Happy New Year's Eve to everyone. In Colorado we're praying for snow to put out a devastating wild fire that started yesterday. I hope you're all safe on this last day of 2021 and into the new year. Until next week, AGW.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 2 - She's Imperfect, But She Tries
Bella made her way through her day, breaking only to pick up Anthony. Her text conversation with Alice hadn't been too pleasant. She was irritated that Bella had been serious the night before, and while Esme was sad, she understood.
It was five-thirty when Jason called Bella into his office and she met Jane Hall for the first time as a client.
"All right, Bella, why don't we start at the beginning. Knowing the history of the relationship can help in these proceedings," Jane said.
"Edward and I were high school sweethearts. We started dating when Edward moved to Forks before my freshman year. We graduated high school and we'd both been accepted to college in Chicago, so we moved out there. I found out I was pregnant right around the time I graduated, but Edward was so sure we'd be fine. I went into labor two weeks before Christmas but our daughter didn't survive the birth. The doctors weren't sure what happened, but when Edward found out, he shut down. I tried to get him to talk to me, but he stood in the doorway of my hospital room and told me not to contact him anymore.
"When I was discharged, Edward was gone. He'd moved out of the apartment we'd been sharing with Alice. Esme and Elizabeth, Edward's mom, had been paying rent, but Elizabeth insisted I stay there.
"I took a lighter course load the second semester and then transferred to the University of Washington to finish my undergrad. I knew scholarships wouldn't cover all of my tuition for law school so I was planning to take a year off to work and save money. I'd actually been staying with Esme and Carlisle at that point. I've always remained close to his family that lives out here in Washington.
"It was the day after Thanksgiving in 2015 and I'd been working the holiday. Edward walked into the bar at the Mayflower Hotel. It was one of two bars I worked at, but it was the first time I'd seen him in five years. Alcohol and old feelings made us both brave and we slept together."
"And that was the night Anthony was conceived?" Jane asked.
"Yes," Bella confirmed.
"And you never tried to get a hold of him once you realized it?" Jane questioned her.
"I was torn. He tried to leave the hotel room the next morning without saying goodbye. After he went back to Chicago, he stopped talking to his family out here for a year or so. I didn't want to tell him I was pregnant after how he'd shut down when we lost Lizzie. The Cullens were there for me during the pregnancy and after. As time went on, I convinced myself I'd done the right thing. It wasn't until his mom passed a few weeks ago that things changed. Alice told him at the funeral this weekend and he came barrelling into town."
"Has he seen Anthony yet?" JJ asked.
"No, Esme and Alice had him and Edward asked to be there when Anthony was dropped off. I refused, because I wanted him to be sure. If he popped into town and then vanished again I wouldn't let him have another chance until Anthony was grown. He agreed and left, but I don't know how long he'll go along with everything I say."
Jane sighed. "Okay. The most important question now is how active a part are you willing to let him be. He'll have his own ideas of what he is entitled to, but if you're closer in terms of what you both want, it will make a big difference."
"I want him to be a father to Anthony, but he needs to want that. No more drifting in and out of people's lives. I'm open to visitation or shared custody, but I want to be in charge of making decisions for my son. And I don't want his grandfather to have unlimited access to him. Edward Masen Sr. is a bastard and I don't want him anywhere near my son."
"So shared physical custody but sole legal custody?"
"Yes," Bella agreed.
"Do you think Edward will be amenable to that? Because if we can get him to agree without a big fight, then it will be easier. Presenting an agreement is far less complicated than fighting it out in court," Jane told Bella.
"I'm not sure. We spent most of the time he was in my apartment yelling at each other."
"Here's what we'll do. Tell him you want to speak to him in person, someplace public. When you're face to face, explain that you're willing to work out an arrangement. If he makes the effort, let him spend time with Anthony without telling Anthony who he is, and in your presence. Not his family's. I understand they've been a huge help in the past, but his cousin has proven that she's on Edward's side here. If Edward's serious about wanting to be a part of his life, tell him to get a lawyer so we can work out an agreement that can't be contested later because of a lack of legal representation on his part. Once that happens, all discussions of anything regarding the custody arrangement will go through me."
"Okay, I can do that."
"Keeping his father out of his life might be harder-" Jane began, but Bella cut her off.
"I may have ammunition there."
"Well, then we'll deal with that if needed. I've got the files you provided and all the information you've given me in this meeting. I'm not going to let him take Anthony from you."
"Thank you, Ms. Hall."
"It's Jane, Bella. And if you ever decide criminal law isn't where your passion lies, you come see me. I'd be happy to steal you from Jason."
"Not happening," JJ shot back.
Laughter broke the tension in the room and they all walked out of Jason's office. Bella went to collect Anthony from daycare while Jason and Jane walked to the elevator. She was surprised that JJ was waiting for her at the elevators when she was done, but she knew the look on his face well enough. He was in full big brother mode.
After an uneventful trip home, Bella focused on fixing dinner and getting Anthony ready for bed. He still had two weeks of pre-k before he was at the daycare full time. Bella was determined to keep him in his routine.
Edward, if you want to talk about you meeting Anthony and discuss future visitation, I'm open to it. But I'd like to do it in public.
Edward answered fifteen minutes later. I'm back in Chicago, handling a few things. I'll text you when I'm back in town.
Okay. Bella responded.
On Sunday, she got a text from Esme, saying she and Carlisle were downtown and wanted to see her and Anthony. Feeling bad that she was punishing Esme for what Alice had done, she told them to come by.
Esme and Carlisle arrived twenty minutes later with lunch.
"Bella, my sweet girl, how are you?" Esme wrapped her in a hug before scooping up Anthony.
"As good as can be expected after Hurricane Edward rolled through."
"Hello, Bella," Carlisle said. "Have you seen him since last Sunday?"
"No, after a series of texts from him that evening, nothing."
"You didn't reach out?" he asked.
"I did, he said he's in Chicago. He said he will get a hold of me when he's back in Seattle. Now, I'm just waiting so we can meet and talk and then discuss things with my lawyer."
"I'm not surprised you hired a lawyer already," Esme said. "Jason's always had a soft spot for you and Anthony."
"Esme, for the millionth time, JJ doesn't think of me like that. But he is very protective so Edward may want to watch it at first."
Esme gripped Bella's wrist before she spoke. "Edward's had a rough last year, Bella. He's been battling his father pretty hard over Elizabeth's care. I've tried to be neutral in this, because it wasn't my secret to tell."
"But you're going to tell me what you really think now?" Bella asked.
"My nephew isn't the same person he was at eighteen, or twenty-three. Judge him on the man he is now and give him a fair shot with his son."
"I'm planning to. I just hope this is what he really wants."
"He asked about Anthony at the reading of Elizabeth's will on Friday."
"That's good." Bella was happy to hear he was asking about Anthony. "He isn't mad at you, is he?"
"I think he's a little lost. But we'll deal with any hurt feelings as a family. You focus on the three of you."
"Okay." Bella was interrupted from her thoughts by a text from Edward.
Bella, I'm going to be in Seattle for a few days this week and then I'll be gone again for a couple of weeks. Can we meet then?
What days are you in town? She responded.
Tuesday through Friday. Is there a day that's better for you?
She thought for a minute. Why don't we meet for lunch on Wednesday? That way once we've talked you'll have time to meet Anthony before you leave.
The immediate alert that he was typing a response gave her a glimmer of hope. That sounds great. I'll make sure my early afternoon is clear so I can meet when you're able to get away. Thank you, Bella.
You're welcome. I'll text you the name and address of the cafe and once I know what my day is going to look like. I'll let you know what time.
Works for me. I'll see you on Wednesday. Edward said.
"Was that Edward?" Carlisle asked.
"Yeah. He'll be in town for a few days, so I set up a lunch meeting with him."
"That's good."
Bella looked over to where Esme was sitting on the floor with Anthony and sighed. "What if he hates me?"
"Edward?" Carlisle questioned.
"No, Anthony. He's old enough that he'll remember not having his dad around when he was little. I thought I was doing the right thing, but maybe I should have tried harder. Forced a meeting he didn't want. At least then I could tell my son I did everything I could."
"There's no going back now, Bella. All you can do is work with Edward to help him build a relationship with Anthony. If he sees that you're putting him before everything else, even your reservations about Edward, he'll understand when he's older. All of us played a hand in this."
"Everyone but Charlie. He was vocal about my choice, but he didn't push it after a while."
"And that relationship suffered too. When was the last time you talked to Charlie?" Carlisle asked.
"Christmas. When he told me I was just like my mother."
Esme and Carlisle stayed a little longer before they left. Jasper sent a text, letting Bella know he was done with school for the year so if she needed someone to watch Anthony, he was available. Bella knew that she needed to talk to Alice, but she also knew Alice. She felt justified in what she'd done, and she would talk circles around Bella until she felt bad. And Bella felt conflicted enough.
In the end, she decided to wait until she'd met with Edward and discussed things with him.
The beginning of the week was uneventful, but she kept focusing on her lunch with Edward coming up on Wednesday. On Tuesday evening, she was going over the case files with Jenks when she told him about her lunch plans for the following day.
"I don't have a problem with you having lunch out of the office."
"Well, it is my meeting with Edward. He's only in town for a few days so I need to discuss it with him so he can start making plans."
JJ looked unimpressed. "So he's already flaking out on you both?"
"No, his mother just passed away and I know the will reading was just before he showed up in my life. I don't know exactly what he's planning, but he said he was coming into town for a few days and then he'd be gone for a few weeks. I'll find out more tomorrow about what he wants. But for now, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt."
"Then I'll stay out of it, because you're always telling me if I can't say anything nice, I should keep my big mouth shut."
"That isn't exactly what I say," she teased.
That night, Bella went home and cuddled with Anthony extra close, because after tomorrow, everything would change.
On Wednesday, Bella got to work early. After looking at her schedule, she texted Edward the address of the cafe down the street from her office and told him to meet her there at 12:45. He quickly responded he'd be there and she was able to relax a little at his quick acceptance.
Her morning was filled with researching statutes for Jenks. When eleven rolled around and it was time for his client meeting, she made sure to be seated beside him to take notes. While the meeting would be recorded, Jason valued Bella's opinion and wanted to know what she thought about what was said. He had told her on multiple occasions that her way of seeing things was invaluable when working on cases. Meetings with this particular client always ran long, and Bella was always tense afterwards.
Today was no better and when Jason had to repeat his question twice, his hand came down swiftly on the polished wood table. "Lonnie, if you can't focus on your own defense, then I'll see if we can cop a plea deal."
"My father hired you to get me off," Lonnie sneered.
"Your father hired me to minimize your jail time. But the prosecution's evidence is strong and the way you behave in this office is in line with the claims of the other defendants. One of whom took a plea deal and is now state's evidence. Now, I would suggest you go home and think long and hard about how you can help your case."
Jenks stood and walked to the other side of the table, his height towering over Lonnie Wessens, who stood and with a final glance at Bella, allowed himself to be escorted to the elevator.
Bella cleaned up the folders and notepads on the table, jumping when JJ returned. "Any more meetings I have with him, you're sitting out. This case will be in court in two weeks and over before we know it."
"I can handle it, Jason," Bella told him.
"But you shouldn't have to. If you remain in this sphere, you'll have to deal with unsavory clients, but you'll also have a say in who you take on as a client as much as the firm allows. As a member of my department, I would never force you to defend someone you were uncomfortable being alone in a room with."
"Would there be a place for me in this firm?" Bella asked.
"I think having a fourth lawyer in the office would work well. You're good at what you do and when you can actually stand in front of a jury and argue a case, you'll be a force in the courtroom. The partners asked my opinion of you remaining here as a junior attorney after you've passed the bar, and I told them as much. Though Jane would happily take you up on the family law department if that was what you wanted." Jason looked down at his watch and sighed. "But you have another important meeting to get to, so we will discuss this more later."
Bella looked at her Fitbit and saw that it was 12:34. "I'll see you when I get back."
"If you're running late, just text. It would be silly for you to come back only to leave again for Anthony."
"Will do, thanks JJ."
Bella went to her office and grabbed her suit jacket and purse before striding to the elevator. She was glad it was only a few minutes walk to the cafe. When she walked in, she was shocked to see Edward sitting at a table in the corner with a lemonade already in front of him.
"Sorry, we had a meeting with a client that ran a little long," Bella told him as she sat down.
"You're right on time, Bella. I just got here early to make sure we could get a table. I know you're on your lunch so I didn't want to waste time waiting to be sat."
"Thank you."
The small talk between them was awkward. Bella told him about going into her last year of law school and Edward explained he was looking at places in Seattle to be closer to his aunt and uncle, as well as Anthony. The waitress came by and took their orders, and as soon as she was gone, Bella decided to dive in.
"I've hired a lawyer, and spoke to her about our situation. From our first meeting, she said I should advise you to get a lawyer as well so they can handle the majority of this case."
Edward leaned forward, an edge to his voice. "Really, Bella? You went straight to lawyers? I mean, I shouldn't be surprised but I thought you were willing to work with me. I guess you won't even give me a chance."
"Edward, take a breath and listen." She waited for him to do so and sit back in his chair before she continued. "Even in the most civil of cases, a custody agreement needs to be presented to a judge and approved. Jane advised that you get a lawyer so there is someone looking out for your best interests in this arrangement.
"We can sit down with them and if we're able to make a plan we're both happy with, it is easier to get a judge to sign off on it. I'm not trying to railroad you, but I don't want to have to go through this multiple times because you weren't properly represented in the initial proceedings. You're moving here, in part, to be closer to our son. If you are serious about putting in an effort, I want to make sure you get a fair deal."
"Oh, that makes sense. Can we discuss what you had in mind?" Edward asked, his expression softening.
"I'm willing to share physical custody, but I want to retain sole legal custody."
Their waitress dropped off their sandwiches, cutting off the conversation for a moment.
"What does that mean?" Edward asked.
"We would come up with an arrangement that works for the three of us as far as time spent between households, based on what is best for Anthony and what we're both willing to give. But I would want to be the one to make legal decisions. We could discuss things, but the final say would be mine."
"And how all this works is what we would have our lawyers figure out?"
Bella smiled, taking a bite of her sandwich. "Yes, they would help us find a balance we can all live with."
"Okay. I'm willing to go into this with an open mind. I guess finding a lawyer is another thing to add to my ever-growing to do list." Having seen Bella begin her meal, he dove into his sandwich as well.
"Which you're hoping to wrap up when you go home?"
"Not sure I'd call Chicago home anymore, but yeah. I've got a lot to handle, but I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish it in two to three weeks. Then I'll be in Seattle full time."
"Will moving here be difficult for your job? I know you mentioned being an artist, but I don't even know what you do, specifically."
"I'm a freelance artist and photographer. And an occasional model. But all of that is something I can do anywhere. There may be some travel required for existing clients who'd want to hire me again, but I can do a lot of that from here. And with the art scene in Seattle, I don't think getting gallery space will be too much trouble."
"You'll make it work."
Edward smirked and then looked down at his hands. "Could I meet Anthony before I go back to Chicago?"
"I think we can arrange that. I do have something to discuss with you about that though."
"What?" Edward met her eyes, looking unsure.
"In the beginning, I want to introduce you as Esme's nephew and a friend. I think it will be easier for you both to get to know each other that way, and if you decide this is too much for you, he won't get his heart broken."
"You think I'll walk away again?" he questioned.
"I think this will bring up a lot of emotions. And until you're a regular part of his life it will take the pressure off both of you."
Edward sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Fine. When can we meet up?"
"He gets out of pre-k at three o'clock. I pick him up and usually take him to the office for daycare in the summer when I don't have someone watching him. But I'll talk to Jenks and I'll take a few hours off tomorrow afternoon so we can go to the park. You can meet him and he'll get a chance to play with the kids there, it will be a nice afternoon."
"So you'll send me the information tomorrow?"
"When I pick him up tonight I'll ask him which park he wants to go to and send it to you then. I would say be there around three-twenty and we'll see how it goes."
Edward nodded. "I can do that. I've got an appointment in the morning, but I will make sure I'm free well before our playdate."
"Good." Bella looked at her phone and sighed. "I really need to head back to the office. We'll talk more tomorrow and then we'll move on once you're back on the West Coast?"
Edward used the little tabletop paystation to take care of their bill. "That sounds fair. I'll see you tomorrow."
Bella stood and smiled again. "We'll be there."