Shattered Glass

[Louise_2983]

No sorry. If it gets past 10pm and I haven't updated I'm not going to!

[leah1234]

Okay that's fine, I was just wondering

update whenever you can

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[susanf6230]

Love this fiction, update soon.

[leah1234]

Do you knowif there will be an update tonight???

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[Zetti]

I hope you get a chance to update soon xx

[Louise_2983]

Chapter 28

“Belle?” Matilda called out as she entered the kitchen.

The house appeared empty and her call received no response. She tried again, louder this time but the same lingering silence met her ears. Just as she was turning to leave a small sniffle punctured the silence and she followed its trail, slowly pushing open the door to her best friend’s bedroom to find her slumped in the middle of the floor with tears streaming down her face.

“Belle, what’s wrong?!” she exclaimed in concern as she scanned her friend’s distraught face and the scattering of wooden poles and sheets she sat in the centre of.

She saw Belle’s lips move in an attempt to form speech but all the came was a huge sob as she continued to cry.

“Belle?” she asked again more gently.

“What is it?”

“I’m just an idiot!” Belle managed to splutter in between her blubbering.

“I’m a big idiot who can’t even put a crib together without falling apart!” she howled as Matilda finally realised exactly what was in pieces all over the bedroom carpet.

“You’re trying to put a crib together?”

“Yeah” Belle nodded with a whimper.

“But I can’t because I’m an idiot who can’t put a crib together by herself or have sex without getting pregnant or control my stupid hormones or ...or...or do anything!”

“Belle, calm down” Matilda instructed calmly as she tried to make her way towards where Belle sat. She had to tip-toe cautiously towards her, weaving her way around the pieces of the dismantled crib

as she desperately tried not to crush any.

“I can’t calm down!” Belle wept, the stream of tears replenishing once again.

“I’m a failure! I’m going to fail this time like I did with Jamie! Even if I don’t get post natal depression this time I’m still going to fail!”

“Belle, you’re not a failure. You are not going to fail!”

“Yes I am! And you saying I’m not is all part of the problem. I’m meant to be feisty and determined and independent so when I fail it’s even worse! People will expect me to be able to do this alone and I

can’t Mattie! I can’t even put the damn crib together, how am I supposed to be a Mum?!”

“You’re already a Mum remember?” Matilda smiled softly as she sat down next to her friend and rubbed her arm affectionately.

“That’s not the same” Belle snuffled.

“I wish it was but it’s not. I’m not there all the time, I’m not the one person he has in the world to rely on. I’m going to be all this baby’s got in the world Mattie and I can’t do it”

“Yes you can. You’re an amazing Mum to Jamie and you’re not going to be the only person there for your baby. You’ve got lots of friends who are going to be there. Me, Ric, Geoff and Annie to name 4

and there’s lots of other people too. We’re not going to let you do this alone! You’re going to be fine and deep down I think you know that, this is just your hormones going crazy”

“It’s not my hormones!” Belle snapped, a quick flash of venom in her deep brown eyes.

“Why does everyone think that if you’re pregnant you suddenly lose all capacity to feel anything real emotionally?!”

“Woah, calm down I didn’t mean it that way! And you yourself just said that your hormones are all over the place!”

“They are! But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be a failure! I fail even at controlling my hormones!” she cried, burying her head in her hands.

“Why are you trying to build the crib now anyway? Haven’t you got almost 5 months left?”

“Yeah” Belle nodded with a sigh.

“But I’m going to be fat and tired and cranky”

Matilda arched an eyebrow at her and Belle let out a little giggle.

“Ok, crankier!”

“That’s better!” Matilda laughed.

“Well I’m going to be all those things and then some and I’m not going to have anyone to put the crib together or paint a nursery or fix the car seat, which by the way I tried to do this morning and it

broke in two because I threw it down the driveway so hard when I couldn’t fit it!”

“Wouldn’t driving around with a car seat be a big clue that you’re pregnant?”

“Well yeah” Belle let out a breathy laugh.

“I wasn’t really thinking but I’m going to have to tell people sooner or later” she sighed, her hand gently gliding over her rapidly growing bump.

“Yeah baggy clothes aren’t really working anymore Belle” Matilda nodded, taking in the Belle’s silhouette in the oversized shirtdress she was wearing. Her bump was clearly visible now despite her best

efforts to disguise it.

“I will tell people, but I think I might just hide out in the house for a few days first”

"What about Annie?"

"She's barely here since she and Geoff inherited Irene's share of The Diner. She's driving Roman and Leah mad with new menu ideas!"

“Well, when you do tell people you know they’re going to want to help right? I keep saying this but you’re not alone and people will help with the nursery and the car seat and everything and anything

else you need help with”

“I can’t expect them to do that though Mattie, they didn’t get themselves knocked up so why should they have to deal with me doing it?!”

“They’re you’re friends, they’ll want to help because you’re important to them! No one will think you expect them to help but they’ll want to. Ric’s on his way right now to sort out this crib”

“What? How?”

“I sent him a text whilst you were busy crying” Matilda giggled nudging Belle’s arm playfully.

Belle reached up a hand to wipe away the stray tears still lingering on her cold, red cheeks as Matilda’s words alerted her to the fact that she had actually stopped crying.

“I should be able to do it myself though” she sighed.

“Have you seen the instructions?!” Matilda laughed, holding them up in front of her eyes and squinting as if that would make her understand them more.

“What language are they in Greek?!”

“English” Belle chuckled softly.

“But I don’t understand them”

“Me either” Belle laughed again as Matilda joined in.

“Belle, you’re going to be a great Mum” she stated simply as their laughter died down.

“I hope so” she sighed as Ric appeared in the doorway.

“You needed a man?” he grinned as he leant against the doorframe.

“Then what are you doing here little boy?” Belle quipped back, suddenly feeling better.

“Ouch!” he pouted, holding a hand up to his chest as if she’d just put a bullet through it.

“We need you to put the crib together whilst we put our feet up” Matilda ordered, handing him the instructions.

“And why can’t you two lazy...erm girls do it?”

“Have you seen the instructions!” Matilda cried dramatically.

“Yeah” he nodded looking down at them in confusion.

“What language are they in Greek?!”

“That’s what I said!” Matilda chuckled as Ric noticed Belle’s tearstained appearance.

“Everything ok?” he asked gently.

“Yeah” Belle nodded with a weak smile.

“I just freaked out a bit about the baby and being alone and everything. Hormones and stuff you know? Well obviously you’re a man you don’t know but I’m sure you get my drift?”

“Hey! You just bit my head off for saying it was your hormones!”

“Well they’re my hormones I’m allowed to blame them if I want to! You’re not!”

“Ok! Sorry!” Matilda sighed, holding up her hands in mock surrender.

“You’re not alone Belle, you’ve got lots of people who’ll help you” Ric told her softly.

“Yeah I know I was just having a panic. Last time I did this I had Aden to support me and to share everything with...” she trailed off realising she didn’t want to remember last time, she didn’t want to

remind herself of what she should of had now if things could have been different.

“And I bet he’d support you again if you told him you were having his baby”

“You told him!” Belle hissed at Matilda, her expression instantly full of fury.

“I didn’t say a word!”

“Well, only two other people knew and why would Rach-“

“She didn’t tell me!” Ric shouted over their argument, stunning them both into silence.

“You just did”

“Was it that obvious?” Belle murmured, horror and panic setting in at the same time.

“Well you never mention Johnny and whenever Mattie mentions the father you cut her off or give her your “finish that sentence and die” glare, so I knew something was up and then it didn’t take much

effort to connect the dots”

“And he’s not even the smartest tool in the box!” Matilda exclaimed playfully but she still got a hurt glance from Ric as she did so.

“I told you that you have to tell him, people are going to figure it out Belle. People have figured it out!”

“Ric’s not people, he’s one of my best friends. If you both keep quiet and stop hassling me to tell Aden then other people won’t have any signs to pick up on!”

“Except that bump you’re sporting these days” Ric grinned with a nod towards her growing tummy.

“Not so hide able anymore is it?”

“Be quiet!” Belle ordered snappily, her hands protectively covering her baby bump.

“Belle, if Mattie was having my baby and wouldn’t tell me would you seriously tell her she was right to keep it from me?”

“I don’t know! It would depend on the circumstances. Maybe I would if you were married to someone else and you wouldn’t leave her!”

“Whether he leaves or not the guy has a right to be involved in his child’s life and your baby deserves to know their Dad!” Ric told her and Matilda nodded in agreement.

“Great” Belle sighed with a pout.

“Now I’ve got you both ganging up on me, Matilda alone was bad enough!”

“We’re not ganging up on you” Matilda smiled softly.

“But you’re panicking about being alone when you don’t really have to be. All you have to do is tell him”

“We’ve been through this. It’s my decision. Please just respect that”

“We do. We’re not going to run around telling him or anyone else. We support you we just want to make sure you’re doing what’s right for you”

“This is right, I know it is” she whispered not sounding totally convincing.

“Then end of conversation” Matilda smiled warmly.

“So how about we go and relax in the lounge whilst Ric figures out this crib?”

“Sounds good” Belle smiled back before following her friend out of the room and heading straight for the freezer.

“I could just eat some ice cream” she declared flinging open the freezer door and peering in.

“What is it now?” Matilda asked concerned as Belle broke down in tears once more.

“We’ve run out of ice cream!” she sobbed, warm tears streaming down her face.

“Stupid hormones!” she cried, slamming the door shut with a thud as Matilda pulled her into a hug.

“Ric?!”

“Yeah?” he bellowed back from Belle’s bedroom.

“Any chance you could go on an ice cream run first?”

“What did your last slave die of?!” he exclaimed as he entered the kitchen.

“Anything else you want me to do?”

“Ric!” Matilda hissed and he instantly realised Belle had been crying again.

“What flavour?” he sighed with a grin.

“Cookie Dough!” Belle replied at the exact same time that Matilda responded with “Phish Food!”

“Both?” Belle smiled sweetly having instantly developed a craving for the two flavours mixed together as soon as Matilda had mentioned the other one.

“Ok, I’ll be back in 10”

“10 minutes!” Belle exclaimed dramatically as she rubbed her bump affectionately.

“Baby can’t wait that long, can’t you drive faster? Break a few laws? Drive through a few stop signs?”

“Yeah sure and then you can explain why Uncle Ric is in prison” he chuckled.

“We’d come visit every week I promise” Belle grinned cheekily.

“And blow kisses through the glass screens! Now go! I need ice cream!”

***

“You ok now?” Matilda asked cautiously as Belle scraped the last of the melted ice cream from the bowl she cupped in her hands. She was calm and there had been no tears for at least an hour.

“Yeah sorry about earlier” Belle sighed sheepishly.

“It’s ok. You’re having a baby you’re allowed to freak out every now and then”

“It was silly though. I can do this, I know I can. Lots of women do it”

“Finally she talks sense!” Matilda giggled as she peered at the notepad next to her.

“Oooh you’ve been thinking about names!”

“Yeah but it’s so difficult!” Belle sighed.

“Jamie was 3 days old before he had a name!”

“There are a lot more girls names than boys here, have you got an inkling it’s a girl? Because oh my god how adorable would she be? And we could put her in cute little dresses and do her hair and w-“

“Matilda!” Belle chuckled.

“Breathe for goodness sake!”

“Sorry, got a bit carried away there didn’t I?”

“Just a bit yes” Belle smiled warmly.

“I don’t have a clue I just don’t like many boys names. I can find out the gender at my scan next week though so then I can at least rule out half the names in the book!”

“You’re going to find out this time? You don’t want it to be a surprise?”

“No” Belle shook her head.

“I’ve thought about it and I’d like to know. Because in my head I just see another Jamie”

“He is adorable, another one wouldn’t be a bad thing” Matilda half swooned.

“No, no it wouldn’t. But what if it’s a girl? I want to know either way just so I can kind of know what to expect. Plus I need to prepare Jamie. If it’s a boy he’s not going to like it because then he’s not my

only son and if it’s a girl...well he’s not particularly fond of them. Either way I can’t win but if I find out next week then at least I’ll have a chance to prepare him, let him get used to the idea a little”

“Well, I hope it’s not a boy if he’s going to be lumbered with one of these names here!”

“Why? What’s wrong with them?”

“Corey? Belle you’re having a baby not an apple!”

“I like it! Corey Taylor, it’s cute!”

“Hmmm” Matilda grimaced.

“And Harrison? Everyone will think Roman’s the father!”

“Erm why?” Belle questioned her, perplexed. Matilda didn’t even know about her minor indiscretion with Roman. Did she?

“Harrison? Son of Harris? Roman Harris?”

“That’s just silly!” Belle laughed before adding for good measure,

“But cross it off the list anyway”

“Dylan? Nah I don’t like that either” Matilda continued down the list.

“Any you do approve of?”

“No, but I do like Raphael?”

“Matilda, I’m having a baby not a ninja turtle!” Belle smirked.

“What about the girl’s names? You must like something I’ve put on the shortlist?!”

“This is the shortlist?! I dread to think how long the long list was!”

“It was the entire book!” Belle told her, her tone brimming with sarcasm.

“Wow you have whittled it down then!” Matilda replied, equally as sarcastic before scanning the list in front of her.

“Ok, you can’t think of more than 3 boy’s names but you put one on the girl’s list?!”

“What?! Hari’s really pretty, that’s my favourite so far!”

“Well it’s not mine!”

“And you have a say because...?”

“Because I’m godmother and if you’re not going to name them after me then i at least want a say!”

“Well I did consider Hunter for a boy” Belle confessed quietly.

“But it doesn’t go with Taylor, they have the same sound at the end and it doesn’t work”

“It sounds good with Jef-“

“Matilda!”

“Sorry! I know!” she sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I like all the other names actually except maybe Sasha, isn’t that what Beyonce calls her alter ego?”

“How would I know?!” Belle exclaimed with a chuckle.

“You used to live in LA!”

“Yes but in an apartment not Beyonce’s psyche, you know I don’t care about that sort of stuff!”

“Well the others are gorgeous anyway especially Amelie, that’s my favourite. Or maybe Lila. But you can’t call her Emma or Emmie!”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m going to call my daughter Emma!”

“Not if I beat you to it!”

“Belle! You can’t!”

“Are you pregnant Mattie?” Belle looked at her with arched eyebrows.

“No but...I will be one day and I can’t give my daughter a second hand name!”

“Better hope I’m having a boy then hadn’t you?” Belle teased before reaching across and scoring a line through Emma/Emmie.

“Thank you” Matilda grinned.

“No problem, I’m not sure I really liked it anyway”

“What?! How can I call my daughter Emma if her godmother doesn’t like it!”

“Well it looks like you won’t like your godchild’s name at this rate so it’ll make us even!”

“Melissa’s so pretty” Matilda proclaimed as she reached the last name on the list.

“Melissa Taylor” Belle said allowed, letter the letters roll over her tongue.

“I do quite like it”

“Oh my god Belle have you just decided on a name?!”

“No! Of course not! I’d be ok with a son called Melissa wouldn’t I? I like it but it’ll take me months to decide for certain, I’m not the most decisive of people”

“This guy at work, him and his wife have just named their kid Darcy after the bloke from that book” Ric told her as he entered the lounge and flopped onto the sofa.

“That’s what my cat’s called!” Belle chuckled loudly at the thought of giving her baby the same name she had given the cat.

“You’ve got a cat!” Matilda exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock.

“You?”

“Yes! Well I did have, my old assistant Millie took him in when I decided not to go back but why is me having a cat so surprising?!”

“You’re not really what I’d call a cat person” Matilda announced matter of factly.

“Then what type of person am I?”

“Well you’ve dated some real dogs in your time!” Matilda laughed evilly and earned a hard slap on the arm from Belle.

“I was just lonely and I guess having a cat helped”

“Awww” Matilda sighed in a way that made Belle unsure whether she was being genuine or not.

“What happened to all your things in LA anyway?”

“Well Millie’s dealt with most of it and I’ve done all the paperwork by fax. Johnny bought me out of the apartment and I sold my car. All that’s left really is the business which is just in limbo at the

moment. I haven’t updated the website since I came back, I guess I’ll deal with it one day” she replied before sighing and skimming a flat palm over her tummy.

“I have more important things to deal with right now. So did you finish the crib Ric?”

“No, the thing is impossible. I think you have to be a member of Mensa to understand those instructions. How about you send it back and get one that comes already set up?”

“Sounds good to me” she laughed.

“Thanks for trying anyway. I really appreciate everything you guys are doing for me. It’s good to have you here”

“Anytime” Matilda smiled as Belle reached for an envelope on the coffee table and handed it to Matilda.

“And I guess now is a good a time as any to give you this”

“What is it?” Matilda asked staring at the envelope rather than opening it.

“It’s a cheque. I know you guys are having trouble getting a loan so you can buy the garage and it just seems stupid that I’ve got the money sitting in the bank. I want you guys to have it, consider it an

engagement present seen as I was too caught up in my own problems at the time to send you a gift”

“Belle, we can’t accept this” they both spoke in unison.

“Yes you can, I want you to have it. Seriously I can afford it”

“We know you can but it’s too much Belle” Ric insisted.

“Then if you really won’t take it as a gift then how about as a loan instead? I’m not going to check your credit rating or earning potential. I consider you both a great investment and you can pay me

back as much or as little as you like whenever you like”

“Well the payments we were looking at with the bank would have been around $250 a month” Matilda explained quietly.

“Then pay me that if you want to but I don’t want you guys to miss out on this because a bank won’t give you a loan when I can help!”

“Belle, are you sure?” Ric looked at her uncertainly.

“Positive”

“Thank you so much!” Matilda exclaimed pulling her into a tight hug.

“Just don’t tell Drew or I’ll never hear the end of how I never got him that new car!”

[Red Ranger 1]

Awww, that was really great!I loved Belle cracking up and how Ric guessed Aden was the father.And yet another girlie chat session between Belle and Mattie.You're so good at those.

[Taniya_K]

Aw that was funny! Poor Belle though, thinking she's a failure, but I did find the rest of it funny. Am loving having Matti, Ric and Drew around

The bit with the names was awesome! Mattie never fails to crack me up, nor do Belle's witty replies!

Liked the ending with her giving them the money/loan. And about Drew and the car

Can't wait for more! Cannot wait to see if she's gonna have another lil Jamie or a girl [that he hates ] I seriously hope that Belle listens to Mattie and Ric and tells Aden!

xoxo

[leah1234]

I think its great thatcric and mattie are there for belle

I really want belle to tell Aden

Poor belle and her crazy hormones and then she was crying because she couldn't put the crib together

Update soon

Xxxxxxxxx

[wrongturntaken]

That was awesome! I loved it! Belle's hormones were really funny, i felt sorry for her when she was trying to build the crib by herself and when she kept remembering when her and Aden had done those kind of things before, it was so sad.

I liked the way Ric found/figured it out, hopefully he'll be able to put a male perspective on what Belle's doing.

I like that Mattie and Ric are still continuously trying to get her to tell Aden but they don't push it too much, shows what good friends they are. It was so good of Belle to give them that money too.

I guess its not just Aden who has to find out about the pregnancy too, but Jamie so i can't wait to see how you're gonna do that!

Can't wait for another update!!! Soon Please!!!!