Chapter Text
Joe was 26 years old when his biological clock started ticking. He didn’t know men could have biological clocks; he still didn’t know if they do but he definitely did. He really wanted to be a dad.
He was a lucky man. His career took off as soon as he left college and his scripts were picked up here and there for TV episodes, plays, small indie movies and shorts. Nothing mayor, no blockbusters, but he was telling stories as he always dreamed of. By 26 he already owned a small house in upstate New York and it was nothing too fancy but it was decent enough and it had a back yard which he really loved.
Joe felt like he had already accomplished a lot in a small period of time. He was so fortunate and he wanted to share that joy with someone else. He would always talk about meeting someone, “the right person” . He was a hopeless romantic, there was no denying that, he was actually proud of it. He really wanted to find love but at first, he was too busy focused on college and then on his career. Of course, he met people along the way but he never found anyone who wanted both a career and a family. It was always one or the other. But Joe wanted it all.
While he was in college, he met Lucy, his best friend now. In spite of being a few years younger than him, she was already working in show business when they met. She was an actress, a wonderful one too, trained in London since she was a little girl. Lucy was very passionate about her career. They connected instantly and became inseparable. At first, she would come and go between England and New York but with time she moved to The States permanently, focusing on her career in theatre.
His relationship with Lucy was out of this world because Lucy was out of this world. Beauty aside, for Lucy was in fact one of the most beautiful women he’s ever met, she was also something else. He was pretty sure he would never meet anyone like her again in his life because there probably wasn’t someone like her out there in the world. She was fun to be around all the time. There was no way in hell that you could feel sad or blue around her, she radiated joy and energy all the time. And in the off chance you were going through something she would cling to you and fill you with so much affection that it could last you for a life time. She had this amazing power to make you feel important and make you feel like you mattered and that the world would stop revolving if you weren’t in it. She would focus her full attention on you, always so selfless and Joe loved that because he was also a little like that, putting others before himself but he didn’t always find people who appreciated that, instead they took advantage of him for it instead. That’s why he loved Lucy. It was the first time in his life he could be himself, caring and loving and be certain he wouldn’t be exchanged for the next new thing that came around.
Sometimes people that knew them or saw them assumed they were together, and the ones that didn’t, wondered why he wouldn’t ask her out. It would be a lie if he said he never thought about it. He would never say it to anyone but he did think about it at some point. His relationship with Lucy was everything he wanted in a romantic relationship minus the sex. They could be around each other and do nothing and it would be perfect, no expectations, just enjoy each other’s company. And they also did all sorts of fun things together, they never got bored around each other and always found new things to do. Lucy was completely comfortable around Joe, maybe too comfortable. He had seen her in her underwear more times than he had seen any partner he ever had and it wasn’t weird or uncomfortable for them. Lucy, being an actress, was too used to change in front of anyone and she didn’t care at all where she took off her shirt. They would even sleep together, in the most literal sense of the word, whenever she slept over. At first, he offered time and time again to sleep on the couch but she would protest every time, saying that it was ridiculous and that they were adults and could share a bed without making it weird. With time they would even spoon or cuddle but they never went forward than that.
So, yes, Joe did think about being with Lucy a time or two. But the truth was, Joe didn’t think too big of himself. He thought that never in a million years could Lucy look at him as more than a friend. He was a very insecure man, and he also thought too much of her. He would rather die than not have her in his life just to try and be in a relationship with her. He also wondered if it was his own loneliness that made him feel that way. Lucy was there and it was safe and he already knew she cared about him so it was easy. All the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ and wonders ended always in the same place. It wasn’t worth the risk of losing her friendship and he was content with what they had.
After all, he would also have with her the same problem he’s been having with every potential partner he met. Lucy didn’t want to be a mom. Not for a long while at least. She said she wasn’t opposed to the idea completely and she loved children. She knew she might change her mind in the future but for now, it wasn’t in her plans.
That's why when Lucy offered to carry his baby, Joe thought she had completely lost her mind.
She gave him a million reasons why he should accept. They were both cute, that one was very important. She wanted him to have a cute kid to which Joe laugh because he knew he was going to think his kid was cute no matter what. She was young and healthy and it would be easy for her to get pregnant, he wouldn’t have to look for a surrogate and pay for them. She even suggested getting pregnant the old fashion way. Joe didn’t like that idea; he didn’t want things to change between them and sex always complicated things but she was stubborn. Lucy said it was ridiculous to spend all that money in procedures when they could just have sex.
They talked about it for a long while. Lucy would send him fun facts about babies, pictures of cute little ones in baseball uniforms and Halloween costumes. She told him how she was planning this, how she would manage the pregnancy and Joe really thought it was the craziest thing he ever heard. How could he ask this of her? How could he say yes to this? But he really wanted to. Oh, he wanted it so badly .
*******
During her pregnancy Lucy met Rami. He was an actor like her and they met through mutual friends. He was also working in a play in New York, only few theatres down from hers. They went out a couple of times and when she decided that she liked him she told him the truth about her baby bump right away. Every single detail. Weirdly enough, Rami didn’t run away as Joe thought he would when Lucy told him she was going to tell Rami everything. Joe respected that and he also thought Lucy needed someone as crazy as her to be by her side and Rami, being okay with all that craziness, seemed like a good fit for his friend.
So, Rami and Lucy started dating. Joe was certain things were going to get weird but quite the opposite. Without even noticing, Rami became Joe’s friend and got involved in their lives and the pregnancy. He admired Lucy for what she was doing and wanted to help out in any way he could. He also admired Joe because he was so young and already knew exactly what he wanted and how he wanted it while he was two years older than the man and still wasn’t certain about his future.
They spent the last month of the pregnancy living at Joe’s house, now with Rami as well. Lucy demanded they should all sleep in the same bed even though she was huge and they barely fitted, but of course, no one said no. Rami and Joe took turns going grocery shopping and cooking and cleaning and for most part they were having fun. Joe was going to miss them after Lucy gave birth but at least he wasn’t going to be alone.
*******
Joe thought that after six months he was going to get the hang of it and specially, he would stop crying. He was so wrong. More often than not he thought that he made a huge mistake and that he wasn’t ready to be a father, let alone a single one. Yes, he had a lot of help, but baby Frances, Frankie , was a handful. There wasn’t a second in the day that she was quiet or still. She slept at odd hours and drove Joe crazy at night, always wanting to play at the worst possible times. Sometimes Lucy and Rami or his mom would come to look after her just so he could sleep a few hours. He had never felt this exhausted in his life.
It was the worst when she got a cold, a minor one but she wouldn’t stop crying for days on end. One of those nights, Lucy found Joe on the floor of his room next to Frankie’s crib crying his eyes out along with her because he didn’t know how to make her stop crying. He had been to the doctor almost every day and they told him she just had to ride it out, it wasn’t nothing serious but she wouldn’t stop crying no matter what he did. Lucy, like the heaven sent she was, put them both in a hot bath so the steam from it would help with Frankie’s cold and he could relax. It worked wonders and the baby finally slept for a while and so did Joe.
As months went by and Frankie got older things got easier and as soon as she started to understand him, they got along better. She was still full of energy and she was very curious and wouldn’t sit still for too long but she was obedient and she was so smart she could sense whatever Joe was feeling and act accordingly.
Joe finally adjusted to his new life as a dad. As Frankie’s dad.