Alyssa got to work just in time, she set her stuff behind the counter

and headed into the back. She was greeted by her co-worker and friend Lisa.

"Hey, Lyssa! Heard you had a HOT date last night!" Lisa said raising her eyebrows as she took a bite of her bagel.

"Yeah! I guess you could say that..." Alyssa said blushing a little as she poured herself a cup of herbal tea.

"So... give me some details!" Lisa said sitting down at the lil table in the break room and crossing her legs.

"Well... I'm in love!" Alyssa said collapsing in a chair.

"Tell... me his name?" Lisa asked.

"His name is Brian, and well... we ran into each other here. We were REALLY good friends in high school, and well...." Alyssa faded off.

"So, what did you do last night?" Lisa asked.

"We went out for pizza, and we talked, then I invited Brian back to my place to meet Brianne...."

"Ooooh! How'd Brianne take to him?" Lisa asked.

"Oh Lisa! I'm so excited Brianne REALLY likes Brian, she called him daddy! And Brian just went with it!" Alyssa started to smile as the scene flashed back into her memory.

"Then what? Did you guys, you know, do it?" Lisa asked.

"LISA?!" Alyssa gasped.

"WHAT?! Can you help if I'm curious? I haven't had a GREAT date like that since high school!" Lisa replied.

"Well... for your information, yeah, we did do it. Oh... Brian was so sweet and gentle!" Alyssa wrapped her arms around herself and smiled.

"YOU GO GIRL!" Lisa exclaimed playfully punching Alyssa in the arm. "So are you going to see him again?" She asked.

"OF COURSE!" Alyssa replied. "Oh, Lis, I think Brian is the one!" Alyssa smiled at her friend.

"Well... it sounds like that to me to!" Lisa replied as she got up and went over to hug Alyssa. "I hope he's the one too, you've been through so much alone, you need a caring guy to be Brianne's daddy!"

"Yeah...." Alyssa said as she got up, and headed toward the cash register.

Alyssa spent the rest of the day doing her usual job of running the cash register, and re-stocking the shelves. At around 6, when she got off duty, she went to the back grabbed her stuff, said goodbye to Lisa and her boss, and headed out the front door. The first thing she noticed when she stepped outside was Brian's Jeep with the B-Rok license plate. On the hood was a dozen red roses. Alyssa picked them off the hood, figuring some fan left them there, but the note caught her eye. It simply said "Turn around" So Alyssa turned around and there was Brian leaning against the brick wall and smiling at her.

"Hey you!" Brian said walking up to her and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Hi! You caught me by surprise! I wasn't expecting to see you here! Oh,where are my manners? Thanks for the roses" Alyssa said.

"No problem... I saw them and realized how beautiful they are. Well...not as beautiful as you!" Brian said as he took Alyssa's hand in his, it felt so warm, Alyssa started to laugh.

"What?" Brian asked.

"I'm sorry, but... boy! You sure know how to make a girl smile!" Alyssa explained.

"That's because I love your smile!" Brian said cupping Alyssa's chin in his hand , angling it towards him, and giving her a long, passionate kiss.

Once the kiss was over, Brian walked Alyssa to HER Jeep, and said "I'll follow you, okay?"

"Sure!" Alyssa replied giving Brian one last kiss before getting in her car.

They drove to the apartments, Alyssa picked up Brianne from Kristen's place, and then they headed back to Alyssa's apartment. They cooked dinner together. Macaroni and cheese to be exact, a favorite of all three of them. Alyssa and Brian sang a duet lullaby to Brianne before she went to bed, and now Alyssa and Brian were sitting together on the couch watching a Jim Carrey movie.

"That guy ALWAYS cracks me up!" Brian exclaimed.

"Yeah, me too!" Alyssa replied.

Alyssa snuggled up against Brian, and sighed with content.

Brian looked down and noticed that Alyssa fell asleep, so he got up, picked her up, carried her into her bedroom, and gently placed her on the bed. Then he laid down beside her, kissed her neck, and fell asleep with his arms around her.

The next morning Alyssa woke up with the same naseaous feeling, and she rushed into the bathroom, just in time to, because she puked.

When Alyssa flushed the toilet, she turned around and found herself looking right into Brian's worried eyes.

"Are you alright?" Brian asked as he put his arm around her, and guided her over to the bed.

"Yeah... I'm fine now! I've just been waking up with these upset stomachs and dizzy spells lately!" Alyssa replied as she sat on the bed.

"Have you been to a doctor?" Brian asked as he rubbed Alyssa's back.

"No... it's weird, it goes away after awhile!" Alyssa said.

"You should still see a doctor, because it might be the flu, and you don't want Brianne to catch it right?" Brian asked.

"I guess you're right. Oh man, I HATE going to the doctors!" Alyssa moaned putting her head in her hands.

Brian laughed "If it will make you feel better... I will go with you!"

"Really?" Alyssa asked.

"Sure! You're my girl, I REALLY care about you, Lyssa..." Brian looked right into her eyes as he said this. "Come on... why don't you take a shower? I'll get Brianne ready!" Brian said.

"Okay, thank you!" Alyssa said as Brian closed the door to her room.

Fifteen minutes later, Brian pulled his Jeep into a parking lot at the medical center. Alyssa opened the passenger side door, and got out. Brian put his arm around her, and they walked into the doctor's office.

"How may I help you?" A smiling nurse greeted them through the window at the counter.

"Yeah... my girlfriend's sick..." Brian said to the nurse gesturing toward Alyssa who was hunched over in one of the seats.

"Oh..." The nurse made a little clucking sound "Poor thing, and you're taking care of her... how sweet"

"Uh yeah!" Brian said smiling back at the nurse.

"Tell your girlfriend to hold tight, the doctor will be able to see her shortly" The nurse said.

Brian took a seat next to Alyssa and put his arm around her. Alyssa suddenly felt so cold all over, she leaned her head against Brian's shoulder, and he warmed her up.

"Alyssa, the doctor will see you now!" The nurse called Alyssa.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Brian asked as Alyssa stood up.

"No... I'm fine!" Alyssa said as she followed the nurse down the hallway.

Once Alyssa was in the examination room, she suddenly felt alone, and wished Brian HAD gone in with her. As if he had ESP, Brian showed up in the doorway. "I'm sorry... I couldn't leave you alone" Brian said as he walked over and gave her a hug.

"I'm glad you're here, Brian!" Alyssa said.

The doctor came in about 2 minutes later, "How are we today?" He asked.

"Ugh! I think I've got the flu, doc!" Alyssa said. "I feel naseau, dizzy, AWFUL!" Alyssa exclaimed.

The doctor laughed as he examined her. "Hmmm..." The doctor said.

"What?" Alyssa asked.

"Alyssa, have you ever taken a pregnancy test?" The doctor asked.

Alyssa noticed Brian's eyes go wide over the doctor's shoulder. "Ummm... not recently..." Alyssa responded.

"I'd like for you to take a pregnancy test... just to be on the safe side" The doctor said as he wrote something on her chart.

"Ummm... okay..." Alyssa replied, her voice trembling a little.

"I'll send the nurse in!" The doctor said as he took her chart in his arms. He turned toward Alyssa and noticed the scared look in her eyes. "Don't worry! It's just to be on the safe side!" The doctor patted her arm, nodded at Brian, and left the room.

Alyssa put her head in her hands, and started to cry.

"Are you okay?" Brian asked.

"No... I'm not okay! Brian, I CANNOT be pregnant! I can't afford to support two kids with my measly job!" Alyssa said looking out the window.

Brian came up behind her, and put his arms around her. "We can handle it together!"

The nurse came in, and gave Alyssa the cup to use. Alyssa walked into the bathroom, and came out 5 minutes later. Then the nurse drew some blood. Half an hour later, Alyssa walked out of the doctor's office with Brian at her side. Both looking somber and nervous. They drove back to Alyssa's place, and Brian having a free-day spent the day comforting and taking care of Alyssa.

END OF CHAPTER 5