Don't Forget
Early Bird Special
Connor was woken by the vibration of his phone next to his head. It was John.
“Hello,” He said in a hoarse whisper. Messiah was still asleep next to him. Cooing in her sleep.
“Mia’s awake now.” John said. He was never one for preambles, “Would it be too much to ask you to bring Messiah? She’s eager to see her.”
Oh… Connor knew they would call him ...one day. He expected it to be weeks months even, if Mia ever came out of her coma, at least that’s what the doctors had told him. They had also said to be prepared for Messiah’s death after her incident and Messiah had pulled through fine. He looked down at Messiah sleeping on his arm. He’d only had her for a few nights.
“You still there?”
“Yeah uh,” Connor carefully lifted Messiah and held the phone between his shoulder and his face, “I gotta get her clean and dressed first but we’ll be there in a few hours.” He whispered carefully placing Messiah in her crib. It amazed him how easy it was to master handling a sleeping baby without waking her up. Maybe it was just easy with Messiah.
“Great I’ll tell Eric and Mia.”
Oh...Eric… He must have been there when Mia woke up, the perfect Wonder Boy he was. Connor rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. It chimed as it turned noon, “We’ll be there around three.”
“Ok see you then.”
“Bye.”
Connor went to the bathroom and paused when he saw himself in the mirror. He looked like he didn’t have his shit together. His hair was all over his head. He hadn’t shaved since Mia went down and for some reason his face decided this would be the best time to grow a hobo beard. He shaved and washed his face and then he heard Messiah fussing in her crib. She never slept there for longer than twenty minutes.
“Yeah, yeah I’m coming.” Connor said. He picked her up, “Todays the day,” He said kissing her nose, “Ready to see Mommy?” She continued to fuss, “Yeah… me too.” He put her on his bed and changed her diaper and then changed her into a pink onesie, “There now she’ll know for sure you’re a girl.” He said putting on her pink hat to match. Messiah’s lip poked out, “She’d never be able to tell with that look on your face. Try smiling like this.” Connor smiled. Messiah started fussing again mimicking the sounds as if she was close to crying, “OK, OK, enough fun and games, let’s get your bottle.”
*
Connor slowed as he approached the door of Mia’s hospital room. She was surrounded by Beatrice, Rebekah, and John. Eric was in bed with her, cheek to cheek. Didn’t they look so perfect? While Connor would arrive to deliver the baby and then... what would be his purpose of being there? For Mia? Mia was occupied. For Messiah? He looked down at Messiah in her car seat. She was asleep. She had a pacifier in her mouth and Connor had rolled a corner of the blanket to go in her hand for comfort instead of his finger. Such little solutions that made him obsolete. This wasn’t the plan. Wonder Boy was supposed to have Stinky. Somehow Connor had been tricked. He saw a nurse headed for Mia’s room.
“Hey could you take this in with you.”
“Oh what a cute baby.” She said taking the car seat from him.
Connor didn’t wait to answer any unnecessary questions about who he was and why he was dropping off a baby to a hospital room. Instead he turned and walked away from them. He walked away from it all hoping the whole mess would stay behind him and the pain in his chest, like his heart was being cut out with a spoon, would pass with time.
“Hello,” He said in a hoarse whisper. Messiah was still asleep next to him. Cooing in her sleep.
“Mia’s awake now.” John said. He was never one for preambles, “Would it be too much to ask you to bring Messiah? She’s eager to see her.”
Oh… Connor knew they would call him ...one day. He expected it to be weeks months even, if Mia ever came out of her coma, at least that’s what the doctors had told him. They had also said to be prepared for Messiah’s death after her incident and Messiah had pulled through fine. He looked down at Messiah sleeping on his arm. He’d only had her for a few nights.
“You still there?”
“Yeah uh,” Connor carefully lifted Messiah and held the phone between his shoulder and his face, “I gotta get her clean and dressed first but we’ll be there in a few hours.” He whispered carefully placing Messiah in her crib. It amazed him how easy it was to master handling a sleeping baby without waking her up. Maybe it was just easy with Messiah.
“Great I’ll tell Eric and Mia.”
Oh...Eric… He must have been there when Mia woke up, the perfect Wonder Boy he was. Connor rolled his eyes and looked at his watch. It chimed as it turned noon, “We’ll be there around three.”
“Ok see you then.”
“Bye.”
Connor went to the bathroom and paused when he saw himself in the mirror. He looked like he didn’t have his shit together. His hair was all over his head. He hadn’t shaved since Mia went down and for some reason his face decided this would be the best time to grow a hobo beard. He shaved and washed his face and then he heard Messiah fussing in her crib. She never slept there for longer than twenty minutes.
“Yeah, yeah I’m coming.” Connor said. He picked her up, “Todays the day,” He said kissing her nose, “Ready to see Mommy?” She continued to fuss, “Yeah… me too.” He put her on his bed and changed her diaper and then changed her into a pink onesie, “There now she’ll know for sure you’re a girl.” He said putting on her pink hat to match. Messiah’s lip poked out, “She’d never be able to tell with that look on your face. Try smiling like this.” Connor smiled. Messiah started fussing again mimicking the sounds as if she was close to crying, “OK, OK, enough fun and games, let’s get your bottle.”
*
Connor slowed as he approached the door of Mia’s hospital room. She was surrounded by Beatrice, Rebekah, and John. Eric was in bed with her, cheek to cheek. Didn’t they look so perfect? While Connor would arrive to deliver the baby and then... what would be his purpose of being there? For Mia? Mia was occupied. For Messiah? He looked down at Messiah in her car seat. She was asleep. She had a pacifier in her mouth and Connor had rolled a corner of the blanket to go in her hand for comfort instead of his finger. Such little solutions that made him obsolete. This wasn’t the plan. Wonder Boy was supposed to have Stinky. Somehow Connor had been tricked. He saw a nurse headed for Mia’s room.
“Hey could you take this in with you.”
“Oh what a cute baby.” She said taking the car seat from him.
Connor didn’t wait to answer any unnecessary questions about who he was and why he was dropping off a baby to a hospital room. Instead he turned and walked away from them. He walked away from it all hoping the whole mess would stay behind him and the pain in his chest, like his heart was being cut out with a spoon, would pass with time.