Back across the mall, Ryan leans back against a pillar near the baby section, grinning as he watches Macy and Jess hold up tiny onesies and talk about baby names. Billy raises an eyebrow at the scene.
"Okay, man... this is getting wild," Billy mutters. "They're, like... really into it. I didn’t think they'd take the maternity stuff seriously."
Ryan smirks and pulls the device from his pocket. "Time to make things even more interesting."
Billy narrows his eyes. "What now?"
Ryan types quickly into the program:
~Assign Macy and Jess as married. Macy is married to Billy. Jess is married to Ryan. Each girl sees their respective husband as the father of their unborn child. Reality Altered Ryan = Father Of Jess's Unborn Child, Billy = Father Of Macy's Unborn Child~
He hits Enter.
For a moment, the world around them seems to shimmer.
Macy looks up from a pink baby blanket and gasps excitedly. "Babe!" she calls, rushing over to Billy and wrapping her arms around him with a bright, radiant smile. She presses herself against him, her pregnant belly bumping lightly into his abdomen. "You made it!"
Billy freezes for a second but then laughs nervously and puts his arms around her. "Y-Yeah... of course. Wouldn't miss this for the world, honey."
Macy beams up at him. "I was just telling Jess that we should start buying things in pairs, you know? So the babies match! I can’t believe we’re gonna be parents in just five months."
Jess, standing nearby and cradling a light blue baby onesie, stiffens at the sound of another familiar voice.
"Hey, sweetheart." By A Unrecognizable Voice To Jess
She turns slowly to see Ryan (A Name She Only Recognized Due Some Strange Connection She Felt He Had With Her Baby) walking up, a confident smile on his face.
Her stomach flips. She forces a shaky smile. "Hey... um... hi."
Ryan steps forward and without hesitation wraps an arm around her waist, hand coming to rest gently on the small of her back, right above the curve of her new bump. "You doing okay? You look amazing today."
Jess freezes. Her brain screams what the hell is happening, but Macy's joyful laugh pulls her attention back. Macy’s holding Billy’s hand now and chatting about nursery themes like everything is perfectly normal.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine," Jess says quickly, trying to smile despite the alarm bells in her head. "Just... uh, a little tired. You know... pregnancy." She gives an awkward, uncertain laugh.
Ryan leans closer, clearly enjoying the act. "Well, good thing I’m here now. Thought we could grab lunch after this, just the four of us. Family time, right?"
Jess wants to correct him. To scream. To demand answers. But Macy’s radiant expression makes her hesitate. And deep inside, that strange, warm instinct she felt earlier tugs at her—urging her to keep the peace, to act like a good wife, to protect her unborn child... whoever it belonged to.
So she nods, slowly. "Right... family time."
Billy leans over and says something to Macy, who lets out a squeal and kisses his cheek. Jess turns toward the baby clothes again, letting her hair fall over her face to hide the flush of embarrassment.
Ryan steps beside her and picks up a pair of tiny booties. "Think our kid will have your eyes?"
Jess gives a weak smile, holding back a sigh. "Guess we’ll find out... right?"
As the four of them stand there in the middle of the baby aisle—two very pregnant girls and their “husbands”—Macy looks absolutely content, chatting about bassinets and bottle warmers.
Jess, meanwhile, keeps sneaking glances at Ryan. Every time she does, he meets her gaze with a smug, confident smile.
And all she can do is play along… because the alternative feels like it would break whatever fragile sense of reality she has left.