Gallavich Daughter 2

7- Adoption

It was a few months later and time for maryanne to welcome her new brother. They had already brought him home the previous night, in which the newborn baby cried the entire time. They decided on the name Leo, and he had a head of dark hair. Maryanne was slightly jealous of that. Whilst she had blonde hair and looked nothing like mickey or Ian, her little brother was already looking more like mickey than she was

"Hey blondie" mickey said as he walked into the living room where maryanne was sat watching TV. Her cast was off her leg and although she was still struggling to run properly, it had pretty much healed

"Hi papa. Sleep well?" She asked causing him to scoff

"Kids got a set of lungs on him, I'll give him that" mickey replied

"Wanna send him back?" She asked

"All babies cry blondie. He'll grow out of it and be sleeping through the night in a year"

"A year!? Oh papa, please, don't keep him. I've changed my mind about wanting a brother. He's already ruining our lives" maryanne gasped dramatically as mickey set next to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. She leant into him, allowing him to embrace her

"You doing OK?" He asked

"He looks like you. Got the same hair. Before, it was OK because we were all different. But now....now you and him are the same and I'm not. And....and he keeps crying papa. Its been one night and I'm already exhausted. At your age, is this a good idea? I'm just thinking about your heart," she said

"1, I'm not that old. 2, you are unique and gorgeous and I love you. I love you so fucking much. No matter what, don't ever forget that you're my number one baby. OK? I love you and Leo but at the minute, he needs abit more help just because he can't feed himself or do any of the things you can do. That make sense?" Mickey rambled, praying it made sense although he wasn't sure

"Ye papa. I get it. I just don't wanna be left out,"

"You won't be" Ian said from behind, rubbing his tired eyes and kissing the top of her head

"You're awake. Thought you'd be sleeping for hours" mickey said kissing his husband

"Ye so did I. Turns out I've gone past the state of exhaustion. Anne, you wanna go get your brother?" Ian asked as Leo began to cry. Maryannes eyes widened in shock

"Me?" She asked, a smile plastered across her face. With a chuckle, mickey nodded so she ran into their room to get the baby boy.

"You're up to something," mickey mumbled

"If she helps out then she won't feel so left out. That way, both of them get attention but in the ways that they need. Leo gets fed and held, maryanne gets praised and a feeling of pride" Ian explained. Seconds later, maryanne walked in very slowly with the newborn baby in her arms. Every step was cautious and she was terrified that he may slip from her arms

"Daddy, I'm doing it. I'm holding him. And he stopped crying," she smiled, looking up at Ian and mickey

"It's because he knows you're his big sister. He loves you already," Ian replied, his arm around mickey as they watched the interaction between their eldest baby and their youngest baby

When Leo started crying, maryanne panicked her eyes went wide and she stood statue still, looking at her brother with fear, like he was some sort of dangerous wolf that was howling at her. Mickey walked over, taking the baby from her arms, and holding him against his chest. Maryanne went and got a bottle of milk for the baby, giving it to mickey

"If it keeps doing that, then it's gonna have to go back," maryanne but it plainly

"He. He is gonna have to go back. Wait! No. I mean....ugh...I mean the baby is a he, not an it. And no, he isn't going back. You love him, I can tell. Yes babies cry, but they fall asleep soon enough," Ian explained, his arm wrapping around maryanne as they all sat down on the sofa

"I can't lie to ya daddy, I'm not cut out for this. How you dealt with so many brothers and sisters, I will never know. OK, he's kind of adorable, but still the demon child," maryanne huffed, looking over mickeys shoulder at the baby

"You wanna try feeding him?" Mickey asked her

"Hmm...what if he cries?" She asked, worrying instantly

"Then you can hand him straight back. Or, you can try rocking him in your arms or readjusting the bottle. Whatever you want" Ian said

"Whatever I want? In that case, I want ice cream," she said, ignoring the offer to feed her baby brother, standing up and walking to the fridge

"Not quite what I meant" Ian mumbled. Maryanne came back in with a tub of ice cream and 4 spoons

"You know Leo can't eat ice cream right?" Mickey asked, questioning the 4 spoons

"I did in fact not know that" she said shrugging as they all tucked into the ice cream

"What was I like as a baby?" Maryanne asked, her eyes meeting baby Leo's

"I don't know. Remember sweetie, we didn't see you as a baby. You lived in England," Ian reminded her

"Oh...ye. I reckon mummy and daddy would like Leo. Mummy always stopped to talk with the other mums at the park and she'd often spend most that time talking to the babies. Making silly noises at them and pulling silly faces. It made them laugh for some reason," maryanne looked at Leo and started pulling some faces at him

"Nope. Nothing. Maybe American babies have no humor" she suggested

"He's abit young to smile right now blondie. Soon enough, he'll be laughing at ya," mickey said, ruffling her hair

"I hope so. It would be a shame if my comedy went to waste" all three gallaviches sat and watched the new addition as he opened and closed his eyes, beaming up at them like the most innocent thing on the planet