A Second Chance

Chapter 18

"Guys, I want to introduce you to Logan James Everett." I said softly, holding the tiny boy more securely in my arms.

"Aw, Lee! He's a mini you!" Omid laughed, cheering happily.

"Yeah. He's got Carley's eyes." I looked down at him. "When he's awake, that is."

"Ah, already like his old man?" Kenny laughed, making fun of my sleeping patterns.

"Shut up, man!" I joked, walking over to Clementine. "Do you want to come and see Carley?"

"Yeah!" She said, nodding eagerly and taking my offered hand. I gestured for the rest to follow us in a while and made my way back upstairs. I could tell that Clementine was nervous, eyeing Logan as if he was some sort of bomb. I smiled down at her, hoping to comfort her to his presence.

"Go ahead…" I said as we approached the closed door. She pushed it gently and smiled happily.

"Carley!" She shouted, running to her and hugging her. I chuckled at the woman's shocked expression.

"Hey, sweetheart!" She greeted back, kissing Clementine's forehead. I made my way in, sitting on the edge of the bed and holding my girlfriend's hand. "Sorry for scaring you earlier."

"It's okay. How are you feeling?" She asked as she let go of the woman.

"I feel better than I have in weeks." She responded happily, smiling at the small girl. She looked up at me, silently asking for my permission to ask her. I nodded, squeezing her hand gently. "Clem… You want to hold Logan?"

"Um…" She stammered nervously. She shuffled her feet, staring down at them intently. "I'll drop him…"

"No you won't. You'll be sat on here with me." Carley said softly, making Clem look a little more confident. She shuffled on the bed, coming to rest in between Carleys legs. When she got comfortable, I moved away, going to place the boy in her arms.

"Okay, sweet-pea. He might wriggle for a while but don't worry, he's just getting comfy." I assured as Carley helped get her arms into the right position. Getting the nod, I placed him into the nine-year-olds small arms.

"Woah…" She said, amazed by his being. I smiled, watching her giggle as he shifted. Carley kept her hands hovering beneath Clementines, in case her arms got tired or he shifted too far. She looked at the baby. "Hey… I'm your big sister…"

Carley smiled happily, hugging the girl from behind and smiling.

"Big sister Clementine. Sounds pretty cool, huh?" I laughed, stroking her hair softly. She looked up at me and grinned.

"Yeah. It sounds awesome." She agreed, giving the baby her finger. I laughed, seeing him grip it tightly and pop it into his tiny mouth.

A knock startled us all, making us turn to the door in confusion.

"I, uh… think that might be the others." I said, kissing Carley's forehead and opening the door. Everyone stood there, smiling at the scene before them.

"Hey Pal!" Kenny greeted, handing me a beer. "I hope we're not intruding."

"Of course not! Come in!" Carley insisted, smiling at them all ecstatically. They did as she asked, shuffling in and smiling at the trio in the bed.

"How're you feeling Carley?" Omid asked, hugging her and stroking Logan's hair.

"I feel amazing… you know… considering." She blushed, looking at the two children in her arms. I smiled, watching my family happily.

"He's perfect, you guys." Christa said softly, squeezing my arm as I took a sup of the amber liquid. I shrugged lightly, gesturing to the woman on the bed.

"He looks like his mom. That's nothing to do with me." I laughed, seeing Carley blush.

"Shush…" she muttered, a red tint to her cheeks. I smiled at her, taking another sup of beer. My face crinkled at the aftertaste.

"I know, buddy. It's all we could get though, and we wanted to wet this guy's head." Kenny apologised, gesturing to my son. Clementine's face contorted with confusion.

"Wet his head? What does that mean?" She asked softly, looking up at us.

"Um… it means…" I thought, trying to put it into simple terms. "Well, when a baby's born, the father and his friends have a drink to celebrate."

"Good explanation, professor." Carley joked, smiling at me. I mock-glared at her.

"Sorry we're not all reporters here." I laughed, earning a playful shove from Lilly. Ben just stared open mouthed at the baby, almost terrified to do anything. "You okay, Ben?"

"Yeah… I'm fine. It's just… I've never been good around kids." He replied, his voice cracking slightly. Suddenly, Logan started whimpering, making us all worry. Carley blushed once again.

"I… um… sorry, I think he's hungry." She muttered, gently taking him off Clementine, cradling him in her arms and rubbing his back gently.

"Okay, we'll leave you to sort that out, then…" Christa said, opening the door to allow everyone to leave. She clasped Clementine's hand and led her from the room. Soon, it was just the three of us once again, congratulations ringing fresh in our ears.

"You want me to leave?" I asked, hovering by the door. She looked at me in confusion, her face scrunching up.

"Come on, Lee. We've got a baby. It's not like you haven't seen me naked before." She laughed, adjusting her shirt. He had latched on before I knew it. Carley winced, stroking the boy's hair.

"Woah, slow down, buddy. You'll get stomach ache." I laughed watching him happily. I turned to Carley. "How's it feel?"

"It's weird." She replied simply, staring down at the baby in her arms.

"Good or bad?" I asked, pressing for an answer. Truthfully, I wanted to know every detail.

"Wonderful weird." She breathed. I took her hand in mine and intertwined our fingers without thinking. She was completely mesmerized by our son. I smiled proudly, hardly believing that he was here. She looked at me, her eyes filled with happiness. "I love you."

"I love you too." I replied, kissing her gently.

Twenty Minutes Later (No-one's POV)

"Just in the corner. Thanks Kenny." Carley said, opening the door to allow them through. Lee had found a Crib in the attic, obviously having belonged to the previous occupants. Him and Kenny got it down in no time. The two men huffed, lugging the piece of wood through the narrow door and putting it in the place indicated.

"No problem." He replied, patting her shoulder fondly and leaving. Lee stood awkwardly against the door frame, his hands in his pockets.

"Lee, you can go if you want. I need to get my bearings anyway. It's been a long day." She said quietly, holding her baby boy tightly. Seeing her boyfriend look at her sceptically, she continued. "I promise I'll be down in a while."

He left, still slightly suspicious. She stared at the bundle in her arms and put him in his crib. She sighed, allowing him to take one of her slender fingers in his pudgy hand.

"I wish I could tell you that you'd be loved; that you'd be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't a time for lies." She admitted, looking at him with as much love as she could. She continued after taking a few slow breaths. "What you are going to be, Logan, is very, very brave.

"You'll never be alone. I can promise that no matter what happens, I'll always be here. So will your daddy. You've got so many people who love you already and you're not even a day old." She spoke, feeling his grip slacken as he fell asleep. "I wish you'd have a normal childhood, not having to live with these monsters or the fear of going around a corner. But, I can tell that it's going to get better. You're the first sign of that.

"I love you so much already, baby boy. I can tell you're going to be like your daddy; your sleeping patterns for one thing. And in this cruel world, if anything were to ever happen to us, remember this.

"I'll always be there..."