Young Love Struggles

Chapter Five: Coping

LOUIS' POV: 

"Bella, why did you get mad at Mommy?" she sniffles and doesn't respond, "Jameson." She grunts at me, "You have to talk to me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No. I just want to go home."

"Well, we're home," I pull into the driveway and park. She quickly jumps out of the car and runs to the front door, waiting for me to let her in. She doesn't want to talk, I mean, I don't blame her. I didn't want to talk for a week after Hannah left. I unlock the door and she runs to the backyard. When she's upset, you can usually find her sulking in his tree house.

I cook dinner, set the table, and call for Bella to come eat. She doesn't respond, so I call again. It worries me how she doesn't reply, she always comes running. I see the gate open on the side of the house as I walk into the backyard, my heart lurches out of my chest. She didn't run away did she? "Bella!" I quickly look around the yard, and think to myself. Bella is a good girl, she wouldn't run away, she knows better.

I decide to check the treehouse even though I'm "not allowed to enter," according to Bella. I warily climb the ladder, what if she isn't there? I know she isn't in house, I would have heard her come back inside. I reach the top of the ladder and scan the area. There's a stack of picture books, coloring supplies, her favorite stuffed animal, and her blankie. I look at the blanket for a minute and let out a small sigh of relief. It's Bella; she's curled in a tiny ball underneath the blanket. "Isabella," I walk over to her and pull the blanket back. My heart breaks seeing her tear stained face and her fast asleep. I sit down beside her and pull her petite figure close to my own.

"Daddy?"she mumbles still half asleep.

"I'm right here, it's going to be okay," she nuzzles closer to me. I rub her back until I think she is back asleep, then I start talking to her quietly. "We'll get through this together, baby girl. It's going to be a bit of adjusting, yet I know we can do it. It's not going to be easy, I know that. There are going to be times that you want your mom and you're not going to be able to have her. Just like today, you wanted me. I can't always come get you right away. I know you're mad at her, but you shouldn't be. This has been coming for a long time and we tried to fix something we couldn't. She was just the first one to make a move. We tried to stay together for you, but we have just made the situation worse. I'm sorry," I say and kiss her head.

_______

"Hannah, don't worry about her. She'll come around."

"Louis, she hates me. She thinks I don't care about her. She thinks I don't love her."

"You didn't see her after I came and picked her up a few days ago. She was so heartbroken that she cried himself to sleep in the treehouse."

"In a little ball under her blankie in the corner?"

"How'd you know?

"That one time she overheard us yelling she got really upset and did the same thing."

"This is hard without each other," I laugh softly.

"We don't have to do this alone, I'm still here for you." I don't reply, "Is this separation going to stop us from being friends?" I shake my head at the phone, "Louis? Are you there?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. No, I don't think it's going to stop us from being friends."

"I thank God everyday that you were the one at that party and not some stupid jock. You helped me through the hardest years of my life. I don't think I would've been able to care for our son without you. If it hadn't been you, I probably would've put the baby up for adoption."

"I wouldn't change a thing. You asked me to go to that party and I did, for you. You wanted me to come out of my shell. I should be thanking you, I would've stayed the shy kid that ate lunch alone by the trash can." We are both tearing up by now, but they aren't necessarily sad tears. They're tears of fond memories. "I'm thankful for you."

"We were each others first. Though I wish it was under better circumstances, I'm glad it was with someone as special as you."

"Me too baby, me too. You deserved much better than that experience. It forced us to grow up too fast and I think that caused our downfall." I didn't mean to call her baby, but it seemed to natural not to. It just slipped out of my mouth.

"Daddy, is that Mommy? Can I talk to her?"

"She wants to talk to me?"

"Seems like it," I put it on speaker phone, "say hi, Bella."

"Hi Mommy, I'm sorry I got upset with you. Daddy explained to me you still care."

"Hi baby girl, it's okay. It's a lot to take in. I miss you."

"I miss you too. When can I see you again?" 

"You'll have to ask Daddy."

"How about Monday, we have plans this weekend, baby," I say to her.

"Monday! I can see you on Monday, Mommy!" 

"I heard, mi amor. I'll see you then. I love you."

"I love you too, bye bye," she hands me the phone and runs off.

"I told you she didn't hate you, Hannah."

"You were right, like usual. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything."