She was the most beautiful baby I'd ever seen with her big blue eyes and her curly brown hair. She had got her hair from her father, but she looked like me.

She was a gift and she was a curse and I did feel bad saying that, but it was true. I was only nineteen years old and I was taking care of a mere infant. I had to drop out of college so that I could take care of her. I wanted to be a psychologist and help people since Dean hurt me. Wasn't that a curse enough?

I looked into her blue eyes and thought about her father. He was off somewhere with my ex-friend Terri McGreggor although I called him about his daughter. Somehow I wondered how would it be if Dean were her father? It was possible because I have saw Dean since I pressed charges against him, but still, I would never sleep with him. That's what people thought I had did. Maybe he would love her so much that immediately he'd try and get custody. At least I'd know he loved her enough to want her.

My parents were on a honeymoon in Europe and no one knew how to contact Dylan.

I remembered the night my daughter was conceived. It was raining outside and we were arguing about something tiny, but it had me upset. That only made us more passionate and next thing you know we were laying on the bed with him kissing my neck.

He was so nice to me the morning after, acting all sweet and everything. He made me some breakfast and we hit the sheets again and then I left because I had a shopping trip with Hazel. I was so excited, telling her about everything, that is, until we saw him with his arm wrapped around Terri in some store. I didn't make a fool out of himself and I don't even think Terri knew what we did, but I was pissed.

I wanted to cry, but I fought back my tears. I wasn't tired and I wasn't happy, I was just so sad. No, I was depressed. I was depressed because somewhere in my heart I knew that Craig would abandon her like he did me. How could someone abandon my gorgeous little girl like that? She was so tiny, coming in at five pounds and seven ounces, and you could barely hear her cry, but it was so strong. The labor was easy and she was born at four twenty-four in the morning.

"Don't cry." I turned and faced my best friend Hazel Aden. Even she was pregnant and she should be going in labor any day now herself. She was the only one to witness my baby's birth and that's why, besides being my best friend, she was going to be my daughter's godmother.

"I'm trying not to," I told her. "It's just so hard."

"Forget him, forget Craig Manning."

"I ...can't," I cried. "I can't forget how cruel and heartless he is. How he used me, and then how he went to…her." I looked at my daughter again and thought about her future.

Would she somehow be spoiled although I'm sure I'd have to get on Welfare? Would she wear the best clothes? Would she be an annoying geek? Would she be as sweet as she was smart? Would she have a talent for music…like her father does?

"Paige, Craig is someone you'd want to forget," she told me. "You just said the reasons yourself."

"Hazel, it's just…so hard. Marco isn't doing this to you and he's gay."

She shook her head. "All he is, is going to take care of his child and pay child support."

"That's something though. Look around Hazel; you were the one to take me to the hospital and the only one who witnessed my child's birth. No one cares about us but you."

I knew where I was going after I left here. Hazel was letting my baby and I stay with her and when our babies were bigger we were going on a trip to New York, permanently. Until then though, I'd probably be depressed and angry.

"Don't say that Paige," she said. "Our landlord would care too."

We laughed. "Not about me, but my money."

For some reason after that we were quiet. I had given Hazel a bracelet so that she could get my baby from the nursery for me. That should've been for Craig, but he was a bastard anyway. He'd probably steal my baby and let Terri raise her as her own.

"Whose last name are you giving her? You know, way back when if you weren't married and you somehow kept the baby they had the mother's last name." Hazel was always into that history stuff telling me what she learned off of the Internet or in a book that she read. I was always interested because she did find out some nice stuff.

"I really want to give her Craig's," I told Hazel. She seemed to be surprised. "I mean, I'm the kind that thinks the baby should have the father's name regardless, unless rape or incest."

"You can hyphen it then," she told me.

"No," I shook my head and scrunched up my face. "It'll be too long because I'm giving her a middle name too."

"Well, what are you naming her?" she asked me.

"I love the name Tara," I told her. "It just seems plain compared to her. Then, get this, I was thinking about Ashley the other day right…"

Poor Ashley, she just went through a lot. She had gotten back with Craig until Terri, her best friend, stole him from her. I stole him from Terri, but as you can see they're back together. Anyway, I talked to Ashley before she left and she was going to study in Europe.

"Craig isn't the only guy in this world and if he hurts me then it's fine because I'll move on," she told me while she waited for her plane. "I hope Terri know it's going to come back and bite her in the butt, but I'm not going to hold a grudge because I have other things to do and I don't need a guy trying to slow me down."

That was really wise and I thought about that when she told me. How come I thought he'd treat me different? He hurt Ashley and Manny and then Terri and then I was foolish enough to listen and believe him when he said he loved me. I shook my head and smiled at my baby and then looked at Hazel.

"Would you like to hold your goddaughter, Ashlyn Arianna Manning?"

Hazel smiled and then she nodded. "Of course." While she held her goddaughter I reached for the phone and I called Craig Manning so that he could hold her too.

!#$&!#$&

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I can't help, but smile when I read them. Last night I went to see The Grudge with my cousin and it was good, but I was so tired and fell asleep for a little bit. If you have been thinking about seeing it though, go ahead because I enjoyed what I watched. HAPPY HALLOWEEN