Russell "dadler" Adler and Roxanne "rocky" Adler.
The number was unfamiliar.
Usually he let those ring it out. He did not care.
This time his gut did not allow him to.
His hand moved before his brain could finish forming the thought, putting the receiver to his ear.
"I don't have a child. Who is this?"
The name—exactly nine months with the woman he had a week of fun with.
It did not mean anything.
A baby did not fit her lifestyle. She did not want a baby.
The girl didn't talk much about her life. What she was running from.
Russell never tried to get answers. She wasn't going to give them.
After retirement, Russell did not think he would have to come back to Washington.
Now he had to book a flight.
Didn't matter the cost, he had the money.
It didn't matter the time, he had a lot of that now.
Five hours spent traveling.
Every minute felt like an eternity.
When he arrived at the hospital,he stopped before entering.
What if he was a bad father? Give the baby trauma that he has?
He didn't even know the gender of his baby.
"Damn," he rubbed his face.
Russell has a cold heart, a monster too.
This was an innocent life he made.
His baby didn't ask to be here.
He pointed at the incubator that held his supposed daughter.
His hand looked bigger than her.
The nurse who was watching the newborn answered him.
"She was born early. Didn't cry when she was born. We had to give her oxygen. She is fine now."
He mostly ignored what the young nurse said. All he wanted to hear was that she was fine.
He expected that to happen.
He had asthma when he was young.
Seems like his baby might have the same.
"I need a paternity test. Can I get that right now?" That's all he wanted.
He did not want to get attached to another man's child. That would not happen to him.
A day and night he was there for Roxanne.
That's what he named her, with Frank's help. Who made a comment jokingly nicknaming her "Rocky."
He came back to the room, coffee in his hands, his sleeves rolled up even with cold, windy weather outside.
"Do you want to hold her?"
Everything felt like it froze.
Hold her? Russell hadn't thought about it since he thought she was weak.
Too vulnerable to even touch.
He dropped his brand-new coffee in the trash. It was disgusting anyway.
Scrubbing his hands with soap, he couldn't believe how much he had to wash his hands to handle this fragile life.
The nurse helped him place Roxanne to his chest. His whole hand was able to hold her.
A whimper left her little lips, like she wasn't used to the new body heat.
It sounded weak in his ears, like she had to force the small squeak from her body.
"Don't cry. Sssh." His voice was rough, but quieter than he usually is.
He rocked his body slightly to soothe her.
It didn't feel right in his hands.
She was light, like she didn't weigh anything. His Desert Eagle weighed more than her.
Her small head rested on his collarbone. Small little hands grabbing at the hairs on his chest.
"Don't pull. I don't need a free wax session." He commented, but he made no move to pull her small hand away.
The thought of giving her away left his mind. "It's okay, I'll take you home soon." He whispered to the newborn, who gave him another squeak, like she was finally saying, "finally."
"Did he check the paternity test, Frank?"
Frank was smoking a cigarette that Rocky had sneaked to him.
He didn't know how she managed to pass a pack of smokes without David noticing.
Not that Frank would ever complain or ask.
"No," Frank answered. "We could tell you were his. Russell got attached to you anyway."
Russell hid whatever he was feeling deep inside, but his daughter was his pride and joy.
"The bastard burnt the letter like it was a damn mistake."
Frank tried to make Russell read it.
Stubborn bastard refused.
It was like he was sure that Rocky was his.
