Good afternoon everyone… it seems the day has been filled with another day of writing for me. No, it won't be like this all the time, I do have a RL to deal with as well, but I just had to get this out while it was in my head. So I hope you all like it. It kind of went off in a direction I wasn't expecting it too..
You know, I've read all these different stories on here, and I read what the author writes before hand, and I see how they tend to agree that the characters seem to go in a completely different direction than you originally intended the chapter to go. As I'm writing this, I'm finally understanding that.
Okay, enough about that. Here's the chapter.
SM owns my most favorite puppets. I just like to pull their strings!
See you at the bottom!
Chapter 8: Like the Corner of my Mind
EPOV
"She's here in the hospital Edward, she's still in a coma."
At that moment I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. Knowing Bella might never wake up was enough to make me wish I wouldn't either. I don't know how I would ever live without her. It was all my fault she was fighting for her life.
God, please let her be okay. I can't live without her…
MEMORIES
I woke to the blaring alarm on my night stand Friday morning for work. I turned off the alarm and laid in bed for a quiet moment with a smile on my face. This week has been amazing. The only time I was able to see Bella for a good portion of time was when she first enrolled Alyssa at the school.
I walked through the door to the school about twenty minutes earlier than usual, to meet up with Bella and Alyssa for her enrollment. I watched them get out of Bella's car a few parking spaces away from mine, and I hopped out of the car and yelled their names. They both turned around and Alyssa screamed my name and ran for me. I laughed and picked her up, twirling her in a circle which just made her giggle.
This was precious to me. This feeling, so foreign, but so right felt like the most perfect moment in my life. I wanted time to freeze, so I could watch the giant smile on Alyssa's face, the red tints in her hair, just like her mothers, shine in the sun. Hear the tinkling bells of her giggles as I twirled her. I wanted it all for forever, and the thought didn't even scare me in the slightest.
I pulled her slightly away from me so I could look her in the eyes. "You ready for your first day of Kindergarten Alyssa?"
She just nodded her head before starting to wiggle out of my arms. I put her down, and she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her mother. I looked at Bella for the first time since Alyssa ran after me, and I stopped breathing at the sight of her.
She wasn't dressed up in anything fancy, like at the benefit. Hell, she was wearing a green set of scrubs with watermelons on them for her first day of work. Her hair was in a bun, and there were a few tendrils that escaped, and were framing her face, but she was still the most beautiful sight I had ever seen, and I couldn't keep my eyes off her. Alyssa and I walked towards her and as I got closer I noticed her eyes were glazed over. Much like when she told me I was so "perfect." I leaned over her and kissed her cheek and spoke in a whisper "I've drank straight from the carton once or twice in my life."
She shook her head as if coming out of a daze, and narrowed her eyes at me. I laughed and wrapped my arm around her and kissed her chastely. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," she whispered. We looked down at the little girl in front of us, who happened to be extremely quiet at the moment. Her eyes were pinched at the corner and she looked like she was trying to figure out a math problem. She then shrugged, as if it didn't matter to her, and she grabbed Bella's hand and pulled us both into the building.
"Come on mom, I want to see my room!"
I looked over at Bella, and for one fleeting moment, she looked grief stricken. I cleared my throat and she looked over at me. I mouthed the words "you okay," and she nodded her head. She looked at Alyssa, who was skipping along, in her own little world, and then said softly, "she's growing up and I miss the little girl who was scared the first time I took her to daycare. She's getting so big."
I nodded, smiling at the thought of watching Bella with Alyssa… not that I was smiling over a scared little girl, but seeing the mother-daughter relationship in my eyes… I could almost see a smaller version on Alyssa clinging to her mother, and while the sight broke my heart, I could see the love clearly between them.
"She is growing up… all children do, but you're her mother Bella, and she will always need her mother."
Bella smiled back at me and nodded her head in thanks as we reached the front office. Mrs. Vincent, and older lady, was sitting at her desk typing away as we walked through the doors. She looked up at Bella and Alyssa and smiled. When her eyes reached me they opened in surprise. "Edward what can I help you with."
"I'm here to help my friend Alyssa start Kindergarten today."
She stood from her desk and started rummaging through some files in a cabinet. "Alyssa, what's your last name?"
"Black." She said quietly. Mrs. Vincent nodded her head as she reached the papers she was looking for. "Okay, Mrs. Black these are Alyssa's paperwork that you'll need to fill out, and her teacher here is going to be Ms. Marsh. She's in room 10A. Edward could you take them down to her classroom, so she can see where she'll be?"
"No problem Kathy." I said as I held the door open for Bella and Alyssa. Bella thanked her as she took the papers and walked out the door holding Alyssa's hand. We walked down the hallway until we reached the classroom she'd be in and when we got there Ms. Marsh was already waiting. She was a younger woman with black curly hair and glasses, but she was a very nice young woman. Her classroom was down the hall from mine, so we spoke occasionally.
"Hello, and who might you be?" Alyssa looked around the room first before she looked up at her mother. Bella nodded her head, and she turned around and gave Ms. Marsh her name. Ms Marsh, Maggie, introduced herself to both Bella and Alyssa, and showed them where she'd be sitting, what they were going to be doing during the next few lessons, and helped her try to catch up on the few classes she missed last week. It wasn't much, we had just started the school year this past week, so really it was just introductions and a few papers to find out the student's level of understanding.
We spoke a few minutes more before Bella started to say goodbye to Alyssa. I could see the small spark of nervousness in Alyssa, but as the other students started joining the classroom, and a young girl stopped in the doorway to talk to Alyssa.
"Hi, I'm Sara, what's your name?"
Alyssa spoke quietly, still nervous, "Alyssa."
Sara reached out for Alyssa's hand immediately, and she spoke rapidly, "don't be scared, you're gonna have so much fun with Ms. Maggie, she loves to draw on the chalkboard and she's so good at it, and then we color it in, and write our names on the board and…" she continued talking and pulling Alyssa through the door, and by the time she even realized what was going on, her nervousness was gone. She was happily playing beside Sara, and Bella watched on with a small smile on her face.
I wrapped my arm around Bella, and thanked Maggie before we both walked off down the hallway. We paused at my classroom and I showed her the room. She nodded and I could tell her mind was still back with Alyssa.
"Hey." I said softly.
She looked up at me as the students started filing in. We walked out of the room and I grabbed her hand and walked towards the front exit. "You know she'll be fine. You'll pick her up from school today, and all she'll be talking about is that Sara girl."
"I know. I just miss her." She shrugged her shoulders and I hugged her tightly to me. "I'll look out for her, I promise you." I told her before I captured her lips with mine. It was chaste, but none the less sparked a fire in me as I felt, rather than heard, the hum come from her. When I pulled away I stroked her cheek with my fingertips and I watched the blush, that I loved so much, follow my fingers.
"I'll call you tonight." She said to me.
"I'll be waiting."
She walked out of the school after that, and when I got the phone call that night, she laughed and told me all the new things she learned about that Sara girl from Alyssa. I told her the classic line of "I told you so," and she laughed again, knowing I was only teasing her.
We spoke to each other every morning when she dropped Alyssa off at school on her way to work, and on the phone every night. We didn't get to have another steamy phone call like Sunday, but I enjoyed just talking to her about her likes, and dislikes. We spoke of how her first day at work was and how she got to meet my father ("Holy crow! What, does your family's genes come from a science lab?") I assume she meant our family's good looks. At least I hope she did.
I finally got up the nerve to ask Bella if I could take my girls out on a date Saturday. At first I think she believed I only meant her, and when she started to say she couldn't because of Alyssa, I backed that train up immediately.
"Bella, I meant both my girls. You and Alyssa. I want to spend time with the both of you. I've missed you and I've missed Alyssa. Please say you'll let me."
I could only hear her deep breathing before she whispered "yes." I'll admit it, I fist pumped the air. I told her it would be an outside casual date, and the more I spoke to her, the more I could hear her getting excited for it.
It sounded cliché, but I was taking them to the Seattle zoo. I knew Alyssa would love it, and it meant actually getting to walk around with her and Bella both, instead of just sitting watching a movie, or going out to eat. I wanted to spend the whole day together, and I couldn't think of a better time we would have together.
I pulled into the parking lot of the school at the same time as Bella. I ran over to her car, and opened the door for Bella just as she was about to get out.
"So chivalry is not dead hm?" She smiled up at me and I shrugged my shoulder with a big smile on my face.
"I do what I can." I laughed as she smacked me in the chest and helped Alyssa out of the car. Alyssa gave her mother a hug, and ran to meet up with her friends as they walked into the school.
"So am I going to find out where you're taking us on Saturday?" She looked up at me through her lashes and I swear my heart jumped. I pulled her to me and whispered in her ear. "Well, you could try… but it's a surprise."
She shivered as my breath tickled her neck, and I watched the goose bumps spread along her skin. I kissed her neck softly before pulling back and looking into her eyes. She pouted of course, and it did nothing but make me kiss her soft plump lips.
"Tease."
"You like it." I told her, and she didn't deny it. She kissed me once more before having to get back into the car and get herself to work. I watched as she waved and pulled out of the parking lot. I stood there like a love sick fool watching her go with a smile on my face… wait. Love?
HAHAHA! See what I meant? I had this whole thing planned out for something completely different, and Edward just talks and talks and talks.
Oh well, the next part will be up sooner or later. Sooner if I get more reviews :D!
Reviews are like … well as my son would say about Kung Fu Panda - AWESOMENESS!
