*Four and a half years ago*
Throwing up; that's the first experience Audrey has in her new apartment. She barely has her clothes hung up in her closet before she's launching herself into the bathroom. She groans, flushing the toilet before brushing her teeth and tongue furiously when she finishes. How can she be sick already? She just arrived in Washington.
Her phone lights up with Andy's face. He had been calling her nonstop since she walked away from him. Since he told her that he wasn't choosing her. It had been a week. She took a chance and moved across country just to get away from him. She had to start over. She presses the red button, ignoring the call.
Nausea is joined by cramping shortly after and she left crouching on the small couch of her tiny apartment. She opens up her phone to look at the calendar, thinking it's probably just her period. But that can't be right, everything over the last few months had been sort of a blur. And she realizes she never had her period last month. No, she stands up, going back into the bathroom to look in the full-length mirror on the door. She lifts her shirt, inspecting her stomach. She wasn't exactly someone that had ever had a flat stomach, always carrying around a bit of pudge. But she can definitely tell that she had gained weight. She began to laugh at herself, shaking her head.
After a ten-minute walk to the nearest pharmacy and the trek back to her apartment. She sits in the kitchen and waits for the pregnancy test to do its thing. Of course, it decided to snow on the way back, so she's left frozen, waiting for the water to boil to make hot chocolate. When she sees the two pink lines pop up on the tiny screen, the tears come automatically. She's on the floor in a sob, alone in a strange city, crying like an idiot. Make stupid choices like sleeping with a married man and get stupid consequences like having a child thousands of miles away from the father. She hears an erratic knock on the door, and she tries to wipe most of the tears away to make herself semi presentable before opening the door.
Standing in front of her is an attractive man around her age. His dark hair is wet from a shower, and he pushes it back out of his face, his dark eyes concerned. "I'm sorry. I heard you crying, loudly. I live next door and these walls are thin. I wanted to check on you." He glances inside, trying to decide if she's alone and she shuts the door slightly so he can't see past her."
"I'm really sorry. I'll try to keep it down." She hears the whistle of the kettle behind her. "Fuck!" She leaves the door open and rushes to the tiny stove, pulling it off and turning the stove off. The man is still in the doorway, watching her. She can tell he's trying to decide if he should fuck off or invite himself in. Frankly, she hopes he chooses the first, but before she can tell him that, he enters and closes the door behind him. "What are you doing?"
He smiles, small dimples appearing in his cheeks. "You're upset and alone. Let me help you. I'm Simon, by the way."
"I didn't ask," she retorts quickly.
Simon laughs, grabbing two mugs from the counter and grabs the cocoa packets, taking it upon himself to make them both cocoas. He glances at the pregnancy test, and she snatches it off the counter and tosses it into the trash. "I see. Where is the father?"
"Not here."
"Not here as in not on Earth, or not in Washington?"
She can't help the smile that forms and he notices, smirking at her. "He lives in Boston... with his wife."
"Oh..." He takes in a sharp intake of air and grimaces. "I'm sorry."
She shrugs, sitting at the small kitchen table as he sets the mugs on the table, sitting across from her. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Want to talk about it..."
She chuckles, offering him her hand. "Audrey. My name is Audrey Parker, and you're intrusive."
He grins sheepishly and shrugs, shaking her hand. "I know. I can start. I'm Simon Bradshaw. I live next door. I'm twenty-five and an accountant. I have an older sister and my parents died a few years ago in a car accident."
"Oh gosh. I'm really sorry, Simon. I'm an only child and my parents live in Boston where I'm from. And I just accepted a junior position at a law office. My first attorney job."
He smiles, nodding. "That's great. So you're..."
She chuckles. "Twenty-four. And apparently, expecting..."
"My sister is an OBGYN. I can give you her information."
"Oh my god, that would be really great actually. I just moved her and obviously don't know anyone."
"Of course. Hand me your phone." As she hands him her phone, she sees Andy's face light it up again as she groans. "Do you not want to talk to him?"
"Definitely not." She shakes her head.
"Okay, then." He nods, clicking a few things before adding his number in her phone and hands it back to her. "I blocked him. Let me know if you want me to ever unblock him. I'm guessing that's the baby daddy?"
"Yeah... thanks. He doesn't know."
***
Simon insists on coming with her to her first appointment and though she finds him intrusive and a little intense sometimes, she welcomes his company. They find out that she is almost twelve weeks already and she almost has a panic attack in the exam after his sister Julie leaves. He stands in front of her with her hands in his, helping her to count back from 100.
After that, he comes to every appointment that he can make, and they fall into a comfortable routine. He comes over at night and they watch movies and eat and talk about everything. Eventually she opens up enough to tell him everything about what happened between Andy and herself and he quickly became her best friend.
One night, in the summer, it's hot and she's only wearing shorts and a sport's bra. They're sitting on the couch watching a movie when she feels like she has to go to the bathroom. "Help." Simon leaps to his feet with a small laugh, knowing what she needed. He holds his hands out to her and helps her to her feet. She makes it halfway across floor to the bathroom before she feels the gush down her legs. She looks down at the puddle of water and blood and stares back up at Simon. "I'm not ready!"
"Well, he is. Come on, love." He's so calm and collected, helping her into a t-shirt of his before slipping flats on her feet. He grabs her bag and helps her out of the apartment.
***
Audrey feels Simon lean over to kiss her head as she cradles her new baby in her arms. "What's his name?"
"Braeden Andrew... Parker." She glances up at Simon. "He should have my name, right? It would be weird if I gave him Andy's name when he isn't even around."
She knows Simon's answer, but he only shrugs. "It's your decision, love."
"Parker it is. Thank you, Simon. I couldn't have gotten this far alone."
"Of course, you would have." He stares at her for a few moments before leaning in to press a small kiss to her lips. She smiles when he pulls away and lays a kiss on Braeden's head.
***
Simon is amazing, coming whenever she needs help. He's a godsend for her and Braeden and she begins to grow feelings for him, and she knows he does too. They fool around when they can, but never taking it all the way. She knows he gets frustrated, but he never pressures her. They are never technically together, and she tells him time and time again not to wait for her. She tells him to date other people, and occasionally he does, but never ends up sleeping with them. Instead, he would come back to her, crawling into her bed.
Audrey is gutted when she gets the call from her mom with the news that her father was sick. And she asks her to come home, to help her. Audrey couldn't say no. She ran without a second look behind her, not only leaving Andy, but leaving her mother and leaving her son without a father. Simon does his best, but she made sure Braeden knew that he wasn't his father, so he called him Simon.
"I don't want you to go. Give me some time and I'll find a new job and come with you."
She shakes her head, tears already streaking her cheeks. "I have to, Simon. And Braeden deserves to know his father. They deserve a chance at a relationship."
"You'll fall back into him, and I don't want you to. And what about me? I may not be blood, but I've been his father. I've been the one here with you. You can't just rip the both of you from my life, Addie. Please," he begs, standing with his own cheeks wet with tears and she has to tear her face away from him as her heart shatters to a million pieces.
"I'm sorry, Simon. I have to go."
"But I love you. Please, Addie. I love Braeden. Don't do this."
She shakes her head again. "I love you too. But I don't know when or if I'll ever be ready to fully move on and you've wasted enough time with me already. Please Simon, let me go. Let us go. He isn't your son." She groans as soon as she says it, but she knew it was the only thing she could say for him to stop, for him to let her go. And that's what he does. He looks at her like she shoved a knife through his heart and just turns and walks out of the apartment.