After Tonight

Ella pressed her face against the window, proceeding to make fingerprints in the fog. Occasionally she would point at various clouds, despite the fact they all looked the same. The flight from New York to Vancouver was a long one, filled with many stops and flight changes. I was nervous as to how my three-year-old could handle it, but she appeared to be holding up better than I was.
After several naps—for each of us—we decided to color. As I shaded in Belle’s yellow gown, I wondered why I had ever stopped coloring.
“I love to tolor.” Ella sighed happily as she spoke to herself, saying every color she was going to use and what princess she was coloring. Ella was at the point where every “C” came out as a “T”. It was the most adorable thing I’d ever heard.
“Are you going to show Daddy your pictures?” I reached over to push back her bangs.
Ella nodded, scribbling feverishly. Our fridge was adorned with a vast array of her artwork—a few pictures Rob and I had drawn made their way up there too. Once she finished, she proudly held up the coloring book and smiled.
“Tan I have Goldfish?”
…
“Are we going to do that again?” Ella’s small fingers clasped my hand as we made our way through the crowd. We were trying to find the luggage claim. After that, Rob was meeting us outside.
“You really liked that?” I pulled her closer, fearing that I’d lose her.
“I like toloring. And looking at the sky.” Her head was tilted back as she listed off everything she enjoyed about the flight. “And the apple juice.”
After fifteen minutes, the luggage claim still hadn’t appeared like the signs said it would. Ella was tired of walking and clung to my neck as I held her in my arms. Her hair bounced with each step and she peered at the passer byers from underneath her dark lashes.
Like any other mother, I thought my daughter was the most beautiful thing in the world. Every time I looked at her, I was shocked that I had a hand in creating something so precious. Though I never told Rob, I often thought about how much I had considered abortion once he left. I almost hated myself for even thinking it. It was stupid to dwell on that part of our past, because whenever I thought about it I cried. Without Ella, my life would have been meaningless. I always thought that I had it good—a close family, a loving boyfriend, a job I adored. It was all too good to be true. But now that we had Ella, I realized how much I’d been missing.
Mindlessly, I kissed Ella’s forehead as we continued on our way. She nestled into my chest as a response. I felt bad—I knew she was getting restless.
“We’re almost there, Elle.” She nodded, eyes drooping a little.
After we reached the luggage claim, which Ella absolutely loved and wanted to ride (I had to pull her off of it), we made our way out the door. Ella had woken up a bit, clearly excited to cart around her tiny yellow suitcase and to see Rob. She’d been talking about this day since he left a few weeks before. It was all she talked about—flying on a plane with Mommy and going to see Daddy.
“Uh oh, Elle.” I craned my neck to see Rob. “I don’t see him, tootse.” Ella looked up at me in alarm.
But I did see him. He was leaning against a black car, scanning the crowd. Though I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, I knew he had seen me. We both grinned at one another and he waved slightly. There was nothing I hated more than being away from him for weeks at a time.
Ella was frantically looking at every man who passed by, face falling each time she didn’t see him.
“Ella, look.” I bent down and pointed in Rob’s direction.
A bright smile lit up her face and she dropped my hand. Rob got down on his knees and when she reached him, she threw her arms around his neck. She was a Daddy’s Girl, which was fine with me. I let them have a little moment before I walked over. Ella pulled off Rob’s sunglasses, placing them on her own face, and kissed him. Whenever she kissed either of us, she always held onto our faces.
Rob lifted Ella up and adjusted the sunglasses on the bridge of her nose. He kissed me instantly, fingers lingering on my cheek. Beside us, Ella giggled and kissed my other cheek.
“How was the flight?”
“Eh.” I shrugged. “I was a mess, but Ellie here, she was a trooper.”
“Is that so?” Rob smiled, wiggling his eye brows at Ella. “Did you have to hold her hand, Ellie?” Ella nodded, covering her mouth to hide her giggles. “That’s my girl.”
“What took you guys so long?” Rob put Ella down and began tossing our bags into the trunk. “I almost got a ticket.”
“I think we got lost,” I laughed as I buckled Ella in. Rob just chuckled and shook his head.

People. Star Watch. April Issue

Despite His Busy Schedule, Robert Pattinson Makes Family Time [see inset]
Last Friday, Robert Pattinson, 30, was seen at Vancouver International Airport picking up his long-time girlfriend, Abbey Jones, 29, and their daughter, Ella, three. Pattinson has been in Vancouver for the past month where he is working on the last installment in the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. Onlookers say Pattinson waited outside for the two and greeted them with hugs and kisses.
“When the little girl came into view, [Pattinson] got down on his knees and scooped her up in his arms,” a source said. “The first thing she did was take his sunglasses off and kiss him on the lips.”
The Pattinson brood lingered a bit before getting on the road. An onlooker says the couple talked about the flight—it being the first for their daughter.
Later on that afternoon, the family was seen walking around downtown Vancouver. Sitting perched atop her father’s shoulders, onlookers said Ella looked like she was enjoying herself. Despite Pattinson’s low-key and private lifestyle, he apparently couldn’t resist sneaking in a few kisses with Jones.
“They are a very cute family—always laughing and teasing,” a friend of the couple stated.
Clearly fatherhood isn’t as daunting as Pattinson once believed.