Raura's Daughter

one.

Laura's POV

"Oh, Miss Bella! Aren't you just the cutest thing?" Mom cooed to my eight month old daughter, Isabella, in the corner of the kitchen. Despite my mother kicking me out at the age of sixteen with Isabella in my uterus, she sure had made a comeback. She'd supplied us with endless pushchairs, diapers, high chairs and so much more. I would forever be in her debt. "Laura, when does she have to go back?" Mom asked with a hopeful smile on her face.

I placed my magazine down on the table in front of me and wearily smiled at my daughter who began to gurgle at me, she waved one of her favourite toy's around in her hand. It was a pink plastic unicorn that Trisha had managed to find for her at one of our local supermarkets. "In a few hours." I murmured, suddenly remembering that Courtney was currently staying with Ross. "He's taking care of her for the weekend."

"Oh, well, okay. I suppose you have to go back to your daddy at some point or another." Mom said with a sigh, planting a gentle kiss on Isabella's small forehead. She placed a warm bottle of milk in front of Isabella and carefully made her way over to me, sitting herself down on one of the spare kitchen chairs. "How are you honey?"

I shrugged my shoulders and propped myself up against my elbow. "Everything's been a little tougher than usual lately, but I have Bella so I'm good."

Mom nodded and wrapped her cold hands up around mine, smiling down at them. "That's how I felt when you and your sister were babies. The world could have been ending and I'd still feel blessed."

I stared at my baby girl, her blonde ringlets of hair were tied up in a messy ponytail, her big chocolate eyes were shimmering and her lightly tanned skin looked radiant underneath the kitchen lights. "I wish me and Ross were in this together, you know?" I murmured to my Mom with a frown. She nodded slowly at me, tapping her hand gently on top of mine to reassure me. "I didn't realise how much I needed him until she was born."

"Perhaps one day you'll come back together, as a family." Mom murmured hopefully. I wasn't sure who she was trying to convince, me or herself.

I smiled down at my hands. "Maybe."

I wanted to believe her, I wanted to have a little bit of faith in humanity for once but I couldn't. Ross was happiest with Courtney and he always had been. I was simply an obstacle in their way and now that I'd been removed from the equation they could get on with their lives and I could get on with mine.

Isabella began to kick her legs and gurgle from her high chair. With a sigh, I rolled my eyes at my Mom and stood up to see to my daughter. "Hey, hey, hey! What's all this crying about?" I asked jokingly as I scooped her out of the high chair. I cradled her in my arms and rubbed her back gently with my right hand. "Did Nana give you gross baby food again?"

My Mom chuckled and shook her head at me. "Bella adores the baby food that I present to her! Isn't that right sweetie?"

Isabella giggled slightly in my arms and waved at my Mom. It was pretty much the only thing she could do, despite mumble strange words and crawl around the house with weird objects in her mouth. I was constantly on my hands and knees chasing after her, trying to find out where she was hiding all of her toys and gadgets.

"Daddy's coming to pick you up later." I said softly, running my hands through Bella's hair. She stared at me with confused eyes. The problem was, she knew that Ross was her father but she'd never actually seen us together to see us both as her Mommy and Daddy, the way that it should be. "I've told him to bring foodies for you." I added with a giggle as Isabella began to squeal excitedly in my arms.

To put it bluntly, my daughter, of eight months old was obsessed with food. I'm not sure if it's an Italian thing or maybe it's a Ross thing, but if a thousand dishes of baby food were put in front of Isabella she'd demolish each and every one of them. She was quite an inquisitive baby which I assumed came from me; being the A Grade student that I am. However she loved music, any sound of an instrument or a person singing, Isabella adored.

"Honey I spoke to Mr Swan for you." Mom said with a grin from the dining table. I held Bella close to my chest and raised my eyebrows for my Mom to continue. Since Isabella had been born I'd been desperate to go back to school, just to finish my last year at least. I wanted to give her the best future possible and if I was being completely honest; I missed school, a lot. "They have a nursery there now which a lot of young mothers and fathers your age go to when they want to be in school for the day. You'd have to go and check on her quite regularly but Mr Swan is happy to have Bella in his care."

I gasped in excitement and threw my spare arm around Mom's neck. "Oh my gosh, Mom! Thank you so much! Did you hear that Bella? Mommy's going back to school!"

Isabella gurgled happily in my arms as I pressed my lips to her forehead and danced around the kitchen with her like a little child. "You might be able to make some friends, you know, people who can relate to you." Mom added with a quick smirk.

"Mom." I said with an embarrassed sigh as I sat back down opposite her with Isabella on my lap. "I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now or even a male friend. I have Bella, she's my main priority right now and school of course."

"Okay, okay." She said, the same smirk plastered on her lips. "Still, it won't hurt to make some friends."

I shook my head with a smile and began to answer her back when the doorbell for the front door chimed throughout the house. "Ugh." I groaned as I turned Isabella to face me. "That's probably your Daddy and his weird girlfriend."

Isabella giggled. That's the beauty of having a baby, you can tell them whatever you like and they'll always giggle at it. I handed her to my Mom so that they could have one final cuddle before she went to Ross' for the night and then I headed to the front door with Bella's bag on my shoulder. "Hey Belly Boo!" Ross exclaimed as soon as I opened the door. "Hey Laur."

I smiled and handed Isabella to him who excitedly pressed her hands to Ross' face. "Someone's missed you." I said awkwardly with a soft giggle.

"Ah I've missed her too." Ross chuckled as he smoothed Isabella's hair out with the palm of his hand. "I heard your going back to school now."

I nodded. I was proud of myself. I was making a decision that was best for my daughter, she was my main priority and always would be from now on. "Yeah, Mom had a chat with Mr Swan and he says they have a nursery for Bella on school grounds so I can get on with my studies."

"That's awesome, Laur! I'm really happy that you're coming back. It can be a fresh start for all of us." Ross said with an excited grin as the sound of a car horn blaring behind him made the three of us jump in shock. "Crap, that'll be Court. I better be going. I'll check in with you tonight to let you know if Bella is settled."

Isabella frantically waved to me as Ross carried her in his arms back up the steps to Courtney's car. "Bye baby! I'll see you tomorrow!" I called out desperately as the car drove off down the street.

Mom wrapped her arms around my shoulder and pressed her lips to my head. "Come on inside sweetie, it's time for us Mom's to relax."

I sighed and reluctantly followed my Mom inside. I now understood why my Mom had always been so protective over me. Even though Bella was only going to Ross' household, a family that I knew and trusted; a family who were now my family too, I still felt oddly unsettled.

Damn, I really was becoming a Mother.

***

a/n

GUYS WE'RE BACK!!!

This is going to be a super long book and I'm thinking of turning these Raura books into a series. What do you guys think?

All my love,

B x