guarding my angel || "guardian angel" sequel

34

**Bailey's POV**

"So you really gave her his last name, even after everything that happened?" Victoria says.

"Yeah, he's been so helpful with money these last few months, and I figured since he'd be a part of her life and all, it was only fair," I reply, cradling Charlotte in one of the chairs in Victoria's room. I decided to help her pack up her things, since I was discharged a few days ago.

Our conversation is interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Before either of us can get it, a nurse comes in with Bryce, ready to go home.

"Someone has been missing his mommy," she says in a sweet tone, passing the baby to Victoria, who is now sitting in her discharge wheelchair.

"You're still coming by the house later, right?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I just want to go home and figure a few things out first," she replies. 

"Don't be surprised if you see Johnny, he's been staying with me since he got out of the hospital," I say, hoping to come off as supportive rather than bitchy. She smiles and hugs me briefly before getting wheeled off to finish her paperwork.

When I reach the lobby, I run into Rachel. I can't quite identify the look on her face, but it isn't one I like.

"Will he be okay?" she asks me when she sees me.

"He went home yesterday, and is doing really well," I tell her. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not sure if you heard, but he broke up with me a few days ago, so I didn't really know where else to look," she says sadly. "I just needed to know if he was okay."

"Yeah, he is. He's doing very well, considering the circumstances," I reply, completely shocked that Johnny hadn't mentioned something yet.

"She had the baby, didn't she?" Rachel asks. I nod.

"It's just, I never wanted to break up a family, and I know I didn't innitially break up the family, but I'm keeping the family apart. I guess that's probably why he broke up with me." She laughs and wipes under her eyes. "Will you just tell Johnny that I'm sorry, and that I had a great time with him?" she says, obviously not feeling good about what she's saying.

"Of course," I say, and pull her into a hug. "We'll all miss you."

"I'll miss you too. Will you tell the gang that I'll miss them?" she asks.

"Of course," I tell her. Rachel smiles and strokes Charlotte's head.

"She's already perfect," she says, tears in her eyes. I hug her one last time before she waves and leaves the hospital, leaving all of our lives simultaneously. 

**Victoria's POV**

Being home alone with the baby proved harder than I ever could've imagined. I wanted a shower, I wanted a home cooked meal, I wanted to rest; what the baby wanted that caused him to incessantly scream, I couldn't tell you.

After hours of wailing cries and reaching the brink of my sanity, I hear a knock at the door.

With the baby flailing in my left arm, I open the door to the apartment and find Johnny.

And for whatever reason on God's green Earth, the baby stops crying almost instantly.

"Hi," he says quietly. "My assumption that you could use some extra hands seems more than accurate."

I smile with so much gratitude that I'm nearly brought to tears, and throw my empty arm around him without hesitation. Something, in that moment, feels utterly complete, with my arms around the two boys who mean the absolute most to me.