Chapter 1
Now
I couldn't stop the smile on my face as I heard the groans in reaction to the words I wrote in big bold letters across the top of the blackboard. POP QUIZ. I taught English at Breaking Dawn Academy in Suffolk, Virginia and this was the middle of my third year teaching here. While I didn't show any favoritism between any of my students or any of my classes this was my favorite class to teach because they were the most mature group of students I had this year. We were getting close to Christmas break with only one big test left for this semester so things were a bit chilled out during this period. The Pop quiz was simply a unique way to help them review.
"Um, Mrs. Masen?" one of my students asked from behind me, Claire. I smiled at hearing that name because it reminded me that I was indeed Mrs. Masen now. I had finally married the love of my life, Edward Masen, six months ago in Hawaii with just our closest friends and family around. It hasn't been easy but we finally made it down the aisle despite all the obstacles we had overcome in the almost five years we had been together.
"Yes, Claire?" I asked without turning around. Claire was one of my inquisitive students, if she had a question, opinion, or concern she usually asked to voice it.
She chuckled before answering. "Are you and Mr. M. having a baby?" She asked excitedly.
Laying the chalk in the tray I turned to face my class. I had been teaching in this same classroom ever since I had landed the job during my final semester of college. Breaking Dawn Academy had been a brand new private school looking for young teachers who were eager to help shape the young minds of the local community; Edward, Jasper, and I had all landed jobs here. I had graduated from Brown University two years ago this past May with two degrees; Education and English. Laying a hand over the gentle swell of my stomach where our first child did indeed lay growing I smiled at all of my students.
We found out seven weeks ago that we were expecting but wanted to keep it quiet until we couldn't anymore. Apparently that time had finally came. Having a slim build made hiding a pregnancy difficult to begin with, not to mention the fact that I was currently almost sixteen weeks pregnant. I had cried when I couldn't fasten my favorite pants anymore just a mere four weeks ago and had to give in and go shopping for maternity clothes that would allow me to hide my baby bump for a little longer.
"Our personal lives are just that, Claire, personal." I told her with a pretend scowl.
The entire class just busted out laughing. "If you wanted it personal then you shouldn't make out in the band room during your free period." James hollered from the back of the room.
I groaned and hung my head in mock shame because honestly there was no shame where Edward was concerned. Clearing my throat I raised my head up as I hopped up onto the edge of my desk. "Well, James, if you wouldn't have picked the lock so you could sneak in and make out with Victoria then you wouldn't have caught us and it would still indeed still be personal instead of public." I told him with a sincere smile.
The whole class busted out laughing as he hung his head. "Now, Claire, how did you hear about us having a baby?" I asked her.
She just giggled. "I heard you throwing up the other morning before the first bell rang, I was here working on my marine biology project when Mr. M asked you how long this was supposed to go on. Taylor and I have a bet going. He thinks you are just getting…getting…" She said as a blush crept to her cheeks. "And I said you were pregnant." She said with a deep blush on her entire face and chest.
I groaned and nodded because morning sickness was the one part of pregnancy that I did not like because it seemed to last all damn day long and hit you at the most inopportune times, like as soon as I walked into the building last week. "Yes, we are pregnant. Almost sixteen weeks, actually." I told her with a huge smile as I smoothed my shirt down over my baby bump, exposing it for the first time instead of hiding it, causing the entire class to laugh and cheer in excitement.
The entire class cheered as I blushed from embarrassment at their response to seeing my baby bump. "Can you tell us how you met him?" One of the more shy girls, Jessa, asked quietly.
"You guys are supposed to be taking a pop quiz not learning about mine and Edward's history." I told them with a shake of my head.
"Please. Please. Please." The entire class begged causing me to groan.
I held my hands up to quiet them down. "Fine. Pop quiz first then I will tell you how Edward and I became to be. Deal?" I asked them with a smile.
"Deal." They all called out as they cleared their desks except for a single sheet of paper and a pencil.
I hopped off the desk and walked back to the blackboard to give the simple five question quiz. Once all the papers were turned in I hopped back up on the desk and began our story. "I have known Edward since I was just eleven years old and he was thirteen." I told them with a smile.
"Were you guys high school sweethearts?" Mary-Beth, another one of my more outspoken students asked.
I had to laugh at that because it was the farthest thing from the truth but we had both come so far since those days. "No, I was actually dating his brother when I graduated high school."
"You dated Mr. Jasper?" Nichole asked with a shocked look on her face.
I nodded. "I did, for over six years actually." I laughed at their shocked faces. It was shocking at how naïve teenagers could be, but I was like that once too. When I graduated high school, Jasper and I had been dating for almost five years and had plans to attend Brown University together with our best friend, Rosalie. The first bump in the road was when Jasper didn't get accepted to Brown with Rose and I but rather had to settle for going to the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, about thirty minutes away. I had always figured that we would get married and settle down together but boy was I wrong. We dated for almost three semesters at college before things went to hell in a hand basket.
"So how did you and Mr. M get started if you were dating Mr. Jasper?" Mary Beth asked me, the excitement clearly in her voice.
I took a deep breath and launched into my history with the Whitlock/Masen brothers. "It all changed one night while I was at work at this little diner…."