"What just happened here ?" Tabitha asked herself as Lance hung up. She stood for a few moments, just holding the phone and staring at it in puzzlement.

"Is everything OK ?" Darden questioned with concern as he removed the phone from her hand and placed it back on the base.

"Yeah, I guess it is. Lance just told me that he's dropping the custody case and that he won't bother us anymore."

"Really ?" Darden was astonished by this turn of events.

"I think. Pinch me just to make sure I'm not dreaming again," Tabitha requested in her dazed state. Ouch!" she proclaimed as Darden complied.

"I guess you're not dreaming," he replied with a chuckle. "What was his reasoning for dropping the suit ?"

"He didn't really give a reason, he just said that he had changed his mind."

"That sounds kind of weird, doesn't it ? Why would he give up like that ?"

"I don't know, but I'm just glad that all that is over. I just want to get back to a normal life."

Get back to a normal life is exactly what they all did. A few weeks after the strange phone call from Lance, Tabitha found out that she was pregnant. Darden was so excited that she nearly had to peel him off the ceiling. He called all of his relatives and friends the night that she told him the news. Of course the first person she told after Darden was Justin.

"You're pregnant ?"

"Yep. I just found out today. I'm due in March."

"That's awesome. Are you going to call Lance and tell him ?"

"No. Why would I ?"

"Because I know that he would want to know about it."

"Why ?"

"Because he's still in love with you."

"What on God's green earth are you talking about ?"

"Tabitha, don't tell me that you didn't know about this. He's been in love with you forever."

"Jujubee, have you been drinking ?"

"Tabbers, I'm not making this up. That's why he tried to get Ariel back. He wanted to get you back too."

"Ok, then why did he back off on the whole custody thing ?"

"He saw how much it was hurting you and that it would be difficult for you so he changed his mind. He still wants Ariel to know who her real father is,though."

Tabitha couldn't believe what she was hearing. Lance was still in love with her ? It didn't make sense at all. He had been dating Laura for three years before they got engaged six months ago. "Wait a minute, what about Laura ?"

"He broke off their engagement last week. Laura was so upset that she moved back to Mississippi to get away from him."

"I thought that Lance still lived in Mississippi." Tabitha was confused by all of this.

"No. Where have you been ? He moved back here right before you guys moved back."

"I still don't believe that he's still in love with me. Who told you ?"

"He did." Justin's words stunned Tabitha.

"When ?"

"Last week. I could see it, but he denied every time I asked him about it. I'm sorry if I upset you, but I just thought you should know."

"This is going to take some time to process. What am I supposed to do about it ? I'm married to Darden and I'm having his child. I would never leave Darden because I love him and only him."

"I'm glad to hear that because I didn't want Lance's confession to break up your marriage and neither did he."

"Then why did he tell you about it ?"

"He said he had to tell someone and since he couldn't tell you, he told me. I don't think he's going to act on it or anything, but he just couldn't take the secrecy any longer."

"Wow. And I thought I had big news for you." Tabitha was blown away by the fact that Lance was still in love with her. It didn't change her feelings for him, but it made the events of the last few years very confusing.

"Sorry to ruin your big moment," Justin apologized.

"No, it's OK. Look, I need to go. I have to go to the office today to finish a project that's due on Monday. I'll talk to you later." Tabitha hung up and turned to find Darden standing behind her.

"What was that all about ?"

"Oh nothing. Just a little chat with Justin to tell him the good news."

"Why did Lance's name come up then ?"

"Does it matter ?" Tabitha sighed. Darden was sounding a little jealous and it worried her.

"Yes. Why would Justin bring up your ex-boyfriend's name when you told him that you were pregnant ?"

"He just thought that I should tell Lance that I'm pregnant."

"Why ?"

"I don't know. His explanation didn't make much sense to me," Tabitha fibbed.

"Which was ?"

"OK, fine, if you're going to drag it out of me. Lance is still in love with me, but I don't care. It doesn't change my feelings about him or you."

"I know that. I just wanted you to tell me the truth," Darden smiled as he hugged her and left the room. Tabitha tried to shake off the bad feeling she was having about Darden. He had been acting kind of creepy lately and she didn't know why. She hoped that the baby would bring them closer together.

Tabitha was putting the finishing touches on the baby's nursery when the doorbell rang. She put down the blanket she was folding and slowly made her way downstairs to the front door. She couldn't believe who was standing there when she opened the door.

"Lance ? What are you doing here ?"

"Whoa. When did this happen ?" he asked, pointing to her swollen belly.

"About nine months ago. I thought Justin or somebody would have told you."

"Nope. Nobody said anything about you being pregnant."

"Sorry. Now, what are you doing here ?"

"I needed to talk to you. Maybe this is a bad time." Lance was beginning to rethink his intent for being there.

"No, come on in. It's just the two of us here, well, actually the three of us," Tabitha quipped lamely as Lance walked in and sat down on the couch. She struggled to sit in the chair beside of him and finally he reached over and helped her sit down. "Thanks. It's getting a little harder to do the simplest things these days."

"So I see. When's the baby due ?"

"Um, any day now. So, what did you want to talk to me about ?" Tabitha inquired, hoping that her gut feeling about this conversation was wrong.

"I can't do this, I think I'd better leave."

"Lance, please, just say whatever it is."

"It sounds so stupid, especially now that you're pregnant. I came here to tell you that I'm in love with you and to ask you to leave Darden and come back to me," Lance blurted out.

Tabitha stared at him in shock. She knew that he was going to confess that he was in love with her, but she hadn't been expecting the last part.

"I'm sorry. I know that's the dumbest thing in the world to ask. If I'd known you were pregnant, I wouldn't have even come here."

"Lance, I'm sorry, but I just don't feel the same way you do. I did a long time ago, but not anymore. I love Darden and I could never love anyone else."

"I knew that, but I just needed you to know how I feel."

"I appreciate you being honest with me. I feel like this is the first honest conversation that we've ever had."

"Me too," Lance agreed. "What's wrong ?" he asked a few seconds later as Tabitha turned pale.

"I can't believe this is happening now, but I think I'm in labor," she stated through gritted teeth.

"Oh my gosh. What do you want me to do ?" Lance questioned anxiously as he stood up and helped her out of the chair. She paced the floor, holding her stomach and breathing heavily.

"Call Darden at work and tell him I'm in labor. I'll call Ariel's school and tell them that Justin will pick her up. Then I'll call Justin and ask him to pick her up," Tabitha rattled off her mental list of things to do before she went to the hospital. She clenched her stomach and bent over in pain as another contraction hit.

"Look, I think you need to go to the hospital now. Let me take you and I'll call everyone for you once we get you settled in."

"OK." Tabitha agreed only because she was in too much pain to disagree at this point

Lance paced back and forth in front of the door to Tabitha's room. She was going to deliver any minute and Darden still hadn't shown up. Justin was in there with her now, trying to calm her anxiety about Darden's whereabouts

"Man, she is going to kill Darden when he shows up," Justin commented as he walked into the hallway. He had scratch marks on his arms from Tabitha's fingernails. "I thought she was going to kill me while I was in there. Lance, are you ok ? You look like you're the expectant father instead of Darden."

"I feel like this is some kind of sign. You know, me showing up at her house on the day she goes into labor. Maybe I'm supposed to be her with her this time since I missed Ariel's birth. Kind of like a second chance."

"Are you crazy ? Even if that were true, I don't think you really want to be in there with her. She is in so much pain and I think she'll kill any male that goes in there."

"Justin, she's having a baby, not a serial killer on the warpath for revenge."

"Say what you want, but I still don't think it's a good idea."

"If Darden doesn't show up soon, I'm going in there. I don't want her to be alone again while she's giving birth," Lance said with determination.

"She won't be alone. I'll stay with her. I think it'd be better for her best friend to be there than her ex-boyfriend," Justin refuted. Lance merely shook his head and resumed his pacing.