Destined

13

Yaz

20 year old

2 years later, in Tokyo, Japan

" I know you're mad at me," she says squeezing my hand through her pain. She's sweating and the hospital room feels tense with the commotion of doctors. And still she looks at my face, pleading for forgiveness.

I look frantically around the room, hoping that the father of the baby being born would be there but heʻs nowhere to be found. Of course he isnʻt fucking here. I look back at her, squeezing her hand, "donʻt worry about that. Just focus on the baby."

"No," she pants, "you need to know that Iʻm sorry." I feel a flash of anger but I swallow it down. I haven't talked to her since that night 9 months ago.

"Donʻt be fucking ridiculous, Lyn. Focus on your child." I say, dabbing a wet cloth on her head.

She seems about to say something but then she's screaming and cursing. It goes by in motions of her squeezing my hand, of the doctor telling her to breath, of the sound of a newborn baby crying. And when the doctors clean the baby up they hand it to lyn. She cradles the baby boy in her arms, looking at him like he was the world.

I look at the baby too and my eyes soften, most of my anger blowing away with a breeze, "what will you name him?"

She looks at me, "Haru," she whispers, and I let out a sob, covering my mouth. Tears water in my eyes.

I stand up, "I need to make a call," I say, wiping the tears from my face.

Lyn tryʻs to grab for my arm, "wait," she says but Iʻm almost out of the door.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, "it will be quick," then Iʻm in the hallway of the hospital dialing a number I know too well.

He picks up after the second call, "yes, " he says with annoyance.

"Where the fuck are you?"

He sighs even more annoyed, "I had a meeting."

"Oh, thats your fucking excuse! Are you fucking kidding me? It's your child." I shout through the phone, clenching it in my hand.

I can hear his eyes roll when he says, " Look, I donʻt know what you want from me. She knew what she was getting into when she chose to have it."

I pull at my hair, "I want you to not be such an asshole. I want you to be a good father!"

"Iʻm fucking busy," he says through the phone then hangs up.

I let out an annoyed sigh, looking down at my phone. He did not just hang up on me. I throw my phone at the wall and it cracks as it hits the floor. Running my hand through my hair, I look through the door to see Lyn smiling at her baby.

I walk in and she looks up, worried,  "what did he say?"

I sit down next to her, gently touching the babyʻs face, "its okay, Lyn. Iʻll help you take care of him. You can move in with me."

She frowns, knowing that I avoided her question, "arenʻt you mad at me?"

I shake my head. Yes, I am. "It doesnʻt matter," I put my hand over hers where she cradles the baby, "youʻre like a sister to me."