There Goes My Life
Chapter Fifteen
Bella placed two mugs of chai tea on the coffee table and settled next to Angela on the sofa. She reached into the basket to help fold the pile of baby clothes. "So, how much longer do you think Nanny Sunshine is going to last?" Angela asked softly, keeping her voice low in case Brianna was in earshot.
Bella shrugged and tried to stifle back a smile. "Sylvia starts the first day of fall break." Angela raised a curious brow, asking silently when that was, so Bella carried on. "Saturday, and Bri gave her notice a few weeks ago."
"What happened?" Angela pried unabashedly as she folded a stack of onesies.
Bella plucked one from the top of the pile and place it in the donate box next to the sofa. She let out a long sigh, "Asher. He's struggling to adjust; massive temper tantrums. Extremely clingy, emotional," she explained softly. "I haven't taken a day off since school started," she revealed. It was something she hid from Edward. She folded a few shirts before continuing. "I just can't do that to him. Whenever I mention leaving for a few hours, Ash freaks out, and it breaks my heart."
Angela nodded and took a sip of her chai.
"He's behind in school and what's worse is he's not absorbing the material they're trying to teach him, so now he hates going. Getting him out the door in the morning is ... a challenge," she rubbed her temple. Angela shot her a sympathetic look. "Mia's schoolwork is harder than his, so I'm worried," Bella confessed softly.
Angela reached over and squeezed her hand; she knew how much Bella loved the children she cared for. "Hang in there, it'll click, and he'll take off. Poor boy has had a rough life, but he has a heart of gold, and I know he'll pull through just like his big brother."
At the sound of the twins fussing from their cribs, Bella stood and stretched. "Bri and I, we're taking the kids to the park for a picnic. She asked me along to help. She needs a break, and I bet she's counting down the days," she laughed softly. "I'll see you later this afternoon." She gathered the bags as Asher and Mia rushed into the room with eager grins.
Bella sat on the picnic blanket with Holden and Braxton as the sun shone down on them. Braxton squirmed in her lap. At ten months old, he had mastered crawling, and now he craved the freedom to explore and terrorize ... mostly terrorize. Holden, the lazier of the two, sat next to her, cramming yogurt melts into his mouth with shrieks of pleasure. She kept a watchful eye on Mia and Asher as they climbed and ran around the jungle gym, chasing each other.
She sent them a smile as she placed her earphones in and began listening to her book. The volume was low enough that she could hear the story clearly but not loud enough to block any cries or calls for her attention. After a while of playing with the twins, she placed them in their double stroller, folded up the blanket, and packed everything away from their picnic.
She let loose a small grunt as she pushed the stroller through the grass towards the walking path. Mia and Asher appeared at her side, and she grinned down at Asher as he placed his hand over hers and helped push the stroller around the park a few times.
"No, I'm the best-est swinger ever," Mia protested her brother's claims of his superior swinging skills. They came back around to where Brianna and her friends sat, drinking their coconut waters in the shade.
Bella shook her head, "no fighting over who's the best. Why don't you both show me how great you are? Go on now," she gave them both a gentle nudge. She took out her phone and snapped a few pictures of them running towards the swings for Edward.
Bella gave the group of nannies a smile as she parked the stroller underneath a large tree set between an empty picnic table and the table Brianna's crowd occupied. The twins were fast asleep for their afternoon nap.
Brianna gave her a wave, and a smile in return as Bella's phone rang, "I'll watch them." She assured her.
Bella nodded and pressed her phone to her ear, "Edward, hey," she grinned, "no, we're at the park."
"Yeah, I got the photos. It looks like everyone's having a good time." He said with a smile as he leaned back in his chair, relaxing for a moment at the sound of her voice. "I wanted to call and let you know I'm going to be late tonight, so if you want to order in, that's fine. I know we planned on smoking fish, but I was hoping we could put that off until tomorrow."
"Yeah, the fish can wait another day. Should I wait up?" She asked as she opened her seamless app to browse through nearby restaurants.
Edward sighed regretfully, "not tonight. But, could you do me a favor and press my gray suit for tomorrow?"
"Sure, no problem. We'll FaceTime at eight to say goodnight, so schedule the interruption." She smiled as they said goodbye. She entered a reminder in her phone to send Edward something for dinner when she ordered for the kids.
Bella glanced over to Brianna, pleased she was keeping watch over the older children while she chatted with her friends. Bella placed her headphones back in and scrolled through her Audible app, looking for a new book, having finished her last one for her literature course.
"Asher, be careful," Brianna called.
But then, Bella's ears perked up when she heard Brianna's scoff. "That boy; he's horrible ... a right pain. Always fitting about something. Such a wretched child. I'm telling you girls, there's something seriously wrong with him. And, he's horribly attached to the 'night nanny,'" she snorted with a shake of her head.
Bella could almost feel their eyes turn toward her, but she kept her gaze focused on her phone. She forced herself to pretend she hadn't overheard their gossip. She wasn't going to humiliate the woman who had always been reliable and helpful. She'd save her words for later in the privacy of Edward's home.
She realized that they thought she was unable to hear them with her expensive headphones on. At the sound of their chuckles, her stomach clenched. Seems she and the children had been the topic of conversation before.
"More like, live in whore," one of her friends giggled to the others. "Women like her, give our profession a repulsive reputation." Another sniffed with disdain.
Bella's face flushed and her stomach soured, unable to keep biting her tongue she turned towards the group and pulled off her headphones. "I'm sorry," she apologized as she held up her phone, "It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop, but I hadn't hit play before you began your 'chat.'" she informed them.
Brianna flushed with mortifications and anger as she stammered, "I... I'm so...so, sorry."
Bella held up a hand and stopped her as she unlocked the stroller wheels, "I don't really want to hear it, I've already heard enough." She paused and looked back at her, "and there isn't anything wrong with Asher, you, you, horrible woman."
"Asher, Mia, c'mon," she called for them with a wave of her hand. "Time to go," she announced.
Asher glanced back at Brianna as he took Bella's hand while Mia climbed on the back of the sit and stand stroller to ride back to the car. "What about Bri?" He asked with a curious frown, as the scrunch of his brow had her picturing a young Edward.
"She'll find her own way," Bella assured them, trying her best to keep her voice even so they wouldn't sense her upset. She placed the twins in their car seats and helped Mia buckle up.
Bella stared at her phone, unable to think of how to put what transpired into a text message for Edward. She tucked her phone away and drove back to the house.
With a twin on each hip, she called up to Asher. "Hold the door for me, bud," she instructed as she followed Mia up the stairs and into the house. "Mia and Asher, go put your things away and make sure your toys are picked up before coming down for movie time."
"Where's?" Angela started to ask as she came downstairs with another pile of clean clothes. Bella cut her off with a simple shake of her head. Angela placed the basket down and took Braxton as Bella gave her a grateful grin and placed Holden into his play yard. "I'll tell you about it after the movie is on, all right?"
Angela nodded in agreement and went back to work, folding, ironing, and putting away the clothes. Bella made the kids their afternoon snack and managed to get them settled in front of the television. She moved to the kitchen to finish up the cleaning.
She put away the last dish before opening the Seamless App on her cell. She ordered dinner with a few taps to her screen and then moved onto Edward's order. Staring down at her phone, she wondered how she knew he'd want the Big Italian, and that he would prefer homemade, Kettle chips and Propel water over their free soda and Lays chips.
It scared her, the way she knew him and his siblings; the way her heart lightened and softened when she was with them. She forced herself to shake away her concern so she could place his order.
Angela came in through the back door with coffee thermos and a small box of chocolates from their favorite coffee shop. "So, back to my earlier question, where's Miss Sunshine?" Angela asked as she poured them each a drink. "Relax, you really looked like you could use a treat," she said as she passed her a cup and a raspberry truffle.
"I think, I fired her," Bella murmured as she took a sip. She then put the cup down and opened the chocolate, "I overheard some things she said at the park, and I snapped."
Angela's eyes widened, "do you need an alibi?" She asked playfully as she took a nibble from her own gourmet chocolate. "Because I can totally give you one."
"No," Bella chuckled as she tried to suppress a grin, "but I wish I did. She said some horrible things about Ash."
"What a bitch," Angela remarked with a frown.
Bella couldn't help but nod in agreement. "Yeah," she murmured, "and then, one of her friends called me Edward's, live-in whore."
Angela's eyes widened, "cows the lot of them. You only wish you were."
Bella let out a shaky laugh at her best friend's awful attempt at humor. "Shut up," she mumbled and took a sip as her blush faded. "I still need to tell Edward what I did, and I have no idea what I'm going to do. I have four big tests this week."
"I'll watch them tomorrow," Angela offered, "I don't have anything else to do," she shrugged. "I still can't believe Paul fired me."
Bella hugged her tightly, "screw Paul. You were too good for his company. And I'll have to talk to Edward about it, but yes, thank you, you're my savior."
"Just call me, Jesus girl.
"Morning," Mia chirped as she peered over the edge of Edward's bed. He jerked awake at the sound of her sweet voice.
"Morning," he grunted as he sat up.
Mia grinned at him. "Bella says, get up." Before he had the chance to respond she was darting out of his bedroom.
"I don't want to go, I don't want to go, I don't want to go," Asher shouted, as Edward dropped his head back against his pillows and rubbed a hand over his face. He didn't need to be in the hall to know there were tears as Bella wrangled him into his school uniform and shoes. "I hate you!"
Edward leaped from the bed and stuck his head out the door, "Asher!"
"I don't want to go!" He screamed at the top of his lung. Edward cringed, if the twins weren't already awake they were now. "My shirt and my socks ... my socks feel all funny, I hate them." He crumpled to the floor. Edward watched as Bella sank to the ground with him.
"Let's start over monkey, okay," she steered him back into his room. "Tackle the twins, and I need to talk to you before you leave; it's important."
Edward gave her a nod and headed for the nursery.
With the twins settled in their highchairs, he started on breakfast. Asher shuffled into the room a few minutes later curled into Bella's side, shoes and backpack on, ready to go. Mia held out her hairbrush to Bella who set to combing through her long hair and weaving it into a pair of cute braids he had yet to master. Not for his lack of trying.
"What do we need to talk about?" He asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee with too much sugar and cream.
He lifted a brow as she shook her head. "Later, after Yaya and Pops come for Mia and Asher."
"Pops," Asher beamed looking up with an excited grin. His sour attitude seemed to have melted away.
Bella ran her fingers through his wild hair, "yes, so hurry up, they'll be here any minute."
"Well," he asked as they watched Carlisle and Esme back out of the driveway.
Bella took a deep breath and forced herself to meet Edward's curious gaze, "I think, I sort of fired Brianna," she whispered. "Not really, but maybe? I doubt she'll show up for her last few days. I know, I completely overstepped my bounds."
"Why?" Edward asked puzzled, his brow frowning in confusion. "She's been great; we begged her to stay a few weeks ago, you do remember that?"
"I overheard her at the park ... she called Asher a horrible child." Belle murmured, the sourness returning to her stomach.
Edward shook his head, "he kind of has been lately. I love the kid, I do, but he terrorized her, tried to run her off from the get-go."
"Maybe so."
Edward cut her off. "Maybe so? He threatened to run away and hid so well in the house she had to call the police to help find him last week. She nearly had a mental breakdown."
Bella winced at the memory. She had been traumatized over the call that sent her scrambling out of her math class and rushing home, "I know, but she shouldn't have said what she did. There was more too, but I don't want to talk about it. She knows she was in the wrong or she would be here."
Edward rubbed a hand over his face. "Fuck," he grunted, "fuck, fuckedy fuck."
"Angela going to watch the twins today and tomorrow, and Alice would love the chance if you'd let her."
"Alice," he groaned. He hadn't been the happiest with his free spirit sister and her impulsive ways.
Bella frowned, "if you say she's a child, I'm going to swat you."
He shook his head and forced back a smile, "I don't have a lot of choices, so I guess I'll give her a shot."
"I'm sorry," she murmured apologetically, "I know how busy you're going to be today and tomorrow."
He nodded and raked a hand through his hair. "It's fine, it's fine, we'll figure it out. I'll try and work from home on Thursday and Friday."
She gave him a weak smile in appreciation, he knew she had full week. Even though she had complicated their life he was still trying to help her. Not that she was sad to see the snake of a woman go.
"Anything else I need to know?" He asked as he packed up his laptop.
"No. That's all," she murmured.
She could tell he was frustrated by the turn of events and throwing gasoline on the fire would just make him more upset. She feared if he learned what they had said about her, he'd worry about her reputation and push her out. Her stomach felt heavy and twisted as she forced herself to keep a secret from him.
She watched him gather his things to head out the door. "Try and have a good day," she offered. "I'm going to finish typing up the twins' schedule for Ang."
Edward nodded and pulled out his wallet, taking out a few crisp bills. "Tell her thanks, yeah?"
"I will." She assured him as she tucked the money into an envelope from the entryway table.
He paused at the front door and looked back at her. "Fish tonight?"
She smiled in relief, and that seemed to ease the stress on his face. "As planned," she promised.
Author Note...
Thank you, Sunflower Fran, for beta'ing. Thank you!
Sorry about the long wait, I've had surgery, my baby has had seven ear infections and my beloved Grandfather passed away over the summer.
I know it doesn't seem like we're getting anywhere but we are, I promise.
Thank you for reading and please leave a Review!
Hugs and love,
- Emily