Chapter 67: A Good Sister
Moana
Edrick and I agreed with Selina that Ella had to be carefully introduced to the topic of having a new sibling. Not only could it be harmful to her self esteem to think that she might be ‘replaced’ or get less attention, but it could also be harmful to both her relationship with her father and her relationship with me. Considering the fact that we both decided that it would be best for me to continue to live with them as we raised the new child, it was important for us all to get along.
We didn’t say anything for a few days, as we both wanted to give ourselves time to come up with a strategy before we told Ella. But, as Selina warned, I would begin to show soon. Since the baby was a little werewolf and not a human, the pregnancy would be a bit different, and I would show sooner. My belly was already starting to look a little more bloated than usual, as I had learned at the charity gala.
During these days, Edrick and I met up each evening after Ella was asleep to watch videos on broaching subjects like this with children, and we even began to compile a small list of videos aimed toward children for Ella to watch when she was ready. Several late nights were spent like this, and it was a relief to feel as though Edrick was softening about spending time with me. Even though we never talked about anything other than the baby, it still felt nice to be near him and to not be treated like a total stranger. Still, it was a little demoralizing to know that the only reason why he was treating me differently was because of the baby.
Finally, once we were ready, we decided that it was time to tell Ella.
It was a Sunday morning, and we’d just had a breakfast of waffles and bacon that Selina prepared for us. Once we were finished, Edrick leaned forward with his elbows on the table. He shot me a glance, and I gave him a subtle nod of approval, before he spoke.
“Ella, Moana and I have something we need to talk to you about,” Edrick said.
Ella’s eyes widened, and she suddenly spoke very quickly. “I’m sorry that I cut my doll’s hair–”
I couldn’t help but laugh at this sudden admission of new information, and neither could Edrick.
“It’s not that, Princess,” Edrick said, reaching out and taking her tiny hand. “You’re not in trouble. Although, you shouldn’t cut your dolls’ hair; it doesn’t grow back like yours does.”
“Okay,” Ella said pensively, swinging her legs on the chair. “What is it, then?”
Edrick looked at me again. We had decided that it was best for him to tell her since he was her father, but I could tell that he was having trouble. I pressed my lips together and smiled slightly, urging him to continue.
“Moana is going to have a baby,” he finally said quietly. “A little sibling for you.”
Ella’s eyes widened again. “A… sibling?” she asked. She looked back and forth between Edrick and I, processing this new information. I bit my lip and felt my heart begin to race as I started to worry that she was going to throw a tantrum. We’d made sure to prepare for that sort of scenario, but that didn’t mean that I was looking forward to it.
“Yes,” I chimed in. “You’re going to have a little brother or sister. How does that make you feel?”
Ella was silent for several more seconds. I felt a lump rise in my throat, and glanced over to see that Edrick was staring intently at his daughter with a look of worry on his own face.
But then, much to our surprise, she suddenly jumped up on her chair and threw her arms up in the air. “Yippee!” she exclaimed. She then jumped down and began to skip around the room and chatter excitedly. “I’m gonna have a little sibling! I hope it’s a girl. I want a sister so I can braid her hair and do her makeup!” She stopped then, tapping her chin with her index finger. “Although, I guess a brother would also be okay. Then we can play tag and I don’t have to feel bad if he falls down because he’s a boy.”
Suddenly, Edrick threw his head back and laughed, fully and deeply, for the first time since I’d met him. “Ella, you should still worry if your little brother falls down and gets hurt,” he managed through the laughter. His eyes were squeezed shut as he continued to laugh, and when they finally opened, there was a sparkle in them that I’d never seen before. Seeing him like this made me smile.
Finally, Ella walked back over to her seat and sat down.
“So, you’re happy?” I asked, squeezing her little hand.
“Mhm.” She nodded. “I’m very happy.”
I let out another sigh of relief — but that feeling quickly returned when she asked her next question.
“Are you two gonna get married?” she asked.
Edrick and I both fell silent. I heard him clear his throat, but I quickly averted my gaze, as did he. We had both known that she would probably ask this question, but we never could have actually prepared ourselves for it.
“Well…” Edrick began, clearing his throat again.
I looked up, feeling my heart skip as I saw that his gray eyes were looking at me once more. The sparkle in them had faded, as though he flipped a switch. They weren’t cruel, but they weren’t warm, either.
“Your daddy and I decided to just be friends,” I said suddenly, turning my entire body in my chair to face Ella.
Ella frowned. “But mommies and daddies always get married, don’t they?” she asked, turning her head to look at Edrick.
“Not always, Princess,” Edrick said in a low, serious voice. “Sometimes they don’t. But that’s okay. The baby will still be your little sibling.”
“Oh,” Ella said. “Okay.”
Even though it hurt to admit that we would never be a true married couple and would only ever be co-parents living under the same roof, I was at least relieved to know that Edrick was able to handle that question so well. It made me wonder, though: would the new child be so accepting of it? Certainly he or she would eventually ask that question and become confused about our strange dynamic, and it would be a lot different. I wasn’t Ella’s mother, but this new child would be mine and Edrick’s offspring. It would, without a doubt, affect the child in many different ways.
“Well then,” Edrick said, standing now as though the mention of a marriage with me was enough to turn him back into his usual CEO self, “Moana and I have some videos that we’d like to show you so you can learn more about what it will be like to have a new baby in the house.”
Ella nodded matter-of-factly. What she said next warmed my heart and made me temporarily forget about the pain of my relationship with Edrick.
“I promise I’ll try my hardest to be the best big sister I can.”
