"Cruz?"

"This can't be happening. My wife and I are finally back to being happy. We have even been talking about adopting a child, and you're telling me you're pregnant, Kendall?" I ask and see her reach into her purse. She soon pushes some papers in front of me.

"Thought I would bring these papers with me to show you, just in case you have any doubts as to me being pregnant. Hell, I'm even willing to go to the hospital with you to have a blood test done. I'm not lying to you, Cruz. My pregnancy is a truthful fact. At some point, you are going to have to accept we created another life together."

"I insist on having a DNA test, Kendall by a doctor of my choice," I snap. She folds her arms. Her glaring eyes latch onto mine.

"I wasn't with anyone else, Cruz. You were the first and only man I have been with sexually for nearly two years. We didn't think to use protection. You are this child's father, like it or not."

"You must forgive me for having my doubts with someone willing to have sex with someone she met an hour before. I don't know you or the type of person you are. How do I know you didn't get knocked up by some other guy and you're trying to pass off your kid as mine?"

"How dare you. You seem to forget I wasn't the only one willing to have sex with a complete stranger. Are you forgetting how many times we got each other off that night, Cruz? You couldn't get enough of me. Your hands were all over every inch of my body, and so was your mouth and tongue. Hell, your tongue alone got me to my peak more than once," she grins. I quickly stand up.

"Okay, I've heard enough. I will not sit here and rehash the biggest mistake of my life. I need to go back home to my family," I snap as I turn to leave.

"Just remember, Cruz, Aubrey and Braylee are no longer your only family. We also created our own little family. I expect you to do right by us, or else," her disturbing words sends a chill down my spine. My glaring eyes look back at her.

"Or else what, Kendall?" She slowly lifts herself from the chair. Her eyes looking up at me and a grin forms on her face. She takes a step towards me and I feel my heart racing as I brace myself  what she is about to say next.

"Trust me, Cruz, you don't want to find out. Here, this is for you," she holds up another piece of paper.

What is this, Kendall?" 

"This is my doctor's appointment, Cruz."

"Your doctor's appointment? Aren't you going back to New York, Kendall?"

" I am buying a house here, and I am thinking about going back to work. Although I don't need the money, but I enjoy working."

"Kendall, please, I can't do this with you. Go back to New York."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Cruz. The child we created together needs his or her father. I'm depending on you doing the responsible thing. I'll be in touch," she says as she kisses my cheek before leaving.

"What the hell am I going to do now? There is no way out of this nightmare that I put myself in." 

As I gather my composure, I make my way out to my truck and debate whether to tell Aubrey my painful and unforgivable truth once I get home. As soon as she hears I had a one-night stand in New York, she won't be able to forgive me. Damn it. That one-night stand is coming back to haunt me. It's turned into my worst nightmare. Not only did I cheat on my wife, now I am having another child with a woman I don't know.

"God, Cruz, you're about to have the one thing Aubrey wishes she could have, another child. If my cheating wasn't bad enough, now me having another child that isn't Aubrey's without a doubt will ensure her never forgiving me," I whisper as I pull into the driveway to our house. Once I'm in the house, I make my way up to our bedroom and grab our wedding album from the cherry wood dresser.

"This was one of the happiest days of our lives. We both thought nothing could break us apart. And here I am, the one thing that is about to blow my marriage apart. Turns out I'm a cheating, backstabbing, lying bastard."

"Hey, babe. Oh, you looking through our wedding album?" Aubrey cheers as she enters the bedroom."

"Where is Braylee?"

"She's in the kitchen eating. You hungry?" She asks and I know there is no way I can eat."

"No, not really."

"You feeling okay?" She places her hand on my forehead.

"Aubrey, maybe we should take a family vacation. I would love to take Braylee to my parents' cabin in the mountains. What do you say?"

"Cruz, babe, I can't. I have to be at the hospital tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I thought you didn't start until next week, Aubrey?"

"I'm sorry, Cruz, but they are shorthanded. I have to be there in the morning."

"Okay, I understand."

"Come on, we need to get down there with Braylee before she discovers the chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar."

"Okay, let's go have our family fun night."

She exits the bedroom and I start  follow her, but I'm stopped hearing the ding coming from my phone. She looks back at me with an annoyed look. I sigh, thinking it could be the one person I hope it's not. I look down and see it's not Kendall. As I grab the phone, I look at Aubrey.

"Let me guess, another meeting you can't miss?"

"I'm so sorry. It's Ken texting me. I promise you, I will not agree to leave town."

" I know I need to be more understanding considering I have to be at work in the morning. You go take care of whatever it is you need to take care of. Just please, try to be home before Braylee's bedtime."

"You have my promise I'll do my best to be home before Braylee's bedtime," she leans up and kisses me.

"You know how much I love you, Aubrey," I try to imprint her beautiful smile in my memory, for it may be one of very few I see before my entire world is blown apart.

"I love you too, Cruz. I'll never stop loving you." 

"Aubrey, I need you to know something. No matter what might happen, you have to know I have loved you from the moment I first saw you. I will love you beyond my life. You and Braylee are my everything."

"We love you too, Cruz. Why are you talking like something bad is about to happen?"

"I just need you to know how much I love you, Aubrey. I always will."

"It is nice hearing you saying that more often, Cruz."

"I know I have been saying it a lot lately, Aubrey, it's because it's true. I need you to believe it's true."

"I do, Cruz. I believe you."