Archive of Our Own

Pregnant.

Betty could swear her heart stops. Everything stops. The noise of the street disappears and she’s just blank for whole seconds. Then her heart comes thundering back online.

“Oh, my God,” she whispers.

The guy who stood up to give her his seat looks at her sympathetically. “Feeling a little tired?”

“Oh, my God,” Betty moans. She doesn’t know why she turns around and heads back to work. She just knows she has to move. She rushes back to Mode and into her office and then she just…sits.

Pregnant? She can’t be pregnant. No. This is the worst possible time she could be pregnant. She’s finally moving up in her career. This could derail everything. And Matt! Everything’s going so well, so easy and light and unlabeled.

“Oh, hey, I thought you left already,” Daniel says. He was walking past her desk and stops.

“Oh, my God,” Betty says, looking up at him.

“Whoa,” he says. “Betty?”

“Daniel,” she says, and now she’s starting to cry.

“What happened?” he asks worriedly, coming closer and putting his hand on her shoulder. “Is everything okay?”

“I think I’m pregnant,” she whispers.

“Oh, my God,” he says, eyes going wide.

“I don’t know what to do,” she says. Her voice is shaking. “I can’t—I can’t be—I can’t do this.”

“Okay,” Daniel says. “Okay, okay, okay. Okay. Okay! We can—okay!”

“That’s not helping!” Betty says. She’s starting to get shrill with panic and his panic is making her panic more.

“Sorry,” he says. “I’ve never—”

“Well, neither have I!” Betty says. “Wait, really? You’ve never had a pregnancy scare? You?”

“No, obviously, yeah,” Daniel says. “I’ve just never, uh, helped. Supported. Oh, God, I’m a horrible person.”

“You were,” Betty says. “Not anymore. Wait, I can’t comfort you right now!”

“Sorry,” Daniel says. “Yeah. Okay. Um. Do you want to call Matt?”

“No,” Betty says, even before he’s finished the sentence.

“Wow,” Daniel says. “Okay.”

“I can’t—” Betty puts her hands on her head. “We’re not even technically together! We’re taking it easy and not labeling things and no expectations and…” She takes off her glasses so she can cover her face. “This is going to ruin everything. My entire life.”

“No, it’s not,” Daniel says firmly. “We can handle this. Okay. You stay here. I’ll go to the drugstore.”

“I’m supposed to be at home for my dad’s big Christmas/Hanukkah dinner!” Betty wails.

“I’ll call him and tell him we had an emergency,” Daniel says. “I’m a better liar than you.”

“No, you’re really not,” Betty groans. They’re both horrible liars.

“Okay, well, it’s not actually a lie,” Daniel points out. “This is definitely an emergency. Code red, DEFCON five, all the stuff they say in movies when the aliens are attacking.”

“DEFCON five is the lowest threat,” Betty sniffs. “The scale goes the other way.”

“Right now, Betty?” Daniel asks, voice getting high. “Right now you’re going to correct me?”

“I can’t—” Betty has to choke down a sob. Daniel pulls her up out of her chair and wraps her up into a hug. She presses her face into his shoulder.

“It’s going to be alright,” he murmurs. “No matter what, okay? We’ll figure it out.”

Betty pushes back and wipes her eyes. “Thank you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to dump this in your lap. You don’t have to—”

“Oh, please, Betty,” Daniel cuts her off, rolling his eyes. “Like I’m just going to leave you right now.”

Betty laughs shakily. “Yeah, I guess not.”

“Well, I mean, I am going to leave you right now,” he amends. “But I’ll be back. With…you know. The thing you need.”

“Can you also get me some ginger ale and Saltines?” Betty asks.

“Oh, my God, you’re sick and that’s—” he says under his breath. “Oh, no.”

“Stop,” Betty admonishes. “I am already freaking out and I need you to take the wheel this time.”

“Oh, God,” he says, wincing. Then he shakes his head and nods. “Okay. Yeah. I won’t let you down.”

She’d laugh at the fact that he’s treating a trip to the drugstore like a military operation, except it really feels like life or death right now. He leaves and Betty puts her head down on her desk.

She can’t believe this is happening. She’s always been so careful. She doesn’t know how this could be happening. Fine, she’s not on the pill, but she’s never in her entire life had sex without a condom. She can’t believe she could potentially be in the 1% for something and it’s not even something she wants.

Except—oh, God. Now she remembers she doesn’t have to be in the 1%. They did have sex without a condom once in the Bahamas. Betty had felt so light and carefree, so happy to throw all her good sense to the wind and be with him again. And now look where it got her.

She doesn’t do a single thing while he’s gone. She doesn’t check her email or her messages, she doesn’t get a jump on any work, she doesn’t text Hilda. She just sits. She looks down at her stomach. “You better be empty,” she says. She starts to cry again. Oh, God, what is she going to do? What is she going to tell her father?

Daniel comes back to her sitting at her desk, crying. “No, Betty, it’s okay,” he says. “It’ll be okay.”

He pulls out the Saltines and ginger ale and a bracelet. Betty makes a face at him. “I know jewelry is your go-to when women are upset, but is now the—”

“It’s for nausea!” he says defensively. “It says it’ll settle your stomach.”

“Oh,” Betty says, taken aback. “Wow. Thank you.”

“And…” He shows her the bag.

“Jeez,” Betty says. He bought four pregnancy tests, all different brands.

“We should get a few opinions,” he says. “To be sure.”

That’s one of the brands of the tests. Be-Shure. Betty looks at him. “Are you trying to be funny right now?”

“Absolutely not,” he promises. Under his breath, he adds, “Can’t help it if I just am.”

“Did you call my dad?” Betty checks.

“Yeah, I told him I accidentally deleted some stuff on the computer and you’re helping me fix it.” That’s unfortunately really believable. It’s happened more than once.

“Okay,” Betty says. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” She stares at the bag and takes a deep breath. “I guess I’ll—”

Daniel follows her to the bathroom. And then into the bathroom. When she raises her eyebrows at him, he shrugs. “I don’t know!” he says. “I’m trying to be supportive.” It’s a little strange how often they’ve talked in the bathroom, actually, now that she thinks about it.

“I don’t know how to…” Betty has to fight back tears again. “Oh. God.”

“This part I do know,” Daniel says. “Haven’t been through it since college, but you just, uh…you know. Go. And put it…in there.”

“This is the worst day of my life,” Betty informs him.

“But it might not be,” he points out. “Let’s think positive. No! Oh, God, not positive! Negative!”

“Oh, my God,” Betty breathes. “I can’t do this.”

“Sure you can,” Daniel says. “And you really don’t have much choice. So. Go.”

Betty goes into the bathroom stall. At least he doesn’t try to follow her in there. But then she’s very aware that he’s outside. “Don’t listen!” she yells.

“I’m not!” She can hear him start humming. God, this is humiliating. She gets two of them done and then doesn’t have any pee left. Because why shouldn’t this day get worse? She’s definitely crying now. But she takes a deep breath. Two will have to be enough.

When she comes out with just two, Daniel raises his arms questioningly. “I can’t…” Betty makes a face. “This is disgusting,” she moans.

Daniel puts down a paper towel on the counter. “Okay. Put that…okay. I’ll go get you a glass of water.”

“I think two is probably fine,” Betty protests as she washes her hands.

“I feel like this is very much an all-hands-on-deck situation,” Daniel says. “I’ll get water.”

He leaves the bathroom. So now it’s just Betty and her two pee-covered pregnancy tests. She’s going to throw up. He’s back way too soon, though, and he’s followed in by—

Matt. Betty’s stomach sinks.

“Matt,” she says.

“I’m sorry,” Daniel says. “He saw me and I couldn’t think up a lie.”

“Hey, what’s going—” Matt freezes, eyes fixed on the pregnancy tests on the counter. “Are those, um…what are those?”

Betty lets out a long breath. “Pregnancy tests.”

“Okay,” Matt says. “Like for a baby.”

“Yes,” Betty says.

“Is that, um…” Matt glances at Daniel. “That’s not…”

“No!” Daniel says before Betty can work out what Matt’s saying. “Don’t make me punch you again, you jackass—obviously it’s you!”

Betty gasps. “You thought—”

“I’m sorry!” Matt says. “Just—he’s here, helping you, and—okay, sorry, but…” He stares at Betty, eyes wide. “Pregnant?”

“Maybe,” she says. “Maybe not! You know, we’ll find out in, um, two minutes at this point.”

“I hope it’s positive,” Matt blurts out.

Daniel makes a face. “Why would you even say that?”

“Um, why is he still—?” Matt tips his head.

“Yeah, you know what, I should…” Daniel clears his throat. “Betty?”

She hugs him. “Thank you,” she whispers. “Are you going to be in your office? I’ll come tell you.”

“I’ll wait,” he says. He nods at Matt. “Good…luck…?” He shakes his head. “No. Okay. Goodbye.”

He leaves, and Betty’s left staring at Matt in the bathroom. “Why do you hope it’s positive?” she asks.

“I know it’s not the best timing, but come on!” Matt says. “A baby? With you? How could that be bad?”

“Matt, I can’t have a baby right now,” Betty protests. “My career? I’m finally barely where I want to be and this…” She starts to cry. “I can’t! I can’t have a baby! I can’t be pregnant. I just can’t!”

“Okay,” Matt says, holding up his hands. “I’m sorry. Two minutes.”

“Two minutes,” Betty agrees.

They lapse into uneasy silence. Betty fiddles with the bracelet on her wrist. She doesn’t know if it’s helping with her queasiness. Right now she doesn’t think anything would help, because her nerves are shot.

Two minutes feels like an eternity. “So your dad’s waiting for us,” Matt asks. “I, um, I was going to pick up drinks on the way.”

“Yeah, um, he thinks we had a last minute problem with the computers. Our articles on the computers, I mean.”

“Oh,” Matt says. “Yeah, good thinking.”

“Yeah, Daniel thought of it,” Betty says.

Matt nods. “Yeah,” he says. He huffs. “Daniel.”

“What?” Betty asks.

“Nothing,” Matt says.

They fall silent again. Betty looks at the clock. It’s been one minute. God. This is never ending. Maybe she died already and this is hell—standing under the fluorescent lights of the Mode women’s bathroom, watching a countdown that’s never going to end.

It does end, though. Betty and Matt look at each other. Betty takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly before she picks up the pregnancy tests. Daniel got pretty much every kind. The fancy one he got just uses words, and the Be-Shure is a plus or minus. The Be-Shure shows a minus and the fancy one says not pregnant.

Betty screams and claps. “Not pregnant!” she cries, relief coursing through her. She’s jumping up and down. “Oh, God, thank you,” Betty says. She grabs Matt in a hug. “Not pregnant!” she repeats.

“Yeah,” Matt says. “I’m really glad.” He’s not enthusiastic at all. He’s definitely not glad. Betty pulls back and they just kind of look at each other.

“Um…” Betty doesn’t know what to say. “We should, um, probably go,” she says. “You know. Dinner.”

“Right,” Matt says. “We have to stop and get drinks.”

“Yeah,” she says. She wraps the pregnancy tests in paper towels and throws them away. She feels so light as she washes her hands again. God, she’s so happy she’s tearing up and shaking.

She gets her stuff from her office. “Ready?” Matt asks.

“I have to tell Daniel,” Betty says.

“Yeah, because why wouldn’t Daniel be part of this?” Matt mutters.

“Matt,” Betty says. “I was—I didn’t know what to do. I was so scared and freaking out and he was here for me.”

“Okay,” Matt says. He’s not meeting her eyes. “I’ll meet you at the elevators.”

Betty knows something’s wrong there. But she doesn’t think she can do anything about it right now. She goes into Daniel’s office and he whirls around. He sees the tears in her eyes and looks stricken.

“Betty, oh, my God,” he breathes. “Look, I’ve been thinking, and I know you’ll freak out when I say this, but you have…options, you know? We can take care of this, and your dad would never find out. It’s not that expensive, and obviously I’d pay for it. I know some really discreet places. No one has to know.”

“Oh, my God,” Betty says as she realizes what he’s saying.

“And if Matt gives you a hard time about it, I’ll talk to him,” Daniel says.

“Daniel,” Betty stops him. She shakes her head, laughing a little. “I’m not pregnant.”

“You’re not?” Daniel asks. “Oh, thank God.” Then they’re both laughing giddily. “I was panicking, Betty.”

“Yeah, tell me about it!” Betty laughs. “Oh, Daniel, thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” She grabs him and hugs him.

“You’re welcome,” he says. “I’d say any time, but how about this doesn’t happen again?”

“No, definitely not,” she agrees. “I am going to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“Good,” he says.

Betty pulls back and sighs. “Now I have to go have dinner with my family and pretend this never happened.”

That makes him laugh. “Well, you can tell Hilda,” he points out. “She’ll think it’s funny.”

“I just hope my dad never, ever finds out,” Betty says. “And you’d better hope he never finds out how you were going to help me.”

“He’d only find out if you tell him,” Daniel says. He points at her. “Don’t you dare.”

She laughs at him. “But seriously. Thank you. You did a very good job supporting.”

He ducks his head and smiles. “Well, it’s about time,” he says.

She snorts. “Okay. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas,” he echoes. “And Matt…?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a whole thing,” she sighs.

“Ah. Well. Good luck with that.”

“Bye,” she says.

Matt’s quiet in the elevator. And on the way to Queens. And when they stop to get drinks. And on the way to the house. Betty knows she should press him to talk, but she’s just not sure this is a before-dinner conversation. She has a feeling it’s going to be long.

“There they are!” Ignacio says when they come in. “Did you save the day?”

“Daniel did,” Matt says, only curt enough that Betty picks up on it. She blows out a breath. Definitely a long conversation there.

“Oh, well, good for him,” Ignacio says proudly. “He needed a win.”

Matt is tense all through dinner, but it’s Hilda Betty really starts to worry about. She’s laughing way too loud at everybody’s jokes and avoiding Archie’s eyes. Something is definitely up with her. And Bobby keeps looking at her, too.

“Hey, Hilda, can you come help me?” Betty asks.

“Help you what?” Hilda asks.

“Upstairs,” Betty says. “I need…”

Hilda nods, realizing dawning on her. “A sweater. Yeah. Let’s go.”

“What?” Ignacio asks, but they ignore him and run up the stairs.

“Girl talk, Grandpa,” Justin says sagely.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Betty asks once they’re in Hilda’s bedroom.

“What’s going on with you?” Hilda counters. “Matt’s barely said three words.”

Betty sighs. She leans her head in closer to Hilda’s and whispers, “We were late because I was taking a pregnancy test. Negative, thank—”

“Oh, my God!” Hilda interrupts in a whisper-shriek. “I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Betty whisper-shrieks right back.

“I just took the test before dinner.”

“Oh, my God,” Betty says. “That is so weird. What are the chances?”

“Do I look like I know math?” Hilda says. “And Papi's friend Jean is the one who sold me the test!"

"Oh, my God," Betty says. "Again, the odds of that."

"Betty, stop talking about odds!" Hilda cries. "God, I don’t know what I’m gonna do! It’s—” She stops. Then she closes her eyes and whispers, “It’s not Archie’s.”

Betty gasps. “You cheated on him?”

Hilda nods, crying now. “It was so stupid, okay, I know it was!”

“And you weren’t—you know. Careful?”

“Obviously not!”

“Who?” Betty asks, but then it clicks before Hilda tells her. She gasps again. “Bobby?”

“I just—I couldn’t help it,” Hilda says.

“Wow. Your news is way bigger than mine,” Betty says.

“Wait, but if it’s negative, why is Matt all freaked out?” Hilda asks.

“Because he said he hoped it was positive.”

Now Hilda gasps. “Is he crazy? You can’t be pregnant right now! You’re too young. And what about your job? No way.”

“I know,” Betty agrees. “But I guess he didn’t think about all that. And he was mad that Daniel was helping me.”

Hilda pauses. “Daniel was helping you?”

“I didn’t know what to do,” Betty says. “I totally freaked out. And I just ran back to work because…I don’t know! And Daniel was there and he found me crying at my desk. And Hilda, oh, God, he was so sweet about it. He went to the drugstore and bought a bunch of tests for me and crackers and ginger ale and this nausea bracelet thing. Anyway, Matt was mad that I didn’t call him.”

“Well, I guess I can see why,” Hilda says.

“Not like you called anyone,” Betty points out.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t on your side, jeez!” Hilda complains. “But yeah, Matt’s already all sensitive about you and Daniel anyway.”

“What? He’s not sensitive about me and Daniel.”

“That one time Daniel punched him or whatever,” Hilda says. “He was being a jerk about you and Daniel.”

“Oh, well, yeah,” Betty says. “But that’s not really the same. He was just lashing out and Daniel happened to be the target.”

“And that is a big thing for Daniel to be helping you with.”

“I was totally panicking!” Betty defends herself. “All I could think was…what would I tell Papi?”

“You figure it out,” Hilda says miserably.

Betty hugs her. “Oh, Hilda, it’s going to be okay.”

Hilda takes a shaky breath. “I have to break up with Archie.”

“Yeah,” Betty says. She doesn’t see what else Hilda could do.

“I’m such a horrible person,” Hilda wails quietly into Betty’s neck.

“You are not,” Betty protests, rubbing her back. “You made a mistake.”

“Girls!” Ignacio calls up the stairs. “Are you coming back down?”

“Oh, God,” Hilda says. She’s crying harder now, pressing her hands over her mouth.

“It’s okay,” Betty soothes. She squeezes Hilda tighter. “It’s going to be okay.”

“Hi,” Archie says, coming in the doorway. He looks at Hilda. “I have a feeling we need to have a talk.”

“Um…” Betty looks at Hilda, who nods and squares her shoulders. Betty kisses her temple and leaves them to it.

“What’s going on up there?” Ignacio asks at the bottom of the stairs.

Betty winces. “Well. We’re about to say goodbye to Archie.”

Ignacio winces, too. “Oh, boy.”

Justin sighs and heads to the kitchen. “I’ll go make sure we have ice cream.”

It’s not long before Archie leaves, and then Bobby leaves, and then Jean leaves, and then Betty looks at Matt and has a feeling he’s going to be leaving soon, too. Sure enough, he looks at her and says, “I should get going.”

Betty walks out with him. “Hey,” she says. “We should probably talk about it.”

“About what?” he asks.

“Matt,” Betty says.

“There’s not much to talk about,” he says. “It’s a moot point now.”

“Yeah, but we should still talk,” Betty says.

“About how you didn’t want to tell me?”

Betty sighs. “Matt, come on. I was so scared. I was freaking out! It’s not like I was thinking straight.”

“And when you were so scared and freaking out, who did you run to?” Matt says.

“Matt, that’s not—” Betty tries.

“Not me,” he says. “Even though I was the one who should’ve been in it with you. Even though I’m the one you’re dating.”

“I didn’t run to him,” Betty protests. “I was in my office and he walked by and noticed how upset I was.”

“But you’d already left. Why did you go back to Mode?” Matt asks.

“I don’t know,” Betty says. “I mean, what was I going to do, buy a pregnancy test and take it at home and hope my dad didn’t find out?”

Matt crosses his arms. “So you asked Daniel to go out and buy the test for you. And Daniel was going to wait with you.”

“Matt, I was panicking,” Betty defends herself. “Daniel’s my friend, and it would be way more complicated with you because we’re not labeling anything. I had no idea how you’d react.”

“Yeah. And I reacted wrong, didn’t I? I didn’t react how you wanted. And Daniel did.”

“This is not about Daniel,” Betty says, frustrated.

“No, you’re right,” Matt says. “It’s about us. And how I’m never the first one you turn to when you need something. Am I not dependable enough for you, Betty?”

“It’s not about being dependable!” Betty insists.

“But it wasn’t even on your mind to come to me,” Matt says. “If I hadn’t walked in, would you have even told me about this scare at all?”

Betty opens her mouth. She doesn’t know what to say. “I…probably,” she says. “Eventually.”

“Probably,” he echoes. “Eventually.”

“Matt,” Betty tries.

“You absolutely did not want a baby with me,” Matt says.

“I don’t want a baby with anyone right now,” Betty says. “I don’t want a baby at all.”

“Ever?” Matt asks.

“I’m not saying not ever,” Betty says. “But I’m—” She sighs. “Matt, my mom gave up everything for us. And I know that’s what I’ll do for a baby, too. But I…” She swallows hard. “I’m not ready for that. I like my life right now. I like my career. And I’m working to get my career even more where I want it. A baby would ruin that. That’s something for the future.”

“I know it isn’t the right time,” Matt says. “But will you look me in the eyes and honestly tell me if you see that in our future?”

Betty huffs. “Matt…”

“You can’t,” Matt says. “You don’t want to have kids with me.”

“I don’t think we should even be thinking about this!” Betty protests. “We haven’t even put a label on things this time and it’s been so—”

“I want a label, Betty!” Matt says, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I want a label and a future and kids.”

“Matt, things are going so well right now,” Betty tries, starting to feel a little desperate. This is starting to feel like it’s heading somewhere a lot more final than she had in mind when she started this conversation.

Matt’s starting to tear up. “I’m not what you want,” he says faintly. “Not long term. Not for real.”

“I’ve thought about it!” Betty says. “I’ve been trying not to get ahead of myself, but I’ve still thought about it.”

“But for whatever reason, you really don’t think you can turn to me when you’re freaking out,” Matt says. “And that’s the truth.”

Now Betty’s starting to cry, too. “I’m sorry. I—it wasn’t something I thought about.”

“Yeah,” he says. “Unconsciously, you just knew you didn’t want to run to me.”

“It wasn’t…” Betty doesn’t know what to say. She can’t change the fact that she didn’t run to him. And he’s right—she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to deal with his emotions while she could barely handle her own. She always feels like she has to manage him and remind him of everything, and that does impact how she sees their future.

Matt nods. “Okay.”

“Matt, come on,” Betty says.

“You didn’t want a label,” he points out, voice hollow. “So here you go.”

“Matt,” Betty says.

“Goodbye, Betty,” he says quietly. Then he walks away. He doesn’t look back.

Betty wakes up with puffy eyes. Not too bad, in all honesty. She could pass them off as a too-late night rather than a night spent crying with Hilda. They’d curled into Betty’s bed and cried over their broken hearts.

Well, Hilda’s heart isn’t fully broken. Just bruised, mostly. She’s more guilty than brokenhearted. And truthfully, Betty’s doesn’t feel fully broken, either. She doesn’t want to even think it, but there’s a tiny part of her that feels…relieved. They still had cracks in their relationship that they hadn’t fixed. Now it turns out maybe those cracks were bigger than she thought. Or bigger than she’d wanted to admit, anyway.

But work is going to be just awful. She doesn’t know what she’s going to do when she sees Matt. And she doesn’t know what he’s going to do. It was bad enough the first time around. She can only pray he doesn’t throw that little scare back in her face.

She goes to Daniel’s office first. And as she’s stepping inside, she remembers what Matt said about running to Daniel. She shakes that thought away.

“Hey,” she says.

“Hey,” he says. “How are you?”

Betty huffs. “I’m fine. Thank you. Not freaking out anymore.”

Daniel raises his eyebrows. “So the fact that Matt quit is…?”

“What?” Betty gasps.

“You didn’t know?” he asks.

Betty sighs. “Um, no. But I can figure out why. We…broke up.”

“Oh, Betty, I’m sorry. Because he wants a baby right now?”

“No, I mean—I don’t think he actually wants a baby right now. He was just excited if it did happen. He was mad that I didn’t call him right away.”

Daniel tips his head. “Yeah, I guess I can see that.”

“It wasn’t like it was on purpose,” Betty defends herself. “I was freaking out.”

“I know,” Daniel says. “But I mean, I did ask if you wanted to call him. And you said no.”

“I just didn’t want to—” Betty sighs.

“I get it,” Daniel promises. “You couldn’t freak out if he was there.”

“Exactly,” Betty says, glad he gets what she’s thinking. “But I guess he thought…when I was freaking out, I should’ve thought of him.” She cringes. “I kind of get his point.”

“Yeah,” Daniel agrees. “But on the other hand, that was a way scarier situation for you than for him. He can’t get that mad that you were worrying about yourself first.”

“He, um.” Betty peeks over at Daniel. “He said I always go running to…you. First. Before anyone else.”

Daniel raises his eyebrows while he thinks that over. “Well, I mean, we’re friends,” he says. “We’ve been friends for longer than you’ve known him. And I always run to you when I’m freaking out. I don’t think it’s weird that your panic-brain went to the familiar.”

“Exactly,” Betty says. She’s relieved without really knowing why. She’s not sure why she was worried Daniel would think it was weird. He jumped right in to help.

“I’m always so glad when you run to me,” Daniel goes on. “Makes me feel like I’m contributing something to this friendship.”

Betty laughs. “You contribute plenty. I promise.”

“Well, I got you something,” Daniel says. He passes her another bag from the pharmacy. Betty looks inside and gasps.

“Daniel!” It’s the Plan B pill.

“Just in case,” he says. “For next time.”

“There’s not going to be a next time,” Betty insists. “I’m going to be more responsible. With…whoever. In the future.”

“How can you be more responsible?” Daniel asks. “You’re already the most responsible person I know.”

“Well, there were some…gaps,” Betty says. “Let’s just say.” She shakes her head. “God, I’m so glad I’m not pregnant.”

“Yeah, that would be terrible timing,” Daniel agrees. “I mean, at least you’re not a teenager. But you’re finally an editor. Now’s really the time to ramp up your work ethic and hours. Though, for the record, I fully believe you’d make it work. You can do anything. And Meade has a generous family leave policy, by the way.”

“Really?” Betty asks. She doesn’t remember reading about it in the benefits paperwork.

Daniel blinks. “Well…we will, by the time you ever do need it.”

That makes Betty laugh. “Watch, you’re going to put in an on-site daycare or something.”

“Daycare,” Daniel echoes. “Oh. Yeah. That’s…something people need. Okay.” He leans over and writes daycare on a notepad on his desk.

Betty’s actually kind of charmed by that while she laughs at him. He’s never had to think about these kinds of things. Probably everyone he knows has a full-time nanny, even if both parents don’t work. But he really does try to be a good boss. He just needs people to point out his blind spots.

“Anyway. Thank you so much for being there for me, Daniel.”

He waves a hand. “Hey, it’s absolutely the least I could do. I mean, you helped me get out of a blackmail situation. And you almost died because of a woman I was dating. And you rescued me from a cult.”

“I also helped get your mother acquitted of murder and sort of helped you kidnap DJ,” Betty says. “Just, you know, if we’re listing things.”

Daniel laughs. “Right. So I owe you at least four more pregnancy scares.”

Betty laughs, too. “Okay, great. I’ll hold you to it.”

“No, Betty!” Daniel says, all worried.

Betty laughs at him. “I’m kidding! No more.”

Marc comes in then. “Oh, hi, Grandma.”

“At least I won’t have to avoid Amanda anymore,” Betty realizes. She thinks it makes perfect sense that seeing Marc reminded her of Amanda. She can’t be the only one.

Marc scoffs. “You think you’re avoiding her? She’s avoiding you.”

“Well, you can tell her coast is clear,” Betty says. “Matt and I broke up.”

“Aw,” Marc coos. He rolls his eyes. “I don’t care.” He fully turns his back on her to address Daniel. “Are you ready for that thing we’re working on?”

“Oh, right,” Daniel says. “Yes. Yeah. Be right there.”

“What is that?” Marc asks, wrinkling his nose at the pharmacy bag as he heads back toward the door. “Is there something wrong with you medically? Do you have a fungus? Did he buy you an ointment?”

“Ew,” Daniel complains. “That word is so gross.”

“Why would I make Daniel buy me something for a fungus?” Betty asks. “If I had a fungus, I wouldn’t tell anyone. I’d be way too grossed out and embarrassed.”

Although, if she’s being honest, there’s a good chance she would end up telling Daniel at some point. That’s kind of embarrassing to realize.

“I don’t know, you two are so weird and obsessed with each other he’d probably get the same fungus out of sympathy,” Marc says. “Come on, lover boy, we have things to do.”

Daniel rolls his eyes at Marc’s back, but Marc’s out of Daniel’s office before he can say anything else. Betty wonders if she should read into the fact that two people in two days have mentioned how she and Daniel are weirdly close.

But do either of these two people count? Matt was upset with her and jealous, and Marc is…Marc. He’s always made comments like that about them.

Betty shakes that thought away. “Are you scheming with Marc now?” she asks.

Daniel shrugs. “Tiny bit of scheming,” he admits. “But it’s for the good of the magazine. No one’s going to get hurt.” He thinks over what he just said. “No one who doesn’t deserve it is going to get hurt.”

Betty gives him a look. “Like I wasn’t supposed to end up being Tornado Girl?”

Daniel makes a wounded little noise. “This is not like that!” he insists. “And I honestly can’t apologize for that more than I already have.”

Betty waves a hand at him. “No, it’s okay, I’m over it.”

“You know the saying is forgive and forget,” Daniel says under his breath.

Betty rolls her eyes at him. “Oh, go scheme with your new BFF Marc.”

Daniel snorts. “Are you jealous?” he teases. “Don’t worry, Betty, no one could ever replace you. Promise. You’re the best I’ve ever had.”

And of course Marc had just walked back in to hear only the last sentence. “Oh, my God!” he says. “Right here in the office? Where my innocent gay ears have to be accosted?”

“There is nothing innocent about any part of you,” Betty protests.

“That’s true,” Marc says, preening. “But seriously. Please keep it in your pants, boss man. I already sent off your dry cleaning.”

“Wouldn’t that mean I shouldn’t keep it in my pants?” Daniel asks. “So I don’t get more pants dirty.”

“Okay,” Betty says. She can tell she’s bright red now. She does not need nor want to be privy to this conversation. “This has been great. Thank you again,” Betty says to Daniel, tapping his desk.

“You’re welcome,” he says.

As she’s leaving, she hears Marc ask, “So what’s the hair situation like under the hood?”

“I’m going to fire you or punch you,” Daniel threatens. “Your choice.”

“I’ll accuse you of a hate crime either way and we both know it,” Marc says immediately.

Betty snorts and walks back to her office. She runs into Amanda before she gets there. “Hey,” Betty says. Amanda looks at her and then looks away without saying anything, starting to walk off. “We broke up,” Betty calls out. “Again.”

Amanda pauses but doesn’t turn around. “You did?”

“Yeah. Last night. And Daniel said he already quit.”

Now Amanda turns around. “What did you do to him?”

Betty is absolutely not sharing her pregnancy scare with Amanda. They’re friends, sometimes, but Amanda’s mouth is bigger than Hilda’s, and this is not something all of Mode needs to know. “We just weren’t really on the same page about our future,” Betty says evasively.

“Oh,” Amanda says sympathetically. “Like the fact that you don’t really have one because you’re already70?”

“I’m younger than you are,” Betty points out.

Amanda laughs. “Sure, Betty. Whatever you say. I know the elderly get confused sometimes.”

Betty rolls her eyes. “So can you please stop avoiding me?”

“Me? Avoiding you?” Amanda asks. She laughs again. “Please. As if I even give you a thought.”

Betty huffs. “Okay,” she says. But she does feel better. She and Amanda aren’t always friends, necessarily, but Betty really did hate hurting her like that.

“What’s with that hideous bracelet?” Amanda calls as Betty walks away.

“Oh.” Betty looks at her wrist. She actually forgot she left that nausea bracelet on.

“It goes with your outfit as much as anything ever does,” Amanda says.

Betty chooses not to respond to that. On the scale of Amanda responses, that could be a compliment. Betty goes into her office and reaches for the bracelet to take it off. Then she stops. She feels very silly, but she kind of wants to…keep it on. Not because she feels sick—because she feels sentimental.

It was just a very nice thing Daniel did for her. She was terrified out of her mind and panicking, and he really stepped up. It’s meaningful. It’s not like it’s the first time he’s stepped up for her, and she knows it won’t be the last. But it was the scariest moment of her life in years. The fact that he was there for her and so helpful is important.

So she leaves it on. It’s dumb and kind of embarrassing, but she doesn’t care. Daniel notices it later that day and frowns. “Are you still feeling sick?”

“No,” Betty admits. She shrugs. “I just like the bracelet.”

That makes him laugh. “Wow, Betty, I can get you way better jewelry if you want.”

“I can get my own jewelry, thank you,” she says imperiously. And she can. Mostly. Okay, she hasn’t very often, but she could if she really wanted to.

“You know, when I was buying all that, the lady at the drugstore asked if my wife was pregnant, and then I panicked and said, my wife is dead, and it got super awkward.”

Betty cracks up laughing at him. “I can’t believe you were panicking that badly. You had no responsibility in that situation.”

“Betty, I care about you!” he says defensively. “If you’re panicking, I’m panicking.”

“Well, thank you,” Betty says. “You did a very good job, Daniel. Great in a crisis.”

“Maybe not great,” he points out.

“You were perfect for what I needed,” she says firmly. She pats him on the arm. “You have officially made up for not being helpful in your pregnancy scares in college.”

“I should probably look those women up,” Daniel says, chagrined. “Send them…something expensive.”

Betty snorts. “Well, that would be nice of you.”

“I’m really thoughtful now,” Daniel says. Betty makes a face and a skeptical noise. He elbows her, laughing. “Okay, fine, call someone else next time! Like the guy who actually had a hand in it.”

Betty groans. “I guess I wasn’t really thoughtful, was I?”

Daniel shrugs. “I never liked Matt anyway.”

“Wait, really?” Betty asks.

“He was mean to you!”

“Well, he was nice first,” Betty says. “And yes, then he was mean, but then he was nice again.”

“He shouldn’t have been mean to you at all,” Daniel says stubbornly.

“You were mean to me,” Betty reminds him. But then she feels a little bad for bringing that up when he’s more than made up for it, so she adds, “Once.”

“I was mean to you as your boss when I barely knew you. I wasn’t a petty ex who couldn’t be professional. I’ll have you know I’ve kept it professional with every employee I’ve slept with.”

Betty shakes her head. “Oh, my God.”

Daniel winces. “Okay, I have to go make some calls and spend some money.”

Betty laughs. “Good luck with that.”

He walks off and Betty heads back to her desk. Unbidden, something he said comes back into her mind: the guy who actually had a hand in it. She has a brief flash of—something. It’s not a fantasy or anything; it’s not even really a fully formed thought. She just thinks for one second what it would’ve been like if Daniel had been the guy who had a hand in it.

Betty kind of jumps at her own thought. What the hell was that? What a weird thing to think. She shakes her head to get that thought out of it. It’s been such a weird few days. She needs to focus on work so things can get back to normal.

But every time she catches sight of the nausea bracelet, she smiles. She likes having the reminder of that moment, the good part of such an awful day. A nice memento of her friendship with Daniel. Betty gets back to work with a smile on her face, and she stops thinking any weird thoughts.