Prologue
What was she going to do? This hadn't been the plan. She had never agreed to this. She figured it would be as easy as her last encounter with this. The parents had paid for the hospital bills and her, then taken their little girl excitedly. She'd been the only one left a bit upset. She really hadn't got to hold the little girl that held her genes that she was technically the mother of. That child would never have a mother, seeing as she was hired by two men.
But this child? She wasn't sure if she was ready to take care of him. Not even for the day that it would take to put him up for adoption. The plan had been that she'd do this one more time for money to pay for an apartment in New York. The parents hired her, the sperm was implanted, and she was pregnant. That was how it was supposed to go. And then they broke their contract five months in. Much too late for her to abort, not that she thought she had the heart to do so. Who was she to decide if this child lived? He wasn't even meant to be hers.
Here she lay, in the hospital, staring at the small boy in her arms. Her eyes hadn't moved from his in the hour since he'd been born. His skin was pale mainly from being in such a dark place for nine months. His lips were so small and pink, his button nose just a little bit above that. His black hair was smooth and laid flat on his head, combed forward. His eyes stared back at her, the same green-tinged golden brown. Looking into those eyes, she had to wonder how she would ever give him up.
Then she remembered the little girl from the year before. How she had missed that child once she'd been taken from her. Would she feel the same once this boy was gone? She was certainly more attached to him, seeing as she'd spent much more time with him.
One of his arms was freed from the blue blanket he was swaddled in. His tiny hand was wrapped around her finger, not willing to let go. His eyes occasionally moved to the finger he was gripping.
"How is the new mother?" her doctor asked, sauntering in. His clipboard was digging softly into his chest. His pen was in his hand, ready to jot down notes.
"I'm fine," Shelby answered, still looking at the baby in her arms. He still had no name.
The doctor took notes on her vitals before looking over at her and the newborn. He smiled.
"Decided what to do?" he asked. He'd been her doctor for months and knew about her predicament. He wrote something else down on the clipboard.
Shelby continued looking down at the small boy. As much as she wanted to get out of this place, she didn't have the heart to give up this child while not knowing where he'd end up. The child she'd given up a year ago had two fathers who would love and care for her. Shelby had witnessed this. But this boy? Who knew how long he'd be in the system? Would he even find parents? She didn't want his future on her conscience. Besides, he was so damn cute.
"I'm keeping him," she told the doctor. He smiled, bringing his clipboard to his side.
"I'll get the paperwork," he said.
Shelby sighed as he left her hospital room. Now the question was what to name him. She hadn't had to think about this for the past nine months. She had figured she'd pass him off and go about her business.
"How do you feel about Henry?" the new mother asked. The child didn't respond. He simply continued to hold her finger. "No? Okay, um… Paul?" Once again, the baby didn't respond. Shelby chuckled. "Why am I asking you? Um, Robert?" The child's lips turned up a bit in what looked like a smile. Shelby smiled at his response. "Oh, you like that? Robert. Robbie. That's cute. How about Lucas?" The smile remained on the boy's lips. "Robert Lucas Corcoran."
OOC: So, how are we feeling? Should I leave it at this?