Chapter 8 (Edward)
April 2012
Fresh start…irritating baggage
Giving my mother free reign on Noah's nursery had been both a blessing and a curse. I ended up having to do nothing to the room besides put his crib and changing table back together but the room was too extravagant for my tastes. It was like walking into a forest wonderland. Every wall in the room was painted with trees, various animals, mushrooms, flowers, and a dirt path while the ceiling was painted to represent the sky with clouds. "Monk!" Noah called out as I lay him on the changing table to change him out of his pajamas.
I nodded at him as I changed his diaper. "Yep, that's a monkey." Potty training was going to be our next goal.
Once he was dressed in a pair of shorts, t-shirt, fresh diaper, and socks I scooped him up heading towards the kitchen to get him his morning bottle. "We've got to finish setting up the office today, buddy." I told him as I settled him into his high chair so I could fix us some breakfast.
We had been in the house for almost a week now and the office space was the last room in the house that needed to be unpacked and set to rights. After a simple breakfast of sausage, scrambled eggs, and blueberries I got right to work while Noah played in the adjoining playroom. Halfway through organizing the filing cabinets my computer dinged with an email alert so I settled into my desk chair to see what it was. After dealing with the client email I spotted one from Bella that was sent last night so I quickly opened it to see what she had written.
90 questions in 90 days to decide if we wanted this to go further than just email? It didn't sound too bad except I was gonna have to come up with 45 get to know you questions.
Question 1/Day 1:
Date Sent: Wednesday, April 4, 2012 7:52 am
Subject: Let the questions begin…
Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G
Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011
Think we can really get to know each other in 3 months' time?
Thanks by the way for all the congratulations. It seems like it was just the other day that I was staring down at my newborn son for the very first time and now he wakes me up each morning by screaming "Da!" from his crib as he bangs it against the wall of his room. I haven't moved as much as you because the apartment that I lived in before building this house is the same one I moved into after leaving my parent's home after I finished college.
I noticed you said 'when the girls came to live with me' in your last email and it made me curious. From the picture on the website I was guessing that the oldest girls is around 11 or 12 years old so I am gonna go out on a limb and say that they are your nieces instead of your biological daughters?
Biology doesn't dictate whether you are a parent or not. My son's mother proved that to me the day she walked out of the hospital leaving him behind without a backwards glance.
I will get off the heavy stuff for now and onto the first question…
What's your favorite zoo animal? Why?
My answer:
Mine would happen to be the lion because they are social and protective of their 'family' and close friends.
My little man's favorite animal happens to be monkey's these days. When we moved into this house my mom did his nursery in a forest wonderland kind of thing and a monkey is painted right above his changing table. He points at it and babbles about it every morning.
Sorry this is kind of short and sweet but I have a busy day today so I am gonna have to leave it here.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Edward
After sending the first question I delved head first into getting my office set up and functional before emailing all of my clients of the new location and business hours. Just because my office was in my home didn't mean I wanted to be working around the clock. The major change about relocating offices was the fact that Rose was no longer working with me, she had her hands full with their new foster daughter, Sophie.
The next day I decided to invite my mom over for lunch, as a thank you for helping me with Noah and getting the house set up. "Edward?" I heard her call out from the foyer.
I stepped out of Noah's room pulling the door shut behind me. "Back here, Ma." I called to her as I headed up the hallway where all the bedrooms were located. I had been adamant about the house being a single story instead of two because I didn't want to have to worry about Noah falling down the stairs. She was unloading boxes of Chinese food whenever I stepped into the kitchen. "What's this?" I asked her as I grabbed us two glasses from the cabinet along with bottles of water from the fridge.
"Lunch. Edible adult lunch." She said with a smirk handing me a container with kung pao chicken in it.
"Haha. Very funny." I told her as I tossed a piece of saucy chicken into my mouth.
About halfway through lunch my phone dinged with a new email alert. A quick glance told me that the email was from Bella and I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face. "Someone special?" My mom asked with a raised eyebrow.
I just shrugged my shoulders before locking my phone again, at least until she left. "Maybe."
"Is this someone from that online dating website Rose set you up with?" My mom asked before waiting patiently for me to figure out what all I wanted to divulge to her.
She had been using this tactic on me since I was a kid and it worked like a charm. Every single time. "I don't know much, Ma. We're getting to know each other but so far she seems like a nice sincere woman raising three little girls on her own." I explained with a heavy sigh.
"She's a single mom to three girls?"
I nodded. "Yes ma'am. I can barely handle one much less three on my own. We are going to spend the next three months getting to know each other better before we decide what we want to do. I have Noah to think about just like she has her girls to think about."
"Hmm." My mom said with a nod of her head. "I wish you all the luck in the world, son. Just be cautious and careful." She said as she stood up taking her plate to the sink to rinse it off.
"Thanks, Ma."
As soon as my mom walked out the door I pulled my phone out to read the email Bella had sent me.
Question 2/Day 2
Date Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2012 12:32 pm
Subject: The zoo, huh?
Recipient: GreenEyedDaddy2011
Sender: VirgoMama2_3G
I don't have much time since I'm on my lunch break so let me start this off by answering your question.
Favorite zoo animal?
Hmm…sometimes I feel like my house is a zoo. My girls got a German Shepherd pup for Christmas and we rescued a stray cat in February and got a Guinea pig in March so we just very possibly may look like a zoo some days.
I suppose the babies would be my favorite. Whether they be baby tigers, lions, monkeys, pandas, gorilla's, etc. If I had to pick just one I suppose it would have to be a koala bear. Not sure why but I just think they are so cute and friendly.
Molly, my oldest, is fascinated with the birds. Parrots, flamingos, swans, etc.
Mia, my middle child, loves the penguins.
Maci, my baby, adores the frogs and lizards for some reason that is beyond me.
Before I delve into your 'catch' of my 'slip' let me ask my question for the day.
Do you have any brothers/sisters?
Molly, who just turned 13, Mia who is 5, and Maci who will be 2 in October are my brother/sister in law's biological children. Maci is obviously not my brother's so therefore no biological relation to me but legally all three girls are mine. Jake, my brother, rather my half-brother has led a reckless life that recently landed him in prison causing him and his screw up of a wife to lose their children.
I don't know what Maci looked like when she was first born but I do remember laying eyes on her just a few days past her ten week birthday and it still amazed me how much she has grown in the past year and a half. At least you had nine months to get used to the idea of being a parent. I had a mere few days from the time I got the phone call to having the girls in my care but I wouldn't change it for the world.
While biologically I only have one half-brother, my best friend is more like a sister than just a friend so I consider myself lucky to have her in my life and on my side.
Lunch is almost over, so I guess I will talk to you later.
Your friend,
Bella
After reading her email I couldn't help but smile. She had shared the names of the most important people in her life along with some heartbreaking details. Before I could even think about starting a reply back to her I heard Noah start to stir through the baby monitor. I stood up heading down the hall pausing outside his door to wait for his 'call' to come get him.
He didn't disappoint either. "Da! Da!" He called out loudly just before his crib banged against the wall.
Poking my head in his door he grinned broadly at me before reaching his arms out for me. "There's my little man." I cooed to him as I picked him up out of the crib heading for the changing table. After he had a dry diaper on we headed for the kitchen where I grabbed a sippy cup for him and a bottle of water for me before heading outside to let him play in the grass for a little while.
I'm not sure how long we were outside before the peace was disturbed by the ringing of my phone. Without looking to see who was calling I answered it. "Hello?"
"YOU MOVED MY SON WITHOUT INFORMING ME!?" Tanya.
Sighing I sat up in the grass rolling the ball back to Noah as we had been doing for the past little bit. "For the last time HE'S NOT YOUR SON." I told her angrily. "I don't have to consult you with decisions concerning him, Tanya. You gave away those rights, remember?"
She sighed into the phone. "I never figured you to be vindictive, Edward. You are withholding our son from me out of spite for a mistake I now regret."
"You want to talk about being vindictive or doing something out of spite? What about all the money you spent on yourself while pregnant? My money! What about not even bothering to show up for the hearing over your parental rights? If anybody has a right to be angry it is MY son! MY son is the one that is losing out on a mother though I'm not sure what kind of a mother you would be considering your actions of the past year." I ranted which caused Noah to cock his head at me curiously because he wasn't used to hearing me get angry. "My son deserves more than a flaky woman who didn't want him when he was brand new in this world."
"I'm sorry, Edward. He does deserve more but you won't let me make up for my past mistakes." She said softly into the phone.
If I hadn't lived through all that I had lived through in the past year I would have believed her and possibly given her a second chance to be a mother to my son. "I can't let you in his life just to have you walk back out of it in a few months. He notices these things now, Tanya. It's just not a risk I am willing to take."
"Please Edward." She begged softly.
Releasing a breath I didn't realize I had been holding I decided to just confront her calmly. "Tanya, I am done with this. The calls, the harassment, the begging, everything. It has to stop. Today. My answer is no. You can come find him when he turns 18 and not a day before." I told her calmly and as rationally as possible. "This is the last time I will tell you this. If you contact me or a member of my family concerning my son then I will go to the cops and file for a restraining order."
"But.."
"No buts Tanya. Goodbye." I told her before hanging up and turning off my phone. "Ready, Noah!?" I called to my smiling little boy as I rolled the ball back to him.
We spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the yard while silently praying that Tanya would take me seriously because I really didn't want to have to file a restraining order on her but I would if it came down to it. That night after Noah was down for the night I wrote Bella back.
Question 3/Day 3
Date Sent: Thursday, April 5, 9:06 pm
Subject: You are an amazing woman
Recipient: VirgoMama2_3G
Sender: GreenEyedDaddy2011
While I don't even pretend to know the whole story, what you did for your nieces is absolutely amazing and wonderful and selfless. You talk about them like a natural parent would. While I had nine months to prepare and get used to the idea of having a little one I didn't ever plan to do it completely on my own. Noah's mother, Tanya, left her termination papers laying in the little plastic crib next to my sleeping newborn son. While I had to file the paperwork with the courts to make it legal and final she didn't reappear until he was almost 8 months old. To this very day, and I mean literally today, she keeps badgering me about seeing him and wanting to change her mistake of signing her rights away. I can't allow her anywhere near my son. She deserted him once and I can't allow her to do it again. Especially now that he has a good grasp on his surroundings and the people in his life.
To answer your question…
I have an older brother, Emmett. His wife, Rosalie, is like a sister to me. Rose has been a godsend to me, especially since Noah has been born. She single handedly ran my office for me while I tackled fatherhood firsthand. She and Emmett lost their three year old daughter to a brain tumor just six months before Noah was born so she constantly reminds me to take lots of pictures and videos and to cherish the small things. She chewed me a new one because I had waited to the last minute to buy Noah's Halloween costume. Apparently it is the simple things that I should be focusing on even though he won't remember anything from these first few years of his life when he's grown.
My question for the day is…
Do you find it hard being a single parent?
I ask this because I find some days harder than others. Take today for example, Noah and I were having a chill day outside playing with the ball in the grass when his mother called begging once again to see him. I try to not let my anger at the situation cloud my judgement on what would be best for my son but it is difficult because I see what such an amazing child we created together and can't fathom ever walking away from him.
Most days I don't let the hardships of being a single parent bother me but I will admit to wanting to pull my hair out some days. When I have a work deadline, which happens every four months because clients need quarterly reports, things can get stressful in our household but I do have the luxury of working from home. Not sure if that is a blessing or not because unlike people who drop their kids off at daycare or something I don't get uninterrupted time to complete my work. I have to do it around his schedule and needs.
I can only imagine how much more difficult your situation is considering you have three kids while I only have one.
I'm gonna head to bed because I have another one of those pesky deadlines looming over my head tomorrow.
Your friend,
Edward
After hitting send I shut my computer down for the night before doing exactly as I had said I was going to do.