Chapter Twenty

"Mama!" Penny came running down the hall into the kitchen where she grabbed hold of my legs. Her curly hair was a tangled mess and her pajamas were wrinkled, and she was out of breath from giggling. I shook my head at her and reached down to lift her into my arms.

"What's goin' on, Little P?" I asked, brushing the hair from her face.

"Paul was reading to me and his voices for all the people suck! It was bad, mama." She wrinkled her nose at me and I laughed at my boyfriend as he came trudging into the kitchen with a pout on his face.

"I'm sure he wasn't that terrible, baby." Penny looked at me like I was insane. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open.

"You're crazy, mama." She sighed dramatically and wiggled out of my arms and headed off toward her bedroom to get dress for the day. I rolled my eyes, of course my daughter would have my attitude. I turned back to the stove and started cooking again when I felt Paul's arms slink their way around my waist.

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be back living in my hometown with my daughter and a great boyfriend, I would probably believe you that it'd be a possibility. However, if you told me a year ago that said boyfriend would be able to turn into a wolf and there was a battle between vampires then I probably would have called the loony bin. A lot of things have happened in the last year. I almost died and my baby girl was almost taken away from me from her father. I came face to face with vampires and lived, I met someone who loves me more than the air we breath. I was reunited with my family, and everything I've been threw has been worth it to be able to see them all everyday.

"What are you thinkin', babe?" His breath tickled my ear as he laid soft kisses on the side of my neck.

"Just how different things have become in the last year. How different my life is, and how happy I am now." I felt him growl in approval against my back, causing a shiver to run down my spine. "Alright, time for you to go get dressed and for me to finish breakfast, Mr. Lahote." He laughed at me before kissing me on the cheek quickly and moving to my bedroom to change into some clean clothes he's left here.

I was just finishing up on putting the scrambled eggs on three plates when there was a knock at the door. I quickly set the pan back on the stove and wiped off my hands before making my way to the living room. When I answered it, the last thing I was expecting was a man dressed in a nice looking suit.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Hazel Swan?" I nodded my head yes. "You've been served." He handed me a thick yellow envelope and made his way down my walk and back to his car. I was left gaping after him. Served? What the hell was he talking about?

I quickly shut the door and leaned against it before opening the envelope. After I read what was inside, it slipped out of my hands and I slid down the door and onto the floor with my hands covering my mouth.

"Mama? Mama, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Penny came running up to me and sat, crouched in front of me and placed her hands on my cheeks. I couldn't speak, I could only shake my head as I ran shakey hands threw my hair. I could see the frantic look in Penny's eyes, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything or even move. "Paul!" Penny screamed as the tears started to fall down her face. I heard his heavy footsteps come running down the hall and he dropped to his knees in front of me.

"Hazel, baby. Look at me. What's wrong?" Again, I couldn't speak. All I could do was shake my head and look to the paper sitting next to me. He picked up on what I was trying to say and picked it up and read it over. I saw the rage in his eyes and he closed them and took several deep breaths before speaking. "He can't do this. I won't let him. There's no way the state is going to allow him custody after what happened, after what he had done to you." He ushered Penny back to her room so she could get dressed before going to grandpa Charlie's house, and that's when the tears started streaming down my face.

"I-I..." Paul gently shushed me before pulling me into his arms and cradling me to his chest.

"Don't worry, baby. He can't do this. I won't let him hurt you or Penny anymore. You're mine, you and Penny both. I love you."

~~~TOS~~~

Anthony wasn't always this much of a dick. He used to be very sweet and caring, honest he was. He just was never meant to be a father, for the first few months of Penny's life he tried very hard to be a good dad. But, it wasn't enough. He wasn't in it all the way with me, and we broke up and Penny was mine. I had full custody and she would see him on weekends and on holidays. That was good enough for him, it worked. Never in a million years did I ever think he would fight me for full custody of Penny. Especially after what he had done to me. I couldn't breath, I couldn't think, I could hardly move.

"Mama? Why are you crying?" Penny's voice brought me back to reality. I looked up at her from where I was still sitting on the floor in front of the door. Paul was in my bedroom on the phone with Charlie, explaining to him what happened.

"It's nothing, sweetie. Mommy's fine." I wiped at my face and choked out a laugh at Penny's face. Her lips were pursed, hands on her hips, and her eyes were narrowed at me. Looking very much like I do when I'm angry at something.

"You're lyin', mama. That's okay, as long as you don't do it anymore." She nodded her head in that sure manor that she always does when she thinks she's right. I rolled my eyes at her and opened my arms for her to crawl into my lap. "I don't like it when you cry, mama."

"I don't either, baby. Sometimes I can't help it, though. Like when you fall down sometimes and you scratch your knee and you cry. It's a reflex."

"Did you fall, mama?" She looked up at me, her eyes wide with curiosity. I fought back another round of tears. I shook my head no and took a shakey breath to calm down. She twisted around and sat between my knees so she was facing me. She put both hands on my cheeks and looked me directly in the eyes. "Mama, you're too pretty for tears. Crying makes you ugly. You shouldn't do it anymore." I barked out a laugh. I always was an ugly cryer, and leave it to my four year old daughter to point that out.

"I love you, Little P." I told her, scrunching up my nose to do the bunny face. She smiled at me before doing the same face and murmuring that she loved me, too. "Now come on, time to go to grandpa's." I stood up and took Penny's hand before walking down the hall to my room to get Paul.

When I reached the door he was just hanging up the phone. When he turned to look at me, he let out a smile seeing how I was no longer crying and I had a smile on my face. I trusted Paul.

He was everything I could have ever asked for in a significant other. I loved him more than I ever thought I could love someone, aside from Penny. In the year that I have known him, he has taught me so much. We were similiar in a lot of ways, as well as very different. Paul was it for me, and I believed that even if I wasn't his imprint that he would still be in my life like he was now.

"You girls ready?" He asked us. Penny smiled largely at him before releasing my hand and running to him as he lifted her in his arms.

"I'm ready, daddy."

I froze.

~~~TOS~~~

Hi guys! I know its been a while since I updated. I am very, very sorry. A lot of personal things have come up and I was forced to take leave from all social media and anything that had access to the internet. But I am back now, and I promise updates will be much better! R&R xoxo