Katelyn was just joking around, tossing out ament without a second thought.


    Autumn was in her fifties-pregnancy at her age was pretty much unheard of. Most women she knew had already gone through menopause.


    But sometimes, a jokends in a way you don''t expect.


    Autumn''s heart did a little flip. She thought of all those years she hadn''t gotten pregnant, how her body had never really recovered after that miscarriage. It just wasn''t in the cards for her-at least, that''s what she''d always believed.


    She pressed a hand to her nose, her face a touch pale. "Katelyn, you always mess with me. It''s probably just my stomach acting up. I haven''t had much of an appetitetely. Honestly, if I told anyone I was pregnant at my age, they''dugh me out of the room."


    "What''s so funny about that?" Katelyn grinned. "You and Mr. Walker never had kids-maybe Riverdale really is good for the soul. You never know. It''s never toote for a woman to have a baby."


    Katelyn''s words lingered in Autumn''s mind, stubborn as a weed.


    She barely touched her dinner, just ordered a sour plum drink and sipped it slowly, lost in thought.


    Lately, she''d been craving sour things. Anything else, anything too rich, just made her queasy.


    After dinner, driving home, it hit her-her period really waste this month. On a whim, she stopped by the pharmacy for a pregnancy test.


    At her age, buying a pregnancy test felt beyond embarrassing. She put on a mask, bundled herself in her coat, sneaking around like she was up to no good. Back home, she slipped into her room, feeling like a teenager up to mischief.


    She knew she was probably overreacting, but she just had to be sure. She took the test, nerves jangling.


    Those few seconds waiting for the result felt endless.<fn6192> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel</fn6192>


    One line. Then... two?


    Autumn stared, wide-eyed, at the two red lines. Was this real? Pregnant, at her age?


    Not trusting her eyes, she took another test. And another. All three were positive.


    First came shock, then a rush of joy, then a flood of anxiety and dread, mixed with a pinch of fear.


    Because this baby... might not be Mr. Walker''s.


    After all these years without a child with Mr. Walker, and now, after just one night with Devin Brown-she was pregnant.


    Chances were, this was Devin''s child.


    Autumn had never dreamed of bing a mother again, not at this age.


    She''d wanted a child for so long. Maybe, just maybe, herte daughter Julie hade back to her, just in a new way.


    Tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks. She gently touched her belly and made up her mind-this child was staying.


    Mr. Walker wasn''t home yet, so Autumn destroyed all evidence of the tests. She yed it cool, telling no one about the pregnancy.


    The next day, she went to the hospital to get the news confirmed.


    "When was yourst period?" the doctor asked.


    "The eighth," Autumn lied, deliberately giving ater date. She needed the timing


    to match up, just in case Mr. Walker started asking questions.


    A few days'' difference-no one would suspect a thing.


    The results were clear: she was pregnant.


    With the date she''d given, she was now forty days along.


    Autumn took


    report, a mix


    delight and nerves swirling inside her. "Doctor, do


    you think it''s safe for me to have a baby at my age?"


    The doctor was gentle but firm. "You''re fifty-five. This is a high-risk pregnancy. I really think you should talk it over with your family."


    Autumn understood-she wasn''t really being encouraged to go through with it.


    She nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."


    But her mind was made up. She asked for prenatal vitamins and whatever she''d need to help the baby.


    Medicine in hand, she left the


    hospital. She thought about calling


    Devin, but she knew his p fourteenew


    personality


    If he found out, hed have leverage


    over her, and she couldn''t let that


    happen.  s


    She wasn''t stupid. She wanted the baby, but the father could never be Devin.


    She didn''t contact him. With the


    velhet


    pregnancy report tucked away, didn''t matter whose child it


    was everyone would believe it was Mr. Walker''s.  s


    Back at Southridge Estates-


    Katelyn showed up again, trying to win over her grandkids.


    Anastasia was home, too. Chatting in the living room, she asked offhandedly,


    "Mom, how did your mahjong game go with Mrs. Walker yesterday?"


    Katelyn rolled her eyes. "Don''t remind me. Three people walked away winners, and I was the only loser." She hesitated, then added "Oh, right-Mrs. Walker said she was feeling queasy yesterday. I teased that maybe she''s having a miracle baby at her age. Maybe I should give her a call, just to check in."  s