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: So... I'm updating for three reasons. First is because I just can't wait to post this chapter, second is because it seems that everyone's online now and three is because I want to say this. My friend, Freesias and Strawberries, who's totally mad, btw, is writing an awesome fic called "Love Rules" and I want you people to read it. It's a Twilight fan fic and it's a Bella-hating-on-Edward fic but in the end, I think, they'll end up together... :P Anyway, here's the link to her profile: .net/~FreesiasandStrawberries ... you can find the story on that. Please, please, it's totally worth it!
And, so, the chapter (aside from 14) that I've been anticipating for agessss.
Chapter Nine
Bella Swan
It had become a common occurance to arrive at Maddie's daycare around the same time as Edward and we'd often chat of nonsensical things, whether it be bickering about music selections or comment on books we've read. Sometimes we'd talk of maddie, Eva and Tony and I found myself looking forward to our conversations, disappointed when it turned out that Edward was working night shift or something else that stopped him from picking up his children from daycare at 3:30pm.
So life continued on as such – Rosalie went on her seemingly more frequent "hang outs" with Emmett, more lunch meetings with Esme, tyranical clients at the firm, calls from my grandparents and, somewhere in the middle of it all, Madeleine and I. She'd began stringing her sentences together as she neared the one year twenty-two month age, even if the sentences were short – "We eat now?" or something equally adorable and annoying. She still called me "Ma" and I often found myself responding to it without even thinking and a wave of guilt would wash over me. It should've been our mother responding absently to my sister's summons and yet, it was me and I often wondered what my mother was thinking.
It was one of my recurring lunches with Esme and I sat in a small yet classy cafe near to the design company, sipping a frappe and tearing at a chocolate croissant. So focused on demolishing my lunch, I nearly jumped out of my skin when Esme slid into the seat across from me and smiled apologetically at me.
"Sorry, Bella, Carmen and Elaezer Rodriguez are getting impatient and are not willing to wait another two weeks to have their house finished."
I clicked my tongue, annoyed with the clients that Esme had taken on after Renee had died. They were amazing people when it had nothing to do with decorating, but the minute anything occluded to the topic of interior decorating or design in general, both were bad-tasted tyrants that no one could stand. "It's fine, really, I'm in no rush today."She arched an immaculate caramel brow in silent question. "No clients today, I just needed to go into the office to finish off some paperwork for a closed case."
"You're a very strong woman, you know that, don't you?" She asked, changing the subject, something I wasn't entirely sure I was comfortable with, given the direction the topic she'd turned to was in. "There are very few women in this world who can do what you've done."
I flushed, mumbling something I myself wasn't entirely sure of.
She patted my arm with a rye smile and a maternal pride in her eyes that made me long for my own mother. I pushed my longing back, though, and accepted her silent compliment with a smile.
The topic changed again, this time to her three children. Emmett owned a nightclub in down town Seattle and had done well for himself, Edward was a doctor at Seattle Memorial Hospital and I already knew that Alice volunteered at the center Maddie went to.
"He's quite fond of you, you know," Esme said conversationally.
I looked up, blissfully ignorant of her implications. "Huh?" I was sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights as she smiled ryely at me.
"Edward." It was said so matter of factly, I wondered if I'd missed part of our conversation.
"What?"
"Edward is rather fond of you."
My eyes bugged, I choked on my own breath and I dropped the napkin I'd been tearing onto the table. She arched a brow as I regained my composure and, once I had, I blushed bright red, adding to the already crimson hue my face had taken due to the lack of oxygen. "Excuse me?"
Her eyes danced with amusement as I scrambled for the last scattered bits of my brain.
Needless to say, conversation was stilted after that as we resorted to eating our lunches, often passing small talk between us. The Cullens had somehow wedged their way into the lives of the Swan daughters and Rosalie, or maybe it was viceversa, but what Esme had said about Edward hadn't left my mind until I strolled through the reception to find Leah asleep at her desk.
"Hey!" I slammed my open palm on the empty space of desk in front of her face, causing her to jump up awake at her seat. "Christ, Bella!" She gasped, hand to her chest. "Don't do that!"
"What's got you exhausted, hon?" I asked, leaning against her desk and ignoring her outburst. "It doesn't involve the reason why you've looked positively green every time you've strolled in here each morning, does it?"
She sighed, shrugging. "So, yeah, maybe it does. You can't tell anyone, though!"
"What? Who would I tell? Madeleine?" I rolled my eyes. "I've got as much a social life as my mother at the moment and, given that Renee is dead, that isn't really saying much."
"Don't you live with a live in drinking buddy?"
"She's slowed down, believe it or not. Surprising, though, given that she's dating a guy that owns a night club."
"Angela? Kate?"
"Angie's gone all boyfriend-mode on me and Kate's so busy with work and stuff. Urgh, I hate being responsible." Refraining the urge to stomp my feet, I trudged my way into my office, gathered my bag and returned to the reception.
"Hey, is Billy in?"
"Nah," Leah replied, "Physio appointment today."
"Take the rest of the day off, then. Neither of us are in and I don't want you here alone. Calls can go to voicemail and walk ins can come back another time."
She smiled endulgently, flicked off the main power and we exited together, both headed for the underground car park down the street. It was nearing May and the whether was unseasonably warm, something Leah and I both accepted willingly.
We were dressed in appropriate office attire and chatted amicably until we reached our cars, parked two spaces down from each other.
Now that my distraction was gone, though, I found that my mind returned back to the conversation I'd had with Esme only half an hour earlier. Thoughts whirling, I drove to Maddie's daycare and, though I was unwilling to admit it, my spirits soared at the sight of Edward's Volvo parked at the opposite side of the lot.
With bag slung over shoulder, I strode with a confidence I wasn't sure I owned into the center to find Edward in a heated argument with a woman with firy red hair and holding a distraught Tony. Eva and Maddie were weeping behind Alice's legs and the woman with the red hair looked edgy, like she was ready to whip out a gun at any minute. Maybe she was on something or just coming off it, but it made me nervous all the same.
Alice saw me first and her face lit up like a Christmas tree and she hurried over quicker than a kid hyped up on sugar. "Bella! Can you tell this woman that she has no right to Edward's children as she gave up all her rights the moment she signed their divorce papers?"
"Well I'd have to go through the files before i could certify that, but if the document states that she willingly gives all parental rights to Dr Cullen, than yes, this woman has no right to Evangeline and Anthony." It was certainly a wonder how quickly I could slip into work mode and back.
The woman burrowed through her handbag and I tensed in front of Maddie, only to sigh in relief as she pulled out a wad of papers, tossing them at me. I caught the wad of folded papers and began to read through them.
Legal jargon always gave me a headache – it was the worst thing about being a lawyer, except, of course, when one lost a case. That was why, of course, I was glad when I finished reading.
"Well?" The woman asked, clipped. She seemed to be in a hurry but still hadn't set down Anthony.
"Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to release Anthony and hand him to Mrs Whitlock. This contract specifically states that you've given up all your parental rights at the agreeable signing of both parties at the end of this contract."
She snarled and shoved a still terrified Anthony towards Alice, stalking out the door seconds later, red hair flying about her retreating form.
"Edward, she was high," Alice whispered, attempting to calm Anthony, "Her pupils were pinpricks."
Edward ignored her though, turning to me instead with an expression full of gratitude on his face. "Bella, god, thank you. I honestly can't thank you enough."
I shrugged. "S'my job," I muttered, blushing, "S'what I'm here for."
He shook his head and I was fully aware of the heat his palm was making as it held my forearm. "Please, at least let me take you out to dinner, a thank you?"
Alice squeaked, nearly inaudibly, and scurried away with three kids in tow.
"Are you asking me out on a date, Doctor Cullen?" I asked with a teasing smile.
He ran a hand through his unkempt bronze hair and smiled nervously at me. "Only if you want it to be a date. You just saw my ex-wife and, other then that, there's no major secret going on. But if that makes you uncomfortable, it can just be a thanks for not letting her claws into my son's flesh dinner."
Esme's words rang through my head and I internally shrugged. What the hell. "Sure," I smiled up at him, "I'll go on a date with you."
"Really?" He asked, excited, eyes dancing and hands fidgeting.
I rolled my eyes, smiling. "Of course I'll go with you. Just text me time and date and I'll be ready."
As he picked Anthony from Alice's arms and Eva took his hands, Maddie todddled over dragging her diaper bag and held out her arms for me. I lifted her up and hoisted up the shoulder bag onto my free shoulder. "So I'll talk to you later then?" I asked hopefully.
He nodded, smiling again. "Yeah, I'll see you."
After buckling Maddie in, I slid into my own seat and pulled out of the lot, heading home. Rose's BMW was in the drive when I pulled up beside it and, once I'd helped Maddie out of the car and Maria had her in a bath, I began to search her out. She was in the pool doing laps and wearing a one piece.
"Hey blondie," I greeted, slipping off my heels and sitting at the edge of the pool to drop my feet into the water.
"Hey yourself," she replied, stopping at my end of the pool and perching her arms beside me, resting her chin on them. "What's up?"
"Edward Cullen asked me out to dinner," I replied before going into detail of the events of today.
Rosalie listened, wide eyed, until I finished before bursting out laughing. "Only you, Bella, can get asked out while doing your job. I can so see you as the naughty lawyer type." She laughed again. "That's some kinky shit!"
"Rose," I whined, pouting. "That's not funny. Only your mind can go to the gutter that quickly."
"Hey, what can I say, the gutter loves me, baby." She ducked under the water before I could kick her with water and, before I had time to pull my legs out, Rosalie had grip of both my feet and had tugged – hard. With a shriek, I was submerged under the water and internally cursing Rosalie to bad luck for the rest of her life.
"Fuck, Rosalie Lillian Hale!" I screeched, breaking the water and pulling myself out of the pool. "You can pay for this outfit's dry cleaners!" I stalked towards the house, soaking wet and leaving a laughing Rosalie behind.
Author's Note: No song for this chapter because I can't be bothered finding one. Reviewers get... cyber choc chip cookies! :) Thanks for reading x Happy New Year