I wonder what Kendall could have told me that she felt it was so important that it couldn't wait.

"What? Tell me," I demand, bracing myself for more bad news.

She looks nervous, and I don't know how to read her body language.

"Um... so first, you need to know I had no clue. Please don't hate me for what I'm about to say?" She looks away from me.

"Kendall, you're scaring me. Why are you so nervous?" I pleaded, placing my hands on her shoulders and turning her to face me.

"I don't want to upset you, Mallory." Tears fill Kendall's sad, coffee-colored eyes.

"What could you possibly say that could upset me? I'm so baffled right now." This girl is beginning to frustrate me.

Kendall takes a deep breath before blurting out, "I'm pregnant."

What?

"This couldn't wait? What the hell, Kendall?" She's right, I'm pissed as I drop my hands from her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. You know how sporadic my periods are. I'm already starting to show, Mallory. I thought I was putting on weight, but I'm four months pregnant!" She starts to cry, and I feel like a selfish bitch.

I take her into my arms and hold her as she cries, pain filling my heart.

"Shhh. I'm sorry for how I reacted," I apologize, and without thinking— "What does Scott think?"

Kendall looks at me with tears flowing down her cheeks. "Are you sure that you're okay with talking about Scott?"

"Yes. I want to know how Scott took the news," I admit because I know how he is with and a baby right now could cause them significant issues.

"He doesn't know yet. I came right here after my doctor's appointment. He's going to hate me! You know how he is. He has our life planned out. First, save money for a house, then save money for marriage, then save money for kids," she rambles nervously.

I'm not sure which emotions to feel. Do I feel jealous of Kendall or sorry for myself that I'll never have the chance to have Ben's baby? Do I feel compassion for my best friend, whose world is about to be turned upside down? Do I feel scared for her telling Scott the news that essentially destroys his plans and possibly their relationship?

"Please, Mallory, say something, anything!" she begs me, desperation is evident across her face.

"I... I don't know what to say," is my only response because it's true.

"I'm sorry. I needed to tell you and don't know what to do." She hides her face in her hands.

My sympathy for my best friend exceeded all my other thoughts. "It will be okay, Kendall. I'm here for you no matter what," I say, holding her tighter.

She lets all of her pent-up emotions go as I continue to hold her tight, trying my best to comfort her.

"Scott is going to hate me. I know that he is," she cries.

"Come on, now. Scott loves you. He's not going to hate you. It's not like you did this on purpose. Wait! You didn't do this on purpose, right?" I inquire, wondering the same thing myself.

"No, but I'm afraid that's what he'll think. He knows I'm tired of waiting for us to have our life perfect before even setting a date to marry. Shit! He's going to think this was on purpose." she states before sobbing again.

I squeeze her. "What can I do to help?"

"Ugh," Kendall moans, "I should be caring for you, not the other way around. I'm such an awful friend."

I turn her face towards me and look into her dark brown eyes. "Kendall, we should both be here for each other. I lean on you, and you lean on me. That's what friends do. Now, what can I do for you?"

"I know you don't want to do this, but if you could be there when I tell Scott, I think I would have the strength to tell him," she says quietly.

My heart races as I feel the apprehension build inside me.

She must have read the stricken look on my face.

"I'm sorry; I know I shouldn't have asked you. God! I'm such an idiot!"

Love is putting other's needs ahead of your selfish ones.

"I'll do it. For you, I'll do it." I'm hoping that I sound more confident than I feel.

"Mallory, I can't ask you to do that."

I smile at her. "You already did."

We talked a bit more till Kendall calmed down and had to leave for work. She's ready to go after she freshens up her face with my makeup.

Kendall gives me a goodbye hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll let you know my schedule, and you can check Scott's. We'll line up a time to talk. Okay?"

"I know you'll be working till midnight, so I'll text you when I get home and check Scott's schedule. Thanks again, Mal. Bye." She hugs me so tight that I think I hear my bones breaking.

"That sounds like a plan. You're welcome, Ken. Bye."

I close the door behind her, wondering what I just got myself into. I think that I'll have to mentally prepare myself for my friend's sake as she faces her fear of telling her fiancé that he will be a father.

Scott ended up on the second shift, so he had the same hours as me. We both work weekends, but Kendall doesn't. So we're having a barbecue at their apartment during lunch today, Saturday. Luckily, they're on the first floor, so they have a deck out the kitchen door with steps down to their small yard. I pull into the driveway and try to fight back my anxious feelings.

Grabbing my potato salad and brownies, I take a deep breath and give myself a pep talk before ringing the doorbell. I hope Kendall opens the door so I can ease myself into seeing Scott.

Thank goodness it's Kendall. "Hey, Mal."

"Hey, Ken." We briefly hugged, and I could tell Kendall was tense by the stiffness of her embrace.

I whisper to her, "You got this, Babe."

Scott's behind her, clearing his throat. "Do you have one of those for me?"

I turn towards him and force a smile. "I do."

He takes me into his strong arms, and I can't help but miss the strong arms that once held me tight, which cause tears, but I fight the urge to let them fall freely. I pull out of his hug, wipe my eyes, and notice that Scott looks different. He's not his usual cheery self, and it seems like he lost some weight. My heart aches for him, knowing Ben was like a brother to him, and he's taking Ben's death hard, too. I feel like an ass for shutting him out for the last two weeks.

"How are you?" Of course, he's worried about me.

"I'm doing okay. I've been back to work for about a week, and it keeps my mind off things."

He nods knowingly. "Yeah, work has been the only thing keeping my head above water."

I begin, "Scott, I'm so sorry..."

Scott holds up his hands. "Don't Mallory. You have no reason to be sorry. You needed time, I understand."

He pulls me back into another hug.

"Thank you for understanding," I whisper.

He gives me a quick squeeze, then realizes I'm still holding the food. "Shit, let me take them for you."

He takes the food and heads into the kitchen. I look behind me and see Kendall cowering in the corner. I walk over and extend my hand to her. She takes it and follows me to the deck, where Scott puts hamburgers on the grill. Kendall had decided to wait until after we ate to tell Scott about the pregnancy.

I could tell that Scott knew something was up with Kendall. She's not herself. Kendall is quiet and keeps her eyes down on her plate. When either Scott or I asked her a question, she only responded with one-word answers. You could see the concern etched on his face when he looked at her.

Once we finished an awkward-feeling lunch, I helped her clean the table and wash the dishes. Scott stayed outside and cleaned up the grill. When we finished the dishes, Kendall was shaking uncontrollably.

"Why are you so worried? Scott is completely in love with you. Even if he's upset at the news, I know he'll come around," I say, trying my best to console her.

She looks at me and nods. "Okay. Let's do this."

We walk out to the deck together. Scott is sitting on the deck chair, zoned out, looking into space. When we hear us, he turns his attention towards us. I give Kendall's hand an encouraging squeeze before we sit down and join him.

Kendall looks at me, and I give her a reassuring smile, "Scott," she says quietly.

"Yeah, Babe?"

She takes a deep breath. "I have something serious that I need to tell you."

Scott immediately looks relieved. "Thank goodness! I know that something has been weighing heavy on your mind this week. It is driving me crazy, not knowing why."

Scott moves his chair in front of Kendall and takes both of her hands into his. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

She nods her head. "Wait till you hear what I have to say. I'm afraid that you will feel completely different."

"Please, Babe. Just tell me," he pleads with her, his forehead creased with worry.

Finally, she speaks, "I'm... uh... pregnant."

Scott's eyes go wide in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?"