The Canary's Lullaby

Chapter Six

In the aftermath of the funeral, Oliver was but a hollow shell of the man he used to be. The man that Laurel shaped him into becoming once they learned they were expecting. He slept all day and ate poorly, despite the grocery being around the corner. When he felt like getting out of the apartment, he and Tommy met up for drinks. Upon paying for his final drink of the night, he handed the bartender his card.

"I'm sorry but its maxed out" the female bartender reported.

"What? That's impossible. I've only ever bought groceries and diapers with it so far" Oliver said, rubbing the temples of his forehead to keep the world from spinning. He then insisted that the bartender check it again.

"I'm sure it's just a mistake, man. But if not, I'll help you out" Tommy remarked, laying a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mr Queen. But the machine is telling me to confiscate your card. There is nothing more I can do. I wish there was" the bartender said upon returning two minutes later. Pinned against her plain black t-shirt was a golden name plate that read: Juliet.  

"Whatabeautifulname" Tommy said, slurring his words together. He looked up at the bartender and studied her features intently, however blurred his vision was at the time. Fiery red hair, piercing blue eyes and a galaxy of freckles across her cheeks. "I volunteer as your Romeo".

Juliet laughed uncomfortably and said nothing in response.

"Hey, at least you have a name. His baby at home don't even got one" Tommy added in a sing-song voice. 

"Thank you for that" Oliver said sarcastically as he helped an unsteady Tommy up from his chair and guided him toward the car. With the amount he'd had to drink tonight, the world would've thought that Tommy was the one running away from responsibility.

"We will find whoever maxed out your card and cut them off! I'll get your bow and arrows. Put those archery lessons to good use!" Tommy hollered, deafening Oliver in the process.

"Thanks, buddy. But I have a pretty good idea of who did this. Now I have to find a job. And quite possibly, a new best friend" Oliver replied as he propped Tommy's falling booze filled head against the window.

Throughout the remainder of the journey home, Tommy's last remarks about the baby's name replayed in Oliver's head. Haunting him almost as much as the news about Laurel. How could he name their daughter when he didn't even know her? They were supposed to figure that out together. At this point, the baby was nothing more than a stranger.

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Oliver rose reluctantly from the pull out couch as he was awakened by the glass shattering cries of his infant daughter. "Sara, the baby's awake" he groaned; hopeful that he could be absolved of his fatherly duties and get back to sleep. However, the cries continued and nobody answered. Rubbing the crusts out of his eyes, he stumbled through the door and into the bedroom; which was reserved for the baby and Sara when she stayed over occasionally.

As his vision cleared and with a baseball bat in hand, Oliver grew paranoid at the sight of a brunette standing over the bassinet, ready to retrieve the baby. Upon doing so without turning to face Oliver, the brunette began to sing Reba McEntire's Angel's Lullaby. Immediately, Oliver recognized the voice and set the bat down.

"Laurel?" he asked. His heart skipped a beat and he was gravely confused as to how this could've been possible.

"She's beautiful, Ollie" Laurel sighed in amazement, not taking her eyes off the infant in her arms.

"What are you doing here? How are you here?" he asked as his brows furrowed with confusion, studying the details of Laurel's face as if he'd never seen her before.