Baby be Mine

Chapter 4

[Mic]

"Is that a baby?" I ask in shock. Not my best moment because duh of course that is a baby that Amelia is holding. What begs the question though is what is a baby doing in our house? And that is roughly what I ask, over the crying, after getting an eyeroll for my previous comment.

"She's mine. Say hello to your niece, Kay Kay."

My niece? What the hell? Why is this the first I'm hearing about this?

Even with all these questions bombarding my mind the desire to hold the baby pulls me forward. Amelia releases her into my arms and I can't help but smile. Her tiny smushed up face relaxes as I gently sooth her. Tear stained blue/grey eyes squint up to me and her little bottom lip sticks out.

"Hello baby girl." I coo. A soft yawn escapes her and her eyes close again. "What's her name?" I ask softly over the sleeping baby.

"Elsie."

"Mom's middle name? That's perfect." I sit there staring at little Elsie as she smacks her lips in her sleep. Petite hands splayed in a stretch while the rest of her snuggles into me. "How old is she?"

"She was born last Sunday so six days old."

Six days I've had a niece and didn't know, why didn't she call me sooner? "Did you know you were pregnant or was it a matter of her just making an appearance one day?" I ask, placing a finger in her itsy-bitsy hand.

"I knew she was coming, silly. It's kind of hard to miss the bump." She chuckles not understanding the hurt she just caused.

So, she knew she was pregnant and she didn't tell me. Did she know when she last made an appearance? six months ago. She would have been three months along at that point, plenty of time to find out by then. It's not like she didn't know where I was, I haven't gone anywhere. After all it's where she's meant to live as well. Only she takes off without telling me, no note to say where she's gone, nothing. She just leaves.

Pushing the hurt away I focus my questions on the bundle in my arms. Wanting to know everything about her. Mum would have loved this moment, her first grandchild.

Whenever friends had a baby on the way she would make up a basket filled with all the essentials. Nappies, bottles, dummies, baby cream, wet wipes. She thought of everything. I would have done the same for Amelia if she'd let me know.

Maybe I can make a baby book instead. To start that I need to know her birth weight and time of birth.

If only Amelia could actually answer the questions.

She gets huffy after a few question that she doesn't know the answers to. I explain why I'm asking and she sighs, telling me to look in the baby bag.

"Why would the baby bag have that information?"

"A nurse wrote down some details, maybe what she wrote will help." She shrugs, picking her phone up, effectively turning her attention away from me. How does she have a phone? I had to cancel our plans over a year ago. It looks brand new as well. The phone I'm using is a cheap pay as you go one. Nancy, my parent's friend who is the trustee for my inheritance, made sure I had one because she likes to check up every week. I haven't told her about Amelias absence though. The other reason is for work.

Suddenly I get a feeling Elsie has just filled her nappy. She starts getting a little fussy. A quick sniff of her nappy confirms my thoughts. "Um, Amelia, Elsie has dirtied her nappy."

"So, change her." She says without looking up from her phone.

Well okay then.

Tucking Elsie's small body onto my one arm I reach for the baby bag. I can't find a changing mat so have to grab a towel. Laying the towel on the carpeted floor I lay her down. Doing a quick survey of the bag I pull out everything I should need. I haven't done this in a long time but I think I know what I'm doing.

Wiping away the excrement I place the clean nappy under her, using a little talc before closing the new one. The nappy stays in place when I lift her up so I consider it a job well done. Tucking her back in her cute baby grow.

Success for Aunty Mic.

With her snuggled back in my arm's, something I'm getting quite used to, I decide to look through the rest of the bag. There is not much in there. I find the paper Amelia was talking about and read through the details.

She was born at eleven thirty-six in the morning, only weighting five pound two ounces. That's not surprising as I hold her delicately in my arms.

I'm smitten with her already, how am I going to say goodbye to her when Amelia leaves? Because of course Amelia is going to go back to her amazing boyfriend. I just hope she doesn't stop me seeing Elsie as much.

This morning I woke up thinking I only had one blood family member left. Now I find that number has doubled. I want to keep hold of that feeling forever. Surely, she won't keep Elsie from me now. I'll make a nuisance of myself if I have to, to keep my family together.

As I look at her cute little features, I vow to give this little one an amazing life. Sealing my promise with a delicate kiss to her forehead.

* * *

The sound of a baby crying startles me awake. As the wailing continues my heart races, slowly last night comes back to me and my pulse settles, Elsie on the other hand does not. I expect Amelia to sooth her but as I listen out, there doesn't seem to be any movement from the other room. Why isn't Amelia dealing with her?

I can't sit here and let her cry. Flinging my quilt to the side I slide out and quick walk to Amelia's room. Even though she's only spent about three days in this house in the past year I've left her room as it was. Part of me hoping that she will be back for good one day so will want her space as it was left. I will admit to having a little tidy up. Washing clothes, she leaves on the floor. Removing partially eaten food. Tidying up the bed covers so it looks inviting when she comes back.

The door is partially open when I step onto the landing, I peek around it, expecting to see Amelia asleep, but what I see instead has me shoving the door fully open. The bed is still made, Amelia never makes her bed. The only disruption is little Elsie laying in the middle of the bed.

Where's Amelia? did she even sleep in the bed?

As these thoughts rush through my head, Elsie lets out an even louder cry, bringing my attention back to her.

"Shhh. What's a matter Elsie? Come here baby girl." I say soothingly, pulling her to my chest. Bouncing lightly and rubbing her back. The heart-breaking cries simmer down to a wobbly lip and tears. "Where's that mummy of yours?" I ask.

Carrying her down to the living room, I scan around for any sign of Amelia. Not that there are many places she could be. She's not in any of the three rooms downstairs. I checked as I passed the kitchen before walking to the living room. She's not in either of our bedrooms, that just leaves my parents room and the bathroom. The bathroom, why didn't I check there first? Just had a baby she must need the loo more often. Mum was forever in search of a bathroom.

After a quick and fruitless check in my parent's room I close the gap to my last hope. "Amelia." I call out, moving towards the closed bathroom door. "Amelia, you in there."

Giving a gentle knock on the bathroom door. I wait a beat and receive no answer. Taking a breath, I reach for the door handle. 'Please don't turn, please don't turn.' I chant in my head. I close my eyes tight and twist, the handle opening the door effortlessly.

My eyes open to the empty room and the tiny hope I'd built dies.