...
O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O
...
March 31, 2007
...
Oh, kiss me, beneath the milky twilight
Lead me, out on the moonlit floor
Lift your open hand,
Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance
Silver moon's sparkling
So kiss me
...
Bella hummed and sang softly while she was mixing pancake batter for breakfast. Since she was trying to squeeze in enough classes to graduate this year, free time with Jack had been cut down this past semester. Alice and Angela continued on with their plan to go to UW last year, while Bella stayed at Port Angeles University to be closer to Jack. They made it a weekly date to get together every Sunday and hang out. Starting with making breakfast surrounded by music and then various activities throughout the day, depending on whatever Alice had planned. Today was an exceptional Saturday. When Jack had told them that his birthday was on Easter, Bella backtracked through the calendar to the year Jack was probably born, 2002. Easter Sunday had been on March 31st, so that's the day they decided to celebrate his birthday. The plan was to make a big breakfast and then have Charlie and Sue take him out for a couple of hours while Bella and Alice finished up his surprise party.
Bella giggled as the song changed to Jack Johnson's "Banana Pancakes." She was, in fact, making Banana Walnut pancakes since they were her Jack's favorites. The irony was not lost on her. She walked out into the hall and poked her head into the living room where the little boy sat watching cartoons.
"Hey, Jackie, wanna help me mush some 'nanas for your special pancakes?"
"Sure!" he called as he shot up from his seat on the couch and rushed to her side. He grabbed her hand and started to tug her into the kitchen.
"C'mon! Let's go! I'm starving!"
Bella shook her head and laughed at his eagerness, letting him pull her into the kitchen. She sat Jack on the counter and handed him a bowl with a couple of ripe, peeled bananas and a wooden spoon for him to mash them with. She went back to the batter, adding in some chopped walnuts and then the mashed bananas. She grinned when she noticed Jack nodding his head to the Madonna song that was now playing. His auburn locks swayed across his forehead.
Bella set the bowl of pancake batter down on the counter and spun around to pick up Jack, just as the song's chorus came on.
...
"Cherish the thought
Of always having you here by my side
Oh baby, I cherish the joy
You keep bringing into my life
I'm always singing it
Cherish the strength
You got the power to make me feel good
Oh baby, I perish the thought
Of ever leaving, I never would"
...
Singing, she danced around the kitchen while he laughed and squealed. Making a turn just a little too fast, then ended up sprawled on the floor, still giggling.
"I love you, Mommy," he sighed happily.
Bella's eyes shot to his in surprise. She sat motionless in shock while Jack looked at her with nothing but love and hope. She felt her eyes sting with tears and contemplated on how to respond to him when they were interrupted.
"Happy Birthday, my favorite nephew!" Alice called from the kitchen door. Jack jumped up and raced into her arms. While hugging Jack, Alice gave Bella a watery smile, indicating that she had heard the previous exchange and was giving her friend a moment to process. Bella nodded and silently mouthed "Thank you" to her. Jasper appeared at Alice's side and swept Jack into his arms.
"Hey buddy! How about we go watch some toons and leave the women folk to make us some grub?" Jack eagerly nodded, always happy to spend time with Jasper, who looked at Bella and winked. She knew that he was just joking around and more than likely heard Jack's admission as well, figuring that Bella needed some one on one time with Allie. When the boys disappeared from the room, Alice rushed over to Bella and hugged her.
"Are you okay, babe? That has got to be the sweetest thing that I have ever seen!" she exclaimed. Bella blinked the tears from her eyes and smiled.
"It was pretty cute, huh?" she asked as she turned back to start cooking the pancakes on the griddle. Allie walked over and put her head on Bella's shoulder.
"What's wrong, Belly?" she asked. Bella sighed.
"What do I know about being a mom, Allie? Shit, I'm only 20! I don't know what I'm doing most of the time!"
Bella grimaced when she heard Alice's twinkling laughter.
"Oh, Bella," she giggled, "no one really knows how to be a parent until they actually are. All you can do for Jack is love him and be there for him. From what I can see, you're doing an awesome job," Alice tried to comfort her.
"Damn right she is," Charlie added gruffly, standing in the kitchen doorway with Sue. Bella looked up at her dad and smiled.
"Thanks, Daddy."
"No thanks needed. You're not even blood to that boy, not that it matters, but you're already ten times the mother that Renee was."
Bella's cheeks pinkened at the high praise from her father. It meant a great deal to her. She went back to flipping her pancakes as Charlie sat at the table.
"Do you need help with anything, Bella?" Sue asked.
"Nah, I'm good. Is Seth home?" Sue shook her head no.
"He spent last night at Jared's house," she answered as she sat next to her husband.
"Now, where did this talk about being a good mother come from, Bells?" Charlie piped up.
"Jack said 'I love you, Mommy' to her earlier," Alice answered. He raised his eyebrows at his daughter.
"Really? Can't say that I'm surprised, that little boy thinks you hung the moon."
Bella smiled softly as she plated up breakfast. She felt the same about Jack. She absolutely adored him and couldn't love him anymore than if he was hers by birth. Her hang up was what would happen when his real family came back into the picture. Would Jack's feelings change once his "real" mommy and daddy found themselves in the picture again? She shook the thoughts out of her head. She knew that they would get her nowhere but depressed. She would enjoy and love Jack with everything that she had. What happens will happen.
She placed the serving plate on the table just as Jasper and Jack wandered back into the room. Jack gave her a blinding smile and she grinned right back at him. With everyone seated at the table, they all started to tuck into their breakfast. When they were finished, Charlie pushed his chair back.
"Well, birthday boy," he said to Jack, "what do you think about a little road trip to the movies today?"
Jack's grass green eyes sparkled in excitement.
"Yes, Pops! I would really like that!" he practically shouted.
Every single time that Jack called him Pops, Charlie beamed with pride. This time was no exception. Jack had still been seeing his therapist Kate, but on a monthly basis at this point. She continued to stress how important it was that Jack needed to have freedom to express his feelings and memories. He started calling Charlie 'Pops' last September. Jack came home from Pre-School one day in a somber mood. One of the boys in his class had spent the previous summer with his grandparents and made fun of Jack for not having any. He looked up at Charlie with his big, innocent eyes and asked if he would be his PopPop, too. Charlie choked up and they agreed to call him Pops. That touched Charlie more than words could explain.
On their refrigerator hung several pictures that he had drawn. One of him, Bella, Charlie, Sue and Seth, as well as one of just him Bella and Charlie. Right next to those was a picture of his other family. Daddy, MeMe, PopPop and Uncle Em. No matter what, though, Jack continued to refuse to discuss his mother. It was like the woman didn't exist.
...
O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O
...
An hour later, Charlie, Jack and Sue had left for Port Angeles and the dishes were washed, dried and put away. Jasper and Ben were out in the backyard, trying to set up the white tent that Alice had bought for the party. Angela and Ben had shown up just before Charlie pulled out of the driveway and hid around the block, until Bella called them to let them know it was safe to come over. Angela and Alice were also graduating this year, Angela with a degree in Journalism that she was already putting to good use by working at the Seattle Times as an intern and Alice was majoring in Fashion Design while also minoring in Graphic Design. She was working at a high end boutique to gather experience for opening up her own store once she graduated and had the capital. Bella had chosen English as her major and had absolutely no clue what she was going to do with her life once she graduated. She toyed briefly with the idea of getting her Masters in Education and becoming a teacher, but her heart wasn't really in it.
As the guys struggled with the tent, the girls set up a few tables around the yard. One long one for food and the homemade cake with blue icing that Bella had made Jack and another for presents. There were also about 6 round tables and two dozen folding chairs that they set up. Like with everything else she did, Alice went a bit overboard, inviting all 12 kids in Jack's class, as well as any siblings who wanted to come plus a handful of their mutual friends. Half of Forks would more than likely make an appearance at some point during the party, which started at three P.M.
At around two o'clock everything was pretty much ready to go and the decorations were up. The only things left to do were to bring out the food, but that would wait until closer to the party time. Alice asked the girls to come into the house with her and they headed to the living room. Bella and Angela settled on opposite ends of the couch and got comfortable while Alice nervously fingered an envelope in her hands.
"Allie, what's going on?" Bella asked. "Is something wrong?" She exchanged a concerned look with Angela, who shrugged and shook her head, indicating that she didn't know what was going on either. Alice broke out in a huge grin and shook her head. She walked over to Bella and handed her an envelope that was addressed to Isabella Swan, but at Alice's address.
Bella stared in shock at the envelope in her hands. She looked up at Alice, who merely smiled and nodded for her to open it.
"Alice?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion. "This is from HarperCollins Publishing. What did you do?"
Allie clapped her hands in excitement. "Just open the damn thing and see what they said!"
With shaking fingers, she ripped open the flap and pulled out the paper. Alice bounced in nervousness and tried to peer over her shoulder.
"Holy shit," Bella breathed out, her wide eyes shot up to Allie's.
"Well? Come on! Don't keep us in suspense!" Alice shouted.
...
"Dear Ms. Swan,
After receiving a copy of your story, "Jack Attacks the Museum", we at HarperCollins Publishing are pleased to inform you that we would definitely be interested in publishing it. Your story fits with our wonderful line of childrens books here at HarperCollins and therefore we are very interested in setting up a meeting with you to go over the terms.
If you have any additional comments or questions please call my office. I look forward to hearing back from you.
Sincerely,
Tanya Denali,"
...
Bella looked up at her friends with wide eyes. Angela was grinning and Alice looked the cat who swallowed the canary.
"Holy hell," she said, somewhat breathlessly. "They want to print my story!" Bella jumped up and started to squeal. The other girls quickly joined in and soon they were dancing around the room.
"Well, now, ain't this a sight? What's got you ladies so riled up?" Jasper drawled from the doorway. Ben was standing next to him with an amused look on his face.
"Our Bella is going to be a published author," Alice replied, hugging her best friend tightly. Bella smiled at him and held up the letter in her hand.
"Since your meddlesome girlfriend doesn't understand the meaning of personal boundaries, she sent one of my stories to HarperCollins and they decided that they want to publish it!" Bella affectionately ruffled Alice's spiky hair. She quickly backed away and wagged her finger at Bella for messing with her hair.
"What happens now?" Ben asked. Bella grinned.
"I'll call Miss Denali on Monday and set up a meeting with her. Now, we get ready to give this little guy the best birthday ever."
...
O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O
...
At 4:30 P.M., Jack's birthday party was in full swing. The temperature was cool, but nice enough for just light jackets or sweaters to be worn comfortably. Kids ran screaming around the yard playing various games while the adults mingled. Bella had been cornered by Mike Newton, a former classmate, who was in the process of asking her out for the hundredth time when Alice saved her by announcing that it was time for cake. Bella quickly excused herself and walked over to Jack, who was looking at the cake in anticipation. He looked up at Bella with shining eyes and held out his arms for her to pick him up. She grinned and reached down for Jack to lift him up and settle him on her hip.
Alice lit the candles and everyone started singing 'Happy Birthday.' When the song was finished, Jack closed his eyes and then blew out all five candles on his cake. He turned and looked at Bella with an incredibly serene smile.
"I wished for you to be my Mommy, B," he whispered in her ear. Bella's eyes started to burn as she squeezed him tight. She pulled back and looked at him.
"Is that what you really want?" she asked in a shaky voice. He nodded emphatically.
"Please? Can I call you that now? I promise I'll be extra good and eat my peas every time! Okay, maybe not every time, but you know what I mean!" He looked straight into her eyes, pleading with her.
"Of course you can," she whispered against his forehead, "I would love nothing more. Does this mean that I can call you my son, too?" she asked, joking around. Jack's face settled into a serious look.
"Don't be silly. You can't be my mommy if I'm not your son, too. You just have to share me with Daddy."
Bella nodded, her emotions starting to overcome her.
"Okay," she whispered, "I don't mind sharing, as long as I get to love you no matter what."
Jack kissed her on her forehead this time.
"Always, Mommy."
...
O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O
...
April 2, 2007
...
The Monday after Jack's birthday party was extremely hectic. After Bella got out of her last class of the day at 1 P.M., she made her way to the Law Offices of Whitlock & Stanley. Jasper's father, Peter and his best friend David, had formed their partnership ten years ago. Jasper now worked there with them, mainly handling odd jobs and research until he could get his feet wet with a real case. He had passed the bar six months ago and was chomping at the bit to put himself to good use. Before he and Alice left on Saturday, he made Bella promise to stop by the office today. He was going to talk to his father and see if they could help her with how she could proceed with officially adopting Jack.
She had called and spoke with Tanya Denali earlier in the day as well. They had spoken in detail about the contract that HarperCollins was offering. A three year deal with advance, as well as royalties for any related products, with Bella writing an additional four 'Jack Attack' books for the series. The money sounded incredible, so she was glad to be meeting with the Whitlocks so she could show them a copy of the contract that Tanya had emailed her. Bella made plans to meet with Tanya next weekend in Seattle for lunch to discuss the contract more, as well as any questions or concerns that she may have.
Bella pulled up outside of the office and parked her truck. She went inside and let the receptionist know that she was here to see Jasper. He came out almost immediately, his father following behind him. Peter Whitlock had his son's bright blue eyes and honey blonde hair, although his was cropped short.
"Bella, my dear," he said as he wrapped her in a hug, "I'm glad to hear you're doing so well."
No matter how many years she had known the Whitlocks, it always felt odd to hear Peter's soft, Bostonian accent. His wife Charlotte, was born and raised in Texas. It was an odd chain of events that brought the couple, happily married for 25 years now, together in the first place. Charlotte swears it was destiny that made her stop in the small cafe in Seattle while she was on vacation with her parents and met Peter, who was just starting his law career. It was rough when she had to go back to Texas with her folks, but she returned to Seattle just under a year later as his wife. They had been inseparable since.
Peter placed his hand on the small of Bella's back and ushered her into his office. Jasper followed and sat in the chair next to hers in front of his father's large oak desk. Peter steepled his fingers under his chin and looked Bella directly in the eye.
"Now, after sifting through all of the facts that you and Jasper have given me, I've got to say that this is highly unusual. Under normal circumstances, the child would have become a ward of the state. I don't really see any major obstacles in your attempt to adopt the boy, but your age and income might hurt you in this." He shook his head, deep in thought.
"Okay," Bella said as she swallowed thickly. She had known that this wouldn't be easy.
"I still want to fight. My age shouldn't be that big of a factor. I'll be 21 in September and I love that little boy with all of my heart. As for income, I wanted to run that by you today while I was here. I received a contract offer from a well known publishing company to turn some of my stories into Children's Books. The money that they're offering sounds incredible, but I wanted to see if you'd like to look it over for me."
Peter nodded, "Sure, do you have the contract on you?"
Bella shook her head. "I'm not meeting Tanya until next weekend, but she emailed me a copy."
"Ok, then, how about this. Why don't you forward a copy of it to me and we'll look it over. Jasper can fill you in on what we find. Also, I think we would have a better chance with the adoption if we waited a few months to pursue it. It will give you some time to establish your writing career and make you seem like a more stable parent. Sound good to you?"
Bella nodded, "Thank you, Peter. I really can't thank you enough." All three of them stood and Bella shook Peter's hand. He then clapped Jasper on the back.
"Think nothing of it. And don't even think of offering to pay us. Your lawyer here can use the experience."
Jasper looked at his father with wide eyes. "Seriously?" he asked. "You're giving me a chance?"
Peter laughed and nodded. "I think you're ready for it. As long as Bella doesn't mind?"
Both of the Whitlock men looked in her direction. She smiled and shook her head.
"No objections here, I have faith in you, Jas."
He reached out and took Bella into his arms for a big hug.
"I promise not to fail you, B. I will fight my ass off for you and Jack," he whispered into her hair.
"I know you will," she responded. Clearing her throat, she stepped back and made her way to the door.
"Ok, thanks then. I've got to pick Jack up from school, so I'll talk to you later, Jasper. And thanks again, Peter. I know you don't want to hear it, but I appreciate everything you're doing for me." She smiled and started to walk out of the door.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Peter laughed softly.
Bella practically skipped to her truck and started to make her way to pick up Jack. She couldn't keep the grin off of her face, her heart exploding with happiness.
...
O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O_o_O
...
AN: Hello my lovelies! By my outline, we only have 2 more chapters before we meet up with the Prologue! Who else is excited?
As always, reviewers get a special little tease sent out on Monday, as well as the ones on The Fictionators and Pic Tease.
Love you guys!