Fan Fiction ❯ Life As It Is Now ❯ Moving On ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

First of all, thank you is in order to my reviewers I got for the prologue.

Sarah, Nicole & Saranae-thank you very much for the reviews, I hope you guys continue to enjoy the story; I really have a lot of ideas for it, so I am hoping it will be successful!

Chapter One-Moving On

“Mommy where are we going…?” The glowing toddler asked gazing out the window as she sat snug in the backseat of her mom's small Honda Civic. Erica looked into her rearview mirror, seeing the small clone of herself as her legs bobbled up and down banging against the seat. `She's so innocent…' Erica thought to herself, `She doesn't deserve to be in the middle of all of this…'

“We're going to live in a new home, just like mommy promised...”

“How come…?” The vibrant little girl looked up at her mom, her blue eyes piercing into her mom's.

“Because…well, you and mommy are going to be living by ourselves now…without daddy.” She stopped as the light turned red. “Remember pumpkin, just like mommy talked about…” Erica turned her head and looked at her daughter.

“Will daddy comed see us…?”

“I don't think so Emma…” Her mother sighed and accelerated as the light changed green.

“Does he no loved me nos more…?” Emma-Lynn asked obviously confused by what was happening. `She's only 4…she can't understand this…' Erica sighed and turned left onto `Glenwood Road'. She drove down four houses before pulling right into a driveway. She turned the ignition off and turned around fully trying to get a better glimpse of her daughter.

“Emma…daddy loves you very much, he's just having a hard time with things right now, and he and mommy aren't getting along very well at the moment…we'll be okay, I promise…” She got out of the car, opened the back door and pulled her little girl into her arms for a hug. “I love you so much pumpkin, you just remember that…” She kissed her head and the little girl clung tightly to her mother.

“I wove you too mommy…” The little girl pulled away and kissed her mother's nose. Erica laughed and tickled her daughter gaining giggles from the little girl. The two were interrupted when Erica sensed they weren't alone. She looked up to see the most handsome man she'd ever laid eyes on. He was tall, she guessed about 6'3” and had the bluest eyes she'd seen, they etched right through her. Quickly, she stood and Emma kept her arms latched around her mother's neck.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you or alarm you…” He spoke, putting his hands up in the air in front of him. Erica laughed slightly and shook her head.

“No, its okay…I'm sorry, I just didn't hear you at first.” He put his hands down and stuck his right hand out to her.

“Caden Bennett…I live in that house there…” Erica held on tightly to Emma and took her right hand accepting his. She turned to the direction he was referring to and saw the house he lived in, it definitely looked out of place compared to many of the houses surrounding. It was huge, a beautiful white house with a three car garage attached to the side. In the driveway, a silver Mercedes and black Cadillac Escalade were parked, inside the open garage door she saw a black Lexus. `Okay…wow…' She thought in her head and turned back to Caden. It wasn't till she saw the look on his face that she realized he'd said something and was waiting for her response.

“Sorry…what did you say?”

“Just wondering if a gorgeous woman such as you had a name…?” She blushed and looked at her feet then back up at him.

“Erica…Hall, Erica Hall…” She stammered.

“Erica Hall…beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

“Thanks…” She blushed and smiled. He reached over and rubbed the little girls shoulder, she burrowed her head into the crook of her mom's neck.

“And who might this precious little girl be?” Erica pulled away and looked at Emma.

“It's okay sweetie…why don't you tell him your name…” Emma grew shy and resumed her place in the crook of Erica's neck. Erica smiled apologetically to Caden.

“She gets shy…her name is Emma-Lynn…”

“That's a beautiful name…”

“I though so too…” Erica smiled up at him and he smiled back. `Those eyes…are gorgeous.' Erica thought as she kept staring.

“So…where did you move from…?”

“Portland…”

“Oh that's cool, so not a very long ways at all…”

“No, just about 20 minutes or so from here…”

“I've been down there a couple times, what brings you down here? Did your husband get a job position or something like that?” Caden asked trying to learn more about this woman who had struck his attention.

“Oh, no, no…I'm not married…”

“Boyfriend…?”

“That would be a negative…I'm single…”

“Impossible…what's a woman such as you doing without someone special?”

“Long story…too much drama…” Caden let a small laugh.

“Well I guess I'll just have to find the time to sit and listen one of these days…” Erica gave him her million dollar smile and Emma began to squirm.

“Listen, the movers brought over our furniture the other day, she's pretty wiped out so I think I'm going to settle her for a nap and then unpack my stuff here…” She motioned to the boxes stuffed inside the car.

“Why don't you put her down and I'll help you with these boxes?”

“Oh, I couldn't impose…”

“No, no, not at all…” Caden walked over to her car and already began taking boxes out.

“Thank you…really, I appreciate it…” Erica smiled at him and then walked into the new house. It wasn't a large house, certainly nothing like Caden's home. It had two floors. Upstairs there were three bedrooms and a bathroom; downstairs there was a bedroom, which was the master bedroom, a fairly large family/living room, a bathroom, some closets, a kitchen and open area dining room joining the kitchen. In the dining room was a sliding glass door bringing you outside to a deck that wrapped around the back part of the house. The backyard was a good sized yard. To the left Erica's neighbors had put their own fence up, she could just barely see above it to see the dark gray shingles coating the roof, there was a jungle gym and swing set in back and to the left, you could see right into Caden's backyard. There was no fence…no nothing, just his open spacious backyard out in the open. It was very quiet surroundings and very beautiful. Erica carried her daughter up the stairs and into the first bedroom on the left. She opened the freshly painted white door and inside was a beautifully pink painted bedroom, unfortunately Erica didn't have the money to buy her daughter the best bedroom set in the world, and she managed with what she could. There was a small twin sized mattress laying on the floor, with no headboard or bed frame for it, the mattress was covered with pink blankets and a large `Winnie the Pooh' comforter. There was a closet built into the room and a small oak wood dresser on the wall across from where the bed was. Next to the dresser was a plastic “Fisher Price” toy box already filled and flowing with toys…and that was it, that was all she could manage for her baby girl. She gently laid her in her bed and covered her up with her blankets not forgetting to cuddle her prized teddy bear under the covers with her. She gave Emma a kiss on the head and quietly got up, leaving the door open just a crack she made her way downstairs.

“Hey…I didn't know where you wanted these boxes…” Caden said as he saw Erica making her way down the stairs.

“It's fine…right here in the middle is good for now. I don't even know what's in half these boxes.” The two laughed. Almost two hours later, all the boxes were scattered about in the front hall and living room. Erica made her way into the kitchen with Caden not far behind. She unpacked a box full of glasses and ran the tap pouring herself and Caden a glass.

“You know, I really appreciate all your help…a guy like you should be spending your weekend with your wife and kids…not helping some stranger lift all this stuff…”

“First of all…a guy like me…?” He chuckled and took a gulp of his water. “Second…I'm not married, and I have no kids…” Erica looked up at him shocked. “What…?” Caden asked almost laughing.

“Nothing…I just figured a man as handsome as yourself would be married with children…”

“You assume too much…” He teased. “No, honestly, I tried the marriage thing…my high school sweetheart…”

“And I take it that didn't work out…?” Erica asked trying to learn more without being too demanding.

“No…ended up pregnant…I was thrilled, I wanted a child but 9 months later when our son…well, her son was born and looked nothing like me, I just got curious…when she came to me a 3 months later and told me about an affair with a buddy from school…well, I put it together and there it was.” He said almost bitter.

“I'm really sorry…I had no right bringing it up…” She poured the water in her glass down the drain and leaned against the counter.

“No, it's okay…I got over it, she wanted out of the marriage, said I made her feel `tied down' and last I heard she's living with the guy raising their two children together now…so it just wasn't meant…”

“How long ago was that…?”

“The marriage? We got married 2 years after high school, so that would have been about…” He closed his eyes thinking. “17 years ago…we divorced 2 years after that, while I was in law school, so that would be 15 years ago…”

“Oh my god…17 years ago!” Erica tried holding back the surprised tone in her voice. When she realized how it sounded she quickly put a hand over her mouth. “I'm sorry; I didn't mean it the way it sounded…” Caden however began laughing.

“It's okay…I'm old…” He saw the look on her face and answered her question before she could ask. “37…as of last week…”

“Oh…well, happy belated birthday…”

“Why thank you…what about you…?”

“Oh, no, my birthday wasn't last week…” He laughed and gave her a flirtatious shove.

“No silly…how old are you?” She looked down embarrassed at her answer.

“I'm 21…”

“Wow…” Was all Caden said. Erica nodded and they stood in silence for a while. “So…what brings you to Deep River…?” He asked breaking the silence.

“Long story…” Caden turned and looked around him, eyeing the two bar stools in the corner he pulled them up to the island and sat down patting the seat next to him.

“I've got plenty of time…” Erica sighed seeing she wasn't going to slide her way out of this and took her seat next to him.

“I got pregnant with Emma-Lynn when I was 17, my boyfriend, his name is Mitchell…I should say my ex-boyfriend. We started dating when I was 16, he was 18. Things were great, I really thought he loved me…we had sex, the first time and I got pregnant. I ended up taking senior year off, I got pregnant the night of his senior prom so at least I was able to hide it the remainder of the year…physically anyways. Mitch ended up getting a job part time as a bus boy, he went to a community college, his parent's watched Emma-Lynn when I was at school and he was working, his parents have his back through everything. Well, I managed to graduate and took a year off before enrolling myself into college as well that was when I was 20; I'm in my second year now.” She looked up at the man she was talking to, it was so easy to just tell him her story, a practically complete stranger but it was so easy. “I've been sick lately…two weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant…again, well to make this story short, Mitch was not happy, and kicked me out…I found this little house, it's all I can manage to afford, and I'm barely able to do that at the moment. I'm working two jobs, and trying to manage through school still but I don't know how long I'll be able to do that. I just want the best for Emma-Lynn, that's all I care about, her father never cared enough about her, she was just something that took time away from his partying and getting laid…he spent the last year cheating on me, and I'm sure it's not the first…I gave everything up for my daughter, I love her more than anything in this world, she's so innocent. It's not her fault her dad's a prick who could care less about her and her well being…I hate him so much for it, but it's just as much my fault as his…I stayed with him for this long…put her through this…” She was crying hysterically by now and Caden had his arms wrapped tightly around her, she buried her face in his chest and he just rubbed her back as she cried. For twenty minutes she sobbed and finally calmed down. She pulled away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve embarrassed.

“I'm sorry…how foolish of me…” Caden wiped the remaining tears falling.

“No…it's okay, listen, I want to be a friend…you can't do this all alone, even if venting is all you need to help you, I want to help…” Erica smiled.

“Thanks really but you don't want to get involved with me….in ANY way…my life is a mess…”

“So let me help…I'm a criminal defense attorney…I've seen messed up lives plenty of times…” He tried cracking a joke and it worked because Erica laughed. He smiled and pulled her in for a friendly hug and then stood up.

“Mommy…” Erica heard the calls from her daughter and stood; glancing at the clock Caden took in the time and decided it was time to head to his own home.

“Well listen, sounds like the little one needs you, I should probably get going, I have a dinner meeting with another attorney tonight…I'm glad to have a neighbor instead of this vacant house now…” Erica smiled.

“Thank you so much for everything, I don't want to keep you…I really appreciate everything you've done, and I am so sorry for making a fool of myself and breaking down like that…”

“Not a problem…what are friends for?” Erica smiled. `Yeah…friends…' She liked that thought. “Make sure you get some food…that baby needs it…” He said pointing to her flat stomach, “not to mention that baby upstairs as well.” He smiled and gave her one more hug. “There's a small grocery store if you go down the street, take a left, and take a right at the first stop light, you can't miss it, it's about a mile down that road…just a small quiet town grocery store, pick something up, I'm sure you don't have much in the house…” Erica laughed and nodded walking him to the front door.

“Well thank you again…really…”

“You're very welcome…if you need anything…well you know where to get me…” He said and they both laughed at his corny joke.

“Have a good night…”

“You too Erica…” She watched him walk next door and then closed the front door; she took a deep breath, leaned against the door and closed her eyes, taking in everything that'd happened tonight. `He is so gorgeous…and a lawyer? My god…why does he have to be so…well…old?' Erica asked herself.

“Mommy…!” She heard Emma's cries and was brought back to reality.

“Coming pumpkin…” She hollered back and made her way up to her daughter's room, thoughts of a certain neighbor still clear in her mind.

Well there's chapter 1. I hope you guys enjoyed it!