Chapter Text
“I’m really sorry this happened,” Shawn whispered, leaning back on the chair.
Lauren smiled. She gave his hand a pat. She turned to look at the doctor, that was getting the machine ready. She turned back to him. “It’s on both of us.”
“This is going to be cold,” the doctor said, getting the gel ready. Lauren whimpered when she felt it on her stomach. Lauren watched the monitor, waiting for a picture. She felt the doctor move that device around, until she stopped at a peanut.
“Is that her?” Shawn asked, leaning forward.
“That right there is your baby. Would you like to know the gender?”
“Can we hear the heart again?” Lauren asked, looking at the doctor.
He nodded, moving around. Lauren closed her eyes, hearing the rhythmic thumps. She could feel tears fill her eyes as she listened to her baby’s heartbeats. She opened her eyes and turned to Shawn, who seemed lost in the sound as well. The smile on his face was the biggest he’d ever seen.
The doctor smiled. “Would you like to know the gender?”
Lauren nodded her head, a smile on her face.
“Congratulations, you’re having a girl!”
-
Lauren watched as Shawn showed Camila the ultrasound.
Lauren and Shawn had a momentary lapse of judgement. Lauren’s friend, Camila, had feelings for Shawn. And at a party, the two got drunk and lost their virginities to each other. The two had been friends before, and had some mutual attraction. But never did anything about it until that moment. Both remembered what had happened. Both consented.
The next morning, both of them decided their relationship would end there.
Camila wasn’t happy when she heard. She was angry. She didn’t talk to Lauren until one day when the green eyed girl knocked on her door with tears streaming down her face. Lauren told her about missing her period and how she didn’t think she used protection. Camila held her and told her it was going to be okay. That if Lauren wanted, Camila would be with her when she took a test.
When the test came out positive, Lauren and Camila told Shawn and her parents. There were a lot of tears and lot of hugs.
Lauren started to close to Lucy, and shared a kiss. Lauren told her about the pregnancy and about how she was going to keep her baby. She gave Lucy the chance to run, telling her that Lauren wouldn’t be mad or anything. She didn’t want Lucy to feel like she was stuck. Lucy decided to stay, saying if life wasn’t going to be interesting, then you weren’t living. Lucy kissed Lauren and then kissed above her belly button.
Camila and Shawn bonded over Lauren’s unborn baby. One thing let to another and they kissed. Lauren was so happy when she heard.
A few months later, Lauren was showing and dating Lucy. Camila and Shawn strong together.
(Dinah, Ally and Normani always had popcorn, enjoying the drama.)
-
“Have you thought of names?” Shawn asked one day, both laying on Lauren’s bed. The door was wide open. Shawn was on “Lauren duty”. He’d just stay with her, help with whatever she needed.
“Not really, have you?”
“A little,” Shawn answered, turning to look at the mother of his daughter.
“Hit me,” Lauren told him, her eyes closed. She had started to become tired, the baby being restless at night.
“You can give her a first name, but I was hoping you’d give her my last name as her middle,” Shawn whispered, giving her a smile.
Lauren opened her eyes and looked at him, a frown on her face.
Shawn turned so he could stare at the ceiling. “She’d going to be more yours than mine. And I want her to have a part of mine name incase she or you decide to take another name.”
Lauren didn’t answer, just reached over and held his hand. Shawn smiled and closed his eyes.
-
Lucy was asleep when her phone woke her up. It wouldn’t stop vibrating. She yawned and rubbed her eyes. She saw Camila’s name and answered it.
“Lauren’s in the hospital! Something is wrong!”
-
Lucy was pacing. She was told that Lauren had woken up to stomach pains, but the baby wasn’t due. Lauren was bleeding and the doctors couldn’t find the baby’s heartbeat.
Lucy looked around, seeing Lauren and Shawn’s families and friends. Taylor, Chris, and Aaliyah were asleep on the chairs. The parents were talking on the side. Normani, Dinah, and Ally were sitting close to them. Shawn bit his nails, rocking slowly. Camila was rubbing his back. The boy’s eyes were red and puffy, having cried for his child.
No one knew anything except that things weren’t looking great and they were trying to save the baby and Lauren. The doctors were given the orders of saving Lauren if it came down to choosing between the two.
The doctor came out, asking for the family. Mike, Clara and Shawn went to the doctor.
“Why does he get to talk to the doctor?” Lucy asked, jealousy evident in her voice.
Dinah looked up at Lucy. “He’s the father Luce. Of course he’s going to be here. He wants to know about his daughter.”
Lucy turned back to Shawn and Lauren’s parents. She could see the three nodding at whatever the doctor was saying.
When the doctor walked away, Clara collapsed into her husband’s arms and cried. Shawn let out a breath.
“What’s going on?” Camila asked, her voice filled with fear, as she reached for her boyfriend.
Shawn just leaned into Camila, looking smaller than ever. Lucy felt guilty for feeling jealous, seeing how much of a toll everything was taking on him.
“They’re fine. Lauren and the baby are okay. I’m a father,” Shawn whispered, smiling at the group. “They are transporting Lauren and our baby. We’ll get to see her soon.”
“You should go in first,” Mike told Shawn, respect and fondness in his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Like you said, you’re a father. You should see your daughter first,” the new grandfather told him, smiling.
Shawn’s eyes shifted to Lucy, his eyes asking for permission. Lucy smiled and gave him a nod.
-
The doctor used a lot of big words. But all he caught was the fact that his baby girl and Lauren were both alive. They were both going to stay in the hospital for a few days to make sure there weren’t anything they miss, but it was looking positive. Tests were ran and their baby seemed healthy. The second Lauren woke up was the moment Shawn was allowed to go into their room. Shawn rushed into the room and saw Lauren holding a bundle in her arms. Lauren looked up at him and smiled.
Shawn looked down at the baby in her arms with tears in her eyes. He reached down and placed his finger on his little girl’s hand.
“She’s here,” Shawn whispered, looking up at Lauren. The new mother just offered him the little girl. Shawn held her in his arms. He kissed the top of her head. “She’s beautiful.”
“She is,” Lauren whispered, her eyes drooping.
“What’s her name?” Shawn asked, his eyes never leaving his daughter..
“Emily. Emily Rose Mendes-Jauregui,” Lauren told him. Shawn’s head snapped to her, his eyes wide.
“You chose my name first,” Shawn whispered, his eyes wide and filled with joy.
“You’re her father. You’ve been there every step of the way. And you’re going to continue to be in her life forever. She should have her father’s name.”
Shawn’s fingers stroked his daughter’s cheek. “I will love you until the end of time.”
Lauren’s eyes closed and she fell asleep. Shawn introduced his daughter to his parents, girlfriend and friends. Everyone heard the pride in his voice.
Camila held her boyfriend’s daughter. Lucy held her girlfriend’s daughter. Both instantly fell in love, seeing bits of their significant other in the baby.
Everyone left, leaving Emily and her parents. Shawn didn’t want to leave. He watched as the nurses showed Lauren how to breastfeed. He leaned to change her diaper. He held her when she got restless. He watched as Lauren talked to her.
-
Lauren watched as her baby’s chest raised and dropped. She looked over her to see Shawn’s chest rise and fall. She smiled, both the baby and the teen were asleep. Lauren reached over and stroked her daughter’s cheek.
She let out a little yawn, thinking about taking a little nap. She closed her eyes, knowing her baby was with her and she was alive. Her little heart beating just like her own.
-
After high school, Lauren, Shawn and Camila got an apartment together. Lauren and Shawn went to college. Camila decided that college wasn’t for her and she wanted to go into the music business. Lucy had gotten into another school in another state. Lauren and Lucy decided to try the long distance.
Lauren and Shawn watched their daughter take her first step. They heard her first word, (it was no, and boy did that girl love to say that). They potty trained her. They helped her learn to ride a bike. They took turns putting dollars under her pillow when her teeth fell.
After college, Lucy moved into the apartment. They all got jobs in their respective fields. They lived together like a weird family, but a family nevertheless.
Shawn talked to Emily when he wanted to ask Camila to marry him. She was the flower girl and stood at her father’s side.
Lucy asked her for permission to marry Lauren. She was another flower girl. She was in every picture.
Emily loved when she got her own room when Shawn, Camila, Lucy and Lauren decided to get a house together.
Emily had a daddy, a mommy, and two mamas. She was happy when she learned her daddy and mama Cami were having a baby. She was ecstatic when Lucy became pregnant from a sperm donor. Emily got a little brother and sister. She was there for her future siblings that would come.
Lauren sat with her when Emily got her first crush. Shawn and Lauren hugged her when her heart broke for the first time. Shawn got the Father talk with her first boyfriend. Lauren got to listen while Emily talked about her date.
Her parents sat on the bleachers when Emily got her diplomas. Lauren and Shawn cheered when Emily got into the college she wanted to go to. They cried when Emily moved out of state.
Shawn was able to give Emily’s future boyfriend permission to marry his little girl. He was able to walk her down the aisle. Lauren was the first person Emily called when she found out she was expecting. Lauren and Shawn told her about their experience after having her. They were able to hold their first grandchild.
Shawn and Lauren never told anyone, not even each other, but they liked to look at the sonogram. They’d look for the recording of the heartbeat and listen to it.
That fateful night could have ended in many different ways. They were just grateful it ended in a happy note.
-
“Mommy, I love you,” four year old Emily said one day, looking up at Lauren, a toothy grin on her face. She looked over at Shawn. “I love you daddy.”
Shawn laughed. Lauren and Shawn each kissed one of her cheeks. They both told her they loved her and that she was their whole world.
And she was.