So I've been trying to find the balls to write a fic for a long time. This is the first thing I've ever written for fun that I'm sharing with people, so be gentle. And please, please, please review. It would mean the world to me to know what you think. If people seem to like this story I have most of the next two chapters written, so I'll post them in the next week or so. Well, here it is.
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The sun was shining brightly into my room, a rarity in Seattle. I tried to roll over and go back to sleep, but there was a heavy weight on my chest. Damn cat. I was about to shove it off of me when I noticed it wasn't Tigger. I sighed and then shoved her off anyway.
She rolled off of me and turned to face me. She gave me a disapproving stare. "Mommy, why you wake me up? It so early," she grumbled.
"That's your own fault for sneaking into my room in the middle of the night," I replied. I might have woken her up to hang out with me, although I'd never admit it. "Anyway, why did you come in? Were you scared?" I asked a little more sympathetically.
She shrugged. "I just missed you."
My heart was about to explode. Angelique said the sweetest things. "I missed you too," I reassured her.
Ever since we moved out of my dad's a couple months ago, she had her own room, and she was still having a hard time adjusting. I sighed. "Baby, I'm just down the hall, so don't be scared."
"I'ms not scared! I told you, I just missed you!" she cried indignantly.
"So you were just lonely?" I asked. She nodded hard. "Well, how about I let Tigger sleep in your room?" I regretted the offer immediately. What if the fat ass cat sat on her face when she was sleeping? Shit, I guess I won't be sleeping tonight. She gasped, "REALLY? Tank you Momma!"
Crap! She'd been asking since we moved in to let Tigger sleep with her, but I told her no out of fear. All it took was for her to say something sweet in a sad little voice and I was putty in her hands.
"I guess." I can't back out now. That would break her little heart. "But if she claws you or bites you in you sleep she can't stay in there anymore," I compromised.
"Otay!" she screamed excitedly and clapped her hands. She was so much like Alice sometimes that it was creepy.
We walked into the kitchen to eat breakfast. I looked in the fridge. Nothing looked good. I looked in the cupboards. Nutella sandwiches? Nah. A quick look in the pantry was equally disappointing. Guess I needed to go grocery shopping.
"How good do you think you've been this week?" I asked her.
She looked hopeful. Conversations that started like that usually meant she was getting something. "Super-duper good!" she said, bouncing up and down. "Except when I tried to ride da cat. And when I wouldn't eat my brocki. And when I-"
"Okay, okay, okay!" I held my hands up, laughing. "Well thanks for being honest... Do you wanna go to Denny's and get pancakes or waffles?"
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!" she shouted as she hopped up and sprinted to the stairs. At least she didn't get her balance from me. If I tried to move that fast, my ass would be on the floor in less than a second. I jogged up the stairs and went to my room to change. When I was done, I walked over to Lique's room to see if she needed help. When I looked into her room, I had to struggle not to laugh.
She was sitting in the middle of the floor, wearing a bikini top and leggings, struggling with a tutu. She turned and looked at me with her big green doe eyes. "Momma, will you help me? I'ms stuck."
I started laughing my ass off. I tried to stop my laughter when I saw the offended look on my daughter's face. Struggling to keep a straight face, I said, "You can't wear that to breakfast, sweetie." You can't wear that anywhere. "Here, let me help you choose an outfit."
She jutted her chin out stubbornly. "Dis is da one I chosed," she told me firmly. "I want to wear it."
I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "I guess we can't go to Wal-Mart then."
The magic W-word. Her eyes went wide. "Wal-Mart?"
"Yeah, but they won't let you in the store dressed like that..." I trailed off. " Maybe I can drop you off with Alice."
"Dress me," she commanded, lifting her arms above her head.
"Sure, sure," I said in a patronizing tone.
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I plopped my baby into the cart. Time for another exciting adventure at Wal-Mart. I for one hated Wal-Mart. Lique, on the other hand, loved it. It was cheap and all, but it gave Lique the excuse to bug the shit out of me for some unnecessary toy or junk food. And she usually got what she wanted, so I would probably walk out of there with a bunch of useless shit and an alarmingly lighter wallet.
We walked up and down the aisles, picking up stuff on my list. But mostly stuff that wasn't. She somehow convinced me to get chocolate chip waffles, Cheetos, doughnuts, and some cookie cereal. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love all that stuff. But I don't like what it does to your waistline.
"Angelique Alice! Put that back on the shelf right now!" I scolded her. I can't buy Oreos! They're my Kryptonite! Half of them wouldn't even make it to the car. My fat ass would devour them, and I worked damn hard to get the baby weight off. I wasn't about to let the temptation of the best cookies ever fuck all that hard work up.
She pouted at me with her cute little lips and gave me her big green puppy dog eyes. Shit. "Please, momma. I'll put my chockit chip wapples back."
I stifled a laugh. What a little negotiator. I looked at the Oreos in her hand and pursed my lips thoughtfully. I was torn. My love for Oreos was pretty intense. Maybe I could just eat one a day? No, two. No, three. Maybe just a row. Fuck, I was screwed.
"Hmm, I'll need five kisses for 'em," I told her. "And you can keep your waffles." She couldn't put those back. I loved chocolate chip waffles, too. Double fuck.
Her eyes widened and she gave me an ear-splitting grin. "I'll give you five gazillion kisses! Yous really going to let me have dem both?"
She shouldn't be surpised. When did I ever say no? I knew I probably be stricter and not give into her every whim, but I loved her so much. She's my life. I'd do pretty much anything to make her smile. Unless she's being a shit. Then she can cry and sit in timeout on the stairs.
"Only cause you're so cute." I poked her in the tummy. She giggled. "And you're turning four in a couple days! When did you get so big?" I asked her suspiciously.
She pursed her lips as she thought hard about my question. Then she shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe yesterday?"
I laughed. She's growing up way too fast. "Sure, baby girl. I think you grew this much while you were sleeping." I spread my arms wide.
She laughed. "Mommy you is silly! I'ms not even dat big!"
I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows. "Are you sure? Cause I think you're really big."
Liquey nodded very seriously. "I is for sure," she promised.
I fake-sighed. "I guess you're not that big, but you did grow last night."
Her eyes widened. "Where?" she asked wonderingly as she inspected herself.
I leaned towards her. "Right... here!" I exclaimed as I started tickling her tummy.
She screeched and started giggling. "Momma! Mommy! Mommy, stop it! Momma, please stop."
I stopped because I didn't want her to pee herself. I smiled at her and said, "Only because you asked nicely."
She beamed at me. "Thanks mommy. I love you."
I loved it when she told me that she loved out of the blue. It was what I lived for. I loved her so much. "I love you, too, Liquey."
Just then, as we were rounding the corner, we crashed into another cart, jerking Angelique forward. I made sure she was alright before looking up to apologize, but I stopped in my tracks.
No fucking way.
It can't be him. I'd searched for him for years, and now I run into him out of the blue at the neighborhood Wal-Mart?
God has a fucked-up sense of humor.
He was gaping at me and his mouth popped open in surprise. Then he smiled a very crooked grin at me. He opened his mouth to speak-
"Momma, why are we just sitting here?" Angelique decided to make her presence known. I started to panic. Shitshitshitshit.
He looked at the back of her head for a second before frowning a little and narrowing his eyes. He was about to say something yet again, but Angelique decided right then to turn around and see what I was looking at. He glanced at her and looked right back at me. And then he glanced back. His mouth popped open and he gasped.
I knew what he was seeing.
His eyes, copied onto her perfect face.
The texture and color of her long hair. Her curly bronze locks. His curly bronze locks.
He opened and closed his mouth a couple times, trying to speak-so was I- but, once again, Angelique beat us to the punch.
"Wow, you have green eyes just like me!" she exclaimed. "Look at dem, Momma, dey is so pretty!"
"Um, I guess they are." I was on the verge of a panic attack. Trying my hardest not to hyperventilate.
What if he wants to know her?
What if he doesn't want to know her?
What if he tries to take her?
I lost my battle right there and then. I couldn't get enough air.
Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.
She's my baby. She's my life, my reason for existing. My eyes fill with tears. What if he does take her? I wouldn't be able to function. I tried to rationalize. He can't take her, right? He wouldn't take her from the ones she loved and her home, right? And even if he wanted to, there was no way the court would do that to her.
Right?
But what if?
Shitshitshitshitshit.
"Momma, what's wrong?" she asked, her own eyes filling with tears. "Are you okay?" She looked at him and crossed her little arms. "What did you do to my Momma?" she huffed angrily.
It was actually kind of cute. I would laugh if the situation wasn't so fucked up.
"He didn't do anything," I said, almost soundlessly. The only thing he ever did was not cover his junk, and that was the best thing anyone had ever not done in the history of the world.
She put her hand on my cheek. "Why you so sad den, Momma?"
"Um, I don't know, Liquey-pie." That was kind of the truth. I was afraid of the unknown variables of the situation. I didn't want to lie to my baby, but I couldn't exactly tell her the whole truth.
His eyes snapped to me. I couldn't discern the expression in them. "Liquey-pie?" he whispered.
I nodded. "Angelique Alice Swan." As an afterthought I said, "After my two best friends."
He gulped painfully and nodded. "And, um, your name?"
"Isabella Swan," I whispered.
"Mommy's friends call her Bella," Angelique clarified helpfully. "What's your name?"
I looked at him expectantly. "Um... My name is, uh, Edward. Edward Cullen"
Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the name 'Edward' would be his, yet it fit him perfectly. It was so old-fashioned, so unusual, so him. And Cullen... Shit, why does that sound so familiar?
Lique interrupted my train of thought. "So Ederd, do you know my Momma?" she asked.
He looked at me helplessly. "I've seen her before." He continued staring at me before he said, "Uh, can we talk over coffee or something?"
I sighed. I didn't want to, but I owed it to my little girl. She deserved the chance to know her father. Just please, don't let him take my baby. "I guess. Tomorrow? Starbucks at 8:00?"
"That, uh, that works for me," he agreed. "The one on 5th Avenue?"
"Yes," I breathed. "See you tomorrow, I guess."
"Um, yeah, I guess." He sounded hesitant. I started to turn, but he said, "Wait, can I have your number?"
I exhaled. "I guess. Give me your phone."
He handed it to me wordlessly, and I called my number.
"There, now I have yours, too," I explained. "See ya."
He just stood there, frozen.
I turned my cart around and almost ran with Angelique to the check-out lane, hurling all my groceries onto the counter. I was missing half of the items on my list, but they're not important right now. I need to get the hell out of here.
Immediately.
Angelique was asking me questions, but I couldn't concentrate long enough to answer her right now. I was barely keeping it together as it was. I pretty much sprinted out of there to my car.
I didn't want to waste time opening the trunk, so I shoved all my groceries to the back seat. I quickly but gently lifted my daughter out of the cart and buckled her up. Then I shoved my cart into the return two parking spaces over and sprinted over to the driver's side of my car.
As I opened the door, I heard a panic-stricken velvet voice. "Bella! Bella, wait!"
I slammed the door. Not right now. Not right now. I fumbled with the keys and quickly shoved the car into reverse and peeled out of the parking lot.
"MOMMA! WHAT IS GOING ON?" Angelique screamed before bursting into tears.
I started crying, too, so I pulled over. "I'm so sorry, baby. I can't tell you right now," I sniffled. "I'll tell you soon, okay?"
She whimpered. "Mommy, you're scaring me. Call Aunty Alice or Aunty Angie.
"That's a great idea, baby. You're so smart," I sniffled.
"Well, do it den!" she commanded.
I giggled through my tears. "Yes, sir!"
"Momma! I'ms a girl!" she said indignantly. "I'ms a mam not a sir."
I about busted a nut. I probably looked crazy, laughing my ass off and bawling my eyes out at the same time. "Sorry, boss."
I pulled out my phone and dialed Allie's number. "Allie, I need your help," I whimpered.
"Oh my God, are you okay? Is Angelique? What's going on?" She sounded panicked.
"We... Shopping... Edward... Oreos... Cart... Crashed... I- I can't lose her, Alice!" I blubbered.
"Oh my God. A crash? Holy fuck, Bella, are you okay? And Lique... You can't lose her? IS SHE INJURED?" she cried.
"No... Nothing like that... I need you and Ang right now."
"Okay, we'll be there ASAP," she told me. "Call Bree and see if she can watch Liquey. Tell her it's an emergency."
I sniffed. "It is. "
"Where are you anyway?"
"I'm on the side of the road in front of the Wal-Mart entrance."
"Shit, I'll pick you up. And I'll call Bree. Text me her number," she instructed.
"O-okay. See you in a sec."
"Hang in there, sweetie."
"Kay," I whispered. She hung up.
"Mommy?" My baby was still crying. "Will you unbucka me?"
"Okay, sweetie." I reached around my seat and unbuckled her. She immediately stretched her arms out toward me. I turned back around and wrapped her tightly in my arms. We cried into each other's shoulders.
"Momma, are you alright?" she asked quietly.
"Yes, I'm just worried," I told her.
"Worried about what?"
I thought for a minute. I wanted to tell her what was going on, but she was so little. I didn't want to scare her. I settled on saying, "I love you Liquey-pie. So, so, so much."
"I love you, too, Momma."
At that moment, there was a knock at the window. I threw the door open for Alice and didn't let go of my baby.
"Allie, I need help. Did you get a hold of Bree?" I said without looking up.
"Who's Alice?"
I gasped and turned toward the door. It wasn't Alice.
It was a shocked and worried Edward.
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Well, what do you think? I'll be getting into the background next chapter if you're wondering what's going on. Thanks for reading, and please review!
