Clad in green, and red flannel pajamas, and warm socks Cassie remains eerily silent that evening as she turns down the bed. Sam watches her as she zeros in on the task at hand with a steely look in her eyes. She climbs into the bed, and suddenly realizes that her husband has disappeared from his side of the bed. She turns, and finds him next to her side of the bed. She furrows her brow.

"I need you to switch me spots."

"I am a very open minded person, but I don't have any interest in switching spots."

Her smirks, "Just indulge me for a few minutes, please. You can have your spot back before we go to bed."

"Is there any point? I mean it's not like I'll be sleeping, anyway."

He gently nudges her, "Scoot over, Cassie."

She begrudgingly scoots to his side of the bed, and immediately starts rearranging his pillows. He slides in next to her.

"You obviously need a change of perspective."

"You don't even know what my perspective is," she growls.

"I can practically feel your energy over here. You're seething."

She leans back against the headboard, "I don't want to be angry."

"Your feelings are valid, even if you don't welcome them."

"Don't throw something I would say in my face."

"Then let's talk. You can't tell her what you're really thinking, so you're going to have to settle for me."

"What was she thinking? She's not ready for this. She is barely more than a child herself. How is she going to raise one?"

"Your hopes, and plans for her future are not going to be what either of your envisioned."

"She's so young. How is she going to raise a baby by herself? What are people going to say when she shows up with a baby in tow?"

"Other people don't matter. The only people that matter are the people who are going to support her. You can be upset with her choices. You don't have to agree with them. At the end of the day you are going to have to manage your feelings if you are going to show up and support her."

Cassie falls utterly silent as she folds her arms across her chest to contemplate what he's saying. Sam pulls the picture frame out of his bedside stand. He looks at it, and then to his wife.

"After you thought she wasn't looking you shoved this in the junk drawer. I waited until you left the room, and took it out of there. It's not fair to them to shove it a side like a twist tie, or a chip clip we might need later. I know that you're not ready to accept this yet. You don't have to. You do have to show up for her, because she is absolutely terrified right now."

"She should be."

He shakes his head, "You don't mean that. I think in the morning you should get up, and find a special spot for this, even if you're not sure you have room for it in your heart yet."

"This is the last thing in the world that I want for her," Cassie's nostrils flare as tears begin to ungracefully kiss her cheeks, "I want her to follow her dreams, and travel the world, and do whatever it is her heart desires."

"She can do all of those things. It just looks differently now."

"I didn't even begin to ask where the other party involved in all of this is. My gut says that I don't really want to know. Where is the responsible, level headed kid that I raised?"

"Cassie, she's only human. Haven't you ever made a choice in the moment that didn't turn out the way you planned?"

"We're not talking about me. This is Grace."

"Are you upset with her because of the decision she's reached? Or are you feeling upset because now the dreams you had planned with her suddenly look very different?"

She shrugs as she wipes the tears from her eyes, "I don't even know."

"So are you going to stop loving her because she's made decisions that you don't agree with?"

"No, of course not."

"Then you're going to have to come to terms with this somehow."

"How can you be so calm, cool, and collected about this?"

"All I see is my terrified kid, and I just want her to know no matter how hard, or scary things are she can always come home," Sam answers.

Cassie falls utterly silent.

Sam continues, "And this morning, in my office I knew I was never going to be able to bring the energy to the room that her dad could have. Your daughter needed a parent, and I was the only one there. She needed someone in her corner, and there are a lot of things I can't do. There are a lot of ways that I can't fill anyone's shoes. As far as showing up for her, though, I can do that. Every time I can show up for her."

"It should have been me. I should have been there with her."

Sam doesn't respond. He just looks at Cassie as she spins out. She shakes her head.

"Which is exactly why she didn't want to tell me. She was afraid of my reaction. I don't want that. How did we get here?"

He shrugs, "Life happens."

"I'll be okay with this in time, but I'm not today."

"Put me in coach, I'm ready to play," he winks.