"Maybe we shouldn't walk out together," reasoned Hetty.

"Good call." Ryan couldn't care less at this point what anyone at school thought about them, but he cared a great deal about preserving Hetty's own feelings of dignity and integrity. He thought she might be furious with him for what he had revealed to Mariana and Rosalia, but she had appeared fairly calm during their exchange a few moments before.

"I'll go out first. I have to call Brooke real quick, then I'll follow you to your place?"

"Perfect." A ballooning excitement swept over him that he couldn't contain, and he started poking at Hetty's side with a giant grin.

She fended him off, giggling. "Stop it, not here!"

He ripped himself away from her with great difficulty, then headed into his office to wait for what would certainly be the most torturous five minutes of his life. He plopped down in his desk chair and swiveled in a circle several times, not knowing what to do with himself. Then he snatched up the receiver of his work phone and dialed Jason's classroom.

"Hey, man! What's going on?" Jason answered with his usual exuberance.

"Hey," Ryan laughed into the phone.

"You sound happy. Does it have to do with a certain special someone? Wink, wink."

"Maybe. Wait, did you hear something?" Ryan asked his friend, now serious.

"Dude, the whole staff's been talking about you two since you all left for the retreat last week."

"Talking... about what?" Ryan inquired, now nervous.

"About you and Hetty, going to a cabin together. Dude, you haven't exactly been subtle these past months. Everyone can see it written all over your face when you're around her."

"Jesus Christ." He clasped his forehead in his free hand.

"I mean, she's been playing it a little cooler than you have, but like, the energy between you two is real clear to everyone. But just so you know, it was Tiffany who really started fanning the flames."

"What?"

"Don't freak out. I wasn't sure if I should say anything to you before, but... She said she saw you guys together at Maggio's a few weeks back."

"Together? As in, having dinner with my mother? We went to eat with my mom a few weeks ago when she was in town. My mom adores Hetty and practically forced her to go."

"Um, well not exactly. It was more like she saw you guys together, as in - hot and heavy moment outside the restrooms."

"Oh. Well, fuck me then."

"Yeah. She didn't say anything to anyone for a while, as far as I know. But when it got out that Hetty was pregnant... well, let's just say that the seed has been planted in everyone's head that it's not outside the realm of possibilities that... Hetty is pregnant with your baby?"

Ryan's free hand crashed to his desk in shock, making a loud bang.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Ryan groaned. Although Rosalia had broached this question at the retreat, it hadn't occurred to him that everyone at Walnut Grove had formed the same suspicion. "Jason, we never slept together. Yeah, there's been a lot of loaded interaction between us, but we never took it that far - not even close. We never even kissed. I know what moment in Maggio's you're referring to, and it was hot and heavy, but that was as far as we took it."

"What's were you doing outside a restaurant bathroom that was hot and heavy that wasn't kissing?"

"I don't know!" Ryan exclaimed, somewhere between defensive and exasperated. "Standing too close together, trying not to kiss, I guess!"

"I see. Phew, it's getting hot in here!" Jason joked.

"That's as far as we took it, I swear."

"I believe you, man. I know you're a man of integrity."

"Well, not completely," he admitted. "But, Jesus, I gave it my best shot."

Ryan realized more than five minutes had passed, and Hetty would be waiting for him outside in the cold. He cut the conversations short with Jason, agreeing to call and fill him in on the rest of the details later.

Ryan had almost made his way out of the school building when Melissa stepped out of her office to intercept him.

"Can we chat for a couple minutes?" she asked. Her voice was calm as always, but there was a very serious tint to her eyes. He felt his throat swelling shut and his palms sweating.

"Yeah, of course." He shot a quick text to Hetty.

There's been a little delay - I'll be out ASAP, love you!

He saw a notification come through as he sat down in Melissa's office.

It's no problem - I'm still talking to Brooke. :)

Ryan met Melissa's eyes nervously. She smiled at him, which was only somewhat comforting.

"Does this have to do with Hetty?" he asked, before she could say anything.

"It does," Melissa replied evenly.

Ryan rubbed his sweaty hands on his jeans, completely losing his composure. He was terrified of screwing up this conversation and letting Hetty down in some way. She was already in a somewhat fragile state and feeling humiliated about everything that had taken place.

"There are a lot of rumors going around, and I wanted to address them with you. This is a school, and it's our responsibility to remain professional as educators - all of us."

"Yes, I understand."

"You look really nervous. Try to relax, if possible. We are going to problem solve this together, I hope, okay?"

"Okay," Ryan croaked out, not yet feeling reassured.

"There's been some gossip about Hetty's pregnancy. People have seen you two interacting, both at school and outside of work. You know our staff - it's a tight-knit community - there aren't very many secrets."

"Tight-knit is another word for gossipy?"

"Nothing came to me in bad faith. But we are all a little worried about you two, to be honest. This could be a very delicate situation for you, if you have been pursuing her... she's engaged... and now she's pregnant. Do you understand?"

"Melissa," Ryan began, meeting her eyes with a pleading expression. "Hetty would be absolutely beside herself right now." He shoved his hair back from his forehead impulsively.

His phone was buzzing. Hetty. He looked at Melissa, hesitating, then showed her who was calling him.

"Do you want to answer?" asked Melissa, her voice even.

"Hetty," Ryan answered, his voice strained.

"What happened? Where are you?"

"I'm talking with Melissa. I think maybe you should come back in." He heard Hetty gasp.

"Oh my God, Ryan. Are we in trouble?"

"It's going to be fine. I just think it might be better if we all talk together."

Despite the fact that she didn't respond, he could hear in the air on the other end of the line that Hetty was freaking out.

"Hey," he lowered his voice tenderly. "I got you."

Flipping closed his phone, his eyes poured vulnerably into Melissa's.

"She had a miscarriage," he revealed, his voice spread thin like mist. "Not the flu. And it wasn't my baby."

Melissa nodded slowly with pained eyes. Hetty appeared in the doorway, her teeth chattering from the cold.

"Come on in," Melissa gently invited. Hetty stepped cautiously over the threshold. Ryan instinctively stood up to meet her, wrapping his arm around her waist to warm her up. He thought she might bristle at the physical contact in front of their boss, but instead she melted into him.

"If this is a problem - if there are too many rumors, or if I'm not allowed to date a co-worker - I will put in my notice. I'm not letting her go a second time."

"I'm not with my fiancé anymore," Hetty admitted quietly, looking down in embarrassment, the words dissipating as if swept away by a gust of wind.

"I see," Melissa responded neutrally.

Ryan could feel Hetty trembling, whether from the cold or from nerves he wasn't certain. Then he realized she was crying. She covered her face with her hands like an overwhelmed child, and he hugged her tighter.

"Ryan, you certainly don't need to quit," Melissa reassured him gently. "This will be okay. I only wanted to speak with you both to understand the situation. As I said, people are talking about you - we've all witnessed a certain energy between you, if I'm being honest." Her tone remained professional, but Ryan caught a hint of a smile in the corner of her lips, and he couldn't contain an inopportune laugh.

Hetty shot him a look.

"I'm pretty sure I told you directly that I loved her, didn't I?" Ryan asked, still trying to hold in his amusement.

"You did," Melissa replied with amused, raised eyebrows.

"You did?" Hetty repeated, again in shock. "Ryan!"

"Come on," he shook her playfully, blushing as he chuckled. "People can see it on my face. I can't help it!"

Hetty buried her face in her hands again, her cheeks flushed. "I'm just so embarrassed at all of this."

"You're embarrassed?" asked Melissa, her voice laced with compassion.

"Yes. I'm embarrassed people have been talking about me, or what they've been assuming about us."

"I think she wants you to know that we weren't having an affair," offered Ryan, with a little smile.

"Understood," replied Melissa evenly, now appearing just as amused as Ryan. It seemed like they had an inside joke, and Ryan was immensely relieved that the conversation had turned light. Hetty would need some more convincing, but he had an idea for how to make that happen.

Suddenly anxious to get his girl out of their principal's office and home with him, he stood up straight and smiled kindly at Melissa.

"We will keep it professional at work. I promise."

"I'm sure you will." She flashed him a tiny, nearly imperceptible wink.