FORCE | topper thornton

TWENTY SEVEN

We entered the hospital hurriedly, my dad speaking to the women at the desk who gave me an appalled look after taking in my appearance, I turned to the side, rolling my eyes at her obviousness. "Zoe Miller, she's in room thirteen." We shot her a smile, instantly heading down the hall, I was chewing the tip of my thumb as we read the room numbers, an anxious habit as we all know. "Thirteen, here we go." I mumbled surprising myself by walking into the room first, I stuck my head around the curtain, seeing Zoe alert and awake, the baby sleeping in a crib beside the bed, wow they work fast here. "Kenzie?" She was shocked to see me, she tore her eyes from the baby, but they looked blank, like she felt nothing towards him, I pushed my anger down. "Zoe, are you okay? What did they say?" I asked, approaching the bed my dad following me, except he focused his eyes on the baby, I felt like I already knew everything about him. "I'm fine, we're both fine." She answered plainly, I sat in the chair, forcing her to look at me. "Are you keeping him?" I couldn't bare to wait any longer, I needed to know, I mean if she's keeping him then there's nothing-"I'm not keeping him." Her words rang out, I knew she had decided that months ago, but I thought now that he was here, she'd change her mind. "What?" My dad and I spoke in unison, I stood, going to look over the baby, he was surprisingly chunky. He looked happy, all swaddled up and cleaned, he looked healthy, he looked like Logan. I blinked back some tears as I felt her eyes on me, "I want you to take him." I was expecting her to be speaking to my father, but when I turned and they were both looking at me I went wide eyed.

"It's what Logan would have wanted." She added, it felt like a slap to the face, I knew she was right and that's why it hurt so much. My phone rang, I rushed to answer it before the baby could wake, I forgot I had even called Topper. "I'm here, I'm in the waiting room." Topper rushed the words out as soon as I said hello. "My dad will come get you." I mumbled, hanging up before anything else could be said, my dad sighed, but walked out, giving Zoe and I privacy. "Why me?" I asked her, hardly looking away from the baby, the more I stared at him, the harder it was becoming to think of not having him in my life. "Because, you're his aunt." She sighed, like it was obvious, which I guess in the grand scheme of things, it was, but to me it wasn't. "I'm only eighteen." I reminded her, my eyebrows raising as she shrugged my comment off. "Yes, but you act like you're thirty half the time." I knew she meant it as a compliment, so I took it. "Zoe, are you sure you don't want to keep him?" I mumbled, refusing to believe that she could truly give him up. "Kenzie, I can hardly look at him, I don't feel happiness when I see him, I see sadness, remorse. I don't want to raise him. At all." Her words were sharp, I could clearly tell she meant them.

"I want him to be with you, Kenzie, please." She finally showed some emotion, making me face her fully, the baby wasn't going anywhere, obviously. I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth, biting it with force as I heard footsteps approaching, my dad walked in, a nervous Topper behind him. "I'm guessing he told you?" I whispered as Topper walked in, not phased by the presence of the baby. "Uh, yeah, yeah he told me." Topper mumbled, looking to Zoe who was looking towards him, she watched as he wrapped my in his arms, tossing the clothes he brought onto the edge of the bed. I couldn't cry, instead I just hid my face in his chest, what do I do? "I want her to take the baby, Topper." Zoe spoke, Topper's arms dropped from me, turning to face her. "I'm sorry, what?" He was wide eyed, looking between everyone in the room, like it was some kind of sick joke. "Kenzie," he paused, staring me down as I chewed on my lip, "you're obviously taking him right?" I gasped at his words, not expecting them, now my eyes filled with tears. "You're okay with that?" I asked, not caring that anyone else was in the room, "did you think I wouldn't be?" He seemed more offended at that thought than anything else. "I don't know, I just, I'm so young." I trailed off, "we're so young." He corrected, "you didn't think I would leave you to do this alone, honestly?" He stepped towards me, cupping my face in his hands. "I don't know." Is all I could answer with, I mean I hoped he would be this supportive, but of course I wasn't expecting it. Zoe's question was finally answered when the baby started to cry and I rushed to grab him. I turned and everyone was looking at me, happiness etched across their features, except Zoe, she had to look away, not wanting to see the baby in his full form. "We'll do it." I whispered, shocking my dad and Topper both, Topper walked over hesitantly, smiling down at the chunky baby. "We'll do it." He repeated, kissing the top of my head, we just became an instant family.