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Bouncing Off Clouds:

So much has happened over the summer. Petey and Ashlee are trying to get their divorce finished. He and I haven't gone public with our relationship just yet. We're waiting until the divorce is finalized. Ashlee is about to give birth soon. That issue came up during my lunch break. I was about to head out with the girls when my cell phone rang. Nessa, Robyn, Rachel, and Sakura looked at me, grinning.

"Answer it!" she said. I gave her a little teasing smile.

"I will!" I said. I drew out my phone and flipped it on.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Hey baby!" Petey said on the other line. I fought back the urge to squeal like a little fangirl. I fought to keep myself under control.

"Yes, Petey?" I asked. There was a slight pause on the phone.

"I have to talk to you about something," Petey said slowly. My face dropped a little bit.

"Okay..." I said as I was walking to the bathroom. "What is it?" Petey took a moment before speaking. Uh-oh. This is bad. Don't tell me it's over now.

"You know that Ashlee is pregnant, right?" he asked.

"Right," I said. "What about it?"

"I have filed for joint custody. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

"Sure, sure!" I said. "It's your kid, why shouldn't you take care of them?"

"That'll mean you'll have to be the kid's stepmother," Petey pointed out. "Are you up to that?"

"Yes!" I said quickly by the time I was in the bathroom.

"Are you sure?" my boyfriend asked, unconvinced.

"I have been taking care of Davis for years!" I said. "I can handle it!"

"A kid needs much less care than a baby," he pointed out.

"I can handle it," I said to him much slower.

"Okay," he said at last. "We'll talk about this more later. Among other things."

"Fine," I replied. "I'll see you tonight."

"Okay, love you," Petey signed off.

"Love you too," I said back. We shared a kiss before hanging up. I squealed aloud to myself as I jogged in place a little bit in the bathroom that I had ended up in. Oh yes! This is real! He wants me to be step-mother to his unborn child. He trusts me enough to fill in that role. I know I can do that well. I have practically helped Keisha raise Davis. A baby is different, but I can manage.

I walked out of the bathroom to see my friends crowded around the door. They were all grinning at me. I looked at them slightly confused.

"What?" I asked. The girls didn't speak at first. Sakura chuckled at me. I raised an eyebrow at them.

"You heard everything?" I asked. My tone was just too happy to reflect my usual annoyance with my noisy friends. Nessa smirked at me.

"Rosie's going to be a mommy!" she cheered. I rolled my eyes at her.

"Step-mother!" I corrected. "Why do you guys have to be so noisy all of the time?" Nobody answered me, of course. They all just giggled at me. I only rolled my eyes again. Why bother? I'm not in the mood to get mad lately. I'll let 'em slide. But just this once.

"Whatever," I mumbled. "Let's just go." I walked down the hall. But does it matter? I'm happier right now. I will be even more so after the divorce!

How Did We Ever Go This Far?