"I'll drive," William says, and I make a grab for the backseat.

"Don't you want to sit up front, Cat?" Alex asks.

"I'm good, thanks!" I slide into the back and buckle up. 

Okay, new plan. Fix Alex up with William. Fan the flames of love they have for one another, and then you'll get Alex out of your head. At least this way, most of us will have our happily ever after. Mission Alexiam... No, that doesn't sound right. Mission Willex? Ugh... that's even worse.

How about alleycat...my brain offers? Well, that's perfect, but I would have to spell it alecat... Wait a minute. What am I saying? — stupid brain.

"You say something, Cat?" William asks as he pulls onto the highway. I catch him looking at me in his rearview mirror, and he winks at me.

"Just curious where we are going for breakfast. Is it far?" It seems morning is when I find myself the most hungry, yet the most sensitive to food and smells. The queasiness, however, is manageable. Well, when I'm not exposed to beer, anyway.

"I want to take us over the bridge. I figure if we get out of the city, there is less chance of running into people we know," William says.

"Good idea," I say, thinking of my run-in with Jenny.

"Yeah, and we know a great pancake house there," Alex adds in.

"So, you've already been to this place together?" I ask.

"Sure, dozens of times," William informs me.

"Yeah, It's a great place to stop after the Aids Walk..." Alex begins.

"Or the Pride Rallies. Remember that time..." William didn't even need to finish the sentence before both of them are nearly in tears.

Liam and I used to be that close. So close that we could easily finish each other sentences or guess what the other was thinking. I hate that I miss him. No wonder I'm trying to force myself on poor Alex. My brain is latching onto him, building him up in my mind, so I don't have to think about the pain or remember just how miserable I feel.

"Well, that's a face." Alex is looking back at me, his eyes still bright from laughing so hard.

"Sorry, I envy you two. You have so much history. Must be hard to find someone who could know you better, huh?"

Alex looks at William and shrugs. "I guess so."

"Sure," William agrees, "you're like my little brother from another mother."

"Ha! Little brother!? Like, by six months." Alex laughs. "But I most definitely got an education from you, that's for sure, big brother."

"Hey, you needed to learn the ropes, and you came to the best. I can't blame you. I mean, how could you possibly think of going anywhere else?"

Alex laughs and gives him a shove.

Oh, my God! So was William Alex's first lover? No wonder they are so close. I wonder why they didn't last.

"And we have arrived," William announces. He pulls up outside of Evie's Pancake House.

It is a bustling place. We have a 10-minute wait and the hostess leads us to a booth in the back. Our server takes our drink orders and is back with them in no time.

"Since when did you drink decaf, Cat?" William asks.

I stir the muddy concoction and shrug. "Since I read caffeine is bad for the baby."

"Are you two having a baby? Well, congratulations! When are you due?" the server asks. I forgot she was still standing there. Obviously, she was waiting to take our order.

"I uh..." I guess she assumes it is Alex and me having this baby. We are sitting together on the same side of the booth, and she is staring at both of us expectantly.

Once I'd seen William slide into the booth, I purposely picked the other side, hoping that Alex would slip in next to William. But like most of my plans, it has gone awry.

Alex shocks me by draping an arm around my shoulders, and he lazily smiles at the server. "We only got started on this adventure, so we got a long way to go yet."

"I'll say, she's not showing a bit, but you're in for a wonderful adventure. Nothing like a baby to make this crazy world make sense. And with your looks and hers, there's no doubt this kid is going to be adorable."

Alex looks over at me and smiles. "One heartbreaker in the making, without a doubt."

She then takes our order and walks off to the kitchen.

Alex immediately pulls his arm away, and I'm just staring at him. 

"Why did you do that?"

"Do what?" Alex wonders aloud.

"Pretend, you're the father."

Alex shrugs, and he stirs his coffee. "She's a server, Cat. She's just trying to be nice, but ultimately it is none of her business, and you don't owe her any explanations."

I can understand his reasoning, but for some reason, it bristles me. "What's wrong with the truth?"

Alex looks at me, "Cat..." I guess it's the look on my face that changes his. He looks immediately repentant. "I meant nothing by it. I just wanted to make things a little less awkward for you. That's all."

"Awkward?" I nod my head. "May I get past? I need to use the restroom."

"Sure." Alex slides out of the booth. I can feel him staring at me as I walk down the aisle to find the restrooms.

I get to the women's room and splash some cold water on my face, hoping to keep the emotions at bay. I guess I'll have many more "awkward" situations I will need to explain. My baby doesn't have a father. Okay, that's technically not true but has one who currently refuses to be involved. It is what it is. 

I'm enough, aren't I, Peanut? I really hope so because I really don't see that situation changing.

By the time I make it back to William and Alex, the food has already arrived, and both men seem deep in conversation. I overhear, "But she's got to know. You can't leave things open like this. It's not fair," William says. 

"I'm afraid what will happen if I do, and I don't want ..." Alex begins, but they break apart suddenly.

I would have sworn William kicked Alex under the table when he'd seen me. My suspicion is confirmed by the pained expression Alex is wearing.

"Feeling okay?" William asks, and Alex stands up to let me into the booth.

"Fine." The smell of breakfast makes my stomach growl. "Just a little hungry."

We all enjoy the meal together, even though I know they keep side glancing at me, as I am the least talkative. The check comes and I pull out my wallet.

Alex puts his hand over mine and is shaking his head no. "My treat. Remember?"

"Thank you," I say, putting my wallet away.

"So, are we ready for a fun excursion to the bookstore?"

"Lead the way," I respond and watch Alex leave a generous tip for the server. She waves to us as we walk towards the front door. "Best of luck, you two!"

I try my best to smile, and Alex does, too. I get into the back seat and Alex slides in next to me.

"Guess I'm getting to drive Miss Daisy and that other guy."

I laugh at William's reference. "I'll sit up front," but as I go to open the door, Alex grabs my hand and stops me.

"I need to talk to you first."

The seriousness in his tone stops me in my tracks. "Okay?" I'm praying that he's not about to tell me this isn't working, and I need to find another place to stay because I'm not sure if I can handle any more stress.

"I ... I want to apologize for what I did back there at the restaurant."

"You don't need to..." Alex holds up his hand and I stop talking.

"I have a compulsion to protect people I feel are in trouble. Alexander, protector of people, remember?"

"Men." I correct him with a smirk, hoping to cause a grin, but he doesn't budge.

"I forget that's not always welcome or the correct thing to do. I shouldn't have jumped in like that. It was insensitive and wrong. I promise not to do it again."

I smile at him. "It's okay. Really. I overreacted. It's hard not to be sensitive to the whole unwed, no father thing. I never expected to find myself in this position or that I would be in any awkward situations."

"She's telling you the truth there," William chimes in while driving us to the bookstore. "Cat is a straight and narrow arrow, a by-the-book kind of girl, NOT the fooling around kind. She was with Liam since she was sixteen. Long term, that's Cat."

"I think he gets it," I say, frowning at William's over-explanation, and when I look at him through the rearview mirror, I'm surprised to see him glaring at Alex.

"I get it," Alex says, looking at William and then back at me. "I do. You're a one-man kind of woman, and you're going through a lot right now. I shouldn't be messing around where I'm not wanted."

He looks so dejected. I reach out and hug him. I have no choice; the urge is too irresistible. "Please, don't say that. You've been a godsend to me. My life has been turned upside down and shaken up considerably, but you've stabilized it, just a bit. So, thank you!"

Alex looks down and smiles that smile that warms me right down to my toes. He wraps his arms around me and kisses the top of my head. "You're welcome, Cat. So... we're good?"

"Absolutely," I say, pulling away from him, albeit reluctantly.

"Well, glad we got that backseat therapy session over with. You each owe me $50.00," William says, parking the car. "We're here."

I laugh. "My baby may not have a father, but he or she can definitely use a couple of exceptional uncles," I say, looking at Alex and William. "You two up for it?"

"You know I'm in," William says immediately.

"I'd be honored," Alex says, but not as enthusiastically as William. Then again, no one can ever be as enthusiastic as William, especially when we're about to do an idea of his.

William puts his hand on mine. "Ready to break the curve in Baby Knowledge?"

"You know it!" I tell him, and we enter the store arm and arm, with Alex not too far behind us.