I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks to my girls for all the help!
We all sat and ate dinner. Edward and I didn't even look at each other, but Ashlynn told me about her day, and I smiled at hearing how great it was. I could tell she knew Edward and I were fighting because she asked if she could play on the computer when dinner was over. She loved playing games on my Facebook account. She wanted her own really badly, but I wouldn't allow it. Edward went into the living room, and because of the foul mood he had put me in, I started to clean.
"Mom's in a bad mood," Ashlynn said, thinking I couldn't hear her.
"I know, Sweetie," Edward replied.
"Did I do something?" she asked as I sighed. "She always cleans when she's mad."
"No, she's mad at me."
"Why?"
"Adult stuff," he told her as I rolled my eyes.
"Oh…how was school?" she asked.
"Long…sorry I was gone so long," he said as I stood in the doorway of the laundry room so I could hear better.
"It's okay. I never want to go to college," she said as I heard him sigh.
"College is a good thing. You learn a lot and it helps you get a career."
"I'm just going to be a teacher like Mommy. She learned everything on the computer and didn't have to leave me," she said.
"I see," he commented. I stuck my head out the door to see them sitting on the couch with his arm around her. "You know when Papa goes to work to make sure that no one is doing bad things?" he asked as she giggled.
"Yeah; he puts the bad guys in jail," she said. "Papa is going to teach me how to shoot a gun just like he taught Mom."
"Huh," he said as I hid my laugh. "I wasn't in school these last few years." My eyes grew wide; I didn't think he was ever going to tell her.
"Where were you?"
"In jail," he said as I stood there frozen.
"But you're not a bad guy, you're my dad," she said as she looked up at him.
"I'm not a bad guy; I just did a bad thing. You are too little to understand, but I wanted you to know the truth. You need to pick your friends wisely, because if you don't, you could go to jail," he said as I shook my head. I got what he was saying, but now she was going to question all of her friendships.
"Emily and Aiden are my best friends, so that makes them good, right?"
"Yes," he said as I blew out the breath I was holding. "Has anyone ever told you to live and learn?"
"Grandma said that to Mom after I fell off my bike when I was learning how to ride with two wheels," she said as I made my way to the living room. I sat next to Ashlynn and she smiled at me, making my bad mood melt away a little.
"Grandma did do that. And that day you also learned that if you want to be good at something, you have to try really hard," I said as she giggled.
"Yup, and it only took falling once for me to learn that I never wanted to fall again," she said as I laughed.
"As you grow up, it's the same thing. We do things wrong, and then we learn what not to do. Sometimes we even do things we know we shouldn't just to make sure they are really bad. That's all part of growing up," I said as Edward rubbed my shoulder. "As long as you learn and never do it again, that is what matters."
"Your mom is right," Edward said as Ashlynn looked at him. "Also, there is something else I want to tell you. Bella isn't your real mom," he said as she stared at him.
"Are you my real dad?"
"Yes," he said with a chuckle while shaking his head. "Do you want Bella to become your real mom?"
"She is my real mom," she said sadly, laying her head on my chest.
"That I am, Kid," I said as she started to cry. "Anyone can be a mother or father, but it takes special people to be mommies and daddies."
"So you are special?" she asked me.
"I'd like to think I am," I said as she giggled.
"She is the most amazing person I have ever known," Edward said, looking right at me.
"How did you two meet?" she asked.
"At a bar," I said as Ashlynn's eyes grew big.
"Really?" she asked, as if that was the most unfound thing she had ever heard.
"Yes, I saw her and I thought she was the pretties girl in the world, second to you," he said with a smile.
"Where was I?" she asked. I thought that was a really great question.
"You were with an old friend," he said. I knew she could have only been with his sister.
"Oh…so how did you become my mom?" she asked, scrunching up her face.
"When I got in trouble, I knew that Bella could take care of you. Do you remember I told you that you were going to stay with your mom?" he asked as she shook her head no. "Oh…"
"Edward, she was two," I said.
"I know, it's just hard to think that it was seven years ago," he said as I agreed. "Anyway, because I knew I had bad friends, I knew no one could know about you, so I brought you to Bella."
"And you just kept me?"
"I did."
"Because that is what moms do," Edward said.
"Where is my real mom if Bella isn't her?"
"She is in heaven," I said before Edward could answer. "She was sick, but that's okay because she loved you and she brought me to you."
"Okay, but you will always be my mom right?" she asked.
"Yes," Edward and I said together.
"Okay…can I go to Emily's tomorrow or can she come here?" she asked.
"You are in trouble this weekend," Edward said as she slouched into the couch.
"Fine, I'm going to go call her then," she pouted, getting off the couch. "I love you," she said to me before she walked out of the room. I sighed as Edward moved closer to me and put his arm around me.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said. "This is all just so new."
"I get it. I tend to be pushy sometimes," I said with a shrug. "I thought I was helping."
"You are, but I don't know how to deal with it," he said.
"Just say thank you," I told him as he chuckled.
"That easy?"
"That easy," I replied, turning my head to look at him. "If we are really going to do this, and you are my boyfriend, I tend to take care of people I care about."
"Okay, and thank you for everything. Saying thank you just doesn't seem to be enough, though. Everything that you have done for me…"
"I get it, but what's done is done. Now we just have to move on. All I did anyway was get you things that you needed. You needed clothes, shoes, bathroom stuff, money, and a phone. You need a car, too, because I don't share well," I said as he chuckled.
"We can go tomorrow and look at the car," he said.
"Good."
"Monday I'm going to start looking for a job…where should I start?" he asked me as I smiled.
"I have no clue, but I'm sure my dad would know. You can ask him tomorrow when we go over there," I said as he turned his body to look at me.
"Do you think he would help me?"
"I don't see why not." I was starting to think that he didn't know there were still good people in the world.
We sat on the couch and watched a little TV before we headed for bed. When Ashlynn was done talking to Emily, she sat with us until she fell asleep. Once we got her in bed, we headed to my…our room. I still found it weird that we were together. I had so many questions to ask him, but I just felt like I never found the right time.
Edward was still in the bathroom by the time I crawled into bed. I wondered how the morning was going go when Ash woke up. I couldn't help giggling over the thought of her pout. When Edward came out, I smiled at the shorts he was wearing. It was one of the pair that we had bought. I did want him to feel at home, and it really bothered me that he was questioning my help. In reality, the money I was spending was his anyway. He got into bed and lay on his side facing me. He put his hand on my belly and just stared at me.
Um…do you think you know what's coming next? See you in a couple days!