a/n: I love reviews :)

Brittany felt like she could do anything at that moment. She was sitting in perfectly organized office of her up-town high rise apartment, talking to a very wealthy new client and taking diligent notes while her baby kicked enthusiastically and Ducky wagged his tail happily at her feet. This was going to be the wedding of the year, well for Ohio standards, it wouldn't be like Will and Kate's, and she had the privilege of helping with it.

"So, you want white linens, white roses, white lilies, white calla lilies, white hydrangeas, and white orchids, white unscented candles in Swarovski crystal candle holders, and you want to ride away in a vintage white Rolls Royce?" She asked.

"And I know having all white food may not be realistic, so we'll have to think about the menu. I just don't want anything that'll stain, or be too bright," the bride, Lindsey replied.

"We'll come up with a wonderful chicken and rice dish, and some kind of vegetable. Maybe white asparagus? I have a good friend who is a chef so we'll see what she thinks," Brittany suggested, feeling very proud of herself. One thing she didn't admit to anyone these days is that she really struggled in school. She had some learning disabilities, and was barely passing when she met Artie her Junior year. He was brilliant though, and helped her come up with alternative learning methods, and taught her organization so nothing ever got out of control. It worked, and although when they graduated, her grades weren't good enough to go to the same university he attended, she went to a nearby community college, and after two years, and lots of work, her grades were good enough that she was accepted. It wasn't a particularly prestigious university, Artie could have gone to a much better one, but it was still a university, and they were hopeful that Brittany would be able to attend it with him at some point.

They spent the next twenty minutes ironing out the rest of the details, and everything was going great.

"So when can we get together to see what you've come up with?" Lindsey asked.

"Actually, you're going to be primarily working with one of my co-workers. I'm pregnant and starting my maternity leave tonight. I'm taking a whole year off! But don't worry, she's one of our best, I just got started with you because she's off this week," she explained.

"That's a shame," Lindsey sighed. "I mean, congratulations, that's great! I'm thrilled for you. We just got along so great over the phone, but if you say this other woman is great, I'm sure she is. Anyway, I won't keep you. Good luck!"

"Thanks" she replied, as she hung up and typed the details they'd discussed in an email and sent them to the co-worker Lindsey would be working with. When she finished, she closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of her son moving around inside her. She was so lucky, she thought. She couldn't wait to meet him.

"Hey," said a sad voice, interrupting her from her peaceful moment. It scared her and she stood up, accidentally stepping on Ducky's paw in the process, causing him to yelp.

"Artie! You scared me!" She yelled, petting Ducky and letting him know how sorry she was. Thankfully, he was okay, just scared. "What are you doing home?"

He sat there motionless, slumped over and looking so small in his wheelchair. His hair was messy, his glasses crooked, and he looked like he had been crying. Then he looked down and mumbled something she couldn't quite make out.

"What?" she asked, a little more harshly than she had intended. She just knew that whatever he was about to tell her was not going to be good and she wished he would come out with it already.

"I'm sorry, Artie. I didn't hear you," she said, correcting her tone, figuring that whatever it was was going to be hard for him to say too.

"What happened?" She asked, having never seen him look this way. He may have been in a wheelchair, and some of the meaner kids in school had made fun of him, calling him "four eyes" and a "cripple" but Brittany never saw him as handicapped. She'd always seen him as strong, and normal, and smart, and put together, and capable, but not now. Now he looked small, weak, and defeated.

"I've been laid off," he said quietly. "I made a minor mistake, and with the economy they decided to down-size and I was one of the first to go" he tried to explain.

"You got fired?" she cried.

"Laid off," he assured, but to her there wasn't really a difference. She was devastated.

"You've got to be kidding me!" She said, becoming more upset.

"I wish I was baby. They let me and about fifteen others go. Even Steve, the Regional Vice President was let go, for someone who is younger and will work for less..."

But Brittany didn't care about Steve, or the other people that had been laid off in that moment. Only Artie, herself, and their little family. How were they going to get by? Their apartment was nice, but it was mostly unfurnished, they had car payments, and a mortgage, and all the things they would still need for their son.

"Don't they know I'm pregnant?" she practically shouted.

"Yes they do, that's why they're giving me three months' severance instead of two" he explained, trying to calm her down, but it wasn't working.

"Do we still have health insurance?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

"I can buy private insurance. Don't worry about that."

She calmed down, taking a deep breath before she hyperventilated. "How could they do this to you, to us? What happened? What did you do?" She asked, she said the last part quietly, but Artie still heard.

"I just screwed up, okay. I didn't mean to, but it happened. I guess I'm having trouble focusing, being both excited and worried about the baby. About how I'll be as a father, you know, with my wheelchair and all."

Brittany felt sorry for him, she did. But she was also so mad that this could happen right now. She didn't deserve this, and her son definitely didn't deserve this.

"What are we going to do?" She asked, thinking of the deal they'd made long before she was pregnant, before they were married even. She was going to take a year off whenever she had a baby and be a stay-at-home mom, and Artie would work and support them. That was what they both believed was ideal. Artie just rolled away and grabbed Ducky's leash.

"I'm going to take Ducky for a walk, that's what I'm going to do right now," he shrugged.

You've got to be fucking kidding me. She thought. And she really wished he was. That this was all some elaborate April Fool's joke and he was going to turn around and say he was kidding about losing the job and kidding that at this moment he was going to take the damn dog for a walk. But it was June, and Artie had never really played jokes on her to begin with. Brittany still sometimes had a hard time distinguishing when people were joking and when they were serious, so Artie never did that to her unless he was extremely obvious about it.

So he and Ducky left and she robotically went about making dinner. They didn't return until two hours later, and by that time, dinner was cold. Brittany picked at her plate, not really hungry, but knowing she had to eat for the baby. They sat there in relative silence until Artie finally spoke up.

"Brittany, honey, say something." He urged.

"What do you want me to say? That everything is okay? That I'm about to have a baby and my husband doesn't have a job, but it's okay?" She cried, and he just looked at her, feeling really guilty. "I'm going to bed" she announced. It may have only been seven o'clock and she hadn't eaten much dinner but she just wanted to escape.

She turned around, suddenly feeling guilty too. She knew it was just as hard on him as it was on her, and he didn't need any grief from her. She did mean to talk to him about his worries and insecurities about being a disabled father, but she couldn't right now."Hey, these things happen, and I'm sorry, but it's going to be okay," she reassured, touching his shoulder, unable to be any more affectionate then that. Then she headed out of the empty living room, past the perfectly decorated nursery, and the perfectly organized office, and into the master bedroom. This wasn't supposed to happen, things were so good when they bought this apartment, they were going to nice restaurants, and on nice vacations. They both made such good livings and they were supposed to have it all. "Why?" she cried as she buried her head in her pillow.