"My sweet little Ellie…"
Rory couldn't help but whisper to the baby as she picked her up and moved to the crib. She safely placed Ellie's favorite pale yellow bird plush toy near her. For some reason, Ellie loved the bird more than the other couple of stuffed toys she owns. She sleeps better.
Ha! Yellow hair and blue eyes… Will she like him too? She should, right? He is her father…
"Mommy loves you, Ellie," she softly placed a kiss on the baby's cheek. Feeling the softness on her cheek, the baby opened her hands and tried to grab on to her. She started to grab things fairly well these few days.
Rory with a smile placed her finger on her hand. The baby clutched her finger and then her little lips curved to a smile.
Aww… my baby is so adorable!
The baby's hold was not tight and Rory stood by the crib watching her baby sleep. She's found a new hobby these days—to watch her baby sleep. It's those few moments when everything around her stands still. All the troubles around her would seem small and she would admire herself for making something so adorable.
This little cuddled-up thing truly is the source of her peace. And all the troubles she faces – worth it!
After some time, the baby let go of her hands and rolled slightly to her side, holding the soft hand(wing) of the bird. Her pink lips almost touched the yellow cheek of the plush toy.
Wait… is it safe to leave a toy like this?
She took the toy out of the crib. But it made Rory feel guilty for taking it away from her daughter. She stared at the toy for some time in deep thought.
Am I denying what my baby is entitled to? Am I denying her the right to have a father?
Her thought skipped to him again. It upset her more.
'That baby is not mine!'
She remembered his cold voice echoing in the hallway. He just shouted it for her to hear when she was half-conscious that day she gave birth.
Heh!
The guilt she had, vanished. Her eyes started to cloud. It hurt then and it hurts now. She is not going to beg him to accept her daughter. She is the only one who is thinking of the past, while he…has moved on.
She watched her daughter for some time. This little thing is depending solely on her to make the best decisions for her.
Ellie does not need a father. But will she want her father? Will Ellie blame me in the future for keeping her away from her father?
Sigh!
After a quick shower(quick showers are all she could afford these days), Rory changed to her p.j.s. The stress got relieved after the warm shower and she was relaxed. She was so relaxed, that she wanted to sleep. She stretched herself letting out a yawn. Her eyes ended up at the study table that had stacks of books.
She let out a sigh.
Work has been busy these couple of days as a part-timer quite suddenly. She couldn't find the time to study. But she has to attend the LSATs in the fall.
She has already missed a year because of her pregnancy. Becoming a lawyer is her dream and she should start law school next year by all means. Ellie would be a year old and she would be able to complete her studies.
Well, pregnancy was not the only reason for the delay.
Her hands reached for the thick envelope on the table with the name of a University far away. She is contemplating where to study law. As much as she likes this country, she is thinking of returning to her homeland.
She was twelve when she left her homeland. Her parents who went out on a date night didn't return. She, who was staying home alone, wishing for her lovely parents' return, had to open the door to the police who informed her of her parents' passing.
Her life changed entirely that night. She became an orphan out of nowhere and a lot happened then. She was uprooted from the place she knew all her life and was brought to a new country by her paternal grandparents.
She used to have someone who made this country special for her. He was her neighbor, her friend, and then he became her husband. But he's not hers now and she has nothing to keep her here anymore. She could freely leave.
Her mother's relatives in her homeland are asking for her return. They are very influential people, promising her protection. Her parents left their home for her and she received a very sizable life insurance payment.
Although her grandmother is holding hostage of her parents' accident settlement compensation, she can live the rest of her life without working if she wants to. But she doesn't use that money and lives with the money she earns.
No one knows what life will throw at you. In case something happens to her, she wanted to leave her daughter a sizable inheritance.
The cost of living is low in her homeland and she can give the best life for Ellie if she moves there.
She could have just left when her husband threw the divorce papers at her. Except something stopped her; something is still stopping her. Well, it's a lot of things that are stopping her from going there, actually.
With a sigh, she leaned on the chair. Biting her lower lip, she opened the drawer. In it was a box and she opened it.
Her fingers reached for the rings—Her engagement ring and her wedding band. The engagement ring was his mother's. And the wedding band was probably paid for by his family.
In their four years of marriage, he never bought her anything expensive as a gift. Well, except for… Her hands reached for her necklace with the key pendant.
'You are the key bearer responsible for my family treasures. Remember, I am your biggest treasure,' he said when he gifted her this on her twenty-first birthday.
After that, he never bought her any gifts.
Liar! Liar! Why did you lie?
She gritted her teeth and threw the box inside the drawer. She should not think about him anymore. She drank a glass of water to calm herself.
The pleading voice of Mrs. Delport to bring him to visit replayed in her mind. She has to visit her grandmother.
She opened her laptop and booked air tickets. She checked if they allow carrycots on the flight and the other procedures for bringing a baby to travel. Having a baby has changed her perspective a lot and it is a lot of work. She understood the plight of the parents who couldn't calm their crying babies during the flights. She felt bad for grumbling about her lack of sleep during flights in the past because of a screaming baby.
The parents would have felt much worse than the passengers!
It would be better if he accompanies her. It would at least be emotional support. But she decided not to wish for something she won't get.
It's going to be a long four hours!
Her head started to hurt seeing the airfare. The airlines are plundering. It should be day robbery to raise the airfare just because she is booking at the last moment.
Ahhh!
Although she likes to spend frugally, she booked two coach tickets—one for her and one for Ellie. Ellie should be comfortable on her first flight.