Begin Again novel Chapter 23

Aiden's sitter arrived just after 10:00 AM and Eden spent some time showing her around the house and giving her detailed notes about her son, from what he liked to eat to his potty training times and his afternoon routine.

"This is his favourite toy," Eden said as she picked up a Paw Patrol sensory toy. "He can't fall asleep without it."

"I've got this Mrs McBride," Brenda said, startling Eden out of her mind with the title. But then, she remembered the engagement ring on her left hand.

"Please call me Eden," she said with a smile as she kissed Aiden again and ruffled his hair. "Don't forget he can't eat anything with nuts, that includes sweets, chocolates, biscuits or anything really."

"Got it! Now go get that job!" Brenda gave her two thumbs up. "Good luck!"

"All the emergency numbers are on the fridge in case you can't reach me," Eden said for what she was pretty sure was the hundredth time as she grabbed her handbag and phone from the table in the kitchen.

This would be her first time leaving Aiden alone with a stranger, her first time leaving him with anyone period. There's never been a single day in the past two years she was away from him, even for a few hours.

"We'll be okay," Brenda pushed her out of the front door, and Aiden waved at her.

"Bye-bye!" He babbled in his baby voice, and she was so tempted to call and cancel her interview. But her savings would only last so long, and unless her freelance work picked up again, they'd soon find themselves swimming up shit creek if she didn't get a permanent job soon. And there's no way she'd go crawling back to her parents.

"Bye-bye, baby," Eden smiled tearfully and ran to her Prius. The front door had barely closed when she heard him cry.

"Oh God," she dissolved into tears herself as she shifted the car into drive and pulled away. Hearing Aiden's sad screams split her heart in two.

"You're doing this for him," she reminded herself as she breezed through mid-morning traffic.

She checked the time on her dash when she pulled into the visitors' parking of Anderson Logistics, impressed with how quickly it took her to get here from her place.

Fifteen minutes.

If she gets the job, she might try walking some days. Of course, it would be slightly longer, but the exercise would be good for her.

She locked her car and gingerly made her way to the entrance, feeling self-conscious in her black pencil skirt, white pussy-bow blouse and black kitten heels. She was pretty sure everyone could tell this was her first real interview in a very long time.

She stared at the striking curved facade with 'Anderson Logistics' emblazoned on the front of the building near the entrance, remembering the last time she was here.

She thought about that day often, and how things would have turned out if she never saw Liam with that woman she assumed is his wife and if she'd told him about Aiden.

Would he have accepted her and their baby and left his wife for her?

Would she have wanted him to?

"Hey, watch it!" Someone screeched at her as they sped past on a bike, pulling her out of her daze. It took her startled heart a few seconds to return to its normal pace again.

"Let's do this!" She psyched herself up and approached the entrance.