No copyright infringement intended all characters belong to Stephanie Meyer.
This is an updated verson of this chapter. (I've done some editing).
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A big thanks to Leslie and Natasha for helping me with editing, as I severely suck at it!
Adopting Love
Chapter 1
"Hey," I greeted Angela as I walked into the local coffee shop, Angela is my fellow co-worker. We meet up every lunch hour in-between our clients.
"Bella! Oh my god I seen you had Mr. Richards today as a client, I'm glad I don't have him anymore!" Mr. Richards, is the dirty old bastard that lives over on 5th street.
"Yeah let me tell you that was the first and last time I will be giving a bath to that dirty old pervert! The sicko is obsessed with my tits! Apparently even his dog was! And that's not even the worst part, he tried to corner me in the bathroom when I was going to give him his shower," I said sharply as I took my seat across from Angela.
"You have got to be kidding me! Did you report that shit to Mrs. Cope? I have no clue who they're going to get to service him anymore, he has been through every personal support worker in our area!" she said.
"Yeah I called her from my car, there was no way I was staying another minute in that house with that sick fuck and his fucking dog," I whispered as everyone in town knew who Mr. Richards was, and I was not going to get fired from breach of confidentiality.
"Ok, enough talk about the perv, what are you doing after your last client? I was wondering if you weren't busy or anything, if you wanted to go to my sisters friends house, she just had a baby, and oh boy would you fall in love with her, she is the sweetest thing ever," Angela squealed.
"Well, no I'm not busy and how could I say no to opportunity to see a newborn! How could anyone say no?" I answered.
Angela just gave me her best shit-eating grin she could, and she knew she had me at baby!
Angela offered to meet me at the local marina and pick me up there after my last client at 3pm; I was still new to the Leamington area and didn't know all the roads yet. I'm from a small town not far from here called Belle River; it's located in southern Ontario. I lived there with my mom, Renee and step dad, Phil. But for the past year I was living with my dad, Charlie up in Toronto, while I had finished up college.
"Oh, I've been meaning to ask you something," Angela stated.
"Oh yeah, what's that? Not trying to set me up again are you? The last date you had me go on, I was drowning in slobber, the guy kissed like a cow!" I exclaimed.
"Well...It wouldn't be a date. It's just, you know Ben and I are on the bowling team, well we need an extra player just for one of the games and well it's a couples game and Ben's friend, Mike has no one to play with since his girlfriend Jessica dumped him last week, and I really didn't want to ask you since I know you don't like to be set up, but we couldn't find anyone to take Jessica's spot," Angela rambled.
"Two things; I hate bowling and being set up at the same time, but for you and Ben, I will, I need a night out," I said as I glanced at my watch.
"Shit Ang I have to go, I'm going to be late for my next client, meet you at the marina at three, don't be late," I yelled in a hurry, throwing my money down on the table and ran out the door.
The day passed by quickly. Thank God I didn't have to shower any more perverted old men today.
I did my usual clients, the sweet old ladies.
I love hearing their old stories and how things used to be back in the day, how their husbands were the only ones that worked and they stayed home and raised the children. The poor old ladies would always end up crying, all of their husbands were long gone and they would always say that they were just waiting for their day to come to meet them again. That's what I loved most working in home, instead of in a nursing home, you get to spend one on one time with these people, and you are never rushed with them.
When I arrived at the marina, of course Angela was late. I sat in my beat up, red Chevy truck, with the windows down as far as they would go. I was thankful for the lake right beside me and the breeze that was rolling off the water. If there wasn't a breeze, I was sure I was going to die of heat exhaustion. The summers here were hot and dry, while the winters were cold and snowy. I smiled from ear to ear as Angela pulled up a few minutes later; she had air conditioning in her car.
"You know if you were 5 minutes late you would have found me dead in the cab of my truck," I yelled as I locked up the truck and hopped out.
"Yeah yeah just get in," she said.
"The first thing I'm buying is a new car with air." I said as I fell into the nice air conditioned car.
"Yeah, I would hope so, you have had that truck for what, five hundred years?" she questioned. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head at her.
"So how do you know this girl who we are going to see?" I asked.
"Lauren is one of my sisters friends, I think you met her once at my house years back, but I'm not too sure." she answered.
"Maybe," I answered softly as I drank in as much of the cool air as I could.
Angela didn't say much on the ride to Lauren's house, I think she knew that I was enjoying the cold air too much.
As we approached Lauren's house my eyes were as big as saucers, there was kids everywhere from the ages of two to maybe six running around half dressed, there was toys scattered from one end of the yard to the other, we couldn't even park in her drive way there was so much shit scattered everywhere.
"What the fuck Ang!" I said in horror of the sight before me.
"Lauren babysits the neighbourhood kids, I honestly think she bit off more than she can chew," Angela stated.
"Yeah I would think so," I said, shaking my head as I got out of the car and followed Angela to the house.
"Oh, hey Angela," Lauren yelled from the kitchen window.
"Don't you think it's about time you send these kids home? You just had a baby and your back to babysitting already?" Angela questioned as she walked into the house.
What I seen before me was unreal as I followed Angela into the house. And I thought the outside was bad, I would not even consider this a house. There was food smeared on the floor and on the walls, dirty diapers on the counters, rotten food on the stove, I was afraid to walk any further into the house and I was only at the front door.
"Anyways Lauren, take these kids home, we will watch Nessie. Oh and this is my friend Bella," Angela introduced me.
"Hey nice to meet you, I think we have meet before?" Lauren said as she reached her hand out in a friendly manner.
"Oh, I don't think so, but it's nice to meet you," I said as I shook her hand.
"I will just be five minutes taking these brats home, be back in a jiffy," Lauren said as she shoved past me and ran out the door after the four half naked kids running about on her front lawn.
"Ok Ang, she has some serious issues," I voiced my concerns.
"I swear, this is the first time I have seen it this bad, she's not the cleanest person, but it's normally a hundred times better than this," she said as she picked up one of the diapers off the counter and threw it in the trash.
"Well, whatever this is disgusting, and where is this cute baby you were telling me about?" I said almost gagging from the stench of rotten food.
Before Angela could answer, I heard a small cry coming from the living room. I walked into the disastrous room to find the tiniest, most adorable, little girl wrapped in a pink blanket, lying on the floor, surrounded by stuffed animals and toys. Trying not to trip and walk as fast as humanly possible around the mess, I finally reach her, I picked her up and she instantly stopped fussing.
"Wow, you have the charm Bella, that baby always cries, but isn't she precious?" Ang asked.
"She is the cutest thing I have ever seen," I sang.
"Her name is Renesmee, but we call her Nessie for short," Ang said.
Nessie had the longest hair for a newborn I have ever seen, almost to her chin laid copper ringlets. Her eyes were a warm chocolate brown, when you looked into them you almost melt away. I brought Nessie to the couch with me and sat down on the only clean section. We sat there for what seemed like forever, just gazing into each other's eyes.
"Hey I have to feed the baby brat," Lauren said.
She seemed very unenthused at the task of feeding her baby. I didn't even know she came back.
"Yeah right, I need to get going anyways," I said, as I passed Nessie to her mother. She instantly started to cry again. I just had to turn and walk out the door.
"Hey wait up," Angela yelled as she ran out the door after me.
"I just had to leave, if I stayed any longer and listened to her cry, I just don't know what I would have done," I cried to Angela as I closed the passenger door to her car.
Angela climbed in the car just giving me a look of pity. Why should she give me pity? There was a precious, beautiful little girl in there, living with a dumb fuck as a mother; she is the one who needs the pity, not me. The ride back was silent; the only thing Angela said to me was that the bowling tournament was a week from Friday. This means I only have ten days to brush up on my bowling skills.
"Bye Ang, coffee tomorrow?" I asked as I got out of the car.
"Of course, like always," she answered.
That night, all I could think of was Nessie, she was living a life of neglect, and no child should have to live like that.
Over the next nine days, everything was in routine. I would go to work, meet Angela for coffee at lunch, finish up my clients and then head over to see Nessie. I learned that Lauren was not all there, kind of slow, if you know what I mean.
Every time I went over, Lauren would normally take off and come back four to five hours later. I never knew where she went, but when she came back she looked like she just fried her brains out.
On those nights that Lauren was so stoned off who knows what, those were the nights that I spent the night with Nessie. We were forming such a strong bond in such a short time; I was even the first person she smiled for. When I asked Lauren to come and see her smile, Nessie started crying as soon as she seen her. I was both happy and sad when she did that, happy because I knew a one month old hated her mom and sad that Nessie would cry on the nights when I had to leave.
Today was the bowling tournament, even though I had no time to brush up on my game, because I was spending so much time with Nessie, I was happy because I was off on vacation for 2 weeks.
It was lunch time, so I headed to the coffee shop to meet up with Angela.
"Bella make sure you don't forget about tonight, Mike is very pleased that you will be his partner tonight," she said with a huge smile on her face.
"Remember you said this was not a date, so whatever you told him you better untell him," I said annoyed because I'm sure she told Mike that this was a date.
"Oh come on just see how things go," I just shook my head at her.
"Are you going to come and see Nessie with me today?" I asked.
I asked the same question to her every day and every day was the same answer.
"No, not today, I have too many things to do after work," Angela answered.
"Ok well maybe next time?" I asked hopeful that she would agree to come with me the next time.
"Yeah maybe, well I have to get going, I'm stuck doing Mr. Richards again, but thank god there is two of us going at a time now," Angela said as she stood up to put on her jacket.
"Oh that's great that there is two people now, I will see you tonight and don't worry I will not forget," I told her as I chugged down the last of my coffee.
She gave me a huge smile and rushed out the door.
I was able to go see Nessie in no time at all, since my last two clients had cancelled.
When I got to Lauren's house something was off. The windows and doors were all shut, and curtains drawn. Her house was never like this. I ran from the car and started pounding on the front door.
"Lauren, Lauren its Bella, open up." as soon as I yelled, the door flung open and she pulled me inside "Bella, Bella you have to take her, take her with you." Lauren whispered in a panic.
"What do you mean take her?" I questioned. "Her father came by trying to break into the house and take her, please take her for a while, just until I know he's gone back to Barbados," Lauren demanded.
Nessie's dad, Jacob, is an immigrant worker, he comes and works in the fields in the summer and goes home in the winter.
"Did you call the cops?" I asked.
"Yes they are out looking for him and his friends now, they came with a back pack to take her, she can't stay here, what if they come back? Take her while you are on vacation, you are on vacation right?" she cried to me.
"Yes, I'm on vacation, I'll take her," as soon as I said those words, she flung Nessie's things at me, I ran out the door as fast as I could to my car, Lauren was not far behind me with tiny Nessie in her car seat.
I strapped Nessie in and climbed into the driver's seat of my pickup.
"Where are you going to go?" I asked Lauren.
"I will be heading to a friend's house, I would take Nessie with me but all she does is cry, here is a number that you can reach me at," she said, handed me a piece of paper with the number and Nessie's health card and ran to a car waiting down the block.
What the hell just happened? I thought to myself as I drove home with Nessie sleeping beside me, she was still hiccupping in her sleep and her face was all red and blotchy from the countless hours of crying, but you could tell she was resting peacefully. I pulled over on the side of the road to examine the contents that lied in the diaper bag.
When I opened it up I was in shock of what I found, and what I found was nothing, Lauren packed 2 diapers and a bottle that was filled half way with spoiled milk.
"You got to be kidding me!" I yelled.
Nessie woke up at the sound of my yelling.
"I'm sorry baby girl," I sang gently as I unbuckled Nessie and rocked her back to sleep.
"I can't even imagine what you have been through, I will never leave you, I promise," I whispered to Nessie, as I placed her back into her seat.
I would never leave her, from this day on; I will be with her every day, even if that means pretending to be a friend to Lauren for the sake of Nessie.
By the time I got home I was two hundred bucks poorer and going to be rushed to get ready for the tournament. I bought everything I could think of, bottles, formula, diapers, wipes, soothers, toys, a beautiful, soft, fuzzy pink blanket and not to mention a shit load of clothes and sleepers.
I needed help bringing everything in, but my mom didn't know I was bringing a baby home for two weeks.
"Mom, I need your help, meet me outside," I called her on my cell from in the truck, she must of thought something was wrong because she just flew out of the house.
"What's wrong, Bella?" She yelled, as she ran towards the truck.
"Shhh, Mom nothing is wrong," I said, as I climbed out of the cab of the truck.
"Mom, I have to tell you something, just don't get mad. I know you have been wondering where I have been after work for the past week, you see Angela introduced me to a girl named Lauren, well she had a baby," I said, as I turned to unbuckled Nessie from her car seat.
When I turned with Nessie in my arms, the look on my mom's face was the look of sadness.
"Oh dear, she is so tiny, come on let's get inside and you can tell me everything," she said in a caring voice.
We unpacked all of Nessie's belonging, while I spilled everything to my mom, not leaving out any details. By the time we were finished we were both in tears.
"She can stay here for as long as she needs too," she said, wiping a stray tear that ran down my face.
My mom sterilized the bottles and made the formula while I got ready for the tournament. My mom also offered that she watch Nessie for me while I went, but I couldn't leave her, I needed her to be with me, and the fact that she still did not wake up from her nap and when she did, I knew she was going to scream her heart out when she woke up to a stranger.
"Ok Bella, if it gets too hard just call, and I will come and bring Nessie home so you can finish the game," she offered.
"I know mom, thanks," I answered, as I picked up Nessie and brought her to the truck.
"Remember, call me," she yelled from the door as I climbed into my truck.
Nessie slept the forty minute ride to the bowling alley.
As soon as I pulled up, Angela came running over to my truck.
"Bella, oh my god, my sister told me what happened, where is Nessie?" she asked.
"Lauren told me to take her, so I did, I couldn't just leave her there," I answered shyly.
Angela gave me a puzzled look.
"Wait, you brought Nessie with you, this should make a very interesting night," she said as she shook her head at me.
Angela helped me gather the things from the truck, as we entered the building, everyone stared at us, probably thinking 'why the hell would she bring a baby here?' and to tell you the truth, so was I. There were so many people, I'm assuming about a hundred and fifty or so, and so loud, I could hardly hear myself think.
"We are over in the back corner, we're playing against the Cullen's, they are a family team," Angela informed.
"Well I hope it's not so loud over there," I answered, as I tried to push my way through the crowded aisle.
"Well now what are we going to do? Bella has no one to play with," Ben said as we walked over to our lane.
"What was that Ben?" Angela asked, as she put the diaper bag on the empty chair.
"Well it looks like Mike and Jessica are back together now; she is on her way here to play, so now we have an extra player," Ben answered angrily.
"Oh well...I guess I could just sit out...I kind of have an unexpected guest," I stated.
"Oh Bella, I didn't realize you were there," Ben said surprised.
"Look Bella, I'm sorry for ditching you...to make you come all this way for nothing," someone said, I assume this was Mike from the description Angela gave me; blond hair, blue eyes, and kind of sporting a fake tan.
"Don't worry about it," I said as we shook hands.
I didn't know anyone here besides Angela, Ben and now Mike. Angela introduced me to the others, but I didn't pay much attention as Nessie was finally awake, not to mention starving.
Jessica arrived a few minutes late and it seemed that her and Mike never broke up, they were all about PDA, it was getting on my nerves after they sucked face for ten minutes.
"Excuse me?" A man called from behind me. I turned to be met by the most beautiful man I have ever seen.
"I'm Edward Cullen, I don't mean to be intrusive but I noticed you are not pared up with anyone, we are playing against your friends here, and well my date stood me up and we are now short a player, would you care to join us? We wouldn't mind if your daughter came along too," he said as charming as could be.
"Umm well..."
"Yes Bella would love to join your team Edward," Angela answered for me.
I gave her my best thankful smile I could.
"Let me just finish up here? And I will come over," I said to Edward.
I could feel my face turning a deep shade of red.
"Thank you very much, you just made my night," He said, giving me a wink, as he turned and walked towards his family.
"Paid to come hey Bella?" Ben laughed; I flipped him the bird and smiled.
"I need to change Nessie before we start. Ang can you come with me?" I asked, as I stood to leave.
"Yeah of course," she said, as she followed me to the restroom.
"I think she loves you more than her mother Bella, you are so good with her, it's unbelievable," Angela stated once we were inside the restroom.
"I know, I've been pulled in so fast, and now I can't go, I have to stay for her Ang, Lauren is a good for nothing mother, and she should not have had kids in the first place," I replied, as I laid Nessie on the changing table.
Angela just shook her head in agreement, as though she knew that this was going to happen as soon as I seen the way Lauren lived.
I took my time changing Nessie, I really was regretting my lack of practice this past week at bowling, and now I'm going to be playing with the best team so I'm told.
"If you don't hurry up, neither of us are going to be playing," Angela exclaimed. I gathered up Nessie's things and followed Angela out of the restroom.
"I was beginning to think you stood me up too, you were in there for quite a while," Edward stated, as he helped me set mine and Nessie's things down.
"Well things take time when you have a baby around," I answered, giving Nessie a kiss on her head before I placed her back in her car seat.
"Let me introduce you to everyone, here is my parents, Carlisle and Esme, my sister, Alice and her husband Jasper, and my brother, Emmett and his wife Rosalie, everyone this is Bella, she will be my partner tonight," Edward stated.
"It's so nice to meet you Bella," Alice rang, as she stood up to greet me with a hug that I was not expecting.
"Yeah, it's nice to meet you too," I expressed.
"Your daughter is beautiful, she looks just like you, and can I hold her?" Rosalie asked.
"Oh of course," I answered.
"Bella, we put you last if that's ok, just figured it would be better since your daughter is with us and you need to get settled," Carlisle expressed.
"Thanks that's very thoughtful," I said.
Nessie went from arm to arm the entire first half of the game.
"So let's talk about this little beauty." Edward expressed, as he reached for Nessie from my arms.
"Well her full name is Renesmee Carlie Mallory, she was born August seventh at eight in the morning, and her mother's name is Lauren." I whispered.
"Oh you mean she's not yours?" Edward questioned with a puzzled look on his face.
I reached for Nessie and began to tell him the story.
By the time I was finished telling him about Lauren and Renesmee I was shaking with hatred, and crying in fear. Edward grabbed Nessie from me and pulled me into his side.
"It's ok, everything will work out, her father will not come back for her, and as for her mother, she will get what's coming to her," he whispered into my ear.
The three of us sat there until it was Edward's turn, even when he rushed his turn, he still seemed to get a strike. I wiped my tears and I knew my face was red and blotchy from crying. I'm glad Angela or the others didn't realize, because I was in no mood for explaining my behavior to them.
Edward came back and took Nessie from me so I could bowl the last frame; I managed to score a total of two hundred throughout the last game and was happy that I didn't look like a complete fool. We ended up beating Angela and her team four to one, they knew they were not going to win, even if I didn't play against them. They were still pissed anyways and stormed out of the building, and not even saying good bye.
"You should play with us all the time Bella, you kicked my ass twice, and that doesn't happen too often," Emmett laughed.
"And I think that baby of yours gives us good luck," Jasper voiced.
"Please will you come back again?" Alice questioned.
By the look on everyone's face they truly wanted me back.
"Well if you insist, I work a ton of hours and don't have much free time to myself, so this could be my outings," I declared.
Alice, Edward and I exchanged numbers while Rosalie buckled Nessie into her seat for me.
"Thanks for the great time, I will call one of you tomorrow to find out when the next game is," I said, as I gathered up Nessie and our things.
"Wait let me get that, I will help you to your car," Edward offered.
"Thanks," I whispered.
Edward took Nessie and left me with the light diaper bag.
It was finally cooling off at night now, and you could see the dew starting to form on the car windows and the fog rolling in.
"You have to be kidding me!" Edward shouted as we reached my truck.
I was suddenly embarrassed by this piece of shit that I couldn't seem to get rid of.
"That thing should not be allowed on the road, how old is it, a hundred years old?" Edward questioned.
"School took up a lot of my funds, and this was given to me by my dad, as a present, when I stayed with him while I went to college," I expressed.
"I'm following you home so I know you and Nessie get home safe, and don't try and say no either because I will still follow you," Edward declared.
"Fine, but it's a forty minute drive," I huffed, as I got into the truck to strap Nessie in.
My truck roared to life and I headed down the slightly foggy road.
The drive felt even longer with Edward following behind me.
When I reached my driveway, every light was on in the house, and I could see my mom peeking out of the front door. As soon as the truck was in park, she ran out of the house slippers and all.
"I'm so happy you are home, oh, and you brought someone home with you," she stated.
I didn't even realize Edward was parked behind me, and now standing at my side.
"Mom this is Edward, Edward this is my mother Renee," I introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Edward said, as he shook my mother's hand.
"The pleasure is all mine," my mom sang.
"I'll take Nessie in for you and get her settled, you just take your time coming in honey," she stated, as she danced to the other side of the truck to grab Nessie from the truck.
"Your mother is a very nice woman, you must take after her," Edward whispered, as he brushed my hair out of my face.
I couldn't find any words to say, and I couldn't move from his gaze, it was like his piercing blue eyes held me captive.
"You are a beautiful, strong, courageous woman for taking on so much in this short time," Edward stated, as he now held my face in his hand.
He gently leaned in and kissed my forehead, to my cheek then finally to my lips.
When we connected something magical happened, like the world shifted, I kissed him back with much need.
"I admire you, Bella." He whispered softly against my lips.