Love Island

Chapter 53 - Meet the Babies

I was half asleep before the lights came back on. I enjoyed the silent darkness of the villa, the absence of bird calls, fighting, gossip, or messy makeout sessions. I enjoyed the peacefulness of it all, allowing my thoughts to be the only stimulation in my brain for the first time in a long time. I snuggled deeper beneath the blankets and pulled myself closer to Charlie. A sleepy hand reached up and held my arm, keeping it in place on his chest. I smiled to myself and closed my eyes, ready to fall back asleep with my person.

Across the room, Polly began to sniffle and cry. It was soft and gentle, then began getting increasingly louder. I cracked an eye open. "Polly?" I asked quietly. She didn't reply and kept emitting her soft wail. Someone else in the room joined in, maybe Peach? Then the lights flashed on, and the cries weren't from the Islanders at all, but small robotic babies designed to vaguely resembled our couples.

The bedroom door cracked open seconds later, revealing Peyton and Anthony looking incredibly disheveled and tired. "We got a text. What's going... holy shit." Peyton tossed her phone on an empty bed and rushed over to one of the bassinettes. "Babies?"

"Babies!" Polly squealed and crawled to the end of her bed where her baby had been planted. "Oh, Lucas, what should we name him?" She picked up the robotic baby and rocked him gently in her arms. Much like its parents, the baby had blonde hair and blue eyes.

Peyton walked over to the baby labeled with her and Anthony's names. The baby had Anthony's dark skin and hair texture, with Peyton's blonde hair. She stuck out her bottom lip as she lifted her baby into the air. "I... I love her."

Peach finally got up and moved to the end of her bed. Gray watched sleepily as she picked up the baby. "Oh, what a cutie."

Beside me, Charlie was still asleep. I sighed, not excited in the least for this challenge, and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I picked up the robot, who had wavy brown hair like both her parents and big brown eyes like me. I held her close as I sat back in bed and attempted to wake up Charlie. "Hey. I have a baby."

Charlie smiled in his sleep and began pulling me closer. "Hey, baby."

"No, Charlie. A child."

His face twisted in confusion. He peeked one eye open, looking at the small robotic baby in my arms, then closed his eyes. "I'm choosing a different dream. This one's a nightmare."

I laughed and shook his shoulder. "It's not a real baby! Now wake up and help me with this thing." Charlie let out a soft sigh. He sat up and took the baby from me, holding her in his arms and looking down at her plastic face.

"I'm gonna name him Tommy." Polly hugged the doll to her chest as Lucas watched on, unsure of what to do.

Peach nodded and turned to her robotic baby. "Let's name you Chicago. Like Kim Kardashian's baby."

"Why not after my hometown?" Gray asked.

"Because we're not naming our child after Pittsburgh," she said.

"Fair."

"What do you think?" Anthony asked, peering over Peyton's shoulder and holding her hips from behind. They were much friendlier than they'd been in several days. "I like the name Mia."

"Mia... that's pretty," Peyton smiled down at her robot.

Charlie and I looked between each other uncomfortably, looking down at the clump of plastic, metal, and wiring. "I don't know what to name this thing," I said.

"Hm. Maddie and Charlie... Marley?" he suggested.

I laughed at the idea and nodded my head. "Alright, her name's Marley." Just after her name was announced, Marley began crying, leading every other baby in the room to cry. I jumped to my feet and approached the bassinette, grabbing a small bag that she came with and picking up a small bottle. "Here." I handed Charlie the bottle, and Marley instantly quieted down. Her system began emitting soft suckling noises.