Baby with my best friend (Casualty)

33

"She's not mine."

Holly saw the look of hurt on Cal's face. She put Matilda down and walked over to him. She pulled him close. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," she said.

She felt him crying into her shoulder. She held him as he cried. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. I promise you."

"She's not mine. Taylor lied. She said she was mine and she's not. I love that baby more than anything. And she's not mine," Cal sobbed.

Holly held him close. She looked over to the little girl who had wormed her way into their lives. She looked to Cal. "We can sort this. I know we can. I'm pretty sure we can talk about keeping her. Or adopting her. If it's what you want?"

Cal shrugged. He sighed and walked off into the bedroom. Holly stayed with Matilda and Emilie. She needed to let Cal have some space of his own.

"Daddy sad?" Emilie asked.

Holly nodded. She smiled. "He's a little sad. But he's going to be okay. Daddy just needs some time in the bedroom," she told her.

"Otay."

***
The next morning, Holly woke in bed. She saw Cal wasn't there. She got out bed and walked into the living room.

She saw him looking at Matilda and sighed. "Babe?" She said as she looked to him.

Cal wiped away some tears. He turned to Holly. "I don't think I can keep her. Knowing that she isn't mine," he said.

Holly frowned. "Cal. We can't just give up on her. She's an innocent little girl," she told him.

"She isn't mine. How can I raise a child knowing that she isn't mine," Cal told her as he looked to her.

Holly sighed. "Let's just go to work. Then we can talk about it when we've finished. We both need to talk," she said.

"Fine. But I don't think my mind can be changed," Cal said.

***
The two of them went into work. Cal walked off, leaving Holly with the girls. Lexi walked over to her. "Hey. Need help?" She asked.

"Yeah. Can you get Emilie?"

Lexi took Emilie from the car and held her. She looked to her. "What's happened? Why is he moody?"She asked.

Holly sighed. "The results came back. Matilda isn't Cal's. He's not doing well with it. He says he doesn't want to keep her," she told her.

Lexi frowned. She looked to her. "What do you wanna do?" She asked.

"I don't know. I'm just... I want to help him. But at the same time I can't just put an innocent baby girl into care," Holly said.

***
Holly walked over to Cal. She had been told he had been lashing out at patients. "Look, I know you're hurting. But you cannot lash out at anyone. Seriously."

Cal turned to her. He sighed. "I don't need you getting on at me. Okay? I thought I had another kid. Turns out it's not mine."

"It? Cal. You cannot call her an it. Regardless of weather she's yours or not. You need to realise you still named her. You still looked after her," Holly said.

Cal shook his head. "Not anymore. I'm calling social services tonight. They can take her. I don't care anymore," he said as he walked off.

But was he serious about letting social services take Matilda from them?