NYLON ~ CHAPTER SIXTEEN ~ I CAN'T RAISE A BABY

At nearly twelve weeks, Hanna's baby bump was really starting to take over. She wasn't showing yet but there was definitely a change in her body. She no longer had a flat and toned stomach and it was starting to get harder to keep from repeating outfits since her old clothes were getting tighter every day. She still hadn't made a decision about the baby and she was no closer to telling Caleb the truth but time was running out and the pressure was getting to her.

Hanna slipped into a pair of skinny black pants and threw on a silk tank top over it which she paired with chunky platform heels. She finished the outfit with a tailored tweed blazer and grabbed her purse before heading to work. Everything was going well until Hanna stepped into her office. A wave of morning sickness overcame her and she rushed to the restroom. After cleaning herself up Hanna spent a moment looking in the mirror. She turned to her side and pressed a hand just below her belly button.

Maybe she imagined it or maybe it was just her stomach digesting that morning's bagel but Hanna could have sworn she felt the slightest movement. For the first time, it hit her that there was a creature, another human being, growing inside of her. The embodiment of her love for Caleb was incarnated into a baby that was only about six months shy of being born.

She and Caleb may not be together anymore but there was a time in her life when she did love Caleb and obviously she cared for him still, enough to let herself get hurt by falling for him again but now she felt a totally different kind of love. Hanna couldn't explain it, but she knew in that moment that she loved this unborn child wholly and unconditionally. There was no doubt in her mind that she was going to have this baby and even if the father wasn't involved, the two of them could be happy forever. For the first time in her life, Hanna knew what it felt like to love someone so much she would be willing to sacrifice anything. Hanna was ready to be a mom.

Without wasting another minute, Hanna ran back to her office and grabbed her purse. She told Meaghan she wasn't feeling great, which wasn't necessarily a lie, and she would finish working from home. On the way back to her apartment, Hanna stopped at a bookstore and picked up every book, magazine, and pamphlet they offered on pregnancy. If she was going to do this, she wanted to be prepared for everything. She grabbed her purchases and ran back to her apartment dropping everything before collapsing on the couch.

"Shit," she thought out loud looking around her perfect bachelorette pad. "I can't raise a baby here."

She grabbed her computer and searched for the closest real estate agency in the area. Hanna was going to have a baby. They would never survive in a one bedroom apartment. It was time to invest in the future and she was ready for a stable and secure change.


"This is it!" Hanna said looking around the master bedroom of the five bedroom penthouse she found in Manhattan. It overlooked Central Park and had the perfect amount of light streaming in through the windows.

"Great," the real estate agent smiled. "Are you ready to put in an offer?"

"I'm ready to move in today," Hanna laughed.

"How about we get back to my office and get started on the paperwork," came the reply.

"I can't wait," Hanna said following her out the door.

They headed to the real estate office where Hanna managed to snag the house with minimal negotiations. She finished the paperwork with her agent and finally the home was officially in escrow. Hanna couldn't believe it. She was about to be a mom and she had her own home. Not a studio apartment with a view of the adjacent building, but rather a gorgeous penthouse with freshly painted interiors, large bay windows, and enough room to host her own Independence Day party.


Hanna went back to her apartment and looked around. For a moment she was a little sad to be leaving but she was ready for something new and this house was perfect. Hanna couldn't believe how lucky she had become. Even thought she'd been pregnant for nearly three months, it had taken her this long to finally realize that this baby wasn't a burden, it was the best thing that could ever happen to her. She'd always wanted to be a mom but she never expected to be at that point in her life so soon. She wasn't necessarily unprepared, obviously she could afford a multi-million dollar penthouse, she had a stable job and enough common sense to grow into the whole motherhood thing.

It was the father part she was unsure of. Hanna's own father hadn't been an excellent role model but she'd grown up okay with just her mom in the house. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was ready for this. She had six months to prepare after all. The only thing she had left to do, was come clean and tell everyone else.

Good news, she's ready to be a mom and you're two chapters away from Caleb learning about the baby. Maybe he'll have a change of heart...or maybe not. By the way, thanks for all the reviews! Five more and I'll post another chapter before the end of the day and then we're back to weekly updates.