Master of his heart (Max and Brielle)

Peyton's eyes flared up with a fiery anger. "Damn it," she muttered, "if I ever run into that jerk, I'll definitely give him a piece of my mind!"

"Emma, just take it easy at home today. We're not streaming. We're not exactly hurting for cash at the moment, so let's wait until you're feeling better." Emma nodded, looking as pale as a ghost, and sank into the couch nearby.

The house was always spotless, thanks to Peyton's meticulous cleaning. Lately, she'd been making chicken soup non-stop, but just the smell made Emma queasy.

She craved something with a kick but wasn't sure what Beaconsfield had to offer. Hesitantly, she said, "Mom, I really feel like something spicy."

Peyton's face lit up at the suggestion. "You want spicy, huh? They say craving spicy means you're having a girl."

Living together in the cramped space for months, Emma had once mentioned wanting a daughter, which Peyton hadn't openly opposed, but she seemed a bit off about it.

In their town, folks thought daughters were a burden; once they were grown, all you got was a dowry. A son, though, could bring a wife home to care for the family. To them, raising a daughter was like raising someone for another family, while a son was an asset.

Peyton had been hoping for a grandson, but Emma's reasoning and desire not to upset her had started to change Peyton's old-school thinking. Now, she could even joke about it.

"I'll whip up some spicy dishes tonight. Let me run out and grab some groceries."

"Okay."

Emma, too drained to tag along, curled up on the couch, gently cradling her growing belly.

With three months to go, she could only fit into her roomiest down jacket.

Her phone buzzed with a message from her boss.

Feeling unwell?

Yeah, the morning sickness is pretty rough.

Since Emma had been upfront about her pregnancy, there was no point in hiding it now.

Weren't you going to meet with your boss? Have you figured out what to say?

I'll just tell him the truth. Lying's not right. I considered hiring someone to pretend, but my boss is too sharp. He'd see right through that.

When she praised his smarts, Dustin smirked and raised an eyebrow but stayed silent, his fingers idly spinning his phone.

Boss, thanks for understanding. I was worried about backlash after being honest with you. I know being pregnant before marriage isn't ideal, but I didn't see this coming until it was too late. I thought about ending the pregnancy because of the stigma back home. Leaving with my mom was humiliating, but as the baby grows, the initial bitterness fades, and now I just hope for a safe birth.

Dustin could only imagine how tough it was for a woman to face pregnancy out of wedlock in a conservative community. Society seemed to always blame the woman, while the man involved usually vanished into thin air.

He'd been set on having a serious talk with Emma, thinking she should consider ending the pregnancy-not for the company's sake, but for her own.

Reaching this point in her life hadn't been easy, and it seemed reckless to risk everything for a man or a baby.

In his view, a woman shouldn't sacrifice her career for a man. Men might change, but a career and the security it brings are constant.

Yet, reading her message about moving past her initial sadness, he found he couldn't bring himself to persuade her.

He tapped his fingers on the desk, then couldn't resist replying.

Do you love the baby's father?

Emma's response was quick, showing she'd given this a lot of thought.

I don't love him, nor do I dare to. I'm out of his league. Coming to Beaconsfield made me see the huge gaps between people, way beyond what ever imagined. Once I realized this, knew we had no future. Let him be the moon in his sky.

She'd once basked in the moonlight, but that didn't mean she could selfishly pull it from the sky.

Growing up, when others gave her and her mother disdainful looks, Emma dreamed of a day when her hard work would lead to success.

But when the time came for college and she couldn't afford it, even her teacher, who had felt sorry for her, cut ties.

The few thousand dollars that stood between her and Beaconsfield was also the distance between her and her dreams. She had never imagined how rough the road to success would be, with time and distance being such harsh adversaries.