Everything Changes

Chapter Twelve

I few tears hit the ground. "It's a long story, but we gotta go."

I'm taken back. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?"

"I will explain in the car, but right now we gotta go." He says sternly.

We go to the house and pack everything up quickly and head to the car. We get in and we start to drive.

We have been driving for about an hour when his voice breaks the silence.

"I have a daughter......and she's in the hospital." He says.

"What? How?"

"Over the summer, I was at a party. I got drunk and my girlfriend at the time was there, and things happened. She eventually told her parents what happened and she wanted to get and abortion, but I wasn't letting that happen. I told her if she had the baby I would take care of it. We didn't talk for a few months after that. Then one day she just shows up on my doorstep with a baby girl. She told me her name was Everlin, handed her to me. Put Everlin's bags down and walked to her car, then drove off. I haven't seen her since then. Everlin was born about two months early though. Dad called and said that Everlin started crying and he couldn't get her to stop, so he took her to the hospital and somethings wrong but they don't know yet." He stops and continues to stare at the road.

"I-I didn't know any of that... Is she okay?"

"I don't know. I'm gonna take you to your house then go see her."

"No I wanna go with you. I want to make sure she is okay."

He looks over at me and back at the road. "I can't ask you to do that."

"That's why you don't. I'm going with you, you need someone with you. She's a baby girl, your mom isn't around, and she needs a female figure."

"I can't put that on you though."

"Your not. I'm choosing to." I say with a smile. He takes one hand off the wheel and grabs mine

I lay my head back as he turns the radio dial up. He puts country music on and I close my eyes. He still has my hand gripped firmly. It's comforting.

"Beautiful," I hear Anthony's voice. He starts to shake me by my arm. My eyes open. I guess I fell asleep because I recognize where we are now. "Hey we're here." He says, I jump up and fold down the mirror and fix my mess of a self. I open my door and Anthony follows my action. I stand outside of my door and wait for Anthony. He grabs me by my waist and pulls me towards him into a hug. I lay my head on his chest as he kisses my forehead. We pull apart and adjusts his arm around my lower back.

We got to the front desk and Anthony speaks to the receptionist. "Everlin Mae Underwood, I need her room number."

"Only family members are allowed back there. Sorry sir."

"I'm her father." He says in a loud stern voice. The lady looks surprised and a little scared. I would be too, he's scary when he's loud.

"Oh sorry sir. Her room number is 226. Here is your tag." She says handing him a visitors pass.

"I need one for her too." He says.

She looks over at me and gives me a dirty look. "Really?" She says in disgust.

"Yes really. I don't have time to deal with you. I need to get back there. So pass now please." I say, she looks taken back. She doesn't say anything, she just hands me a visitors pass and tools her eyes.

I follow Anthony to the room. No one is in there with the baby. She's just laying in her crib. I walk over to her, she whimpering. "Can I hold her?" I look at Anthony. He nods his head.