The Moment of Truth Yoko was the first to know about Ginger’s first pregnancy. Eventually, Ginger told her mother about it. She had decided not to tell Jake at all, as he’d been dealing with a lot of issues at the time, most notably the guilt of accidentally killing his own father in defense of his sister and then his favorite half-sister hating him for it. Their little spark of life had withered before it even began, and Jake hadn’t needed that extra bit of sorrow and stress right then.
Since then, there had been a few late cycles, but no positive tests. Not until recently.
Now, though, now there might be need to share some information with her boyfriend. Mom didn’t know yet. Yoko didn’t either. This time, it was Jake’s right to know first. This time it hadn’t ended in unexpected menstruation only days after she tested positive. She was in her second month since that test, with two completely missed periods, and she was starting to hope maybe this time it wouldn’t end in dashed hopes.
She was starting to fear maybe her hopes wouldn’t be mutual.
She was certain it was going to change everything between her and Jake, but for good or ill, she couldn’t guess. What they had now was good, but not permanent.
She wasn’t a proper wife for a proper pureblood, and getting herself pregnant just proved that all the more. His family would not approve, not even a little. Well, she thought his siblings liked her well enough, but the important Mangers? Not so much. She was one of those anarchist muggle loving California Pierces, after all. She was half-blood. She didn’t have a father. The only box she didn’t have checked against her was that her family actually was quite wealthy and powerful in its own right, but it wasn’t a family any respectable purebloods wanted anything to do with. She’d managed a seven year truce with the Wolseithcraftes, being friends and roommates with Jemima, but that was worlds different than having a child together. The Managers hadn’t objected too strenuously to Jake taking her to the school ball, but that could be ignored as childish impropriety that could be outgrown.
This was going to force the issue.
And Ginger wasn’t sure which side Jake was going to take if an ultimatum got laid down.
Truthfully, she wasn’t sure which side she wanted him to take. Her family was just as much against her taking a husband as his was against him taking her specifically as a wife. The California Pierces were dangerously short of actual Pierces and the only boy under thirty spent every day wearing fancy dresses.
Frankly, hopes were not high for any heirs coming from that quarter.
Which meant it was on Elly or Ginger to do so and Elly hit forty-one last September, so a younger sibling for Lenny was looking increasingly unlikely. That left Ginger to produce one, unmarried.
And she had. So far, that was going to plan.
She just wasn’t entirely convinced she wanted to do this unmarried . She thought Jake would make a great dad.
If he asked, she wasn’t sure she could say no.
The only question left was: would he ask? And would it be better for them all if he did or if he didn’t?
And now it was the moment of truth. Ginger propped her broom against the wall near Jake’s door (she wasn’t sure apparation was safe during pregnancy and didn’t want to take chances) and knocked. “Hey, Jake,” she greeted warmly and they exchanged their usual hugs and kisses in greeting. But when she pulled away, her expression was serious. “We need to talk.”
He led her inside, and once they were comfortable and private, she laid out the topic of conversation. “I’m two months pregnant.”