A/N: This was a one-shot we wrote for the Babies at the Border fundraiser collaboration this past summer. Thank you to all those who donated. We did amazing! We love this fandom so much, and couldn't ask for a better one! Additionally, Erica finally got payback on Dawnie for the one-shot we wrote a few years ago called On The Bed, inspired by Erica finding a snake in her bedroom, while Dawnie couldn't stop laughing. This one was inspired by a real-life quirk of Dawnie's, brought to light this past summer as her birthday rolled around. So, now we're even. Hope you all enjoy. :)

September 13, 2013

I felt a set of strong arms circle around my waist and warm lips press to the side of my neck, and I couldn't stop the smile that stretched across my face. The past few weeks since I'd moved in with Edward had been nothing short of blissful. He'd never failed to greet me in such a way upon returning home at the end of the day, or when I'd walked through the door after work or classes. I loved how passionate he was, and I hoped that never changed once the novelty of living together wore off.

Not that I had much doubt at all, as it was one of the things that attracted me to him in the first place. When we met through mutual friends at a Halloween party the year before, obviously, there was no denying that I'd found him physically attractive; that would be a bold-faced lie. My boyfriend was, without a doubt, one of the most gorgeous men I had ever seen. Yet, what initially attracted me to him was not his striking features, his angular jaw, or even that amazing hair of his. The first thing that caught my attention, even from across the room that evening, was the animation with which he spoke to and interacted with others, without ever crossing the line into annoying. Then, he was thoroughly engaging throughout our entire conversation, until the slightest hint of nervousness crept into his voice when he asked for my phone number as I was leaving the party—then he was just perfectly adorable.

Every layer I peeled away from Edward Cullen on our first several dates only revealed a more passionate and fascinating man, and I so easily fell in love with him that I hadn't even noticed it was happening. Then, when he told me that he loved me for the first time after our midnight kiss on New Year's Eve, there was no doubting his sincerity. I could hear it in his voice and see it burning in his eyes, despite only officially dating for a little over a month. I loved everything about the man standing behind me, whether he was laughing, arguing with me, or trailing kisses along my collarbone as he was at that very moment. He wasn't afraid to show me every facet of himself—the good, the bad, or the utterly ridiculous. If only I had half the confidence that he did in that so easily.

"Happy birthday, baby." His words ghosted over my skin with his warm breath, punctuated by another press of his lips to my shoulder. I turned my head toward him to wordlessly thank him with a sound kiss, and then returned to my task. "May I ask what you're doing?"

"I thought it would be fairly obvious. I'm making dinner. It is my night to cook, after all," I replied simply with a shrug. "Unless you'd rather forego this particular meal today."

"Uh, Bella? It's your birthday. I thought maybe I could take you out somewhere nice. Wine you and dine you like the awesome, romantic boyfriend I am—"

"Okay, slow down there, Romeo." I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me at his teasing, yet sensually whispered words, and I leaned back into him. "It's been a long day. Maybe tomorrow or something."

Edward was silent for a moment, his arms securing around my waist a little tighter. "Are you all right?"

"Absolutely. I would just rather stay home tonight and take a rain check."

"But your birthday is today. Not that I mind staying here and having you all to myself, but it wouldn't be quite the same to take you out tomorrow, and you're working anyway," he countered and guided me with his hands on my waist to face him. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine. Besides, it isn't like it's a big, monumental one, like the big three-o or anything. I'm just turning twenty-six. No big deal." I placed my hands on either side of his face and guided his lips to meet mine in a firm kiss before turning back to the stove.

"Actually, it is pretty monumental, as you pointed out on my birthday. It's the first one I'm sharing with you. We can do anything you want, I just…"

"I am not leaving this apartment tonight, Edward. It's Friday."

Once again, his silence filled the space around us for a moment, and then I felt his forehead come down to rest on the curve of my neck. I swore I could feel his chest tremble against my back with a restrained chuckle before I even heard the mirth in his voice. "Really, Bella? I never would have taken you for the superstitious type."

I nudged him backward with my hips in annoyance, which he only seemed to find more amusing. "It's not superstition. It is a well-grounded fact. Every time my birthday falls on a Friday, something happens, and I refuse to tempt fate tonight."

"Sweetheart, you do realize that the whole Friday the thirteenth hoopla is all old wives' tales and marketing ploys, don't you?" Edward moved to stand beside me and leaned back against the counter.

I shook my head resolutely and removed the pan from the burner, clicking it off and turning to face him. "For me, it's been a proven fact. 1991, my fourth birthday. I get the purple 'big girl' bike that I had been begging my parents for, and I am so excited. My dad takes me outside for my first ride, and ten feet down the driveway, the metal bar on the training wheel snaps. To the ground I fall, breaking my right wrist in the landing. The first six weeks of preschool, I spent in a cast, not even able to color unless I used my other hand, and then I could never stay in the lines. That's very important in preschool, don't you know?"

Edward was visibly fighting against the smile that wanted to lift the corners of his mouth. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to remain serious. "That could have happened to any four-year-old at any time, Bella. That doesn't mean…"

I cut him off again. "But it happened to me. On that day. And it didn't stop there. 1996, ninth birthday. Now, I've told you that I was an early bloomer and started getting boobs in elementary school, despite the obvious lack of progression since." I paused when he sighed and one of his eyebrows lifted; a familiar expression. We'd had discussions about that before. Whenever I would complain about my "barely there B-cups", he would emphatically insist that I was perfect just the way I was. "Anyway, so there I was in the middle of Chuck E. Cheese with all my friends from school, and guess what else decides to bloom early for dear Bella Swan, wearing a lovely white dress, no less."

To his credit, Edward genuinely looked stunned, his eyes widening—it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what I was referring to. "At nine?"

I nodded slowly to emphasize my point. "At nine. And naturally, no one else on either side of my family had ever started that early, so my mother hadn't had that little talk with me about it yet. So, I go to the bathroom, and next thing you know, everyone in a five-mile radius could hear my scream because I thought I was bleeding to death. That's probably where my low tolerance for the sight of blood came from, I swear."

"Okay, I understand how that could be traumatizing, but," Edward spoke and trailed off at the end, shaking his head, still unconvinced.

"No, you don't seem to fully understand. That day echoed over the next two years, being called 'Bloody Bella' for the remainder of elementary school until I ended up going to a charter middle school, where thankfully, no one knew me."

"I doubt you would have to worry about something like that again, Bella." He stepped toward me again, pulling me against him and kissing my forehead.

"It doesn't end there, Edward. I managed to make it through middle school relatively unscathed, but sophomore year, my fifteenth birthday, ruined the remainder of my high school career."

Edward gave me a dubious look and tilted his head slightly. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"I wish it was. So, my mom convinced my dad to allow me to have a party at the house and forbid him to spy on me. I had just started dating Eric Yorkie over the summer, my first actual boyfriend. Now I admit, I was borderline prudish back then, and add on to that, my police chief of a father, so we hadn't moved past the hand holding part yet. But we were all down in the basement, having fun with no parents watching, so we decided to do the cliché teenage party thing and play spin the bottle. Naturally, my first spin landed on my boyfriend."

Now Edward looked seriously confused. He opened and closed his mouth a few times in an attempt to speak, but no words escaped for several moments. Then, his eyes met mine again. "Shouldn't that have been a good thing? Wouldn't it be better to kiss your boyfriend than one of your other friends?"

I rolled my eyes and looked away from him. "Not many girls envision their first serious kiss being over a game of spin the bottle. At least if it was one of my friends, it could be a short peck, like I was kissing my dad's cheek or something. I knew that Eric wouldn't stop at that, but I didn't want to be labeled as a chicken, either. So, I went for it, and then next thing I knew, he was screaming like a banshee and he had a little cut on his tongue."

"What happened? Did you bite him?"

"No, but looking back, I kinda wish I had. Eager Eric tried to show off to his friends and nicked his tongue along my braces. Which seriously, now that I am thinking about it, it was likely a blessing because he was a really bad kisser. Shoving his huge tongue in my mouth and slobbering all over me, it was seriously disgusting." I visibly shuddered and closed my eyes against the memory. "Anyway, while he was screaming about what a bad kisser I was, since I left him bleeding, and dumping me in the process, my father came downstairs. That put an abrupt end to my birthday party, and also a majority of my social life, since no guy wants to date a girl who will maim you when you kiss her, as Eric so kindly spread around the school. And only one of my female friends stuck with me after that, because no one else wanted to associate with the school pariah."

"Ouch," Edward winced, holding me tighter and kissing my neck. "But baby…"

"I've still got one more." Edward sighed and rested his forehead on my shoulder, reluctantly nodding in acquiescence. "2008, my twenty-first birthday. I had just gotten back to Seattle for the start of a new term, and things had been going really great. I'd made some friends who decided to throw me a birthday bash, since finally, I could legally drink with them without worrying about our RA busting in on us. Mike was a real douchebag and had a power trip going on. And just when I thought the 'Curse of the Fridays' had been broken, since the party was running smoothly even with my decent buzz going on, I decided to cut some lemons for the tequila. Which landed me in the emergency room."

"Stitches?" Edward asked curiously.

"I wish. Then I would have been in and out of there in the matter of a few hours, at most. The knife barely even broke the skin, so a band aid would have sufficed. But if you think I'm bad around blood when I'm sober? Add alcohol to that. That one little pin drop of blood that came out, and I faceplanted right there on the kitchenette floor. And because it was me, and my wonderful luck with birthdays falling on Friday, I had to knock my head on the counter on the way down. So, I got to spend the remainder of my twenty-first birthday in the hospital, and then being admitted for observation at my father's insistence, after he drove like a bat out of hell from Forks. It was utterly humiliating."

Edward appeared to wait a few beats to assure that I had finished before bringing his hand to my chin and lifting it until my gaze met his. "I will admit, those were all pretty horrible experiences for you. But what could happen with a simple birthday dinner out with me?"

"Like I said, I don't want to tempt fate tonight. With me, anything is possible. Someone could hit your brand-new car. The waiter could trip and dump my dinner in my lap, or yours, which would put a damper on dessert once we got home." I tried to add some levity because he really did seem bummed about my insistence to stay home. "We could bump into one of your multitudes of ex-girlfriends and I'd have to sit there and watch her drool all over you on my birthday. Yeah, those all sound like a blast."

"Baby, the likelihood of any of that happening is extremely slim, but even if it did," Edward started, sliding his hands down my body and linking them together at the small of my back. "My car can be repaired or replaced, as could our clothes if they got stained. And I would gladly assist you in getting them off when we got home." I rolled my eyes and smacked his ass lightly, causing him to chuckle. "And exactly how many girlfriends do you think I've had?"

"Don't think I've never heard you and Garrett reminisce about your glory days in college."

"I had fun in college and dated a bit, but I wasn't a walking STD, Bella." We both knew he was right. Besides, it had been Garrett that was boasting at the time.

"Eww, why did you just put that image in my head?" I shuddered, trying not to think what a walking STD would look like. "I'm simply…" Edward's snicker earned him a love tap on his shoulder. "I'm simply stating that with Bad Birthday Bella's luck, it would be the day that it happened."

Edward looked quite serious, nodding as if he finally understood. "I'm not sure how I feel about you referring to yourself in the third person. Is that going to happen more often now?"

"You're making fun of me." I had to look away, realizing that I might have just caused my bad birthday luck to raise its ugly head by even discussing it. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, if something makes you uncomfortable or even scared, I need to know." He tipped my chin up and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. "I'm not going to force you to do something you don't want on your own birthday. What kind of boyfriend would I be?"

I shrugged, sighing as his arms tightened around me. "The best kind of boyfriend with a neurotic girlfriend."

Edward sighed, sending goosebumps along my shoulder. "There you go, referring to yourself in the third person again." I tried to pinch his side but he only squeezed me harder, making me laugh. "If we're not going out to dinner, why don't I pick up a small cake from Gianna's Bakery?"

I did love Gianna's cakes and it was just down the street. "And some cookies?"

He grinned the smile I loved, that made his whole face light up and his eyes go a bit squinty. "Of course, anything for the birthday girl."

I looked back at the stove and realized I still had to make garlic bread. "All right, I'll finish up dinner and it should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

"Perfect, I'll be back soon." He pointed at the bedroom. "There may or may not be something for you on the bed." From the look in his eyes, it was most likely something lacy and possibly sheer.

I shook my head. "I thought it was my birthday."

His answering laughter bounced off the walls as he headed out of the room. As the clock on the adjacent wall ticked, I realized something. What if by not going out and making Edward leave to do something for me, that ended up being the one thing that tipped the balance, thereby ruining all my preventative efforts? Didn't I tell him that I wasn't going to tempt fate tonight?

"Actually, Edward, wait!" I rushed out of the kitchen, toward the front door where he was just grabbing his keys off the hook and had his other hand on the doorknob. I wrapped my arms securely around his waist and pulled him toward me, sealing his lips with mine in a heated kiss. He inhaled sharply in surprise, but then slowly relaxed into it with a soft groan. When I finally pulled back, his eyes remained closed for a moment as I glided my hand up and down his back. "I really don't need a cake. Just a quiet night, home with you, is all I want for my birthday."

"Bella, I'll be back in ten minutes, tops." He brushed a kiss to my forehead, but as he began to move toward the door again, I gripped the sides of his suit jacket and shook my head. My eyes must have spoken volumes, since his expression shifted to one of willing surrender. His arms returned around me once he'd hung his keys back up. "Anything you want, it's yours."

A smile returned to my face with his words, and I felt my fingers loosen on the fabric of his jacket, before running my hand up his chest to link behind his neck. My voice came out husky as I teasingly grazed my lips along his jaw, toward his ear. "Anything?"

Edward growled softly, lowering his hands to my hips and sliding them around to cup my ass. "Dessert first?"

"Definitely," I murmured breathlessly as I brought my lips back to his and released the full force of my passion for the man in front of me in that kiss. I began walking us back toward the living room, twirling his tie around my hand to guide him down onto the couch above me. I felt my desire for him being mirrored in equal measure as his hips settled between my parted legs, rolling his hardening length against me with exquisite pressure and triggering a shiver to move through me.

Edward's fingers hooked underneath the knot of his tie, tugging it loose, and his lips parted from mine long enough to slide it over his head and toss it to the floor. He groaned deep in his chest as I pulled him back down to me and took his bottom lip between my teeth, giving it a tug before deepening the kiss. There was just something about that moment that made my desire for him stronger than ever, and I couldn't get close enough to him.

"You wear too many clothes to work, did you know that?" I asked as I shoved his jacket down his arms and began working on the buttons of his shirt.

"Well, I doubt you would want me going in there in your preferred state of my dress," he replied, laughing when I growled and yanked on his belt loops to press him more firmly against me.

"Mine."

Edward hummed in agreement and rolled his hips again, brushing his lips on my neck, and whispered, "All yours."

I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip, feeling how hard he was between my thighs, and my entire body felt like it had been set on fire. I pushed him up to sit and began shimmying out of my yoga pants, while he peeled off his button down, as well as the t-shirt underneath. Kneeling beside him, I made quick work of his belt and unfastened his pants, tugging them over his hips along with his boxer briefs, before pushing his back into the couch and straddling his legs.

God, I love the thick, strong thighs he gets from running. I'm one lucky woman.

Edward's hands moved back to my ass, his eyes noticeably darkened as I pulled the tank over my head, leaving me only in my underwear above him. He loved it when I took the initiative and ravaged him for a change, and while it had definitely become more frequent over time, he still appreciated it when I did. "Damn, baby, if I didn't know better, I would think it was my birthday."

"Wanting good sex on your birthday is not exclusive to the male race," I rasped out huskily, standing off his lap long enough to slide my underwear off and he kicked off his shoes to discard the remainder of his clothing. His hands reached out for me, and I met them with my own, filling the spaces between his fingers with mine and returning to his lap. "And that's exactly what I want right now."

I lifted my hips to position myself and then slowly sank onto him, our moans blending together as our lips met. For a moment, we remained completely still, and I was enjoying the feel of him filling me, but one tiny shift of his hips caused a jolt to shoot through me. I began to rock, gradually increasing speed, and his head fell back against the couch. "And here I was going to try to be romantic tonight and seduce you."

"There's always later," I murmured as I brushed my lips over his Adam's apple, feeling his thighs tense beneath me in response. "I seem to remember you being very happy on your birthday. Three times, in fact."

Edward gave a guttural growl, thrusting his hips sharply against me and causing my breath to catch. "I do enjoy giving gifts as much as receiving."

I caught sight of his wicked smirk and released his hands to grasp his shoulders for leverage. Locking gazes with him, I began moving myself over him more rapidly, feeling his fingers grasp my hips and guiding them to meet his firmly every few descents. Fuck, I loved when he did that—building me up slowly and in random intervals, until I finally erupted in the most intense pleasure I'd ever experienced before. He knew exactly how to take care of me and make me feel utterly amazing, even when I held the reins. Every muscle in my body was beginning to contract as our movements continued building me toward that peak, and then I felt him blow softly on my neck in time with one of his thrusts. The tingling sensation on my skin radiated down my body until I was trembling in his arms with a long, drawn out moan of his name.

He shifted our bodies once mine relaxed some to lay me down on my back and settled his weight above me. "Happy birthday, Bella."

"Oh, it definitely is now," I breathed out heavily, sliding my arms around him and linking my legs around his thighs. His chuckle melded into a soft groan as I pressed my calves against him and pulled him in deeper. "More."

Without another word, Edward began moving within me again and kissing down my neck until he reached my shoulder. He sucked at my skin lightly as he thrust deep inside me, his breathing erratic and staggered, so I knew he was close. Yet, when I brought my hand to his hair to run my nails along his scalp the way I knew he liked and squeezed around him, he began to shake his head. "No, not yet. One more time."

I kissed his dampened temple as his lips returned to my neck and then whispered beside his ear. "There are still hours left of my birthday. You'll have plenty of opportunity."

"Oh fuck," he breathed out and his muscles began to tense, and then I felt him release inside me. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you, too."

.

.

.

By the time we returned to the kitchen, the pasta I was cooking for dinner was thoroughly ruined, so we decided to order takeout instead. As I was cleaning up the pans, I heard Edward's voice in the next room, talking on the phone, but saying nothing that sounded like Lo Mein or General Tso's Chicken. I knew I shouldn't, but I eavesdropped at the door, and immediately wished I hadn't. Although he kept his voice low, I could still hear every word.

He was canceling reservations he'd made for us at seven o'clock at my favorite Italian restaurant, and from the sound of it, he had reserved one of the more romantic tables in the back that allowed privacy.

He really was planning to take me somewhere nice and spoil me for my birthday, and my stupid superstitions ruined it for him. After all the trouble he'd gone to in order to make the evening special, he wasn't even the slightest bit mad at me.

I seriously had an amazing boyfriend. The dishes could wait until later.

As I headed toward the living room, I nearly collided with him in the hallway, and he raised an eyebrow at me. "Were you spying on me, Ms. Swan?"

I shook my head and slid my arms around his waist, lifting onto my toes to kiss him gently. "Just wanted to tell you how awesome you are."

"So, you were spying." His response was joined by a chuckle and he pressed his lips to my forehead.

"I'm really sorry I ruined your plans, Edward."

He rested his forehead against my own. "It's your birthday, Bella. I hear that most people get to do what they want on their birthday."

"You don't say," I murmured, giggling a little as his fingers worked their way up my sides. "The truth is my birthday has been perfect because I got to spend it with you."

"I know," he teased, turning away when I poked his hip. "I love you, birthday girl. Food should be here in an hour since it's Friday. Whatever shall we do with that much time?"

I grinned and stepped back, pulling off his button-down I decided to throw on after our sexy encounter on the couch. "We haven't tested if the kitchen counter is the perfect height, have we?"

Edward's jaw dropped, his hand rising to his hair. "I would say I need a little more recovery time, but I'd be lying."

So, what did I do? Give him chase.

Happy Birthday indeed.

Edward

The moment the door to our bathroom closed, I snuck over to our closet and found the small velvet box I'd been hiding and constantly moving for months. I hoped the UberEats I ordered would arrive before Bella finished the bath I insisted she go enjoy while I waited for dinner to arrive.

Stuffing the ring box in the pocket of the lounge pants I'd slipped on, I went into the kitchen to clean up, wiping the counter down well before I grabbed some plates and silverware for dinner. Bella and I were chopstick champs, but we always ended up in a mini food fight whenever we used them.

The first time we had one was because she flung a noodle at me after I accidently got fried rice in her hair. She had started to laugh so hard at my shock, which triggered me into defending myself, and it was then I realized I loved her and that she was it for me.

I found the perfect ring for her less than three weeks after that.

Sometime later, I let the delivery guy in downstairs and waited impatiently in the hall for him to get there. Within minutes, I had finally managed to get everything ready before I heard the water begin to drain from Bella's bath. I found a few scented candles and was about to light them, but I thought about Bella's superstitions and wondered if it was a good idea.

"No candles today, Edward," I mimicked her voice aloud, shoving them back into the junk drawer.

"I heard that!" she called from the hallway, walking toward me in the little navy bra and panty set I bought for her—well, me in all honesty—with her matching robe.

"Wow." I did a little spin with my finger, earning a sexy smile and twirl. "Dinner might get cold now." I reached for her, but she spun out of reach and laughed.

"Nope, we have to eat if we're going to beat your birthday." She shook her hips and blew me a kiss as I groaned. "Come on." She grabbed my hand and led us around the kitchen island to the table where I set up our dinner.

We sat down, but I noticed her looking confused. "What is it?"

She sniffed, shaking her head. "Thought I smelled chocolate in the air."

Of course, my girlfriend with a bloodhound nose would pick up the scent of her favorite dessert from Antonio's, despite the bag and Styrofoam container it was in.

"Wishful thinking, I guess." Then her eyes narrowed. "Wait. You didn't leave, did you?"

Nothing was wrong with her knowing I had got her something for dessert. "I used UberEats for the first time tonight." She knew I hated using my phone for anything other than calls and texts.

She smiled at me. "You did that for me? I have such an amazing boyfriend."

Hopefully that title changes soon, love.

She was always telling me what a great boyfriend I was, and for the littlest things. Yet, she never seemed to realize how spectacular she was, either. And it was usually in all those same small, but very significant ways.

Like texting me in the middle of the day, randomly and for no reason, just to say "I love you".

Grabbing my hand as I passed her in the hall to steal a quick kiss.

Or when she kept physical contact with me in any way she could as we talked, wanting and needing it just as much as I did.

To me, she was perfect, and that was all that mattered, and I hoped we'd never lose what we had now. I still wanted to be chasing her through the house, kissing and making love to her when I was eighty.

"I thought maybe we could watch a movie while we eat," I said, grabbing the remote and turning on the television, and as I expected, a loud screech emitted from Bella when the loading screen for Friday the 13th appeared.

"Get that shit off my screen right now, or I am going back into the bedroom and changing into granny panties right this second! My loathing for this day even extends to Jason Voorhees!" Bella exclaimed, and I couldn't help but laugh as I made my way over to the Bluray player and ejected the disc.

"It was just a joke, baby."

"That was so not funny, and maybe we won't be beating out your birthday tonight." Bella huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You know I wouldn't seriously do that to you. Horror films aren't your thing on any day." I made my way over to her and wrapped my arms around her, but she kept her arms folded and turned her head to avoid my kiss. I pressed one to her cheek anyway. "What if I let you break it in half?"

That caught her attention, and her head spun toward me with widened eyes. "What? No way, I'm not going to destroy something of yours just because I don't like it. You clearly do, if you own it."

"I actually love these movies, as a matter of fact. But I won't be needing them in this house, since I could watch them at Emmett's or something, and he's got the whole damn set. This is my home with you, and that's more important than a ten-dollar disc."

Her body relaxed some more in my hold, and gradually, I felt her arms circle around me and she kissed my chin. "Thank you for the offer, but still no. You wouldn't destroy my copy of The Notebook, so your evil movie will remain intact."

I narrowed my eyes at her playfully, pinching her sides for mentioning that particular movie. She'd made me sit through it when we first started dating, and she would never get me to admit that I didn't think it was all that horrible. Even if she did catch me tearing up a little near the end. "I really do love you, Bella. You know that, right?"

Her arms were linked around my neck and she was gazing up at me, nodding and whispering a soft "yes". My thoughts wandered to all the plans I had in place that night, and suddenly, none of them really mattered. All I wanted was right there in my arms, and there didn't need to be a perfect time or place, or even setting.

Tossing the disc aside, I wound my arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Isabella Swan. I knew almost immediately that you were going to be it for me, and these last ten and a half months have done nothing but solidify that fact. I was planning on a huge gesture, but that's not really us, is it?"

Tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she slowly shook her head. Clearly, she had at least some idea of where this was headed, if not exactly where—she wasn't naïve or stupid. I had planned on going the whole nine yards and get down on one knee, but her hold was so tight around my shoulders as she waited for me to speak again, I couldn't move. Not that I really needed, or even wanted to, for that matter. I watched her smile grow as I leaned my forehead against hers, and she closed her eyes as I whispered, "Will you marry me?"

"Of course," Bella murmured back, opening her eyes again to look at me, and they were glistening with tears. Her hands came to frame my face and pulled my lips to hers, kissing me deeply. When she finally broke away for breath, she clung her arms tightly around my neck again. "I love you so much, Edward."

"Would you like your ring now or later?" I teased.

"Now, please." She laughed through her tears, loosening her hold on me so I could step back enough to dig the ring box out of my pocket. She swiped her fingers over her cheeks trying to wipe away the dampness, only for more to fall when I finally opened it.

"This has been waiting a long time to finally make its way to your finger," I said as I pulled it from the velvet cushion. Taking her hand in mine, I slipped the white gold, cushion cut diamond ring on her slim finger and pressed a kiss to it.

She stared at it for a moment, twisting it with her thumb and smiling at the perfect fit. "How long have you had it?"

I rubbed the back of my head, blushing a little under her sweet gaze. "Shortly after our first food fight."

Her laughter lit up her whole face. "Edward! That was two months after we met."

"What can I say? When you know, you know. The only reason I waited this long was because you had so much on your plate with getting a new part time job that worked around your school schedule and let's not forget the roommate that shall not be named." I grinned and peppered her faces with kisses. She wiggled against me, reminding me she was in a soft, short, silky robe and not much else. "So, did you ever have any inkling that you'd marry me one day?"

"Yup." Her reply was immediate as her fingers curled in my hair. "The first time you bought me tampons and chocolate."

It was my turn to chuckle, my arms wrapping around her fully. "If my memory serves me right, that would be two and a half months after we met."

She shrugged. "Like you said, when you know, you know." Her arms wrapped my neck and she looked at me. "Thank you for making this the best birthday I've ever had, especially one that fell on Friday."

"My pleasure," I murmured against her lips, groaning as she pressed her body closer.

"Oh, it will be soon, I promise."

We were so going to beat my birthday!

.

.

.

The holidays were upon us, and it was impossible to go a single block without window displays reminding shoppers that Black Friday was the following week, that technically started on Thursday. I was so happy to learn that Bella hated shopping. She was nothing like my mother and sister, who not only had detailed strategy plans made for the occasion, but also insisted that either my father or myself go with them.

Poor Jasper, Alice's new boyfriend, was the unfortunate candidate that year since Bella and I decided we'd head to her parents' house to discuss wedding plans and pick a date. Christmas would be spent with both our families, which we both prayed would go well.

Finished with work earlier than expected, I stopped at a local Starbucks and picked up a pumpkin spice latte for Bella before heading home. It was her favorite fall drink, while I couldn't even stand the smell.

The things we do for love.

I entered our apartment and called out for her, "Honey, I'm home. I brought you a little something, something."

Bella walked out of the spare bedroom that we'd converted to a dual office for us. "If it comes in a little pink bag, it's going to have to wait until tonight." She muttered something I couldn't catch but smiled when I held up a coffee cup and a bag with her favorite cookie.

"Aw, you really do love me?" She giggled as I brushed a kiss to her mouth. "You're kissing me now since I'll soon have pumpkin on my breath."

I made a face as I pulled back, earning another laugh from my fiancée. Rolling my eyes, I led her to our couch, and then the unthinkable happened.

Bella took a deep whiff of her pumpkin spiced latte, her eyes going wide, and she barely managed to place her cup on the coffee table before she ran into the bathroom. She held up her hand to keep me away as she got sick over the toilet, but I held her hair back, despite her protesting.

"Did you eat this morning?" She always got a little nauseous if she skipped meals because she was working on a paper. I ran the filtered tap and filled a glass of water as she flushed and closed the toilet seat to sit down.

"Just some dry toast." She thanked me for the water, and I watched with curiosity as she drew in a slow, shaky breath.

"What is it?"

She looked at me as her hand rose to the counter and flipped up the end of a hand towel. Under it was a stick.

As in the stick. The kind that either said yes or no, showed two lines or one, or in this case, said not pregnant or pregnant.

Pregnant.

Pregnant.

We're having a baby!

"You're pregnant?" I shook my head and almost face-palmed myself because the proof was right there in little black letters. As well as the fact that Bella still looked a little green. "How? When?"

She rose to her feet and patted my cheek. "Do you really need me to tell you how?" Her hip bumped me out of the way so she could wash up and brush her teeth.

I was in shock. "I know the how, I mean how as in you're on birth control."

"Which I take quite regularly and at the same time every day without fail."

"Exactly! Oh, shit. The wedding, our families." Despite the dread I had about that conversation, I couldn't help but smile. "We're having a baby." I wrapped my hands around her hips, surprising her as she finished her brushing her teeth. "How far along do you think you are?"

She turned in my arms and rolled her eyes. "Well, considering that my period also runs like clockwork, and I just missed my second one, I don't think there is much doubt as to when this occurred. It was just my luck that one percent chance of getting pregnant happened to be on Friday the thirteenth." She was pouting.

"So, I guess it wasn't such a bad luck day then." I cheekily grinned and made her squirm in my hold before leading her into the living room again to sit. She had me get rid of the offending coffee, and I nearly fist-pumped; no more of that pumpkin shit anymore. Yet, more than that, Bella was having our baby. I sat down on the coffee table and took her hand, playing with her engagement ring. "Not only did we break my birthday record, we smashed it, and you agreed to marry me."

"Yes, I get that, but—"

"Are you always going to be so superstitious? We broke the curse you seemed to think you had that night," I stopped her from protesting with a quick peck on the lips. "I thought your birthday was spectacular, if you ask me."

She sighed dreamily and shrugged a little. "It was pretty damn amazing, but Edward, we conceived our baby on Friday the thirteenth!"

I laughed and dropped to my knees in front of her and parted her legs to kneel between them. "Hi, little one, this is Daddy. Mommy seems to think her birthday landing on a Friday is bad luck, but I think it's a lucky day."

Bella's fingers curled in my hair. "Yes, your daddy is right, this time."

Something in her voice warned me. "We're not having sex ever again when your birthday falls on a Friday, are we?"

"Nope."

.

.

.

September 13, 2019

I groaned when I woke and realized my wife was not beside me. I briefly glanced at the clock and it read almost 11:30 p.m., but I wasn't surprised. It had become a more frequent occurrence of late. Bella was a week overdue with our second child, and after spending the end of a very long and hot summer heavily pregnant, finding any form of comfort was very difficult for her.

The first pregnancy had been remarkably easy on her. Her morning sickness had faded quickly, and we'd managed to pull together a small, simple wedding just after Christmas—penny in her shoe for good luck and all—since she wanted to be married before our baby was born, which was fine by me. Her weight gain was steady, no additional health problems, and once her first contraction hit, it was only four hours until we were gazing into the face of our beautiful daughter, Ava.

This pregnancy, however, had been the complete opposite. She was sick throughout her entire first trimester, and halfway through her second. She'd put on almost forty pounds, and for a while, the doctor had even been concerned about the possibility of gestational diabetes. Fortunately, that wasn't the case, and it was very early on that Bella insisted that she knew she was having a boy. Not only were the pregnancies like night and day, but "males always make everything more difficult than they need to be."

Did I mention her hormonal outbursts and mood swings also went through the roof?

However, it turned out that she was right, and at her twenty-week ultrasound, it was confirmed that we were, in fact, having a boy. We were both elated at the news, despite the difficulties she'd already been dealing with.

And then the summer hit.

I rose from the bed and made my way down to the kitchen, where I heard Ava's voice. As I stepped through the door, I saw Bella seated at the kitchen table, while our daughter turned quickly at the sound of my footfalls and ran over to me. "You didn't wake up Mommy at this hour, did you?"

"Nope. I heard Mommy say the 's' word really loud, and it woke me up. But Daddy, Mommy peed on the floor and won't clean it up!" Ava responded, pointing toward the fridge.

I quickly glanced over in that direction, and sure enough, there was a puddle there on the floor right in front of the refrigerator. My eyes returned to Bella, and she had her arms cradling her large, rounded stomach, but she wouldn't look my way. "I don't think Mommy peed on the floor, princess. I think the baby is coming."

I rushed over to Bella and she just shook her head repeatedly.

"Bella, we need to get you to the hospital. If you had Ava in four hours, and that was your first baby…"

"No, Edward. I wouldn't mind sharing my birthday with our son under any other circumstances, but I refuse to have this baby on Friday the thirteenth. I am not going to curse my child with that. Of all the days for my water to finally break. I should be relieved, but," Bella responded emotionally, tears spilling down her cheeks as a contraction obviously hit her.

"Nothing but good things have happened on any Friday the thirteenth since I came along," I said in an attempt to distract her and possibly make her laugh. Once the pain subsided a little, she did, and called me a smug bastard as well, which caused Ava to point toward the swear jar she'd instituted once she learned she was going to be a big sister. No one was allowed to swear around her baby brother. "Everything will be okay, but we need to get you to the hospital. You may not have much time, and it's almost midnight, anyway."

"I don't care if I have this baby on the kitchen floor, as long as it's after midnight." The strain on her face was as apparent as the one in her voice as she stared at the clock, and my heart started racing. If her last labor was any indicator, she was already feeling the pressure of the baby coming, and she was too close for comfort.

I raced into the bedroom to grab my phone, calling my dad to have him meet us at the hospital to watch over Ava. Once I shoved it into my pocket, I came over to Bella's side, and she let out a low, pained moan. "Okay, let's go, he's coming. But don't drive like a maniac, okay?"

"I promise," I whispered against her forehead, pressing a kiss to it as she took my hand to help her up.

Our son, Matthew, was born at 12:16 a.m., on September 14, 2019, much to his mother's relief.