Period of Adjustment

Chapter 2

The picture at the top of the page is Piper's bridesmaid's dress. Anyway chapter 2 ahead. Enjoy. :)
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"Clementine! Come help me with Rian's cake!" I yelled downstairs to my daughter.

My girlfriend's coming home this week, so Clementine and I are baking her a cake. I've been working a lot for the passed week, and this is the first free day I've had since Shayla and I went to go look at dresses. After Rian gets home and she's situated, Clementine are taking her out for a family day. Since she's almost never home because of being in the military, the three of us try to spend as much time together as possible before she has to leave again.

"Cake! Cake! Cake!" She yelled as she came running up the stairs.

Connor and Shayla both had to go to work today. Connor and I finally finished our last car after almost eight months of restoring it. Of course, on my day off, he had to start another one. I swear he's trying to get as much work done so he can take more time off after he and Shayla get married. He acts like he's the only one who works in the shop sometimes.

"Don't run in the house, Clementine. I just cleaned the floor. It's slippery."

"Okay, Mommy. When's Daddy coming home?"

"Again, Rian is a girl just like Mommy, just like Aunt Shayla, and just like you."

"When does Rian come home?" She corrected herself.

"Either tomorrow or Tuesday. That's why we're making the cake today." I heard my phone beep. "But most likely Tuesday."

I put the cake in the oven, and walked over to my laptop at the kitchen table. I put the tv on for Clementine so she could calm down a bit. After I pulled my social media up, I saw something I never thought I'd see again.

1 new message from Brenton Walker

My first message from Brenton in almost three years. It was kind of a major shocker because I never really expected to hear from him again. But it was as good a time as any to tell him about Clementine. I just have to think of a way to ease into it from the word hey. I replied with a simple "hello", and just stared at the tv.

Can we video chat? I wanna see you."

I didn't have to look at my screen to know he messaged me or what he said. Brenton wasn't that unpredictable when it came to messaging each other. I thought about it for a few minutes before I replied with my answer.

Sure.

I took a deep breath as I pulled up my webcam, and tried to relax myself as the line rang. When he answered, I started paying attention more to how he looked different then the last time I saw him. His hair grew out a bit, he got rid of his glasses, and he started growing a mustache. I haven't really changed much either since the last time I saw him. My auburn hair lightened up to a fiery red and grew out more, including the small patch on the left side of my head that I shaved a couple weeks ago. That I have to shave again.

"Hi." I said awkwardly.

"Hey. You look different."

"My hair grew out and lightened, but that's pretty much it. I see you got rid of your glasses."

"Yeah. They got to be too much work so I got contacts." He took a deep breath. "So what have you been up to?"

"Working a lot, raising a kid, Connor and Shayla are getting married in February, so we'll be going back to Alabama for a few weeks."

"Raising a kid?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I have a two-year-old daughter."

"Mommy, can I have some ice cream?" Clementine walked into the kitchen.