A year ago.

1

Mandy was fearless, beautiful, funny, she was everything, but she couldn't see it. So when she put her heart on the line and told lip how she felt, and he didn't give her an answer . That was a scream in her face saying she wasn't good enough. So she settled. She went off with her dick of a boyfriend, to the middle of fuck knows where. Only to find out she was an expecting mother 6 weeks later.

This was not Mandy's first time. But the conditions were different. She weighed all her options but decided abortion was to expensive, and giving up a milkovich was to unlikely.

When her boy friend found out he had mixed emotions. Leaving her with a black eye after he promised it would never happen again. she wanted to run, but with no money, no job, and no where to go could really put a damper on running off. So she stayed. She gave in to his bullshit apology and rerun excuses, and waited out nine months with him. Mostly she was on her own. He was working, or drinking, but he payed for her doctors appointments, her food and clothing, and he gave her a bed, and kind words.

The day the baby was born Mandy had been held up at Home. She had been there a lot just thinking. Sometimes she day dreamed, sometimes they were darker. When she knew what was happening she texted him, and called herself an uber.

When she arrived at the hospital it was 6 hours of pain. She wished she had vodka , or a joint to ease herself. 3 hours in her boyfriend showed up covered in mud. He had rushed over right from work. He was shaking. She had never seen him so fragile. He was terrified, but you could almost see a speck of excitement.

After what felt like an eternity the baby had finally arrived. A little girl 6 pounds 8 ounces. Thick brown hair, bright blue eyes, and pale white skin.
At the first Kenyatta knew that the child was not his. Upon the nurses leaving with whispers on their tongues, he let her have it. Ken called her a whore, a slut, a bitch, and every other name under the sun.

Mandy had always suspected the child had not have been his, but with the tragic end met upon the baby's actual father she had pushed her doubt to the side. Now she had no choice.

Mandy had already fallen in love with her daughter despite the fact that she looked a lot line lip she only felt love when she locked at her. She named the girl cadence not because it had any special meaning, just simply because she liked the name.

Being released from the hospital was the first time Mandy realized that she needed to get her shit together. No more smoking, drinking, sleeping around. She needed to take everything she did and didn't have, and give it to the baby. When she got out of the parking lot she had no place to go. She had a wallet with 100$ in it, a pack of cigs , the clothing on her back , and a baby. She took a car service back to Kenyatta's home where she discovers all her shit on the front lawn covered in dirt. Quickly she took what she could hold and was off. She had no choice now. Chicago was her only option. So if she went.

After a 19 hour bus drive, a screaming new born, and the stabbing of her internal thoughts. She knew she was back where she started. Mandy wasn't sure who had been living in the Milkovich home, and couldn't find the strength to call up. She hoped that it had only been her brothers.

Approaching the metal gate was nerve racking. Mandy held Candace tight against her chest, and her face heated against the fidget winter air. When the door sings open to revile Mickey's face Mandy can't stop from tearing up.
"What the he'll are you doing here?" He asks her. She looks at him then down at her feet.
"We have no where else to go." Her voice cracks. She hated sounding so fragile.
Mickey first looks angry for the fact that his sister was tossed out, and left all alone with a new born baby. He figured that if he , a gay man would marry a women just because she was pregnant, the father could have at Least gave her a place to stay. He was already creating ways to kill him in his mind.

He kept those thoughts to himself though. Instead of freaking out he pulled his sister into a hug rubbing her back as he felt his shirt become wet from her tears.
"Please don't tell anyone." She says struggling to catch her breath. Just then she hears another voice.
"Mandy?" Like a deer on the head lights she can't help but examen him. He slowly approaches her. At first she was not sure how to react but she second he was close enough to smell she pounced on him. "Ian!" She exclaimed excitedly. Feeling his body against hers. She had drastically missed her best friend.

Curious about cadence all three of them made their way to the couch. Mandy sat in the corner. She held the baby on her lap, and rested her body against the couches arm.
"What happened?" Ian against skipping the small talk.
"He figured out it wasn't his baby, and he kicked me the hell out." And shrugged with a sad smile , looking down at the rug.
"He was no good anyway" Mickey says with hatred in his voice.
"Dude?" Ian says hoping his boyfriend would have more of a sense of compassion.
"What?" Mickey says knowing he's right.

Ian moves over to sit beside Mandy. He plays with the baby's small figures as an innocent smile grows across his lips. Mickey watches in aw as the people he love share a light moment together. "Her name is cadence." Mandy blurts out .

"Man," Ian says in a serious tone making eye contact with her.
"Who's the baby's father?" Mandy is hesitant to answer. Mickey listens with a greedy ear determined to know who was responsible for making his sister so upset.
"Does it matter?" She asks him trying her best to avoid the subject.
"You don't have the be embarrassed. I'm your best friend!" He says with blatancy.
"But he's your brother." She blurts out, immediately regretting what she had said. Ian had known about Mandy and lips night before she ran off. He hadn't know why she did in fact leave, or why she was scared to come back. But what he did know is he was now caught in the middle of this.
"You can't tell him, okay?" She insisted
"Okay, but.." he tries to argue
"Okay!?" She interrupts him
"Okay." He gives him knowing that this was her decision

Mickey sits quietly across from them.
"Mickey?" Ian asks
"Mick?" Mandy follows.
"I'm gonna kill Gallagher" he mumbles under his breath. Lip had already been on mickeys bad side because of the night before Mandy left . All he knew was the minuet after he was gone he could hear Mandy struggling to hold in sobs.

Mickey stands from the spot he had been sitting and attempts to make his way towards the door. Ian quickly hurries in front of him "Mickey you can't just do that man." He says.
"Move out of the fucking way." He tells Ian. Mandy then stands up.
"Mickey!" He turns around to face his sister. "You can't do that. I need you here. Not in some prison cell being someone's bitch." She gives him a half smile.

Mandy's words ultimately calm him down. He goes over to Ian, sending him an apologetic look, and Ian accepts.
That's when Mandy takes the baby, and places it into Ian's arms. Ian takes the child and holds her close kissing her forehead. Mickey comes over and moves the blanket from her faces, noticing her blue eyes.
"He looks just like you." Ian tells her.
"Bullshit" she laughs "she's more of a Gallagher then anything."