Dirty Little Secret

I wander aimlessly down the halls of the hospital, walking past room after room. Some filled with happy parents gawking over their newborns, others empty.

I let out a heavy sigh. I wonder if there was ever any chance that Angel and I would have been one of those happy couples. Maybe if she had told me earlier; maybe not since I assume Chuck would still be in the picture...

I had initially planned on just leaving the hospital all together and getting my ass home, but I didn’t feel right about just leaving like that. Probably because actually leaving the hospital would let Chuck know he really got to me, even more than punching him in the face would have.

I turn a corner and see all of my friends congregated around a window. I was right; they came to look at the babies.

“I think that one’s her!” Leana says, pointing to a sleeping baby.

“I don’t think so,” Michelle replies. “I think that’s it; it has Angel’s eyes.”

“Why don’t we just look at the names of them?” Johnny asks.

“Because I can’t read the names of any of them past the first row,” Leana replies sheepishly.

“What are you guys doing?” I ask, letting my presence be known.

“Hey, Zack,” Matt greets with a smile.

“Zack, you’ve seen the baby. Which one is she?” Michelle asks.

“Uh…”

I look out at the mass of babies. I squint, hoping that I’d have luck reading the names, but have no such luck after the first couple of rows.

“It’s hard to tell from here. I’d have to see her eyes. That’s what really gives her away.”

“Are they like Angel’s?” Michelle pries, hoping to be right in her assumption.

“No… I guess she got her eyes from her dad.”

“Are you looking for a particular baby?” a nurse asks us.

“Yes, we’re looking for Angelica Williams’ baby. Can you help us find her?” Lacey pipes up.

“No problem.”

The nurse disappears around the corner and a moment later appears in the nursery with all the babies. She walks down one of the far aisles and picks up a baby, bringing her to the window for everyone to see.

Michelle, Lacey, and Leana all let out audible gasps. I hear Matt, Johnny, and Jimmy swear under their breath. Myla’s husband, Pierre, David, Seb, Pat, and Jeff stare in awe. Here it goes…

“She’s beautiful!” Leana gasps.

“That’s one gorgeous baby,” Johnny admits. “Glad to see she doesn’t look like Chuck. Could you imagine if she did?” He makes a face.

I stifle a chuckle as I raise an eyebrow. Did Chuck not tell everyone why he was so torn up in the first place? Does no one else know what's going on?

“Of course she doesn’t look like Chuck,” David replies. “He’s not her father.”

All eyes go to David.

“What?” Lacey asks in disbelief.

“You didn’t know?” Pat asks, looking confused.

“Wait, what did she tell you guys?” Pierre inquires with a raise eyebrow.

“She told us that the baby’s Chuck’s,” Jimmy replies. “But apparently that isn’t true judging David’s little statement there.”

“If Chuck isn’t the father then who is?” Johnny asks.

“We don’t know,” Seb admits softly. “She refused to tell us who he is and we never bothered to pry it out of her.”

“Oh my God!” Leana exclaims. “Her eyes are so… They're so green.”

“Green?” Matt asks and everyone turns their attention back to the baby in the nurse’s arms.

“There’s only one other person I’ve ever seen with eyes that green,” Jeff says, his voice trailing off slightly.

Everyone’s gazes go from the baby to me.

“Well, he did say that she got her eyes from her father,” Michelle remarks. “He just didn’t bother to tell us that he’s the father.”