Justin stopped, his hand reaching out to grab Ivy's arm. She glanced up at him, startled at the fear etched across his face. She put her hand on his, smiling at him when he looked at her and, looking toward his door again, began to move forward.
The blankets moved again, slighting sliding to the side. A tiny, pink foot stuck up from underneath and Ivy's eyes widened. It was a baby. She rushed to the carrier, kneeling in front of it and pulling back the layers of blankets.
Ivy gasped as looked into a pair of bright blue eyes.... eyes that were somehow...familiar. The baby gazed up at her, then it's lips turned up, revealing a broad, toothless grin. Though still confused, Ivy couldn't help but smile back at the cherubic face.
"What is it?" Justin's voice was full of disgust, making Ivy glare up at him.
"Do you ask dumb questions to annoy me," Ivy said, "or are you just really that stupid?"
Justin glared back at her, his lips tightening into a thin slash across his face. The baby, sensing the tension, began to whimper and Ivy turned back to it, talking in what she hoped was a soothing voice. The baby wasn't having any of it though and screwed up it's face, prepared to let loose.
"Justin..."
"What?" he mumbled, still pissed.
"Sing."
"What...now?" He looked at her as if she'd grown a second head, but Ivy knew that if they didn't do something soon, they were going to have a very pissed off baby on their hands. She nodded quickly, looking to him for help, but he just stood there.
"C'mon, Justin, please..." She pleaded. "Sing something...anything. Unless you want everyone to hear the crying and come out to investigate."
"Shit," he muttered. Justin wracked his brain, trying to think of something that might calm the baby down. He bit his lip, chewing on it thoughtfully as Ivy talked to the baby. Just as she turned to him again, his eyes lit up. Squatting down, he softly began to sing.
"Oh blue eyes, close in slumber; O birdie in your nest, sing to my little darling a pretty song of rest." His voice was so soft, so sweet, that Ivy just stared at him, mouth agape. The baby gazed up at Justin in wonderment. Justin kept singing, holding both of them captive.
"O wind among the lilacs, soft through the window creep, and with your soothing music, lull baby off to sleep." The baby watched him intently as Justin went from singing to humming the light melody. His eyes met Ivy's and he actually blushed. She smiled at him then turned back to the baby.
"I think it worked," she said quietly. "Where'd you learn that?"
Justin let the melody fade and glanced down at Ivy, almost shyly. He watched as she picked up the baby carrier, cooing softly at the now smiling baby. "My mom used to sing it to me when I was little. It's the only lullaby that I can really remember."
"It was really nice, Justin."
Justin ducked his head a little, and then dug his keycard for his room out of his pocket. He unlocked the door and opened it, standing to the side to let Ivy through. She walked inside and set the baby carrier down on the bed. Justin followed slowly, his gaze never leaving the baby.
"Where do you suppose it came from?" Justin looked at the baby curiously and Ivy shrugged, her hands reaching for the buckle on the carrier.
"I don't have any idea, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually." Ivy unbuckled the baby and proceeded to lift it gently out of the carrier, smiling at the pleased gurgle that came from the baby. She settled the baby in her lap, talking to it softly.
Justin sat on the bed and gingerly moved the blankets out of the carrier. He touched the items as if they were diseased and Ivy shook her head, watching him. When he picked up the final blanket, there was an envelope underneath with his name across the front in small, looping scrawl.
Justin stared at the envelope, his hand still holding the blanket up in the air. Ivy rubbed her hand over the baby's back, her attention drawn to Justin's face. A mixture of confusion and surprise and something else flashed there before a mask of indifference settled over it.
"It's not going to bite you."
Justin jumped, dropping the yellow blanket and looked at Ivy. "Why does it have my name on it?"
"Maybe because it's for you...." Ivy was starting to get irritated again. Justin wanted answers and she had a feeling that the envelope held them. Bouncing the baby a little, she nodded toward the carrier. "Open it, Justin."
"I don't want to." His voice was quiet...scared. Ivy shifted the baby to her other arm and reached out, picking up the envelope. She thrust it at him, giving him a look that he knew meant business. Justin picked up the envelope carefully, turning it over in his hands.
"Open it." Ivy's voice was firm, but soft.
Justin cringed a little and inhaled deeply, blowing out a long breath. His hands were shaky as they tore at the smooth, white envelope. He pulled a single sheet of paper out and unfolded it, the envelope laying forgotten beside him.
Ivy rubbed a hand over the baby's back, watching Justin. As he read the note, his grip on the paper tightened, his knuckles turning white. It was the only way that Ivy could tell that he was upset. His face remained passive...another mask in place.
When he finished reading, he stood up quickly, the paper fluttering from his hands to land softly on the bed. He strode over to the window, staring silently at the city below them. Unable to stop herself, Ivy reached out, picked up the paper and turned it so she could read the same loopy script that they'd seen on the envelope.
Justin,
I know you don't remember me. I don't expect you to, but you are going to know
about me, whether you want to or not. You're probably wondering why you've
found a baby in front of your door. His name is Tyler Andrew and he's 5
months old. I don't have anything to give you for him. I can't even give him
anything myself. That's why I have brought him to you. I never wanted to,
but I have come to realize it's in his best interest. You are his father,whether
you believe it or not and I know you'll give him the kind of life that I never could.
I don't want anything from you except for you to take care of our son.
Please Justin, you're all he has left. I can't give him what he needs. I hope that
you'll find it in your heart to take care of him and maybe even one day love him.
Trisha Michaels
When Ivy finished, she blinked, started over and read it again. Justin was still staring out the window, hands shoved deep in his pockets, forehead resting against the cool glass. Ivy looked up at him after she'd read it a third time. The baby was curled against her, finally asleep and Ivy placed him gently back in his carrier, tucking a blanket around him.
She pushed herself up off the bed and made her slowly to Justin, for once not knowing what to say. She tentatively placed a hand on his arm and he cringed, his breath coming out in a long hard puff. Ivy opened her mouth to say something and closed it again. What could she possibly say to make this better?
"What am I going to do?" Justin's voice was hoarse, choking out the words. Ivy looked up to find him gazing at her, his eyes red, his face pulled tight with fear.
"Is the baby yours?" Ivy asked cautiously.
"I don't know..." Justin said so softly, she wasn't sure he'd spoken at all. "I've always been careful.... always. How could this happen?"
He looked at her, his eyes pleading for understanding and Ivy actually felt sorry for him. Sometimes things happened though and she knew that this one little mishap might just cost him more than he realized. She still wasn't completely convinced that the baby sleeping across the room was his, but.... there was something in the golden hair, the big, clear blue eyes and the wide, generous smile that told her he just might be.
"I don't know Justin," she told him. "But we'll find out. Until then, we've got a baby over there to think about and take care of. He's the innocent in this and until we find out if it's true, we need to focus on him."
"I don't want this," Justin ground out. His body tensed and Ivy knew that he was wound tight, ready to burst. "I didn't ask for this."
"Yeah.... well.... neither did he." Ivy glanced back at the sleeping baby and looked at Justin, her mind racing. "We'll figure something out.... you�ll see. It'll be alright."
"How..." he snorted, "how is this going to be alright?"
"I don't know," Ivy told him honestly, her brows furrowing as she walked back over to the bed, picking up the note again. "I just don't know."