Bella's POV
Marley is napping in her pack n play and I'm frosting cupcakes for a baby shower. I'm trying to get the frosting baby just right so I don't hear the door open.
"You always ignore your customers honey?"
"Alex!" I run around the counter and hug him. "Is Leah here?" I ask him hopefully.
"She is. She's at the hotel; she thinks you're mad at her so she sent me to find out if you wanted to see her. Where's the baby?"
"Sleeping in the office, are you staying or visiting?"
"Visiting, I told her I was going to come for the final hearing whether she came or not. It's in 3 days right?" I tell him yes and thank you.
After the first visit the social worker came to the bakery twice and the house twice, she never had any concerns and everything went well. The final court date is really just to sign all the papers unless some unforeseen issue comes up. Marley will be 7 months the day after she is legally mine and Sam's little girl. I love her more and more every day.
"Phil is throwing us and her adoption finalization party this Saturday. You have to come. Phil's parents are going to be there and Brady and Sean and a bunch of other people. Please?" I ask him.
"Of course I'll be there honey, can you come by the hotel and see Leah after you get off? She misses you, she's just afraid to come to you." I tell him yes and ask if I should bring Marley or not. "Bring her, Leah needs to accept her if she's going to part of your life. She knows that Marley isn't to blame. I tried to get her to come back Bella, every day, I hated leaving you but I had to." He looks so guilty.
"She's your wife Alex; you had to be with her. I'm not mad at you at all. I have Sam and Seth and Phil. I'm so lucky to have Phil; he's accepted Marley as if she was born my daughter just like he accepted me as his real daughter. His parents too, they adore her. Constantly send her stuff. Seth is amazing and it's brought us closer together."
"You're amazing Bella, you're the link in the whole patched together family. I love you and I missed you. I'll see you around 6ish?" He gets up to leave and I agree to 6ish. "We'll order dinner in so just show up. Bring Sam and Seth if you want."
The rest of the day is pretty usual, keeping Marley happy and baking, frosting, selling. After I close up I go home, get Seth and we hard to the hotel with Marley. Sam had to work late so he's not coming even though he could have come after. I think he's secretly pissed at Leah because she ran while I ended up taking for responsibility for Marley and for Seth, not that Seth really needs us, if anything Seth is helping us.
Seth wants to be mad at her but at the same time he misses her so much it's hard.
"Are we just supposed to pretend she didn't run out on us and miss mom's funeral?" Seth asks me.
"I think we should just see how it goes? I don't really know. I mean she came back, that counts for something right?" He shrugs and I really hope we can all get past this.
We get to the hotel and Alex answers the door and mouths she's very nervous. Seth is holding Marley who is babbling away to him and he grabs my hand and we walk in together.
Leah walks out of the bathroom and bursts into tears and runs to us and we just hold her, Marley just keeps on babbling.
"I'm so sorry guys. I just couldn't, I didn't… my mom is dead." She finally manages to get out.
"It's OK Leah, you're here now. Just don't pull this shit again. Even if you live in Houston call us and visit us. Or I will find you and drag your ass back down here." Seth goes off on her and she's in shock. "Sorry Marley, you shouldn't have heard all that." He apologizes to her and I crack up.
"Can I hold her?" Leah asks nervously and Seth hesitantly hands her over. Marley starts babbling at her I know we're going to be OK.
Alex orders Chinese and we all sit around talking and laughing and playing with Marley. Leah asks about Charlie and we tell her we haven't seen him since he signed his rights to Marley over to Sam and me.
"Are you OK with all this honey? Really OK?" Alex asks and I tell him yes for the most part. I mean I loved Sue and I miss her. And it really hurts to watch Charlie give up on Marley when I thought he regretted giving up on me. Marley starts fussing so we tell them it's time to go and I invite them to dinner for the next night.
"I'm glad you're here Leah, I've missed you. Funny, I've only known you for 4 years but in those 4 years you were with me through all the hardest times in my life. I get this is hard for you now, you haven't dealt with it. Let me be here for you." I hug her then Seth hugs her and she kisses Marley on the head.
I wonder how we're going to explain all this to Marley when she's older. I don't want to lie to her but I don't want her confuse her or make her feel unwanted either. I guess I have a few years to worry about it.