Chapter 1


"Anthony, Honey, let's go, we're going to be late." I yelled to my son from the kitchen. I heard the patter of his little feet running towards me. He stopped in front of me, his hair sticking up all over the place and his face smudged with remnants of his morning cereal.

"Anthony, where are your shoes? Mommy asked you to go get them so we can leave."

"I sowwy mommy. Mawny is on." he replied, looking over at me with his big brown eyes. And just like the first day I saw him when he was born three years ago, he melted my heart.

"It's ok buddy, let's go get them." I picked him up, positioned him on my hip and walked towards the living room; weaving in and out of the boxes that lined up the hallway.

"I don't want to stay wiff Gam and Pops, mommy I want to stay wiff you." He cried and put his head on my shoulder; I switched him to my other hip and bent down to get his sneakers.

Sitting on the couch, with him still in my lap, I leaned over to put on his sneakers. He sniffed and little tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I won't be gone long buddy, five hours today, that's it. That's not long at all. See you can count that on one hand." I reached for his hand; he had it balled in a little fist. I put one finger up at a time.

"It's not as many as the ovfa day," he smiled, "that day was the boff hands."

I couldn't help but smile. He's so smart for a three. I know he's my son and I'm probably biased, but he's the best thing that's happened to me.

"Don't you have fun with Pops and Gams?" I asked putting him back down on the floor.

"We haff fun mommy, but I haff more fun wiff you." He ran down the hall to his room and I could hear him rummage through his toy box.

I couldn't help but smile at his words. I knew he had fun with my parents. They spoil him and do things with him. Today, they'd be going fishing with their friends Harry and Sue. He had fun down at La Push hanging with Claire, Harry's four year old granddaughter. It took him awhile after the move a few weeks ago to get used to staying with my parents.

Before the move, I was always home with him. I didn't have to work when we lived in Seattle. My husband had made enough money with his parent's store. Two weeks before I had Anthony, I quit my job at the school and stayed home. That seemed like a lifetime ago. It's strange how one minute things can be perfect and then another, things can be hell.

I sighed and put my head back on the couch, I still heard Anthony in his room, he was looking for toys to bring, and he always brought a new toy to my parents. I looked around my new house, and felt a pang hit my chest at the emptiness I felt. I hadn't unpacked everything yet. Really, though, what would there be to unpack? All the memories in these boxes were too painful to think of.

The kitchen and Anthony's room were the only rooms done. Everything else was still in the boxes and the more they stayed there, the more I thought it was better than dragging up the memories I wanted to forget. The better times. The times that made sense.

Moving to Forks with Anthony was an easy decision. I needed my parents and I needed away from the hurt. We found a house about 5 miles from my parents. They've been great, helping me get back on my feet and when I got a job waitressing at the local diner, they stepped up and took Anthony. My dad is a retired Police Officer and my mom was always home with me. That's why when I found out I was pregnant with Anthony, staying home was so important. Now is another story, Now, I need to work. Luckily I was left with some money but money runs out, fast, especially with a toddler.

Being a single mom at 26 isn't easy. But when I was 16 I met my husband. We were bio partners and from that day it was inevitable, we were meant to be. Or so I thought. We married at 19 and wanted to start our family a few years later. We had tried but had been unsuccessful. It was hard on both of us. When we found out about Anthony it was a very happy time in our house. I don't regret what I did because it brought me Anthony but I do regret the choices I made after and the choices I made when the truth was revealed.

Anthony looked like me, olive skin and brown hair with a hint of a different color. His eyes though, they looked like his; the man from that night.

When we had his first pediatrician appointment and they told us his blood type was A, I was a nervous wreck. Both my husband and I are O's. Luckily, he didn't catch on. I mean really, how would he know that two O blood types can't make an A type baby. I only knew because of the extensive research I did for fear of something like this.

It took about a year before shit hit the fan and then another few weeks before he was out the door. It lasted 15 months to be exact. One night when we had his cousins come over for dinner, the discussion of blood types came up. When they asked what ours were and we both said O, his cousins' wife had remarked saying she thought Anthony was A. Things after that went south. He was gone a few months later.

I stayed in Seattle for as long as possible hoping to change his mind and make him see, but it was no use. I had betrayed him. I had betrayed us. I had committed the worst thing anyone could ever do to the person they claim to love.

I finally gave up, money was running out and I needed a job and my family. So I took Anthony to Forks, WA where my dad and mom retired to.

"Ok mommy I weady." Anthony jumped on my lap with a baby sized piano in his hand.

"You're gonna bring your piano this time?" I asked him, standing up and taking his hand to go grab my things to head to work.

The ride to my parents only took five minutes, and when I pull up my dad was on the front porch waiting. He loves Anthony, I think us moving here and he and my mom taking Anthony was the best thing for both of them. I took Anthony from his car seat and he ran up to my dad with his piano.

"Pops I bwing this today." He handed the piano to my dad as my dad scooped him up in his arms.

My mom came walking out with her apron on, flour all over it.

"Hi Bella and my lil man." She smiled and kissed him on the head then hugged me.

"Charlie go get him settled, breakfast is done. Do you have time to eat?" She looked at me.

"Not today, mom. I really need to go." I replied, reaching for Anthony, to give him a hug.

"Be good."

"OK."

"Renee, don't forget to ask her." My dad said waving to me and taking Anthony's hand to do the same before walking into the house.

"What do you have to ask me?"

"Well, dad and I want to keep Anthony next weekend. We are going to go away and we want him to come with us."

"Where are you going?" I asked, sitting on the swing, she sat next me.

"We are only going to La Push for the weekend, they have their annual end of the Summer Festival and I think Anthony would have a blast. We are staying at Billy's since Jacob moved out with Leah; Jacob's room is now a guest bedroom. We do it every year and we really want to bring Anthony. We know its short notice for you take the weekend off and if you can that would be great but if not..."

A weekend without Anthony at first sounded amazing, and then sounded sad. But the look in my mom's eyes, I knew she wanted him to be there.

"Of course you can. I think that would be great and maybe I can take off early Saturday and meet you there."

"Perfect! Thank you so much, he's going to love it and Dad is going to be thrilled, he can act like a kid again."

She laughed and stood up. I followed her suite, said bye and head to my car to start the shift I had picked up from Jessica.

The diner my dad frequented was hiring so when he knew I was looking to move he spoke to the owner's and just like that I had the job. The pay was great and the tips were good and I got to work mothers hours more or less. The owners are brothers who came into lots of money at a young age when their parents were killed by a drunken tractor trailer driver. Their uncle helped sue the company and then invest the money. Not only that, their parents were pretty rich, and had great life insurance policies; the rumor around town, they have more than enough money to pay the people who work for them and pay them well.

My mom told me that one of the brothers got into some trouble back in the day and he owed my dad for helping him to straighten out so that's why I got the job so easily.

I wasn't going to complain, I made enough to afford the house I rent and pay the bills.

I walked into the diner and like normal it was packed. One of the brothers was in the back singing and cooking. He made this place lively and exciting. He was always happy and made everyone who walked in here feel like family.

"Bella Bee's here!" He bellowed out and everyone looked up and laughed. I smiled, blushing like crazy like I always did and made my way to the back of the diner to grab my apron.

"Bella bee...oh Bella Bee where out theeee..." He sang to me as he was walking from the kitchen. I laughed at his craziness and smiled when he walked up to me.

"Well there miss BB, today is your lucky day, today you get to meet my ugly ass brother who helps me own and run this place. He's finally back from some shit he had to take care of. He should be here...oh wait there he is..." He motioned for his brother to come over and I turned around. What I saw next was something I never in a million years ever thought I'd see something and someone I tried so desperately to forget.

I saw the same eyes I've looked into every day for three years. I stood there, motionless, speechless, and breathless. I stood there and I looked into the eyes of the one person who gave me the one thing my husband couldn't. I looked into the eyes of the father of my child.


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