Meet the Howlters

Early March

YEAR: 2044

[Dan's POV]

"Where is he?" I asked Delilah as Phil and I ran into the waiting room.
"He's with his daughter," Delilah sighed.
"Can we see him?"
"I don't know," she shrugged. "Who's with my daughter,"
"Your husband,"
"He's my fiancé," she mumbled. "How'd she do with the rest of the appointment?"
"She threw up like twice but, other than that, she did very well," Phil said.
"Wow, only twice? That's good for her,"
"Um, am I the only one that's upset about Stef?" I asked.
"I'm devastated," Delilah mumbled. "Just in denial,"
"How's Winnie holding up?" Phil asked.
"In denial," she sighed. "He's in the premature ward I think,"
"Why aren't you with him?"
"Don't wanna smother him,"
"How long has he been in there?"
"Maybe three and a half hours,"
"What's her name?"
"Don't know,"
"I'm gonna go in and see him," I said.
"I'll stay with Dil," Phil said.

I wandered through the halls for a bit before I found my way up to the premature ward. I walked in and sat down next to Winston and started staring at the baby. 

"Hey kiddo," I said.
"Hi..."
"Who's this?"
"Lydia,"
"She's beautiful,"
"Thanks..." he sighed. "I'm scared, bear..."
"Why?"
"I'm alone..."
"You're never alone when you're a Howlter," I smiled. "Move back home,"
"There's no room,"
"Okay," I mumbled. "There's a house for sale across the street. Your father and I will put our current house in Dil's name and we'll buy the house across the street. It's a bit smaller but hey, it's a house. Sound like a plan?"
"No, I can't make you do that,"
"And why not? Your father and I were discussing moving anyways and letting Dil have the house,"
"Do whatever you want," he said. He continued looking at Lydia as she slept. "Hey...can you do me a favor and call Troye and Tyler,"
"Why?"
"They need to fly out here,"
"Why don't you tell them?"
"Cause I'll be crying the entire time," his voice broke. "Please..."
"Okay," I whispered as I started calling Tyler.
"Hey girl," Tyler laughed. "Long time no talk. What's up?"
"Get Troye in the room and put me on speaker,"
"Why? What's wrong? Troye! Get in here!"
"Why!"
"Just come on! Dan, what's up?"
"Sit down...please,"
"Dan...you're scaring me..."
"Okay, let me start by saying that, you guys need to fly out here tomorrow,"
"Why?"
"I'm getting there," I sighed. "So, as you know, Stefanie was pregnant,"
"She was what!"
"Guess you didn't know...okay then. Anyway, according to her, she has this thing that will always cause her to miscarry,"
"Endometriosis," Tyler said. "I know. She's had it since she was like sixteen,"
"Yeah, well, she got pregnant and she started to miscarry. Winston brought her to the hospital so she could get treated and, the doctor said that there was still a heartbeat. Y'know, with the baby,"
"I got it, Dan. What's wrong why are you calling? Why do we need to fly out there?"
"Stef was rushed into surgery or something so she could have an immediate c-section... Winnie, do you wanna say the rest?" I offered him the phone but he just sat there and shook his head. "Okay, so I'm just going off of what Winnie told me. They opened Stef up to deliver the baby and, I guess, the baby didn't cry at first," I mumbled. "Then, Stef started freaking out, asking why her baby wasn't crying. She started jerking around on the table and as she was moving, she got cut with a scalpel. She bled out..."
"So, what you're telling us is that, our daughterbia dead?" Troye cried.
"Yes..." My voice broke as I cried. "I'm so sorry..."
"I'm gonna kill Winston!" Tyler yelled.
"He didn't do anything, Tyler. You're just in shock,"
"He got my daughter pregnant. If he kept his dick in his pants, my daughter would still be alive!"
"Tyler, this is no ones fault... Just, please fly out here... We need to start planning a funereal,"
"We'll be there tomorrow..." Troye said as they hung up.
"They'll be here tomorrow," I said as I pat Winston's back.
"Okay," he whispered.
"Mr. Howlter," a nurse said.
"Yes?" Winston and I said.
"Oh, I meant Winston," she smiled.
"Yeah?"
"We have to feed her. You can come back later, if you want,"
"Can I feed her?" he asked.
"Oh...sure," she said.

She wrapped the baby in a warm, pink blanket and placed her down lightly in Winston's arms. He leaned back and delicately pressed the bottle to her lips.

"Support her head," I said.
"I got it, bear,"
"Just making sure," I whispered. "She has Stef's eyes,"
"Yeah," he mumbled. "She does,"
"She's absolutely beautiful,"
"Yeah...she is..."

***

A couple days passed, and we all had the funeral planned. Tyler refused to talk to Winston; Troye was actually indifferent. We all sat through the ceremony and just cried. None of us actually believed that this was happening. When the funeral was over, everyone came over our house for the wake. Delilah and Joe just sat on the floor the entire time and tried to keep Fiona entertained. Winston sat on the couch and just stared at his phone; he kept going back and forth between pictures  of Stefanie and Lydia. Tyler and Troye sat in the kitchen for most of it so they wouldn't have to see Winston; also so they could cry in private. Phil and I sat on the couch with Winnie and comforted him.

"Hey," I whispered.
"Yeah?" Winston mumbled.
"Are you gonna tell Tyler and Troye about Lydia?"
"No... I want them to meet her in person. They shouldn't have to see their granddaughter for the first time on a phone. Especially if she's hooked up to a fuck ton-"
"Language," Phil said.
"A lot," he rolled his eyes. "Of wires,"
"Do you know when she gets discharged?"
"Next year. March, I think,"
"We'll be sure to buy the house by then. Oh, and move you back home,"
"You guys don't have to do that,"
"Yes, we do," Phil said.
"Yeah Winnie, Delilah mumbled. "You'll go crazy without  someone,"
"She's right," I said.
"Fine, I'll move,"
"Good...it's best for the baby..."
"Yeah, I know... Dil, how's Northampton Uni?"
"Really good," she smiled.
"Can't wait to go," he sighed. "Is taking care of a baby hard?"
"Yes," we all replied.
"So, when are you and Joe getting married?" he asked Delilah.
"Winnie, this is a time for you to be grieving about your wife, not asking me about my wedding,"
"I wanna talk about happy stuff,"
"Fine," she sighed. "We haven't started planning out second wedding but, it's either gonna be really freaking small or at the courthouse,"
"Why?"
"Cause we already blew a lot of money on the first one,"
"Fair enough," he said. "Love your hair, by the way,"
"Thanks," she smiled. "Got it cut yesterday. Do the shaved sides work?"
"You have my head," I said as I lightly tapped her right temple. "Now, if you have your fathers head, on the other hand," I laughed.
"Actually shut up," Phil laughed as he hit my arm.
"How are you people laughing?" Tyler sobbed. "My daughter is dead! How are any of you smiling!"
"Sitting around, pouting, is gonna bring her back," Winston said.
"What did you just say?" he asked. He started running towards Winston, as if they were going to attack him; luckily, Troye and I stopped him. "I'm going to kill you, Winston Howlter!"
"Do not touch him," I said. "Look, he is just trying to get himself out of his depression! All he's been doing for the past few days is looking at pictures of Stefanie and crying about how his daughter will be growing up without a mother. Give him a fucking break,"
"Wait...the baby lived?" he whispered.
"Yeah..."
"May-May I see her?"
"She's at the hospital,"
"Do you have a picture ?"
"Y-Yeah, but, she's hooked up to a lot of wires,"
"May I see her?"
"Yeah," he mumbled as he scrolled through his phone. "Here she is," he sniffed.
"She has your nose," he smiled.
"She has Stefi's eyes," Winston added.
"She's quite beautiful," Troye whispered.
"She takes after Stef. Thank god,"
"What's her name?"
"Lydia..."
"She looks like a Lydia... When do you get to take her home?"
"Early March,"
"Well," Tyler smiled, "I guess we gotta come back in March."