"HE ALREADY HAS A FAMILY!" rang through my ears. She was right. I do have a family.

I looked at Lindsey after Taylor had stormed out. Lindsey was in tears already, as were my parents. What was I supposed to say? What was I supposed to do?

"Well, I leave it up to the adults now," Cathy started. "Mr. Anders and Mr. Way, I'm sure you'll figure out a solution before the funeral." She closed up her briefcase and parted ways with us, leaving the room in silence.

"Babe?"
"What?"
Lindsey looked up at me and frowned. "Gerard, you have to get to know her at some point..."
"Linds, she clearly doesn't want to..."
"I agree with your wife, Gerard," Jace started. "Taylor and I... It just doesn't seem right anymore. I've already moved on with Sheila... I refuse to raise her anymore, knowing that she isn't my daughter."
"Refuse? You refuse to raise your own child?"
"Yes, because she isn't my child. She's yours."

I still couldn't believe it. Taylor... The very essence of Adrienne... Was my daughter. But she clearly doesn't care.

"Look," I sighed, leaning my arms on my knees. "I would love to take care of her but she doesn't want anything to do with me. We all heard her!"
"Baby, it doesn't mean that that can't change," my mom whispered, gripping my hand.
"Gerard, Mom's right," Mikey sighed. "It doesn't mean that you can't at least try a friendship first or something like that."
"What if she doesn't want that either?"
"She doesn't have a choice," Sheila snapped. "We don't think it'd be appropriate to raise her anymore. And to be frank, we don't have the funds to be shipping her off to school again."
"So you ship her off with us instead?" Linds snapped back. "She's a 17 year old girl!"
"We don't have the time for her."

Soon, a shouting match had gone down between my wife and Jace's. Lindsey got a few good slaps in there and Sheila walked away with an extension pulled out and a few broken nails. I sighed and walked down to the basement once everyone had left, going through some of my old photos. I found a few of Adrienne and I from a Halloween party in college and frowned. That night was the last night we spent together. 9 months later, Taylor came into the world. I should've been there for her. I wanted to be there for her forever but she just shut me out a few weeks after. I didn't know why until just recently.

"Daddy?"
I turned around to face a sleepy looking Lady B. "Hey, baby doll."
"Is that girl my sissy?"
"Yeah... I guess she is."
"But how?"
"Well," I gathered her in my arms and sprawled out on my old bed, holding her close to my chest. "When I was younger, I met a wonderful girl and we became friends. Best friends, actually. And through that friendship, I gained Taylor... I just didn't know about it."
"But I thought only married people can have babies."
"Any one can have babies, Bandit. It's just better if you're married."
"Were you gonna marry her mommy, Daddy?"
"I never thought about it. But I would've if she had told me."

Soon, Bandit had fallen asleep and I brought her up to the guest bedroom and put her into bed. I sighed, clicking the light off. I missed a lot of these nights with Taylor. Call me a douche bag and insensitive, but I blame Adrienne. If she had told me, I would have dropped the band and I would have hopped on the first flight back to Jersey to stay with her.

I headed back down stairs to the living room and grabbed my coat. I was an angry teen once too and I know just the place that Taylor was more than likely to be.

Notes