Hello Sister, Goodbye Life
Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga. All recognisable characters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Warning: Adult themes. Language.
Author's Note: Seventy four reviews for six chapters, guys. I'm impressed. 106 faves, three communities, 164 alerts. I really don't know what to say. Thank you so much doesn't seem to cut it... it's the best I can do, though so, thank you all so much. Have a very Merry Christmas! x
Chapter Seven
Passenger Seat
If you feel embarrassed
I'll be your pride
If you need directions
I'll be your guide
Passenger Seat – Death Cab for Cutie
Bella Swan
The weather was getting cold with the approaching autumn and, with it, the yearly flu break out. Maddie was diagnosed with the flu, as was Rosalie and the three of us had been left quarantined. Being sick as a child always left me moody and stifled and it must've been hereditary, because it seemed being sick affected Maddie in the same way.
Rosalie used her week-long quarantine as a good excuse to sleep through her days "recovering".
Maddie, who'd been feverish all day, was wrapped up in my arms in two thick blankets, squirming, trying to get out of her cocoon of wool. "Hot!" She wailed, "I hot!"
"I know," I replied, holding her tighter, "I know, but you'll feel better afterwards, I promise."
She began to cry and I began to rock her back and forth, wishing that she, like Rose, could sleep through her bout of the flu.
I'd been meaning to take maddie to the doctor to have her get the flu vaccine but with work, I'd never really found the time. Wish I had, now.
A week later found all three of us cleared of the flu, vaccinated for the coming year and back to our usual weekly timetables.
"Ugh," Rosalie groaned, "Just one more day would've been wonderful."
"Slacker," I replied, dropping Maddie's diaper bag into the trunk as Rosalie slid into the driver seat of her BMW.
"Hey, when're you getting the roadster from Angie's place?"
I shrugged after slamming the trunk shut, "I figured that a cobalt blue convertible soft top wasn't a suitable vehicle to drive around an eighteen month old."
She shrugged, activating the soft top of her car and watching the tan leather unfold above her head. "I'd say in ten years time, she'll love it."
"It'll be vintage in ten years time," I laughed, shutting the backseat door on my way to the driver seat, "I don't think Angie would be caught dead in it in ten years time."
She swept her blonde hair out of her face and started her car's engine and we both listened as it purred to life. She grinned impishly and shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see, babe. Need me to pick up Maddie this afternoon?"
I shook my head. "Nah, I've got, like, two clients today; free all afternoon."
After a tedious meeting with a couple arguing about who-gets-what in their divorce and going over final details with Jessica Stanley about her looming court case, I was home free.
The build up of Jess' nearing court case was agitating the both of us and we were both pretty edgy. For me, it would be my first actual court case, as in, in the court and for Jess, it would end up making or breaking her maternal relationship with her daughter. Stakes were high for her winning, though, as the mother always gets at least 75% custody of the child if said child is under the age of eighteen.
My ponderings were broken when I pulled into Maddie's daycare centre. Stepping out of the audi, I made my way through the sliding glass doors to find Edward – Alice-the-volunteer's-brother standing, talking with Alice-the-volunteer. Alice was holding onto whom I presumed to be little Noah Whitlock and Edward had Tony on one hip, Eva's hand in the hand that wasn't holding Tony in place.
"Hey Alice," I greeted, "Edward."
Both smiled happily at me and Alice surprised me when she gave me a hug. "We heard you were quarantined, everything okay?"
I nodded. "I wasn't sick, they just quarantined me because the two people I live with were." Speaking of, another volunteer approached with a restless Maddie in her arms. Maddie reached out for me and I grabbed her. "Hey Mad, have a good day today?"
She nodded at me, smiling. "Ma!" Her pudgy arms wrapped around my neck as I froze in place, mouth hung open and eyes wide. Could she have forgotten mom and dad already?
"Maddie, I'm not ma," I choked, "Remember? I'm big sis, Bella?" I sat down and began to rummage through my bag until I pulled out my wallet. Opening it, I showed the pocket sized family photo, desperate. "Remember, Mads, that's ma and pa?" I pointed out Renee and Charlie and she did the same.
"Momma Papa!" She exclaimed, clapping her little hands together.
I sagged in relief and held Maddie close to me, though I asked her one more question. "Who am I, Maddie?"
"You Ma!" She exclaimed, as if it were obvious.
"No, Mad, that's Ma," I pointed to Renee again.
"No!" Maddie contradicted, pouting, brows furrowing, "Momma momma! You ma."
I pursed my lips, clicking shut my wallet and dropping it into my tote. I didn't notice when the assistant dropped the diaper bag beside my tote, too busy eyeing my little sister as she stuck her thumb in her mouth, blue eyes wide as she stared back at me, blinking owlishly. She wore a big blue bow on the top of her head – courtesy of Rosalie – that matched the blue with white polka dot dress she wore with a pair of white sandals. She looked adorable but I hardly noticed.
Madeleine was calling me Ma. I wasn't replacing her "momma" as her first mom but just becoming a second mom as 'Ma'. God, how I longed for the days where I was just "Bell", when Renee and Charlie were alive. It didn't escape me that if they were in this situation, they would've known exactly what to do.
I couldn't dwell on it, though. I had a little girl sitting in my lap that had been looking forward to seeing me all day and was expecting fruit and veg for afternoon tea when we got home.
Sighing, I wrapped an arm around my little sister's body and stood, pulling the diaper bag and tote up with me. As Maddie linked her arms around my neck, resting on my hip, I slung my bags over the opposite shoulder, bid Alice and Edward – who were still there – a good afternoon and left.
As I was clipping Maddie into her car seat, I felt a presence behind me so, once I managed my task, I stepped back out of the audi to see Edward struggling to hold a squirming Anthony while keeping a steady grip on Eva.
Slapping my hands on my thighs, I kneeled down so I was at Eva's level. "Eva! I haven't seen you in ages! Will you give me a hug?" Edward released Eva and began to settle Anthony as Eva lept into my arms, giggling. "I think you've grown, green eyes," i announced, releasing her and holding her at arms length. The copper haired, green eyed three year old wore a light green dress that went below her knees and white sandals, her hair in a plait.
"Gween eyes?" She asked, confused.
"Can I call you that?" I asked, "Your eyes are a very pretty green, after all."
"Only if you call Maddie blue eyes!"
"It's a deal, then," I laughed, patting her cheek fondly. "Do you want to say hello to her?"
Eva grinned, excited, and so I helped her to sit in the back, beside Maddie's car seat. When Eva was telling Maddie about her day, I turned back to Edward who was just managing to get Anthony comfortable... on his shoulders.
"So," Edward began, "My family is having a barbecue this weekend and we were hoping, if it were possible, if you could come with Maddie and your friend, Rosalie?"
"This Saturday?"
He nodded, jostling Anthony slightly.
"Sure," I grinned brightly, "Sounds like fun. I'll see you then, Edward."
After making sure Eva had her hand securely in his, Edward crossed the parking lot with his children to a family sized silver Volvo. Turning, I saw Maddie looking at me curiously.
"Hey blue eyes, what do you say to a barbecue this Saturday?"
At home, I informed Rosalie of our weekend plans and she practically jumped for joy. "You mean I'll be able to see that sexonlegs Emmett Cullen?"
Not even bothering to comment, I made my way upstairs to set Maddie down for a nap.
Eleven AM Saturday found me pulling into the drive of the Cullen family home in Rosalie's cherry red BMW – soft top up – with Maddie babbling away nonsensically in the back as she, well, rattled, her rattle.
When she was parked next to an enormous black jeep, I stepped out, only to get in the back to help Maddie out of her car seat. With Maddie on my hip and Rosalie carrying diaper bag, we moved to the front door of the lavish white wood panelled Victorian style home and my blonde haired friend rang the doorbell. The introduction to Swan Lake rang loudly in the house and Maddie looked around curiously, obviously wondering where the noise was coming from.
"I'll get it!" I heard Alice-the-volunteer's soprano voice call and, soon after, the double doors swung open and Alice-the-volunteer stood, grinning at the three of us.
"Bella! Rosalie! Maddie! You made it!" She exclaimed happily, stepping aside to let us in. We entered a large foyer with tiled flooring and a high ceiling. To the left was two doorways leading into a living room and kitchen with a doorway in the wall seperating both. There was a spiral staircase between each open doorway on the empty space of wall leading upstairs with a metal railing and a sliding glass door to the back of the room leading to their back deck where people were already milling about. The wall to my right had three doors, one leading into a garage, another a coat closet and the last a bathroom.
Alice accepted the dish of fruit Rosalie held out to her and led us into the kitchen where Esme was tossing up a salad.
After chatting with Esme for a little while, we headed out back where Emmett, Jasper, Dr Cullen and Edward were with some more guests, some familiar and some not.
A woman with strawberry blonde hair caught my eye and I nudged Rosalie roughly. "Is that..." I gaped, "Tanya Denali?"
"And she's holding the hand of... Jane bloody Volturi! No frigging way!"
After placing Maddie in an outdoor playpen with Eva and Anthony, Rosalie and I moved over to talk to our old school rivals.
"Tanya! Jane!" I exclaimed with mock cheer. "Oh my God, what're you doing here?" I smiled sweetly at them, one of those smiles that look sweet but are stuffed with venom, Rosalie doing the same. They returned the smile in kind and didn't answer my question.
"I can ask you the same question, Swan, Hale."
I flipped my hair over my shoulder, looking over my shoulder into the playpen where Maddie was playing with Anthony's toys.
"I work with Esme Cullen, Alice volunteers at my sister's daycare and yeah." I shrugged, turning to see the two with sour faces.
"What about you?" Rosalie asked them.
"Oh, I work with Emmett," Tanya replied, "I'm his secretary."
Before Rosalie could sink her teeth into the two girls that made our schooling so much more fun, a throat clearing announced the arrival of Edward and Emmett.
We spun on our heels only to find that we were a lot closer to them than we thought.
I stood like that, mouth slightly open, eyes wide and chest nearly touching his, oblivious to what was going on around us.
Edward stepped back, running a hand through his hair and looking slightly uncomfortable. He cleared his throat awkwardly and I snapped out of my Edward induced haze.
"Uh, well, we were just wondering how you like your lamb."
I stared blankly at him before the question actually registered. "Oh! Uh, well done, please." Blushing, I ran my hands through my hair and we stood like that in awkward silence.
"So, uh, how've you been?" He led me towards a rawt iron picnic table and we both sat as Rosalie and Emmett headded off towards the grill.
"Oh, you know, busy."
He chuckled, nodding in understanding. "And how are you managing?"
"Yeah, I don't know," I replied honestly, "I'm kind of just going one step at a time, you know?"
He nodded, taking a swig of his beer. "That's all you really can do because no one can map out the future."
"That what you're doing?"
"Going one step at a time? Yeah."
Author's Note: The song choice refers to two parts – when Maddie calls Bella "Ma" at the daycare and the conversation Bella and Edward have at the barbeque. Thanks for reading. Reviewers find out who Edward's baby mama is! x