Patrick was standing in the kitchen, smiling softly to himself as he took in the scent of the cocoa warming up in the pot. There had been a lot of things happening lately, which had caused the guy not to be able to see Cassie and Evie as much as he had wanted to, so now he had taken the decision and initiative to hang out with them. He was currently in the process of making hot chocolate for him and Cassie and he was hoping that they could sit down and maybe watch a movie or sort out Evie's birth book, as well as all of the pictures that had been taken of her. Patrick didn't care too much about what they did, as long as they spent time together. Hearing footsteps in the kitchen, Patrick turned around with a smile to meet Cassie. "Hey, I'm just making some hot chocolate. Grab a seat, it'll be ready soon."

Cassie had been so confused lately, about everything. She was confused about Patrick and her feelings for him, and she was confused about her parents using her daughter as a way to get their names in the media again. More than anything, she was confused about how anyone could not want to see someone as perfect as Evie, but the text she’d received from Brandon, simply stating: ​Saw your parents interview. Saw you kept it. WTF, Cassidy.​ proved to her that he really didn’t care, and it all just seriously sucked. A few texts back and forth, and Cassie had gotten herself so worked up that she’d told Brandon to meet her. She thought, if she could just get him to meet Evie, maybe he’d fall as in love with her as Cassie had. Maybe Evie would have her father in her life. Maybe they could be a family. No, Brandon wasn’t the one she wanted, but the person who had her heart was just her friend, and as Evie’s father, Brandon was the next best choice. She was shrugging her jacket on as she walked into the kitchen, Evie securely tucked up in her stroller. “I can’t. I have to go somewhere,” she said, her voice a little frantic, “Have you seen Evie’s hat? The white one.”

Patrick frowned as he saw how busy Cassie seemed to be. Was this all about the article that had been published, about her parents? Patrick started to grow worried, knowing how much it all bothered the poor girl. Turning the heat down on the boiling beverage, he shook his head. "No, I haven't," He said, before continuing. "Where are you going? What's wrong?" Patrick assumed that Cassie knew she could tell him everything, so he wasn't sure why she hadn't already told him what the whole deal was. "Are you okay?" He asked her, walking closer to her, seeing how Evie was all covered up, only missing her hat.

Cassie would’ve felt bad, if she’d really been thinking about it. Patrick was trying to do something nice, making hot chocolate that he apparently planned to share with her. She had to admit, a day inside with Patrick and Evie sounded so much better than anything else, but she’d gotten in her head about this now. There was a small pile of baby clothes stacked on the table, so Cassie walked over and began looking through it for the hat. “I’m going to see Brandon,” she said, her tone a mixture of angered and panicked. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to go see Brandon. He saw that stupid interview, he knows I kept her. My parents paid my father not to be in my life, and I’ve always hated them for it. If there’s a chance that Brandon could be in Evie’s, I’m not going to pass up on it,” she shook her head, huffing a little when she couldn’t find the hat. She brought her hand up to run her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Patrick felt his heart sink to his stomach just then. She was off to see Brandon? The guy who had completely abandoned her throughout the pregnancy, because he had been selfish enough to cheat on his own wife with Cassie. Throughout everything, Patrick had always had a bad attitude towards Brandon. He didn't like him at all; he had run out on Cassie and when he was around, he didn't treat her very well. Cassie deserved so much better than that. Seeing how frustrated the girl got, looking for the hat, Patrick walked up to her and grabbed her hand, making her look at him. He was frowning but as soon as his eyes met Cassie's, it softened and he felt his heart pick up. ​No, he couldn't be thinking that right now.​ "She doesn't need him. He doesn't deserve to be in her or your life," Patrick said, knowing very well that he probably shouldn't be saying these things right now, when Cassie already had so many other things on her mind. But he really didn't want her to go off and see him. Swallowing hard, he knew that he was going to get into trouble for what he said next, but he really couldn't help it. "I'm in her life."

Cassie knew that Patrick hated Brandon, and honestly, she really didn’t blame him. He wasn’t a good guy, but the part of Cassie’s mind, the part that’d been scarred by her parents and the situation with her real father all those years ago, was making her not think rationally right now. She just wanted Brandon to love Evie. She wanted her little girl to know that her parents loved her, something Cassie had never known herself. Still not thinking clearly, it caught her off guard when Patrick grabbed her hand, and she looked down at it a little surprised at first, before her gaze drifted upwards to meet his. Then he spoke, and then she was frozen. She just looked at his expression, at the way it softened when she’d looked at him. She looked into his eyes, the way they met hers and didn’t break that connection even for a second. Breaking out of her daze, she shook her head. “Yeah, Patrick, you are. But for how long? What happens when you get a girlfriend, and then you eventually have a baby of your own? Evie isn’t always going to be a priority to you. We’re not always going to be your priority,” she said, her voice soft and sad sounding, more so than she’d meant it to be. She shook her head again, attempting to shake her hand free. “I have to go.”

Patrick listened to her, knowing very well in his mind that he'd probably never really settle down, the way that he wanted to, unless it was with the girl of his dreams, who seemed to a lot more interested in the father to her baby. He knew how important it was to have a good father figure in one's life, but Brandon wasn't good. He wasn't even decent. He hadn't been interested at all in Cassie's pregnancy, so why would he be interested in Evie? Patrick knew that was harsh, but he also knew that he was much better for Cassie and Evie, even if it only stayed platonic. Shaking his head, he let go of Cassie's hand, his eyes locked on her still. "I'm not going to get a girlfriend, and I'm not going to have my own kids with her," He said, swallowing hard because all he wanted was for Cassie to be his girlfriend. "You're my best friend, you're always going to be my priority." He could feel his adrenaline kick in, in his body, wanting so badly to show Cassie that he wasn't going anywhere and that he was going to stay in her life for as long as she wanted him to.

Cassie wanted so badly to believe what Patrick was saying. She wanted so badly for she and Evie to always remain his priority, because she wanted them to be more to him than just his friend and his friend’s daughter. A part of her almost dared to wonder if he was feeling the same way, if that’s why he was so sure that things weren’t going to change for them. She knew it was a stupid thought, though. Why would he want this baggage? Regardless, Cassie could feel her heart rate picking up as she stared at Patrick, unsure of what was really happening here. “That’s not true,” she shook her head again, her eyes never leaving his, “I have to go, Patrick. Let me go.”

Patrick wanted Cassie to stay so badly, he could feel his heart break when she almost begged to be allowed to leave. He didn't want her to. In his eyes and mind, everything would go bad if she did. Of course, that was just Patrick's theory. In his eyes, everything had been so perfect while Brandon had been gone, Patrick had been able to have Cassie for himself, not having to worry about her going off to get hurt again by her ex. Now, she was off to see him again and all Patrick could think about was that she would end up hurt and confused and worried, because the guy would most likely walk out on them again. It was the last thing that Patrick wanted. "Please don't go," He said, stepping in front of her and in her way out of the house. "You're my priority." Patrick whispered, nodding to himself, before taking a step forward. He had no idea what he was doing; well, he did. But he wasn't sure where the courage came from; if it was his determination to see how much he prioritized her, or if his patience had run out. Whatever it was, it was about damn time. His hands grabbed Cassie's face gently as he leaned down, and his lips crashed against hers, passionately and hard, yet gently moving, his eyes closing as their lips touched. He could smell the apple-flavoured lipgloss. Her lips were soft against his, but they fit perfectly together, like two matching puzzle pieces. His heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest and a shiver ran down his spine as his hands moved from her face to her waist, holding her in place, before pulling away after a moment and breathing heavily, swallowing hard. He was so scared of what was going to happen, now that he had literally jeopardized his friendship with the girl that he was in love with.

Cassie was on the verge of just saying fuck it and staying. Deep down, she knew Evie didn’t need Brandon in her life, and Cassie didn’t need him either. It wasn’t going to be the same way for Evie as it was for Cassie. The little girl was going to grow up so loved by everyone around her; she didn’t need the sperm donor that was her father in her life for that. Cassie couldn’t help herself, though. She was in something of a frenzy now, and something was telling her to go. She took a step towards the door, though she was blocked by the very person she wanted to stop her. If anyone was going to do it successfully, it would be Patrick, because saying no to him had always been one of the hardest things for Cassie to do. Attempting to avoid looking into his eyes this time, she simply looked down, shaking her head. “No, I have to go,” she whispered, her voice sounding even sadder this time. She heard him speaking, she heard him call her his priority, and she wanted to believe him. She couldn’t bring herself to look up still, though. Not until she felt his hands on her face, of course, and her gaze flickered up to look at him, her heart beating faster in her chest. She’d barely even had the time to think about it before his lips were against hers, and Cassie could swear someone had let off fireworks around them, as cliché as it sounded. She’d thought about this moment many times before, but now that it was actually happening, she realized she hadn’t been giving it enough credit. It was so much better than she could’ve imagined. Patrick’s lips were soft but firm, they fit perfectly with her own, and she absolutely didn’t want this to end. When it did, both of them pulling back, she was truly speechless. She just looked up at him, breathing a little faster. Her eyes scanned his face for a moment, before she reached her hand up to grab a fistful of his shirt, tugging him gently closer and leaning up to press her lips hard against his once more.

Cassie could barely believe the last 24 hours had actually happened. She hadn’t even been expecting to have the baby yet, she wasn’t due for another week. So, she definitely hadn’t expected to be coming home with a baby in tow today. In fact, she hadn’t expected to be bringing a baby home at all. Laura and Darren were upset about the news that Cassie wouldn’t be giving them her baby, but they understood, and were actually pretty supportive. They gave her the couple cute little outfits they’d brought, along with the baby seat for the car to take her home in. As for furniture, though, Cassie and Patrick’s house had nothing for a baby in it. So, Cassie had spent the entire day on her phone in the hospital bed ordering all of the big items they would need; a crib, a dresser, a changing station, drawers, etc. She’d paid for same day delivery, and everything had been waiting for them once she and Patrick had gotten home with Evie. Now they just had to build it all up… Or, Patrick did. Cassie was busy refusing to put her baby down, and cradled her closely as she made her way to the room that would be the nursery to see how Patrick was doing. “How’s it going in here?” she asked, hovering in the doorway and watching her friend with a soft, content smile. He’d been so amazing this whole time. Cassie wasn’t sure she’d still have her head above water without him.

Patrick was sitting on the floor, his legs spread out, trying to put one piece of something, together with another piece of something; whatever this turned out to be, was going to amaze the guy. At least, he hoped it would turn out, the way it looked like on the guide. Cursing softly to himself as he got his fingers stuck between the pieces, Patrick couldn't help but actually feel content, even though he looked tired. With no sleep for the past 36 hours and a surprising turn of events at the hospital, things had been stressful. He had tried to help Cassie the best that he could through the birth of the baby, and when she decided to keep the girl and bring her home with them, the two suddenly got very busy. While they had guests in the house, they also now had a baby, who needed various things that Cassie had bought. Now, Patrick was trying to assemble all of it, in pure frustration over the fact that the guide didn't show what to do(!) Grabbing a screw from the floor, Patrick's tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated on putting it in with a screwdriver, before he heard Cassie's voice. Keeping his eyes on the screw as he assembled the pieces, he nodded, humming lightly. "I'd love to tell you that it's going brilliantly and that I'm almost done, but that'd be lying, and that little beauty doesn't need to hear about those just yet." Patrick said as he finally got the screw in, and looked up at Cassie with a proud smile on his lips and a sigh of relief escaping them.

Cassie felt bad for putting all of this on him. It wasn’t like Evie was Patrick’s responsibility. She wasn’t his daughter, but he’d stepped up and been there for both of them every step of the way so far. She was sure he wasn’t going to leave them now. Strangely, it gave Cassie a little more respect for her father; not the biological one that hadn’t wanted her, but the one who had taken her on as his own, with absolutely no thanks from Cassidy. Of course, that situation was entirely different, so she wasn’t going to feel bad for him, nor was she going to compare Patrick to him. She hadn’t expected to walk into the room to see everything perfectly set up and ready to use, but she also hadn’t expected to see bits and pieces all over the place, and she had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing at the sight. “That’s okay. It’s a lot of work for you,” she said, her voice soft as she carried the baby into the room. Carefully, she lowered herself down beside Patrick, sitting with crossed legs—which was more painful than she’d anticipated, but it was to be expected, given what her body had been through just yesterday. With Evie still held securely in one arm, she reached out with the other to pick up what she assumed was one of the handles for the drawer set, just to take a look at it. “You know, we can get someone in to help with all of this. Maybe you should take a break and just come hang out with me and Evie? I think she misses you,” she smiled softly, looking down at the baby.

Patrick actually felt like a real man for doing this. He wasn't like those guys who could build houses and fight crime; but putting together this furniture gave him a feeling of being macho and it was quite nice, especially since the house was dominated by girls these days, and would be for the rest of the time. Shrugging his shoulders as Cassie sat down next to him, Patrick assembled another piece and smiled to himself. It was like he was high, except it was a much better feeling; like he could take on anything. "I don't mind, it's a bit like playing with Lego. I mean, a bit more adult-like, but you know what I mean." He said, smiling over at Cassie as he finished putting together the furniture. Wiping his hands on his jeans, Patrick's smile only grew at what the girl next to him said. "Oh yeah?" Leaning over so he could see the little infant's face, he saw how she was looking everywhere and around the room, searching for the light. "I miss her too," He whispered, letting the back of his thumb gracefully move over her cheek. He couldn't help but just adore the girl in Cassie's arms, she was just too good to be true.

Cassie still felt bad, sure, but there was a part of her that really liked this. She’d never been the type to dream of a perfect family, or of her ever having children, but she liked that she had this. It was almost like a little family, even if it was probably only ever going to be a platonic one. Outwardly, at least. Cassie couldn’t deny her feelings for Patrick to herself. They’d been intensifying for a while now, but yesterday had only solidified them even more, and as Cassie watched Patrick struggling his way through building up the furniture for her daughter, she couldn’t help but enjoy it. She couldn’t help but enjoy him and his general presence, and she loved that Evie was going to grow up with someone like Patrick to look up to. He was so much better than her actual father, someone Cassie was sure would never even care to hear that she’d been born. “Yeah, it looks like a way more confusing version of Lego…” she frowned, setting the handle back down with the rest of the things and just quietly watching Patrick. She smiled up at him when he spoke, though. “Mhm. I miss you, too,” she said before she’d even realized what she was saying. She paused, then cleared her throat, shifting a little on the spot and trying to breeze over her slip-up. “I could call my brother or Dani, see if they could come help out?”

Patrick played around with Evie's tiny little fingers, the softness of them feeling like silk against his own. Of course the guy wanted kids of his own someday, but right now, he wasn't in a hurry. He had Evie there whenever he got all broody though. Besides, he didn't have anyone that wanted his kids anyway; or so he thought. There was always one girl on his mind, and it was always Cassie. Patrick couldn't help but feel electric around her. It was like she had some weird effect on him, and just walking into the same room as him made everything so much better. It was like she had a way of just making him so happy all of the time, and he didn't know what it was, but it was exciting. After having seen Cassie with her daughter, he knew that he was falling absolutely head over heels in love with the girl. She was perfect in every single way, but there was no reason for Patrick to mess up their close friendship if she didn't feel the same way about him. Although, the kiss on his cheek that she gave him, after having given birth, still played around in his head. Hearing what she said, Patrick looked up from the baby, his expression a little less goofy and more serious. She missed him? He felt his lips go dry as he just stared into her eyes for a second, looking to see if she actually meant what she had just said. Clearing his throat, he snapped out of it and sat back up again. "Maybe we could just take a little break and I could come back to this in an hour or two? I don't mind putting it all together."

Cassie was so confused. She could put it down to the baby hormones, if she hadn’t been feeling things for Patrick even before she’d gotten pregnant, but she had. Truthfully, for a while now, Patrick had meant more to her than she’d ever admitted out loud, and apparently Dani had seen it last night in the hospital room, too. Now that Evie was here, though, and Cassie got to see the way Patrick was with her, she couldn’t help but feel like her feelings went even deeper than what she’d originally thought. She knew there was something there, something more than friendship. Something more than best friendship, in fact. Maybe it was some weird crush, she hadn’t known. What she did know now, though, was that it was absolutely not just a crush. Cassie wouldn’t admit it, not even to herself, but she loved him, more than people were supposed to love their best friends, and she could feel her heart racing a little faster with the way his gaze locked with her own. She scanned his expression, biting softly on her lower lip, before they both seemed to snap out of whatever daze they were in. Cassie just nodded her head. “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely,” she cleared her throat again, standing up, “Maybe we can watch the rest of the movie that someone interrupted yesterday?” She glanced down at Evie with a small smirk. Truthfully, Cassie didn’t mind at all.

Patrick had no idea what was going on between him and Cassie. There was definitely a spark, there was no denying that, but what if she just didn't feel the same way about him, the way that he felt about her? It was all so frustrating, and it was like Evie just intensified it. Her birth had meant a completely different side of Cassie that Patrick rarely got to see; a maternal and caring side that was protective and considerate of the people around her. It made Patrick see her from a different perspective as well. She wasn't the girl who had stayed over at his house when they were 4 and sat under his Star Wars blankets, playing thumb war in the middle of the night. She was a woman who was now responsible for another human being, a woman who had control over herself and her actions and Patrick found her so attractive because of it. Standing up as well, Patrick made sure that the pieces that he needed to assemble were piled together so he wouldn't get confused, before leaving the room with Cassie. "I'd like that," Patrick said, chuckling at her comment. To be fair, it had been a perfectly good excuse to stop the film. Walking down the stairs and into the living room, Patrick kept looking back to see how Cassie and Evie were holding up and if he needed to step back and be by her side, in case she was still hurting from yesterday. "Do you need anything from the kitchen?" He asked her, stopping by the door. "What about Evie? Does she need anything?"

Cassie didn’t have very many constants in her life. Her own father hadn’t cared to stick around and be apart of her life, and her parents only did things for show. Cassie had very few things; she had dance, she had her siblings, and she had Patrick. She’d always had Patrick, from as far back as she could remember, and there had to be someone looking down on her to bless her with the fact that he was still there, after all these years. Cassie had just become more and more grateful for him with passing time, and now more so than ever. It hadn’t been coincidental that Dani had noticed the way Patrick had been acting around her, not when Cassie had just seen the way he looked into her eyes like that. Right? Not that it mattered, it wasn’t something she was willing to explore. She wanted to, more than anything. But she couldn’t, because if she was reading into things wrong, she’d screw up their friendship. She couldn’t do that, so instead she just smiled, hiding everything she was feeling and making her way through to their living room, watching the man she loved walking ahead of her. “Mm, maybe a water? I think Evie’s okay, though,” she said, glancing down at the baby as she carefully sat down on the couch, Evie laid content in her arms, “I think she just wants cuddles from her favorite uncle.” Cassie looked up at Patrick with that same soft smile. “Get over here.”

Patrick knew that it was weird that he kinda wanted to be more than just an uncle to the baby. He kinda wanted to take that step further and have something with Cassie; have more than a friendship with the girl. However, he knew very well that it would be impossible because there were so many things at stake if he tried it. First off, she could not want to be with him at all. And second, if they did try something, and it didn't succeed, someone would have to move out of the house; it'd end up awkward living together and maybe unbearable. It wouldn't be easy, and that just wouldn't be fair on each other. But ​ god ​, he just wished he could have something more with the woman. His heart beat louder and faster in his chest each time he thought about her, and ​ looking ​ at her was a completely different story. Sometimes, he felt like his heart would beat out of his chest and body. Nodding, Patrick said that he'd be right back and went into the kitchen to grab two bottles of water for the couple, and hurried back into the living room so he could watch the film with Cassie. Sitting down on the couch, he reached his arms out and gave the girl next to him a huge smile. "Alright, come over here, you little gorgeous girl." He cooed, absolutely in love with her and everything she was. She was Cassie's daughter after all.

Cassie really couldn’t think of any better a way to spend the afternoon. She didn’t even care about the movie, she just really loved the company she was in. When she’d been dating Brandon, she thought she’d loved him. Despite being the side chick for five years, she was stupid enough to think they were in love, but the thought of him sitting here with she and their baby did absolutely nothing for her. With Patrick, though? That meant everything. Patrick was like the missing piece to a three piece puzzle, where Cassie and Evie made up the other two. Already, the three of them had just clicked like a perfect little family, and Cassie wished so much that she could voice that, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t ruin what she and Patrick had. So, instead, she just silently enjoyed his presence, ignoring the way her heart began to race a little faster once he’d sat down on the couch beside her. With a soft smile gracing her lips, she turned towards his open arms, holding Evie out and carefully setting her down in them. Already, Cassie was incredibly protective of her daughter, and very selective about who got to hold her. With Patrick, though, there was no question. It was clear how much Evie loved Patrick, and even clearer how much he loved her.

Patrick cradled Evie into his arms and once he finally got a good and safe hold of the baby, he leaned back into the couch as he looked down at her with a soft smile. Her eyes were moving about and her little legs were trying to kick the air, but were restraint because of the lack of muscles in them. Something that Patrick couldn't wait to experience was the girl growing up and becoming such a sweetheart. She had a stubborn mother now, but also a mother was a softie inside and who would clearly do anything for her daughter. "Do you want to know something?" Patrick started, asking Cassie but keeping his eyes on Evie. "I don't look forward to the day where I have to kick someone's ass for breaking her heart." He said, as Evie grabbed his finger and held onto it. "She deserves the best," biting down on his lip, Patrick's smile faded, as he whispered the end of the sentence to himself. "Just like her mom."

Cassie wanted to pretend like she didn’t care as much as she did about seeing Patrick with her daughter, but it wasn’t that easy. Especially not when she couldn’t take her eyes off the two of them, nor could she wipe the smile from her face. Cassie’s brow raised as Patrick spoke, waiting to hear what he had to say. Her expression then changed to a frown at the thought of anyone ever hurting her brand new, innocent, adorable little baby, then softened to one of slight surprise as he continued. “I already have the best, Patrick,” Cassie said, her voice soft. She kept looking between him and Evie, just enjoying the view. “I have Evie, and I have you.” She wasn’t sure in which way she’d meant the latter, but rather than have Patrick figure it out before she did, she decided to cover herself with, “I mean, you’re my best friend. Who could be better for the job than you, right?”

Patrick supported Evie's head with his hand, the feeling of her silk-like soft, black little strands of hair almost tickling his fingertips. She was so perfect in every single way. The worst thing about all of this was the fact that Patrick wasn't even the baby's father, and so to think about having those fatherly, nurturing feelings towards the baby felt weird. He loved feeling the way that he did towards her, because it made him feel so alive; but at the same time, it wasn't his place to do so. Looking up at Cassie as she started speaking, Patrick's heart almost melted. She was so sincere about it, wasn't she? She really meant it? He wanted to say that a father for Evie would be perfect for the job, but he decided against it, keeping quiet about it. It would only make things worse, he figured. Leaning back into his seat, Patrick managed to shuffle himself closer to Cassie, so not only Evie was close to her, but so he was as well. Pulling Evie closer to him so she was resting more against his chest, Patrick sighed, feeling his heartbeat pick up its pace as he had now gotten closer to Cassie. "We'll always be best friends, right?" He asked her, looking over at her, his eyes getting lost in her brown eyes. Whenever the light was shining right at them, they'd turn to an amber and green color, which Patrick could just drown in, if Cassie only let him.

Cassie could’ve probably voiced how she was feeling, and it probably would’ve been okay. She could blame it on the baby hormones if it went wrong. But, talking about her feelings had always been hard for her. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d told even her siblings that she loved them, and she was sure that when she had, she’d said it begrudgingly. She didn’t know how to talk about how she was feeling about Patrick, either, so she decided not to. Everything was already confusing enough between them, especially the way he looked into her eyes, and the way Cassie couldn’t look away even if she wanted to. Fortunately, she didn’t want to. “Yeah,” she nodded her head, sure that her cheeks were flushing a soft pink color, but hoping that Patrick wouldn’t notice, “Yeah, we will. Always.” Maybe that was all they were ever supposed to be. Cassie could’ve gotten sad about it, but instead she chose to be grateful. It was better to have him as that than nothing at all. Giving him a small smile, Cassie forced herself to pull her gaze from his, and instead curled up against him, resting her head on his arm and looking at her daughter, so content in his arms, just like Cassie was.

Patrick really wanted more with Cassie, but was thankful that he could keep her as his best friend; especially if it couldn't evolve into more. "Good." He whispered, nodding at the content answer. He never wanted to lose the girl. She was too important in his life, and losing her would be too devastating and heartbreaking. Cassie had meant everything to the guy; she had been there for him when he needed her, and vice versa. Or at least he tried to. They had too many memories together to give up on everything, just because he couldn't be with the girl. It wasn't an excuse to lose her. He didn't even want to think that thought. Feeling her cuddling up to him, Patrick let his lips curl into a satisfied soft smile. This was perfect in every sense. He had the two most important girls in his life and that was how he wanted it to be. He let his head fall down to rest on top of Cassie's, as the movie played out in front of him. However, all the guy could focus on, was the smell of her fruity shampoo. He really shouldn't be focusing on those things.

Cassie felt like she’d been in this hospital bed for days now, and like nothing was actually happening other than her being in more pain with each passing minute. In actuality, the whole thing had been pretty quick as far as childbirth went. She was pretty sure she’d broken both her sisters’ and Patrick’s hands throughout the whole process, but once it was finally all over and done with, she loosened her grip on everyone she was grabbing onto, and with no other plan of what to do, she just fell back and cried. What else was she supposed to do? The sound of the baby—a girl, apparently—crying was really screwing with her head. She wanted to grab her and comfort her, but she wasn’t her baby. She was Laura and Darren’s, who were waiting outside to meet their daughter, and Cassidy really didn’t know how to feel about that. All she knew was that she didn’t want them in here, not yet. After the nurse had gotten the baby cleaned up and brought her back over to her, she asked if Cassie wanted to see her. Quickly, she shook her head, looking for someone to answer for her. Or to talk to her. Or just anything. She was a mess. A very sad, frustrated, exhausted and confused mess with tears rolling down her cheeks. Anything but the person everybody in this room usually saw.

Patrick had little to no feeling in his hand, after Cassie had given birth, but that wasn't what concerned him the most. The most beautiful baby girl was crying her heart out, letting everyone in the room know that she had arrived now and it was glorious. Patrick figured she took after her mom in that sense. He couldn't help but get absolutely lost in the baby as she was being cleaned up, knowing that Laura and Darren would fall in love with her, as much as Patrick had in that moment. It had been a stressful couple of hours, for sure. The guy had texted Dani and Tori, letting them know what was happening and which room they were in, so they could come and be there for their sister. Now, the baby had arrived and Patrick was absolutely taken aback by how much she resembled Cassie. It was then that his thoughts were interrupted, as he heard Cassie crying from her bed. Frowning, Patrick moved over to the girl, leaning down and running his hand over her damp hair. "It's okay," He whispered, kneeling down and kissing the top of her hand. "It's all over now."

Dani had almost ignored the text she had received just a short couple hours ago. The sound of her phone going off in her pocket made her frustrated enough to want to punch someone. If it hadn’t been Patrick telling her about her sister, then she wouldn’t have cared much at all. She was allowed to feel that way, considering what she had been doing. Not that it mattered much now. The second she got there, she was at her sister’s side and hasn’t left since. The idea of being there when here sister was giving birth had been both exciting and terrifying, but there was nowhere else that she would rather be. Especially when the baby had finally arrived. Not only was she happy to see that she was perfect healthy, she was also so relieved that it was all over for her sister. She didn’t know what having a child was like, but if the way Cassie screamed was anything to go by, then it must hurt like a bitch. When the nurse asked if she wanted to see the baby, Dani frowned and took a step back from her sister. She figured that Patrick could try to comfort her, she could talk to the nurse. “Can we please just have a second alone with my sister? She obviously isn’t in the best condition to be holding a baby right now.” She said, giving Cassie a sympathetic look as she watched her cry. It was heartbreaking and she wished that she knew what to do, but she didn’t. She had no fucking clue.

Cassie had thought this was going to be easy. That the hard part was actually being pregnant, and of course the actual childbirth. What she hadn’t expected was to be so heartbroken by the thought of handing over this tiny little human that had spent nine months growing inside of her body. She couldn’t explain how she felt. It was like she was missing her, and she’d only just come out. Cassie didn’t even care who saw her crying at this point, and turned her face towards Patrick as he leaned down beside her. “It’s not okay,” she whispered back. Everybody knew it wasn’t. Fortunately, her sisters knew her better than anyone, and could deal with the nurse who Cassie really had no patience for right now, as well as all of the people waiting outside; the adoptive parents included. Tori quietly left the room to take care of the latter. There was nothing quiet about the screaming baby, though. It wasn’t an annoying kind of screaming. If anything, it just sounded cute, at least to Cassie. Taking a deep breath, she wiped at her eyes, knowing that seeing the baby wasn’t a good idea, but she needed to. She needed to take care of her. She just had this urge to protect her. “Bring her to me. She knows me. I can comfort her.”

Patrick kept his eyes on Cassie as Dani dealt with the nurse, knowing that it was for the best. Cassie seemed like she was in absolute misery about this and it broke Patrick's heart into a million pieces. Seeing her so upset about this absolutely killed him and all he wanted to do was to just wrap his arms around the poor girl and pull her into him and comfort her, but he knew not to do that. She was too fragile for that right now. The screaming continued and Patrick had no idea what to say to what Cassie wanted. All he could do was look up at the nurse who was still holding the crying baby. He had absolutely no idea how it would turn out if Cassie held the girl, but he knew that the girl was stubborn about what she wanted and what was best for her, so he just pulled his hands back and stayed leaning down, by Cassie's bed.

Cassie knew she’d picked the right people to be in here with her. She really couldn’t have done this without them, and the fact that Patrick was right by her side the entire time, just like she’d asked him to be, definitely didn’t go unnoticed. She didn’t need to look at him to know the look he was probably giving her once she’d asked for the baby to be brought to her, but she also didn’t care. She just wanted to hold her baby. …​Laura and Darren’s​ baby. The nurse had no reason to question her, and simply did as Cassidy had requested, carefully carrying the now cleaned up baby over to her. Cassie automatically held out her arms to take her, the nurse placing her gently in her arms, and Cassie instinctively pulling her to her chest, her arms wrapping protectively around her. She then looked down, getting her first glimpse of her. Right from her squishy cheeks to her tiny lashes, to those little things that could barely even be considered fingers, she was perfect. Cassie couldn’t take her eyes off of her, and the tears that began to fall now were happy ones, a smile tugging at her lips. “Do you see her?” she asked Patrick and Dani, though she didn’t look at them. She couldn’t stop looking at the baby. “Hi, beautiful,” she spoke softly, “I’m your—” she paused. She wasn’t anything to her. She’d just carried her. She didn’t want to let go of her now, though.

Patrick felt a lump in his throat, knowing that the sentimental moment was making him tear up a bit. It definitely wasn't Patrick's style to cry, but he couldn't help but just let his eyes swell up a bit, as he noticed how natural it was for Cassie to hold the girl. Standing up so he could get a better view at the baby, Patrick smiled softly to himself, leaning against the bed. He didn't want to say anything to ruin this moment, but he knew that getting attached to the baby wasn't a good idea, since Cassie had to give her away to Laura and Darren. It wasn't going to be easy for her now, but then again, it wasn't easy for her before she had even seen the child. Patrick didn't know what was the best solution to this anymore; he just wanted Cassie to be happy, and having the baby in her arms seemed to do the trick. "She looks just like you." Patrick said quietly, a small smile resting on his lips, as he watched how gentle Cassie was with the baby.

Dani never really knew what to do in situations like this. When it came to being there for her baby sister, she was winging it most of the time. It didn’t help that she knew that her sister had doubts about the whole adoption thing. A decision that she had seemed so sure about before and this was when she had doubts. Dani wanted to be as supportive as she possibly could, which she was. She just didn’t know how. What she did know is that her sister hardly had patience to deal with people to begin with, if this nurse doesn’t have a death wish then she had better stay away. What she hadn’t been expecting was for her sister to ask for her. She turned her head quickly, giving Cassie a look that basically asked what she was doing. That was probably the last thing that she had expected, but she wasn’t going to actually question her. Instead she just walked back over and smiled. “Yeah.” She said softly, her eyes only on the baby in the room. “She’s beautiful.”

Cassie knew this was a bad idea, but she didn’t care. There was nothing bad about the feeling of this perfect baby girl laying in her arms. The way she instantly seemed to calm down once Cassie had pulled her close to her made her feel almost smug, like it was something only she could do. “You think?” she asked, tearing her gaze from the baby for a split second to look at Patrick, her lips still turned up at the corners. She looked back down at her again quickly, though, her gaze still on the baby as her sister spoke. “Yeah, she really is. I can’t believe I made this…” she trailed off, trying not to think about what she was going to have to do soon, but the nurse just had to go ahead and remind her by asking if the baby had a name yet. Cassie let out a soft sigh, shaking her head, her eyes still down on the little girl. “Laura and Darren said if she was a girl, they were going to name her Carolyn,” she frowned, gently brushing her finger over the baby’s chubby little cheek, “But she doesn’t look like a Carolyn. That’s not her name.” Cassie didn’t get to decide that, though. ​That's not what I'm going to name her,​ she thought.

Patrick couldn't get enough of what was going on. He was falling in love with the whole scenario of Cassie having the baby girl in her arms and being so gentle and careful with her. This caring side of Cassie was rare, but when it came out, it was amazing. Nodding, Patrick ran his hair over Cassie's hair softly, humming lightly to himself. "She's got your nose," He told her softly, his gaze shifting between the baby and his housemate. Leaning back down, Patrick rested his arms on the bed before resting his chin on them so he could look at the girl a little better. He couldn't stop the smile that was on lips; it was starting to hurt his cheeks. He just loved this whole scenario, and he honestly wished that Cassie would keep the baby, because she seemed like such a natural with her. Patrick couldn't help but agree with what Cassie said, regarding the baby's name, although he kept it to himself, not wanting to make the situation any worse.

Dani didn’t know how to feel about this situation. Logically, she knew what her sister had decided. The baby’s adoptive parents were there and they were going to take her home. That’s what’s been decided. However, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Cassie had told her before. When she had been questioning her decision. Dani knew her sister and she knew that if she was changing her mind, of course this would be the time she would do it. It’s not like she wanted her to give up the baby. In fact, the thought of her niece being raised by someone else made her skin crawl. That wasn’t her decision to make, though. It was her sister’s and she had already made it. That’s what she’s been telling herself, now it felt like she had to tell her sister that. “Cassie.... That’s not really your call.” She reminded her, feeling that at least one person in that room had to be logical. Who knew it would be her?

Cassie didn’t want this moment to ever end. She had the guy she’d been quietly falling hard for at one side of her, her sister by her other side, and now her baby girl in her arms, and she honestly didn’t know it was possible to love something as much as she already loved her. She would be fine with pretending like this was exactly how it was going to stay, like she didn’t have to hand her child over any minute now. Of course, someone had to be logical, and it pissed her off that it was Dani, but she got it. “No, it is, it’s my call to make,” she said, glancing over at Patrick, as if she was looking for his help. There were fresh tears in her eyes as she looked from him to the baby then up at her sister. Cassie bit down hard onto her lip, holding the baby as closely against her as possible without holding her too tight. “You know how I’ve been feeling, D. I can’t do this. Look at her,” she said, her voice choked up as she looked back down at the baby, who had stopped crying and was just laying peacefully in her arms. “I can’t give her to them,” she whispered, “She’s mine.”

Patrick hated the fact that Cassie had been so stubborn about giving the baby up for adoption. He could understand where she was coming from; she didn't want to be tied down to a child, or so he assumed. It was a hard decision to raise a child when the father didn't want to be involved and it meant that if Cassie had decided to keep the child from the start that she'd have to be a single parent and later on, have to deal with the questions that came with that situation, and it wasn't fair. He knew that Cassie just wanted to give the child a good upbringing, especially since she had experienced what it was like to come from a bad household. Patrick knew all of these things and he could understand them. But to hear her beg the people around her, to keep her child, just broke the guy's heart all over again. "This is a big decision to make, Cas. You're exhausted and you've just given birth. Maybe you should try to sleep a bit before making this decision?" Patrick suggested, hoping that it was the best option.

Dani had a terrible feeling that her sister was going to say what she had just said. Of course this would be the moment that she would make that decision. Dani wanted to get frustrated with her and tell her how she had so much time to think this through, but she wasn’t going to do that. How could she? Her sister literally just gave birth and the last thing she needed was for her big sister for lecture her. Even if that’s what Dani had done best. It just wasn’t the time for it now. “Yes, I agree!” She said, feeling relieved that someone else was finally making sense in the room. “Just rest up a bit and if you feel the same way then we can deal with it then.”

Cassie wasn’t expecting anybody to agree with her here, but she didn’t care. She’d never been the type of person to wait for permission or approval from other people. She’d made up her mind. She had her baby in her arms, and she was absolutely not giving her away. “No, I’ve already decided. I chose adoption because I would never want to have a child that could hate me as much as I hate mom and dad. But I would never treat her the way they treated us,” she said, her voice soft, not wanting to raise it and upset the baby. She looked down at her with a small smile, still brushing her cheek softly with her finger. “I didn’t want to screw her up the way they screwed us up, but do you see her? I could never screw this up. I mean, yeah, it sucks for Laura and Darren, but she’s not their baby. She’s not a Carolyn.” She paused, not wanting to get angry, so instead lifted the baby a little to gently kiss her forehead, instantly feeling calm. “She’s mine.”

Patrick swallowed hard, his jaw clenching softly. It seemed like Cassie really was determined to keep the baby, no matter what sensible thing anybody told her. Letting out a sigh, Patrick nodded, his eyebrows shooting up as he caught Cassie giving the baby a kiss. It was the purest thing in the world, he had to admit. Nothing could ever compare to this moment. "She's yours." Patrick whispered, stating the obvious that anyone in the room could see. Cassie needed that baby, and the baby needed Cassie, it was easy to see. The child had gone quiet in her mom's arms and looked so peaceful. Reaching up, Patrick gently stroked the baby's arm with the back of his little finger, not wanting to hurt her in any way at all. Patrick took in a deep breath after a moment of two, before pulling his hand back to himself, and looking up at Cassie who was so clearly in love with the infant, a small smile growing on his lips. She looked so happy, and that was all that Patrick wanted for his best friend.

Dani couldn’t even act like she was surprised by what her sister was doing. It wasn’t all that surprising that she would just make up her mind right now when they were in the hospital, with that couple waiting for their baby. She sighed loudly and ran her hand through her hair, laughing as if something was funny when really, there was absolutely nothing funny about this. “Of course you’re going to keep the baby. Of course you didn’t consider any of this for the past nine months. Why did I think that you had actually thought this through?” She didn’t know when she started pacing back and forth or if anyone was actually paying attention to her, but she couldn’t’ be the only one thinking that this was the worst possible timing, ever. “I mean...” She trailed off, taking a deep breath. “Of course I think you would be an amazing mom. I’ve only been telling you our entire lives that you’re a better person than they are. Why you decide to believe that right now, I have no idea, but I’ve always known that.”

Cassie didn’t need everybody to be on board, but she liked that they were at least not fighting her on this. She didn’t see what was funny when her sister started to laugh, but she also didn’t care. Her only concern right now was her baby, and the fact that she wasn’t going anywhere. Patrick seemed to be the one who was most on board so far, so Cassie looked towards him, giving him a grateful smile. It was adorable seeing him reaching toward the baby, and watching how gentle he was with her. Cassie’s smile only grew as she watched the small interaction. “I did consider it,” she said, finally looking at her sister. “I did, but I didn’t have her then. She wasn’t right here like she is now. I guess the only response I really have for you right now is that you should just wait until you’re holding your baby, then you tell me why you suddenly believe all of the good things people say about you.” She shrugged a shoulder lightly. “I made up my mind, I’m keeping her. And her name is not Carolyn,” she looked down at the baby again with a soft smile, “It’s Evie. Evie Grace.”

Patrick could understand the absurd reaction that came from Dani and it was completely fair. Throughout nine months, Cassie had been stubborn about her decision and to suddenly turn around and change her mind was a big deal. This was about a child, not some shirt that you could buy in a shop and return if you didn't like it. It wasn't going to be easy. It was going to be eighteen years of providing for a child and bringing them up to be decent human. But Patrick had absolutely no doubt that Cassie had those abilities. He had only seen her with her baby for a few minutes, but even if Patrick himself had been sick, Cassie had been there throughout it, taking care of him. She wasn't as tough as she made herself out to be. She really was a softie, and the baby was bringing it out in her. Watching Dani, Patrick tried to connect his eyes with her, hoping to catch her attention. "I'm sure that Laura and Darren will be very understanding about all of this. They seem like a sensible couple, and I know that it'll be hard for them," Patrick started, looking back at Cassie and the baby, before letting out a sigh and looking back at Dani. "But if she's thought this through and she feels like it's the right thing to do for herself and the baby, then I don't think we have anything to say in this." Honestly, Patrick didn't want to get on anyone's bad side. He just wanted everyone to be happy and he know how happy baby Evie was making Cassie now. What was so wrong with that?

Dani wasn’t telling her sister what to do. She hadn’t like the thought of her niece being raised by anyone else since the very beginning, but it was never her decision to make. It was Cassie’s and only hers. That didn’t mean she had to like it and when Dani didn’t like something, she said so. Especially when it came to her sister. “You are such a little shit.” She said, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest. She when when to fight her sister on something and when not to and when she made up her mind about something, Dani knew that she would just have to accept that. They were alike in that sense. Stubborn, stubborn littler shits. “Hey,” She said, glaring at the guy at the room. “Do me a favor and shut the hell up. I’m not telling her what to do, I’m telling her that the timing fucking sucks. Let me handle my sister and you just sit there and look pretty, okay?”

Cassie was more focused on the baby than on the other two, and was in too much of a state of bliss to really take in anything they were saying. She was appreciative of how understanding Patrick was being, and she laughed softly when Dani called her a little shit. She didn’t care if she was being lighthearted or serious, nothing was going to bring Cassie’s mood down today, especially not now she’d made up her mind. This was going to be the worst day of her life a couple hours ago, now it was the best by a landslide. “Hey,” she finally said, looking from the baby to her sister, “Not in here, okay? Not in front of her. She’s resting,” she said, motioning to the baby whose eyes had fluttered shut. Cassie just leaned over towards Patrick, unsure of where this was coming from, and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Maybe she could pass it off as a thank you for being on her side. She then looked over at her sister. “Do you think someone should talk to Laura and Darren?” she asked, the mention of their names making her instinctively pull the baby closer again, “Someone as in my sister, who is very sorry for yelling at my best friend and wants only good things for her little sister and her new niece?”

Patrick felt bad for having said what he had and upsetting Dani, very well aware of the fact that this was all such a weird situation to be in for everyone. He hadn't meant it in a bad way, he was just hoping that it would make Dani see that it would all turn out alright, if she didn't stress so much about everything. Especially not when Cassie had just given birth and probably was exhausted from it, as well as having a tiny human in her arm, going to sleep for the first time after having been born. "I'm sorry, Dani." Patrick said, giving the girl an apologetic look. Before he knew it, he felt a pair of lips on his cheek and it was like his heart was being swallowed and fell to the bottom of his stomach. His face flushed red and his mouth became dry. Wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, Patrick cleared his throat and looked back at Cassie. It felt like his entire body was burning after that. It was as if he could still feel those soft lips of hers on his cheek, and it was all that Patrick could focus on.

Dani had only dropped the subject because Patrick was smart enough not to fight her. It wasn’t like she wanted to fight with anyone, anyway, but she didn’t give a shit about what was going on when someone pissed her off. And apparently that included her sister just having a baby. She didn’t say anything to her at first, just rolling her eyes when her sister spoke to her. She was going to say that she didn’t yell and that the baby doesn’t know what she’s saying, anyway, but she was too damn tired to even try to argue with her sister. It turns out that after another failed proposal and watching her sister give birth, she didn’t have the energy to deal with people. Then Cassie was speaking to her again and she gave her a look of disbelief. “I’m sorry, what?” She asked, trying to figure out if her sister was being serious or not.

Cassie really didn’t have the energy to deal with Dani fighting anybody today. She was just focused on her baby, but she appreciated Patrick apologizing, even if she didn’t entirely understand what he’d done wrong. Then again, Cassie and her sister were way more alike than either of them would ever admit, so she understood the small things pissing her off. Patrick really had just been great this entire day, right from rushing her in here to how he was acting now, and the soft blush that crept up onto his cheeks definitely didn’t go unnoticed. Cassie just bit her lip to keep from laughing. It didn’t matter what kind of tension was in the room, nothing was going to bring her down. “What?” she asked, looking at her sister with her brow raised. “I’m keeping my baby. Someone should probably tell Mr and Mrs. Stepford out there.” Okay, so maybe calling them that was unfair, but Cassie had thought they were way ​too​ perfect right from the start. Evie would’ve had no fun with them.

Patrick honestly couldn't tell when the day had started, what time it was now and if it was still light outside. All he could focus on was Cassie and her kiss on his cheek, and the little baby in her arms. He had to pull himself together though, because having a face this red was no good and it was embarrassing that it was so obvious what kind of effect Cassie had on the guy. He couldn't help it though! They were living together; he had seen her first thing in the morning and still thought that she looked gorgeous, even with her messy hair and her tired eyes. She was just too good to be true. Clearing his throat, Patrick stood up from where he was kneeling, on the floor. "I'll go and tell them," He said, leaning down to place a soft kiss on the top of Cassie's head, giving the baby one last glance and a smile, before walking out of the door to explain everything to the couple who would have to go home empty-handed.

Dani was absolutely not about to go out there and tell those people they weren’t getting their baby. No fucking way. After the day that she had, she wasn’t going to add that to her plate. She was about to tell her sister just that when Patrick stood up and left, saying that he would be the one to tell them. “Thank you. Now I actually am sorry for getting pissed at you!” She called out as he walked out of the room. Now it was just her, her baby sister, and the baby. It was kinda nice, but she couldn’t deny how incredibly frustrated she was with the other girl right now. She wasn’t going to get mad about it, though. There was really no point in it. “I can’t believe you wanted me to go tell them you’re keeping the baby.” She said, although she wasn’t mad about it. She was actually more shocked than anything, but she didn’t know why. It sounded like something Cassie would ask her to do. “Are you ready for this?”

Cassie didn’t really care who told Laura and Darren what was going on, she just wanted someone to tell them, to make it official that Evie was hers and not theirs. She just didn’t think it was fair to ask Patrick, given all he’d done for her today already. Dani, on the other hand, was Cassie’s sister, and she was sure the older girl was used to being bossed around by her by now. Looking up at Patrick with an appreciative smile as he stood, Cassie nodded, her eyes closing for a second as his lips pressed to the top of her head, then opening again to watch him leave without even thinking about what she was doing. Then, it was just she, Evie and her sister, and Cassie shook her head when she spoke. “Stop. Someone had to tell them,” she said, rolling her eyes, then looking back down at the sleeping baby, her smile coming back naturally once more. “To be a mom?” she asked, gaze flickering to her sister for a second, then back to the baby. “No, not at all. I’ll do it, though. I mean, I don’t have anything for her. I don’t even have an outfit to change her into. I don’t even have a diaper in the bag. But that doesn’t matter, I’ll manage.” She lifted the baby carefully, pressing her lips softly to her forehead again. “Do you want to hold her, Dani?”

Dani rolled her eyes. “Yeah. And it couldn’t be the girl who actually agreed to the adoption in the first place, right? Honestly, I don’t know why you didn’t ask your boy toy in the first place. He seems real eager to please you lately.” She said, raising her eyebrow. Not that she had a problem with it, because she didn’t. She gave the dude a hard time just like she did everyone else, but she actually liked him. She had to admit that he had done a good job of taking care of her sister lately. Not as good as Dani would herself, but pretty damn close. “Don’t worry. You’re not going to do this alone. This baby is going to have an Auntie to spoil the hell out of her, the same way I spoil Samantha. She’s going to have everything she needs and much more. We’ll make sure of it.” She was obviously talking to Cassie, but the entire time she was smiling at the baby. Evie. At first when she asked if Dani wanted to hold her, she wanted to say no. Only because she was so tiny and she was worried that she couldn’t. But she had to admit, she wanted to hold her. “Yes, give her to me.” She smiled, reaching her arms out to take the baby.

Cassie glared at her sister. “Are you serious? I literally just pushed a human out of my body. If you think I’m planning to get up from this bed at any point today, you have some serious issues.” She was trying to ignore whatever Dani had to say about Patrick, mostly because she wasn’t ready to go down that road yet, but she couldn’t deny that she liked hearing him mentioned like that. Like other people were getting the same vibe from him that she was. For now, she’d rather just focus on the tiny baby she’d just brought into the world. When she’d first been swept away and cleaned up by the nurses, they’d told Cassie her measurements. She was just under 19 inches. That was tiny, but looking down at her, Cassie couldn’t believe she even measured that long. Everything about her was just so petite and perfect. Looking up at her sister as she spoke, Cassie gave her an appreciative smile. “I know, I don’t doubt that. She’s gonna be so loved. She’s already so loved,” she said, trying to scoot over a little to make a space on the bed beside her. “You’re not taking her over there. Come sit by me, then you can hold her.”

Dani once again was rolling her eyes as she sat next to her sister. “I didn’t expect you to get out of the bed. I’m not a total asshole. I would have asked them to come in here with you.” Of course, she was mostly joking at that point. Dani didn’t care who told them as long as she didn’t have to. She was probably the last person who should tell them that, anyway. She was an insensitive asshole, so she probably would have done it all wrong. She may not give a shit about people’s feelings most of the time, but she wasn’t a monster. Plus, it would have been awkward as fuck for her. “Do you need me to have some stuff sent to your place? I can make sure a nursery is set up before you even leave the hospital.” She offered, reaching her arms out once again. “Will you just let me hold my niece now, please?”

Cassie just glared at her sister again, not feeling like having this conversation right now. They were both kind of heartless bitches at times, Cassie more so than Dani—Dani had at least had enough of a heart to fall in love with someone and have it actually work out—but she couldn’t help but feel kind of bad for Laura and Darren. They’d come here expecting to leave with their baby, and now they weren’t going to. Selfishly, though, that wasn’t enough to have Cassie change her mind. She was Evie’s mother. They would get another baby, another young, knocked up girl would pick them to raise their child, but Evie was all Cassie’s. She could barely be sorry about it. “No. I don’t know. Maybe just the basics. I kind of want to pick out her things,” she admitted, trying not to cringe as she scooted over. She’d just pushed out a baby, so even slight movements hurt, but she finally positioned herself comfortably enough. “Be careful with her,” she warned, sitting up just slightly and turning her body to carefully place her daughter in her sister’s arms, before very slowly sliding her own arms out from underneath her once she was sure Dani had her.

Cassie hadn’t been feeling so great for a few days now. She’d been uncomfortable for a while, which was probably to be expected given the size of the bump sticking out of her petite body, but it seemed to have gotten worse over the course of the last few days, to the point where Cassie couldn’t really ignore it anymore. She’d been laying on the couch with Patrick, her feet resting on his lap, but she had to push herself up with her elbows when she felt the thing she wasn’t quite ready to feel just yet. Eyes widening a little bit, she looked at her best friend. “Okay, I’m not meaning to ruin the relaxing evening we’re having here, but either I just peed my pants or my water just broke,” she said, looking down in a panic that she attempted to hide. Reaching behind her for her phone, she held it in front of her with knitted brows. “Do I call Laura and Darren? I mean, should I let them know? I don’t know what to do. This wasn’t supposed to happen for another week yet.”

Patrick was loving this whole scenario that was going on. He had recently gotten home from a long trip and to finally be able to relax with his best friend and housemate was exactly what he needed right now. They were just chilling on the couch, watching some random movie, and Patrick had been pretty into it, until he heard Cassie's voice sounding a little shocked and panicky. Looking over at the pregnant girl, Patrick frowned until he heard what she said. This was apparently happening now. The baby was ready to come out now. Swallowing hard, the boy sat up, speechless and not knowing what to do. "Um," He managed to get out, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. "Give me your phone, I'll do it for you," He said, grabbing it and dialing the couple's number to let them know that Cassie's water had broken. He moved her legs gently away from his lap, getting up from the couch and grabbing the nearest pair of shoes that Cassie owned, kneeling down on the floor to help her put them on, as he spoke to the couple. "We'll see you at the hospital," He told them before offering his hand to Cassie, to help her up. "What do we need? Have you packed a bag?"

Cassie almost felt like the world was against her. It felt like it’d been forever since she’d gotten to hang out alone with Patrick, and that had always been one of her favorite pastimes. Their house guests for the week were either out or in their rooms, and Cassie was really enjoying this time with her favorite guy, but apparently the baby she’d been growing a little more attached to had had other ideas for her. Handing over her phone with a nod of her head, Cassie carefully sat herself up on the couch, letting Patrick do what he needed to do. It was a good thing he was here, because Cassie was in way more of a panic than she’d expected to be, but she was doing her best to hide it. She wasn’t the type of person to let anyone see her as anything less than strong and confident. Slipping her feet into the shoes, she nodded her head in response to the question. “Yeah, I have. It’s in my room by my bed. I don’t think—” she paused, shaking her head, “I don’t know. I don’t know what I need. I need you and I need my sister, and I need to get to the hospital and for this to just be over.” Her voice was growing panicky now, too.

Patrick helped Cassie up on her feet, holding on tightly to her hand and giving it a little squeeze. "It's okay, I'll go and check to make sure everything's in there. Can you go and grab the car keys for me, please?" He asked her, locking his eyes on hers. He wanted to make sure that she knew he was there for her and that he wasn't going to let her stress about this; that he'd have control over all of this and all she needed to worry about, was giving birth. Giving her hand another squeeze before letting it go, he hurried up the stairs and into the room, seeing the bag filled with most things. He grabbed a few other things here and there, making sure that she had everything that he assumed that she needed and ran back down the stairs again, grabbing a few water bottles on the way, in case she needed it. Patrick met her by the front door, and gave the girl a smile. "It's going to be okay, I'll text Dani once we get there," He told her, pulling her in for a hug and a kiss on her head, before opening the door and holding onto her hand so she could get safely out to the car.

Cassie gripped tightly onto Patrick’s hand, letting him guide her upright. Her whole body felt a little weak, mostly through panic, so she really was relying on him here. Which sucked for him, because it wasn’t like he was the father, or like this was his responsibility at all. Thank God for Patrick, though. Cassie couldn’t have done this alone. “Okay, thank you,” she nodded, keeping hold of his hand for a moment. The way his gaze locked with hers brought a whole other shaky feeling to her, her heart beginning to race a little, just like it always seemed to whenever Patrick was around lately. Cassie wasn’t going to think about that now, and just gave him a weak smile as she squeezed his hand back, eventually letting go so he could go grab the bag. She watched him walk away, then steadily made her way to the kitchen, hands on either side of her bump out of some weird protective instinct, until she could grab the keys he’d asked for, then headed toward the front door to meet him. She didn’t even have to think twice about letting him pull her in, wrapping her arms around him the best she could given her current state, then latching onto his hand with her own as they both pulled back. “I really don’t want to do this,” she said quietly, tightening her grip on Patrick’s hand as they headed out of the house and to the car.

Patrick looked back at Cassie, making sure that she was alright until he heard her quiet voice. His heart broke for the girl and he was cursing Brandon's name in his head. He didn't even want to be a part of this and he was the one who had gotten her into this situation. It didn't make sense at all, to Patrick, and he really just wanted to batter the living hell out of the guy, but knew better not to do so. "I know, but it's going to be okay," He told her softly, opening the car door for the girl and helping her slip in. "Soon, it'll all be over and you never have to think about this again." Patrick said, before closing the door softly and running to the other side so he could drive them to the hospital. He was careful on the road, but made sure that his speed was steady so they could get there fast. He'd peak over at Cassie every now and again, tell her to breathe and take it easy. "Alright, let's get this party started." Patrick mumbled to himself after having parked the car and helping Cassie out of it, while trying to juggle the bag on his shoulders as well. He was thanking God that the paparazzi weren't there and in the way. "Just keep breathing, that's all you need to focus on, okay?"

Cassie thought she’d gotten as prepared for this as she could, but she’d been wrong. Nothing could prepare a person for the fear of an actual human coming out of their body, and now that it was all starting, although she wasn’t in unbearable pain yet, she couldn’t help but freak out about it. All of it. “It is, I know it is. You just have to stay with me, okay? Stay with me,” she said through a shaky breath, knowing it wasn’t fair to put the pressure of staying by her side on Patrick, but she knew he wouldn’t leave her regardless. She was usually a very independent person, hating the idea of needing anybody’s help, but she definitely wasn’t going to fight Patrick’s help today, and worked with him to get into the car and safely buckled in. Cassie’s hands instantly rested on her stomach, gently rubbing over it. Not so much for herself, but more so for the baby. Like she was trying to comfort it in some way. Throughout the course of the car ride, she’d begun to feel a little more pain; dull aches and sharp pains shooting through her every now and then, but she was able to breathe through them, focusing on looking out the window at the passing cars and trying not to think about what was happening. They were pulling into the hospital parking lot before she really knew it, and she couldn’t help but raise her eyebrow at her friend when he spoke. “Party?” she questioned, laughing softly, though she was quickly stopped in her tracks by another jolt of pain right across her middle, and instead just nodded as he helped her out of the car. “I am, I’m breathing,” she assured him through a deep breath.

Patrick couldn't help but worry about his best friend in that moment. She had always been very stubborn about never needing anybody to take care of her, never needing anybody to fight her case. From when they were kids to now, she had always been independent and didn't need anyone. Now, she was practically begging for Patrick to stay by her side, and it was something that the guy had never seen before. Although he had sworn to himself, from the very moment that she had told him that she was pregnant, that he'd always stay there with her. "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere," He told her, keeping his hand locked around hers. He really couldn't imagine the kind of pain that the girl was going through, as they walked into the hospital and a wheel chair was instantly rushed towards the pregnant woman. Helping her sit down into it, Patrick heard a question from a nurse, which he had never thought he'd have to answer. "Are you the father?" Swallowing hard, Patrick frowned and looked from the nurse and down to Cassie. "Um, no, I'm her best friend," He told the woman. It was an acceptable answer for now, until the father came, she told them, but Patrick knew that he'd never arrive. It was for the better anyway; Cassie didn't need that kind of stress right now. The two were rushed into a room, and Cassie was taken away to get ready. Patrick let out a deep breath and dropped the hospital bag to the floor, his hands rubbing his eyes in frustration and stress.

Cassie knew Patrick would never leave her, but it helped to hear him say it aloud, and it honestly did make her feel better. She just gave him a small, appreciative smile in response, silently thanking whoever was up there for blessing her with someone like him in her life. Everything seemed to be happening in kind of a blur, but Cassie just went with it, letting Patrick help her inside and then into the wheelchair that was brought their way. The question that followed made her cringe a little, and she quickly shook her head in response. “My best friend who’s going to be staying with me the whole time. I want him in there with me. There is no father,” she added onto Patrick’s response, giving the nurse a serious look. She didn’t care what anybody said, Patrick, Dani and Tori were all going to be in that delivery room with her, and she was fully prepared to kick up the biggest fuss if anybody tried to question it. Fortunately, the nurse didn’t, and Cassie had soon been wheeled through to a private room, she and Patrick receiving looks from people who obviously recognized them on the way, but Cassie paid no mind to them. She had other things to focus on right now, like pushing a person out of her body. It probably wouldn’t be happening for a while yet, so once she’d been taken aside and the nurse had gotten her changed into one of those ugly pink gowns, then helped her into the bed, she planned to relax as much as she could. Easier said than done, but whatever. The nurse promised she’d be right back to examine her, leaving Cassie and Patrick alone in the room. “Thank you for being here. Seriously, Patrick,” she sighed, holding out her hand for him to take, her voice softening, “Don’t repeat this, but I’m honestly really scared.”