Baby Mine

***This is dedicated to the late, beloved actor Luke Perry. He will be my Dylan forever and ever!***

I told Gina that I absolutely did not, under any circumstances, want to hold this baby, but Gina - being Gina - stubbornly presses her into my arms anyway. The moment I hold that six pound little thing to my chest, I'm a goner. I am completely sprung. I was afraid this would happen.

She has big brown eyes and a little tuft of dark hair. I can't resist kissing her doughy cheek. It's impossibly soft, smooth, and warm. She's all pink and wrinkly and yet she's ... perfect. Perfect. Yes, that's the word.

I want to protect her, fight for her, be there for her the way my parents never knew how to be for me. I love this kid already. I can't disappoint her.

I look at her mother. Gina's not wearing any makeup and a thin sheen of sweat shines on her face. She looks exhausted but she did good. Better than me, that's for sure. The whole time I was in that delivery room, all I wanted to do was do what I do best - run - but there was this voice in my head holding me back; telling me to stop; to man up already. It sounded a lot like Brandon Walsh, actually.

Maybe I'll ask Brandon to be the godfather of this little kid. Assuming Gina will allow that. She was really reluctant initially to tell me about the baby; even left the state for a while to avoid it. I had no idea our last sexcapade got her pregnant - not until she turned on up on my doorstep in the rain one night, crying her eyes out and blaming me for everything. I'm not even mad about it. I was a shitty excuse for a boyfriend and she probably thinks I'll be a shitty excuse for a father. I don't have the best track record to be honest, but I swear I am going to do everything I can to give this baby the life she so richly deserves.

"What're we going to call her?" I ask Gina.

She smiles softly, reaches out to trace the curve of the baby's little foot. The baby's tiny toes wiggle in response. "I had two names in mind, actually. Lucy or Ella but looking at her now, she's definitely a -"

"Lucy?"

"You see it too, huh?"

"Yes, yes, definitely."

I rock the baby back and forth gently, holding her neck and head as carefully as I can mange. I don't exactly have a ton of experience with infants. I've held maybe two of them in my whole lifetime. I don't want to fuck this up the way I have so many other things.

"Am I doing this right?" I ask Gina.

She nods. "Yes, you are... I am actually glad you're here."

"Me too," I answer, and surprisingly, I'm telling the truth. I touch the baby's little forehead. "Welcome to the world, Lucy McKay."

Gina shakes her head. "Um excuse me? That's Lucy Kincaid to you. I pushed out this little cantaloupe. If anyone has the right to name her, it's the person who was in labor with her for over thirty-two hours."

"Gina, come on. You're not seriously going to argue with me right now, of all times?"

Gina shrugs. "Fine. Maybe we'll just call her 'Lucy' then. She won't have a last name at all - like Madonna or Cher don't."

I roll my eyes at her. Gina's so frustrating. Seriously, no one has ever worked every never inside of me the way she does. She's so beautiful though... and she challenges me - the way I think; the way I operate. She's pretty good for me. Maybe we'll end up together someday. Not now - not when I'm still kind of seeing Kelly - but someday. Deep down, I know Kelly and I aren't built to last. I think I always knew that.

"Okay," I finally relent. "We'll call her whatever you want. I just don't want her to hear us arguing."

Gina sighs loudly. "That was mature of you. Who do you have to be so darn agreeable right now?" She asks. "It makes it hard to be rude to you."

I just chuckle. That's another thing Gina does - she makes me laugh. I can cut loose with her; be myself. She's seen me at my ugliest and yet she doesn't judge me.

Gina surprises me by saying, "Okay, okay. Maybe we can compromise."

"We're not very good at compromising, Gina. It was always been all or nothing for the two of us."

"Well, let's try anyway? We have to attempt to get along - if only for our daughter's sake."

"Agreed." Gina's already a good mother. I want to tell her that, but I can't find the right words just yet. They stick in my throat.

"We'll call her Lucy Kincaid-McKay."

"That's a mouthful," I say. "I like it."

I look at the infant; stroke her little chin. "Lucy Kincaid-McKay, I promise you something. I am gonna be there for you, okay? I am going to take care of you. And no matter what, I'm not going to leave you. Being a father scares the crap out of me, but I want to do right by you. I will do right by you."

I look at Gina. "And your mom," I add quietly. She smiles. Her eyes even glisten a little.

"You're my girl, Lucy," I continue. "I won't let you down because you're the best thing I've ever done."

THE END.