Baby Horan

-Niall’s pov-
I read the note again.
And again.
One word, that’s going to change my entire life. Thoughts run through my mind, mainly ones like “What the fuck?” and “What am I supposed to do with a baby?”
I have no idea what to do. I have a BABY now, for christ’s sake! I reach into my pocket and pull out my mobile, and dial Harry’s number. Of course he doesn’t pick up. Great. I decide to try Tracy’s. Maybe I can talk some sense into her, get her to come back.
I dial her number without feeling much hope for myself or Carly. Niall leans heavily on the counter. He kind of just stands there for a moment, staring at the ceiling.
That is, until Carly starts to cry. I snap out of my shock and rush into the living room, where her crib is located. How could I be such a bad parent? I should have been watching her, not worrying about myself.
I scoop her up, gently bouncing her up and down. Lying her on the changing table, I look in her diaper. It’s dry, but she’s still crying. I think of any other possible reasons for her unhappiness.
She must be hungry.
I carry her to the kitchen and place her in her high chair, checking and re-checking that the buckles are all snapped and in place. Hopefully, I can figure out how to do this.
I open the cabinet, pulling out a tin of Enfamil.
I boil the water, waiting for it to bubble. When it finally does, I turn the heat off and get the pan off of the stove. Using the scoop in the tin, I measure out one tablespoon of the powder, tipping it into the bottle.
Now I have to wait for the water to cool down enough. I leave it to sit until it’s nearly room temperature, rocking Carly gently. She’s stopped crying, but she occasionally makes little whimpering sounds. Every time I look at her, I worry. About my future, about my job. I worry for her, too, what it’ll be like to grow up in the spotlight. Never mind the fact that she only has one parent.
After a few minutes, I strap her back into the highchair. She immediately starts screaming again and I wince, hurrying over to the pot of water. Waving my hand over it, I try to detect if it’s warm enough.
I don’t sense much heat coming off of it, so I touch it with one finger. It’s lukewarm, probably the ideal temperature. I grab a bottle and carefully pour some of the water in, spilling a fair amount in the process.
“Shh, Carly.” I soothe her. She calms down when I pick her up again, cradling her and trying to get her to eat at the same time.
She eventually takes the rubber bit into her mouth and sucks on it, her eyes closing after a few minutes. She forces the bottle out of her mouth with her tongue and I can’t help but smile. I know she’s going to be stubborn, just like her father.
I pat her back and gently bounce up and down, trying to get her to burp. She whines unhappily and I stop, not wanting to upset her. When I put Carly back into her crib, she closes her eyes immediately and goes back to sleep.
I never really knew that babies slept so much. I never had a younger sibling, after all.
Which I was okay with. I like being the baby of the family.
I decide to try Harry again. Luckily, he answers this time.
“Ni, shit mate, do you know what time it is?” he asks, sounding sleepy.
“It’s 9, you lazy arse. You should be up by now.” I answer, rolling my eyes.
“Whatever. What d’you need?” he yawns.
I take a deep breath before I start talking.
“I woke up this morning, and Carly was fine but I couldn’t find Tracy. So I looked everywhere but she…she just isn’t here mate. All her clothes are gone. She took all of her stuff, and she just left.”
He doesn’t respond for a few minutes.
“Did she, you know, leave a note or anything?” he sounds more alert now.
“Yeah.” I reply, not really wanting to explain.
“Well, what did it say?” he asks impatiently.
“It…it just said, “Sorry.” That’s it.” I bite my lip, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Ouch.” He mutters. “Did you try calling?”
“Obviously. Honestly, Harry. Did you think I just took a look around, realised she wasn’t here, and went back to bed?” I can’t help but let an impatient edge cut into my voice.
“Sorry, lad. Just trying to help.” He says, sounding hurt. “Anyways, I’ll come over and help you, alright? We’ll figure it out.”
His voice soothes me, for some reason. This is why Harry is my best mate.
I end the call and turn around to see Carly still lying down, squeezing one of the bars of her crib side. I can’t help but let out an aww noise.
I’m glad no one else was here to hear that. The boys would take the piss and never let it die.
Carly really is amazing. She’s my little miracle.
Maybe I can raise her after all.

Notes

I know it's been a long time! I'm sorry!
This chapter is a bit shorter than the previous. Sorry. I know I should write more, but I've had tonnes of tests and projects due!
Harry will be making an appearance in the next chapter! The next update should be sometime in the next two weeks!

Niall holding Carly xx

much love!
-Brit xx