𝐘/𝐍'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

The waiting room was uncomfortably bright.

Madelyn sat beside me, flipping absently through a pregnancy magazine, but I knew she wasn't actually reading it. She was too quiet, too still. And Madelyn was never still. I tapped my fingers against my knee, glancing at her. "You good?"

She hummed, not looking up. "Yeah." I frowned. "You sure? You look like you're overthinking something."

Madelyn finally sighed and closed the magazine, turning toward me. "I asked Scarlett to come to the appointment."

My stomach twisted. "What?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Look, I know that's probably the last thing she—or you—wants, but... I feel like we need to start figuring this out. All of us."

I stared at her. "What changed?"

Madelyn exhaled, tapping her fingers against the magazine in her lap. "You did. You and Scarlett. I see the way you look at her, Y/n. And I see the way she looks at you. She's your person."

I swallowed hard. "Madelyn—"

She shook her head, offering a small smile. "I've had a lot of time to process things, okay? And the truth is... I don't want this to be some messy, toxic thing where we pretend we don't exist outside of this baby. I don't want you to feel like you're being pulled in two different directions. And I definitely don't want to feel like the villain in your love story."

I sighed. "You're not." Madelyn gave me a knowing look. "Come on, Y/n. If I was in Scarlett's position, I'd hate me too."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "She doesn't hate you. She's just... territorial."

Madelyn smirked. "Which is why we need to start fixing this now. Because whether she likes it or not, we're going to be in each other's lives for a very long time."

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a slow breath. "She's not gonna like this."

Madelyn shrugged. "She doesn't have to like me, but she does have to coexist with me."

I hesitated, knowing she was right but also knowing that this was going to be a battle.

Madelyn nudged me with her foot.

I ran a hand through my hair. "Yeah, alright." Madelyn grinned. "Good. Now, can we please talk about anything other than my uterus?"

I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. "Deal."

𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I wasn't sure how I ended up in this chair.

I wasn't sure how I let Madelyn convince me that this was a good idea. She reached out which, I thought was weird on it's own but, I did appreciate the effort.

But here I was—sitting in the exam room with Y/n and Madelyn, trying to act like this wasn't the most awkward situation I had ever been in.

Y/n sat between us like some kind of mediator, bouncing her knee like she was just as nervous as I was.

Madelyn, on the other hand, seemed perfectly fine.

She was scrolling through her phone, completely unbothered. And I wanted to hate that. But I didn't. I just felt... out of place.

The doctor walked in, offering a polite smile. "Alright, Madelyn, how are we feeling today?"

Madelyn perked up. "Better, actually. The nausea isn't as bad this week."

"That's great to hear," the doctor said, pulling up her chart. Then her eyes flickered toward me before widening. "Oh, wow, I'm such a huge fan!"

I quietly thanked her before intertwining my hand with Y/n's. I shifted in my seat, forcing a polite smile.

The doctor's eyebrows lifted slightly, but she recovered quickly. "Well, it's great that you're here. Support systems are important during pregnancy."

Madelyn side-eyed me. "That's what I keep telling her."

I inhaled through my nose. "Right."

Y/n ran a hand down her face. "Please don't start."

The doctor cleared her throat, clearly sensing the tension. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"

Madelyn laid back on the table as the doctor prepped for the ultrasound. Y/n grabbed her hand without hesitation, squeezing gently.

And even though I had expected that, it still made my stomach tighten.

I knew this was Y/n's baby. I knew she was going to be there for Madelyn through all of it. But watching it happen in real-time? Watching her be so involved?

That was different. I forced myself to breathe, to stay calm. I was here because I wanted to be, because I knew it was important.

The screen flickered on, and suddenly, the room was filled with the faint, rapid sound of a heartbeat.

I froze. Y/n's grip on Madelyn's hand tightened slightly. Her eyes were locked on the screen, completely entranced.

Madelyn smiled softly. "There they are."

The doctor nodded, adjusting the angle. "Everything looks great. Strong heartbeat, normal measurements." I swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "That's good."

Y/n glanced at me, her eyes softer now. And I knew that she knew.

She knew this was hard for me. She knew I felt like an outsider in this moment. But she also knew that I was trying. Y/n reached over, gently placing her free hand on my thigh, grounding me.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. And for the first time since I walked in here, I didn't feel like I was suffocating.

𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧'𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

I found Scarlett standing outside the clinic, arms crossed, staring at nothing in particular.

I hesitated for a moment before walking over. "Hey."

She glanced at me, expression unreadable. "Hey."

I shoved my hands into my pockets. "So... that was weird."

Scarlett let out a breathy laugh. "That's one way to put it."

We stood there in silence for a moment before I finally sighed. "Look, I know this isn't easy for you."

Scarlett arched an eyebrow. "Which part? The part where my girlfriend's having a baby with someone else? Or the part where I just sat in a room with you while you and Y/n played 'happy family'?"

I winced. "Okay. Fair."

She sighed, rubbing her temple. "I don't hate you, Madelyn. I don't like you, but I don't hate you."

I smirked. "I'll take it." She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.

I took a deep breath. "Look, I meant what I said earlier. I don't want this to be messy. I don't want Y/n to feel like she has to choose between us, because that's not fair to anyone."

Scarlett studied me for a long moment. "And what do you want?" I hesitated. "I want to be a good mom. And I want Y/n to be in this baby's life without feeling like it's destroying everything else."

Scarlett exhaled slowly. "That's what I want too."

I nodded. "Then let's figure it out."

She was quiet for a long time before finally, reluctantly, she held out her hand.

I stared at it for a second before shaking it.

Scarlett sighed. "God, I hate that this is the mature thing to do."

I laughed. "Me too."

She smirked. "If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

I grinned. "Right back at you."

And for the first time, it actually felt like we could do this.