Jingle Belle's

December 21st (A Year Later...)

My eyebrows furrow as I hear my phone blare at such an ungodly hour, I groan loudly before I place it to my phone.

'Whoever this is, you better be dying.'

'Hey Duncan donuts.'

I slowly sit up as confusion continues to elude me, 'Oliver?'

'The one and only.'

'What the hell are you doing call me at this time?'

'You gave me your number for emergency's. Remember you insisted that I take it, you said that you where feeling extra maternal or some shit that day.'

I let out a deep sigh, 'What's your emergency?'

'I need some of your stupid overly-positive attitude.'

My heart sinks when I hear the tone in his voice change, 'What's wrong?'

'I'm a fucking fraud.'

'What?'

'I've failed one of my college classes and I don't even want to go back. I fucking hate it there.'

'That's okay. College isn't for everyone, it's completely okay if you don't want to go back.'

'How the fuck is it okay? I'm such a fucking disappointment to my family.'

'Oliver! You are not at disappointment at all! Your family adores you, and they'll continue to adore you with or without a college transcript. You are so much more then a piece of paper.'

'Really?'

'Yes really! You are the sound of your laughter, the way your eyes sparkle when you talk about something you love or when you annoy the shit out of someone. You are the dimples that only ever come out when you genuinely smile. You're magic Oliver Harrington and I won't allow you to talk bad about yourself.'

He sighs deeply into the phone, 'You don't know how much I needed to hear some kind words.'

'I thought you found it uncomfortable when I was nice to you for too long?'

'Nah, I just like to mess with you. One of the highlights of my day.'

'Meh I like messing with you too.'

'Please can you promise never to bring up that I drunk called you?'

'Oh Oliver you poor naïve sweet child, I will bring this up to you until you're dead. At your wedding I will be there telling people you once drunk called me, at your kids wedding I will also be there-'

'Yeah yeah, I get it. And if you think you're getting invited to my wedding, you've got another thing coming.'

'Wow, so I can give you a drunken pep talk but not get to witness one of the best days of your life. What kind of friendship is this?'

I can just picture the smirk on his face, 'A one-sided one.'

'Tell that to the boy who needed to hear my kind words.'

'Hey! I said some kind words, didn't have to be yours.'

'But I'm the one you called.'

'Yeah...I guess you are.'

...

My heart aches wildly as I look at Belle's freshly made bed but she wasn't sleeping inside of it. I grab one of her favourite stuffed animals and cradle it close to my chest. Hot tears begin to slide down my face. It had only been a day and I was missing my baby like crazy.

That little girl is my whole heart and now I feel like a piece of me is missing.

I sink myself down onto her bed as my tears quickly turn into full blown sobs. There's a small knock on my door, I keep the bear firmly in my clutches as I go to open the door. Jasmine is stood there with a small frown.

'Hey angel, I just wanted to check in on you.'

'Why is he doing this?' I whimper as I bury my head into the crook of her neck.

She rubs soothing circles onto my back, 'I don't know babe. I really wish that I did.'

'I just want my daughter and I'm so scared he isn't going to let me see her again.'

'We're not going to let that happen, I promise.'

'But that's just something that you can't promise, what if the court also deems me as unfit mother.'

'You're the best mom I know.'

I sniffle loudly as I shake my head, 'Look at the piece of shit that I'm currently living in. Maybe she does deserve better, I can't afford to give her the life she deserves. I can't afford to give her a massive bedroom or all the toy's her little heart desires.'

'But what you do offer is worth so much more then any money. You offer unconditional love, safety and happiness.'

'But what if that isn't enough?'

'It will be enough.'

I wipe my cheeks roughly, 'I'm going to have to swallow my pride for the first time in five years and admit to my parents that I don't actually live in some nice fancy apartment. They'll fucking kill me, god knows what I'll have to do to repay the debt but I know they'll help me.'

'I don't always agree with them but they wouldn't see you suffer.'

'I know they wouldn't. I just really wanted to be able to do everything on my own.'

'It's okay to need the help from other's you know.'

'The last time I asked someone for help, they sent me away for six months.'

'That won't happen again, I'm not going to let anything happen to you or to Belle. You two girls are my everything.'

'I don't know what I'd do without you Jas.'

'And you'll never have to know because I'm not going anywhere.'

'I love you more then words can simply explain.'

'Ditto, my small little friend.'

'Will you hold my hand whilst I tell my mom that I'm currently living in a shoebox?'

'I'll hold your hand and pour you a glass of wine.'

'You're my soul-sister.'

'Always.'

...

I let out a deep sigh of relief as I'm finally able to hang up the phone after speaking for nearly three hours.

'So how did she take it?'

I give Jasmine a plain look, 'I think she briefly turned into Lucifer himself. But after she eventually calmed down, she informed me that the money will be in my account shortly and I need to begin looking at apartments immediately.'

'What did it cost you?'

I wince, 'I have to attend one of her little luncheons once a month.'

'That doesn't sound so bad.'

'She has to pick what I wear because apparently I dress like an over-sized toddler and what I'm allowed to say because I tend to have a habit of letting my mouth run wild.'

'I tried so hard to escape that life and now I feel like I'm slowly getting sucked back into it.'

'Hey this is just temporary, you're doing what you need to do so that you can prove to the court that you are the best option for Belle.'

'I just wish that it didn't have to come to this point.'

'Hey, that isn't on you. You did all that Cole asked for you to do and he still decided to do this.'

'I just wish that things didn't have to come to this.'

'But right now babe it isn't the time for wishing, it's the time for fighting for your daughter.'