Brushing my teeth that night I felt a bit sad as I looked in the mirror; I was alone. Sure, I had Billy involved and I knew I was so fortunate with that because a lot of women didn't have the fathers around, and my baby was healthy so I should have felt happy; but I didn't. One toothbrush in the holder, one loofah in the shower, one everything. It wasn't going to get any better either – who wanted to date a single mom? No one would want me; the baby was all I was going to have from this point forward. It was a depressing thought as I crawled into bed. Guys definitely got the better end of the stick, and I couldn't help but think "right now Billy is probably out with the guys chatting up some beautiful girl that had no baggage... the way he had chatted me up a few months ago." Charming, sexy, funny – the man was a triple threat, not to mention the fact that he looked the very definition of bad boy. He would be the catch out of the two of us, the bad boy with a heart who is involved in his kids life out of choice. I would be the stupid girl who got pregnant from some casual sex and would remain tragically alone until the kid was about eighteen and ready to move out for college, or worse – remain tragically alone until the 'Meals on Wheels' delivery guy found my wrinkled and dead body being eaten by my pet cats. I sighed into my pillow and rubbed my stomach, wishing I had someone there with me to pull me out of what I knew was an overdramatic pity party, but I didn't – and thus the pity party lasted for hours, with horrible visuals of my fingers being chewed by feral cats, cementing in my head the decision to never ever buy a cat, no matter how cute it might look.

The following day, something happened to pull me right out of my sorrow – the baby kicked. I stood there and realised I had been stupid; I wasn't alone at all. I had my baby and that was more important than any guy could be. I picked up the phone and called Billy's number.

"Mmm?" he answered sounding sleepy.

"Just thought you should know, your baby has started kicking." I giggled.

"What? Really?" he asked, sounding a bit more awake.

"Yeah just now. Sorry to call but I just thought you should know, I got excited." I shrugged and just then heard something I was not prepared for.

"Billy who is it? What's going on?" a female voice asked.

"Shh!" he hissed back at her. "So what did it feel like?" he asked, I could hear him grinning. He was carrying on like normal. Then again, why shouldn't he? We were nothing; I was just having his baby.

"Very weird, listen I'll go again I didn't realise you were asleep. I'll see you soon, alright?" I said and hung up. My heart was hammering a little. I went back to my lunch and sighed, chuckling a little at the little kick I received.

"You like hearing your Daddy's voice too, huh?" I asked and ran my hand over where the movement was. As I ate I decided the box bedroom could no longer be dedicated to my shoes and clothes, and after lunch went about emptying it out. I was sitting in what looked like a fort made of shoe boxes after about two hours trying to decide which ones I was going to get rid of when there was a knock at the door. I opened it and Billy and Joe stood there.

"What's up guys?" I asked, looking at the two of them.

"I came over to see if you were alright 'cos you sounded weird on the phone, this jackass wanted to come when he heard the baby started kicking." Billy explained, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, well come in. I'm sorry about the mess; I'm cleaning out the smaller bedroom. It's going to be the nursery!" I explained as they both stopped dead and looked at all the boxes.

"We'll help!" Joe grinned. Billy shot him a glare.

"No really I've got it." I laughed but he shook his head.

"I'm not leaving till that baby kicks again, I want to feel it! So sit down, Billy and I will go through these and you tell us what you want to keep." He said, taking off his jacket and plonking himself down in the midst of the shoes.

"Why do you even need this many shoes?" Billy asked fifteen minutes later.

"I like them." I shrugged and Joe winked at me. An hour later, his patience was wearing thin.

"Leah you have to throw some pairs out! We've only got on pair in the out pile!" he said with a raised voice and Joe and I burst into laughter.

"I never thought I'd hear a sentence like that coming from your mouth." Joe said through his giggles.

"Well she's bein' unreasonable! There's no need to have this many fuckin' shoes!" he argued and just then, I felt it again.

"It's kicking again, quick!" I said, and Joe moved over quick as lightening as I positioned his hand.

"Oh wow! Leah, aww!" he said as he felt it. "Billy come here!" he added.

"No I'm good." He shrugged and stayed put, watching as Joe's eyes grew wider and more excited with each tiny movement.