“Pregnant,” Michael said coolly. “Maria’s going to have my baby.”

Maria looked around the table for support. It had been a long time since the six--seven of them had all been together like this. Liz and Max were the only ones there who looked semi- happy for them. [Hopeless romantics.] Maria thought. Liz smiled at her from across the table while Max made his best ‘oh-Michael-you-really-messed-up-this-time-but-you’re-my-brother-and-I-love-you-so-I’ll-support-you-anyway’ face. Tess was still choking on her soda. Isabel’s face was almost expressionless. Alex looked thoroughly confused part of the time, absolutely terrified part of the time, and extraordinarily happy to be sitting there with Isabel the rest of the time.

Michael squeezed Maria’s hand under the table. She smiled. [Huh… now he holds my hand in public.] She thought.

“How did it happen?” Alex asked. “Wait, wait, wait. I meant when… how far along are you, Maria?”

“Three months.” She answered.

“What are you going to do?” Isabel looked very concerned. She caught Maria looking at her and smiled a little.

“Well,” Michael said, “We’re keeping the baby.”

“Meaning…” Isabel said.

“Meaning, we’re going to raise the baby together. Michael’s going to start working at the Crashdown again. We’ll both work, we’ll find a way to stay in school, and we’ll do our best to be good parents.”

“You guys aren’t gonna… get married or anything, are you?” Liz asked.

Michael and Maria looked at each other.

“No.” Maria answered. “We don’t think that would be the best thing for any of us now. I mean, we’re seventeen. I’m not exactly ready for motherhood, you know. And neither of us are ready for marriage.”

Tess finally stopped coughing. “How could you be so stupid, Michael? Bringing a baby into this? It ruins everything.” She turned to Maria. “You should just get rid of it. That would be the best thing to do.”

“Oh really?” Maria fired back. “Best for who? Best for you? Listen, bitch--”

“Tess,” Michael interrupted. He held Maria back. “I don’t know what your problem is. But you ever say something like that again, I swear I’ll snap your neck. Now this is *our* baby. You are *my* sister. That makes her *your* niece. You wanted a family? You got it. But that doesn’t give you any right to speak to the mother of my child that way.”

Tess folded her arms and started pouting.

“I think this has been a shock for everyone,” Max said eventually. “Have you had the chance to tell your mother yet, Maria?”

“No,” Maria said, still glaring at Tess. “She’s not back from California yet. She won’t be home from my uncle’s for at least three more weeks. She only sent me home early since school’s starting soon. And this is the kind of thing we need to tell her in person.”

“Wait… Niece?” Liz asked. A smile spread across her face.

Michael looked over at Maria. “Yeah. I touched Maria’s stomach and I could sense the baby. I could just tell it was a girl.” He said.

“I can just imagine,” Liz said, smiling. “A little girl running around here.”

“With big green eyes.” Alex said.

“And scruffy hair.” Isabel said

Michael and Maria smiled.

“Thanks, guys,” Maria said to everyone but Tess. “I mean, I freaked out when I found out about this, but you’re all being so understanding.”

“Well we’re not saying that this was the smartest thing to do.” Max said.

“It was completely irresponsible.” Isabel said.

“And you both should have known better.” Liz said. “But what’s done is done. Your baby girl is here for a reason.”

“And we all have to deal with that.” Isabel said.

“Well… I know that this will be hard for the both of you,” Max said. “But we’ll all be here for you.”

“Yeah. Just call me anytime you need a baby-sitter,” Liz said, beaming.

“And Unkie Alex is here for anything else you need.” Alex winked at Maria.

“Unkie Alex?” Isabel asked.

“Yeah. Goes along well with Auntie Bell, don’t you think?” Alex winked at Isabel.

“Auntie Bell?” Isabel laughed. “This child is not calling me Auntie anything. ‘Isabel’ will be just fine.”

“You’ll change your mind when little Alexandra is born.”

“Alexandra?” Maria chuckled.

“Sure. Alexandra Elisabeth Michaela Marie Isabel Maxine DeLuca-Guerin. That covers all bases, doesn’t it?” Alex laughed.

Alex and Isabel continued to banter as Michael and Maria got ready to leave. Max and Liz followed them to the door.

“So you think you can do this?” Max said as he clapped Michael on the back.

“I don’t know. I’m scared out of my mind, Maxwell.”

“Yeah. I can imagine what that’s like,” He said as he looked over at Liz.

“You know, Max, this pregnancy thing shocked the hell out of me. I don’t exactly know where Maria and I stand right now. But…” Michael looked over at Liz. “It shouldn’t have taken this to get Maria to talk to me again. Or vice versa. Do you know what I’m saying?”

Max sighed heavily. “Yeah. I know. This thing with us and Tess and Izzy really isn’t working out. Not like it’s supposed to. Maybe this baby is a sign.” Max looked over at Liz again. “Maybe we really can have our relationships with normal people and still do what we need to do.”

“Maybe,” Michael said.

Liz hugged Maria and walked back into the Crashdown. Tess walked out the door and sauntered towards Max.

“Listen, Max,” Michael said. “I’m going to go ahead and get Maria home. She needs her rest and it could get pretty ugly around here if we don’t go now.”

“All right,” Max said. He pulled Michael into a hug. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure,” Michael said as he walked over to Maria.

Tess watched Michael and Maria drive out of the parking lot.

“Max?” She brushed her fingers against his shoulder. He flinched beneath her touch.

“Don’t you think you’ve caused enough trouble tonight, Tess?” He asked without turning around.

“Max, I don’t want to cause trouble. I didn’t mean what I said in there. I just… I was surprised. We all were.”

“That gave you no right to act like that.”

“I know. And I am sorry.”

“You should apologize to Michael and Maria. Not to me.”

“I know. I will. It’s just that… What I said in there was callous, maybe, but it wasn’t that far off from the truth. We just need to find something that works out for everyone involved. Max, you’re Michael’s best friend. You could try to talk some sense into him.”

Max whirled around to face her. “Talk some sense into him? Do you hear yourself?”

“I know it sounds bad Max--”

“It sounds awful. Michael and Maria have already found something that works out for everyone. They are going to raise their daughter together. The rest of us are going to do our best to help them however we can.”

“I just…” Tess stammered. “I just think that no one else needs to be involved with us.”

“Liz, Maria, and Alex are already involved.”

“Max--”

“And Maria’s baby is one of us. You need to remember that, Tess.” Max turned and went into the Crashdown.

Tess stood outside. The night air blew against her skin and gave her goosebumps. She looked through the window and saw Alex and Isabel still at the table. Isabel was obviously flirting, and Alex was eating it up. Tess shook her head at them. She looked over at the counter and saw Liz and Max together.

Tess hugged herself. She was alone again. She looked up at the stars and sighed.

“It’s all ruined. What am I going to do?” ***

“Can you stay with me tonight?”

Maria smiled at Michael’s request. “You want me to stay here in this filthy apartment?” She teased.

“Yeah,” Michael bowed his head. “I just want to be near you and the baby tonight.”

“Sure, I’ll stay.” Maria said. Michael looked up and smiled. She frowned at a pizza box lying on the couch. “You really have to do something about this mess though.” She sat down.

“It is not that bad. I can clean it up.”

“I hope you plan on using a whole lot of bleach…” She jumped back from something that crawled out of the pizza box. “And a whole lot of bug spray.”

Michael moved the box out of the way and sat down next to her. “This is good practice, isn’t it?” He said.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean me and you,” Michael placed his hand on her belly. “and the baby, here in this apartment together.”

“Practice?” Maria was confused.

“For when you move in here.”

“What makes you think I’m moving in with you?”

“Well I want you to. I don’t want either of you out of my sight. Don’t you want to stay here?”

Maria looked around the apartment. “I don’t know. Maybe. But with my luck, my mom will send me to a convent when she finds out about this. She is going to freak out, Michael.”

“I know. But I’ll be right here for you.” He smiled at her and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

“You think we could make this work?” Maria asked.