Chapter 1
Connor
Who is the fuck pounding on my morning? I had another half an hour of sleep and after the late night I had been trying to catch up on the TV show, I've been watching with my best friend, Maddie. I really could have used that extra thirty minutes of sleep.
As I try to make my way to the door, I'm barely awake and trip over the coffee table letting, out a small curse before finally reaching the door. Pulling it open, I just about have a small heart attack.
I expected to find maybe a neighbor needing some help, or even someone trying to sell me something but no. What I find is a tiny baby in a car seat sitting on my doorstep with a diaper bag next to it and a letter sitting on top.
Looking up and down the hall of my apartment, there's not a soul in sight. Thankfully, the baby is sleeping at the moment, so I bring her or him in and open up the letter. If there's any clue to who this little human being belongs to, I’m hoping I’ll find it.
Before I can fully comprehend it, I have to read the letter three times. This baby is mine. Her mother is the one and only one-night stand I had in my entire life. I barely remember that night. After getting missing Maddie so much, I got drunk. The only thing I remember is some woman sneaking out of my place just as I was waking up the next morning.
But I haven't thought of her or that night since because it was a complete mistake. I've been in love with Maddie since high school. Not only is she my best friend, but we have shared many firsts.
We were each other's first kisses, and we lost our virginities together on prom night. But then her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she moved with her parents across the country to the best facility to care for cancer patients. As per the plan that we set up, I stayed here and went to school.
We decided not to do the long-distance thing but to remain friends. Sadly, Maddie's mom lost her battle with cancer and her dad died of a broken heart less than a year later. Though Maddy has stayed in Tennessee, we still remain best friends binge-watching TV shows together late into the night, like last night.
This one-night stand is going to ruin everything.
The letter says there is a folder in the diaper bag with all the paperwork that I will need. I stare at the little baby who is sleeping and has no idea that her whole world is completely upside down now and in my own way, I envy that.
Inside the pink and brown diaper bag is the folder I'm looking for. It’s the birth certificate which clearly has my name on it.
Looking down at the baby, I say, "It looks like your name is Faith. Well, I promise you I will figure out all of this and you will be none the wiser."
The next few papers are the ones from the hospital when she was born. All of her checkups, her doctor's information with vaccinations, all of it are included. The last paper I find is the mother signing away her rights and giving them to me.
This little baby is now my sole responsibility. I have no clue what to do with the baby. Hell, I've never changed a diaper in my life. Is this really a thing people do? Leave babies on the father's doorstep?
My apartment is the furthest thing from being ready for a baby. As I try to decide what my next steps should be, the baby starts to stir.
I swear it's like she knew something was wrong. Her eyes lock with me and she lets out the most ear-piercing cry I have heard in my life.
***
Maddie
I wake up to my phone ringing and check to see it's six o'clock in the morning. Who is the hell calling me this early? Everyone knows I am not a morning person and I'm never up before nine a.m.
When I see that it's Connor, I'm instantly awake. Because I know the only reason he would call this early is if something is wrong.
"Hello?" I ask hesitantly.
The sound of a baby crying fills the phone line along with a panicked Connor. Where the hell is he that he has a baby nearby?
"Maddie, I need help!" Connor’s clearly panicked and not himself. Why the hell would he call me? I'm in Tennessee and he's in Montana. His parents and even his sister can get to him a hell of a lot sooner than I can.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Yesterday, I got woken up by a knock on my door and a baby on the doorstep." He pauses as the baby screeches even louder. It sounds like he's trying to find a toy to calm it down judging by the jiggling on the other end of the phone.
"What does that even mean? I'm not up on this new lingo? So what does a baby on the doorstep mean?" I try wracking my brain for something he told me in passing before.
"I'm not talking in code here. There is a literal screaming baby on my doorstep. Of course, when she was on my doorstep she was quiet and looked like an angel. Long story short, I'm a dad and I didn't know until yesterday. I don’t need to tell you that I’m at a loss and not sure what to do. I've never taken care of a baby. What do I do? You are the only one that has experience with kids that I know."
"Your parents raised you and your sister."
"Yes, but until I figure things out, I don't want to bother them. They're on vacation in Florida visiting my aunts. The moment they find out, they'll cut their trip and Mom has been looking forward to it all year."
A million things flashed through my head, but the biggest one is that I've been looking for an excuse to go home for almost a year now. But every time I think I have a reason to pick up my life and move back to Montana, something else happens.
But now that my roommate and best friend Summer is getting married and moving to be with her fiancé in Florida. It just makes sense to give up the lease and head home. From the sound of it, Connor could use some assistance and I'm sure that he will allow me to crash at his place if I offer to help.
"Hold tight. If you don't mind me staying at your place, I will be there in just a few days."
"Mind? I'm going to insist. Until I know what I'm doing, I don't want to be alone."
"Okay, have you fed her? Burped her? And changed her diaper? Taken her to be checked out by a doctor?"
"Yes, I have done all of that, and she is still screaming her little head off. We go to the doctor later this afternoon."
Picking up my laptop, I search videos online of things for him to try so I can get off the phone and start packing. Really, I don't have much. Summer is the one who furnished everything, so all the stuff I have fits into my car. Before dinner time, I'm ready to go.
I know I should probably wait and start early the next morning. But I'm anxious to get on the road and am wide awake so I head out, figuring I can at least get out of the state before nightfall.
Once on the road, I give my friend Summer a call and fill her in on what Connor has told me.
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked.
"Well, with you moving down to Florida, there really is nothing holding me here anymore. I've wanted to go home, so I think I will and help him out."
"I didn't even realize that he was seeing anyone seriously and now all of a sudden, he has a baby?" she asks curiously. It's kind of hard to keep secrets from your roommate who's also a good friend. Especially when we were in the same situation being that we were both secretly in love with our best friends.
Luckily for her or in her situation, her best friend loves her back and they're now having a baby together. Connor, on the other hand, has no idea how I still feel about him.
When I was dealing with my mom, it was necessary for us to go our own ways because I didn't have the time or energy to put into a relationship, especially a long distance one. But now I'm regretting not trying to make it work.
"As far as I know he hasn't been, unless he hasn't been honest with me. Once I get there, I'll get the full story from him. With a screaming baby in the background, it was a little hard to talk."
"Well, I expect all the details because now I'm curious. How long is it going to take you to get there?"
"I'm on the road now and hoping to get a few hours under my belt before I stop for the night. But it's going to take me at least two full days depending on how long I can drive each day."
I never really realized how far Memphis, Tennessee was from Helena, Montana until now.
"Ok then, drive safe. I'll take care of putting in our notice and closing everything out with the apartment. Nate and I will be up there next week to get my stuff."
Though the drive is long and kind of boring, I’m grateful it’s pretty uneventful. Almost every hour on the hour, Connor calls, asking questions and wanting to know how far away I am. It's almost like he thinks I'm magically going to teleport across several states in an hour.
I have no idea what I'm about to walk into. But maybe I should have asked more questions.
