Two hours later Ryan avoided calling Pam's parents and nervously waited in his apartment while Gladys fed Ginger her breakfast. Sitting at the kitchen table Ryan felt completely numb. Staring at his hands which were slightly twitching, he looked at his wedding band and felt completely alone.

That's when a knock came to the front door. Gladys answered it while a very sleepy looking Ginger played with the apple sauce she was having at her high-chair. When Gladys walked in, Ryan's mother followed. Ryan looked up and saw the utter disappointment in her eyes.

"Oh Ryan, what mess have you gotten yourself into?"

An hour later Ryan had come completely clean. Sitting in the living room with his mother as she sipped tea he explained everything and what had happened just hours ago at the hospital. Ginger was in the other room with Gladys playing with her. Ryan noticed that his mother hadn't even spared a glance at Ginger or acknowledged that was her grandchild. Instead she simply sat there with her hard eyes listening. Once Ryan finished, admitting his drug habit and showing her the emails Jim had been sending Pam he sat back and looked at her.

"What do I do?"

"How long have you been using?"

"A little over a year…everything is falling apart, I think the company is trying to get rid of me."

"Doesn't surprise me."

Ryan looked down at his hands and said nothing before she cleared his throat and set down the tea cup.

"This life, it's all smoke and lights…it's pretend Ryan, a pretend fake fairytale I knew you were living the second you brought that girl home the first time."

Ryan lowered his head, his chest hitching.

"I…loved…her…"

"Yes well I think it's clear she doesn't love you. Now first this is first…it's going to look very odd that you didn't call her family right away. I'll take care of that, make up some lie about you being in shock and resting. Now I don't want you to confront her about anything…if you do that now any chance you have of holding onto your daughter is gone."

"But…"

"Listen to me Ryan, for once listen to me."

Ryan nodded as she went on.

"No court room in American would grant you full custody with how you are now. You need to get clean…no matter how hard that is."

"That's easier said then done mom…"

"Then kiss your daughter goodbye and have that man in the office she's sleeping with become her father, do you want that?"

Ryan shook his head. Just the thought of Jim raising Ginger made him see black.

"There's no need to dwell on the past. This baby died because it was a sign Ryan that it's over between you two. I say play the part of the loving husband for the first few weeks while getting clean. It won't be hard but I'll be staying here until you break the news."

"What?"

"You got yourself into this mess Ryan and I'm trying to help you. I'll stay in your guestroom for say two maybe three weeks. Help around the apartment and with the baby…pretend I'm the caring mother in law…also it won't be so easy for her to contact this Jim fellow with me breathing down her neck. I won't lie Ryan that you most likely will have to leave your job…but that's just something your going to have to give up. Once your clean enough we'll sit down together with her and confront her with these emails. We'll make copies and by then we would of all ready contacted my lawyer…it's going to be tough, most of all with her parents but once your clean everything will be set."

This all seemed too much for Ryan, his head ached.

"Do you think it will work?"

"Of course it will, until then you just need to pretend, like you've been for the past few years. It's going to be tough, most of all when you're getting clean…but after that you'll have your daughter and you'll leave that bitch."

In the next room Ryan heard Ginger giggling and his heart sank.

"Mom…I never wanted anything to happen to the baby…"

"Yes well the baby is dead, your daughter isn't. Think about her."

Ryan looked up at her and understood.

An hour later Ryan's mother was making phone calls and Ryan left Gladys with Ginger. Going to the hospital re-dressed and partly in a daze he wanted a fix more then anything at this moment. His head throbbing he went up to Pam's room and sat by her until she woke up nearly three hours later.

Still half asleep her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him, her throat cracked and dry.

"Ryan?"

Ryan remembered what his mother said, pretend. He held her hand saying nothing. Pam then looked around, sunlight coming in through the window.

"What happened? Where am I?"

Her eyes opened and closed.

"Your in the hospital."

Pam looked up at him, her eyes scared.

"The baby?"

Ryan just stared at her, he wanted to kill her.

"It's gone Pam."

Pam just laid there, speechless.

"What?"

"It came early…I'm sorry."

Pam's eyes filled with tears and right away Ryan knew she just like him was pretending.

"No…"

Ryan leaned down, gathering her up in his arms and holding her as she cried against his shoulder.

"Shhhh, it's all right…"

Ryan's eyes filled with hate as he held her.