It was late when Matt finally arrived home. Music was floating out from the kitchen, where he could hear his wife bashing pots and pans as she cooked. He wanted to say he felt the same way about her that he had this morning when he left, but things had changed.
She'd had a baby- more importantly, a baby that now legally belonged to his best friend. And she'd kept it a secret from him for over a year. Wasn't marriage meant to be about trust, and honesty? If she'd just told him everything he would've understood.
Sure, when you find out your wife's pregnant with another man's kid, it hurts a little, but not as much as when you find out second-hand that she couldn't even tell you, her husband.

"Mattie? Is that you?" Val called out, and rubbing a hand over his face, he knew it was time to confront her. He'd been battling his feelings all day, and now it was time to get them out in the open.
"Yeah, it's just me" he replied as he walked into the kitchen, leaning over the counter to kiss her. She was smiling, a gesture he hadn't seen in a long time from her.
"So I heard the funniest thing today at work, you won't believe it. I---"
"Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"

Val dropped the dish in her hand, and it smashed loudly, a horrible crack in the silence. Matt stared at Val, determined for the two of them to sort it out.
"Zacky told you, didn't he?" she whispered, leaning up against the sink for support. Matt rolled his eyes, hoping the floor could swallow him up. Maybe this conversation would end and they could just stop talking to each other.

"It doesn't matter who told me, Val, the problem is you didn't tell me. I'm your husband- how could you keep something like this from me?!"
"It's not the easiest conversation in the world, Matt! I wanted to tell you, but I was scared I would hurt you if you found out!"
"We promised to be honest with each other, to be faithful. You get pregnant from another guy and don't even have the guts to tell me about it?"

He'd silenced Val, she had nothing better to say. It was all coming down on her- something she'd tried to run away from, was now coming back to bite her ass.
"I would've supported you. I would've been the best damn father to that little girl I could. But...I guess we'll never find out" Matt said softly, toying with his keys in his pocket. Tonight his world was going to come crashing down- and he was going to need his friends right by his side.

"We can still have our own babies, Matt. This doesn't have to be the end" she cried, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Yeah, it does. Goodbye Val" he whispered, and on that note, turned on his heel and left the house. He didn't grab anything but his suitcase from tour which he'd never unpacked and his keys, phone and wallet before throwing them into the trunk of his car and driving to Zacky's place. He wasn't that kids father- some other guy his wife had slept with was.
But he was going to be the most incredible uncle to Linzee he could be- if only to compete with Brian.

The sky was dark when he reached Zacky's house, and through the front window, he could see Zacky on the couch with Linzee, watching 'School Of Rock' under a mesh pile of blankets. Brian was staying overnight at the hospital, so it looked like the two of them weren't going anywhere fast. As soon as he knocked on the door, he heard Linzee start to wail, and in seconds Zacky was stood in the doorway staring at him.
"Matt? Are you OK- what are you doing here?"

He took one look at his friends face and his expression fell.
"Oh" he said softly, holding Linzee to his chest. Matt grimaces, and he can feel spits of rain starting to open up from the heavens.
"Can I stay here for a few days? Val and I, we..."
"Of course you can, Matt. Come on in, I'll get the guest room ready" Zacky said, offering his friend a one armed hug. As he shut the door, he held Linzee out to Matt.
"Can you watch her for a moment? She's still a little sick, so if she starts whining just rock her or something" he said, bounding up his stairs like one of his dogs and looking around for something to cover his guest bed with.

Linzee started to wail as soon as Zacky disappeared, and doing exactly what her dad had ordered he started to rock her slowly.
"I'll be the best goddamn uncle to you, Linz. I promise"

***
The weeks passed slowly, each day dragging on that little bit further, and Zacky shuttled faithfully between the hospital where Keira lay, and the home where one of his best friends was recovering and the other was trying to avoid his wife. Linzee would go wherever he went, because he'd be damned if he ever let her out of his sights again.

Brian and Matt suddenly became the 'Super Uncles' (patent pending) while Zacky ran out for groceries or had to go for meetings, singing '99 Hookers' on repeat and miming out slapstick comedy (that included almost knocking Matt out with a cushion- Linzee could be evil when she wanted to be).

Zacky was bouncing Linzee on his lap while he watched Keira sleep softly. The doctors had confirmed that any moment now she was going to wake up. But now, he listened to Keira babble gibberish to him and point and laugh at little things in the room.
She was adorable, and every time she smiled, Zacky would smile right back. Because her toothy grin gave him hope that Keira would wake up soon.

Linzee started to fidget on his lap, holding out her hands and trying to reach Keira's bed. No one was around, so Zacky let her crawl up onto the hospital bed. Linzee was at the stage where she started to shuffle and crawl around, and the more things she learned how to do, the faster she became. The three of them had taken to chasing her around the house- yet she still seemed to have more energy than all of them combined.

She crawled up onto Keira's lap, and then turned back to stare at Zacky with big wide eyes. He stood up, just in case she fell over onto her head and he wasn't supporting her head.
"Mama" she said, pressing her hand up against Keira's cheek.

And suddenly Keira's eyes flickered open.