Chapter Ten

Daddy and I went to get frozen yogurt at my favorite place in downtown. While we ate our yogurt, we walked around and looked at all the shops. As we walked by an old toy store, my eyes lingered a bit on the stuffed animals.

Daddy noticed.

"Baby girl, would you like me to buy you a stuffed animal?" He asked.

I blushed, "I don't know… I don't think it would be appropriate for me…" I told him.

He gave me a look then tugged my hand into the store. I was blushing as we looked through the toys.

It wasn't socially acceptable for adults to want toys. I knew that. I was a twenty-year-old woman; women didn't play with toys.

He pulled me to the stuffed animals and almost immediately my eyes gazed upon the most precious of stuffed toys.

It was a little white bunny, with soft, fluffy fur, and a big blue bow around its neck. Its eyes were big and light blue. I smiled and reached out, stroking it gently.

"So you want that one Bella?" he asked.

I bit my lip… I really wanted the stuffed bunny, she was so cute and soft. But it really wasn't appropriate for a grown woman to have a toy, I never had any toys growing up; my mother took them all away from me.

I shifted on my feet, "D-do you think it'd be… c-childish for me to want it?" I asked.

"Absolutely not. I think that this little bunny needs a home and someone to take care of her. And I think she wants you to take her home with us." He said.

He had a point, she was homeless, "She does need a home… and I can take really good care of her," I said, "Can I get her? Please daddy?" I asked, my voice a little lower; there wasn't anyone here but I would be cautious.

He picked her off the shelf and handed her to me, "Yes you can sweetie, since you've been such a good girl today." He paid for the bunny.

I kept the bunny in the bag, but I desperately wanted to hold it in my hands. When we got back in the car to go home, I pulled her out of the bag and sat her on my lap.

"What are you going to name her baby?" He asked.

I thought for a moment, "I think Elsie is a good name for her." I smiled, rubbing the top of her head.

"Elsie is a very adorable name for a very adorable bunny." He chuckled.

I snuggled her to my face, loving the soft feel of the fur. I was glad that he bought Elsie for me; secretly I had been wanting a stuffed animal, but I never wanted to say anything.

Edward's POV

Bella really liked Elsie, I could see it from the way she looked at her and the way she held her. This was what she needed; I started to think about other things she'd need. She obviously liked the stuffed bunny, so maybe she'd like some other toys?

I really wish I had someone to speak to about this. What I should do, what I should buy for her. Just to make it easier and less stressful for both of us…

Later That Day

Bella fell asleep a sometime after we got home. She had had a rough day, so I wasn't shocked that her little body needed a nap. When I knew she was deeply asleep, I snuck away to make a phone call.

I called my mother, I knew that Bella wasn't too thrilled with me discussing things with my mother, but I needed to talk to someone who knew a little bit about this.

"Hey mom," I said as soon as she picked up.

"Hello Edward, how are you? How's Bella?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm good mom, well, no, I'm not good. I worried." I said.

"About Bella?" She guessed.

"Yeah, I'm really worried. Last night, I caught her cutting herself again. She was totally out of it, she kept muttering she was a whore, she was no good… just awful stuff about herself. When I picked her up and pulled the razor away from her, that's when she really started to fight. Then I'll admit, I lost my patience, and I kind of… spanked her." I said, my cheeks reddening a little.

"Hmm, so, well she must have gotten caught up in her memories; what did you two do before this incident?" She asked.

"We had gone to her therapist, who turned out to be a complete bitch. I should have never taken her." I said.

"Why?"

"She wanted Bella to write down exactly what her father had done to her. The therapist thought Bella was having trouble because of our relationship. She thought I was the one hurting Bella. She believed that Bella was confused." I said.

"The therapist assumed all this? No wonder Bella was in such a horrible state of mind. You're her comfort, her safety. And add that on with having to relive what her father has done to her in such a horrible way. Bella is very fragile right now." She said.

"I know, but we're doing something new that I think is helping her a lot." I said.

"What is that?" She asked.

I cleared my throat of the lump in it, "Well, a couple times, when Bella was all zoned out, she called me daddy. And, now, we've decided that it would be best for her to continue to call me that. She's been doing it all morning and it seems to help her a lot. A couple of hours ago I bought her a toy, and it seems like she's really taking a liking to it." I said.

She paused for a couple of minutes, "I think, that maybe, you need to find a counselor who specializes in a 'daddy,' relationship, because this isn't uncommon. And, I believe that you should talk to Jasper and Alice."

Jasper was my cousin and Alice was his girlfriend, she and Bella were best friends.

"Why should I talk to them?" I asked.

"I really shouldn't leak out their personal lives, but Jasper and Alice have this kind of relationship. Maybe they could help you two find a balance." She said.

"Huh, I might give him a call after this." I said.

"You should. I'm glad that you and Bella have found something that's helping her. And you said that you bought her a toy earlier?"

"Yeah, a stuffed bunny."

"Okay, now I see what Bella is craving; she wants that love and attention she didn't receive as a child. And that comes out in childish tendencies. So, you've become her daddy, which doesn't mean she views you as her father, but rather her protector. Which is what a father should provide their child, but Bella never received that. This is perfectly normal." She said.

"Do you think this will be a forever thing?" I asked.

"Now, Edward, this may be a forever thing with Bella. But, if you aren't willing to still with this then you need to evaluate how you feel and talk to her about it." She said.

"No, no, I'm fine if this is permanent. If it makes her feel better, then we will stick to it. But, this can't just be a name change, there has to be rules and punishments that go along with it. If I'm expected to be her protector." I said.

"That makes sense. But, you also have to remember, sometimes she's an adult woman and will expect her rights. Once you set the rules you cannot use them sometimes, she'll get confused. But the rules must be reasonable." She said.

"Yeah. I need to start writing some down." I said.

"Writing them down is a good start, so she'll remember." She said.

"I need to do that now, while she's sleeping. I'll talk to you later, mom."

I set my phone down on the end table.

Someone pointed out that I switched between bunny and lamb; so sorry about that! I fixed it!