Where the Heart Lies

Chapter 8: Leaving Again

Bella

The two weeks that the Doctor had said I needed to stay in Forks, had flew by fast. I hadn't seen Edward since the night he dropped off our daughter, but I heard a lot about him from the girls. They were both adamant that they wanted to stay here with the Cullen's, but I was firmly against it. True to his word Edward had gotten a Lawyer that now complicated the situation. All communication between the two of us was through him.

"Ms. Swan, I heard you were going to be leaving today so I thought I would drop by since you refuse to come by my office," the man says as I come into the dining room where Esme was seated.

"I had nothing to say to you," I say as I pour myself a cup of coffee.

"Well I speak for the father of Emmalin and Carlie Swan. Mr. Cullen would like for you to review the custody papers I have drawn up to see if they might work with your schedule, if not I can try to arrange for it to do so," the sneaky bastard says as he pushes some papers toward me.

"I hate to say this, but I actually don't have to do anything about custody right at the present time because according to the Cape Cod where I actually live. All rights to children born to single parents belong to the parent in charge of them. I have had them for the last 5 years alone, making me the sole custodian parent," I snap as I shove the papers back at him.

"Yet, you are here in Washington. You left parental rights in the case of your death to a Mr. Edward Cullen. In that time he became the sole guardian of the children, he can file claim here for that time period," he says very briskly to me.

"Here's the card to my Lawyer, I have all rights to my daughters according to the law of our state. They have lived there more than her. Have a good day," I snap as I walk away. I see Edward pulling up with the girls as I see the lawyer walking out the side door to his car. Edward greets the man who probably tells him what a bitch I was. I feel sorry for Edward, but he had it coming trying to think I would let him have them. I can tell from his expression and body language he figured I'd say as much, but there was a hint of disappointment in him as well.

"You know it isn't totally fair for you to take out your frustration on him. I know you don't want to hear it but he was devastated when you left. He didn't even remember anything to why you left. The whole time you were in your coma he stayed by you. Bella think about this from your daughters' point of view if not for anyone else," Carlisle says as he squeezes my shoulder before walking out to the porch. My eyes meet with Edward's and I have to turn away from the hurt that was filling them.

"Daddy, will you be going to the airport with us," Carlie asks as I step out onto the porch. He looks up barely to meet my eyes and he bends down once again to hold his little girls.

"No, I am not. Shh! It's not because I don't want to, but it would be too hard to have to actually watch you leave. I just want to keep you both here with me, but your mom needs to get back to work and you two have school. I love you both very much," he says as he kisses them both on the forehead before walking back toward his Volvo. I was actually surprised he still had that stupid car.

"Bye, Daddy," they both say as they wave to him. I notice on the right wrist they had a charm bracelet with little charms.

"I like your bracelets," I say as I see they are different.

"Daddy, got them for us," Carlie says smiling.

"We have different charms on them." Emmalin says as I notice that when they lift their wrists up for me to see them.

"I can see that now," I softly say as I think about the similar one he gave me on my 14th birthday. I still had it at home, but hardly took it out of my jewelry case. I remember that he gave me a new charm for different things we did. I got one for the horse I rode when I was 15, another one of a dress when we went to the dance the year I left. Yes, each charm held a memory of better times. I hoped my daughters would be better than mine was.

We spent the afternoon hanging out with all of the Cullen's before a cab came to take us to the airport in Port Angeles. Jasper wanted to take us, but I decided it needed to be just the three of us. Carlisle loaded our luggage into the trunk as Esme kissed and hugged us.

"Have a good flight girls, face time us when you get home if it isn't too late," he says before turning to me. "Think about what I said," he whispers as he hugs me. I wave bye as I get in. The girls stare out the back window waving until we were out of sight, then they sat down watching the landscape as we headed to the airport to go home.

As we boarded the plane I thought I saw Edward in the distance, but when I looked back it wasn't him. I knew all the signs were there about us, but I had been hurt by him. I just wasn't ready for him to be a part of my life at the moment. The flight back seemed to go by quickly. Emmalin was asleep when I drove up to our Condo. I pulled into the driveway and smiled when I looked at our home. I was glad to be back.

The girls didn't face time their grandparents that night nor the next day, no I had left my phone on the table and when I came out of the bathroom they were talking with their dad.

"Where is your mom?" he questioned half asleep since it was 7 here and 4 in the morning in Forks.

"She went to the bathroom," Carlie says laughing as Emmalin does to.

"It's early here," he mumbles as I hear him yawn.

"We wanted to see you," Carlie says as I hear him chuckle.

"So how was the plane ride," he asks. I listen for the next 20 minutes as the girls talk with Edward about the plane, give him a tour of our home and me in my pajamas. They end their conversation in the kitchen as I am making pancakes. Carlie climbs up on the barstool to show him me flipping the pancake.

"I see," he says barely as I notice for the first time that I was wearing a tank top and short boy shorts with a robe that I had left open. I quickly pull the robe closed and tie the strings.

"Carlie, I think it's time you guys said bye to daddy to eat. I'm sure he has things to do," I say as I see him looking directly at me with a longing look mixed with hunger.

"Mommy," Emmalin says as she chews her pancake.

"You can call your dad later or he can call you, but right now food and then school," I say firmly as Edward chuckles. They say their goodbyes and he promises to call them later in the afternoon when he gets off work.

We seem to get into a routine of the girls calling him in the morning to talk to him while they get ready, and he calls them in the afternoon when they get home from school. I am usually in the room when they talk, but I don't interfere or talk with Edward until it's time to go or if one of the girls says something about me to him and he asks as question. It has been a month since we left Forks and Carlie came running into my room with the phone their dad sent them so they wouldn't be using mine all the time.

"Mommy, daddy isn't picking up," she says half crying.

"Sweetie he is probably working a double or didn't hear the phone. He'll call you later," I say and we go about our day, but he doesn't call them. I don't let it worry me, I know he is busy and if something bad had happened Carlisle or Esme would let me know. A week goes by before I hear the news that I hadn't been prepared for. I always thought things would be find, but no I had ruined everything.

"Coming," I yell as I open the door to see Carlisle and Emmett standing in front of me.

"Bella, can we come in," Emmett asks softly as I open the door farther. Yes, my decision would cost me and my daughters dearly. Edward had died in a head on collision the morning Carlie had tried to call him. He was headed home, when a drunk driver hit him. They hadn't know because he was in another city for a conference, the car was a rental in another person's name, but the driver's license and personal effects in the car were Edwards.

****I don't know anything about the law, so my stuff is all made up. Don't worry there is more to the story than this, something big happened but do you think Bella will let it go so easy.****