𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘: Bronny James

40

November 17th
3:00 PM

Bronny's POV:

I sat beside Julie's incubator, my legs stretched out in front of me, trying to keep myself comfortable in the stiff chair. I had spent the night at the hospital next to her, while Taylor stayed in her room. The NICU was quiet, with only the steady hum of machines and occasional whispers from the nurses. I had my phone propped up against the glass of the incubator, on FaceTime with Bryce. His face filled the screen, looking relaxed but slightly sweaty, like he'd just come from practice.

"So, this is her," I said, angling the camera toward Julie. "Your niece."

Bryce squinted at the screen, leaning closer. "Dang, she's tiny. What's her name?"

"Juliet," I said, smiling. "But we call her Julie."

"Juliet, huh?" Bryce repeated, grinning. "I like it. Fits her. She looks strong already."

"She's definitely a fighter," I said, glancing at her. "She's already opened her eyes. And peep this—she has green eyes."

Bryce's eyebrows shot up. "Green? Like... GREEN green or hazel?"

"Yeah, green," I said, laughing at his reaction.

Bryce leaned back in his chair, scratching his head. "Man, if I didn't know any better..." he started, smirking. "I'd say that's not even your kid."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. "Shut up, bruh. She's mine."

"I'm just saying!" he said, laughing now. "You and Taylor both got brown eyes. Green?? That's wild, bro."

I chuckled, brushing off the comment. "Whatever, man. She's perfect, and that's all that matters."

Bryce smiled. "She really is, though. You did good, Brodie."

"Thanks," I said, feeling a warmth in my chest.

"So how's everything been over there?" he asked. "You holding up okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," I said, leaning back in my chair. "It's been a lot, though. NICU life isn't easy. But seeing her fight everyday... it's worth it."

Bryce nodded, his face serious for a moment. "You're handling it like a champ, man. Proud of you."

"Thanks," I said, swallowing hard. "Anyway, how's Arizona treating you? I've been catching your games, by the way. You've been killing it out there."

Bryce's face lit up. "Yeah? You think so?"

"Absolutely," I said. "Your defense is looking sharp, and that jumper? Smooth as hell."

Bryce laughed. "Appreciate it. I've been putting in the work. Gotta be ready for the draft in a few months, you know?"

"You will be," I said confidently. "No doubt in my mind. You keep playing like this, you're going to be a first rounder for sure."

"Lottery pick," Bryce corrected, grinning.

"Alright, you finna be a lottery pick," I said, laughing. "I like the confidence."

We talked a bit more, catching up on life and the plans for Thanksgiving.

"Alright, I'll let you get back to her," Bryce said, nodding toward the screen. "Take care of my niece, alright?"

"Always," I said. "See you soon."

"Later, bro," Bryce said before the call ended.

I set my phone down and leaned back, glancing at Julie again. Her tiny fingers twitched, and I smiled. Bryce's joke about her eyes popped into my head again, but I brushed it off. Taylor's father had green eyes—it didn't mean anything.

Just then, the door to the NICU opened, and Dr. Avery walked in, her clipboard tucked under her arm. She approached me with a calm but serious expression.

"Mr. James," she said softly, glancing at the incubator. "Do you have a moment to talk?"

"Yeah, of course," I said, standing up.

She gestured for me to sit back down, pulling up a chair beside me. "I wanted to go over some of the results from the tests we ran on Julie earlier."

"Is everything okay?" I asked, my chest tightening.

"She's doing well, progressing steadily," Dr. Avery said, her tone careful. "But there's something we need to discuss."

I nodded, urging her to continue.

Dr. Avery flipped through her clipboard, pausing at a specific page. "Bronny, I need to ask you something directly," she said, looking at me in the eye.

"Are you sure you're Julie's biological father?"

Her question hit me like a ton of bricks. I frowned, confused. "Yes, of course I am," I said firmly. "Why would you even ask that??"

Dr. Avery sighed, her expression softening. "I'm asking because the blood test results don't match. Julie's blood type is compatible with Taylor's, but it doesn't match yours."

My stomach dropped. "What... what are you saying?"

Dr. Avery handed me the clipboard, pointing to the results. "Based on the genetic markers we've identified, it's highly unlikely that you are Julie's biological father."

The room seemed to tilt for a moment, and I stared at the paper in disbelief. "That... that can't be right," I stammered. "There's some kind of mistake. You need to run the tests again!"

"I understand this is difficult to hear," Dr. Avery said gently. "But we triple-checked the results. I'm very sorry, Mr. James."

I couldn't speak. My mind was racing, my heart was pounding in my chest. The room felt smaller, quieter, as if the machines had stopped humming.

Dr. Avery placed a hand on my shoulder. "Take your time," she said softly. Then she stood and left the room, giving me space to process everything.

I sat there, staring at Julie through the glass, my thoughts all over the place. The baby I'd be pouring my heart into... wasn't mine? It didn't feel real. It couldn't be real.

END OF CHAPTER 40.

(taylor wrong as hell for that 😒. but happy new year and thank you guys for 20k!! i love y'all ☺️🩷)