Chapter 96: Jessica Rollins

The pregnancies were progressing rapidly, and Jalen was starting to feel the full weight of what it meant to have seven women carrying his children simultaneously.

Sydney was feeling the brunt of it. She was due any day now.

Her belly was now unmistakably round, and while she still carried herself with grace and elegance, the discomfort was undeniable.

She was dealing with swollen feet, back pain, and constant exhaustion. She had also completely abandoned her usual heels in favor of flats, something Jalen never thought he’d see.

Despite her struggles, she refused to slow down too much, still handling her job like a pro, despite Jalen constantly imploring her to ask for more remote working days.

Kristen, Megan, and Rachel, who all ranged from about one to three months behind Sydney, were starting to feel the heavier symptoms too. There was frequent fatigue, emotional swings, and intense cravings.

Just the other night, Rachel sent Jalen on a late-night mission to find her chocolate-covered pickles, a combination that had even Jalen questioning her sanity.

Karla, Heidi, and Chrysti, who were a bit behind the others, were finally beginning to show, and the reality of their situation was becoming more and more tangible with each passing day.

Heidi, despite having finally escaped her father’s control, was dealing with waves of anxiety about balancing law school, impending motherhood, plus ignoring the text messages from her mother begging her to reconsider her choices and come home. Sylvia was texting Heidi at least once a day with either a plea to come home or a bible verse that she thought was relevant to the situation.

Heidi would only respond about half the time. She reminded her mother that there was no longer a place for Heidi in her old home in Bartow County. She had already moved on and fully focused on her new life.

Chrysti was beasting through her pregnancy. While she still suffered from the common symptoms like nausea and fatigue, she almost never asked Jalen for help with anything. When he was with her, she just wanted to enjoy his company, not have him do things for her, despite Jalen offering to help at every chance.

Jalen did his best to be there for all the women, but even he had to admit that it was a lot. His time was stretched thin, and he found himself in a constant state of motion, bouncing from one woman to the next. He made sure they had what they needed, offering comfort, attending doctor’s appointments when he could, and most importantly, reassuring them that they weren’t going through this alone.

One Wednesday evening, he sat on the couch in Megan’s new home, rubbing her feet after she complained about how swollen they were.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, baby,” Jalen said with a tired smile. “I love y’all, and I’m beyond excited for these babies to get here, but I am tired as shit.”

Megan chuckled, sipping on the smoothie he had made for her. “Welcome to parenthood, Jalen, and the babies aren’t even here yet.”

Jalen groaned, leaning back against the couch. “Don’t remind me.”

Across town, Sydney was lying in bed, propped up on pillows, texting in the group chat they had all finally created to keep everyone in the loop. Even Rachel had come around to it. Her responses gradually grew more and more frequent as the weeks went by.

Sydney: “How’s everyone holding up? I feel like a freaking planet at this point.”

Kristen: “Same. I put on one of my old blouses for work today, and the button popped off. Almost hit my coworker in the eye.”

Megan: “Lmao. Jalen’s over here looking like he fought in a war. I think we’re wearing him out.”

Rachel: “Good. Now he knows how we feel.”

Chrysti: “I still can’t believe this is my life.”

Heidi: “You and me both lol.”

Karla: “Honestly, hearing y’all going through the same shit I am is more therapeutic than I thought it’d be.”

Back at Megan’s house, Jalen, seeing the messages roll in on Megan’s phone, couldn’t help but smile. Yeah, this was crazy and overwhelming, but damn if he didn’t love these women and the family they were building together.

The following Saturday, something really wonderful happened.

The seven women gathered together on their own accord at Megan’s house and they just ... hung out.

It wasn’t planned. It started off with Megan texting the group chat and inviting anyone who wanted to come over to drop by. Heidi and Karla were the first to accept the offer. Then Sydney and Kristen, who were actually hanging out together at Kristen’s apartment, agreed to come too. Finally, to everyone else’s surprise, Rachel and Chrysti each texted saying they’d stop by too.

It all happened naturally without Jalen orchestrating it or any forced effort. In fact, Jalen wasn’t even in the chat they all texted in.

For the first time, it wasn’t just about Jalen, the pregnancies, or the insane circumstances that had brought them together. They were just hanging out and actually enjoying each other’s company. Even Chrysti looked comfortable.

Sydney and Kristen sat on the couch, watching an old romantic comedy while munching on popcorn. Megan was in the kitchen making a smoothie, mixing together a combination of peanut butter, banana, and kiwi that only she seemed to enjoy.

Rachel and Karla were in a corner, deep in conversation about a true crime podcast they were both obsessed with, while Heidi and Chrysti sat on the floor, painting their nails and laughing about something that happened in one of Heidi’s law classes.

For a moment, there was no tension or drama. It was just these seven women who had all been thrown into this crazy, unconventional situation, finding comfort in each other’s company.

At one point, Sydney put her hand on her belly and let out a deep sigh.

“You okay?” Kristen asked, pausing the movie.

Sydney nodded, smiling. “Yeah ... Just thinking. This is nice, isn’t it?”

The others paused, exchanging glances.

“It is,” Karla agreed. “I don’t think any of us expected to find sisterhood in this, but ... here we are.”

Megan smiled, taking a sip of her smoothie. “It is pretty wild. We should do this more often. Without Jalen.”

Rachel laughed. “Right? That man is running himself into the ground trying to be everywhere at once. I almost feel bad for him.”

“Almost,” Chrysti added with a teasing smile.

Heidi grinned as she finished painting her nails. “I’m just glad I have you all. I thought I’d be doing this alone, but ... I’m not.”

The room went quiet for a moment, not awkwardly, but with a shared understanding as they all smiled and nodded in agreement to Heidi’s words.

They were all in this together. Seven women, seven different personalities, seven different journeys that had somehow intertwined into one extraordinary story, and for the first time, they weren’t just Jalen’s women. They were each other’s women, too.

While the seven women were together at Megan’s house, Jalen himself was at his apartment comfortably sunk into his couch, controller in hand, locked into an intense Call of Duty match.

He was in his element: sweatpants, t-shirt, socks on, fully relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. The past few months had been chaotic, but at this moment, there were no court cases, no threats, no crises. Just him and the game.

KnockKnockKnock

Jalen turned around at the sound of knocking and frowned. he sighed as he quit the game and put the controller down. He wasn’t expecting anyone.

He got up, stretched, and peered through the peephole.

It was Jennifer Rollins.

Jalen exhaled sharply. Of all people...

He hesitated. For a brief second, he debated not opening the door, but that wasn’t his style. He swung the door open, keeping his expression neutral.

They were silent for a moment, staring at each other before she finally spoke.

“Hi...” Jennier said softly. Her nerves were evident in the way she shifted slightly on her feet. “Can we talk?”

Jalen leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed.

“I don’t know,” he said bluntly. “Last time I saw you, you basically accused me of ruining your life.”

Jennifer winced. She knew she deserved that.

“Jalen...” she started, her voice quieter now. “I was wrong for yelling at you that day, and I’m really sorry.”

Jalen’s expression didn’t change. “Thanks,” he said flatly. “Well, at least you don’t have to agonize about choosing me anymore.”

She flinched, the words clearly hitting her hard. She stared at him, taking in the coldness in his voice and the hurt behind his eyes.

She knew she had done that. She knew she had hurt him.

Jalen, the man who had never manipulated her, pressured her, or deceived her, and who had shown her nothing but patience and care...

She had attacked his very character when she yelled at him. She had made him feel like the villain, when in reality, she had wanted him to finish inside of her. She had stayed in his lap, she had clung to him, and then she had blamed him for it.

Jennifer swallowed hard. Her face full of guilt and like she felt sick.

“ ... Can I come in?” she asked quietly.

Jalen didn’t move at first. He let the silence stretch, studying her carefully. Then, after a beat, he stepped aside, letting her in.

She walked in slowly, standing awkwardly in the middle of his living room as he closed the door behind her.