Under A Paper Moon.

I stood outside the baby unit, I looked down at the well-raised plastic cot Jacqueline was sleeping in. The pink hue died down on her body, leaving little specks on her cheeks. I smiled and touched the glass protecting her from me, I licked over my dried lips and pulled the grey cardigan to my body more. She slightly fussed and grabbed the caramel colored blanket with her small hands and I shook back tears.

"What are you going to do?" Jack whispered from beside me, and I shrugged my shoulders. There was a latter playing in my head and I bit my lip, I turned and looked at him.

"I don't know," I whispered, and his brown eyes met mine, "But I do know that I don't want her to be raised by two teenagers who have hardly any understanding on what to do. Especially with a high-school drop out and a boy who has big dreams as a rock star. She wouldn't want that, and I don't want that for her."

He nodded and looked at our daughter and touched off the glass slightly, "I'll leave the decision up to you then, just don't do anything you'd regret," He smiled sadly and stood awkwardly on his feet, "You really opened my eyes, Rayne, and I'm sorry with what I did to you." He nodded and walked off. I stared after his skunk hair and wiped at my eyes, his sneakers squeaked on the linoleum floor and he turned the corner of the hallway and disappeared from my vision. No tears fell from my red eyes but they stung and threatened to. I turned back to the glass and just stood there looking at the little girl in need of help for who knows how long. I didn't move until there was a presence beside me.

"She's beautiful, Rayne," I turned to Zack and smiled, "You need to do the right thing."

I sighed and nodded, "I know I do, and I have a fair idea of what it is." I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. He jumped in surprise and then slowly hooked his arms around my waist, not too much though because I was still a tad bit swollen and sore from the days earlier.

"Well, whatever that decision is, I support you fully. Even if it's not the easiest." He pecked my cheek and I let go, resting my head on his shoulder. I stared back down at the three day old beauty, she seemed to stand out among the other baby girls in the room, in my eyes anyway.

"I want to do the right thing for her, Zack, because I don't want her to live with me in a run-down apartment until I pick myself up and try to get a job. And I can't have my mother and father raise her because it's just.. I don't know. For me, the best decision in my eyes would definitely be adoption. But only that if I knew the family she was being handed over to, and knew them well enough not to give her back to the agency again." I cried and wiped at my drooling nose. He padded circles into my back and nodded.

"Do what you think is best, even if no one seems to agree."



File Report: Adoption Certificate.

Name of offspring: Jacqueline Hope Barakat.

Name of parent(s):
Mother: Rayne Felicity Von Tesse.
Father: Jack Bassam Barakat.

Doctor's signature: Dr. Anthony Rosen.

Parent(s) signature: Rayne Von Tesse

Recipient: Mrs. Audrey Harrison.

Recipients spouse: Mr. William Harrison.

Recipients offspring: Ursela Harrison (f)

Recipients signature: Audrey Harrison (M.E.)