Chapter 2

The night I arrived in LA was busier than expected. Even with Dustin's help, it still took the three of us at least half an hour to transfer everything out of my fully packed car and into the house.

By the time I had somewhat sorted the boxes into piles to later be unpacked I realized that it was well past ten 'o'clock, which came with Dustin bidding us adieu, promising to return tomorrow. Abbie had taken up a resting spot on the couch in the living room, but after some gentle maneuvers, and a bit of luck on my part, I had moved her into my room, settling her under the covers before kissing her forehead and wishing her a goodnight sleep.

Downstairs I found Emily without much trouble, following my sense of smell as I headed towards the kitchen. "Mhmm," I started, "What smells so good?"

Emily, who was previously facing the counter, looked over her shoulder with a smile on her face as she nodded to the cup she was mixing. "Hot chocolate," she replied, "Want one?"

Nodding in response, I opened two cupboards before finding where she had stored the mugs. "It smells just like the kind Greta used to make us when we were younger." I commented, sliding the empty mug over to her, willing her to work her magic.

"That's because it is," she replied as she started mixing the ingredients together, "Greta gave me the recipe one night when I called her after a break-up a few years back. She thought it'd help to cheer me up a bit."

"And did it? Help with the break-up?"

"A bit, if I remember correctly," she smiled in response; stirring in the heated milk she had on hand from her own drink. "That and time I guess. But hey, I met Dustin a couple months after that, so I can't complain about the way everything turned out."

Nodding as she finished up, the two of us moved to the living room, where although there were too many boxes littered around the floor, the room brought a sense of comfort that the kitchen was lacking. Tucking my legs up under my body, I smiled at Emily. "How are things with you and Dustin?" I asked, genuinely interested in what I'd missed being so far away from my sister. There were only so many things you could catch up on with the odd phone call. "By what I saw tonight I'd say that he's completely in love with you."

Emily's cheeks reddened slightly at my comment as she sipped at her hot chocolate, but the grin that soon followed told me that she felt the same way. "Things are good, I mean we've been together for almost two years so we're pretty much over the honeymoon stage, but once and a while he still does things that are adorably sweet. I love him and right now, I can see myself with him in the future."

A small awing noise escaped my lips as I listened to my love-struck sister. "Well if you're happy with him then I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," she mumbled, "But what about your love life? Did you leave a trail of broken hearts on your way down here?" Smiling grimly I shook my head, responding with a negative as I sipped at my hot chocolate. With a frown, Emily looked at me confusedly. "Well why not?"

"It's not that hard to explain Em, in fact, you can probably guess the answer." I started. "Sure there's been a few dates here and there over the past couple of years, but they never end up going anywhere because as soon as Abbie's name gets thrown into the mix it's game over. No unattached guy my age wants a girl with a three year old, hence no boyfriend."

"Well maybe you'll find somebody down here that'll want to get to know you! I mean, sure you have a daughter, but you're still a great person. You're smart, funny, and you like to have fun once in a while, and soon enough, somebody will see that."

"We'll see." I said, the side of my lips turning up at her excitement and loving honesty.

As the conversation took a turn away from our love lives, or more specifically my non-existent one, our hot chocolates were soon gone, the mugs left resting empty on the coffee table as the two of us sat there talking, catching up with each other's lives as the time ticked by. Somewhere between midnight and one 'o'clock in the morning was when the exhaustion finally settled in, the two of us deciding it was finally time for bed.

Heading back upstairs to my room, I walked in to see Abbie right where I left her, her blonde hair splayed out messily as she slept softly on one side of the bed. Sighing softly, I was glad that I decided to wear comfortable clothes for the ride down here, as I didn't have the energy to search through boxes for a pair of pajamas at this time of night. Walking to the other side of the bed, I pulled the covers up slightly, slipping underneath them as I cuddled up to Abbie.

I didn't bother to think about the fact that Abbie would more than likely move during the night and proceed to wake me up, or the fact that I'd probably be awoken much earlier than I'd like. I was just too tired, and it wasn't long after I closed my eyes that I sunk into a peaceful slumber.

▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫

Poking; soft and consistent poking was all I felt as I slowly seeped back into consciousness. "Wake up momma!" I heard Abbie chirp as her small hands continued to poke my arm.

Rolling over, I lazily opened my eyes, to see the blurred face of my daughter quickly come into focus. "Good morning baby girl," I said sleepily through a yawn.

"Morning momma!"

Hugging her tiny body close to me, laughter exploded from her as I playfully pulled the covers back up over both of our heads. "Did you have a good sleep?" I asked, tickling her stomach gently.

As she nodded and squirmed in my arms, it amazed me how much energy she had at this time in the morning. Judging by the way the sunlight was so brightly seeping in through the windows, my best guess was that it was around seven 'o'clock in the morning, and still, Abbie was acting as if she had just been given chocolate in the middle of the day.

"Hungry momma!" she chirped through her giggles.

"Oh," I said, stopping my tickling assault on my daughter as I raised an eyebrow, "Do you want breakfast?" When she smiled and nodded in response I sighed. "Okay, how about we make a deal? If you go the bathroom and then wash your hands like a good little girl, I'll meet you downstairs and then I'll make breakfast."

"Okay momma!" she replied excitedly, scurrying her way slowly out of the covers before sliding off the side of the bed and heading to the bathroom down the hall.

Leaning back onto my pillow, I flipped the covers off of me and sighed. Turning to my side I saw that the small clock on the bedside table read 7:05am, and with one last yawn, I stumbled out of bed and headed downstairs, as I was in desperate need of a cup of coffee.

Minutes later I was still going through multiple cupboards in search of where my sister kept the coffee when I heard small pattering footsteps coming towards me. Turning around I saw Abbie come in with her hands still dripping wet from having washed them.

"Did somebody forget to dry their hands again?" I asked jokingly, grabbing a paper towel as I walked up to her and dried her hands off. "So," I continued, picking her up on my hip before placing her in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, "Do you want peanut butter and jelly or cereal for breakfast?"

"Peanubu'er jelly!" she answered happily.

Smiling with amusement at her vocabulary, I nodded. "Peanut butter and jelly coming right up."

Minutes later I was placing a plate in front of Abbie that held a piece of peanut butter and jelly covered toast, as well as a glass of milk while I sat down with my own piece of toast. Just as we were about to start eating, Emily walked around the corner clad in a pair of pajamas.

"Good morning little princess." she said softly, kissing the side of Abbie's head before heading to the cupboards and pulling out a box of tea. "So," she continued, looking to me this time as she flipped the kettle on, "How'd you sleep?"

"Alright I guess," I shrugged. "I'm still tired from last night but that's probably because we stayed up till almost one 'o'clock in the morning, and then this little rascal woke me up about fifteen minutes ago. Why are you up so early though?"

"I work at eight 'o'clock," she replied easily. "What about you, what are your plans for the day?"

"Besides unpacking?" I asked jokingly, gesturing to some small boxes that had been brought into the kitchen the previous night. "I found a day care a few blocks away from the university, so I'm going to bring Abbie by there around lunch time, and then I'll probably just walk around the city for a bit, maybe look for a part-time job."

"A part-time job?" my sister repeated, scrunching up her eyebrows inquisitively.

"Yea, you know, a night or two a week." I replied, finishing off the toast I'd made for myself. "Maybe a couple of weekend shifts."

"Zoe," she started, however, she was interrupted as her kettle finished. Pausing to finish her tea, she brought her finished cup over to the table, taking the seat beside me. "Zoe, how are you expecting to finish your degree, take care of Abbie and still take on a part-time job?"

Sighing, I shook my head, plastering on a small, fake smile as I turned to Abbie, who seemed to pretty much be done with her breakfast. "Abbie honey, do you want to go watch cartoons for a bit?" I asked kindly, and when she nodded, I got up from my seat and brought her into the living room, quickly finding a children's channel before returning to the kitchen.

Picking up my plate, as well as Abbie's dirty dishes, I brought them to the sink and started washing them. "You know I'm not expecting you to pay for this house by yourself right?"

"I know that Zoe, but you have enough money to get you through the year..." she started.

"Don't you think I know that Emily?" I said angrily, turning around to look at her. "I've been working two jobs the past couple of years to save up and move down here, and even with that money, what happens when Abbie suddenly grows and needs new clothes? What happens if we suddenly have to pay for something unexpected?"

Silence floated between the two of us for a small amount of time before Emily mumbled something under her breath. Not able to understand her, I asked her to repeat herself.

"I said," she sighed before continuing softly, "What about the money mom and dad gave you when Abbie was born?"

My teeth clenched at the memory, one I wasn't so keen to remember. When Abbie was born my parents didn't care that they now had a granddaughter, no, they only cared that for all intents and purposes the two of us stay out of the public eye. They went as far as giving me more than $100,000 to follow their demands.

"No." I replied hotly. "I spent a small amount of that money the first year to purchase everything I needed for Abbie, but ever since I got my own job I haven't touched a cent of it. It's for when she grows up. I'm not touching that money ever again."

"Zoe," Emily started, her voice seeping with pity.

"No Emily, I'm not touching that money."

"I was actually going to say that that plate looks dry enough." she commented, nodding to the plate I was currently wiping down with a towel after washing it. I hadn't even realize I'd still been washing it.

"Oops," I replied embarrassedly, placing the plate down on the counter before picking up the other one.

"And I'm sorry," Emily continued, "You know, for bringing up our parents."

"It's okay," I admitted, exhaling as I attempted to get rid of the stress that had started to build up inside of me at the mention of our parents, "I just don't believe in using that money if I can find a way to make my own."

"Duly noted," Emily replied. "Just know that if you ever do need help, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks sis." I responded, and when she took a sip of her tea, something sparked my memory. "Oh, by the way, where do you keep the coffee? I tried looking for it before you got up but I couldn't find it anywhere."

"Shoot, I knew I forgot something." she mumbled under her breath.

"Come again?"

"Sorry Zoe, I totally forgot you drank coffee." she apologized. "I went to the grocery store and everything yesterday to get a few extra things, but since I haven't drank coffee in over a year I didn't even think about getting any."

"Don't worry about it," I said, waving it off as I put away the dishes I had just finished washing. "When I'm out with Abbie later today I'll pick up a coffee from somewhere in town."

"I'll remember to pick some up on the way home though," she said. "Speaking of which, I have to get ready and head to work."

"Okay, have a good day."

As she nodded, exiting the kitchen with her cup of tea in hand, I quickly followed, heading into the living room to see the show I had put on for Abbie was just ending. "So, who's ready to find your toothbrush and clothes in this pile of boxes?" I asked Abbie as I set to work opening what would surely be the first of many boxes to be unpacked that afternoon.

▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫▪▫

Just about five hours later, the day was already in full spin.

Once I had gotten myself and Abbie ready for the day, I set her up with a few of her toys that I'd been able to quickly find while I started unpacking the mound of boxes. For the two hours that followed I had mostly finished setting up the things in the kitchen and bathroom that had been packed away, but when it came to the things for mine and Abbie's rooms, I still had a lot to do.

Lunch came and went, and once I called the day care to make sure it was okay for Abbie and I to drop by, that's where we headed. All in all, the day care seemed fairly impressive; it was a short drive from the house, and from what I had seen online, my university was just a few blocks over.

"Abbie seems to be fitting right in," one of the women running the day care said as we spoke, nodding to where Abbie and a few other girls were playing with a set of dolls.

Smiling at the daughter making friends, I nodded. "Yea," I said warmly, "She does."

"So, you said Abbie was three years old?" the woman inquired.

I nodded. "Yes, she turned three in May."

"And are you looking for full-day care, or is it going to be just a few times a week?"

"Umm, I'm pretty sure it'll be everyday except for Thursdays." I replied. "My schedule is pretty packed because I have to take an extra class or two to graduate this year, but I managed to clear one day of the week."

She nodded, writing the information down on a form that I had already filled out with Abbie's health and general information. "So if you're looking for 8:00 to 4:00 care four days a week it'll be $160 a week, and she'll just need to bring her own lunch. Other than that she should have fun here, and we do try to teach a few basic concepts to them so they're at least a little prepared for when they start kindergarten."

Although the cost would definitely put a dent in my savings, I tried not to show my worry as I nodded. "Okay, that sounds good. I guess I'll just bring the money next Monday when I drop her off the first day."

"That's perfectly fine," she replied, standing up as she spoke. "It's actually time for me to take the kids outside for twenty minutes, would you mind if Abbie stayed and played for a while? You're welcome to look around the neighbourhood while she stays here if you want to get a feel of the city."

Thinking about it, I saw that Abbie looked to be enjoying herself with the children her age, and since she hadn't really been able to experience that back in our old town, I smiled. "Yea, alright." I agreed, walking over to my daughter while the other woman gathered up the rest of the children.

"Hey baby." I said softly, crouching down beside her as she turned to smile at me. "Are you having fun?"

"Yea mommy!" she chirped, showing me the doll in her hands. "She pw-etty!"

"Wow, did you dress her yourself?"

She nodded excitedly. "Yea and the o'her girls dwessed dolls too!"

"So you're having fun here?" I asked, to which she smiled widely and nodded.

"What do you think about playing outside with your new friends while I go look around town for a while?"

"Ou'side?" she mumbled, putting her doll back with the others as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yea baby, there's a swing set and slide outside for you to play on."

"Okay!" she said, standing up quickly as she took my hand.

I walked with her to where the rest of the kids were standing, putting on their shoes to go outside. "I'll be back soon baby," I said, kissing the top of her head lightly as I helped her slide into her light up running shoes. "I love you."

"Love you." she smiled, waving goodbye as she ran with the other kids outside towards the play structure.

After being reassured that Abbie was in good hands for the next little while, I headed back out onto the streets. It was a beautiful sunny day in the city of Los Angeles, and although it was loud with a rush of cars and pedestrians, it was already starting to feel more like home than I thought it would.

Walking up a few blocks I arrived at a strip of stores that were perfect for window-shopping. Although I couldn't afford most of the items displayed, it was still nice to look at the flowing dresses and expensive shoes.

Just as I tore my gaze away from a beautiful black dress, a small shop across the street caught my attention. Corner Café looked as if it didn't belong on this street, with it's run down exterior and chalkboard advertising, but when I remembered that I hadn't been able to have my daily dose of caffeine this morning, my legs were already crossing the street.

A bell rung above me as I entered the café; a sweet aroma quickly filling my senses as I took a quick look around. There were numerous booths and tables taken up by people working or just catching up with friends, but the whole atmosphere seemed serene, as if walking into the building brought you away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Hi, can I get you anything?" a perky voice asked, and when I looked to my side, I saw a barista around my age smiling at me.

"Oh yea sorry," I replied, walking closer to the counter as I browsed the menu quickly. "Can I just get a coffee, 2 milk, 2 sugar, with a bit of vanilla in it?"

"Sure thing," the barista replied, punching my order into the till. "That's $2.25."

Pulling out a five-dollar bill, I received the change and an order number as I moved to the side to wait for my order. A minute later the same barista returned with my coffee in her hand. "Here you go," she said, handing me the coffee.

"Thank you," I replied gently, handing her back my order number as I sipped at the coffee. As the warmth hit my lips, my eyes latched onto a sign to the left of the register. "You guys are hiring?"

Realizing I was talking to her, the barista looked down to the sign and nodded. "Yea," she sighed, "My parents run this place and we used to have two other workers, but since summer is ending both of them cut back their hours and we need somebody to help part-time. Why are you interested?"

"That depends," I started, "Do you think that you'll parents will care that I'm only really available some nights and weekends?"

"That's actually when we need the help," she explained, "One of the workers that cut back is starting night school next week and the other one is getting married, so her and her fiancé want to spend the weekends planning details and everything. By the way, my name's Colette."

"Zoe."

"Well Zoe," Colette said, pulling out a piece of paper and a pen from under the counter, "Here's an application form. Just fill out everything you can and ask me if you have any questions."

"Thanks."

Offering her a smile, I took the form and headed to one of the only empty seats in the café. As I sipped at my coffee and filled out the form, I realized that most of the information they wanted was standard; name, address, experience, hours available, etc. Although I had to text Emily to confirm our address, I didn't take long before my coffee was almost drained and the form was completed.

Tossing out my garbage as I headed back up to the counter, I saw that Colette was just running a cloth over the counters. "Hey, thanks for the application."

"Not a problem," she smiled as she wiped her hands and took the application off my hands. "We haven't gotten many people in here wanting to apply, so I'll give this to my parents and hopefully we'll call you soon."

"Thanks Colette."

"Not a problem, have a good day."

As Colette went back to work, I realized that twenty minutes had already passed since I left Abbie at the day care, and their playtime was probably coming to an end. Turning around, I hadn't noticed the person coming up to the counter, bumping straight into them, dropping my purse as a few bits flew across the floor.

"Oh, sorry." I apologized, not bothering to look at who I had bumped into as I crouched down to pick up my purse, trying to grab the things that had fallen out.

"It's not a problem," a deep voice replied, reaching down beside me to hand me my sunglasses that had escaped my purse. "I think these are yours."

"Yea, thank..." I began, but as I looked up at him, I realized that I had bumped into an extremely attractive guy. Although he was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, he seemed to be a bit older than me. Dressed in a loose fitting muscle shirt and shorts, it wasn't hard to tell that he was certainly easy on the eyes. "Um... thank you." I cleared my throat, taking my eyes off his clearly defined muscles as I stood up.

Judging by the small smirk that grew on his lips, I assumed he had caught me checking him out. "Like I said," he replied, moving his sunglasses up slightly as his green eyes shone with mischief, "Not a problem."

"Well, I'll just let you order." I said, backing away from the counter to avoid further embarrassment.

"You're not ordering?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he readjusted his sunglasses to hide his eyes.

I shook my head. "I already finished, I was just talking to the barista about something."

"So, maybe I'll see you around." he stated, and although I couldn't see his eyes, by the grin the he was trying to conceal, I figured he was checking me out.

Rolling my eyes, I highly doubted there was a chance of that happening. "We'll see."

"Looking forward to it," he added as I turned towards the door, and as I shook my head in amusement, he turned to Colette to order, disregarding me as I exited the café.

Heading back down the street to pick up Abbie, I pushed the handsome stranger to the back of my mind. I had enough on my plate at the moment, and I really didn't need another distraction.

Plus, what were the odds that I'd end up bumping into him again in a city like LA, right?

******************************

So here's the next chapter of Behind the Scenes! Sorry about the wait but I hope you enjoyed it. Plus, since it's summer, although I'm currently job-hunting like mad to find a co-op, I'll probably be updating much more frequently. Also, if any of you have any tips on writing like a child would talk, please leave them below as that is something I'm kind of struggling with.

I'm excited for this story to take off everybody, so tell me what you think and leave your support below! Thanks <3 xx