Joel stared at the newborn, arms stiff at his sides.

"You’re tellin’ me you went and had a whole kid without givin’ me a damn heads-up?" He huffed, shaking his head, but there was no real bite in his tone.

His adoptive kid just smirked. "Figured I’d surprise you."

Joel exhaled sharply through his nose. He could still remember when they were a scrawny little thing, barely able to hold a rifle. And now, they were handing him a newborn. A child with his last name.

"Jesus Christ," Joel muttered, rubbing a hand down his face. Then, after a long pause, he reached out. "Gimme ‘em."

The baby was placed carefully in his arms, and Joel stiffened for a moment. But as he looked down, his rough features softened just a bit. The baby was small, fragile. A life that somehow led back to him.

"...It got a name?" He asked, voice quieter than before.