Hello Sister, Goodbye Life
Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga. All recognisable cahracters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Warning: Language. Adult themes.
Author's Note: Wow, everyone! The amount of readers I've received for this fic is phenominal! Thank you all so much!
I received a review from tv obsessive (apologies if that's not the right penname) telling me that I've got the level of intelligence of Maddie wrong. Well, huh, fancy that. I'll try not to stuff it up from chapter five (I've written up to the end of chapter four). I don't like little children from the ages three to well... I can barely stand myself, to be honest, and i chose to spend as little time with children as possible, hence my lack of knowledge of children's intelligence. And, to another reviewer (I can't remember your penname, sorry), I hope this review clears up some of the self-absorption, but I've got a good idea with this self centered-ness of Bella, involving Edward - who arrives in the next chapter - and, yeah, that's all. Thanks to everyone else for reviewing and I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
I've just finished school for the year - I start grade eleven at the end of January - oh my God! - but, until then, I have eight weeks of Summer to look forward to. Beach, heat, sunglasses, friends, a super hot Spanish that has asked for my number and fan fiction whenever I can. Feel free to review - I do like them ;:)
Chapter Thre
Desperado
Now it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can't get
Desperado - The Eagles
Bella Swan
bMadeleine was playing with her building blocks on a mat in front of the TV when I got home, Yo Gabba Gabba on TV for background noise. Rosalie was on her laptop, typing an email to her cousin in Rochester, Minesoda and Maria was preparing to leave.
"Relax, Isabella," she chuckled, most likely seeing the look of consternation on my face, "You wil be fine."
"Easy for you to say, mother of four and raiser of two more," I pouted, watching her shoulder her bag.
She smiled ryely, but didn't comment. Instead, she pulled out her keys and stepped out of the door, locking it behind her. Still pouting, I dragged my feet into the living room and collapsed into the space beside Rosalie.
"Hey," she greeted, smiling, "How was your first day as a lawyer?"
I gave her the most dignified answer I could possibly give: I groaned and buried my face in a throw cushion, leaning against her side for support.
She laughed at me and told me to "Man up" before shutting her laptop and sliding it onto the side table.
Madeleine had resorted to throwing the blocks up and watching them tumble to the ground. "It fwying!" She exclaimed, giggling and pointing to a falling building block.
"Madeleine, those blocks aren't for throwing, they're for building," I said sharply, earning a pout from the little rebellious one and a half year old.
"I fo 'em!" She demanded, reaching for another building block.
"Madeleine," I warned, "I swear to god, do not throw the blocks!"
"You no momma!" Nice observation, genius. This brat was going to be a little miss state-the-fucking-obvious when she was older, I could feel it.
"Yeah, well, I'm the closest thing you've got," I retorted, reaching over and hoisting her up, causing her to start screeching and beating at me, block in hand. I set her down in the corner and grabbed the block from her vice like grip, not an easy fete, surprisingly.
"Alright, brat, you will sit here until you learn to do as you're told."
Collapsing back into my seat, I sighed and closed my eyes, Rosalie patting my leg supportively. "You're doing the right thing, Bella."
"Am I?" I looked at her with pleading eyes. "Rose, what if I mess up? I don't... I don't want her to be disappointed in me."
Rosalie smiled proudly. "You're doing the best you can, Bella, and she'll be proud of you for doing just that."
A tear slipped from my eyes, and then another and another until I was finally sobbing into Rosalie's shoulder, she having pulled me into a hug the first moment she knew I'd start to bawl my eyes out. When Madeleine toddled over and pressed her hand against my knee, I pulled her into my arms and cried for her, blubbering out "I'm sorry"s to her, "God, Maddie, I'm sorry for being so mean to you."
She wrapped her little arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder and I held her close to me as I slowly regained my composure until only silent tears slid down my puffy red cheeks.
Rosalie rubbed circles into my back and though I didn't actually feel soothed, the fact that she even bothered to try and calm me made me smile gratefully at her. The simple gesture made me realise that I wasn't alone in raising Madeleine – I had Rosalie and Maria and Leah had said she was open to babysitting for me if the need ever arose.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up on my back, it was still dark out and there was something constricting my chest from expanding completely. Looking down, bleary eyed in the dimmed light of the living room, I found Madeleine fast asleep on my chest, arms and legs spread out on either side of me, mouth slightly open and head using my boobs as a pillow.
It was becoming a too common occurance of me finding my toddler sister asleep on my chest, I decided, yawning hugely. Deciding not to bother with it at that moment, I shut my eyes and returned to the land of dreams.
I was awoken by giggling and opened my eyes to find Rosalie and madeleine on the floor working on building a tower with Maddie's building blocks. Rosalie had Maddie standing on her thighs to reach the top of the rising tower and Rosalie was smiling in amusement at the excited little girl.
Sitting up and rubbing my eyes, I headed into the kitchen, switched on the coffee machine and popped bread in the toaster. Hearing Maddie giggling at something Rosalie did, I pulled out the cheerios and poured it into a bowl before adding the milk. I was placing it in front of maddie's booster seat when Rosalie came in, said runt on her hip. When Rosalie was feeding Maddie her cereal, I began preparing our own breakfast - toast and coffee. Having spread the jam on Rosalie's two slices, I placed them, along with her coffee, in front of her before returning to my own toast.
Rosalie fed maddie between bites of her toast and sips of her coffee as i watched, still slightly asleep.
As Rosalie went to get Maddie ready for the day, I showered and got myself ready for my own day. Dressed in a high waisted skirt and a bright pink shirt, a black blazor to match my skirt and pumps, I entered the living room to see Maddie dressed in a frilly pink dress with atrocious ribbons on the shoulders.
"What on earth did you put her in, Rosalie Lillian hale?" I didn't dare look at the bow on her head.
"Isn't she adorable?" Rosalie grinned, "Aw, she could totally be the new face of Macy's Baby selections!"
"Christ Almighty, heaven help me," I muttered, moving into the kitchen to start packing Maddie's diaper bag, only to find that Rosalie had already done so, along with locating my briefcase and packing Maddie lunch. I love this woman.
As Rosalie came in with Maddie, I took my little sister's hand and gave Rosalie a warning look. "Get to work receptionist lady and, please, for the love of all that is good and holy in this world, come home sober."
It was Friday and Rosalie had a tendency to go TGI Friday drinking with her workmates every now and then, sometimes not coming home until past midnight and other times not coming home at all.
"Yes, Mother," she replied, rolling her eyes, "Do you need me to pick Maddie up this afternoon?"
"No," I replied, "Thanks anyway, but I've got no appointments after lunch."
She shrugged, smoothing out the wrinkles in her navy pencil skirt, slitted up the side. Rosalie was a receptionist for a large construction company in the city and loved her job, only if it was because she enjoyed perving on the construction workers whenever they stopped by in the offices. She was a qualified mechanical engineer but sexism in the work room really pissed her off and made her quit her job, even though the company was reluctant to let go of one of their best employees.
"See you tonight, then?" She asked, picking up the keys to the Mercedes. I nodded, picking up the keys to the Audi and, with Maddie's hand in mine, briefcase in my other hand with my car keys, diaper bag over one shoulder and handbag - totebag - on my other, I walked towards the Audi, Rosalie to the Benz.
At the daycare, I walked Maddie in, signed her in, gave Alice the volunteer her diaper bag and lunch and, apologising for not being able to chat, I rushed out to my car and sped towards the law firm. Ironic, really; a lawyer breaking the law. That's dedication right there.
Leah was waiting for me with a latte when I arrived and I accepted it greatfully – one can never have too much caffeine when woken up at seven o'clock in the morning by one's toddler sister.
Lord kill me when my sister is sixteen years old and revels in sneaking out of the house.
That is, of course, if she lives through the next fourteen years being raised by yours truly.
Maybe I should lay off the caffeine...
Slipping off my heels, I leaned back in my father's swivel chair and sipped my flat white, waiting for my ten o'clock appointment. It was a couple wanting to write out their will. According to Leah, they'd just had a baby boy and the will was just for precaution.
I was spinning in my chair when the call from Leah telling me that they arrived came through. I spun to see Alice – the volunteer worker – and a blonde haired man I presumed to be her husband enter my office.
"Hi," I greeted, pulling myself forward until I was at my desk. Pushing away all the other files on my desk, I pulled out their file: Jasper and Alice Whitlock.
"Hey, you're Isabella, right?"
I smiled, nodding. "Indeed I am." I shook her hand and then her husband's before opening up a word document and typing out the will requirements: Name, date, witness...
"Why does it say Charles on your door?"
"He is my father," I replied, not taking my eyes off the screen, "I inherited his half of the firm when he died a few weeks ago."
Alice pouted, looking past me with sad eyes at the awards on the back wall. I followed her gaze and smiled sadly. "Haven't braught myself to clean anything out, yet. Here or at the house. I guess I just want Maddie to know that our parents were real." We'd finished the will and I was in the process of printing them. Moving over to the printer (without my shoes), I gathered the two records and pushed them in front of the couple.
After I signed my place as did they, Alice signing for witness of Jasper's will and he doing the same for her in return Once the papers were signed, I slid them into their file and moved it towards the Family Files filing cabinet and dropped it in three from the back, before Winters, Woods and Xanders.
"If you wish to make any changes, call up and make an appointment with Lea for whatever time suits you."
With my lunch break finally here, I exited the office with the Whitlocks, told Leah I'd be back in an hour and rushed over to the bakery across the road. Salivating over an apple and cinnamon roll and large chocolate milk on my way back to the office, I practically devoured it behind Leah's workstation, dumping it into her trashbin, earning another 'What the fuck?' look from Leah and an innocent grin from me.
It was raining when I exited the office again, this time with breifcase and bag, telling Leah to inform any possible walk ins to leave their names and numbers and/or emails for me to contact them tomorrow morning. When I arrived at the daycare, I rushed inside where Alice handed me a towel and said, "Stay until the rain settles."
Maddie was asleep in a crib and I moved over to her, watching her sleep. Renee had always said it was fascinating to watch babies sleep. I never really understood why – I'd always thought my mother was just slightly deranged – but I guess she was right. There was something peaceful about sleeping infants, this one a product made up of my parents' love. I could see that – that this little girl was made up of my parents love, just like I had been so many years ago. The way she slept, head to her side and little arms on either side of her face, mouth slightly agape and eye lashes kissing her rosy cheeks, she was the picture of innocense.
I was struck with an epiphany in that moment, Billy Black's words from the funeral ringing in my ears. Madeleine needs you. I was all this little girl had – the only connection to her parents and I realised that she truly did need me. I was this girl's family and, while I'd been wallowing in self pity, I hadn't seen the big picture: Renee and Charlie had given me custody and no one else because we were all each other had. We were the last two Swans and they wanted me to raise her as a Swan, the way they'd raised me.
"Maddie," I whispered, "It's Bella and, even though you can't here me, I just want you to know that I will always love you and Everything I do from now on is to make you happy, just like mom and dad wanted me to do."I wiped the tears away from my eyes and pressed my fingers to my lips before softly pressing them to her cheek. I still had no clue what the hell I was doing but, seeing this little girl fast asleep and trusting me to take care of her, I knew that I never wanted to see the perfect little angel – who sometimes liked to act like the devil incarnate – unhappy.