Jas.
Four months of being in Japan had taught many things, and one of those things was that even the smallest of jobs can make you important to the people around you. I had taken on the maintenance job that Sue’s father once had with ease, and because I had, the tenants in the building were forever grateful.
Which ant they were constantly trying to feed , and with my understanding of the language being minimal, I accepted so that I wasn’t rude.
The last thing I expected after a long day of work, though, was to have my phone ring in the wee hours of the morning with Neal’s voice on the other end.
“A daughter?” I whispered softly as the news slowly woke up.
“Yeah, she just had her. We didn’t think she would have the baby till next week, but her water broke a few hours ago, and then it was a mad rush to the hospital.”
I was overjoyed to hear the news, but still hesitant on the situation between Neal and I. We weren’t exactly on good terms. Neal still didn’t like , and honestly, I didn’t care for him either. The only reason why we spoke was because of Becca.
“I don’t even know what to say.”
Neal scoffed with laughter, and I could almost picture him rolling his eyes at my comnt. “Look, I didn’t an to wake you, but I figured you should know you’re a father again.”
“I’m not though.” I sighed. “I’m not the one that’s there.”
“Stop the bullshit, Jas. We already talked about this, and I’m not going to keep up this shit with you if you’re not going to put forth the effort to appreciate keeping this secret. I already don’t like lying to her.”
Annoyance filled with his shitty comnt, but in the end, he was right again. I needed to appreciate what he was doing, and more than anything, I wished I could trade places with him. “I’m sorry. Thank you for calling .”
“Holy shit, this is a good day. Not only did the baby co, and everyone’s safe, but you’re apologizing too. Perhaps I should try my luck at the lottery.”
“No need to be a smartass,” I snapped at him as I slowly slid from the bed. “What does the baby look like?”
He was quiet for a mont, and with the silence, I pulled the phone from my ear to make sure we hadn’t got disconnected. Yet, he was there just obviously trying to think of what to say.
“She looks like you. Jet black hair, cute chubby cheeks. She honestly looks like the baby photos of Tally. Becca found them the other day in the boxes from your house.”
The boxes from my house? Neal had told they had sold it to soone, but wouldn’t say who. In the end, I hadn’t thought they would have taken any of that stuff with them. I had expected Becca to walk away from it all.
“I didn’t realize that she took stuff from the house.”
“Yeah.” He laughed. “She took quite a bit, honestly. The furniture and that she left for the buyer at their request.”
“The buyer wanted my stuff?” I laughed in reply, finding the notion to be amusing. “That’s a first, I guess. For soone to have that kind of money to buy the place I hadn’t expected for them to want my shit.”
“Well, it’s not actually your shit anymore. You’re dead, rember?”
He wasn’t wrong, and throwing that in my face was like being dosed with cold water. I was always reminded that I was dead, and nothing I did could or would ever change that. I would forever have to live with the fact that I couldn’t be with the others again.
I can’t ever exist in the world as Jas Valentino, but I could exist in the world as Les.
“I’m aware, Neal. You don’t need to remind .” I sighed running my hand through my hair. “I’d like to give my child sothing. Can you do that for ?”
“How the hell do you think that can be managed?”
Rolling my eyes, I set the small coffee pot in my kitchen and sighed. “I don’t know, but let think about it. I will contact you in a few days.”
“Look, I know you want to do things for them, but you can’t, Jas. How would any of that be explained?” Neal asked with the sound of irritation and disbelief in his tone.
“Like I said... I’ll contact you in a few days.”
My reply sent him scoffing, and after a mont, a heavy breath escaped him. “Fine.”
He didn’t wait to end the call, and with our conversation over, I was left with more questions than answers. I wanted to send sothing to my daughter. Sothing for her to always have to rember by.
Even if the thought was hard to accomplish.
Becca.
The mont Allegra set her eyes on the baby, she cried, and I couldn’t help but laugh because the state of her was sothing that I had never seen before.
“You can stop crying,” I laughed. “This is supposed to be a happy mont.”
“I am happy,” she laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes. “Can I hold her?”
Nodding my head, I let her take the baby from my arms. The nurse ca in at the exact sa mont to help get into the shower. “Oh, wonderful is this your sister?” the nurse asked Allegra.
“Sothing like that,” she muttered as she gushed over my daughter in her arms.
I slid from the bed to my feet, and with the nurses help, made my way towards the shower to get cleaned up. The cool water was refreshing against my skin, and enjoying the mont to myself let reflect on what I had just done.
No longer was the babe I had grown within just a waiting ga that I had been playing. She was here, and from the first mont I held her in my arms, I knew without a doubt that my life had changed.
As soon as I was clean and dressed once more, Allegra, the baby, and I were ushered towards a more private room they had prepared for . It looked almost like a common bedroom, and as I made my way inside and was quickly tucked into bed, my sweet daughter was once again placed within my arms.
“I will need the child’s na to place on the birth certificate, my dear.”
I had thought for a long ti about what I wanted to na my child, and everyti I tried to pick a na, I couldn’t. Nothing ever seed as if it would fit her, and so I waited. I waited until my eyes set upon her to pick a na that would best suit her.
“Dahlia Taliana Valentino,” I whispered softly as I stared down at my daughter’s face.
“Taliana?” Allegra echoed as she sat on the edge of the bed. “I think that’s a beautiful idea.”
Glad that Allegra liked the idea as well, I continued gushing over my child until the door opened, and Neal walked in. He hadn’t been able to spend much ti with her, but as soon as he made his way into my room, he didn’t waste a mont.
“How is our girl doing?” he whispered as he ca to my side, squeezing into the bed next to .
“She’s strong–and sleepy,” I giggled as I turned my glance up at him from my daughter. His lips didn’t waste a mont of gently claiming mine, and as they did, I relished in his touch.
Our relationship had been strained during the moving process, but I was glad that I had him with . Everyday spent with him made things easier, and even though Dahlia wasn’t biologically his, I knew for fact that he saw her as his own.
“How is my girl doing?” he whispered against my lips as his thumb brushed against my cheek.
“Sore, but overall great. I chose her na.”
“Oh, did you?” he replied, perking a brow. “May I know her na?”
Chuckling, I rolled my eyes leaning into him. “Dahlia.”
Glancing down at Dahlia he smiled. “It’s beautiful... just like her.”
“I can’t wait to finally be able to go ho, but unfortunately, I have to stay here for forty-eight hours. Why don’t you both head ho and get so rest? You have been here so long already and you both need your sleep.”
My words seed to make both Allegra and Neal hesitate before Allegra let out a yawn that quickly caused both Neal and to yawn as well. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“Technically, you’re not leaving . You’re going ho to get rest, and then coming back here once you’re well rested,” I teased as he nodded and then slowly stood.
“Okay, okay. I’d know that well pointed look anywhere. I will force Allegra to follow to the car so I can take her ho to rest,” he laughed as Allegra crossed her arms over her chest shaking her head.
“I have no problem sleeping here—”
“Absolutely not!” I chuckled, pointing towards Neal. “He is taking you ho. I know what you’re like when you have not had enough sleep.”
My comnt caused both Neal and I to break into a fit of laughter that caused Allegra to glare at us disapprovingly. I knew she didn’t like being made fun of, and giving her my best frown, she finally caved in with a smile and rolled her eyes.
“Okay, okay. I will go, but I will be back first thing after I wake up.”
“That’s fine, but go now. Get so rest, and I will see you then.” I smiled watching as she made her way towards the door with Neal.
It was sweet to see them so concerned about how I was doing, and how the baby was. They had taken Dahlia and I in as their own blood and never turned their back on even when they could have.
As soon as they were gone, and Dahlia was fed, I settled her in the cot and snuggled down into the bed. My eyes couldn’t leave her tiny figure, and when my lids were finally too heavy to hold open any longer, I let them close and dread of the future.
A future that would be full of nothing but love and life.
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