The Wrong Hero

Chapter 31 - Past Deeds

There was little noise Dante could hear from outside the hospital room. He expected it to be louder, but it probably was much so earlier. He had been delayed getting here, since he was dealing with a few pests when he got the text. Once he was finished and flipped open his phone, he made a beeline to the hospital.

He'd asked the receptionist what room the Meleros were in and found it easy enough. They were already done some time ago. All that was left was for him to knock and go it. He knew that five minutes ago when he showed up at the door.

Finding the courage needed, he knocked on the door and cracked it open. "Hey, it's Dante." He said through the opening.

"Well, well, well. Nice of you to show up." He heard the playful voice from within the room.

Pushing the door open fully, Dante saw the two people he was closest to in the world. Gloria lied on the hospital bed, Eddy standing next to her. In her arms, Dante could see a small blanket, wrapped around an equally small body.

"You're late." Gloria said, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you'd appear the moment my water broke."

"S-Sorry." Dante said, rubbing the back of his neck. Nearing the end of her pregnancy, Dante had taken to being within earshot whenever possible. "Something came up."

"I know. Eddy told me." She nodded to her husband, who'd kept a smile on his face since before Dante came into the room. "Well, get over here. Or, are you afraid of a baby?"

"I'm not afraid..." Dante took a slow step into the room. Then another.

"Come on, you can do it." Gloria encouraged him.

Dante sighed. "I'm coming, I'm coming. Read the room a little."

Gloria smirked. "I gave birth today. The room is whatever I say it is."

Dante made it to the other side of the bed, across from Eddy. He had a look in his eye that Dante didn't like. "What?"

"I didn't say anything." Eddy shrugged, then gestured to his wife. The woman adjusted her holding on the bundle in her arms, moving it closer to Dante and causing him to turn away.

"What? You're afraid of tits now too?" Gloria said with a laugh.

"Mothers shouldn't talk like that..." Dante murmured.

"Are you saying something's wrong with my wife's tits?" Eddy jumped in.

"Why are the two of you like this?" Dante sighed. Eddy adjusted the sheet around Gloria, covering her back up. Dante turned back and leaned over, carefully wrapping his arms around the offered bundle. He looked down at the baby girl as she stared back up with her dark brown eyes. "Have you two come up with a name?"

"Mary." Gloria said, holding Eddy's hand.

"Mary..." Dante rocked the baby gently, earning a soft coo from her. "And...I'm still going to be her uncle, right?" He asked. It wasn't as if he asked them a few dozen times about that or anything. Being an uncle at 19, blood-related or not, was something Dante would have expected more from his parents' generation, what with that generation having more siblings.

"About that..." Eddy started. "We've talked it over a bit, and we wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Dante barely looked up, keeping his eyes on Mary's.

Gloria spoke next. "We want you to be Mary's godfather."

That caused Dante to snap up. His eyes widened as he looked at the couple. "What?"

"There's no one we trust more than you, Dante." Eddy said. "We'd love it if you agreed to be her godfather."

Dante's mouth moved, but no words came out. He looked back down at the baby in his arms.