Troy started panicking.
He locked his windows, his door, and he pulled Talon and Lyle into the living room and had them camp out on a blanket. He set the baby on the blanket with them, covered it up with blankets, and grabbed a phone.
He called the number for the hospital listed down on the DNA test.
Anxiously, he waited on the phone. The clock ticked, the hand seemed to take forever. He broke into a sweat.
His body was on overdrive.
A few rings, and nothing.
He dialed again.
More ticking.
More sweat.
Now shakes.
"Hi, this is Baton Rouge Community Hospital- "
"I have a DNA test here that says I'm the father of this baby that was dropped off at my house. There's a note and everything. I have no clue who this person is or why they dropped this baby off at my house. The person also said they would hurt my two kids if I tried to give this baby to someone else."
"Okay, okay, calm down, sir. You should have called 911."
"I don't have time for 911! I need to know if this kid is mine!"
"Let me transfer you to the genetics part of the facility- "
"JUST TELL ME- "
A happy, delighted song came on. It was like elevator music.
He looked over at Talon, Lyle, and the baby, who were all sleeping peacefully on the floor.
"This is Baton Rouge Community hospital, genetics center."
"I need to validate a DNA test." Troy said frantically. "Like… Right now."
"Okay, give me the ID- "
"No, I need to come and take a DNA test. I need results right now."
"I'm sorry but- "
"It's an emergency!" Troy said. "Please believe me! I can call my neighbor and borrow her car for tonight!"
"We can rush the test, but I don't know exactly how long it will take."
"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."
…..
Troy held Talon in his arms and the baby's carseat was on the floor in front of him while he waited at the genetics department of the hospital. He left Lyle with his neighbor for the night, but Talon threw a fit when he couldn't go with daddy. So of course, Troy took Talon.
The seat was cold and hard, and the clock seemed to tick very slowly. His heart beat matched the ticking of the clock. Although it was cold in the hospital, he was sweating bullets, thinking about how anything else could possibly go wrong. Talon was sleeping peacefully, like an angel, and the baby was sleeping soundly also. He couldn't find himself to believe the baby was his. Who in their right mind would think that a child that showed up on their doorstep was theirs?
A couple doctors walked by, and Troy began to wonder how long it would take the doctors to come up with an answer. He had already been there for three hours. The baby was due to wake up any time, and then he would end up getting attached, etc…
So he waited a long and endless journey to find out whether or not this doorstep baby was his.
Finally, the doctor stepped outside his office with a stack of papers in hand. He looked at Troy with a funny face.
"I think that's the quickest DNA test anyone has ever requested." He said and handed Troy the papers.
"Thank you!" Troy said and flipped through the papers.
His anxiety skyrocketed through the roof. He didn't know what to expect at all. He thought the world might as well end if the baby was his, because then he had three kids and a stalker.
Troy's life really sucked at the moment.
He almost dropped the papers. He looked down at the baby.
"This doesn't make any sense… "
Troy's kids consisted of the following:
A two year old boy, a three month old boy, and a 17 hour old girl.
This little girl he suddenly knew was special.
She was very, very special.
She was born on October 10th, 2010. 10/10/10. Born at 10 in the morning, 10 minutes after.
That was Gabriella's birthday.
He stared at the little girl in the carseat, astonished. She was a replica of Gabriella, without the dark hair. The cheeks, chin, fingers, toes, ears, eyes, everything was Gabriella.
Troy couldn't believe it. Was it reincarnation? Was it Gabriella's sign to tell Troy that she was okay? Was it just pure luck?
He didn't care how it happened. He knew that he now had a miniature Gabriella on his hands.
He knew she would grow up, acting like Gabriella, talking like Gabriella, learning like Gabriella, and being Gabriella.
He knew what Gabriella wanted to name their daughter.
Ainsley.
She had always talked about Ainsley, even before Talon was born. She wanted the baby to have the same initials as Troy, but he wanted to name the baby Leah.
Then, she wanted the baby to have the initials ARB. Already Really Beautiful, she would say. She was so naive back then, being only fifteen. She loved the world and wanted it to turn on a dime just for her. But, he also knew what she truly wanted to name their daughter. She had settled for Ainsley, since Troy's parents didn't like the name she chose.
Aubrey.
Aubrey Rae Bolton. ARB. Already Really Beautiful.
Thus, the little replica of Gabriella became Aubrey Rae Bolton, Gabriella's dream daughter.