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Chapter 71 – Arya's POV
"The Secret Shared"
The moment felt bigger than I thought it would.
I'd rehearsed it in my head a dozen times — how I'd sit them down, smile gently, and say the words with grace and calm maturity. Maybe even throw in a joke. But standing in the living room, watching Ethan lounge on the armchair and Amara curled up on the couch with a juice box, I suddenly felt… nervous.
More nervous than when I took the test.
More than when I told Damon.
Even more than telling Liam.
Because this — this — made it real in a different way.
Amara was already eyeing me suspiciously. "You've been acting weird," she said, raising a brow. "Not like usual moody-Arya. Like… you cried because we didn't have banana muffins last week, then smiled the next second like someone proposed."
Ethan chuckled beside her. "I told her you were probably just hormonal. She told me to shut up before I diagnosed myself into a coma."
"That's true," Amara agreed. "But I'm still watching you."
I sat down across from them, heart thudding like a drum. I hadn't expected to feel this anxious, but suddenly it all hit me. The weight of what I was about to say. The people I was saying it to.
Ethan — my best friend, my rock through Damon's worst mistakes, the one who helped me rebuild pieces of myself when I didn't think I could.
Amara — Damon's sister, my sister-in-heart, the girl who watched me cry through my loneliness and reminded me I was still strong, still worthy.
They had both seen me fall apart.
And now, they were going to watch me rise into something new.
I cleared my throat. "So… I have something to tell you both."
Amara sat up straighter. "Oh God. What? Are you sick? Is it Damon? Did Liam do something at school? Wait—" her eyes widened, "—is it Ethan? Did he finally do something to you? Because I'll punch him."
"What?" Ethan blinked. "Why am I getting dragged into this?"
"Because you're shady sometimes."
"I'm sitting right here!"
I laughed — the nervousness cracking a little. "It's nothing like that."
They both leaned in.
I took a breath.
"I'm pregnant."
Silence.
For two seconds.
Then —
Amara dropped her juice box. "What."
Ethan's jaw unhinged just slightly.
"Like… pregnant pregnant?" Amara asked, blinking rapidly. "As in, there's a baby in there?"
I placed my hand gently on my belly and nodded.
"Yes. Damon and I are expecting."
A beat passed.
Then Amara shrieked — the high-pitched, uncontrollable kind that only came from genuine shock and joy. She leapt up and hugged me so tight I thought she might squeeze the baby out of me.
"Oh my God, Arya!" she cried. "I knew something was up! I knew it! I thought maybe you were losing your mind, but THIS MAKES SENSE!"
"I'm still losing my mind," I mumbled into her shoulder.
She pulled back and held my face in her hands. "Are you okay? Is everything okay? When did you find out? Why didn't you tell me?!"
Ethan stood slowly, his eyes never leaving me. There was a strange softness in them, like he was watching something sacred.
"Wow," he said finally, walking over. "I didn't see that coming."
"No one really did," I admitted.
He nodded, then pulled me into a quiet hug — his way. Strong, steady. "Congratulations, Arya. Really."
I smiled against his shoulder. "Thank you."
When he stepped back, Amara was already bouncing with questions.
"Do you know how far along? Is it a boy or girl? Wait, do you want a boy or girl? What does Liam think? Oh my God, he's going to be a big brother!"
I laughed. "I'm about two and a half months. We don't know the gender yet. And Liam is already giving the baby name suggestions like 'Super Liam Junior.'"
Ethan chuckled. "He's got your imagination."
"Unfortunately."
Amara was tearing up now, her excitement shifting into something softer. "You deserve this, Arya. After everything… you deserve all the happiness in the world."
I bit my lip, overwhelmed suddenly by how much love surrounded me.
"Thank you," I whispered. "It's scary. It's not like before. The symptoms are crazy, my body is… doing the most, and my emotions are all over the place."
"But you're not alone this time," Ethan said quietly.
"No," I agreed, glancing toward the hallway, where Damon's jacket still hung on the hook. "I'm not."
Amara nodded, reaching for my hand. "And you've got us too. If you need weird food combos, I'll bring them. If you want to scream at the wall, I'll scream with you."
Ethan smirked. "I draw the line at crying over toast."
"You'll cry if she cries," Amara warned, "or I'll make you."
I laughed through tears.
And in that moment — sitting between two of the people who had stood by me when my life shattered — I knew that no matter what this pregnancy threw at me, I'd be okay.
Because I wasn't carrying this alone.
I was surrounded by love — messy, loud, unconditional love.
And that?
That was more than enough.