The Next Chapter

Words

Okay, we're starting the sequel for A Fresh Start. This will probably be slow going as I want to make sure I tell Marie's story well and appropriately. I'd like to thank all of my readers from A Fresh Start and their stories about their children with Autism. Your recollections will help me tremendously in Marie's story. I'm an educator and I'm familiar with the educational ramifications of Autism, but not living with a child with Autism on a day to day basis.

Anyhow, Twilight is not mine. Never will be mine. Ever. *WAAAH!* David, Lizzie and Marie are mine in a literary sense. Ren, too.

Chapter Seven: Words

BPOV

My baby girl spoke. She said words. Not giggles. Not screams. Actual words. Her voice was like an angel and she wasn't speaking to me. She spoke to Edward and Cynthia.

Those should have been my words. My baby...

She said play and asked for a book. My Marie spoke. She actually spoke. I hid my disappointment and anger as we went up to the office of Kyle Moore, the chief of staff at Virginia Mason, Edward's old colleague and friend. Once we got inside the office, Edward explained what happened with Kate. I wanted to rip her perfectly coiffed blonde hair out of her fucking head. She touched Edward without his permission and she will pay.

Fucking skank.

He's my husband, sweetie. Not yours. Keep your acrylic claws off my hubby.

Then she said that Marie spoke with me. That just pissed me off even more. She lied to Edward about our daughter speaking for her own agenda. What the fuck is wrong with this wench? I seriously was close to storming out and kicking the shit out of Dr. Kate. She ruined what should have been a happy and momentous occasion because she was fucking horny.

Bitch is going down.

I tried to play it off that I didn't care about Kate's manipulations of my daughter and my husband, but I was crumbling inside. I wanted to have that special moment with my baby and now I'll never get that back. Ever. It was worse than seeing my husband lying on a gurney with a bullet in his leg. Okay, not that bad, but still it hurt.

In a way, I was pissed at Edward. It's not like he did anything wrong, but he experienced Marie's first words. Selfishly, I wanted them. I wanted them badly. I don't remember the rest of the meeting with Kyle and Dr. Senfield, the head of psychiatry. I just wanted to get out of there and hit something. Scream. Yell. Make someone hurt as badly as I did at that moment.

We left the office and picked up our little girl. Cynthia said that Marie read the book that she chose, verbatim. Perfectly. Another stab to the heart. I walked away and looked out the window. My tears were falling down my cheeks. I was so sad. So upset. So mad. So...god, I don't even know how I feel. A gamut of emotions was coursing through my body and it wasn't pleasant.

I felt Edward's soft and strong hand lace with mine and it calmed me slightly. We walked to the garage and drove back to the hotel. Charlie and Sue are already there. I called them after I spoke with Edward about Kate, the skank. Marie took off and ran into Sue's arms. We went up to our room and I packed Marie's backpack for her overnight stay with Charlie and Sue.

Edward gathered Marie into his lap and I could hear him say that he's proud of his little girl. She grinned and said that she loved him. Using her voice and her little trick with the ear. I flopped down on the bed, trying to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. Marie bounded across the hotel room. She sat down on my lap and put her head on my chest. Her fingers twined into my hair. "Momma...love," Marie said, looking into my eyes. "Lots."