Any relief Dory felt at her initial statement was immediately superseded by her following ominous statements, the reality of which didn't sink in until her hands landed there. Maple was pregnant and, unlike his previous scares, he was most definitely the father. (Regardless of the parentage, Dory maintained he would have married Winnie and raised the baby. That she had chosen an alternate path was out of his control.) Maple was pregnant and unmarried. "Okay," he answered, his head bobbing yes as though it were suddenly attached to a spring. Maple was pregnant with his baby, which meant there were only two feasible options: the route Winnie had chosen or marriage.

Immediately, Dory knew which of the two he'd prefer and thought to voice as much, but the argument he'd had with Winnie weighed too heavily on him to do so. What if Maple decided she didn't wish to raise the baby? What if she'd rather they part ways now and forget the entire affair? What if a marriage to him was, once again, not viewed as the immediate solution?

"Do you - " He began and broke off, taking a small step further into the parlor. Merlin, how was he to approach her about this when a month ago she hadn't known what an erection was? Surely, she knew abortions were possible for what healer wouldn't? His hand came up to cup his jaw as his head still bobbed softly. "Do you know what options you have?" Dory finally asked.

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