New chapter :) I hope you like it. It took a little while to figure out what I wanted to write but it's done. Please excuse any and all errors. I couldn't stand to look at it any longer. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still don't own it.

Chapter 5

A Day at the Park

"Mommy," Georgina whined, pulling at my leg. "Pawk!"

I chuckled and put down the pen. "Alright, baby doll. Let's go to the park." I stood up and stretched. I know I would miss this when I started work. This was the last week before I started my new job. After nearly four years of being on maternal leave, I thought it would be difficult to find a job. It didn't help having to explain my reason for leaving my last job. One thing I knew for sure: I was never having an office relationship again. It caused too much trouble and, while I love Georgina to death, I didn't particularly want to experience something like my last break up/quitting my job.

Georgina was sitting on the stairs, trying to get her shoes on. I laughed softly when I noticed she had them on the wrong feet. I leaned against the wall as I watched her take her shoes off and switch them. I was surprised at how versatile she was becoming. And she was only three. "You ready to go?"

She nodded enthusiastically and stood up, grabbing her soccer ball that was sitting by the door. I slipped into my tennis shoes and grabbed the keys from the table. Georgina walked ahead, too excited to stay with me. "Don't go too far, Georgie."

"I won't."

I locked the door and followed her down the driveway. I was surprised to find Clay walking across the street. "Good afternoon, ladies."

Georgina hid behind my leg, peeking out at him. "Hi, Clay." I greeted cheerfully. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Shouldn't you?" he countered.

"Touché." I chuckled. "Actually, I don't start my job until next week."

"What a coincidence. Neither do I."

"What do you do?" I asked curiously.

"I'm a paediatrician. I got a job at a private practice downtown." He said. "What about you?"

Georgina tugged impatiently on my pants. "Mommy, pawk!"

"Okay, okay." I rolled my eyes. "Would you like to come with us?"

He looked nervous. For a paediatrician, he seemed afraid of the thought. "Are you sure? I don't want to intrude."

"Trust me, you aren't." I said dryly.

"Uh, okay." He agreed.

"Georgina, Clay's going to come to the park with us today."

She looked at him and came out from behind me, looking up at him with her wide brown eyes. Clay crouched down and greeted her carefully. Instead of answering, she poked and prodded his face until she smiled. "Pawk!"

She walked ahead until Clay and I started to follow. "Is she usually this demanding?" Clay asked with a laugh.

"Actually, yes. She is." I laughed. "But it's only when she really wants something."

"What happened to her father?" he wondered. "I noticed she looks nothing like Edward."

"Edward?" Why do people always think Edward's the father? "No, actually, Edward and I are just friends." I explained. "Georgina's father bailed when I told him I was pregnant."

His eyes darkened, his lips pursing into a thin line. "I never understand why guys do that." He growled. "It's despicable."

"Jasper wasn't like other men." I mumbled. "He lived by his own rules." I thought about the reputation he tried so hard to uphold. I wondered if he would have done the same thing if he didn't have that "reputation" to uphold.

"Do you still love him?"

"I would be lying if I said no. A part of me does. No matter how much I want to hate him for breaking my heart, I could never hate him for giving me Georgina." I watched as Georgina walked, a little ahead and completely oblivious to our conversation. "But then there's this whole other part. The part that broke when he said he didn't want us. He didn't want to risk his precious name by being tied down to... a middle class woman, I guess."

"He sounds like a jackass."

"He was." I paused and added, "Still is, I guess. I haven't heard so much as a peep from him in nearly four years. Not since I told him I was pregnant."

"It seems impossible for someone to not love Georgina." Clay said. "She has this light about her that draws people to her."

I laughed. "I agree." I said. "She got that from Jasper. He was always so sure of himself, never once doubting himself or the people around him. Georgina is the same way. So much so that I dread her teenage years."

Clay laughed. "She'll be magnificent."

"Like father, like daughter."

We made it to the park a couple of minutes later and Georgina immediately started kicking the ball around. She was always so content playing with herself, sometimes. When she wanted someone to play with her, it was known.

Clay wandered over to her and started to play with her. She would giggle and laugh as he tripped over the ball trying to kick it to her and he would pout when she got it away from him.

"Mommy, play!" Georgina called.

With an exaggerated sigh, I chuckled and ran over to them, kicking the ball with them.

After about twenty minutes, she got tired and went to the playground and plopped herself down in the sand, running her little fingers through it.

"You're a great mother, Bella." Clay said as I sat nearby, watching her intently.

"Sometimes I wonder." I mumbled.

"I think some mothers who were put in your position either resent the child for ruining their life or resent the father for leaving them in the first place."

"I could never resent Georgina." I said immediately. "Yeah, I don't like the way it happened. I would rather have been married first but I love Georgina more than anything in this world. But sometimes, she reminds me so much of Jasper it makes my heart ache. When she was born, I used to think about what would have happened if he decided to stay. If things would be different."

Georgina ran to the slide and climbed up. She was smiling and giggling, I hated to think that a day would come when she wouldn't be that way anymore.

"Why didn't you move?" he asked, bringing my attention back to him.

"I thought about it. I considered going back to Forks and living with my dad until I got back on my feet. But Edward had moved all the way out here for me and I had friends here. Besides, the town I grew up in, everyone knew everyone. Especially when you were the chief of police's daughter. They would have gossiped and come up with ridiculous rumours. Things I didn't want Georgina to have to listen to." There was something else. Something I was reluctant to admit. "I think there was some part of me that wished Jasper would show up and claim he wanted to take me back. Tell me he was sorry and wanted to be in Georgina's life."

Clay nodded. "If that happened now, would you be able to forgive him?"

I glanced at him before looking over at Georgina. "No." I shook my head. "I wouldn't forgive him. I spent nearly four years pinning over a man who wanted nothing to do with me. Or Georgina. He broke my heart and although I was naive at the time, I know the truth now. Jasper can't handle responsibility. If I forced him to do what I wanted, he would have resented me for it. He's not the kind of person he takes no for an answer."

"I think you made the right decision." He said.

"You do?"

He nodded. "You did what you thought was best for you and your daughter. Not many people can say they would do the same under those conditions. It takes a certain strength to be able to admit that."

"Mommy, Mommy," Georgina cried, running towards us. "Look!" she shoved something in my face. I lowered her hand and saw a gleaming gold star covered in sand.

"Where did you find this?"

"It was in the sand." She beamed. "Tweasue."

I laughed. "Do you know what it means when you find a star like that?" Clay asked, pointing to the star she was holding. She shook her head. "It means you can make a wish and whatever wish for will come true."

"Weally?" she looked at me with wide brown eyes. "Mommy?"

"Yes, sweetheart." I pulled her onto my lap and brushed her silky blond hair away from her face. "Make a wish."

Georgina held the star against her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't say anything but I knew she was making her wish.

When her eyes opened, she looked at Clay. "How soon until it comes?"

"It depends on what it is."

"I asked for a daddy."

I stiffened immediately and looked at Georgina. Swallowing, I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out. "Georgina, why don't you and I go and get some ice cream?" Clay suggested. His words were hollow. My hands trembled as I ran a hand over my face, wiping away the tears that threatened to fall.

"Okay." She slipped her hands into Clay's and they walked away. I was grateful for the silence. I broke down in sobs. My body shook with it. I wanted so badly to make Georgina's wish come true but I knew it was impossible. How do you explain to a three year old that your daddy doesn't want you? It reminded me so much of Charlie telling me about Mom when I asked him why she left.

Twenty minutes later, Clay came back with Georgina, who was jumping around and on a sugar high from the ice cream.

"We should be getting home. The walk should calm her down some."

"I doubt it." I rubbed my eyes with my sleeve and attempted a smile. Clay saw past it but at least he didn't mention anything.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I said. "I'll be okay."

"That was a huge surprise." He pointed out.

"I wasn't expecting to hear that for a little while longer." I said. "I guess it was inevitable. She sees children at daycare who have daddies so she would begin to wonder why she doesn't have one. She has Uncle Edward and Uncle Emmett and Auntie Rosie but no daddy. It-it just breaks my heart."

He nodded and wrapped his arms around my shoulder. "It'll be alright."

"I wish I could be as enthusiastic as you, Clay."

OOO

It was late that night when Georgina came into my room. She was wearing her pink nightgown and rubbing her eyes. Pieces of hair fell out of her braid.

"Hey kiddo. What are you doing up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep. I had a bad dweam."

"Would you like to sleep with me?"

She nodded. I patted the bed and helped her up when she came over. I pulled the covers up and wrapped my arms around her. She rested her head on my chest, her tiny fist clutching my shirt. "Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"Where's Daddy?"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, calming myself. "Daddy... Daddy's gone, baby." It was the partial truth. I would tell her the truth when she got older but right now, I didn't want to break her heart. I hummed the lullaby Edward used to play her and she fell asleep immediately. "I love you, Georgie."

She stuck her thumb in her mouth and started to suck. I fought back a giggle and held my head in my hand, simply staring at her. She was so beautiful. I stayed that way for a while, watching as she slept.

It was late when I finally fell asleep.

Jasper

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU WANT TO BREAK UP?" Alice shrieked.

"It's been fun, Alice, but you're too much for me."

"You bastard!" she tried to hit me. I grabbed her hand and pushed her back.

"Don't touch me."

"This is all because of that bitch, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Alice held up a photograph. My hands clenched when I realized who the picture was. "Where did you find that?"

"Your drawer." She hissed. "Who is she?"

"She's no one."

"Then why do you still have a picture of her?" she demanded. "She is the reason you're breaking up with me, isn't it? It's certainly been looked at enough times."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Mom had raised me better, but in that moment, I wanted to smack Alice.

"You don't get to know who that is, Alice." I growled. "It's over. I want you out by the end of the week."

"I'm not leaving."

"This is my house, Alice." I hissed. "I want you out of here."

She crossed her arms. "Make me."

I stared at her for several seconds before calling security.

They took her away kicking and screaming. It wasn't a pleasant look for her. It called for desperate. My mother was right, just like everything else.

I called the detective I hired in hopes of finding Bella.

"Stefan."

"It's Jasper Whitlock." I said. "Do you have anything?"

"Yes sir. She is staying with a Mr. Edward Cullen."

My hands clenched. Has she moved on? Why else would she be living with a man?

"Do you have a number where I can find her?"

"Uh, yes-yes sir."

"Good."

Review please