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A Father

Logan and Adam shared the chair in a corner of the room, out of Sophia's way. Knowing that Aurora was safe, they finally relaxed, and fatigue set in. Adam fell asleep first, his head resting on Logan's shoulder. Logan smiled down at the boy and wrapped his arm around him before he too fell asleep.

In the three hours they slept, neither Adam nor Logan had good dreams. The events from the morning replayed in their dreams, haunting them with scenarios of what would have happened if they had failed. Adam was the first to jump awake from his dreams, panting and whistling as he looked around frantically.

"You're okay, kid." Sophia patted his head. "It's over."

Adam glanced towards the bed.

"She's okay. She's stable now." She reassured.

Adam opened his mouth to speak, but his throat hurt even more than it did before he fell asleep. His neck was also in pain.

"Don't try to talk. Come here." Sophia handed him water with a straw. "Take a few sips."

Adam swallowed. The pain in his throat was almost unbearable. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth as the liquid slowly made its way down. He took a series of short, quick breaths afterwards that worried Sophia.

She gently touched his throat. Adam winced when her fingers touched near his jaw.

"Hmm." Sophia handed him her pen and turned one of her papers face down. "Tell me how it feels when you swallow."

The boy thought for a moment before writing as clearly as he could about the pain he felt when swallowing. He noted how every gulp felt like it got stuck on its way down and struggled to pass through a part of his throat, making it difficult to breathe as well. The gulps mainly got stuck in two main parts: his throat and his chest.

Sophia checked the medication he had been prescribed, then called the doctor who had attended to him. The doctor prescribed two more sets of pills. Seeing Adam's alarm, Sophia chuckled. "We've got pill crushers, so you don't have to worry about swallowing the pills whole."

Logan jumped awake then, frantically checking around the room like Adam had done a few minutes ago.

"Nicholas really did a number on all of you today." Sophia remarked.

Logan glanced at Sophia, then at Aurora.

"She's stable. She should be up soon."

The man nodded in acknowledgement, then turned back to Sophia and Adam. "What's wrong with Adam?"

"He's got some swelling on top of the trauma that makes it difficult to breathe and swallow. The doctor's given him additional medication."

Logan nodded as he stood up and stretched, forgetting his injured wrist. He winced and held his hand, waiting for the waves of pain to pass.

"Take it easy." Sophia warned.

"Yeah."

Adam and Logan paced the room while they waited for Aurora to wake up. Their constant movement annoyed Sophia, who sent them to take a walk in the hospital gardens.

Just as they got to the garden exit, a large group of people rushed the doors. Despite the father-son duo stepping to the side, the crowd still brushed close to them. Logan grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him close, shielding him with his body.

Adam looked up at Logan. Logan kept a sharp eye on the crowd as they walked past, protectively hunching over the boy when someone pushed him. Logan smelled faintly like Aurora; he also had a stronger scent. Like the smell of dirt after it rains. The crowd finally passed, and the two breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked.

The boy nodded, and the two continued their trip, making their way outdoors and strolling among the shrubs. Finding an unoccupied bench in the shade near the pond, Logan suggested they sit for a while. The first few moments passed in silence as they stared at the pond.

"Aurora and I met 10 years ago at a party. That was a few days after Selene broke up with me."

Adam looked at Logan, surprised. He didn't ask, so why did Logan tell him that? Before he could call Logan's attention, the man took a deep breath and held it.

"I was depressed. Wanted to give up on living. My friend tried to cheer me up by inviting me to a party." Logan turned to Adam and smiled. "We were both hiding away in a corner, avoiding everyone. She started the conversation, asking why I looked so down. When I told her my girlfriend broke up with me for a richer guy, she encouraged me to go ahead with my plans to start my own firm. Said she would be rooting for me."

Logan had a faraway look in his eyes as he reminisced.

"We talked and drank ...And like it happens when two lonely adults indulge in alcohol, we got intimate. I woke up the next morning and silently swore I would make her my wife. She told me to forget we ever met before running out of my apartment." He chuckled, looking up at the sky.

"Then five years ago, while I was working on the plans for Rochelle's gallery, I met her again. One thing led to another, and we came to an agreement and got married." Logan let out a long sigh. "We've been trying to have a child ever since, but we can't."

He turned to Adam with a sad smile. "You've brightened her world. She's a lot calmer since you came into our lives. She had a ritual of watching the ultrasound pictures of our babies every day. She's stopped, thanks to you. I know I was just talking on my own, but I needed you to know. Especially now that you're going to be our son."

Adam nodded solemnly at his father.

Why couldn't the people who wanted children have them, while those who didn't could? Ten years ago, Logan and Aurora met. If he had been born their son instead, they'd have gotten married sooner. He could have known his friends longer. He wouldn't have suffered; he wouldn't have been beaten senseless so many times.

He would have had a father, not his mother's boyfriend of the week or lover of the day. He would have had a father. Like those kids he saw at the parks, with their dads teaching them how to ride or skate. He too could boast about his father's skill at building or repairing, and even better, about the stuff his dad would buy for him. Tears stung Adam's eyes as his memories of Logan replayed in his mind. From shopping to cycling to board games to their fight with Nicholas, Logan was already a father to him, despite their hiccups. Adam brushed the back of his hand against his eyes.

Logan put his arm around Adam and pulled him close. "Come on. Suck it up. Boys should only cry in private." He said, kissing the boy's forehead. "Let's go check on your mom and see if she's awake."