Page 21 of Begin Again, Part 1

"Mommy?"

They stopped goofing around and turned to Aiden in the doorway, his eyes glistening. Before they knew it, fat tears were rolling down his rosy cheeks.

"See what you've done!" Cassandra scolded them as she took out the Tupperware containers with his lunch from the bag. "You scared him."

Eden picked him up and held him close, breathing in his baby smell. "Mommy's okay, baby. Aunty Sienna was playing, that's all."

"Play?" He mimicked as he touched her face, making sure she was okay.

"Yes, sweetheart, we were playing." She blew air bubbles on his neck. Before long, he was laughing and zooming around the house again.

Tired of entertaining himself, Aiden returned to the living room. Eden scooped him up, and they spent a few minutes making airplane sounds as she threw him into the air. When she set him down again, she was out of breath and tired. She looked through the backpack for his toys, but he picked a book instead. So while Sienna fed him and Lydia read to him, Eden took Cassandra on a tour of the house.

Their first stop was the kitchen, where they spent a few minutes looking at the cupboards. They were old-fashioned, but Cassandra thought they could do them up themselves. With her gas stove and Grammy's vintage fridge, it wouldn't be hard to pull off the farmhouse look.

Eden wasn't too concerned about the open plan living room. Her new three-seater would arrive in a few days. And she planned to hit the rooftop flea market soon for a coffee table and armchairs. She could always refurbish them to suit her taste. She wasn't sure about Grammy's upright piano, though.

"This is huge," Cassandra said as they paused in the main bedroom. She wasn't talking about the room, but Eden's decision to buy a house. She was right. It was a huge responsibility. One that would drain Eden's already-depleted finances. She'd poured all her inheritance from Grammy into buying this place. Other than her meagre savings from her freelance work, she had nothing. She had to get a job soon. She doubted Van Holt Industries would take her back as an assistant. Not after the way she disappeared.

"So, what's the plan?" Cassandra sat on the sill of the huge bay window overlooking the back garden.

"Get a job. Find a daycare for Aiden and figure out the rest as I go," Eden replied. Not having a solid plan bothered her, but in her defence, she never thought she'd return to Rock Castle. She was happy in the Blue Mountains and would have likely stayed there permanently. But the cabin wasn't the same without Grammy. Everything about the small town reminded Eden of her.

Cassandra looked through the built-in cupboards, gushing at all the space. She smiled as she turned the light switch on and off, checking it worked. "I think you'll be happy here."

Eden nodded. That was the plan. For her and Aiden to be happy. There was so much she wanted to show him around the neighbourhood. She couldn't wait to take him to the park to meet other kids and arrange play dates with the other moms. Yes, they were going to be so happy here.

The doorbell rang, and Cassandra's face split into a huge smile. "It's pizza o'clock!"

They returned to the living room and found Lydia taking out the paper plates and serviettes. Sienna sat nearby, watching Aiden nap on a thick stack of blankets they'd brought in from Eden's car.

Lydia poured the three of them some wine, and Eden settled on sparkling water. She hadn't touched alcohol since her hook-up with Liam. She didn't quit drinking or anything dramatic like that. She just didn't crave booze.

"So, what's the plan tonight?" Lydia asked, making a point of looking around the empty room. "Where will you sleep?"

The movers will be here tomorrow, so we have to make do tonight," Eden replied.

"You can't sleep on the floor with Aiden," Sienna panicked.

"It's only one night, and I brought enough blankets. He won't die," Eden brushed off her unnecessary concern.

"His father would if he knew!" said Lydia, making a face as she chewed her pizza.

"Now, why would you bring him up again?" Eden pushed her plate away. She'd lost her appetite.

"I'm just saying...you don't need to live like this, not when Aiden's father—"

Eden cut her off. "I won't ask Liam for anything. We did fine without him for two years."

"What about your parents?" Sienna asked.

"Geez! Can we all please stop worrying about my finances?" Eden expelled a frustrated sigh and scratched at her arms and hands. All this worrying from everyone was giving her major anxiety.

Lydia suddenly remembered she had something to do and excused herself. Cassandra decided to go after her and keep her company.

"Well, that went well!" Sienna turned to her with a frown on her face when the front door slammed shut. She looked years younger, without the weaves and wigs she'd spotted over the years. Eden liked her, thick natural hair better.

"Not you too," Eden held up her hand.

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