In Another Life

Chapter 79: Mia

I sit on the floor in front of Keith in Vic's hospital room. Rikki stands against the wall behind me. I rock Keith gently as he sleeps. I can feel CC glaring at me but I'm trying my damnedest to ignore it. I'm not here for him, I'm here for my adopted mother.

We all sit in absolute silence for a very long time. Keith's eyes open and I smile, he's got beautiful brown eyes like his daddy. I pull the carrier closer to me and pick him up out of it.

"Hi Keithy." I say quietly as pick him up. "Are you hungry?"

"Minnie, he's an infant. No matter how much to talk to him he can't answer." Bret smirks and I smile.

"Can you hold him for a minute?" I ask Bret. "I've gotta go warm up his bottle."

"Yeah, come here, little Rockett." He says as I hand him off to the singer.

"Watch his head." I say and Bret smiles.

"I know, Mouse." He says as I stand up.

Rikki makes a face at me then grabs my hand.

"You alright?" He asks.

"I'm always alright." I say and he frowns. "But your child is hungry."

"I love you." Rikki says as he kisses my forehead.

"I love you so much." I say and grab the baby bag.

I walk out to the nurse's station and stand at the desk.

"This there a microwave I can use to warm up my son's bottle?" I ask the one nurse.

"Yeah, I'll show you." She says and leads me away.

I pour the contents of the bottle into a coffee cup and put it into the microwave (I'm not sure if the bottle is microwaveable). I start the microwave and lean against the counter. My gaze drops to my pale hands.

I don't know what's going on with Vic and it scares me quite a bit. I can't lose her. Im done caring about CC, Vic is my adopted mother and CC is just the idiot she married. He's not my dad.

"Hey." Someone says and I look up from my hands.

CC is looking back at me. The microwave beeps and I turn around to check on Keith's bottle. He walks up beside me as I pour the formula back into the bottle.

"You know you've gotta test that." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Oh god, how have I been keeping Keith alive." I say as sarcastically as I can.

"Mia, you know I didn't mean any of the things I said." CC says.

"Then you wouldn't have said them. You were thinking it the whole damn time." I say. "You don't think Rikki and I were ready to be parents."

"You're right Mia, I didn't. You two proved me wrong." CC says and I roll my eyes.

"We should have to prove it to anyone, especially not you. CC, Rikki is older than you. He has nothing to prove." I say.

"But Mia, you're--"

"I'm an adult!" I say. "I'm a mom and I have a boyfriend that loves me. I shouldn't need your permission to be a parent." I say and push past him.