Chapter 1 | new surprise
Walking home, I felt exhausted. I had homework and essays waiting for me.
When I got home, Mom was still at work. I took advantage of the quiet—my older sister, Alice, loves to stir up chaos, and I always end up feeling like I’m the oldest one.
Sitting at the kitchen table, buried in my homework, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Mom. Expecting the usual updates—something about being stuck at work or bad traffic—I was shocked when I saw her message:
“Rey, I’m pregnant!”
Mom
I sat there, staring at my phone, my mouth hanging open. “I’m going to be a big sister.” My head was spinning, trying to process how this had happened. Just then, another text popped up.
“Your sister will be home soon. Hope you all get along.”
Mom
I couldn’t help but chuckle at how hopeful Mom was that we’d actually get along.
An hour later, Alice finally came home.
“Hey,” Alice said, her voice casual, but there was a smirk on her face, like she knew something I didn’t.
Suspicious, I raised an eyebrow. “Mom’s having another baby.”
Alice froze. Then that familiar look—surprise, mixed with a little confusion—crossed her face. “Did you read my mind? How did you know?”
I just stared at her, deadpan. “Mom texted me.”
After a beat, the conversation shifted as Alice scanned the room. “Wow, the house is clean!”
She sounded almost impressed, which I wasn’t sure how to take. “Yeah, I cleaned it,” I said, a little smugly. “What would you do without me?”
She blinked. “I... I cleaned it by myself.”
When Mom finally came home, we were already in bed, but I could still hear her footsteps as she walked in and sat down.
Lying there, I thought to myself, Mom does so much for us, and now she’s carrying a baby in her belly.
