About that Night

My name is Winston Joon. I'm not your typical 23-year-old Korean girl. I was born in America but moved to Korea when I was five and returned when I was nineteen, so I'm in my senior year of college. I have heterochromia. The left eye's gray, and the other, my right eye, is hazel. I work at an ice cream shop, but I'm still broke as hell. I have three brothers and a sister. My dad died when I was fourteen, so it was just my brothers, sister, and me. My dad was an A-list model both here and in Korea, and he left an enormous inheritance for us. Still, none of us were eighteen, so my mom, being the traditional person she is, put it in a CDC we can only have access to when we get married. I'm not even sure that's legal, but knowing my mom, she probably scared the bankers into making it legal. Two of my older brothers already got their share when they married, so it's just me, my sister, and my other brother left. Seven weeks ago, I woke up next to a married man, butt naked next to him, who was also butt naked. It's not rocket science to figure out what went on. We had s*x. Even though I was drunk, I remember what happened clear as day. The problem? I know his wife, and I know him. His wife is my sister's best friend. Grayson and his wife, Kiki. They have a daughter named Rosalia. Kiki, even though she went through hell with her fertility to try and have her child, doesn't acknowledge Rosalia. Grayson doesn't catch you as a father type. He definitely doesn't act like a normal one, but he treats his daughter like a princess, and it's pretty hot.  Grayson is s*x on a stick, standing at six feet two inches, his orangish reddish hair coming in at volumes, his thick British accent, and his blueish grayish eyes. You would think Grayson's an innocent man, but his gaze burns, and his hands do wonders-. He's a married man, Jesus. When I woke up, he was still sleeping. I almost wanted to kiss him, but instead, I pondered how I got there and quickly dressed and ran from the scene. That night I dreamt about everything that had happened—fast forward seven weeks. I went from a 38b in bra size to a 36c. I am not too happy about that. Big boobs bring unwanted attention and unwanted back pain. I wondered how I gained weight; I play volleyball every day and go to tournaments monthly and keep a strict diet because of it, only cheating at parties, which doesn't happen too often. I have crazy cravings like cookies and cream ice with chocolate bars melted on top and additional melted marshmallows. I've never even heard of that, and I just made it up in my head while at work. "Winnie! Pay attention," My sister, Talon, shouts at me. Talon is 24, and she has a son, Dori, with her fiance, which my mom is not proud of but adores Dori. "Sorry, I'm just hungry." I smile sheepishly. "Again?! This isn't like you, Winston." My brother, Zaro, raises an eyebrow. He's 21 and also a broke college student. "You've also used the bathroom way too many times!" I shrug. "I hadn't been feeling normal since that party five weeks ago. Someone must have had a bug or the flu or something," "Well, suck it up for now because customers want their goddamn ice cream!" Talon hands me a cup of ice cream. "Table six, go serve and give me the next order!" I immediately do what I'm told. After work, I drive to my apartment, where Talon, Zaro, my friend Nessira and I live. Having roommates lowers the rent, so there's many of us in a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment. "What's wrong with you Winnie, you're always on your A-game." Talon brings her hand up to my forehead. "I've been gaining weight, making crazy cravings in my head, having to pee millions of times, and I'm always so hungry," I complain. Talon and Nessira look at each other, and Zaro scoffs. "Geuleom neon imsin-iya, jagiya," (Then you're pregnant, girl). I shake my head and snort. "Very funny, Zaro I-," Grayson rings in my head. Nessira notices me pause. "We need a pregnancy test; You might be having a pregnancy scare," Nessira puts her crocs on. "I'll go get one." She heads to the pharmacy, and I know Talon is going to interrogate me. "Who did it? Who's giving you this pregnancy scare?" "Or pregnancy," Zaro snickers, biting into an apple while I glare at him. I look at her for a long time, and she scowls back at me. She knows I'm not a virgin, but I could be considered a virgin due to my inexperience and horrible first time. I haven't had s*x since I was eighteen years old, and that was only once, so she knows something's up. "Winnie, the longer you wait to tell me, the worse my ideas of who the father becomes." I sigh, and Zaro sits next to me, waiting for my response. "I don't want you guys to judge me because I know my answer is nothing to what you guys expect." Zaro shakes his head impatiently. "No judgment, just say two words, first and last name." Talon nods in agreement. "I don't know his last name, but his name is Grayson." Zaro chokes on his apple and falls to the ground, coughing while Talon's eyes bulge. "JOON CHAE-YOUNG, YOU SLEPT WITH MY BEST FRIEND'S HUSBAND?!" I shrink on the couch. "You said no judgment, plus, it was just once." Talon scoffs. "Once?!" Talon chuckles coldly. "You might be f*****g pregnant!" "Nuna neon jug-eoss-eo" (Big sister, you're dead), Zaro says, recovering from what just happened. "What happens if you're pregnant? You have no stable job yet, and you're broke in college! What about mom? She'll kill you!" Fear crumbles me. This baby will not be happy if it comes out wearing hand-me-downs from 2007. I'm beyond scared. "On the other hand, Dori would have someone to play with!" Talon smiles, but I sigh. I accidentally triggered her bipolar tendencies. "Talon, you're about to get married, you're able to afford things for Dori, but if I'm pregnant, it's with a married man, a man with an infertile wife! I wouldn't be able to face her, and I won't be able to afford things. I have to think about adoption." "You could also think about telling him," Zaro suggests. "Yea, I don't want to see you in deep regret. Giving your child away is challenging under any circumstances." Talon and Zaro embrace me. Nessira returns with the pregnancy test, and I run to the bathroom to pee on the stick. Thirty long hours- minutes I waited, and then it was done. I close my eyes. "Open your goddamn eyes, Winston!" Nessira says, pacing around. I open them, two blue ass lines thick and clear. We end up taking five others, and still, they all say I'm pregnant. "I'm pregnant." I say weakly. Zaro stares at the test instructions to make sure we aren't mistaken, but nothing says negative. I'm pregnant. We don't have the space, the time, or the money. Everyone is rightfully worried. Dori lives with his father because our mother would never let Talon move in with Ken, her fiance, without getting married. It wouldn't be fair to shove my baby in here. "Shiiiit." Nessira runs her hand through her hair. Zaro shrugs, and Talon is confused about whether she's happy or not. "You need to tell him. He can't knock you up as a married man and not take responsibility!" I cover my face. "His daughter, his wife, what if I broke up their family and make his daughter hate him?" "There's no way his daughter adores him." Nessira says reassuringly. I breathe calmly. "It's only fair that he knows, though. I mean, even if I didn't want the baby, I would still like to know he or she is out there." Zaro says, still reading the instructions. "Kiki's hosting a surprise birthday party for him in five weeks. You can tell him there as a birthday present." Talon says with a stern facial expression. "Are you serious?!" Zaro and I say in unison. "Talon, what type of married man would want to know that his affair is pregnant on his birthday?!" Nessira says, rolling her eyes. Talon shrugs. "I told her you'd be there! I didn't know you were pregnant." I stand up and shake my head. "I would have a small baby bump by then. There's no way I'm going." "You need to go to the doctor's and get a certain check," Nessira suggests, and I nod my head. "And you have to go, just hide or avoid him." Talon says apologetically. I reluctantly agree, and I should go because Kiki kinda likes me. "Your baby is about the size of a blueberry and about 10,000 times bigger than he or she was at conception. Most growth is concentrated on the head as the new brain cells grow 100 times a minute. The baby is also forming a mouth and tongue. Arms and legs buds are about to sprout, and the kidneys are also getting prepared to do their job." The doctor points to the sonogram, and I see my baby, a whole person growing inside me. I'm seven weeks and four days pregnant. The adoption plan has just flung out the window as I stare at my baby's first picture. I have to tell Grayson. I admire his love for his daughter, and even though he's married, I want it to be the same for this baby too. The doctor gives me my vitamins and leaves the room as I get dressed. "Talon, I'm pregnant." I hand her the picture. "Aww, it's so small." I shake my head. "Please refer to my baby as he or she." Talon smiles. "I'm sorry, he or she is so small." I roll my eyes as we walk out of the hospital.