A couple more months went by and the duo gradually accepted the fact that Rosanna may be stuck with them for a while. They were in their room, Pete on his laptop, Billy holding the baby while flicking through channels. It was a serene moment, it felt like they had more of those lately, since they moved to New York. He didn't want to ruin it, but White worked up the courage to ask a question that had been on his mind since the first day they found a baby on their doorstep.
"What if her family doesn't want her?"
Billy stopped looking through channels and turned to White, face solemn.
"How could you say that?"
White scratched his neck. "Well, people usually don't leave babies they want on other peoples doorstep."
"Of course Rosanna has a family that wants her!"
"Billy, they didn't give her a name. Rosanna is our name."
"Maybe they were pressed for time and they didn't write down her name because it was irrelevant? Ever think of that?"
"Why would they leave her with me without any warning or even a note explaining what happened? Why just write 'good luck!' And leave it at that? Face it Billy, they don't want her."
Billy seemed to get more and more upset every word White spoke. "She needs a home, White! We cant give up looking!"
"Doesn't she have one?"
Billy paused. "What?"
"Doesn't she have a home?" White repeated. "Doesn't she have parents? And grandparents? And a weird uncle with a huge bodyguard and two cousins?"
"White, she needs a real home, with a real family."
"She has one right here, pally. Look her in the eye and tell her you don't care."
Billy looked down at the baby by his side and watched her look at the tv with curiosity. She laughed when a dog appeared on screen and it melted his heart a bit. "White we cant keep her forever. We're not fit to be parents."
"Neither was Rusty but look at the boys!"
"They died like ten times!"
"Yeah but they're fine now!"
Billy pinched his nose. "Why do you want to be a dad, anyway?"
Pete looked away. "The note was left for me. I don't know who left it or why, I just know the universe is funny sometimes. Like how after we separated that first time, and I felt awful about everything and I sat outside in the middle of the day in my underwear hoping to either see you again or die. I sat out there for days, then boom! Brock dropped you off in a duffle bag. I didn't question it."
Billy sat in silence, considering the weight of his roommates words. His voice came out small when he tried to speak.
"What if someone is looking for her? What if her parents really did have to leave her with you out of necessity, and they're gonna come back to get her?"
"When they walk through that door and ask for her, I'll give her back. But until that day happens, shes ours, alright?"
Billy thought about giving the infant to someone, having to explain to his mom why her grandchild won't be around anymore. Having to get rid of all the baby items they got just for her, including the hand made crib Col Gentleman made. It sounded like a lot of work. A lot of heart breaking work. He looked down again at Rosanna only to see her big green eyes staring back at him.
"Alright, White. You win this one."
"Alright White, if we're keeping her we have to think about her future. I propose we start saving now so she can go to MIT."
White stopped drying off the dish Billy handed him. "What if she doesn't want to go to MIT?"
"Well what other college would you suggest?" Billy asked as he cleaned another dish.
"What if she doesn't want to go to college?"
"She will. She'll be a great scientist. Or engineer. Or something."
"What if shes more artistic? You ever think of that?"
"No."
"Well I do!" White set down his plate, no longer caring about doing dishes. "I think we should have her do singing lessons. And maybe dancing. Or acting. Or on second thought, I could teach her acting myself."
"No way. She needs a respectable career that wont blow up in her face."
"Tell that to Rusty."
"Rusty fails because he's... You know."
"Rusty?"
"Lazy." Billy corrected. "Rosanna will be hardworking."
"You think she'll be a genius?"
"She has us for parents. There's no way she wont be."
"If nothing else, she'll know more than enough pop culture references to go on Jeopardy."
"Ha, ha." Billy mocked. Despite himself, smiled down at the plate he was holding.
"What's it look like? What's it look like?" Hank rushed to the open door, dying to get a good look at the baby.
"Is it a mutant? Is it tiny? Is it a tiny dwarf baby? An albino tiny dwarf baby?" He asked, getting right in Whites face.
"Shes normal." Pete assured, bending backwards to be further away from Hank.
"Here, look." Billy held Rosanna out the same way the monkey held baby Simba in The Lion King in order for Hank to get a good view.
For his part, Hank slapped his leg and mumbled,"darn." But backed away to let his brother take a look.
"Oh, shes pretty!" Dean stuck out a finger which the baby happily grabbed. "Im glad you two decided to adopt!"
"We didn't..." White attempted to protest but thought better of it.
"What did you decide to call her?" Brock asked from the sofa. "Please don't tell me you went with Celine Dion."
"Its a perfectly acceptable name!" Doc came out holding a tray of homemade cocktails. He offered one to his guests and Brock, and refused to give one to Hank even though the boy asked nicely with a cherry on top.
"We went with Rosanna." Billy answered. The duo had moved to the couch, which had Brock on one end and a sulking Hank on the other.
"Rosanna... White?" Dean asked.
The two went blank for a moment. They had never considered a last name, because last names are something family have and until yesterday they were certainly not a family. That was how Billy saw it, anyway. White had simply never thought about it.
"You could go crazy with it and call her Quizboy." Doc said as he took a sip of some disgusting reddish-brown concoction.
"We never really discussed who's last name she would get." White admitted. "I came up with Rosanna by sheer luck."
"You should name her Rosanna Wayne!" Hank shouted.
"After batman?"
"Yeah!"
"No."
Hank sulked back onto the couch.
"You two should just give her both of your last names." Brock suggested. "You can do that,you know."
"Rosanna White-Whalen?" Billy asked.
"Rosanna Whalen-White sounds better." White suggested. "That, and if someone uses her full name and I hear part of it i'll stand around and wonder who's calling me if White is used first."
"Rosanna Whalen White gives you enough time to figure it out, huh?" Billy scratched his non-metal hand. "Well, it works for me."
"You guys should give her a couple of middle names." Doc suggested. "Give her teachers hell."
"Make em spend a few minutes calling her name out for awards and stuff." Brock joked as he took a drink of his doctail before sitting it down on the table.
"I think Rosanna Whalen-White is a very pretty name." Dean announced. "I cant wait until she gets older, she can go on adventures with us!"
"No fucking way." Billy and White answered in unison.