My eyes flutter open. I scare Casey when I gasp at the sight of her. I don't know why but I was not expecting her to be at my side.

"Shh, Shh it's okay. I sent everyone else away so you would not wake up and be overwhelmed." She laughs. "I suppose it didn't go as planned."

I close my eyes and grab her hand.

"I am so sorry I did this to you, Ciara."

"You didn't do this to me, Casey. The ham did," I laugh and sit up in the bed.

"I meant about inviting Darren. I had no idea you two broke up because-" she stops and touches my stomach, smiling softly. "My little niece or nephew."

"You didn't know. No one really did, actually," I sigh.

"Did-" she shakes her head. "I already know that the answer is no, but did you cheat on him? That is the only way, right?" She asks. "I just can't wrap my mind around this. But of course, I will love that little kid no matter what." She fist bumps my stomach kindly.

I begin to cry. Pregnancy hormones suck.

"I didn't cheat. Darren just couldn't stand the thought of raising another man's baby."

"But how else-" she stops. Her eyes shift. She climbs out of her chair and into bed with me. "Ciara, I am so, so sorry." She shakes her head. "Who did this to you?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I was passed out during the attack." I wipe some falling tears.

"Ciara, baby," she continues crying. She abruptly stops and becomes very serious. "I am so going to rain hell on whoever is responsible for hurting you."

I laugh through my tears. Casey has always been one to crack a joke to get through a rough time in life. It started to get especially frequent after our mom died. She learned that she can heal others through humor as much as she can heal herself.

"That man somehow gave me the greatest miracle I have ever experienced while also taking my life away. I don't know who I am anymore."

Casey shakes her head. "You created this little miracle. The person- the animal that did this? They have no part in your future. There is only up from here. We will go to counciling or birth classes or therapy. Whatever you need to heal from this." She brushes a matted chunk of hair off my face. "And Darren? If he can't look at you and remember the woman he fell in love with because of what happened, he is not the man I want my sister to be with. Period." She squeezes my hand.

"Thank you, Casey."

"I'm always going to love you, Ciara. The same way you loved and supported me through my situation with Fiona." She smiles.

"That was much different-"

She stops me. "She was the result of a teen pregnancy. You supported me even though no one else did. And you love her unconditionally. That is something she doesn't get from her father."

"That is because he doesn't even know about her, cas. He might love her if he knew. Give him the chance to know her." I think about all of the possibilities of what could happen if Fiona's father was in her life. What is he like? Would he treat her well? Would he love her?

Casey shakes her head. "That will just complicate things. I can't do that to Fiona. I won't."

I nod, thinking about the endless opportunities Casey and I have to go closer through this baby.