Paper Dolls

three

  I didn't know the number, but I answered anyway.

"Hello?" I said.

"Hi, is this Rowan Copeland?" The lady on the phone asked.

"Um... Yeah why?"

"I know it's not the best day to tell you this, but your friend Grace was pregnant with a baby girl when she died. We managed to save the baby in time. Her name is Brooklyn Mae Brooks. We gave her to the father, Nathan. But since Nathan committed suicide, the baby has to go to you. It was in Grace's will."

The world stopped turning and my heart stopped beating. 

"Miss Copeland?" She asked.

"Oh um... yes sorry... I'm just stunned."

"I understand. We have her waiting for you at Brax Orphanage. You can claim her in the morning."

"Okay thanks... bye."

I hung up before she could say anything else. "What was all that about?" Avery asked.

"Five years ago today, Grace gave premature birth to a baby girl named Brooklyn."

Avery gasped. "Wait, there's more. In her will, she said if she died and Nathan died, I would have to take the baby. She'll be my daughter tomorrow."

  Avery looked at me with wide eyes. It was completely unreal. I called Noah.

"Babe?" He answered. "Is everything okay?"

"No everything is NOT okay. When Grace died, she was pregnant. They saved the baby. In Grace's will, she named her Brooklyn Mae. She also said if anything happened to Nathan, she was mine."

"What's your point?"

"Nathan committed suicide today. I watched him do it." There was a long silence. 

"Okay Rowan it's all gonna be okay... Look I'll help you. She's only five?"

"She turned five today. I'm picking her up in the morning."

"Okay... We can take care of her... I'll help you."

"You will?"

"Of course. She'll be ours."

"Okay... I love you. Bye."

"Bye babe."

I turned off my phone. Tomorrow will be very... interesting.