DISCLAIMER: The story doesn't belong to me; the characters are property of S. Meyer, and the plot belongs to Annalau Thank you so much for letting me share your story in English!
Gracias Laura, por darme esta oportunidad!
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Chapter 2
Back to normal
How will I ever get back to normal? That was the question that haunted my thoughts.
How do you do it? When your life until weeks ago was about two people. I need the formula so that I don't miss, especially so that it doesn't hurt.
I can never get back to normal because there simply was no normalcy without them with me. From now on I had to build a new path, a future different from the one I had planned with Bells.
Without much motivation I walked among the moving boxes.
After leaving my little son in his mother's care I had returned to the apartment, the first thing I did was cleaning to clear my mind.
As I arranged the sheets I looked at the yellow duckling and smiled as I held it in my hands.
Eric had been sleeping with me in the same room and although he cried the first two days about not having Bells, I managed to get him used to it for the rest of the days.
It was not complicated. He was more used to me than to his mother.
It was no secret that since Eric's birth, it was me who took full responsibility for him, and I was not complaining.
Doubts popped into my head: how is he doing now, has he had his dinner, is he wearing his favorite pajamas, is he sleeping?
Tempted to call Bells, I looked at my cell phone.
"No Edward," I said, "you can't be calling all the time."
I was using my son as a pretext to talk to her. To hear her voice — I shook my head —, not exactly. I said to myself.
I really wanted to hear from Eric and hear his soft voice call me daddy. Surely he had a thousand doubts about not seeing me with them at home.
I resisted calling. Instead I downloaded several gaming apps and entertained myself by playing Candy Crush.
Lying on the bed I gave up playing and started to look at every picture in my gallery, in every picture there was Eric and Bells. I had an album dedicated to pregnancy and birth. I also had others where it was just us: Bells and me.
I let out a sigh. I ran both hands through my hair and when I heard my cell phone ring my heart skipped a beat that was quickly dulled when I saw Jake's name on the screen.
.
.
.
Jacob offered me a glass of whiskey after I drank my third Heineken of the night. I appreciated his intention to get me out of the apartment, but I honestly wasn't in the mood to be at a bar, let alone pretending I was getting over the divorce.
I exhaled.
The music was pounding in my ears causing a terrible headache.
"Edward," he spoke as loud as he could, "you can't punish yourself like this, you're turning into a boring piece of shit at only thirty years old."
I grimaced as I stared at the beer bottle.
The last time I went out partying was when I turned thirty, a few months ago. Maybe that's when it all happened and my relationship with Bells fell apart or maybe not. Our breakup started much earlier, and our constant bickering was the damn red alert.
"Claire," I heard Jacob say, "come with us."
The girl greeted us with a cheerful smile on her red lips before sitting down next to me.
"I think I'm leaving," I sat up. I had no intention of staying, let alone spending time with anyone.
"So do I," Sam said, standing up and patting my shoulder.
We met in college and our friendship grew from there. They were aware of my life at all, now they were the ones who were putting up with the temper I brought.
Jacob was the eternal bachelor and Sam was newly married, how ironic that I was the newly divorced one.
As we left the noisy place we walked to the parking lot while we both smoked a cigarette.
It was an ugly habit I had just picked up.
"How's chickie?" Sam asked.
He affectionately called him that because Bells dressed him in that color from the first day he was born. My son had been wearing yellow clothes for almost a month, we never wanted to know his gender, so we opted for neutral colors, until we realized that we had actually only chosen yellow.
I smiled ruefully at the memories.
"He's too little to understand," I exhaled, taking a puff on my cigarette. "I guess he'll get used to it as the days go by."
"If one day you need our help, you know you can count on Leah and me," he offered. "Anything."
"Thank you. For the time being, I'm fine. I had to take my vacation early to take care of him now that Bells was out of town."
"You didn't need to take your vacation," he said. "Leah could have taken care of him. To tell you the truth, it wasn't even necessary for you to take care of him when it was up to her. That's what the judge ruled, isn't it?"
"He is my son! I wasn't going to have him rolling around being taken care of when I can take care of him."
"I understand that. But you're taking responsibility away from her and it shouldn't be that way. Bella should take care of the child when it's her turn and not you. She will see how to settle her affairs without your help."
I snorted in annoyance. I was starting to get uncomfortable with people's opinions about my life, I wasn't going through the best of times and everyone's opinion was frustrating for me.
My parents and my sister were just like everyone else. Giving opinions without realizing what hurt me.
It's just... come on. I didn't need advice, I just wanted some peace, why was it so hard to understand?
"Edward," Jacob said walking towards us with the girl at his side. "Claire needs a ride home, I told her you live that way."
Jacob gave me a wide smirk. I knew his stupid game and he would pay for it.
My cell phone rang and I looked at the picture of Bells on the screen. It was midnight and I automatically got nervous.
Alarmed I answered.
"Bells, what's wrong?"
I heard my son's strangled cry. My heart pounded harder, and my nerves surfaced.
"Edward," she murmured agitated. "Eric has a fever and I haven't been able to bring it down, he won't stop crying. Please come."
"I will go immediately," I promised, ending the call and looked at the three pairs of eyes watching me. "I have to go," I told them.
"Brother, you agreed to take Claire home," Jacob mentioned, patting me on the back.
"I'm sorry, my son and my..." I bit the tip of my tongue to keep from saying wife. "They need me."
I squared my shoulders and continued on my way to the car.
I would go back to my house... with them.
I left a note in the first chapter where I clarify that the story does have a happy ending, what do you think about the story? I would like to know your opinions, stay patient because we are just starting.
Thanks for reading
