"Hi," Alex greeted Cate when Cate entered the nursery on Monday morning.

Cate always visited Lux before school. Alex usually waited with one of the weird plastic things, knowing Cate wanted as much time with Lux as possible.

"Hi," Cate said, smiling brightly. "Thanks."

"No problem." Alex noticed Cate looked better rested than she had, well, ever before.

Normally Cate looked like she'd been through the wringer. In a way, she had, Alex knew.

As if being a teen mother weren't enough to deal with, Cate also had to deal with Lux's heart condition. Throw in a deadbeat dad and the poor seventeen year old was in way over her head.

The dark circles under Cate's eyes were faded. She smiled brightly. For the first time since Alex had met her, Cate looked relaxed.

"You look happy," Alex observed.

"I am." Cate smiled.

Alex hesitated. "I, uh, met Lux's father."

Cate's eyes widened. "You did?"

Alex nodded. "He's a piece of work."

"You're telling me," Cate muttered. She remembered Lux was there and softened her tone. She didn't want to upset Lux. She cooed at her daughter.

"Are you guys together?" Alex asked.

"No," Cate said emphatically.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief.

Cate noticed and narrowed her eyes. "What? Why?"

Alex sighed. "He hit on me."

Cate rolled her eyes. "He hits on everything with boobs." She realized how that sounded and frowned. "No offense."

Alex laughed. "None taken. I kinda got that impression."

"What was he doing here? Did he, uh, see Lux?" Cate wondered aloud.

"I don't know. He was out here in the hall. Mr. Bazile and a woman…I think his wife…were in the nursery," Alex said.

Cate's face fell. She didn't know why, but she'd been hoping Baze would man up and visit his daughter.

Cate wanted to give Lux everything she'd never had. Including a father who loved her.

Cate couldn't stand the idea of Lux growing up without a father. Like me, Cate thought bitterly.

Cate wondered whether it was better to grow up without a father or with a jerk for a father. She remembered how cruel Baze had been to her. She didn't want her daughter to experience Baze's cruelty, Cate decided.

"Would you do me a favor?" Cate asked.

"Sure," Alex replied, looking at Cate expectantly. Cate rarely asked for anything.

"He probably won't, but if Baze comes back would you keep an eye on him? I don't really want him alone with Lux," Cate said quietly.

Alex smiled. "Of course."

"Is she hungry?" Cate asked hopefully. The only time she got to hold Lux was when she fed her.

"You can try feeding her," Alex replied.

Cate sat down, her excitement barely contained, as Alex placed Lux in her arms.

Cate smiled down at her daughter.

Lux stared at Cate and reached out her tiny little hands.

Cate grinned, wanting nothing more than to cuddle Lux to her chest, but knowing she couldn't.

Cate hoped the specialist John was calling would be able to perform the surgery soon.

Cate wanted to take Lux home. She wanted to hold Lux and play with her.

Alex knew Cate lost track of time when she was with Lux. Alex watched the clock.

"Don't you have to leave now?" Alex asked, not wanting Cate to be late for school.

Cate glanced at the clock and sighed. Time always passed too quickly when Cate was with Lux. Cate could stay there with her daughter forever.

"Thanks," Cate said.

Alex took Lux and set her back in her basinet.

"I'll be back later," Cate called as she left.

"I know," Alex said, laughing.

Cate took a deep breath before she entered Westmonte. She cringed as she remembered the football game.

Baze deserved what he got, but Cate knew school would be especially unbearable today.

The whispers and stares of her classmates didn't escape Cate. She held her head high and walked to class.

Cate exhaled as she took her seat beside Alice, grateful for a friendly face. "Hi."

"Hi." Alice hesitated. "Do you know what everyone's saying about you?"

Cate sighed. "Let me guess. That I slept with Baze?"

Alice nodded. "Don't worry. I know it's not true."

Cate stared at Alice.

"I'm sure it'll all blow over soon," Alice said reassuringly.

"Actually, it's true," Cate admitted.

Alice's eyes widened in shock. "You slept with the most popular guy in school?"

Cate nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Alice asked, her voice laced with hurt.

Cate blushed. "He, uh, denied sleeping with me. I didn't tell anyone."

Alice frowned. "What a jerk. I understand."

Cate smiled, glad Alice wasn't mad.

"I want details! When did you guys hook up?" Alice asked eagerly.

Cate sighed. She didn't really want to talk about Baze or the night of Lux's conception, but she didn't want to hurt Alice's feelings so she didn't have much of a choice. "The night of Winter Formal. His date had to have her stomach pumped. Frankie ditched me. We were both alone. It just sorta happened."

"I wish that kind of thing would just sorta happen to me." Alice sighed wistfully. "He may be a jerk, but he's a hot jerk."

Cate smiled slightly. "He's not bad."

Alice's expression sobered. "There's something else. I know this isn't true…"

"What?" Cate asked curiously.

"People are saying that he got you pregnant," Alice whispered.

Cate bit her lip.

Alex's expression changed when she saw Cate's face. "It's not true…is it?"

Cate nodded sheepishly.

"Oh my gosh. What are you gonna do?" Alice wondered.

Cate hesitated. "I already had the baby."

"No, you didn't. I would've noticed if you were nine months pregnant," Alice retorted.

"I didn't show much until summer." Cate shrugged.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me," Alice said, her tone accusatory.

"I'm sorry," Cate said helplessly, wondering how everyone had found out.

She didn't think anyone had heard her and Baze talking about the baby. Unless Baze had told everyone, Cate thought doubtfully. Why would he tell everyone when he'd done everything he could to deny Lux's existence?

"Hey," Cate whispered. "How'd everyone find out I was pregnant?"

"I think Abby was telling everyone," Alice replied.

"She was?" Cate asked, horrified. She knew Abby was mad at her, but she couldn't believe Abby would betray her this way. It was unforgivable.

By lunchtime, Cate was ready to murder her little sister. The first few periods had been miserable. Everyone was talking about Cate. Absolutely everyone.

"Why would he sleep with her?"

"He must have had beer goggles when he tapped that."

"She doesn't look pregnant."

"Did she think hooking up with the quarterback would make her popular? That's so sad."

"She's probably lying about being pregnant. Maybe she thinks he'll actually marry her."

Cate tried to ignore the whispers and snickers as she made her way to the cafeteria.

"Baze is totally hot. And she's, like, totally not."

"Who is Cate Cassidy? Is she new?"

Cate grimaced. She easily found Abby sitting with her friends at her usual table.

"How could you?" Cate said as she approached Abby.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Abby retorted.

Cate grabbed her little sister's shoulders and shook her slightly, forcing Abby to meet her eyes. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out you're the one that told? How could you?"

"Let go of me!" Abby jerked free.

Cate stared at Abby. She'd expected Abby to apologize, but Abby didn't look like she felt any remorse at all.

"Now you know what it feels like," Abby said, glaring at Cate.

Cate continued to stare, confusion creasing her brow.

"To be betrayed by your own sister," Abby explained, rolling her eyes. "You knew I liked Baze and you slept with him anyway. You lied to me for the better part of a year. Now everyone knows you're a liar."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Cate said softly. "What you did, you deliberately tried to hurt me. I just, I don't know if I can ever forgive you."

Abby's eyes widened in surprise.

Cate turned on her heel and headed toward the door. She'd had enough of school for the day.

She was going to ditch and go see Lux. Visiting her daughter would cheer Cate up, she knew.

On her way out, Cate ran into Baze. He was hanging out outside in front of the school building.

He glared at Cate. "Congratulations. Everyone knows."

Cate ignored him. He was the last person she felt like talking to at the moment.