FicWad

A/N: FYI, Dani’s step dad is a respected judge in Las Vegas. Sorry I didn’t say anything about this earlier.

“You want to put my grandbaby up for adoption?”

I took a sharp intake of breath. I knew that’s what my mom was going to say.

“Why would you want to do that,” Richard, my step dad, asked?

“I don’t feel I would be a fit parent,” I responded giving the shortest answer possible.

“What about Brendon,” my mom, Sandra Ross-Daughtry, asked?

“Why does everybody care how Brendon will feel? What about the way I feel,” I said under my breath.

Richard sighed and picked up the phone, “Ok sweetie, I’ll set up an appointment.”

Several minutes later he hung up the phone and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“Today is Tuesday. We go in to the Social Service’s office on Thursday.”

I nodded. Looking over at my mom I noticed she had tears in her eyes.

“Mommy?”

“Sweetie, please don’t even talk to me right now.”

I nodded and went up stairs to the bathroom connected to my room.

Standing in front of the mirror I ran my hand across my belly.

“Baby, I’m sorry. But I don’t think I can do it. I wouldn’t be doing right by you.”

Fender kicked my hand.

“I know. It seems like it’s happened so fast. At first I was so excited, telling you about how much your da-- Brendon loves you. Now I’m telling you that I won’t be able to keep you. I’m so sorry. I’ll probably hate myself for giving you away but I’ll be happy in knowing that someone will get you and be able to take care of you.”

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November 2, 2006

“Dani, are you ready?”

“Yes,” I replied to my mom as she walked into my room.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

I nodded, “Yes.”

“Ok well then. Let’s go.”

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“Ok, so Ms. Ross. Now that I have went over everything with you, you may go ahead and sign.”

I nodded and took the pen.

I put the pen to the paper and started to sign but my hand began to shake and the pen fell to the floor.

“Sorry,” I muttered as Richard handed me the pen.

I started to sign again when my phone rang. Laying the pen down I answered it.

“Hello?”

“Baby, you won’t guess what I found,” Brendon said excitedly.

I frowned, “What?”

“A onesie that says ‘My daddy is a rockstar.’ And Ryan found a toy guitar. Fender couldn’t play with it until he was about a year old but it’s still cool. I mean come on…”

My heart started to break as I thought about the clueless boy on the other line who had no idea I was about to give up ‘his’ baby for adoption. All of a sudden, the realization of how much it would hurt him if I did put Fender up for adoption hit me. The sound of Brendon calling my name repeatedly broke me out of my thoughts.

“What?”

“I said, should I go ahead and buy the onesie?”

My eyes started to fill with tears as I answered him, “Yeah.”

“Great, well I’ll see you in about two weeks baby. I love you and Fender both.”

“I love you too, bye.”

As I hung up the phone I stood up from my chair and lay the pen down.

“I’m sorry, I can’t give my baby up for adoption. I would be hurting too many people if I did. Including myself.”

That said, I walked out of the Social Services office with my mom and step dad right behind me.