Let's go in the garden
Where something is waiting
Right there where you left it
Lying upside-down.
Max took a deep breath as he heard the sound of his daughter crying. As always, he glanced at the empty side of the bed and felt the pit in his stomach. Nikki wasn't there. She should've been there, but she wasn't.
The young father got up and headed into the nursery where Lovetta was wailing and kicking her legs.
"C'mon, Vet. You gonna let me sleep through the night once?"
She replied by crying more. He sighed and lifted her out of her crib, cradling her in his arms. The little girl hiccupped as her cries subsided and she clutched Max's shirt, sniffling. She was four months old now, a strong and healthy baby that her mother would've been proud of.
Four months.
Four months since Nikki had been with them.
You have a healthy baby girl, Mr. Greene, but your wife hasn't woken up yet.
She's in a coma. We don't know when she'll wake up.
Staying here and not taking care of yourself isn't going to make her wake up sooner!
Max… you wanted to be better than your parents. This isn't going to do that.
Nikki needs me.
Your daughter needs you more.
'Lovetta'. His little wolf girl. Nikki had insisted they give their child a name that meant wolf.
Given how quickly she downed the bottles of formula he fed her, that was a good name.
"What do you want, Vet?" he sighed. She started crying and he brought her downstairs, figuring she was hungry.
Being a parent was tougher than he'd thought it be. Of course, he'd thought he'd have Nikki there with him and he wouldn't be raising a little girl on his own while his wife was in a coma. But then again, in life, things never went as expected. His entire life—nothing about it was normal. He'd been neglected by his parents until a social worker yanked him out at the age of ten, then he'd been adopted by his camp counselors. He'd married the first girl he'd ever fallen in love with and gotten her pregnant three months before the wedding. Now that baby was the only thing in his life that made it worth living.
As Lovetta drank the formula, she tried to focus her eyes on Max. He felt his heart sink and rise as he remembered that his daughter had Nikki's eyes. She was the perfect mix of her parents and it hurt that Nikki couldn't see it.
When you finally find it
You'll see how it's faded
The underside is lighter
When you turn it around.
"Mr. Greene?"
Max looked up, dark circles under his eyes as he gave the doctor a hopeful expression.
"How are they?"
"The surgery was a success. You have a healthy baby girl, Mr. Greene." Max breathed a sigh of relief. "But your wife hasn't woken up yet."
He felt his heart pounding.
"Y-you're joking, aren't you? This is a prank. She put you up to it."
"I wish it was a prank. She's in a coma. We don't know when she'll wake up."
The world tilted as Max dropped to his knees, not wanting to believe it.
His Nikki. His strong, beautiful wife who'd been so excited to be a mother… was in a coma because of childbirth. The baby had hurt her so badly that she couldn't wake up.
"Mr. Greene… do you want to see your daughter?" Max shook his head. "Is… is there any other family we can contact?"
"Her parents. And her stepbrother. They need to know. And mine."
As if on cue, David and Gwen came into the waiting room, Neil right behind them.
"Max, what's wrong?" Gwen asked, kneeling beside him.
"Your daughter-in-law had to have a C-section done as a result of complications," the doctor told her. "She's now in a coma, but the baby is fine. A healthy baby girl."
"Where's Nikki's room?" Max asked, his voice hoarse.
"Room 419." He staggered to his feet and started down the hall before David gripped his arm.
"Max, what about the baby?"
"Nikki's more important right now."
David could hear the pain in his adopted son's voice and knew that Max was hurting. He knew Max would never say it out loud, but he blamed the baby for Nikki's current condition. Right now, Max needed to be near Nikki and not the baby. He went down the hall to the room where Nikki was, and David turned back to Neil and Gwen.
"He's in pain," he remarked. "He won't admit it, but I know he blames the baby for this."
"I'm not surprised," Neil replied. "I would too, if I were in his position. At least she's alive."
"Do you want to see her?" the doctor inquired.
For a week, Max avoided seeing his daughter. David and Gwen ended up taking her home—Max and Nikki's home, obviously—and taking care of her. She didn't even have a name and David and Gwen refused to take that right away from Max. He stayed at the hospital, spending almost all his time in Nikki's room. Neil stopped by every day to make sure his friend was still alive, but he was beginning to lose patience.
Max was going to miss out on his daughter's life if he didn't shape up.
"Max."
There was no response from the curly-haired man.
"Max, look at me," Neil demanded. Annoyed, Max looked up and was met with a backhand to the face.
"What the hell, Neil?!" he yelped, remembering to quiet his voice since they were in a hospital.
"It's been a week, Max. Nikki isn't going anywhere. You don't need to be here all the time!"
"Fuck that! I'm staying here!"
"Staying here and not taking care of yourself isn't going to make her wake up sooner!"
Neil's words hung in the air for a moment as David and Gwen appeared in the doorway, Max's daughter swaddled in Gwen's arms.
"Max… you told me something after we found out Nikki was pregnant," David stated, crossing the room and putting a hand on his shoulder. "You told me you wanted to be better than your parents. This… this isn't better. This isn't going to make you a better parent."
"Nikki needs me," he whispered.
"Your daughter needs you more."
Max realized that they were right.
You're worse than your parents. At least they took care of you until you were a toddler.
You're abandoning her at birth.
"I can't… I can't do this without Nikki."
"You're not going to," Gwen stated bluntly. "You two weren't going to do this on your own, anyway. You've got us."
His throat tightened as he noted the bundle in Gwen's arms.
Hold your daughter.
Be there for her.
Be a father.
"Can I hold her?"
Gwen shifted the swaddled newborn into Max's arms and he looked at his daughter for the first time.
She had his skin-tone—that was the first thing he noticed. Her hair was curled against her head, a dark green color that was a mix of his and Nikki's. She had a tiny button nose that was definitely her mother's, and her eyes were the same magenta color.
This little girl, this precious piece of his wife, was what he'd been blaming and avoiding for a week. He felt his eyes well up and a lump form in the back of his throat.
He was going to be better.
"Hey," he croaked. "I'm your dad. It's… it's great to see you."
"So, is she finally going to have a name, or do I keep calling her Little Shit Junior?" Gwen joked half-heartedly.
"Lovetta Mae."
"Excuse me?"
"Lovetta Mae. That's her name. Our little wolf girl."
"O…kay. Was that on your list?"
"It was on Nikki's, and it was the girl name she liked best." Max had a sad smile. "If Nikki can't name her, this is the best I can do."
"Well, then," David chuckled. "Welcome to the family, Lovetta Mae."
Everything stays
Right where you left it
Everything stays
But it still changes.
As the sun streamed through the living-room window, Max opened his eyes. He'd fallen asleep on the couch with Lovetta on his chest, snuggled up. She had the same peaceful look Nikki did when she'd gotten a good night's sleep.
"Morning, Vet," he told her. She shifted and opened her eyes. "You want breakfast?"
She wriggled in reply and he carried her into the kitchen, where he set her in her high chair and started her bottle. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked around the kitchen, also getting his own breakfast ready.
"Your mom liked watching me cook, too," he chuckled. "Of course, for her, it was because she didn't have to. For you, it's so you know when it's time to eat."
Lovetta let out a string of baby-talk that sounded like the infant version of cursing. Max laughed; she really was his daughter, wasn't she?
"Good morning!"
Max glanced up from mixing Lovetta's formula to see David and Gwen.
"Morning," he greeted them. Lovetta babbled from her high-chair.
"Hi, Lovetta!" David said to his granddaughter.
"Don't pick her up; she hasn't had breakfast yet."
"Oh, I can see that. I'll let you do what you need to do." David tickled her and she giggled.
"Anything we need to know?" Gwen asked.
"Not really. Nothing's changed since yesterday. I'm going to give her a bottle and get ready for work."
"Why don't I take care of that so you're not late like you are every day?"
"Ha, ha. She's my damn daughter, Gwen."
"And you need to make money to support her. You save on babysitting thanks to us, but you aren't going to be able to save what you don't make."
"Dammit." Max ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. You're right."
"Go on up and get ready. Then you can say goodbye."
Max smirked and headed upstairs. After a quick shower, he got dressed for work. He was just putting on his jacket when his phone went off.
It was the hospital.
His stomach dropped as every possible scenario for Nikki began running through his head and he hit 'Accept Call'.
"Hello?" he said, his voice shaking.
"Hello. Am I speaking to Maximillian Greene?" the woman on the other end replied.
"This is him."
"I'm calling regarding the condition of your wife—Nicolette."
"I… I figured that would be the case."
"It would be easier if you could come down to the hospital with your family. That way we can deliver the news all at once."
"Okay. We'll be there in twenty minutes."
He hung up and headed downstairs.
"We're going to the hospital," he announced, taking Lovetta out of her high chair.
"What?! Why?!" David gasped.
"I just got a call. They want to talk to us about Nikki's condition."
"Oh, Max… I'm so sorry," Gwen sighed.
"I knew it was possible the moment they told me what happened. It's time to face it like a grown-up."
They drove to the hospital and headed to the desk, where Max tapped the wood to get the nurse's attention.
"We're here about Nicolette Greene?" he stated.
"Room 419. Go on in."
That was… odd.
She's still in her room?
Max headed down the hall, carrying Lovetta with him as he went. He opened the door and saw Nikki lying in the hospital bed, awake and alive!
"Nikki!" he sighed in relief.
"Hey, Maxie-Pad," she greeted him with a giggle.
"How are you feeling?"
"Oddly enough, I'm exhausted." Her eyes landed on the little girl in his arms. "Oh my God, is this…?"
"Our daughter. Lovetta Mae."
"Oh, I love that name!" Nikki tilted the bed up so she was sitting instead of lying down. "Can I hold her?"
"Of course." He shifted the baby into her arms and Lovetta stared at her mother in confusion.
"The doctors said it's been four months. How have you been dealing with it?"
"As best I can. I had David, Gwen, and Neil helping me out."
"Well, as soon as they clear me to go home, I'll be there, too." She rocked her daughter back and forth. "You'll have a mommy and a daddy."
"Oh, shit, she's awake!" Gwen gasped. "We thought she died!"
"Nice to see you too, Gwen. Thanks for helping Max out."
"He needed the help and it was an excuse to see our granddaughter."
"Nikki!" David rushed into the room and gave her a hug. Lovetta let out a cry of annoyance at the action. "You're here! You're awake and alive!"
"Yeah, and I'm not leaving again until it's my time to move on—hopefully after Lovey gets married."
"The fuck are you talking about? Our little girl isn't going anywhere until I'm dead," Max stated. Nikki laughed. "No, I'm serious—anybody who wants to date her has to prove themselves."
"Not even a year old and she has you wrapped around her finger. That's adorable."
Max rolled his eyes but gave his wife a quick kiss.
Their family was back together.
Ever so slightly
Daily and nightly
In little ways
When everything stays.
*wipes tears*
I'm sorry for this emotional roller-coaster of a story. I heard the song yesterday and this idea wouldn't let go of me.
The song is 'Everything Stays'. It's from the Adventure Time miniseries, 'Stakes', and was written by Rebecca Sugar. You may know her as the lady who created Steven Universe, but she worked on Adventure Time first. The song is also performed by Rebecca and Olivia Olson, the voice of Marceline. Just look up the song on YouTube and give it a listen. It's beautiful. Oh, and I guess this story could also be considered my farewell to Adventure Time, since the series finale aired on September 3.
Anyway, I don't tend to write things like this very often—mostly because it's emotionally manipulative and I don't like to kill off characters. I still didn't in this story, but if you want to, you have my permission to rewrite the ending. Just please give me credit!
I chose to name their daughter Lovetta for two reasons: one, it's a pretty name, and two, it means 'wolf child'. Nikki would totally name her daughter 'wolf child'.
So long and thanks for all the fish!