Last Voyages

Chapter 14

"My mistakes can only make me stronger." -Harry

Bella's POV:

I didn't get much sleep last night. 

In fact, I don't think I got over an hour and a half, to be completely honest. Harry's little stunt last night really pushed me over the edge; I ended up crying for a few hours before getting extremely angry, and then after passing out I woke up just an hour or so later wondering if Harry had snuck out during the night or if he actually kept his word and stayed with us.

But now I was sluggishly getting ready, looking in the mirror as I adjusted the blouse I wore, the tight corset really making it hard to breathe. The skirt I had brushed the ground, the dark material blending well with the grayish blue top that adorned my top half. 

I was always having to dress this way for work, but there was a part of me that yearned for the freedom of the shorter skirt I wore years ago along with the top that gave me breathing room.

Brushing my hair back, I pinned it out of my face in a professional manner, the rest of it falling down, hitting the bottom of my back. With a sigh, I turned from the mirror, leaving my room and going towards Layla's room, knowing that I'd have to fight her to get her shoes on. 

I'll tell you what, when that child gets an idea in her mind, there's no going back. She's so determined it makes me laugh sometimes. It's ironic, because I feel like I'm looking at myself from when I was a little girl.

To my surprise Layla was already downstairs, dressed in an adorable lilac dress, her hair in curled pig tails, and.....

No shoes. 

She was talking to Darla and Wesly, making me smile and shake my head. There was no one who could get shoes on that child except me. And it was a fight even when I did it. 

"Layla." I say gently, seeing her turn towards me with a big smile on her face. "Momma!!" she exclaims, running over and giving me a hug, which I gave back eagerly. "You still need to put your shoes on." I say and she immediately pouts, huffing and stepping back.

"But I don't want any shoes on! They're bad." she says and I laugh. "You mean they annoy you?" I ask and she thinks about it for a moment. "Annoy...like being upset?" she asks and I nod. "They get on your nerves, always having them there. You don't like it." I say and she smiles brightly at my explanation.

"Yes! They annoy me!" she says cheerfully and I laugh. "I know they do, but until we get to Aunt Philippa's house, you have to wear them." I say and she frowns, looking at me upset and opening up her mouth to protest.

"Wearing shoes is a good thing. If you didn't wear them, your feet would be badly hurt." I froze at the sound of Harry's voice, staying still as he came up behind me, and I saw him out of the corner of my eye, looking down at Layla.

"Your mother is protecting you. Listen to her." he says a little vexed and I huff. "Come on Layla, I'll help you put them on." I say, ignoring the 'help' I was getting from him and going over to my daughter, grabbing her hand and leading her to a chair, propping her up on it before grabbing her shoes.

"Is that true?" Layla asks and I shake my head. "Shoes are worn for many reasons. That's only one of them. They give us a sense of stability sometimes, keeping us on our feet. They also provide support for our feet, as well as protecting them from outside forces like the weather." I explain, knowing Layla loved when I gave explanations like this.

Her green eyes got bright with excitement and a big smile grew on her face. "Okay!!" she says and I smile, hearing Harry's huff from behind me but I ignored it. He's not going to just come in here and pretend to help when I know that's not his true intentions. Last night proved that.