Daddy

Chapter 26

Carry On – Fun

--

But I like to think I can cheat it all. To make up for the times I've been cheated on. And it's nice to know when I was left for dead. I was found and now I don't roam these streets. I am not the ghost you are to me.

We sat patiently, waiting for the baby to come up on the screen. Seconds felt like hours, and each breath that left my lungs felt strained and forced.

"There they are," the doctor whispered, leaning back to give us a full view. I almost choked. They?

"What do you mean, they?" I asked her, my eyes wide. Doctor Shepherd smiled, then nodded her head in understanding.

"I wasn't meaning more than one baby, if that's what you think," she started, easing my nerves. "It's just . . . I don't really know what to refer to the baby as until we can find out the gender, and I don't want to misgender the child, so I feel that 'they' is a safe reference." Okay, that actually made a lot more sense.

I nodded my head, taking Vic's hand and squeezing it.

It was kind of surreal, really. There was this little tiny baby growing within me, and I was the baby's sole caretaker. There was no-one else who could share the bond that I have with my child, and that made me tear up a little bit.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Vic asked, bringing himself closer to me so he could brush a hand through my hair.

"It's just . . . I don't know. It's like, this is our baby, you know? This baby is a tiny human that we created, and it's just crazy to think that they're here with us. Maybe not here, but you know," I said, stumbling over my words a bit. I barely knew how to talk when I got like this.

We sat for a few more minutes, admiring the baby and talking about their vitals, then came the tough stuff.

"Okay, so if you don't mind, I would like to have a better look at the baby. I just want to make sure that the growth isn't something that will cause any sort of harm, and that it can be removed if need be," Dr. Shepherd told us. I nodded my head and brought my thumb up to my lips, biting the nail.

Vic was there with me the whole time, talking me through the tests and whispering sweet nothings to me when the doctor would stop to analyze something.

"I'm sure the baby is fine." He would tell me, allowing me to get my hopes up if only for a little while.

A few hours had passed since we started, and Dr. Shepherd was noticeably becoming antsy.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice cracking. I was tired from laying in this chair all day, to be honest.

"I just can't get a clear image of the growth. I've done the tests, but none of them say that anything is even there," she explained, her eyebrows knitted together and a hand weaved into her hair.

This made me nervous. How could something that was so obviously there appear invisible?

"Let's call it a day. I'll do some more research on it, then get back to you when I think I've got it figured out," the doctor suggested, putting her pen down on her clipboard and frowning.

"Okay. Just call us when you know something," Vic told her, grabbing a napkin and helping me wipe off my stomach. I pulled my shirt down, then Vic took my hands and helped me off the table.

"Bye. Sorry I couldn't be of any help today," Dr. Shepherd said dejectedly.

I went over and hugged, her rubbing her back a little before pulling away.

"It's going to be alright," I told her, but I think it was more to myself than to anyone else.

--

A few weeks went by, and there were no disruptions. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, and Dr. Shepherd still hadn't contacted us about any news.

I seemed to be getting bigger by the second. I knew it wasn't because I was pregnant with more than one baby, but more that I was eating like crazy now that I was almost four months pregnant. Cravings were up the wall, and the baby had moved a little, even if it wasn't much. It was exciting to know that the baby was growing at a normal rate, and I really couldn't believe that after all the emotional trauma, there wasn't anything seriously wrong with the baby.

"Kell, baby, did you eat all the frozen French Toast sticks?" Vic asked from the kitchen.

I looked down at my hands guiltily, slowly nodding my head. I couldn't help it! This baby was taking all of my food for itself.

"It's not my fault, though," I told him. Vic just laughed and went back to roaming through the kitchen.

"Sup," Mike said groggily, walking into the living room in nothing but boxers. He had moved in with us a couple days after we left the doctor's office, and just two weeks ago, we allowed Copeland to move back in, too.

"Morning," I greeted him, even though it was, like, almost noon. Copeland had woken up pretty loudly this morning before she left for school, so I'm surprised that didn't wake him up.

"Kellin, what didn't you eat all of?" Vic wanted to know. I felt bad, really. I was getting bigger, and him commenting on how I was eating everything really made me self-conscious.

"I just . . . it's the baby, okay? I know I'm getting fat, but I can't help it. I'm just hungry. Stop yelling at me for . . . for being hungry," I mumbled the last part, getting a little choked up. Fucking hormones.

"Kell, no. That's not what I meant, okay? I think you're the most adorable, handsome person I've ever laid eyes on, pregnant or not, and I'm sorry for making you think otherwise." His arms wrapped around me, and I honestly felt a little bit better. Vic was all I would ever need, there was no doubt about that.