Author Note: Thanks for all the reviews! :) I'll continue it for awhile, but I'm having a hard time writing about a baby haha. I really don't know much about them. I don't know when they start crawling, talking, walking, etc.

Lux's wails woke Cate before her alarm went off. She glanced at the clock. 4:55 am.

Cate went to the crib at the foot of her bed and scooped Lux up. Cate stifled a yawn as she examined her daughter, wondering why Lux was up so early. Was the baby sick? What if something was wrong with her heart? Lux looked OK, but Cate didn't really know what she was looking for.

Lux wasn't wet. Cate sat down in the rocking chair Ellen had bought and tried to feed Lux, but the baby didn't seem to be hungry either. Lux's cries grew louder.

"What's wrong?" Cate murmured. She didn't know what to do.

"Cate, Lux is your responsibility. I can't have her waking the whole house up at this hour. I have to go to work and Abby needs to sleep. She has a test today," Laverne complained from the hallway.

Laverne had waited to see if Cate would tend to Lux before dragging herself out of bed. Lux had been crying for several minutes. Cate must still be asleep, Laverne thought angrily.

Laverne entered Cate's bedroom and was surprised to find Cate's bed empty.

"I know! I just, I don't know what to do," Cate said helplessly.

Laverne turned toward the sound of Cate's voice and saw Cate sitting in the rocking chair with Lux. Her expression softened. At least Cate was trying.

"She won't stop crying!" Cate complained. "I've tried everything. She's not wet. She's not hungry. Do you think something's wrong? Do you think it's her heart?"

Laverne smiled slightly at her daughter's distress. "No, I'm sure she's fine. This is what babies do."

Laverne took Lux from Cate and soothed her. Lux quieted instantly.

Cate made a face. She knew it was stupid, but she felt slightly resentful that she wasn't able to comfort her daughter and her mother was. Did Lux like Laverne better than Cate?

"How'd you do that?" Cate demanded.

Laverne handed Lux back to Cate. "You'll learn."

Cate frowned, not satisfied with Laverne's answer. She wanted a real answer. She wanted to know how to comfort her daughter.

"What are you going to do with Lux while you're at school?" Laverne wondered.

Cate stared at her mother and swallowed. She'd been so worried about getting her room ready for Lux and bringing Lux home that she'd completely forgotten she'd need to find a babysitter or day care.

"I, uh, don't know," Cate admitted sheepishly.

Laverne sighed. She'd tried to warn Cate that she didn't know what she was getting herself into, but Cate hadn't listened. "I have to go to work today. I have an important meeting."

"I didn't ask you to babysit," Cate said defensively. "I'll, uh, stay home from school today and figure something else out for tomorrow."

Laverne frowned. "Cate, I can't afford to pay for college. You have to keep your grades up if you're going to get a scholarship."

"I know!" Cate said. "It's just one day."

"You already missed an entire week when you were pregnant. And several days when Lux was in the hospital," Laverne pointed out.

"Mom, I know!" Cate said angrily.

"OK," Laverne said, giving up. She knew her oldest daughter had a stubborn streak. Arguing with Cate would get her nowhere. "I'll call you in today, but I'm not going to do this every day."

Cate held Lux, rocking back and forth in the rocking chair, for over an hour. Lux didn't cry again, but she didn't fall asleep either.

Cate's eyelids felt heavy, a result of too little sleep. Lux, on the other hand, was bouncing up and down, exuding energy. Cate watched the baby squirm in her lap.

"Where did you get all that energy?" Cate said sleepily. "I'd like to bottle some of it for myself."

Cate's head nodded down. She was so tired she was about to fall asleep sitting upright in the chair with Lux in her lap. She caught herself right away, and jerked her head up.

"I need caffeine," Cate decided. She picked Lux up and headed down to the kitchen.

Laverne was sipping a cup of coffee and skimming the newspaper while Abby ate toast at the kitchen table.

Cate poured a cup of coffee for herself and joined them.

"Hi, Lux," Abby said brightly, smiling at the baby.

Cate frowned.

"Can I hold her?" Abby asked hopefully.

Cate hesitated. She was less than thrilled with her little sister, but she could also use a break from Lux. She knew she'd be on her own the rest of the day. Maybe she should let Abby watch Lux for a few minutes so she could take a quick shower.

"Yeah." Cate handed Lux over. "Be careful!"

"I will," Abby said, rolling her eyes.

"Do you mind watching her for a few minutes so I can take a shower?" Cate asked.

"No," Abby replied, grinning. She was glad Cate was finally acting normal. Cate had been freezing her out since she outed her to the school. Abby glanced down at Lux. "I can hang out with my niece for awhile."

"Thanks," Cate said. She took a shower and threw clothes on, hurrying to get back to Lux.

Lux was sitting in her high chair playing with a rattle. Abby was visiting with the baby.

"I have a test today. I'm a little nervous. I'm not as smart as your mom. No, I'm not." Abby smiled at the baby as she spoke. "It's in Algebra. My worst subject."

Cate smiled slightly. "Thanks for watching her."

Abby looked up, surprised, and blushed slightly, wondering how much Cate had heard. "No problem."

"Good luck on your test," Cate said as Abby grabbed her backpack and headed for the door.

After awhile, Lux began fussing again. Cate picked her up from the high chair and mimicked her mom earlier. She patted Lux gently and spoke softly, just as Laverne had that morning, but Lux's cries didn't subside.

Cate checked to see if Lux was wet, but her diaper still felt clean. She sighed. "Are you hungry?"

Cate sat down in the living room to feed Lux. Lux drank thirstily. "That's what you wanted," Cate said, breathing a sigh of relief. "Everyone has had breakfast but you."

Baze looked at the clock in the back of the classroom. The bell was about to ring, signaling the start of first period. Cate was in his class, but her seat was empty.

The bell rang. Baze frowned. It wasn't like Cate to be late.

Baze wondered if Lux was OK. What if something had happened? What if her heart wasn't OK after all?

Baze heard a cracking sound and glanced down. He'd accidentally snapped his pencil in half.

"Hey, Alice," Baze called quietly to Cate's friend.

Alice didn't turn around.

"Alice!" Baze hissed a little louder.

Alice turned around, trying to figure out who had been calling her.

Baze gave a half wave.

Alice's eyes widened in surprise. The popular quarterback had never spoken to her before. She recovered and said, "What?"

"Have you talked to Cate?" Baze wondered.

"No," Alice said. She barely talked to her best friend anymore. Cate was always too preoccupied with parenthood to hang out with her.

Baze frowned.

"Alice, do you have something to share with the class?" The teacher asked, annoyed that she was talking during class.

Alice reddened in embarrassment and shook her head.

Teachers never lectured Baze. He was Mr. Popularity, not only with the senior class, but with teachers as well.

Baze hung out by Cate's locker after class. Maybe she was just running late. She wasn't used to getting ready and taking care of Lux, Baze reasoned. She'd probably show up in time for second period.

The bell rang and there was still no sign of Cate. Baze raked a hand through his hair. He decided to cut his next class and go over to Cate's house.

The doorbell rang.

Cate looked up, surprised. She wasn't expecting anyone. It was probably a solicitor. Cate ignored it and continued playing with Lux.

The doorbell rang again and Cate heard banging on the door. She balanced Lux on her hip and answered the door.

Cate looked annoyed when she opened the door. "What?" She demanded.

Baze entered uninvited. "Is Lux OK?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't she be?" Cate said, returning to the couch.

Baze joined her. "Well, why weren't you in school? Are you sick?"

"No," Cate replied. She glanced down at her daughter. "I need to figure out what I'm gonna do with Lux while I'm in school."

Baze frowned. "What do you mean?"

Cate rolled her eyes. "A babysitter. Day care."

"My mom can take care of her," Baze said without thinking. He didn't have to ask. He knew his mom would help.

Cate thought for a moment. She hated the idea of leaving Lux with people she didn't know. And she really couldn't afford childcare. But she felt bad. Baze's parents had already done so much.

Laverne's words that morning echoed in Cate's head. As aggravated as she was with her mother, she knew Laverne was right. Lux was Cate's responsibility. It wasn't fair to have Baze's parents shoulder all of the responsibility.

"What?" Baze asked. "She took care of me and I turned out fine."

"That's debatable," Cate retorted.

"We can't all be Valedictorian," Baze shot back.

Cate smiled slightly. "I like your parents. I'd love for your mom to watch Lux, but I feel bad. They've already done so much."

"She doesn't mind," Baze said, unconcerned.

Cate narrowed her eyes. "You haven't even asked her."

Baze grabbed the phone and dialed his house. "Hey, Mom."

"Nate, why aren't you in school?" Ellen demanded.

Baze groaned. He'd completely forgotten he was ditching. He was glad his dad wasn't home. "Cate wasn't in school and I was worried about Lux, so I went over to Cate's house."

"Oh. OK. Is Lux OK?" Ellen said.

"Yeah, but there's no one to watch Lux during the school day. Can you watch her?" Baze said.

"Sure. Cate can drop her off," Ellen offered, eager to spend time with her granddaughter. She'd been wondering what Cate planned to do with Lux during the day. She hated the idea of day care. She didn't want someone else raising her granddaughter.

"Thanks," Baze said. He covered the mouthpiece and turned to Cate. "She'll do it. You can drop Lux off."

"I'm going to stay with her today. I'll drop her off tomorrow morning," Cate decided. She didn't know what she'd do without Baze's parents. "Thank your mom for me."

Baze shrugged. It wasn't a big deal to him. He was used to his parents helping him out. He would've been shocked if Ellen had said no.

Baze picked up the remote control and flipped through the TV channels. Cate had a children's program on for Lux, but Lux was sleeping in her arms.

"There's nothing on," Baze whined.

"It's daytime TV. Soap operas and cartoons," Cate said.

Baze stopped at a soap opera.

They watched, making fun of the overdramatic acting and ridiculous story lines.

"How many guys has she been married to?" Baze asked incredulously, when one female character conversed with three different ex-husbands.

Cate smirked. "Probably not as many as my mom."

Baze looked at her curiously.

Cate blushed slightly. "She's currently on the hunt for husband number five."

"Wow," Baze commented. "Do you like your step-dads?"

"Most of them were deadbeats." Cate shrugged. "But none of them were around very long, so it didn't matter."

"How long was her longest marriage?" Baze wondered.

Cate thought for a moment. "Two years." She laughed at Baze's shocked expression. "I guess two kids isn't really selling point."

They both glanced down at Lux. Neither would admit it, but Cate's revelation caused both to consider the difficulty of dating now that they had a baby.

Baze swallowed.

Cate smiled ruefully. "It's not like guys were lining up around the block to go out with me before I had Lux."

Baze looked down, embarrassed that he'd treated Cate so badly after they slept together.

"Are you hungry?" Baze asked, deliberately changing the subject.

Cate looked at the clock. It was lunchtime. "Yeah, but we don't have anything here." And I couldn't cook if we did, Cate silently added.

"I'll go get something," Baze offered. "What do you want?"

"Chinese," Cate suggested.

"OK," Baze said agreeably. He jotted down what Cate wanted and left.

Lux woke up and began crying. Cate held her daughter and walked around, her movement calming Lux. "It's OK. Daddy will be right back. He just went to get food."

Lux stopped crying and toyed with Cate's hair.

Cate smiled down at her daughter.

Baze returned with take-out.

"How much do I owe you?" Cate asked.

"Don't worry about it," Baze said easily.

They ate in front of the TV while Lux played in her playpen.

They watched another soap opera, mocking the show mercilessly. Baze glanced at the clock. "Crap."

"What?" Cate asked.

"I gotta go. I'm gonna be late for practice. I missed yesterday. Coach will be pissed if I miss again today," Baze explained, heading for the door.

"I'll bring Lux over to your parents' in the morning?" Cate confirmed.

"Yeah. See you," Baze called over his shoulder as he hurried to his car.

Abby shuffled in as Baze was pulling away. She stared as her crush's car backed out of her driveway.

Baze noticed Abby staring and waved halfheartedly. He didn't really know how to act to her.

The truth was he hadn't even known Abby existed. Then, she'd told the whole school about Lux. If Abby was Cate's little brother instead of little sister, Baze would have punched Abby in the face, but he would never hit a girl.

Baze didn't really want anything to do with Abby, but she was Lux's aunt. If Baze wanted to see his daughter, he would have to see Abby, too. He decided it would be best to be polite. Even if it damn near killed him.

Abby blushed when Baze waved, embarrassed that he'd caught her staring. She forced herself to smile and wave even though she was mortified.

Abby set her backpack on the floor and found Cate in the living room with Lux. "What was Baze doing here?"

Cate looked up. She stopped herself from saying it's none of your business and instead said, "Just hanging out."

Abby raised her eyebrows. "Hanging out with Lux? Or with you?"

Cate sighed. "We all hung out."

Abby frowned.

Cate gave Abby a hard look. "I'm sorry you don't like it, but Baze is Lux's father. He's going to be in my life because of that. Get used to it."

Abby gave Cate a dirty look before stomping up to her bedroom.

"Girls! Can you help me with the groceries?" Laverne called as she pushed open the front door carrying two shopping bags.

Cate balanced Lux on her hip and met her mother at the door, taking the bags from her though it was difficult to juggle two bags and a baby.

"Thanks," Laverne said when she returned with two more shopping bags. "Where's Abby?"

"Pouting in her room," Cate retorted.

Laverne frowned. "Why is she pouting?"

"Baze came over," Cate said simply.

Laverne smiled slightly. "Even though you guys aren't together?" She asked skeptically.

"Mom!" Cate rolled her eyes.

"You've been spending an awful lot of time with him," Laverne commented.

"Yeah, because he's Lux's father," Cate said defensively.

"Speaking of Lux, did you find a day care for tomorrow?" Laverne asked.

"No. Baze-"

"Cate, I'm not calling you in again," Laverne said, her tone sharp.

"I know. Baze's mom is going to watch her," Cate explained, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Laverne nodded, though she looked less than thrilled at Cate's revelation.

It had been a long day. Cate was glad to have Lux home, but taking care of Lux wore her out. She couldn't take her eyes off Lux for a second. Taking care of a baby was a full-time job.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief when Lux finally fell asleep. She put Lux in her crib and covered her with the quilt.

Cate sat down in her bed with the book she was supposed to be reading for English. She'd only read a few pages when she fell asleep. It was still early, but Cate was completely exhausted.