The Presidents Daughter

With or Without You

Aaliyah

"You're here early" the receptionist at MAC notices as I walk in the front doors. I put my umbrella down and try to shake off the rain that inevitably still hit me on my way in.

"I was trying to beat the storm, that obviously didn't work out well" I chuckle.

"Well lucky you there's always someone around here who needs you, even this early" she claims.

"Who needs me now" I wonder.

"There was a woman here asking for you specifically not too long ago. I tried to send her off with someone else but she said that you're the only one that would understand. She was going to wait for you but she looked a little uneasy and she said she had to leave not too long after she got here. But she left you something in your office" Alexis tells me.

"Oh, okay. Did she say her name or why she needed me" I ask.

"No, didn't say all that much. She had something in her arms but I couldn't see what it was. But I'm assuming that's what she left in your office because when she left it wasn't in her arms anymore" she explains.

"Alright. I'll go take a look" I assure her. 

I finish drying off before I head down to my office. I was a little weary that it was something dangerous but I had security around here that can help me if I need it. I almost make it all the way to my office but I get stopped in my spot. I hear a baby crying and immediately I get a bad feeling. Like a "This woman left more than a gift" kind of feeling.

I rush into my office and look around. I see a little bundle of blankets on my couch and freeze. The crying was coming from inside of the blanket and it sounded distressed.

I finally work up enough nerve to walk over to it. There was a envelope on the outside of the cover and it was about to fall off. But I catch it before I pick the baby up and hold it. It starts to calm down once it was in my arms, all it wanted was someone to hold it. I move the blanket to see what we were working with. I see a little Caucasian baby with bright brown eyes and long blonde hair was sitting there with glassy eyes. It was still a infant, couldn't be older than a half a year.

I softly caress the babies cheek and it stops its wailing. I wipe a tear away and it just stares up at me. I wasn't sure what to do, why this was happening or what happens next. I sit down on the couch where the baby was and decide to read the note.

"Dear Miss. Obama,

I know you're a busy woman and I was hoping to be able to talk to you, but if you're reading this it means I didn't get the chance to before I had to go.

I have been in this facility before for myself and it's wonderful. What you're doing for the people in this community should win you a Nobel peace prize and I hope this place stays here forever. There's so much love and care here that I would trust this place with my most prized possession. And that's what I'm doing.

This is Natalie, she was born October 25th of last year. I attached her birth certificate along with this note. Although I struggled with addiction and alcohol abuse during the pregnancy she has been given a clean bill of health. The doctors says she's fine and they don't expect her to have too many complications going foreword.

But I can't give her what she needs. I need help, I'm just 20 years old and I have no idea what I'm doing, let alone what to do as a mother. My boyfriend, also the babies dad, is abusive and neglectful and I can't save her from him and me. I want to so bad, I love her with all my heart but I just can't. I haven't told her dad that she's here but I'll be back when I'm better to check up on her. Not to take her back, just to see how my baby is doing and know that it's better than anything I could ever give her.

I trust her with you, Aaliyah, because you are capable of making places like this and you can make places like this for her. I know she's not your responsibility and I get if you hand her off. But I want the world for my daughter, and I can't even give her a bottle of milk without hurting her because I'm so clueless as how to care for her and my worst is still better than her fathers best.

I suggest changing her name so her dad won't find her as easily. She's really a good baby and she just wants someone to love her. I know you will so I hope you understand why it has to be this way and that you're in a position to raise a strong girl such as yourself. I hope to see you both soon in a better situation than I'm in now.

- Sincerely TAR."

I set the note down and I look at the baby. She just watches me and I smile. I don't know why, but she was just so stinking cute and the way she looked at me made me feel good. I wasn't sure what to do, but whatever it was it's going to be what's best for Natalie and her mother.

So I shoot Patrick a text to come over right away. I don't tell him why but I tell him it's a emergency. So he arrives within 15 minutes which there's no way he did that legally. I have him meet me in my office and he busts in.

"What's going on" he asks frantically.

"Shhhh" I shush him. "You're going to wake her" I claim.

"Woah, where did you get one of those" he asks pointing to the baby and I giggle. I hand him the note and he reads it. I watch him as he turns from being funny to being confused really quick.

"You can't be serious Leah" he insists. "What are you going to do with a baby?"

"What you normally do with a baby" I say.

"We don't have anything ready for a baby. We have nothing" he claims.

"No, Patrick, this baby has nothing. No family, no place to stay, and no way of surviving here at MAC on her own. We don't have a nursery, the people here with babies sleep with their babies. Plus the mom wanted me to take care of her daughter" I insist.

"You can't just take someone's baby" he defends.

"She was siting in here crying when I found her. Her mom asked me to take care of her" I remind him.

"This is just... this is crazy! How are we going to raise a baby" he questions.

"You love her Patrick. You act like she's your own and you'll never question it again" I assure him.

"We're not ready for a kid" he defends.

"You're right. But by the time we would be we will be 50 and can't have kids anymore" I insist.

"We can't simply find a child and take it in" he says.

"Why not? What's stopping me? If I'm in a position to help I do. Nowhere does it say that when a kid is dropped off that I shouldn't help it. The mere concept of this place is to help and this baby needs help. I'm going to take her in whether you help me or not... which one is it" I ask.

He sits there and looks down at the baby. She was still asleep and she looked so peaceful. She is a beautiful baby, big chunky cheeks and forever long eyelashes. He lets out a long sigh before shaking his head.

"I can't believe we're about to do this" he sighs and I smile.

"Come on, we're going to do great. Just look at her, she's precious" I insist.

"She is pretty adorable" he admits. "So what are you going to name her" he wonders.

"I don't know, what do you have in mind" I wonder.

"I like the name Bella. Then we can call her Bell or Ella" he says and I smile.

"I think Bella is a beautiful name" I admit.

"So we're doing this then huh" he asks. I look down in my arms as she starts to squirm a little.

"Yeah, we are" I admit.