When Olivia received a text from Max, her heart sped so fast she had to sit down. Zach knew her guarded secret; she had slept with his brother.

A few minutes after the text, her phone rang. "Liv, what were you thinking?"

Was she thinking? It was never easy when Max was nearby.

"I didn't plan it. We're both adults."

"Adults, who should have used a condom."

It should have been multiple condoms, but she wouldn't correct him. "The heat of the moment and all that."

"No details, please. I can't wrap my head around if I should feel for him as my brother or be pissed off at him for touching my sister. Ian won't be divided." She could hear street noises around him. His voice bounced as he walked.

"The touching was mutual and I'm a big girl. I don't need big brothers treating me like I'm a baby."

"No, you're having a baby. Livvy, it will really be my nephew or niece. Fuck! And I promised Max I wouldn't tell Lilli yet. Let me know when Ian knows."

"Zach, this is my life not gossip."

"I know but I'm excited and freaked at the same time."

"How do you think I've felt for the past two months? Besides being sick."

"What are you gonna do? Max says you want to move to Boston."

"I'm not raising my baby in New York like my mother. I've been looking at condos to prove to your brother I'm serious."

"What do you want, Livvy?"

"I want to raise my baby in the same home as its father. I want the same thing I've wanted since I was thirteen."

"All this time it was Max, and I didn't know it. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because he's your brother."

"I think you should move into his place with him. He'll never throw you out."

"I don't know."

"Then move in with my mother. She'll take care of you."

"Take care of or hover? Where are you walking?"

"Aimlessly around the city. I can't go home until I talk to you."

"Seriously?"

"Not about the aimless part. I'm walking to the station. I know you enough to know you aren't sitting still."

Olivia paced in a circle. "I haven't sat still in days. I need to call my mother and ruin my stepfather's relationship with his nephew."

"Not me. Keep me out of it. He's my boss. Livvy, I need to go underground."

"Please don't..."

"I won't tell Lill, I promise."

After Zach's call cut out, she stared at her phone forever. It felt like an hour. Procrastination wouldn't solve anything. She had put her mother off long enough. Her mother's phone rang and went to voicemail. Olivia hung up and sagged her shoulders with the proverbial weight bearing down on her.

She stepped out to check on the ladies. Stella was mobile enough to take care of her own needs. Sarah looked up. "Darling, are you alright?"

She shrugged. "No, not really. He told his brother. I need to tell my parents." Her phone chimed. She looked at it and frowned. "His parents know too."

"When Shaun married the wrong man we worried and wished she had made a different choice, but we never stopped loving her."

"I know they'll always love me. Seeing Josh with Tansey reminds me of my stepfather. He's not gonna be happy with his nephew."

"Grant always saw Shaun as his little girl."

"He sounds like a wonderful husband and father."

Sarah's smile was bittersweet. "He was."

"My father wasn't, but I forgave him before he died."

"You have a wonderful heart. I'm so glad Shaun brought you into our family."

Her heart ached. She missed her mother, although Sarah partially filled the void.

Stella teased, "I'll hone your cooking skills before you move on."

Sarah chuckled. "With your help this will be our best fundraiser yet."

She sat and stared at her phone. When it rang, she jumped. "My mother." She walked toward her room as she answered.

"Darling, I'm sorry I missed your call. We were walking home from dinner."

"It's okay. I want to talk to you. I finally told the father."

"Did he deny it?"

"No! Did Andrew?"

"No, he never did, but this is your life not mine. What did he say?"

"I don't know. He was shocked. The one thing he definitely didn't do was propose."

"Propose! You don't need to get married. Single women have babies all the time."

"But I want to. I've wanted to marry him for a long time."

"I'm not following. I thought it was someone you didn't know well."

"I never said that."

Olivia could hear Kurt in the background. Anita's voice was muffled. "It's Livvy, she's talking about him." The last word cut through loud and clear.

"Let me hear."

"Olivia, Kurt wants me to put it on speaker."

Her voice shook, as her belly churned. "He's gonna find out. I'm sorry if this causes problems for him."

"Olivia, what problems? Is it an employee?"

"No. It's Max."

"Max!"

"Maxwell!"

"Yes, but me and a baby are not in his life plan."

"To hell it's not!" Kurt's voice could probably be heard in Times Square.

"Dad, you can't make him marry me. I'd rather be alone."

"He certainly liked you enough to get you pregnant." Anita attempted to sound calm.

"I'm calling Maxwell!"

Olivia had never heard him angry. "Dad, please. It was my fault."

"Livvy, you did not force yourself on him."

"But he thought I was on birth control. I never told him! Don't blame him. Blame me!"

"Olivia, I won't blame either of you, if he does the right thing. I'm calling my sister."

"Mom?"

"Livvy, Max? How come I didn't know?"

Her resolve melted away. "I didn't want anyone to know. I've always like him, but it was always school and becoming a doctor for him. Now he's done, he's still too busy for me."

"Honey."

"He likes me, but he has surgery and his exams and..."

"Sweetheart, he obviously likes you enough to sleep with you. When did it happen?"

"When I went to his friend's wedding."

"I don't want your baby to grow up like Ian."

"Me either. I'm moving to Boston. Thanks to my father, I can live on my own."

"Where are you? You haven't been with Max. He's at Lois's."

"I'm staying with friends near Boston. I was in a holding pattern waiting to tell Max. Dad's gossiping forced my hand. When the rumor got to him, he knew."

"I'm sorry. If you had told me the truth from the beginning."

"I don't want to split up the family. Promise this won't."

"It won't."

"You and Lois finally get the grandchild you always wanted."

"You and Max. You are always at odds."

"Because he's so damn stubborn."

"Daring, I have to go. Kurt is hollering."

Olivia hung up. She still needed to tell her brother. She woke, to slivers of light coming in, and stretched. After the stress of telling her mother, she slept through the night. Blushing, she remembered a dream. It was so vivid and Max was so gentle. If only he would love her like that all the time.

It was still early, as she walked to the kitchen for tea. She had the luxury to swim anytime of day, but didn't sleep late. Oddly, she hadn't been bored not working and filled her idle moments with worry and contemplation. When Stella needed her less, she stepped up on event planning with Sarah. The activity occupied her mind productively. They had increased the number of invitations and Olivia had convinced Sarah to put a tent by the barn which would serve as a beautiful backdrop. "People like to be outside. You need horses to raise money for horse therapies."

Her vision was of simple elegance with twinkling lights and champagne. Sarah's budget was more liberal than she was used to for Dwyer Mitchell parties.

Sarah had agreed to every suggestion. "You have a flair for fundraising. You could make a career out of it. Jimmy can help. He knows all the right people and Alicia Sumner too."

Olivia thought about Sarah's advice as she waited for her tea. In theory, it sounded good, but she couldn't attend fundraising events as a single parent. Even if she weren't a single parent, Max's hours would prevent her. She understood the reality and had to convince him that a little of him was better than none of him.

She jumped in the stillness when her phone rang. Frowning, someone told Ian first. "Ian, you're up early." She stepped outside for privacy.

"I climb early, so the rest of the day is free."

He didn't say it, but he meant free to spend the rest of the day with Ainsley. If Ian mastered domestic bliss, Max could too.

"Do you still go to brunch?"

"Sometimes. Olivia, I didn't call to talk about me."

"Did mom call you?"

He laughed. Nothing was funny. "No, Kurt did. He wants my help to tar and feather Max. He claims Michael will help."

"You won't do anything to Max. This is all my responsibility and my fault. I didn't ask him to use a condom. At the time, the consequences didn't seem important."

"You sound as naïve as a teen. Livvy, you're smarter than this."

"I know, but I love him. Maybe subconsciously I just wanted to have a piece of him. Now I do. I'm going to be okay. I'll raise my baby alone."

"Kurt is livid. I knew you had a crush on Max when you hid it by running around with Zach. I thought you outgrew it like you outgrew that blond guy from TV."

"The crush maybe but not the love."

"I was ready to kill whoever touched you, but Ainsley reminded me I'd be a hypocrite. She doesn't have a big brother. If she did, I wouldn't like him telling me not to touch his sister."

"Thank God for a rational person."

"But Max needs to do right by you and the baby. He should have known better, safe sex and all that."

Olivia could argue with him, but hindsight couldn't help her. She had enough to worry about if Kurt was recruiting a posse to go after Max.

After Ian hung up, she found Stella in the kitchen. "Let me do that."

"Dearie, you have enough to worry about without waiting on me."

She rolled her eyes. "Maybe I enjoy waiting on you."

"Hogwash."

"Fine. Don't believe me." Olivia put a bagel in the toaster for herself. When she looked up both women were staring at her. "What? I'm hungry."

"Finally!"

"What's changed?" Sarah was less blunt.

"Everyone knows the truth. I need to plan my future."

"Good girl. How are you going to win your man?"

"I don't know, but maybe it's a marathon not a sprint. We'll be connected for life through our child."

Sarah said, "Don't let him find someone else."

"If he wanted a relationship, he would pick me."

"I hope so girly."

After her swim, she heard voices. She entered the kitchen to find Shaun and Emma.

"There she is. Your ears must be ringing nonstop."

"Everyone knows?"

Emma laughed. "Oliver refused to join Kurt's posse. He thinks this might finally get you together. I don't know why, but he gave me this to give you."

She reached out with a lemon-flavored candy. Olivia shook her head chuckling, but popped it in her mouth. "Does anyone else know I'm here?"

Shaun sighed. "Everyone will know soon."

"Max thought I joined a commune."

Stella sighed. "What about this house looks like a commune?"

"My long dress and the horses. He never came inside, so..."

Emma interrupted. "I have good news. Max switched his one bedroom to a bigger apartment. If you hire me, I'll design the spare bedroom into a nursery."

Olivia frowned. "He won't be happy."

Emma waved her hand. "I'm furnishing his place with you in mind too."

"Don't make him angry."

"I'm not worried. Here, pick a color."

Olivia spread soft tone color swatches in front of her. Shades of greens and yellow, primarily because it was too soon to know the sex of her baby. She reluctantly pointed to colors she favored. "This won't work."

Emma looked at her. "I'll bet the cost of the nursery it will work."

Shaun said, "What's your definition of work?

"Olivia and Max as a couple. I'll know it when I see it."

Tears fell, that was all she ever wanted. The girls gathered around her. At least she had support, but she felt confused again. "I need to see Max. I wish I could drive."

"Make him give you driving lessons."

Olivia looked at Shaun and bit her lip. Emma patted her shoulder. "Come home with me today. Oliver will take you driving."

Olivia looked around the room at the four caring women and slowly nodded.

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