She sat in the lone hospital bed starring down at her new baby boy. John, yes that was a strong name. He opened his eyes just a sliver and peaked at his mother. She smiled and tucked her bangs back behind her ear. It was quiet in her room, every one had gone home for the day and she was left alone with her boy.

"It's just us now John. Just you and me against the world." She sighed. He didn't care if his mom was only 15 or that his father was a troubled teen. "Ben, well I don't know what I'm gonna do about him. He's not your daddy, but he does love me. Then there's Ricky. Oh, John I don't know what to do. All I know is that I will do whatever I can to make sure that you have everything you need."

John yawned and Amy decided that she should feed him and get him to sleep. He took his bottle and drank quickly. Amy rubbed his head, kissed his forehead and put him in the little plastic bin that he would sleep in till they were able to go home.

She was about to scoot down a little in her bed to go to sleep when there was a knock on the door. She looked at it puzzled. "Come in." She said with question. The door opened slowly and it was Ricky who stepped into her room.

"Hey, Amy." He said as he shut the door. "How are you feeling? How's John? Do you need anything?" She pulled the hospital blanket up closer to her chin.

"I'm fine. John's fine." She glanced over at John as he slept quietly. "What do you want Ricky?" She looked into his eyes. There she could see fear, nervousness, happiness, calm, guilt, and love? Was that love she saw there?

"I just….I" he placed his hands in his leather jacket pocket. "I missed you two. I needed to see you and our son." She sighed.

"Are you serious?" He nodded his head. "Ricky, you haven't been there for me this past nine months and now you decide that you want to come around." She was getting mad, and he could see it on her face.

"Amy look, I just wanted to see you. That's all." He turned towards the door and was ready to leave.

"Ricky wait!" He stopped. "Look, this is all new for me. I'm a new mother now and you're his father. I can't stop that, but why now? Why all of a sudden do you want to be his father now?"

Ricky didn't speak at first. He didn't know what to say. He slowly turned to face her and looked into her eyes where tears threatened to fall.

"Amy, I can't take back what happened and I don't want too. The first time I looked at him my heart melted. I know to you this all sounds like I'm lying. I haven't been around for you or John. I didn't do anything to help, but I want to now. I'm trying, Amy, really I am. I have a job and I'll do whatever I can to help you. I want to help you. I want to be my son's father. I want him to know me as his father, not Ben. I'll be there for him and for you if you need me. Please, Amy, let me be there for our son." She could see in his eyes that he was being sincere. However much resentment she had toward him she knew it was the right thing to do. Let him be there for John, their son.

"Ricky, I know that you'll be there for him. I know it in my heart that you're being truthful. I can't say that I trust you fully, but I do know that you'll at least try you're hardest." She look over at her sleeping son. He looked so serene. She smiled. "We'll both be there for him. He's ours. We created him, and though I'm not very happy with how things happened, I don't regret having him and I'm glad he's here. I trust you to feel the same." He managed to crack a smile. That same smile that got her in this position. It was that signature look that had all the girls falling at his feet.

"Thank you, Amy."

"Your welcome, Ricky." She yawned and that was his queue to leave.

"Well, I'll let the two of you get some sleep. Call me tomorrow and let me know if I can come by to see you two." She nodded and he opened the door and left her and John there to sleep.

"Well John, looks like your daddy will be there for the both of us. Let's just hope Ben doesn't throw a fit."

***

It had been nearly 5 months since Amy had given birth to John. Everything was going great. He went to the church daycare center during school hours and Amy worked there after school. Her day ended with taking John home, eating dinner, giving him his dinner and bath, getting him ready for bed, and then some studying before they both went to bed. Most nights Ricky would drop by to lend a hand and most nights Ben would show up at the same time to just cause more stress to the new mother.

"Ben, I've told you a million times, there's nothing going on between me and Ricky!! He's here helping with John. Why do you have to be so jealous!?"

"Because, Amy, he sees you more than I do! He's around you more than I am! It's not fair, Amy." She shoved her bangs back in frustration.

"Ugh, Ben, you make me so angry sometimes! He's the John's father, you remember John, you know MY SON!! Of course he's gonna be around! You knew this was gonna be this way when I told you I was going to keep him!" She stopped when Ricky walked into the room holding a sleeping John.

"Did I interrupt?" Ricky asked with a smooth smile.

"As a matter of fact…"

"No. Ben was just leaving." Amy cut him off and glared at him. "Go home, Ben. I don't need your jealousy issues right now." Ben tucked his hands into his jean pockets and glanced over at Ricky then back at Amy.

"I'm sorry, Amy, but this isn't going to work if you keep pushing me away. You need to make a decision. I love you, Amy, but I'm not going to just let him play house with you." Amy rolled her eyes.

"Ben, we're not playing house." She walked over to Ricky and took John. She cradled him in her arms close to her chest. "Ricky will be around for the rest of John's life. If you don't like that, if you can't handle that, then you need to leave. I can't be with you if you can't accept the fact that I had Ricky's baby, not yours." She could see the hurt in his eyes, but she felt nothing towards him. For the last couple months since John was born she had slowly lost all feelings towards Ben due to his behavior. "I loved you, Ben. I loved that old you. The one that would hold my hand. The one that would take me to the park on a Sunday and make me wings. I loved that Ben, not this new person that you've become. I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry."

With that said Amy turned and walked to her room. She left Ricky and Ben standing there. They starred at each other for a good five minutes before Ben broke the silence.

"Take good care of her Ricky. She deserves the best." That was the last time Ben would be in that house, he turned and left.

Ricky stood there starring at the front door that Ben had just walked out of. He couldn't believe it. Did they just break up? Did he really see all that happen? Was Amy really a single girl now? It all happened so fast that it was sinking in slowly.

"Ricky?" Amy said quietly. He turned around to see her standing in the living room doorway. He had never noticed how beautiful she looked when the overhead lights illuminated her in all the right places. The angles in her face, her hair color, her eyes, she looked like a completely different person. She had grown up so much since he had really and truly looked at her. Not as the mother of his son, not as a freshman, not even as a girl he slept with one long night ago at band camp. No, she was a woman now. A beautiful woman that stood in front of him with question in her eyes. "Ricky, are you okay?" She lifted her hand to slowly scoop the bangs out of her face. She bit her bottom lip.

"I'm just…." He couldn't believe the incredible amount of emotion that surged through him all at once. "You're beautiful, Amy." He watched as she folded her arms across her chest and a light pink stained her cheeks.

"What are you talking about. Don't think you're going to charm me like you've done before. I know all your tricks Ricky, and I'm not falling for them again." He stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders. Before she could step back or push him away he lowered his lips to hers and claimed them for his own.