Adopted by Billie Eilish

36

We return from the hospital. Thankfully, the child is okay. She'll be fine. I've had a few people tell me that the child should've been miscarried, that the child should've died when I fell down the stairs. When they say this, Billie instantly becomes the overprotective sister and gets them away from me. Once, she actually punched somebody in the face. That didn't do too well with the media, of course, so she had to make an announcement. About me. Explaining the situation. I expected to get made fun of for being pregnant at my age, but they were actually okay with it. They all joined my side. They're like Billie, being very overprotective, lashing out at those who hate me.

Everything's going great, and I'm extremely happy with my life. I really can't wait until I have Anna.

***

I wake up on my birthday. I'm thirteen, nine months pregnant. I smile and slowly get out of bed. The door opens, and Billie walks in, pulling me into a hug from behind.

"Happy birthday, baby," she tells me. "The big thirteen. A teenager now." She takes a second to gently rub my arm. "So the baby's coming this month. Are you excited about that?"

I nod. "Uh, yeah, I'm excited. I'm not looking forward to the pain, but I can't wait to have Anna in my life."

She smiles. "I can't wait either. Why don't you come downstairs and eat? I made some vegan waffles for breakfast. Your favorite."

I smile. "Thanks, Billie." 

She holds my hand and very slowly leads me downstairs. We sit down at the dining table and begin eating breakfast. 

Halfway through, I hear a liquid hitting the floor. I look down and see what looks like water coming from below.

"Uh, Billie? Either I'm peeing right now, or I just broke my water," I say. I begin panicking in my mind, but I don't believe I need to panic just yet. I need confirmation first.

She looks down. "Did you feel like you had to use the bathroom?"

I shake my head. "No, I don't think so."

We both stare at each other for a few seconds before we realize what's happening. It's time to panic. She stands up and rushes off to the bathroom, returning moments later with a towel in her hands. She helps me off of the chair and outside, letting me slow down when going down the steps. We don't want a repeat of that situation. I make it down safely. Billie puts the towel down in the passenger seat. I sit down on it next, staring down at my stomach, feeling frequent little kicks occur.

"She's kicking," I say. "It hurts."

"I know, Brooke. You're a tough girl. You're going to be okay, I promise."

She rushes me to the hospital, talking frantically to the lady in the front desk. She keeps glancing back and forth between Billie and I. I guess she's questioning why I'm pregnant in the first place. Finally, she nods and gets a few people to lead me to a room. I'm put in a bed and changed into a hospital gown. I receive a shot which is supposed to numb down the birth process so it's not as painful. 

Billie sits next to me and holds my hand. I look over at her, tears welling in my eyes from the bit of pain that I'm feeling.

"It's going to be okay, Brooke," she whispers, looking like she's about to cry. "It's all going to be worth it. Take deep breaths and just push. That's all you need to do. Whenever you feel her coming, just do that."

We wait a few minutes in silence. I feel her coming. It's extremely uncomfortable, and even the shot isn't enough to numb the pain. I grip onto her hand so tightly that our knuckles turn white. I think I'm hurting her, but I need the comfort. Doctors and nurses rush in to help.

An hour later, I'm holding a blanketed mass in my arms, staring at my beautiful little girl. When she opens her eyes, I see the most beautiful shade of violet that makes me smile. Seeing me smile makes her smile, which is incredibly rare for a newborn. I can tell that she's going to be a special child.

"Welcome to the family, Anna Baird O'Connell."