Abby used to be a stripper. It was a fact. One that she didn't try to hide. She wasn't necessarily proud of it, but she wasn't ashamed either. It was something she had to do, and she wasn't going to be sorry for it. She also wasn't going to be sorry for falling in love with a younger man. She and Michael were friends first and always. She was grateful to Sam for bringing him into her life. And if anyone expected her to be sorry for having a baby made from love, they were out of their damn minds.

Carly could call her every name in the book; it was nothing she hadn't heard from her own mother. It didn't bother her. What bothered her was the self-righteous know-it-all trying to control Michael's life. Abby was a fierce protector of the people she loved, and Carly was underestimating her. Carly was the one responsible for that look of sadness that crossed Michael's face every so often. She was the one raining on what was supposed to be a joyous time in their lives.

And Abby was sick of it. Trying and failing to hurt her or scare her away was one thing. Hurting Michael, on the other hand, was unacceptable.

The night before, Michael had come home almost depressed after visiting his little sister at their mother's house. Apparently, he started talking to her about their baby when Carly abruptly ended their visit. She hadn't even talked directly to him the whole time he was there. He could tell that Josslyn missed him as much as he missed her. This feud Carly had created was taking its toll on the entire family. And it was starting to stress Abby out, which she absolutely did not need.

Unfortunately for Carly, Abby was in an angry, defiant mood. Michael had left earlier that morning, and she had attempted to put together this stupid, simple mobile but was too frustrated to do so. Obviously, this was Carly's fault. Abby wouldn't have gotten so frustrated if her boyfriend wasn't in a foul mood because his mother was being so awful.

She threw the toy into a corner and cringed when it sounded like something snapped. She grabbed her purse and keys and slipped on a pair of boots that sat by the door. She slammed the door behind her, almost forgetting to lock it.

Only when she arrived downstairs did she realize that Michael had the car. But she wasn't going to let that deter her. After fifteen minutes, her anger and frustration had only grown while waiting for a taxi to arrive. During the twenty minute drive to Carly's house, she took deeps breaths that were supposed to be soothing but only made her more impatient.

When she finally arrived, she practically threw her money at the driver. She then had the thought that she just sent away her getaway car. But she could always call another cab.

She walked up to the door and rang the door once before, without waiting, she turned the knob. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked so she let herself in, adrenaline in full swing.

"Carly!" she called, closing the door behind her.

The older blonde emerged from some room with a confused scowl on her face.

"What the hell? What are you doing here?"

"I know this is your home, but you're going to listen to what I have to say."

"Excuse me?"

"No, excuse me, because apparently I didn't make myself clear. You have been forcing people to listen to your crap for far too long, but that's not going to fly anymore. Not with me and not with Michael."

"Don't you dare try to tell me about my son."

"Oh, no. Please! Let me tell you about Michael. First of all, and for the thousandth time, he is a grown ass man. He doesn't need his mother running his life for him. He is having a baby. With me. He is starting a life, with me! You not being a part of that life is all on you. It is not my fault that Michael grew up. I understand that you missed out on a lot of time with him for reasons that were beyond your control, but that doesn't excuse you butting in where you have no business.

"You don't like me, I get it. And if it wasn't for Michael and our son, I wouldn't give a damn. But it is tearing him up inside not to have you around. He wants you to know your grandson. He wants you to be his mother. That is the extent of your boundaries. And for Michael's sake, I hope you stop being so childish and open your eyes. In case you haven't noticed, he's having a baby! Neither one of us have been through anything like this before. We have our own fears and insecurities going into this, and we don't need extra drama from you. He just needs your love and support. Your understanding. That's it. It should not be this hard for him to coexist with his own family. He shouldn't be worried every time he wants to come see his little sister, trying to come up with a game plan for being around you. It's ridiculous! As much as it pains me to say, he needs you."

Abby exhaled sharply and began digging through her purse. "At least think about what I said." She pulled out a card and handed to Carly. Without another word, she walked out the front door.

She got all the way to the sidewalk when she remembered her dilemma. She took out her phone as she started walking away from the house and called the cab company.

Carly looked down at the customized invitation. The front read, "Biggest Best Baby Bump Party Ever!" in an assortment of colors. She opened the card a something fell out. She read the inside of the card quickly, which asked for her attendance in celebrating Sam, Maxie, and Abby's newest additions. She bent down to pick up the fallen paper, sighing when she saw what it was. A copy of a sonogram, with "It's A Boy!" written across the bottom.