How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You

9| Cal's Visit/ Phil the Flirt

Cal came to visit at the start of August. He looked like he had dropped a few pounds, but he was cleanly shaved and dressed smartly, though it might mostly have been for Daisy's benefit.

"It's nice to see you, Cal," Phil said cheerfully, handing him Daisy as the other man sat on the couch. "May says hi."

"Where is she?" Cal asked curiously, looking down at the baby, who was sleeping peacefully.

"A date or something," the agent replied.

Cal looked at him strangely. "And that doesn't bother you?"

Phil shrugged. "Why should it? She's not obligated to be here to help me take care of Daisy. I just want to see her happy." He noted the beginnings of Daisy waking up and went to grab her bottle. "No problem in her dating." His heart twinged weirdly, almost like it did when he was lying to his friends. But he wasn't lying.

The other man sighed and accepted the bottle. "Okay, then, Phil. Whatever you say."

Phil sat back down next to him. "So how's med school going to pan out?" he asked.

"Well, I finished my exams last week after my professors rescheduled them for me," Cal supplied. "I'm supposed to start my internship soon."

"Any hospital in particular?"

"Yeah, but it's in San Francisco." Cal's mouth twitched like he was about to smile, but he let out a hesitant breath. "Phil?"

"Yeah?" The agent felt odd about the prospect of Daisy following her father to San Francisco, but didn't really know why. He dismissed the matter as he looked at his cousin.

"Can you..." Cal let out a heavy sigh. "Do you think you could take care of Daisy full-time?"

Phil blinked. That was a 180. "What?"

"You seem to have everything under control here, Phil," Cal said wearily. "She knows you. I'm a stranger to her. I... I won't have time as an intern. We do 24 hour shifts. And frankly... I don't think I'll be able to survive that."

"Okay." What? Phil didn't hesitate before he said it, but after, he did. "I'll take care of her."

"You'll adopt her?"

Phil blinked again. "Um-"

"Please?" Cal sounded a little desperate. "You're the only one I trust."

"Can I just- call May?" Phil stood up. "I'll be a second."

"Sure, sure, of course, Phil," his cousin said. He gave Daisy the bottle.

The agent went over to the phone and dialled May quickly, hoping that she'd respond.

"Phil?"

He let out a sigh of relief. "Hey, May. Advice please?"

"Yeah, sure. I'm not busy."

Phil chewed on his fingernail. "Cal's over here and he asked me to adopt Daisy," he said quickly. "I'm not really sure what to do."

"How's Cal?"

He glanced back. "Tired. A little sad. Cheerful enough but just on the surface level. Careful."

"Did he talk about any future plans?"

"He said he's taking an internship in the fall. He didn't specify the hospital, though."

May let out a breath. "Take her. Do it."

Phil swallowed. "Okay. I'll see you back for dinner?" he asked nervously.

"Yep. I'm going to the grocery store so do you need anything?"

"Salted butter and a squash. Any type is fine." Phil played with his fingers. "You sure I should do it?"

"Yes, Phil, I am. I'll pick up some diapers too. I'll see you when I get back."

"Mmm. Bye," he said, hearing her hang up. Phil turned to Cal, who was looking at him expectantly. "I can keep her."

"Good." His cousin sounded like he was on the verge of tears, but he waved Phil off when the agent approached with a box of tissues. "I have adoption papers here. Um-" he pulled out an envelope from his bag- "I'm so sorry, Phil, I just- it won't end well-"

"It's okay, Cal," the agent said gently. "Daisy's been great. I don't mind."

Cal sniffed quietly as he put the envelope on the table and handed Daisy to Phil. "I've signed everything I needed to sign. I... I'm going to go now." He stood up, and Phil stood with him. Cal reached out and brushed Daisy's forehead with a gentle thumb. "Good luck, Phil. Maybe I'll come and visit."

"Please do," Phil replied, cradling Daisy in the crook of his arm. "You're always welcome here."

Cal gave a short nod before grabbing his bag and leaving.

As the door swung shut, Phil looked down at Daisy, tiny and perfect, sighing a little. "I guess it's just you and me now, sweetheart," he said quietly, smiling at her. "And he didn't burp you, did he?"

While waiting for May to come back, Phil put on a record and strapped Daisy to his front, puttering around the apartment doing mundane tasks. Every now and then, his gaze would flick to the unopened envelope sitting on the coffee table and down to Daisy, who would be napping, and he'd shake his head and continue his chores.

He was basically her dad now. Phil wondered how that had happened.

"I'm home!" May called jokingly. "I have diapers, a squash, and butter." She put the grocery bags on the counter as she relieved Phil of his Daisy-carrying duties. "Hi, Daisy," she greeted with a warm grin. "Did you miss me?" She walked into the living room, glancing back to flash a smile towards Phil. "Did she do tummy time yet?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "It's your turn."

May nodded. "What's this?" she asked, gesturing to the envelope on the table as she set herself up.

"Adoption papers," Phil replied, drying his hands with a towel before beginning dinner prep. "Cal already signed them. I think he was expecting a yes."

"Mhm." May reclined on the couch, letting Daisy lay on her chest.

"She's one lucky baby," Phil said with a flirty grin that widened with May's disbelieving scoff. "Want a drink?"

"Sure." May grabbed a book as Daisy reached out and started trying to grab her hair, even though the agent was prepared and tied it up before picking the baby up. "You want to hear what I was up to today?"

Phil came over with a juice box for her. "Didn't you have a date?"

"I said I was going to go talk to Andrew," May replied, taking a sip as she opened her book. "I'm not dating him anymore."

"Oh?"

"He's my shrink now," she said gleefully. "I'm making him listen to all my problems."

"Isn't that what a boyfriend does?" Phil asked with a wry smile.

"Nope. Boyfriends are for making you feel better and warmth." May smoothed back Daisy's patch of hair. "Like a big radiator."

"Is that so?" Phil closed the oven. "Well then, why not just get a radiator?"

"Radiators aren't sentient and they aren't as comfortable," May said matter-of-factly. "Besides, I don't kiss radiators."

"And you kiss your boyfriends?"

"Of course." She put down her book and covered Daisy's ears. "I fuck them too."

"Well, aren't they lucky then?" Phil chuckled, catching the cushion that she threw at him. "It's a compliment, and that cushion is a fire hazard!"

"You have a fire extinguisher under the sink," May said flatly. She picked up her book. "Now shush. I'm trying to read a physics textbook."