“I need you to come with me to a club on Saturday night,” Ruby said as she burst into Ella’s little flower shop. “There is this guy I want you to meet.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Ella replied without looking up.

“Come on,” Ruby cried and pouted. “I think this might be the one.”

“I thought Spider was ‘the one,’” Ella sighed as she set down her pen and looked up at her friend. “I thought you and him were going to make beautiful babies together.”

“Spider was an asshole,” Ruby groaned.

“Shocker!” Ella sighed under her breath.

“Please, Ella,” Ruby pleaded. “Brady is a nice guy. I think you will like him.”

“Ruby,” Ella sighed. “I love you, sweetie, I really do, but if I had a dollar for every time you found ‘the one,' I would be a very rich woman.”

“So, I like to try before I buy,” Ruby said as she walked around the counter and sat down on Ella’s high stool. “But this time, it’s different.”

“How?” Ella asked. “How is Brady different from Spider, or Nick, or Scott?”

“He just is,” Ruby sighed. “Please, I really want you to meet him. Besides, we haven’t been out together since the night we went to see the asshole and his band, and that was like six weeks ago.”

“It hasn’t been six weeks,” Ella replied as she took out her order book to see what orders she had on for the following day.

“It has,” Ruby said as she jumped up from the stool and walked over to a bouquet Ella had sitting on the counter, ready for collection. She smelt the flowers before she slipped the card from the envelope and read it. “I’m sorry, love, Charles.”

“Ruby!” Ella chastised her as she pulled the card from her hand. “That is private.”

“Oh come on!” Ruby laughed. “How private can it be, he typed it into a website? Besides, he will never know. Now come on, say you will come with me.”

“I’m not promising,” Ella sighed. “I haven’t been feeling great the last few days, so we will see how I am feeling on Saturday.”

“Great!” Ruby exclaimed, and Ella knew she had only heard what she had wanted to hear. She rolled her eyes and smiled. She really hadn’t been feeling too well recently. Maybe a night out with her friend was what she needed.

She thought about her last night out, and how that had ended. She had tried not to let herself think about Nate, but it was no use. She found herself thinking about their night together all the time. She dreamed about him every night; he was just always there, always in the back of her mind.

Ella pushed him once more out of her thoughts. She needed to let it go; let him go.

“Where are we going, anyway?” Ella asked as she tried to focus on something else.

“Brady owns a club,” Ruby replied and smiled as she thought of her latest love. “It’s a posh club. Totally your kind of place.”

“Well, like I said,” Ella reminded her. “Only if I am feeling better.”

“What’s wrong with you anyway?” Ruby asked as she looked at her friend with concern.

“I have had a bit of stomach flu all week,” Ella shrugged. “I’m sure it will pass.”

“Maybe you’re pregnant,” Ruby laughed as she picked her bag up from the counter. “The second immaculate conception.”

Ella froze as Ruby’s words echoed in her ears.

“What is it?” Ruby asked, as she noticed the look on her friend’s face.

“Nothing,” Ella said as she quickly forced a smile. “Why would anything be wrong?”

“Because you looked like you just ate something nasty,” Ruby pushed.

“It’s nothing,” Ella replied quickly, but her mind raced. Had it really been six weeks since the night in the club? It couldn’t have been. That would mean she missed her period.

Ella thought she was going to be sick.

“Ella,” Ruby said, and this time, there was an air of concern in her voice. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re going to cry.”

“Oh Ruby,” Ella said as she looked at her friend. “I think I’ve fucked up.”

“What are you talking about?” Ruby asked.

“The night in the club,” Ella said as the cold hand of realization took hold. “The guy.”

“What guy?” Ruby asked, and for a moment, she looked confused. “You mean the guy you left with? What about him?”

Ella didn’t reply. Instead, she just stared at her friend as her mind raced.

“You said nothing happened with him,” Ruby said still looking confused.

“I lied,” Ella sighed as she flopped down onto the stool. “I found out he was married when it was too late, so I got the hell out of there.”

“Fuck!” Ruby exclaimed, then her eyes widened as she finally caught up to where Ella was. “FUCK!”

“I know,” Ella said as she buried her face in her hands. “How could I have been so stupid?”

“You might not be,” Ruby offered, and Ella knew her friend was trying to help.

“I know,” Ella sighed as she lifted her head and smiled at her friend.

“And if you are pregnant,” Ruby said as she wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder. “We will get through it together.”

“Thanks, Ruby,” Ella replied, grateful for her friend’s support.

“Come on,” Ruby said as she picked up her bag once again. “Let’s go and find out one way or the other. We will get a pregnancy test, a ton of chocolate and a bottle of wine. That way, whatever the test says, we are prepared.”

“I can’t until this guy collects his flowers,” Ella smiled. “But once he does, I think that’s a good plan.”

“Okay,” Ruby said, and suddenly Ella’s scatty friend was all business like. “I will go get the supplies, and you finish up here. Once the charming Charlie collects his flowers, we will get you sorted out.”

“Okay,” Ella nodded and smiled once again. “Thank you, Ruby.”

“Anything for you,” Ruby replied as she reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand.

Ella stood there and watched her friend disappear out of the shop.

“What the hell are you going to do?” Ella sighed to herself as she looked down at her stomach. “You have really done it this time, genius.”

 “Fuck!” Ella cried as she sat on the edge of her bath and stared down at the pregnancy test in her hand. “This can’t be actually happening.”

“We could try another one,” Ruby said as she held up another pregnancy test.

“We have done three, Ruby,” Ella said as she looked up at her friend. “I think it’s pretty clear, I have fucked up big time.”

“But it doesn’t have to be a fuck up,” Ruby said as she took hold of her friend’s hand. “It’s a baby, your baby. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing.”

“I don’t want a baby,” Ella said as she picked up the pregnancy test and stared at it again. “At least, I don’t want a baby like this. I wanted to be married, with my own house. I don’t want it like this; I just want it to go away.”

“You’re not going to get rid of it, are you?” Ruby asked as she gave her friend a pleading look.

“It would make everything so much easier,” Ella sighed as she looked up at her friend briefly before her eyes dropped back down to the test in her hand. “But no, I’m not getting rid of it. My mom and dad would freak out if I did that.”

That’s when the thought hit her, and she could feel her stomach heave with dread.

“Oh God!” She exclaimed. “I will have to tell my dad I’m knocked up. He is going to freak out, big time.”

“Your dad won’t freak out,” Ruby assured her. “Henry loves you.”

Ella smiled as she thought of her dad. Henry Cassidy was a strict but loving father. Ella had grown up in a typical Irish-American, Catholic family. Her father was a retired New York Fire Fighter; her two brothers were fire fighters, too. When she was growing up, Ella was always taught that family came first. She knew that no matter what happened, her family would support her, but she also knew that even though he would never say it, her dad would be disappointed in her.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Ella groaned. “Why didn’t I stick to my rules?”

“You and your rules,” Ruby laughed. “Ever since I have known you, you were always going on about the rules.”

“And you were always breaking them,” Ella sighed, then laughed. “Yet I’m the one knocked up for a man whose name I don’t know, and who is married to another woman.”

“Yeah,” Ruby giggled as she wrapped her arm around her friend. “But like I always say, go big or go home.”

Ella couldn’t help but laugh. She loved that no matter how crappy she was feeling, Ruby could always make her smile.

Ella smiled at the irony of the situation. She was the sensible one. The one that always made sure that nothing bad happened to her friend.

“You know you’re going to be okay,” Ruby said, as she reached for her friend’s hand and held it tightly. “I know you’re scared, but I will be with you every step of the way.”

“You promise?” Ella asked looking her friend in the eye.

“I promise,” Ruby replied and gave her a smile.

“Who is the father?” Henry asked as he looked across the table at his daughter.

“It doesn’t matter who he is,” Ella replied as she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. “This has nothing to do with him.”

“He is the child’s father,” Henry insisted, raising his voice and Ella wished she was anywhere else but here. “This has everything to do with him.”

“And I am its mother,” she replied as she tried her hardest to keep control of her emotions. “The father doesn’t want any part of this, so I am doing it on my own. Now you can support me, or you can hate me, but this is happening one way or another.”

“Of course, we don’t hate you, Ella,” Nora Cassidy said as she took her daughter's hand. “We love you, and we will love the baby, too.

“Thanks, Mom,” Ella said and gave her mother a grateful smile before she looked over at her father. “I am sorry I have let you down, Daddy. This wasn’t how I imagine my life would turn out either, but like it or not, I’m having a baby. I want you to be a part of that, but if you can’t, I understand.”

She stood up and walked towards the kitchen door. She knew she needed to give her father some time to come around to the bombshell she had just dropped in his lap, but inside she still felt disappointed.

“Ella,” her mother called, as she too stood up from the table and followed her to the hallway. “Your daddy is a complicated man, and in his eyes, you’re still his little girl. He loves you so much.”

“I know, Mom,” Ella replied and gave her mother a smile.

“He just needs a little time,” Nora reassured her daughter.

“I know he does,” Ella nodded.

“I’m going to be a grandma,” Nora whispered as she reached out and pressed her hand against Ella’s stomach. “I know this isn’t how you planned things, Sweetheart, but these things happen for a reason. No matter what you think, a baby is a blessing. This isn’t a bad thing.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Ella said as she hugged her mother tightly. “That really means a lot to me.”

“You’re not alone, Ella,” Nora told her daughter, and she hugged her back. “Remember, family takes care of family, always.”

“Always,” Ella repeated, as she held her mother tighter and smiled knowing that no matter how hard life got, one of her mom’s hugs could always make her feel better.

Ella lay in the darkness of her bedroom. She felt beyond tired but still sleep just wouldn’t seem to come. She thought about that night, and about Nate, as she had every night since she had spent the night with him.

He had been so charming and kind. She really believed that he was the one that would be worth breaking her rule for. How wrong had she been?

When they made love that night, it had been like nothing Ella had ever felt before, and as hard as she tried to forget about him, he was always there, always in the back of her mind.

She rolled onto her back, placed her hands on her stomach and stared up at the ceiling.

“This isn’t how I planned it,” she said into the darkness as she spoke to the little invader that was growing in her belly. “I had it all planned out. I would be swept off my feet by ‘the one,” and we would live happily ever after, just like they do in fairy tales. I certainly didn’t plan on doing this alone. Though technically I guess I’m not alone anymore. I have you now. It’s just you and me, Kiddo.”

She stopped and listened to the stillness of the night, not really sure what she was trying to hear.

“I’m not perfect,” She finally continued. “I’m far from it. I’m going to make mistakes, and I am going to get it wrong. But I promise you, I’ll make your life happy, and I’ll always do the best I can. Just have a little faith in me.”

Again, she listened to the silence of her room.

“We’ll be okay,” Ella whispered as she closed her eyes. “I give you my word. We’ll be happy because we’ll be a family, and family always takes care of family.”

She drifted off to sleep as memories of her night with Nate filled her mind once again.