Sparks

Fourteen

"Mr. Martin, congratulations. Your child was born at 3:47 AM on May 14th, 2004."

"Is it a boy or girl?"

The nurse smiled. "Why don't you come see for yourself."

Chris followed the nurse into the hospital room, where Gwenyth was holding their new child. "Chris, it's a girl!" Gwen whispered. Chris' face burst into a smile at the sight of his daughter.

"What shall we name her?"

"I personally think it should be something exotic, so that we can say that we're the only ones in the world with a daughter of that name."

Chris nodded. "Alright. What's your suggestion?"

Gwen shrugged, careful not to disturb the baby's slumber. "How about... Apple?"

Chris smiled. "Apple. Yes! I like that. We will name her Apple." The nurse smiled at the couple and told them that she'd be right back with the birth certificate.

Quietly, he walked over to his wife and child and peered over at the sleeping baby. "May I hold her, dear?"

Gwen sighed. "Take her, I'm exhausted," she said with a chuckle.

Chris smiled. "I'm sure you are. I wouldn't know, but I bet delivering a child is a lot of work!" He joked, taking the baby out of Gwen's arms.

She laughed. "You have no idea."

Throughout the day, everyone came to see the couple and their baby Apple. Gwenyth's parents arrived first, and as grandparents, they insisted on spoiling the baby, even though she wasn't even a day old yet.

"Mom, I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure that one-day-olds aren't supposed to eat chocolate!" Gwenyth said, laughing.

"Eh, let her have her fun," Chris replied, stealing a chocolate.

Chris' parents came next, followed by one of his sisters, who was constantly complaining about her boyfriend and how he wouldn't commit yet.

They all ignored her and played with Apple, who seemed to be a very happy baby.

After everyone else had left, the guys all came, straight out of the studio. "Hey Chris! Hey Gwen! We came as quickly as we could, but there was some technical issues this morning with Jonny's guitar, so we had to stay a bit later," said Phil, walking into the small hospital room with Jonny, Guy, and Will all in tow.

"It's alright. It's been quite a busy day for us, too," Chris replied, handing the baby over to Phil. He admired the child immensely, wishing to himself that he could have a child so beautiful.

"Alright, Phil, you can stop making goo-goo eyes at the baby and let me see her," Guy teased, making the entire room laugh. Phil passed the baby on to the Scottish man.

"What'd you name her?" Will asked.

"Apple. Apple Martin," Gwenyth announced proudly.

"You named your daughter after a fruit?" Guy asked, snickering a bit.

"Hey, you're talking to the same guy who wrote a song about bananas," Jonny said, laughing, referring to Yellow, which still, none of them understood the lyrics to.

"I'd like to see you do any better, Guy," Chris challenged playfully.

"If I had a daughter, I think I'd name her Nico," he replied, passing Apple over to Will.

"Nico!" Phil snorted.

"That's a boy name!" Will laughed, the baby now safely in his beefy arms.

Gwenyth huffed. "Apple is a good name."

"I like it, Gwen," Will reassured. Jonny and Phil nodded in agreement.

Guy rolled his eyes. "I was just teasing you, lass."

Everyone laughed and Will passed the baby to Jonny.

Chris tensed up. He was afraid of how Jonny would react to his daughter, as she was the reason that they had to break up. He didn't want Jon to hold any resentment towards his child whatsoever.

However, Jon seemed to melt at the gaze of little Apple, and he even gave her a kiss on the cheek before handing her back to Chris, making the singer relax.

"Well, it was nice visiting you, mates," Will said. "I've got to get back home to my own wife, but you two take it easy." Chris and Gwenyth nodded and waved as he left. Phil similarly left, as did Guy. Then, all that were left in the room was a sleeping Gwenyth, Chris, Jonny, and baby Apple. Jon took a seat next to Chris on a chair, and watched Apple look up at him and smile.

"I think she likes you, Jonny Boy," Chris whispered with a giggle.

Jonny returned his laugh. "Well, who could resist me?"

Chris smiled and met the guitarist's gaze. So badly, he wanted to kiss those soft lips, but Gwen could wake up at any second, and there was no way he was going to risk that.

Instead, he freed one of his hands, holding his daughter with only one arm, and grabbed Jonny's hand with the other. "How could anybody deny you?" He sang playfully, recalling the song he had written only two years ago, and for none other than the green-eyed guitarist.

Jonny grinned, then looked back down at the baby girl squirming in Chris' arm. "I think I'm in love with your daughter."

"Now, Jonny, you know the rules. No dating until she's 16!"

They laughed. Gwen groaned in her sleep and the boys hushed their voices. "You wanker! That's disgusting!"

They laughed again. Then, Jonny's face turned serious. "Chris, I think you were right about finding a wife and having a kid or two."

Secretly, Chris was torn. He didn't want Jonny to find someone that he loved more than Chris, but he did want him to experience the joy of a child. He hadn't been a father for very long yet, but he had enjoyed every second of it. "Do what your heart tells you, J."

Jonny nodded. "No one will ever compare to you, Chris, but I'm excited to start something as amazing as a family."

Chris smiled sadly. "Me too, J."

It was time to let Jonny go forever. He wanted a family, too. Chris couldn't keep that from him, even though he wanted Jonny to stay single until he decided to break up with Gwenyth. It wasn't fair, he knew, and that's why he had to give up Jonny.

"I don't know that I'm ready to give you up," he whispered honestly.

Jonny frowned and his eyes moved from Chris, to Gwenyth, to Apple, and back to Chris. "It seems you already have."

Chris sighed and squeezed Jonny's hand tighter. "I never break a promise," he whispered, and both their eyes filled up with tears.

"I love you, too, Chris." Jonny kissed Chris' and Apple's head, before walking out of the hospital.

And yet again, Chris was conflicted.