The friends arrived at Hana’s parents’ house, and they seated themselves near the door.

Logan motioned for Hailey to scoot over so that he could sit beside Hana, and Hailey obeyed. When he sat down, Hana looked at him and thanked him for his support from before. He sent her a smile in return.

Mr. Evans coughed, deliberately demanding for his daughter’s attention on him. “They want to speak with you, not me.” He made sure to draw a line so that she wouldn’t misunderstand.

Hana broke a smile. “Yeah, I know. But I didn’t come to talk about anything. I come to talk about Lucas.”

“Lucas?” the family said in sync.

“That’s its name?” asked Kathy, the middle daughter.

“I have a baby, not an ‘it.’ I’ve always referred to your children by their names, so as adults, I expect you to do the same for my child too.” As she spoke, she trembled with fear.

Logan nodded. He believed only he should have the special right to name-call the brat.

The Evans looked away with embarrassment.

Yvonne started the conversation. “Hana, we want you to have an honest discussion with us. About everything. Especially about how you believed you were treated.”

“I will because we all deserve that.” Hana took a quiet deep breath and curled her fingers under her to gather her strength. “But, honestly, you guys should have nothing to say to me.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sarah. She was the daughter who eloped with her boyfriend-now-husband. She was the mother of three obnoxious and violent boys.

“I’m the one who caused everything, not anyone else. Not even Lucas.” She pursed her lips. “I bottled my feelings and emotions and never spoke of them.” She gave her family a firm look. “But I don’t and will not regret this decision. He’s my miracle, my blessing.”

Mrs. Evans placed her hands over her chest. “Hana, please. You’re so young. Give him up for adoption, and come back—”

“Is that what everyone wants me to come here and listen to? I said it before on the day I walked out. I’m not coming back. Nothing will make me.”

“But we’re your family,” said Sarah.

“Not anymore.”

The room was quiet.

Hana felt bad after saying what she had said, but she continued. She had to. “I did some thinking, and I know I’m still young, but I know I’ve matured beyond my years.” She interjected a rhetorical, “And how did I know that?” She smiled. “Because I had been a mom to all the fourteen kids you have altogether. I have never hated watching your kids, but it became tiring and stressful when I couldn’t have days to myself. Then, my son came to me.”

Hana stood up, and her friends jolted up too.

“You said you raised me,” continued Hana. “You didn’t. I raised myself.” She looked at her friends. “Let’s go.”

Mrs. Evans got up and grabbed her daughter’s arm. Tears dripped like rain. “Wh-where are you going?”

Hana removed her mother’s hand from her arm. “Home. Home, where Lucas is waiting for me.” She walked out the door, and her friends followed her out except Logan.

He waited until his friends were out of sight and then said to the Evans, “It sucks that she couldn’t grow up in a more supportive and understanding environment, one that didn’t judge her or tried to keep her at bay. It’s about time she’s free to spend the rest of her youth the way a young and single teenage girl should.” He headed to the door and then turned around to look at the Evans. “You guys had pushed her to the limit.” He carved the guilty expressions he managed to steal from the family in his mind as he closed the door behind him. He turned around, went after his friends, and watched Hana from the back.

“Hana?” questioned a wary Hailey. “You okay?”

Hana nodded. “I’m free.” She slowly smiled. “I’m free, guys.”

The gang crowded around her, giving her hugs and encouraging her.

*

“I can’t wait to eat this,” said an ecstatic Hailey as she sprinkled the cake in front of her.

It was the weekend, and everyone had slept over at the new house on Friday night so that they could prepare for the Saturday house-warming party Jake had begged endlessly to happen.

Jake entered from the kitchen sliding door from the backyard for some water. He was outside with the other guys.

Hana came over from the stove to check up on the cake. “Nice. Looks good.”

Feeling satisfied, Hailey said, “I should be a chef.”

Jake shook his head. “Don’t you mean baker? A baker bakes, a chef cooks. There’s a difference. Just stick to your makeup and fashion, lady.”

Hailey put her hands on her hips. “Seth! Jake’s being mean to me!”

Within seconds, Seth entered the scene with the tongs, clamping it multiple times to threaten Jake before the boys ran around the house in a playful manner.

The girls ignored them.

“What time are they coming?” asked Hailey to Hana.

“Around two, I think.” She glanced at the time on her phone. “So, any minute now.”

“Hana!” shouted Logan from outside. “Get me water!”

Hana sighed. She looked at the two boys fooling in her living room. “Jake, your job. The brat outside wants his water.”

Jake and Seth called a truce and went out again.

“So, how you feeling?” asked Hailey, starting a new conversation with Hana.

“About what?”

“Lucas and the new life.”

“I love it, actually. Even though it’s kinda the same as before.” She turned off the stove and placed a lid over the pan. She turned around and walked to Hailey. “Just never thought I’d move out like this, you know. I’d always thought it’d be because of college or something.”

Hailey nodded, understanding.

Just then, the boys ran inside the house all at once, making the girls confused.

Hana asked, “What’s going on?”

“They’re here!” answered Logan, running to the door to open it.

The girls followed the boys to the door. Seconds later, they saw Hugo carrying Lucas in his car seat.

Hana took the car seat from Hugo, placed it on the ground, and unbelted a squirming Lucas out.

“Wow, you’re good,” said Hugo, rubbing a shy hand behind his neck. “I had to practice that at home, and I still can’t do it without sweating.”

“‘cause she’s a veteran mama,” said a proud Hailey.

Everyone laughed.

Hugo sniffed the room. “I guess I’ll miss out on the food.”

“Who said it was for you?” joked Logan.

Hana walked to Hugo with Lucas, held out his hand, and waved it toward Hugo. With a baby voice, she joined Logan on the tease at the older guy. “Yeah, Uncle Hugo. The party’s for me, not you.”

Hugo tried to crack a smile. “U-uncle?”

Logan took this as a cue to stand beside Hana. “That’s how you’re gonna be related to him.”

The left-out friends changed looks with each other, confused at the conversation shared in front of them.

“Are-are you saying…” gasped Hugo, almost smiling.

In sync, Hana and Logan said, “We’re the Hart family.”

*

The party was on standby.

Everyone was outside, and Lucas was asleep in a nursery center placed in the living room that Hugo had bought as a goodbye present. He bought over many useful items that took him two days to gather: two cribs, one for downstairs and one for the bedroom; a baby bathtub; a bouncer; two strollers; a car seat; and three different nursery centers. He even bought diapers, wipes, and some baby clothes. After handing the gifts, he left to do his errands.

“I can’t believe…” began Jake.

“…you two…” added Seth.

“…are…” said Hailey.

“…legally married,” the friends said altogether.

Except for Logan and Hana, the friends’ eyes were glued to the copy of the copied marriage license form.

Hailey backed away and walked to Logan and Hana. “How come any of this wasn’t mention to us?”

“Well, we didn’t think it’d be a huge deal,” Logan answered, and Hana nodded.

“You are married! To each other!” Jake exclaimed.

Hana came over and corrected them. “No, we’re not. We’re working.”

“Working?” asked Seth.

Logan sighed. “My brother said this is for protection in case anyone questions us or if we come across a situation where we need to prove our relationship with the brat. We were hesitant at first, but he said that we just have to think of it as a position for the job he’s hired us to do.”

“And that is?” Hailey asked impatiently.

“Him, Daddy.” Hana began pointing. “Me, Mommy.” She smiled as if it was nothing wrong. “Those are the positions.”

Logan added, “And our responsibilities are to act accordingly to those positions.”

Jake gasped. “So, so!” He rushed to the virtual couple with a grin. “You two have to sleep together and do that like a married couple?”

Logan and Hana jumped. “Eww, no!”

Hana laughed. “Just the responsibilities of a family in general, not to each other like husband and wife.”

Hailey became flustered. “I still don’t see the need for it though.”

“Well, we don’t know how soon he’ll find Lucas’s parents,” Hana answered, “so, to be on the safe side, we decided to have a license…and if by the time he turns five and his parents aren’t found, Logan and I have agreed to get a mutual divorce or an annulment then.”

“Who’d get to keep the baby?” Seth asked.

Logan pointed to Hana. “She will with Lucas and everything. Knowing me, I probably won’t be as attached to the brat as much as her.”

Hana smiled in delight, and the friends agreed.

The friends were quiet. They were still processing the absurdity of the marriage.

Logan clapped once. “Come on, guys. It’s not a big deal. Hana and I are still the same people. Nothing’s changed.”

Jake let out a laugh. “Hana’s now Mrs. Hart.”

Hana rolled her eyes in a playful manner. “Besides that.” She ushered her friends to the table so that they could start eating.

“Then, what about the bills and how are you two going to balance school with Lucas?” Hailey asked as she sat next to her boyfriend. Her boyfriend passed her the salad bowl, and she thanked him. She picked up her spoon. “We’re gonna be seniors soon.”

Logan glanced over at Lucas to check up on him. “Every billing paperwork goes straight to wherever my brother is. As for school, we’ll do just fine.”

“His brother has connections with this nearby daycare center,” Hana added, “and Lucas will be there,” Hana added.

Jake was astounded. “Wow, you guys got everything planned.” He drank his orange juice. “Hey, I’m still curious though.” He smirked. “How is the bedding assigned?”

She scowled at him. “Is that all you think about?”

He nodded. It was the only thing he had been thinking.

“Well, too bad, too sad. We sleep in separate bedrooms. Lucas and I are in the master bedroom, and he is in the room diagonally across ours.”

Seth commented, “Be careful, you two.”

Logan and Hana looked at him.

“If it gets out that two underage teens are living without any adult supervision and with an infant, who knows what could happen.” He grabbed his drink. “It’s worse than having the principal find out about your situation.”

“Ah, the school principal!” Jake and Hailey exclaimed at the same time.

“Don’t worry,” said a casual Logan. “My brother got us an adult to name if we do come across trouble like that.”

Jake raised a brow. “Who?”

“I think…Kevin is his name?” Hana answered. “Apparently, he’s Hugo’s good friend.”

*

It was four o’clock in the morning and hearing the scuffling noises of Lucas, who was sleeping right beside her, Hana immediately woke up to check what was wrong. It was just a wet diaper that needed to be changed. She was a light sleeper, so any sound that was at least as loud as a buzzing fly would wake her up. Because he was fully awake now, he didn’t want to go back to sleep. This meant she had to stay awake, so she got up and carried him. Now that she was awake too, she played and talked to him in her baby voice but had to keep it low since her friends slept over, and they were all sleeping in the living room.

Logan happened to open his eyes and saw them together. He smiled to himself when he saw a happy Hana play with Lucas.

*

Hana woke up to the sound of the television. She rubbed her eyes. She realized it was too bright to be early morning. She immediately stood up and saw Logan sitting on the couch with a water bottle in his hand and a remote in the other. She looked around. “Where’s Lucas?” She looked around again. “Where’s everybody?”

“They left. Hailey got a text from her spy about her father doing something, and Seth’s trying to stop her. Jake tagged along for the fun of it.” He smiled when he got to the sports channel. “The brat’s sleeping in his nursery center.”

She looked at it clearly and saw that Lucas was in the nursery center. She got up. “Why didn’t you wake me up to say goodbye?”

“I wanted to, but I figured you wanted to sleep.”

She picked up the blankets and pillows and stacked them on the floor.

“You stayed up with him when he woke up in the middle of the night.” He looked at her. “It’s my job to let you sleep extra hours to make up for it.”

Happy, she bounced over to him. With puppy eyes, she asked, “Did you, perhaps, make breakfast?”

He scoffed, pinched her cheeks, and then pushed her away. “As if.”

She stood up and dragged herself to the kitchen. “Fine, I’ll cook food for myself then. What a mean and heartless husband I got.”

He chuckled and went after her. “Stupid, go get washed up. I’ll heat up your breakfast.”

She immediately swirled around and gave him a hug. “Yay! You made breakfast!”

They pulled away from the hug, but he stared at her.

She innocently asked, “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head and joked, “You’ve got drool on your face.” He pinched her cheeks again.

She shoved his hands away and shyly touched her cheeks. “I don’t drool.” She left the living room and headed upstairs to her room and into her bathroom. She turned on the water and washed her face. She then brushed her teeth. Looking into the mirror, she saw the new surroundings that showed her that now…it was just them.