. Okay?"

"Okay," she says. I am so glad that Angelina is agreeable but facing my big brother Jay again with another pregnancy out of wedlock is not something I want to do alone. I wish Angelina would have objected. Aspen takes her hand and they walk out of the hotel room after Angelina says, "bye, Mommy."

"Bye, Sweet Heart," I say before Jay closes the door.

"So you're pregnant?" he asks.

"Yes I am," I say. "According to the home pregnancy test."

"Natalie," he says. "Why?"

"Accidents happen," I say, "and besides I am 28 years old. I am old enough to have another baby and take care of it. It's not like 8 years ago."

"But you're not married," he says. "Is it Max's baby?"

"Um," I say. I don't know how to break it to him that I'm pregnant by his best friend once again; a married man. I'm going to Hell.

"He's not is he?" he asks.

"No," I say honestly. There is no sense in lying to him.

"So what is going on with you and Max? You know if he's not the father."

"Jay, it's a long story that I don't want to get into. Max just isn't who I thought he was," I say. I leave out the part of him abusing me because I know Jay and I know Jay will drive to Hershey the moment I tell him and tear Max apart. I don't want my brother to get arrested because of me. Max is not worth it.

"I thought you two were in love? You have been together for what 4 years?" he asks.

"Yes," I say, "4 years."

"4 years is a long time to go and be with someone before you realize they aren't who you thought they were. What changed? John coming back into the picture?"

"Max and I were having problems before John came into the picture," I say, "it just took me a while to realize how serious our problems were."

"Okay," he says. "So if Max isn't the father then who is?"

"I don't want to say," I say. It's not that I am embarrassed it's more that I am ashamed of myself. I should have never slept with a married man. Our actions have consequences.

"Natalie," he says. "I have known you for 28 years and I know when you're hiding something so just tell the truth and tell me who the father is."

"Jay," I say, "I can't." I can feel the tears burning my eyes and before I can control it they fall from my eyes.

"I suspected as much," he says. "Is John the father?"

I nod my head yes before saying, "yes, John is the father."

"Natalie, he is a married man! That is the ultimate sin. It was one thing when you were a college student living it up and he was single but you're a 28 year old mother and he is a married man."

"I know it just happened," I say.

"Natalie, it doesn't just happen. You always have control over your actions but you chose to sleep with a married man."

"Well, then strap a scarlet A on my chest and call me Hester Prynne," I say. "I wasn't the only one involved."

"I know but you two have got to learn self-control," he says.

"I know we made a mistake and I know it shouldn't have happened but it did and I'm pregnant. The damage is done and I feel bad enough. And this is why 8 years ago I told NO one but Mom that I was pregnant and this is why I shut everyone out of my life the last time."

"Well, don't shut anyone out. I'm sorry. It's just I'm shocked. You and John are having another baby together and he's married. You don't know Ashley. She's a bitch," he says.

"I'm aware of that," I say.

"So were you and John having an affair?"

"No. We just slept together twice. That was it," I say. "I am not the type of woman to have a love affair with a man. That's just not me."

"But you sleep with a married man," he says.

"I know. I slept with a married man. It was wrong," I say. I don't say anything about John getting a divorce because I don't want that to be blamed on me. He is already upset at me for sleeping with John and getting pregnant again. "Please don't be mad at me."

He lets out a sigh and says, "I'm not just shocked. Are you and John in love?"

I sigh too and say, "Yes. I love him, Jay. I will always love him."

"I know," he says. "I guess I can't be mad at you for being pregnant. You're an amazing mom. You're wonderful with Angelina and you have given her the best life you possibly could but do me a favor and break things off with Max. I don't like the guy."

"I know," I say. "John doesn't like him either."

"Yeah, I heard," he says. "He told me what Max does to you. Max needs a good swift old fashioned Morgan ass kicking."

"Don't," I say, "Max is not worth getting in trouble for."

"He took your job away. Your only source of income, Nat. Let me beat him up. Please," he says.

"Jay, no. I don't want you to get in trouble because of him. I am looking for jobs in New York and Connecticut so that I'm closer to West Newbury."

"I see," he says. "Good luck finding a job now in your condition."

"It's still early yet so I think we'll be all right," I say. "If not John gave me a $20,000 check to help me through."

"He gave you a what?"

"A $20,000 check," I say. I am ashamed that I have to use this check but I have to otherwise I will be homeless.

"That was nice of him," he says.

"He's calling it back child support," I say. "He's been great though for Angelina. She loves him. She loves spending time with him. I am so glad he finally knows. I wish I told him sooner."

"You should have, Nat. John is a good guy. He loves you. He has ALWAYS loved you. When you broke up with him and moved away he asked constantly where you were. He has been looking for you for 8 years, Nat. After 4 years of not finding you he decided it was time to move on. He met Ashley and he has never really been in love with her. He may have felt that he was but he never was. I know about his divorce, Nat. He told me. He said he is asking for a divorce soon are you ready to be in the middle of the ugliness that's going to come out of it? Ashley is a mean person and she will drag John through the mud and she will drag you, Angelina and that baby right along with him. Are you willing to deal with that?"

I have to think about that. I don't think it's worth me being dragged through the mud and it's not worth Angelina being dragged through the mud. "I don't know," I say. "I really don't know."

"Think about it. I know you love John and I know he loves you but you're going to go through hell to be together. I can promise you that."

"I know," I say. "I shouldn't have let him go. Why didn't you tell him where I was when he was looking for me?"

"Because Natalie, I needed you to realize you would never stop loving him. I needed to let you live the life you wanted. You didn't want him in your life or Angelina's. When you told me about John being her father you made it clear you didn't want him involved. I'm glad he's involved but right now I think you two are in a bigger mess than before. You're engaged and he's married but you two are having a baby. It's going to be complicated."

"It's already been complicated," I say. "Do you think he's going to be upset?"

"No. It's not John I'm worried about. I'm worried about Max and what he's going to do to you when he finds out. I'm sure John is going to be as excited as can be but there are two people that are going to be upset; Ashley and Max."

"Max will never know," I say. "I haven't spoken to Max for weeks."

"Okay," he says. "I'm just looking out for my baby sister. That's my job."

"Thanks," I say.

"And don't worry I know you and John will find a way to make this work no matter how things turn out."

"Thanks."

"No problem," he says giving me a hug, "I love you, Nat."

"I love you too, Jay." I have no idea when I'm going to tell John and I have no idea what I'm going to do about Max. Maybe it's best if I didn't tell John right now until things are settled but I want him there for me this time. I want him at the doctor's appointments and I want him at the birth. I don't know what to do right now. This is a big mess that I have no idea how to clean up.

*A/N: So what did you think? Please review and thank-you for reading.