Maneuvers

Walking into the hospital room slowly, I wrapped my hoodie around myself more being cold and half asleep. I saw my Fiance standing by the window with an infant cradled in her arms. I rubbed the back of my neck, not really knowing what to say to make this better for her, make it better for me.

Since London's death four days ago, Chloe and I havent talked to each other, except small talk, and that was very little small talk.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I didnt," I whispered truthfully, "I was guessing and I wanted to see the baby before her parents take her tomorrow."

"You know, she's four days old and no one has given her a name yet, or held her just to hold her. She's just been in this room in her crib, being check on every hour on the hour to get changed and fed when needed other than that she's been alone." Chloe mumbled.

I nodded as I kept my distance, knowing Chloe doesnt really want to be touched right now, she probably doesnt really want to see me either, she left just after I fell asleep. When she didnt come back, I got up to see that she was gone.

"SHe didnt choose this life, Kyle."

"No one said she did."

"I hated London. I hate her more now. She just pisses me off, and I guess I just dont understand why she would leave her daughter to us when she knew the kind of relationship we had with her."

"She trusted us," I whispered, "She felt safe to leave her baby with us. And I think she was really trying to be friends with us again."

"No, I wouldnt have allowed it, I couldnt trust her. You know more than her breaking us up, it's the fact that she didnt talk to me about her feelings for you, it's the way she handled it all, it was wrong and I still hate her for it."

"I know, I understand."

"The babies new parents are a middle aged couple with four other kids of their own, boys, they cant have anymore kids so they wanted to adopt a girl." Chloe mumbled, "I dont know them Kyle, and they live in New Mexico. How will I know if she's getting taken care of properly?"

"What are you saying Chloe?" I took a few steps towards her, "Do you want to raise her?'

Chloe was silent, "I shouldnt want to, but for some weird reason I do. I hated London so much yet I'm still hurt really bad and it's confusing, and that's what makes me so angry because I shouldnt be having these feelings."

I closed the gap between us and rested my chin on her shoulder, "I have them too, the thought of London actually being dead is weird. Half of me regrets even being so mean to her, even after all she did to us because when it comes down to it, we were all she really had, us and Jonathan."

"She knew the baby wasnt his," Chloe assured me, "London slept around, yes, but she knew who the baby's real Father was, she just didnt want to lose Jonathan. In her own weird way, she loved him."

"What do you want to do Boo?"

She turned around with the baby cradled in her arms and it almost brought tears to my eyes, happy tears of course, seeing her with that baby in her arms, makes me wish that she was really our own daughter. The mother look really fits Chloe.

"I dont want her to be raised by strangers, Kyle." Chloe said simply, "We can raise her, we have money now."

I laughed, "You get rid of the child but not the money," I joked.

"I was going to get rid of it, put it all towards charity like the Lawyer said. We dont need ten million dollars."

"It would be nice though,"

She narrowed her eyes on me.

"It's my money too," I smirked.

She shook her head, "I want to raise her like she was ours. When she's old enough to understand everything, we'll tell her about London and the things she did, she has the right to know about her Mother. The baby didnt choose this," She said again, "She had no idea what she was going to be born into. And I just cant be mad at her for what her Mother did."

I nodded agreeing with her. I kissed her forehead softly, "So, We're Momma and Daddy now, huh?"

"Only if you want to be." Chloe insisted.

"I think I want to be, besides she didnt do anything wrong." I whispered as I caressed the infants face, "We'll live and learn,"

"Here, hold her," Chloe demanded and she passed the baby off to me, "I'm going to go call the Lawyer, their adoption isnt complete until they get here tomorow, so there's still time."

"Alright," I nodded then watched her walk away, "Boo?"

She stopped and looked at me.

"You're going to be a great Mother," I insisted, "And the thing is, you dont have to be, but you want to be."

Chloe smiled softly, "You're gonna be an amazing Daddy." She nodded then left the room. I looked down at the baby, "So, your real Mom died in the accident, but dont worry, we'll take care of you. We'll be your Mom and Dad, just like you were our own, and somewhere down the line we'll give you a few siblings." I moved her around until she was resting against my shoulder.

I swayed slowly, "You're a Burns now," I whispered as I gently rubbed the back of her head, "Welcome to the family, beautiful."

As tightly as she could she gripped my shirt and let out a soft whine. I laid her back in her crib as she continued to cry. I made a face not knowing what to do, then slowly the nurse walked in with a bottle and a new diaper, "Are you Daddy?" She asked.

"I'm gonna, yeah."

"Would you like to feed and change her?" She asked as she held out the bottle and diaper.

I eyed the items then nodded as I took them, "Sure,"

"Alright here is the diaper, and her bottle ..." She trailed off as she went over to a cabinet, "and cotton balls, if you need warm water, there's the sink." She eyed me, "Wipe front to back, you dont want to give her an infection."

"Ok," I nodded then she left. I nervously looked at the infant and sighed, "Well, I have to learn to do this sometime, might as well be now." I mumbled.

She whined softly as her tears poured from her face. I unbuttoned her onesy then carefully removed her diaper, thanking the heavens above it was just pee. After cleaning her I put the new diaper on before buttoning her onesy back up and throwing the old diaper away. I quickly washed my hands then went back to her, scooping her up in my arms and grabbing her bottle.

She needily took the plastic nipple of the bottle in her mouth and started to suck loudly. I laughed as I shook my head. Staring up at me with bright hazel eyes, I felt the pieces fall into place and already she was my daughter in my eyes, even if it's not mine and Chloe's blood pulsing through her veins, I dont care.

Lazily, her eyelids started to get heavy before they completely closed. I smiled to myself then I heard a gentle sigh from behind me, "You look like a complete natural." Chloe said softly.

I turned around and looked at her, "Did you get ahold of the lawyer?"

"I did, he said he's on his way here and that he's going to call the people in new mexico, we have priorty giving London left her to us." Chloe said simply, "Once he gets here and we sign all the papers, we can take her home."

I eyed my fiance, "We have nothing for her, no clothes, no carseat, nothing."

"Ok, well we can sign the papers leave her here so we can run to walmart, it's the only thing open this late, get her what she needs tonight then come back and get her."

I nodded, "Alright."

Chloe walked over to me and smiled, "It's gonna be hard," I muttered.

"We'll get through."

"We're not keeping all of that money."

I frowned, 'Oh whatever, why not?"

"Because it's wrong."

"We wont have to work for the rest of our lives."

"Kyle, no. We're going to donate half of it."

I eyed my fiance, "No, two million is more than enough to donate." I insisted, "The rest is ours to do with what we want."

"Do you know how much money that is?"

"Yeah, do you see how much I dont care? It's not going to change us, I'm not quitting my job, because we could wake up tomorrow and it could get taken away from us. I'm not going to become a lazy bum, but we can afford a nice house and be able to pay our bills. This is London's way of apologizing."

I rolled my eyes, "We're selling her house."

"Agreed, I never really like it, or we can give it to someone we know like ... Quinn and Stacie."

I thought about it, "They would like that," I nodded, "Very much."

"Let's just clear things up, you were friends with Stacie before Quinn, correct?"

"No, Quinn then Stacie, but it's more of a big brother, little sister relationship. He is good looking though, but I wouldnt ever put the moves on him."

Shaking my head I leaned forward and kissed her lips gently before eyeing the baby, "She needs a name."

"Daisy,"

"Daisy?" I asked as I looked at the baby and nodded, "I like it."

"Daisy Kathleen Burns."

"I could go for that, it suits her." I eyed Chloe, "You already named her before I got here huh?"

"Yes," Chloe blushed, "I couldnt help it, I was just staring at her and it came to me."

"Boo? I was thinking about that townhouse,"

"Yeah?"

"Since we have the money now, why dont we just get a house? It doesnt have to be over the top or anything, just buy a house so it's ours and we dont have to worry about it. Make it ours."

"Well, forgive me for saying this, but I was a nice big house."

"How many bedrooms?"

"Six," She blushed.

"You are a spoiled bitch."

"Hey, we got money," She kissed me again, "I love you."

"I love you too, and we're making the right choice. Daisy needs us, and I think we need her."

"This is are practice baby," She joked.

I laughed, "Yeah, our practice baby," I shook my head then handed her off to Chloe, "I have to go use the restroom and get some coffee or something, I'm running on fumes, want something?"

"Yeah, get me whatever you get as long as it's not mango."

"Deal," I kissed her cheek, then gently kissed Daisy before walking out of the dim lighted room.

Today is the first day of all our lives together. I just hope London made the right choice in leaving her child to Chloe and I. I hope we can raise Daisy properly and I hope that I'm at least half the Father my Dad was to me.