4. Eli
Eli
“Want to get some drinks tomorrow night?” I ask Rem. “The Grind?”
“Can’t. Lainey and I have to meet up with the contractor and pick out our countertops for the kitchen and the bathrooms, and then I am taking her out to dinner.” He rubs his neck and stretches out his shoulder.
“Man, that house is going to be so nice when it’s done, but I don’t envy all the decisions y’all have had to make these past months.
” I wince. After Lainey’s psychotic brother tried to burn their home down with her in it, now they are rebuilding and starting fresh on their own terms. Literally from the ground up.
“It’s been so much work. Way more stressful than either of us thought it would be, but I know that if we survived Cal, we can make it through anything.
Plus, imagining life with her in that new house makes it exciting.
” The fucker gets all glossy eyed and his head is immediately in the clouds . . . I’ve lost him.
“Yeah whatever, you go off to the ball and chain. I am going to the Grind, having a whiskey or two, finding a gorgeous woman that knows the score, and getting my dick wet for one night. It’s been too long.” I slap him on the back as we make our way to the fire station gym.
“One of these days that shit is gonna get old. Don’t you want more?” Rem asks me, which he usually avoids. But ever since he’s fallen in love and is all happy and whatever, he wants me, his best friend and brother for all intents and purposes, to get hit with Cupid’s arrow too.
“No fucking way. Bachelor life and banging is just fine for me, thanks. Zero commitments, all the fun.” I wink at him, pull out my jump rope, and cue up the song I’ve been working on.
Jump rope used to just be another exercise tool in my arsenal to keep this six-four body in tip-top form .
. . but it turned out ladies apparently love a good thirst-trap video, and who am I to deny them?
I started out posting a few regular fitness videos, but the ones that really popped off were of me jumping rope.
That motivated me to learn more, practice my perfect ass off, and gain almost half a million followers and counting on social media.
What I didn’t expect was to get so much satisfaction from helping to inspire a lot of other guys on a path to wellness too.
Not necessarily to get ripped but to just move their bodies, try something new, different, and live a healthier lifestyle.
And turns out making the videos, learning the routines? It’s pretty fun.
Right as I am about to start my warm-ups and Rem is doing his own thing, an alarm blares throughout the station.
But this is not a normal fire call alarm . . .
This is the alarm that goes off only when the Safe Haven Baby Box has been activated.
Meaning, someone has opened the door from the outside of the fire station, taken the resources left for them in a special bag, placed a baby inside of the box, and securely shut the door.
Once the door is closed, it’s locked from the outside and triggers the special alarm inside of the fire station.
Being in the gym, Rem and I are the closest ones to the box.
We rush out to where it is in the hallway, between the gym and the common room area of the station.
I go to turn off the alarm while Rem opens the inner door to the box, revealing a tiny newborn baby, wrapped in a pink blanket.
I assume it’s a girl because of the blanket, and she has lots of dark brown hair, her lips are set in a full pout, and she is fast asleep, unbothered by the noise.
Scooping her gently into my large hands, I cradle her in the crook of my elbow, bouncing her slowly, hoping it will keep her sleeping.
As I rock, a cream-colored envelope falls from her blanket onto the floor.
Rem picks it up, rips it open, and quickly begins to read it aloud to me, both of us eager for any information on this little peanut.
Eli—
I know that you are not expecting this .
. . I wasn’t either. Motherhood is not something I have ever wanted, or ever felt I was meant for.
But when I saw the positive test, I knew she was meant for more.
You are a good man, and I know you will be a good father.
The time we had together was brief, but you were kind to me, and I know without a doubt that she is yours.
This is me placing her in your full care, forever, knowing you will do right by her.
Eli Hargrove, your daughter was born today, July 21st, at 7 a.m. in a hotel in Norfolk without any complications.
Please don’t look for me. Tell her I loved her enough to let you love her for the both of us.
Skylar Marks
I feel all the blood drain out of my face.
The words from the letter seem like they came from outside of this hallway, echoed and out of reach.
I think I am going to pass out. Hands are on me, and I know that Rem and I are not alone.
The whole fire station crew is here, guiding me to the living room space and helping me to sit down.
I am planted into an oversized La-Z-Boy chair, a rocker .
. . fitting since I’m still holding a baby.
A baby.
Fuck.
My baby.
My daughter.
I look down at the tiny thing in my arms again and my heart pounds.
She is stirring in her sleep now, starting to fuss.
Probably frightened by all this commotion, the trauma of her whirlwind of a day, and now waking up in the arms of a man that’s unknown to her.
A sad, tiny cry penetrates the room, and I think my heart is going to fucking break.
I have heard plenty of babies cry, but this feels totally different.
“Here.” Matt Ryder hands me one of the small, premixed formula bottles we always have on hand. “She’s probably hungry,” the seasoned father instructs.
I take the tiny bottle with thanks and gently slip it past her quivering lips. She instantly starts to suck, gulping greedily, making us all chuckle.
“She’s definitely got your appetite,” Rem jokes.
“Holy shit,” I say, looking back down at her. “What do I do now?”
“DNA test,” Ryder says.