Bella's POV

Charlie did come back to the hospital for Marley, but he took her home and Seth ended up taking care of her. He hide it for all of a week until I went to take them some food and Charlie was passed out drunk on the couch and Seth was frantically trying to get her to stop crying and take a bottle. He broke down and told me how Charlie has nothing to do with her and he's been skipping school to take care of her.

I took them both home with me that day and they've been here for a month now. We're looking for a bigger place since we want Seth to feel like he always has a place here, even he if goes to college and never looks back. I don't think he'll do that though, he's adores Marley.

Charlie threatened to have me arrested for kidnapping but Sam threatened to have him arrested for neglect.

We were prepared to take him to court for Marley but right before the first hearing he decided to willingly sign her over to us. After six months of a few random home visits and a lot of paper work she'll legally be ours.

Leah and Alex are moving to Houston because Leah is pretending none of this is happening. She didn't even come to Sue's funeral. Alex hates the way she is handling things but he's not going to force her into anything she doesn't want to do. Phil is moving here because the only way Alex could get out of his coaching contract was to find a replacement.

Everything is so messed up.

I can't believe I ever thought Charlie regretted not fighting for me when he abandoned Marley after the poor thing lost her mom; at least I had Renee no matter how flighty and self-absorbed she was. I was always taken care of.

"Bella, I'm tutoring after school today so I won't be able to pick Marley up. Is that OK?" Seth asks as he makes himself breakfast before school. I tell him that's fine. Marley comes to the bakery with me right now unless Sam is off and then Seth picks her up after school and keeps her on the weekends we are both working. I tell him all the time he doesn't have to but he insists on helping out as much as he can.

I'm going to have to figure out what to do with her once she's moving around.

Just as Seth is walking out the door the social worker shows up. Great, like I don't have to be at the bakery in 5 minutes.

She asks Seth to stay and he looks at me, I tell him it's fine. I can write him a note to be late. He's been driving Leah's car since she ran away in Alex's.

Sam comes down the stairs with Marley and I'm really nervous, it's not like we have anything to hide but I'm only 19 and Sam is only 22. We live in a 2 bedroom apartment and while we're OK money wise we still struggle sometimes. The bakery does better some months than others, though Lisa has stopped taking any of the profit basically giving it to me instead of me buying her out.

We show her around the house and then answer all her questions about Marley's daily life and plans for her as she gets older. She asks about living arrangements and we tell her we are looking for a house so she will have her own room.

"OK I will be honest here, I had my doubts coming into this about the two of you being able to take care of her being so young and both of you working full time on top of taking responsibility for a teenager as well. But so far from what I can see you seem to be handling it well as well as thinking ahead to her future. Just make sure that Seth here doesn't take on too much of the responsibility, what's he's doing now it perfectly acceptable and everything should be fine. I have to make 3 more random visits within the next 6 months as you know. One of them will be to the bakery as she spends a lot of time there." She tells us and I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.

Marley starts crying from her bassinet and all three of us jump up to get her and the social worker laughs.

"This situation is definitely not ideal but I can tell she's loved." She tells us and leaves after Sam and I sign the observation papers.

I break down crying once she leaves.

"Why are you crying babe? For our first visit that went pretty much perfectly." Sam tells me as he hands Marley to Seth who takes her to the kitchen to make her a bottle.

"I guess it's just so easy to forget she's not legally ours yet. She feels like mine Sam so it's just hard having someone come judge me to see if I'm good enough to keep her. I can't imagine losing her." I tell him crying. Seth comes back with Marley and a bottle, hands her to Sam, whispers sorry but I gotta go and takes off, he forgot his note. Sam will have to call the school and talk to them. Since Seth is 17 he can legally live anywhere he wants to but as far as the school is concerned Charlie is his guardian so I can't really talk to them and neither can Sam but since Sam graduated from there and they all loved him and he's also a cop they don't really argue with him. Small town thing I guess, that crap would have never have worked in Houston.

"She feels like mine too babe and we're not going to lose her, the visit was good. Don't worry so much. Are you going to be OK? Do you want me to call in?" He asks and I tell him no I'll be fine and I need to go in to the bakery anyways.

"Please call the school for Seth and explain why he's going to be late." I tell him then he kisses me goodbye and leaves.

I get Marley ready to go and we head to the bakery.