fidgeting with her bracelet I guess I'm...the elephant in the room, ha...only I'm actually pregnant.
smiles weakly Peachy, right?
nods Yeah, that's right. Look, I know this is awkward and all, but I could use some...support, you know?
takes a deep breath Well, you see, I'm...uh...I'm pregnant with Oliver's baby. And...and I was thinking about...abortion.
Abortion? But you were trying to conceive. Isn't that like, counterintuitive?
rolls her eyes Oh, believe me, I know. It's just...complicated. And Oliver...he's not exactly thrilled about the idea of me being pregnant.
With his ex-wife? That's... quite the situation.
snorts Quite the situation indeed. But look, I need you to understand that this isn't just about Oliver and me. It's about the baby too.
So what do you mean by "that's not just about the baby"?
leans forward Well, for starters, there's the fact that I have to deal with all these emotions and memories.
pauses and takes a deep breath Like...like remembering how it used to be when we were a happy family.
When was that exactly? You divorced Oliver years ago.
frowns Yeah, I know. It's just...when he was still treating me right, before everything fell apart.
Do you want that again? Or, at least, a version of it?
sighs heavily Look, I don't know if I want any of this again.
So then why are you even considering continuing the pregnancy?
Marianne eventually decides to keep the pregnancy and start a new family with Oliver
So, you're keeping the pregnancy? And...what about Oliver?
nervously fidgets with her bracelet Yeah, I'm keeping the pregnancy. And...well, Oliver...we've been talking.
Talking, huh? About what?
stutters Well, um...we've been talking about...rebuilding our relationship. Taking things slow, you know?
smirks Slow? And how exactly do you plan on doing that?
glares at Peachy Well, first things first, we're gonna figure out a visitation schedule.
A visitation schedule? For who? Him or the baby?
rolls her eyes Oh, come on, Peachy. It's for the baby, obviously. He or she needs both of us in their lives.
chuckles Alright, alright. A visitation schedule for the baby. Got it. Anything else?
crosses her arms Well, yeah. We also need to figure out how to co-parent effectively. You know, like how we'll make decisions together for the baby's sake.
Co-parenting. That's...going to take some work, don't you think?
snaps Of course it's going to take some work! We're not magically going to become a functioning family overnight.
laughs softly Nightmares, huh? Well, Marianne, I wish you luck in that case. You'll need it.
sighs heavily Luck, huh? Well, I'll need every ounce of luck I can get. But hey, I'm determined to make this work.
smiles faintly Determination is a good first step. But remember, Marianne, you're not alone in this.
smiles gratefully Thanks, Peachy. I appreciate your support.
leans in closer, voice softening Just remember, Marianne. It's not going to be easy. There will be bumps along the way. But if anyone can do this, it's you.
grabs Peachy's hand Thanks, Peachy. Your words mean a lot to me.
grins Good. Now, let's see what the future holds for you and Oliver.
takes a deep breath Alright, let's do this. One step at a time.
stands up And I'll start by making an appointment with a therapist. We can't do this alone, Peachy.
smiles Smart move, Marianne. Therapy can work wonders.
quickly pulls out her phone and starts searching for therapists in the area I'm not wasting any more time.
watches as Marianne types on her phone Need any help finding a therapist?
pauses Uh, yeah, actually. Can you recommend someone you've worked with before?
grins As a matter of fact, I have a therapist I trust. Her name is Dr. Johnson. She's...a bit unconventional, but she gets results.
raises an eyebrow Unconventional, huh? Well, I'm all ears. Give me her contact info.