Chapter 12

Third Person's Point Of View

Aubrey was ready to leave their campus when her friend Liezel stopped her in front of the gate. 

"Liezel.." she frowned when she saw a baby in her friend's arms "Who's baby is that? You look off."

"Aubrey, I'm in big trouble. I have a huge debt to my friend but I don't have the money to pay him.." Liezel cried "This is the reason why I was absent for weeks now." 

"I.. I can't understand. Okay, you have a debt and what is the connection of that to the baby you're holding?" 

"He asked me to take care of his daughter for good to pay my debt to him. Aubrey.. I need your help. My parents will kill me if they find out about this, I'm staying at Sana's place for weeks now and my parents are starting to get worried. I need your help, Aubrey. Take the baby, please? I'm not ready for the big responsibilities." Liezel begged "Please, Aubrey." 

"Liezel.. I don't know. I know I told you that I want to have a baby but not now, at least not yet."

Liezel kneeled "Please, Aubrey?" Tears continued to fall "I'm begging you. I know that you'll take care of this child. Please." 

~~

Nervously, Aubrey stepped inside their house. 

"Aubrey." Mrs. Jackson was about to hug her daughter "Who's baby is that?" 

"Let me explain, mom."

"Explain what, Aubrey? Where did you get that baby?" Mrs. Jackson started to panic 

The rest of the Jackson family went to the living room where they were talking. 

"What is happening, mom?"

"Your sister! Look! She brought home a baby!" 

Emma guided her mother to sit on the couch. 

"Sister, where did you get that cute baby?" Noah stood next to Aubrey "Aww. She's so cute. How old is she?" 

"I think she's ten months old." Aubrey guessed

"Noah." Mrs. Jackson called Noah

"What? The baby is so adorable. What is the problem?" 

"Go to your room, Noah." Emma said to their youngest 

Noah sighed and obliged. 

"Aubrey, sit and explain everything." Emma said

Aubrey sat on the sofa across them. 

'Should I tell them? They will be mad at me more if I'll tell the truth. What should I tell them?' 

"Explain, Aubrey." Mrs. Jackson sternly said

"I.. I was walking back home when I heard a baby crying, then.. I saw this baby girl in a trash can." Aubrey lied "I cannot just leave this angel, mom. She needs me." 

"Do you know what responsibilities you have to take because of that baby? My god, Aubrey!" Mrs. Jackson massaged her temples "We barely survive everyday, we're short of money. I don't know where to get extra money for your tuition fee then you'll do this? And for Pete's sake, Aubrey! You're just third year college, how can we provide the needs of that baby?" 

Aubrey was desperate and determined to take the baby as her own. She'll do everything for the baby. 

"I will work." She said with determination in her voice "I'll find a part time job, I'll work after school, you don't have to worry about her needs, I'll be the one to provide them. Just please, let me adopt her." 

"Are you out of your mind, Aubrey? You don't know what you're doing." Emma didn't agree to her sister's decision 

"I know what I am doing." She looked at the baby in her arms, sleeping peacefully "I fell in love with this baby. She's my baby now." 

"Do you hear what you are saying, Aubrey?" Mrs. Jackson still not agree to her daughter

"I can't understand, mom. Why are you so against this baby? She's alone and doesn't have family." 

"We'll send her to the orphanage, there she can find suitable parents who can adopt her." 

Aubrey stood up "Hell no. This baby is mine, you won't take her away from me." Tears started to fall from Aubrey's precious eyes "I'm in legal age now. I will adopt this baby and you don't have to worry about her needs, as her only parent I will provide for her."

~~

Years and months have passed and the whole Jackson family started to love the baby. 

Aubrey never gave up to her daughter. She's at school by day and works by night. That was her routine until she graduated.

"Gabriel Chanel!" 

The kid laughed, butt naked "Nooo! I don't want to!" 

"Mom! Can you please chase Gab and make her wear her clothes?!" 

"I'm in the kitchen, Aubrey!" Mrs. Jackson answered 

Aubrey chased her daughter who didn't want to wear her clothes. 

"Gotcha!" Noah picked his niece "Wear your clothes now, little monster. Don't you want to celebrate your birthday?" 

Gab giggled "I want to! I want to!" She cheered in her cute aegyo

"You better stop giving mommy Aubrey a hard time." Emma kissed Gab on the cheek "Happy 3rd Birth, Gabrielle Chanel." 

Aubrey drove their old family car to the restaurant where they will celebrate Gab's birthday. 

"Happy birthday, Gabby! Happy birthday, Gabby! Happy birth, happy birthday! Happy birthday, dear Gabby!" The whole Jackson family sang for Gab

"Blow your candle now, Gab and make a wish." Aubrey kissed her daughter's cheek

Gab closed her eyes and blew her candle. 

~~

When Gab turned four, Aubrey introduced her boyfriend Oliver to Gab. 

Oliver didn't gain Gab's attention and trust at first, it took months for the kid to accept Oliver to their lives. 

"How was your bonding with daddy Oliver?"

"It was okay, mommy." Gab sat on the sofa in Aubrey's office

"Just okay? Did you have fun?" She sat next to her child 

"Yes, mommy." Gab simply answered 

"You're not good at lying, Gabriel. Tell me, did something happen?" 

"Daddy Oliver kept on pushing me to do things that I didn't want. Like, we tried the horror house even though he knew that I'm scared, he bought me a teddy bear but I told him that I wanted the minion stuff toy." 

"Daddy Oliver just wants to be a good daddy to you." 

"If he wants to be a good daddy to me he should give what I want, not the things he wants!" 

Aubrey is shook to hear that from her child, from her four year old child. 

Gab walked out and went to the sewers. Asking multiple questions that made the sewers laugh. 

"I can't believe I heard that from a four year kid." Emma entered Aubrey's office, she was outside Aubrey's office all the time, listening to their conversation 

"Me too." She kissed her sister's cheek "You want something?" 

"Rose is here in Manhattan. I'll introduce her to you guys later in our dinner." 

"Really? I thought that your girlfriend would never show herself to us. I mean.. five years of being in a long distance relationship is not that easy." 

"I understand her, Aubrey. Her cousin needs her and I completely understand their situation." 

"Why, what happened to her cousin? Is she sick or what?" 

"More than you can tell." Emma sighed, pitying Rose's cousin