The Summerfield Household

"Why?"

He wondered why she was asking.

SHe repeated herself.

"Why do you think?"

"Amanda."

Amanda began to tear up to a point where she couldn't hide it. "Forgive me."

He couldn't bring himself to speak in fear of his voice breaking. He occupied himself with fighting against his own tear ducts.

"T-tre---" Sh hiccuped, tears streaming down like a waterfall.

and out popped a lovechild

Amanda sat in the kitchen of the currently empty house, absentmindedly cradling the new born, cooing at her every few seconds. Lo and behold, it had a light blonde tuft of hair atop and greenish gray eyes. It was obvious who's it was, and it was a matter of time before Trevor stopped being gung ho about it and finally snapped. Every few minutes Amanda would put Florence in her lap, smiling at the blissfully unaware child. During some crazy, pain medication induced dream, Amanda imagined Florence growing into the child she always dreamed of having with Wallace in Hogwarts. Maybe it was foolish and selfish, but it made life easier.

Especially knowing that since Trevor was at work Wallace would be arriving in a few minutes.

And lo and behold, the doorbell rang -- only once, with hesitation. And lo and behold, the bastard drooled.

Amanda answer it with a slight smile. Her post-pregnancy belly had gone down quite a bit, but not even to fit into her old shirts and jeans yet. She was wearing a floral sundress that may or may not have been saved for Wallace's visit.

"Meet daddy, Florence."

Wallace grimaced slightly at use of the familiar address, but he was incredibly touched that she had used his mother's name -- let alone by the first sight of his third child. So much, in fact, that he was struck speechless. Towhead, he thought, just like he had been. That tiny stream of spittle running down her chin only added to the charm of her chubby, flushed face. "Oh."

Florence hiccuped, looking back and fourth between her mother and this strange man. She was oblivious to any exchange going on, but she knew that her mother was giving this new fellow too much attention.

She cooed, making curling and uncurling fists at Wallace.

"I know I didn't ask you... but I always did love the name."

"You didn't... I mean, it's a name, it's..." He trailed off, lifting a hand to touch the girl's head.

Florence grabbed at his fingers, her tiny hands just barely going around his finger.

"She's quite sweet, a big old ham." Amanda looked up from Florence with a grin, "Sound familiar?"