daddy -- michael clifford [on hold]

three

michael sat patiently in the room, waiting on some news about kourtney. he was scared, honestly. he'd only just met the girl, but she could be dying, and her baby could be, too. he'd be afraid for anyone in that situation.

"hey, bud. are you alright?" a voice asked, entering the room carefully.

michael jumped at the sudden sound, but quickly calmed down once he saw his sister's face at the door. she was holding that beautiful little baby girl. michael noticed the way she held the girl, so strongly and carefully and lovingly. he was so happy for chelsea, regardless of her age, and honestly, he wished that he could have that sort of bond. he really wanted a baby.

"michael?"

michael shook his head, jumping back to reality. "oh, yeah. hey, chels. i'm okay."

"are you sure? where's that girl?"

"oh, um, she's in surgery."

chelsea's eyes grew rapidly. "oh my god. is she alright?"

"i don't know, actually."

"what happened? why is she there?"

"emergency c-section. the doctor said that the baby was coming out backwards, and it was pulling all of kourtney's organs, like, out of her body as it came. they rushed her in there super fast. it was kinda hard to keep up with." michael ran a hand through his hair.

"are you alright?"

he raised his eyebrows. "yeah. why would you ask? i'm not the one having a kid."

chelsea stepped closer to him and took a seat in a chair nearby. "because you're forgetting how well i know you, mikey. you're pale, your palms are sweating. you keep touching your hair. you aren't yourself."

"well, i guess i'm kind of worried. i mean, i don't even know the girl. i shouldn't be. but i really am. she doesn't have anyone here with her. i couldn't just leave her."

chelsea nodded. "i understand, michael."

"what if something happens to her? or the baby? god, who am i kidding? i'm fucking terrified."

"do you wanna talk about something else? i don't want you to keep worrying. i'm sure everything will be fine. dr. tucker is really fantastic."

"yeah, yeah. you're probably right. so, um, where's calum?"

"he went home to shower and take a nap. i told him it'd be okay, considering you were still here. it's not like i really need anything anyway. delia is all i really need."

"how is she?"

chelsea looked down at her little girl. "getting more beautiful by the minute. it's crazy how much having a baby changes you, michael. it's like this switch was turned on inside me or something. i feel like i found something that i've been lacking my entire life. it's so difficult to explain. she's everything to me."

michael smiled sadly. why couldn't he have that? no teenage boy ever wished to have a kid, except for michael. chelsea just looked so happy. not that michael wasn't happy, but like his sister said, he felt as if he were lacking something in his life.

"are you here with kourtney mackenzie?" said a nurse from the doorway. michael looked up slowly and nodded.

"um, yes, ma'am." 

the male nurse michael recognized from before entered the room, a pink blanket swaddle in his arms. he walked over to michael.

"congratulations, it's a girl."

before michael could protest and tell the nurse he wasn't the father of the baby, he handed michael the swaddle. michael carefully placed his hand under the baby's head and pulled her close to his chest, making sure he would not slip and drop her.

"ms. mackenzie will be back in the room shortly."

the nurse began to walk out, but michael stopped him.

"do you know what, uh, what kourtney wanted her name to be?"

the nurse chuckled. "actually, i do. before she went under for her surgery, she told us about a hundred times. brooklynne. spelled b-r-o-o-k-l-y-n-n-e. she wanted to make sure we had it right on her little crib."

michael couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the baby. "brooklynne," he whispered. "she's beautiful."

chelsea smiled from where she was sitting. "i'm gonna give you some time, mikey. i'll be in my room."

michael nodded.

"oh, and one more thing." she said as she got ready to leave.

"what's that?"

"did it click?"

michael scrunched up his eyebrows. "what?"

"did you feel it? when they put her in your arms? could you feel everything change? did you get that overwhelming feeling in your stomach that everything was finally complete."

"she isn't my kid, chels--"

"that doesn't matter. did you feel it?"

michael smiled again as he glanced back down at baby brooklynne. "yeah. i did."