Liam burst through my door first, followed by Gordy, and then Foster. “What’s wrong?”
I pointed to the baby carrier. That’s what it was called, right? Or was that a bassinet? What was the difference? Fuck, I was out of my depth on this one.
“What the—” Liam started.
“Is that a baby?” Gordy interrupted, his usual stoic expression replaced by complete bewilderment.
Foster stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. “Drew, what the hell’s going on?”
I looked down at Aurora, who was staring up at me so innocently, completely oblivious to the chaos she’d just created in my life.
“I found her,” I said quietly. “Just like that. Someone left her here with a note.”
“You found a baby,” Liam repeated slowly. “In your room.”
“Yes.”
“During our party.”
“Yes.”
Liam shook his head. “Okay, I have to ask—could this be a really awful prank?”
The thought had crossed my mind, but the more I looked at Aurora, the more I believed the letter. She had the Dumontier nose and cheekbones. Honestly, she kind of reminded me of pictures I’d seen of Ava as a baby.
“This is next-level diabolical if it is,” Gordy said, moving closer to get a better look.
Foster still stood by the door, his face the picture of shock. “You said there’s a note?”
I handed the envelope to him. Hell, I practically had the whole thing memorized by now.
Foster read it silently, his expression growing more serious with each line.
“Should you do a paternity test or something to confirm?” he asked when he’d finished reading it.
Before I could answer, Aurora let out a soft cry from her carrier. We all froze.
“What do we do?” Liam asked.
Her crying got louder. “Uh…” I had no fucking clue.
“Pick her up,” Gordy said, his voice calm but his eyes glued to the baby like she was a bomb about to explode.
I crouched down and carefully lifted her out, my hands awkward and uncertain as I settled her against my chest. I’d never held a baby before. She was so small and fragile, and I was terrified I was going to break her.
“Look, forget about the paternity test for right now,” Foster said, and I could hear that captain voice kicking in—the one he used when we needed to get our shit together on the ice. “Have you called your parents? Your sister?”
The question hit me like a fucking truck. My parents. Jesus. How was I supposed to tell them they were grandparents? How was I supposed to explain that their son—who they thought was finally getting his act together—had somehow managed to become a father without even knowing it?
“I…” I started, then stopped. “No. The only people who know are in this room.”
“Damn, man,” Liam said, running his hands through his hair. “Your mom’s going to completely lose her shit. At the very least, you need to call Ava. She’ll figure out a way to help soften the news.”
“What about immediate stuff?” Gordy asked, because of course he was thinking practically. “What doessheneed right now? Have you ever cared for a baby before?”
I looked down at Aurora, who had settled back into that alert-but-calm state once I’d picked her up. “I don’t know.”
Gordy moved over to the carrier and grabbed a large bag behind it that I hadn’t even seen. He pulled out some diapers and wipes and set them on my bed. Then he pulledout a small tub of formula, a couple of bottles, and a few outfits.
