The Springtrap Saga Book Four: Darkness in the Stars

Epilogue

Springtrap still can't believe the luck strung through his life. Despite being a seven-foot bunny robot, he was heartily welcomed into a human family. The behaviors of Lily and her husband, Jack, are saturated in compassion. They regard him as a true member of the family, rather than an anomaly that was haphazardly stitched into their ranks.

     Now, his eyes are bathed in the sterile light that flings its ambient rays through a hospital. Lily's stomach is swollen with the promise of a child. She and Jack have already decided what name will garnish the girl: Summer.

     Springtrap hangs back, figuring the couple deserves some privacy while Summer is being pushed into the world.

     Tears constrict his throat, and he hasn't even seen the child yet. He's always longed to be a father, but his life was severed before he thought of adoption. It hadn't occurred to him until his forties he could adopt a child, since the notion of love and marriage always grossed him out. By the time the concept of adoption glowed in his mind, he was working as an employee at Fredbear's Family Diner. The springlocks clamped into him and bled his life away before he could foster a child.

     But now, he's been folded into a family about to usher a child into their circle. Every fiber of Springtrap's being is steeped in the eagerness to help raise her as her bonus dad. He wrings his fingers through his quaking palms, the anticipation siphoning away his ability to sit still. If he was a human, tears of joy would be spewing from his eyes.

     Impatience framed in ecstasy reverberates through his mind. Every minute stretches into a mini eternity, slowly hacking away the tiny scraps of calm he tried to blanket his thoughts in. He wants to see the kiddo!

     A twinge of empathy twists in his chest at the sound of Lily's strain, the sounds shot through with anguish. Words softened into empathy seep past the masks barricaded over the supervisors' mouths, as well as the rumble of Jack's reassuring voice.

     "You're doing great!" Springtrap slopes his voice into an encouraging call, trying to lighten the solemnity of so much pain funneled into one effort.

     His legs swallow the ground in a sporadic series of pacing. He quells a flutter of unease that claws at his chest. Everything is going to work out. It has to. Summer and her mother are going to be okay.

     Right? Oh God. Oh no. What if something bad is happening back there?! Are they okay? Is Summer okay?! Is-

     A squalling cry penetrates the tangle of worries flitting through his mind. The springlocks tracing his form lodge themselves into a freeze. The metal lining his jaw slackens into a gape, marveling at the miracle that's unfolded behind the curtain. The edges of his mouth curve into a smile, still open with disbelief. His eyelids curve into an animatronic version of a furrow. Euphoria swells within him, radiating every inch of his soul until he wonders if he's going to explode light and confetti.

     "Springtrap! You can come in now!" Jack's voice is spiced with authority, but tears of joy encroach on his words.

     You don't have to tell me twice!

     Springtrap's legs bundle into a run, earning him several disgruntled stares from the other people weaving through the hospital. The looks, fringed in annoyance, can't penetrate his glowing fog of delight. He scrapes the waning remains of his composure back together when he hooks his fingers into the pale blue fabric of the curtain. He dampens his motions with calm and caution, careful not to disturb anyone.

     When he slips past the hanging waterfall of fabric, his entire world ignites. A baby, some of the veins visible beneath her brand new skin, is swaddled in Lily's arms. Tears weep down the child's red, chubby face. Newborn cries split the air.

     The force of emotion pounding through Springtrap's soul almost makes him crumble. Oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God oh my God!!!

     This is really happening! His dreams are unfolding right before his eyes!

     He waits his turn as Lily, dark circles pooled under her eyes, transitions the baby into Jack's burly arms. Springtrap's foot buzzes against the ground in a series of taps. A smile buoys the corners of his mouth. Every part of him is ablaze with such profound happiness he feels like he'll never stop smiling again.

     "You wanna hold her?" Jack angles his head toward him, friendliness brightening his features. Tears perch on the rim of his eyes, and his mouth is lodged in a smile.

     Springtrap's head flurries up and down in a nod so eager he almost wonders if his head is going to fall off. Jack infuses every motion with gentleness as he transitions the infant into Springtrap's arms. When he cradles the newborn against him, sobs sputter from his chest.

     The cries splitting the air slowly deplete into a peaceful silence. The stiffness tugging at the baby's tiny muscles drains into relaxation. The creases winding along her face soften into serenity.

     "I think she likes you." Exhaustion drags at the smile that sags across Lily's face. Veins of red spear through the whites of her eyes, swelling with the exertion of bringing Summer into the world, as well as the emotions inflating within her.

     Springtrap doesn't think it's possible to love anyone or anything more than he loves this little bundle in his arms. Even though she's not his biological child, he already loves her just as fiercely as if she was. Another sob jolts from his chest, but his smile stretches even wider. He swaddles her into a cuddle and offers her a nuzzle on the head.

     "Hi, little one." Tears peel away the volume of his voice, reducing it to a whisper. "Welcome to the world."

     Even though the baby's eyes are still plastered shut and her face is unable to sculpt a smile yet, he thinks he can sense the love and trust within her.

     This is the happiest moment in his life. He will ingrain this event into his memory and play it on loop through his thoughts.

     He will get to be there to push her on the swing and give her food. He'll be able to drive her to school and help her on her homework. He'll play games with her and give her advice on friendship. He'll patch up her boo-boos (hopefully she doesn't get hurt much!) and one day cry at her graduation.

     He offers the baby another gentle snuggle. "I love you, kiddo. Thank you for coming into my life."

Credits Song: "I Found You" (feat. Jonlanty) by Apangrypiggy