SM OWNS IT ALL.
The initial visit goes well. It takes Sophie a little while to get comfortable with Edward. When she finally does, she has him all over her room; showing him her toys and her books.
He listens to her and I can see he is amazed by her. He studies her face when she talks and rambles about things extremely important to her, like how she has to feed her baby or it'll keep cryings.
"So why does she call you Bellas?" Edward asks me later that evening. We're in my kitchen sharing a bottle of wine after Sophie has gone to bed…finally.
She was so excited to have Edward here. The whole day consisted of, "Daddy look at this; Daddy come play with me; Daddy lets watch cartoonies!"
"Well, she called me Bellas one day…and I...I just didn't correct her."
Truth is, the day she called me Bellas, I really just thought that's what I deserve to be called.
Sophia didn't call me Bella to take away my title as her Mom, but I saw it that way and I punished myself with it. I felt like I deserved it for treating her the way I did—for not accepting my responsibility as her mother and taking care of her.
"You should correct her, Bella. It's not right that she calls you by your name." Anger flares inside me.
"Don't go there." I shake my head calmly, trying to keep myself from lashing out at him. "Don't tell me how to raise my daughter."
"She's my daughter too, Bella. I think I can have some say in this."
Is he fucking serious?
Bella, cut yourself some slack!
Edward, shut up.