Episode Theme song: "Put Your Money on Me" Arcade Fire

Previously on One Day at a Time
- Cassie planned a birthday party for Shane. Natasha, meanwhile, recorded Cassie admitting that she only using Shane to get back at her rival
- Victoria warned Shane about trusting Cassie
- Adam continued to tell Robin that she needed to move on with her life. Robin, later, told Max that she will never have romantic feelings for him
- Daisy agreed to meet Tyler at his place after he admitted he missed her. Vinny, meanwhile, vowed to try to make his marriage work
- Helen was thrilled when Simona agreed to drop the charges against Barbara. Dawn learned that she was too far along in the pregnancy to have an abortion

The Pampa Grill

The restaurant has been closed for the evening to celebrate Shane's birthday; Cassie rented out the entire space and has green balloons everywhere as it is Shane's favorite color. Over the bar, a "Happy Birthday Shane" banner hangs. Waiters walk around with drinks for guests and various appetizers. Soft music can be heard playing in the background and Cassie plans that after cake, dance music will take over the space so the real party can begin.

"You've outdone yourself," Shane can't help but smile when he looks around the restaurant. "I can't believe you did all of this for me."

Cassie smiles as she looks at him. "Believe it," she winks back to him. "I wanted to show you how much I care about you."

"Well, you've certainly succeeded in doing just that."

Cassie looks over his shoulder and happens to see Cory and Natasha move into the restaurant. Cassie and Natasha lock eyes for a moment before Cassie turns her attention back to Shane. She leans in and kisses him passionately, knowing that Natasha is watching them. If the party wasn't enough to make Natasha feel uneasy, seeing them kiss will really drive her crazy, Cassie realizes.

"Happy birthday," she licks her lips as they part ways, her eyes looking over his shoulder again to see Natasha glaring at them.

"Thank you," he replies to her. "How about we go get a drink?"

"I'd love that."

***

"Ugh," Natasha groans when she spies Shane and Cassie kissing in front of her.

Cory grabs her jacket from her and passes them to the coat check gentlemen. "Maybe this was a mistake," he tells his wife as he comes back up to her. "I don't know why you'd want to put yourself through an entire evening of seeing Shane and Cassie being lovey dovey with one another."

Natasha looks down into her purse and sees her phone, immediately remembering how she recorded her last conversation with Cassie; the conversation in which Cassie admitted that she is using Shane to make Natasha squirm. She doesn't know when, but she knows that she has to tell Shane the truth, and tonight seems as good of time as any.

"No," Natasha tells her husband. "We have to be here for Shane. He is still the father of my child. We have to support him."

"I agree that we should support Shane," he replies to her. "But, you have to let this feud with Cassie go. I know you will never be best friends, nor is anyone asking you to be, but you can't keep holding on to all of this anger."

"Don't worry," Natasha purses her lips together. "I suspect that very soon Shane and Cassie will be a thing of the past very soon and we call move on from this nightmare. Now, let's go get a drink, shall we?"

***

"I'm glad you could make it," Shane announces to Victoria, who is grabbing a glass of champagne from a waiter. She turns and immediately gets a smile on her face when she sees Shane.

"I wouldn't miss a chance to wish you a happy birthday," she says as she pulls him into a hug. She takes a deep breath and immediately smells his cologne; the scent captivates her.

"You're so kind," he says as they exit their embrace. "I know I've said this a few times recently, but I really am grateful for your friendship."

"I know you are," she nods back to him. "And, I am with you. I've been through a lot lately, with Robbie and what not, and I don't think I could have gotten through it without you."

"Well, good thing I'm not going anywhere," he winks back to her.

"Why is it that I'm here with a drink and the birthday boy doesn't have one?" she laughs back to him. "Come on, let's hunt you down something to sip on."

"Sounds like a plan!"

***

"I can't believe that Cassie Nova, of all people, threw this party and so many of us showed up," Robin chuckles as she approaches Adam, who is grabbing some tuna tartar.

"I guess it shows that people really can change, huh?" he says once his mouthful of food is gone. "I've seen another side of Cassie since she's been back in town, I have to admit that."

"Because of Max?" Robin asks him, recalling how she recently told Adam's son that they could never be more than friends. She knows that the conversation that they had might have come across as stern, but she had to make him realize that it would never happen between them because he continued to pursue her.

Adam nods back to her. "Yea, she really is a good mother to my son."

"That's good because he might need her now."

Adam arches his eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Robin shakes her head back to him. "Nothing, I shouldn't have said anything. I guess I just got caught up in this conversation; for a moment, it felt like old times."

Adam uneasily smiles back to her. "We always could talk to one another," he replies to her. "Don't think that I don't miss that, Robin, because I do. We just can't be anything more than friends."

"I know," she bites her lip as tears fill her eyes. "It's just a hard pill to swallow. I'm trying, I really am."

"I can tell," he says back to her. "I appreciate you making the effort."

"I still wish you'd be honest with me," she whispers back to him. "But, I know that you are just doing what you think is right."

Adam nods back to her again. "I have to do what is right for my family. I'm sorry that it hurts you."

A tear falls down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away. "I'm out of champagne," she manages to say with half a smile. "Excuse me, will you?"

"Of course," Adam watches her walk away from him. He hates that he is hurting her because he wants nothing more than to kiss her and tell her how much he loves her, but he knows with his current medical condition that it wouldn't be fair to Robin. She deserves so much more, and he won't put that on her. He can't.

***

"I'm glad you could make it," Cassie grins as she reaches Max and pulls him into a hug. "What do you think of the party?"

"You really went all out, huh?" he asks her as they exit their embrace. "Maybe in your next life you could be a party planner or something."

Cassie chuckles back to him. "We'll see about that," she winks back to him, as she notices that her son as a sadness in his eyes. She looks at him with concern. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Max sighs and runs his hand through his hair. He doesn't know if now is the time to tell Cassie that he has lost Robin for good; after the conversation that they had, Max knows that he has to move on from his crush. Robin made it perfectly clear that she will never have feelings for him; it hurts like hell right now, but Max realizes that it's best that he knows where she stands. He doesn't want to chase someone who can't be caught; and, he is starting to feel guilty about how the measures he took trying to get her.

"I'll be fine," he tries to force a smile on his face. "I don't to burden you with anything."

"You're never a burden to me."

"Fine," he quickly snaps at her. "I lost my girl, okay? But, I don't want to talk about it right now. I want to grab a couple of beers and have fun at your party."

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," Cassie hugs him again. "There are plenty of girls out there for you; try not to let this keep you down for long."

"Thanks Mom," he says as they exit their embrace. Max looks over and sees Paige grabbing some food. He looks back at Cassie. "I'm going to say hi to Paige."

"Sure, have fun," Cassie tells him, as she watches him walk away from her hoping that he is okay. She hates seeing her son in pain.

"Paige, hey," Max says as he approaches his friend. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

Paige turns and sees her friend. "Here I am. What's wrong? You look like you've been hit by a bus?"

Max takes a swig of his beer as he sees Robin across the room. Immediately, he feels like his heart moves into his throat. "It's nothing."

"No, it's something," she grabs his hand. "Come on, tell me. You'll feel better once you do."

"I was pursuing a girl," he reveals to her. "And, she told me it will never happen. It sucks, to be honest."

"Oh no," she pulls him into a hug. "She's a fool, whoever she is."

Max can't help but smirk back at her. "Thanks," he says. "But, can we try to have some fun? I don't want to be a pity party all night."

"Fun, coming right up!" Paige smiles back to him.

***

Vinny grabs another beer from the waiter walking by him and quickly takes a swig of it. He checks his watch once the liquid has been swallowed down.

"Where are you Daisy?" he asks himself before he pulls his phone out of pants pocket to see if he missed a call or text message from his wife. It's not like Daisy to be late, and she is definitely late to the party. He doesn't want to worry about her, but this is out of character for her.

"If I start to harass her, she will think I'm being overprotective," he continues to whisper to himself. "I'll give her another 20 minutes before I reach out."

He looks across the room and sees so many of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. He knows that he could mingle with people, but his mind is solely on Daisy and where she could be.

Tyler's Townhouse

"You made it," Tyler opens the door and sees Daisy standing on the other side. He welcomes her into the warmth, while he recalls seeing her a few days earlier and he admitted that he missed her. To his surprise, she admitted the same to him and they agreed to meet at his place to talk.

"I told you I would be here," she takes her jacket off and looks back at him.

"I've opened a bottle of red wine," he tells her as they move into the living room. "Would you care for a glass?"

"I'd love one," she nods back to him, as he pours two glasses and passes her one. "Thank you."

"Thanks for coming over," he tells her as they toast. "I wasn't sure you'd come, even after our talk."

Daisy chuckles a little. "I wasn't sure myself," she admits to him. "I was on my way to Shane Glubbs birthday party but I found myself coming here instead."

"I'm glad you came."

"Me too," they look into one another's eyes. "You were right when we spoke earlier; it had been too long since we were together. It's nice to see you again."

Tyler smiles at her. "You look beautiful in this fire light," he says, noticing that he just has soft lightening on together with a roaring fire.

"You flatter me," she replies to him. "And, we are only talking, remember?"

"I'm talking about how beautiful you are."

She blushes back to him. "You won't give up."

"Nope, not when I know what I want."

"And, what is that you want?"

"I'm looking at her," he replies as their eyes lock again.

The Black House; Helen, Barbara & Dawn's Home

"I can't believe that I'm home," Barbara tells Helen as they sit next to one another on the sofa. "I don't know what you said to Simona Lopez, but I do appreciate it."

Helen grabs her mother's hand, as she recalls Simona agreeing to drop all charges against Barbara for killing Jonah because Dawn had gone to the hospital following her rape and she named Jonah as her attacker; the information was able to make Simona get the DA to agree that the shooting was self-defence. Of course, Barbara still has to do community service, but that is far better than jail time.

"We just continued to tell her that it was self-defence," Helen tells her mother. "You really didn't help us very much by insisting you belonged in jail."

Barbara shakes her head as she takes a sip of her tea. "You have no idea what it is like, taking someone's life. I hope you never have to find out. Every night in jail, I was praying for forgiveness. I don't think God will forgive me, but I know that I would do it again if it means saving Dawn. That girl means the world to me."

"We know that she means everything to you," Helen agrees with her. "She means everything to all of us."

"The main focus that we have now that I'm out of jail is making sure she could put this entire ordeal behind her," Barbara tells her daughter. "We have to make sure Dawn never has to think about Jonah again."

The Tower's; Floor Three; Shelley's Condo

"Thanks for coming by," Dawn looks over at Cheresa, who is sitting on the sofa with her. "I know I haven't seen a lot of you lately."

"Hey, no need to apologize," Cheresa replies to her friend. "I know you've been going through a lot."

Dawn nods back to her. "I have," she agrees with her. "But, I do appreciate your texts of support. I read them, I just can't always reply right away."

"I get it," Cheresa says back to her. "So, what is going on? Have you decided what you want to do about the baby?"

Dawn sighs as she recalls going to the Family Plan Clinic with Shelley a few days earlier to have an abortion, but the doctor revealed to her that she is too far along now to have the procedure. Dawn still can't believe that she will be having Jonah's baby; the man that attacked her in the worst possible way will always have a hold over her now, in the form of her baby.

"I went to have an abortion," Dawn reveals to her, as Cheresa's eyes open wider in surprise. "I can't have this child. I can't have Jonah's baby."

Cheresa moves closer to her friend and they hug. "I'm so sorry," Cheresa whispers in her ear. "I wish I had known."

"It's fine," Dawn bites her lower lip as they exit their embrace. "I couldn't have the procedure."

"Wait, what? Why not?"

"I'm too far along in the pregnancy," Dawn tells her. "So, despite not wanting this baby, I'm going to have it."

"This is all so crazy," Cheresa tells her. "What are you going to do?"

Dawn shrugs her shoulders. "I'm going to have this baby. I don't want this child but I'm going to have it, I don't have any other choices."

Cheresa suddenly looks up at Dawn with intent. "I have an idea."

"Don't keep me waiting, what is it?"

"I was adopted," Cheresa tells her. "My parents are so happy that they were able to have another child. What if you gave your baby up for adoption? That could be the solution you're looking for."

"Adoption?" Dawn asks her. "I hadn't even thought of that. But you're right, it might be the only way out of this. Thanks for the suggestion, Cheresa."

"Any time," Cheresa reaches over and grabs her friends hand. "I just hope I've helped."

Next on One Day at a Time
- Cassie and Natasha square off
- Vinny continues to worry about Daisy, who kisses Tyler
- Brad gives Meggan an answer to her question