They brought his granddaughter, Hope home two days after she was born. Elijah had set up the bassinet and changing table in Bella's room to make things as easy for her as possible. Watching her lay her daughter down in the same bassinet he had once lain in was indescribable.
Had it been a few years later in different circumstances he was certain the lump in his throat would be pure joy, but it wasn't, it was fear and sadness for his daughter and what her future held.
As he watched his daughter and granddaughter, he knew that the road ahead wasn't going to be easy for them, he hoped they could help make it easier, but Elijah knew that no one could guarantee a smooth ride.
It took Bella months to recover from the birth, not just physically, but mentally as well. It seemed a part of her died in that delivery room and Elijah wondered if it would ever come back again. Something in his gut told him it was gone forever.
They had offered to switch her to an online high school program to make things easier, but she refused, saying the last thing she needed was to hide away in the house. Elijah had thought she was probably right. He didn't realize that meant she would never be home.
Hope was turning two, and her mother was missing the birthday party, Elijah sighed as he looked down at his little granddaughter, worried about her mother. Bella was out of control, and Elijah didn't know what to do about it.
She was out all hours of the night with different men. He couldn't even say boys, although men didn't seem to fit well either, they were never her age, always much older. He knew what they wanted, and it seemed his daughter was giving it out like candy.
She rarely saw her baby girl, leaving Hope's care up to her grandparents. They were raising their granddaughter, while her mother partied and played, ignoring all responsibilities. Elijah knew she was hurting, he knew she was acting out, but nothing seemed to make any difference. She skipped counselling appointments, refused to listen to anything her parents had to say, she began skipping school, Elijah had smelled liquor on her breath numerous times when she had come stumbling in late, she had even been arrested twice for underage drinking and breaking curfew.
Elijah began to wonder if maybe they were causing her more harm then helping her, maybe it was time to set down some rules for his baby girl. He waited up for her to come that evening after putting his granddaughter to bed. When Bella finally breezed in the door it was well past two in the morning, and she found her dad waiting for her.
"We need to talk Bella, things can't go on like this." Elijah hoped he was doing the right thing, hoped his sweet baby girl was still in there underneath all of the hurt and anger. "You chose to keep Hope, Bella, you had other options, we gave you options, but you wanted to keep her. I know it's hard, I know it's harder then you imagined it would be, but that doesn't make what you are doing ok. You never even spend any time with her."
Bella started to interrupt and Elijah silenced her with a look, "No, you are going to listen to what I have to say this time Bella. You are going to start raising your daughter, you can't keep hiding from it, it doesn't work, trust me, I did it for too long myself. I know you are hurting, and that's what the counselling is for. That brings us to the next thing, you will go to your counselling sessions every week. You will bring up your grades, and you will quit skipping school. You will be home every night after school to care for your child, and on weekends you will not stay out past midnight. If you want to go out on the weekends, your mother and I will watch Hope, but only if you have went to your counselling, haven't skipped any classes, have been home every night, kept away from the booze, and have all passing grades in your classes. Otherwise you are out of luck. Oh and one more thing, if you get pregnant again because of what you are doing now, you will move out and support yourself, so maybe you should reconsider what you have been up to with those men."
He took a deep breath and waited for the backlash, he could see how angry Bella was, and knew she would have plenty to say. "Well then I guess you better just kick me out Daddy, I'm sorry I missed birthday party, but I had to go talk to someone, I'm pregnant and I had to tell the father. Now what daddy, are you going to just kick us both out?"
Elijah was floored, he didn't know what to do, could he really kick out his own flesh and blood, was it what was best, she was barely 18. "Bella, your mom and I love you very much, and if we could take back what happened to you, we would, in a heart beat, but we can't. You are on a dangerous path of self destruction. I don't know what is going to happen now Bella, but what I said before, the rules I set, they apply, if you want to live here you will respect them, if you don't like them, then you are free to move."
"You can't treat me like a little girl daddy! I'm a woman now, you can't make me stay home I can do what I want to do! I'm not your little girl anymore!" Bella stormed out of the room, and with those final words she sealed her fate. Elijah knew they couldn't just stand by anymore paying her way through life.
It took Bella months to recover from the birth, not just physically, but mentally as well. It seemed a part of her died in that delivery room and Elijah wondered if it would ever come back again. Something in his gut told him it was gone forever.
They had offered to switch her to an online high school program to make things easier, but she refused, saying the last thing she needed was to hide away in the house. Elijah had thought she was probably right. He didn't realize that meant she would never be home.
Hope was turning two, and her mother was missing the birthday party, Elijah sighed as he looked down at his little granddaughter, worried about her mother. Bella was out of control, and Elijah didn't know what to do about it.
She was out all hours of the night with different men. He couldn't even say boys, although men didn't seem to fit well either, they were never her age, always much older. He knew what they wanted, and it seemed his daughter was giving it out like candy.
She rarely saw her baby girl, leaving Hope's care up to her grandparents. They were raising their granddaughter, while her mother partied and played, ignoring all responsibilities. Elijah knew she was hurting, he knew she was acting out, but nothing seemed to make any difference. She skipped counselling appointments, refused to listen to anything her parents had to say, she began skipping school, Elijah had smelled liquor on her breath numerous times when she had come stumbling in late, she had even been arrested twice for underage drinking and breaking curfew.
Elijah began to wonder if maybe they were causing her more harm then helping her, maybe it was time to set down some rules for his baby girl. He waited up for her to come that evening after putting his granddaughter to bed. When Bella finally breezed in the door it was well past two in the morning, and she found her dad waiting for her.
"We need to talk Bella, things can't go on like this." Elijah hoped he was doing the right thing, hoped his sweet baby girl was still in there underneath all of the hurt and anger. "You chose to keep Hope, Bella, you had other options, we gave you options, but you wanted to keep her. I know it's hard, I know it's harder then you imagined it would be, but that doesn't make what you are doing ok. You never even spend any time with her."
Bella started to interrupt and Elijah silenced her with a look, "No, you are going to listen to what I have to say this time Bella. You are going to start raising your daughter, you can't keep hiding from it, it doesn't work, trust me, I did it for too long myself. I know you are hurting, and that's what the counselling is for. That brings us to the next thing, you will go to your counselling sessions every week. You will bring up your grades, and you will quit skipping school. You will be home every night after school to care for your child, and on weekends you will not stay out past midnight. If you want to go out on the weekends, your mother and I will watch Hope, but only if you have went to your counselling, haven't skipped any classes, have been home every night, kept away from the booze, and have all passing grades in your classes. Otherwise you are out of luck. Oh and one more thing, if you get pregnant again because of what you are doing now, you will move out and support yourself, so maybe you should reconsider what you have been up to with those men."
He took a deep breath and waited for the backlash, he could see how angry Bella was, and knew she would have plenty to say. "Well then I guess you better just kick me out Daddy, I'm sorry I missed birthday party, but I had to go talk to someone, I'm pregnant and I had to tell the father. Now what daddy, are you going to just kick us both out?"
Elijah was floored, he didn't know what to do, could he really kick out his own flesh and blood, was it what was best, she was barely 18. "Bella, your mom and I love you very much, and if we could take back what happened to you, we would, in a heart beat, but we can't. You are on a dangerous path of self destruction. I don't know what is going to happen now Bella, but what I said before, the rules I set, they apply, if you want to live here you will respect them, if you don't like them, then you are free to move."
"You can't treat me like a little girl daddy! I'm a woman now, you can't make me stay home I can do what I want to do! I'm not your little girl anymore!" Bella stormed out of the room, and with those final words she sealed her fate. Elijah knew they couldn't just stand by anymore paying her way through life.
Yikes, pregnant a second time when she's still a teen? How will she cope if she leaves home?
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing she won't. Geeze, your legacy is one of my favourites (I can never pick between my top five) and I'm always so excited when you update. Then I actually read the update and go around depressed for days. You're constantly breaking my heart!
ReplyDeleteHonestly though, don't change a thing. You're such an amazing writer and you really make your reader care for your characters. I hope Elijah manages to sort things through with his daughter.
Great chapter...can't wait for the next!
ReplyDelete