Lonnie took the child in. Two of her staff members had come with her to the market. One of them found the baby on the doorstep. She said that a huge black wolf just dropped it here. It didn't look malicious, but it was bigger than any wolf that had probably ever been recorded. Bigger than any of the wolves here.
"It was huge. It had dark, black fur, but it was dirty. The deep brown eyes didn't show that it was trying to hurt the baby. In fact, I think it must have been a female wolf. Maybe she found the child somewhere. She had a smartness in her eyes. She definitely wasn't 'normal'," Penellope, one of Lonnie's kitchen staff, had said.
The child was male and she of course wanted to keep him. The only way to do that is to… convince the Grand Duke of Ashmonie. That was going to be a challenge, one like Lonnie had never faced before. She also wasn't entirely sure how to approach the situation. She needed to devise a plan. How could she get him to say "yes"? How could she help him see from her point of view? But then again, he might take the child in, anyway. Lonnie thought about various situations where sometimes he would say "yes". But it was mostly "no".
Finally, she planned out the perfect argument. She wrapped the baby in a clean cloth and left to retrieve the basket from Robin's room. In the few months she was here, the Duke had a room made for her. It was right in the corner of the castle so she had two windows on two different walls. The wallpaper was a light rose-red with gold vines entwining throughout. The crib was made from the finest oak with small details of gold. Her sheets, the finest fabrics. Lonnie stood in the center of the room, appreciating every little detail. He really loves her, doesn't he? Lonnie asked herself. He wants her to have the best life.
Lonnie walked over to the side of the crib and looked down at little Robin. She was sleeping peacefully but, every now and then, stirred slightly. Twitching her hand or her foot. It was quite adorable. Trying to stay back on task, she located the basket by a chair. She picked it up and right as she turned around, the Grand Duke of Ashmonie was suddenly standing right behind her. She jumped, letting go of the basket but managing to keep her grip on the baby. John smiled, until he saw the baby. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then quickly shut it.
"Lonnie, care to explain?" he asked after finally finding his voice.
"Uh…." Lonnie was trying to come up with an explanation but couldn't form the words. "Uh… You-you-um… the baby. Found. Doorstep." Lonnie cursed herself for only being able to get one word out at a time. It was infuriating, and then she saw John's eyebrows crinkle together.
"Lonnie, explain to me why you have a baby and why you can't seem to form sentences."
Taking a deep breath, she dove into the story. Told him Penellope's opinion and then her own.
"John, there was a baby on the doorstep. Again. He needs our help."
John took a deep breath. He hadn't said anything while she was explaining. And then she explained why she was so nervous: that she figured he wouldn't want to take in another child. He held a hand up, stopping any further conversation from her.
"Take a deep breath," he told her. She did. And felt better. "Okay," he continued, "now we need to prepare a room for this baby. Should it be across the hall or right next door?"
Lonnie's mouth was opening and closing, unable to form words (again).
"I don't understand. We are keeping him?"
John nodded solemnly, a small smile formed on his lips.
"Thank you so much!" Lonnie set the baby down in the crib, next to Robin.
"He doesn't have a name," John said, deliberately looking at Lonnie.
"Wha-? I get to name him?"
"Go ahead."
"Sydney."
"That's a good name."
"Thank you. It was my dad's. It's all my mother ever told me about him. His name and the fact that he left."
They fell into silence as they watched Sydney curl up next to Robin. The two were face to face as they cuddled. It was the cutest thing Lonnie had ever seen. At that moment, she realized she wanted to be a mother. But it would never be possible.
A few years ago, they discovered that she couldn't bear children. It didn't really affect Lonnie, since she had no interest in becoming a mother at the time. But now, she couldn't help but be filled with sorrow.
John must have realized how quickly the atmosphere around her changed, because he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her close.
John was one of the first people she had ever told that to. He was her best friend, after all. And he hadn't looked at her any other way than with love. Her mother, on the other hand, was not as understanding. It took a little while for the disappointment to leave her eyes every time she looked at her daughter. Lonnie could never help but feel guilty, even though she knew it wasn't her fault.
"You are amazing and have nothing to be ashamed of," he whispered.
Suddenly, tears spilled down her cheeks. She buried her face into his coat, unable to stand the mortification of facing him.
After several moments, she gathered herself and pulled back. John looked at her empathetically, but she waved her hand, dismissing the notion. She headed for the door.
"Come on. I need a drink," she said hoarsely.