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.

The motion sensor doors slid open as she came closer, the two security guards stationed on either side of the entrance pointed her in the right direction when she asked for the reception.

As Eden walked through the atrium, making her way to the reception area, she kept stopping to gawk at the place and take in everything around her. There were people everywhere, but she barely noticed; she was blown away by the decor and artworks, and she took a few pictures for inspiration. She was still snapping away when a security guard approached her and told her to move along; she wasn't allowed to take pictures.

"But why?" She asked, baffled by the notion. It's not like there were trade secrets on the ground floor.

"I don't make the rules," the guard shrugged and carried on with his rounds.

Eden pressed forward, stopping yet again when her eyes found something else to feast over—the futuristic interactive map of the building.

Since she was way too early, she paused there for a long time, playing with the touch screen display, bringing up various floors and viewing them in 3D.

The foodie in her silently sang 'Hallelujah' when she saw the staff canteen and the thousands of restaurants on the first floor.

Aiden's new school—if she got the job—was located on the second floor. She went on a virtual tour of the classes and was instantly sold when she saw the creative ways the young teachers used to connect with the little ones. She was super impressed with the state of the art computer lab, the rest area with the tiny sleeping pods and the healthy meal plans.

Surely Aiden would thrive here. If they taught computers to little kids his age, he'd be talking in ten-word sentences in no time.

She loved Anderson Logistics already and now more than ever she was determined to get in, to give Aiden access to all these great opportunities.

"Whoa!" She whispered when she read a fun fact on the screen. The atrium was big enough to house a Boeing 737.

She believed it.

If she hadn't come across this nifty map, she would have been overwhelmed by the size of the place. She could see how over a thousand people fit in here.

She tried to visit Liam's office next, but access to the 36th floor was denied, even virtually.

"I'll be back, my toy!" She promised the touch screen map and reluctantly moved along.

One of the five receptionists looked up when Eden approached the long glossy black desk.

"Can I help you?" Sandy, if Eden had to trust the name tag on her chest, smiled and waved her over.

"I'm here for an interview, with Mrs Yvonne Gibson," she said quickly.

Four other pairs of eyes turned to her and sized her up. They didn't think she was interview material for Anderson Logistics and certainly not with Mrs Gibson, whoever she is.

Irritated by their rude reception, Eden pulled out her phone and showed them the email.

Sandy read it quickly and gave her an apologetic smile. "Please have a seat. I'll let Gibby know you're here."

Eden sat down in one of the woven wing chairs scattered in the waiting area, expecting it to be as uncomfortable as it looked, but she was pleasantly surprised. Maybe modern decor wasn't so bad. Not that she could ever afford one of these chairs, besides it would throw off her coastal theme.

Her eyes drifted back to the receptionists who were whispering about her, judging from their hushed tones and side glances. She focused her attention on the large waterfall cascading behind them. It was pretty, soothing too, but she couldn't help but wonder where all that water goes.