Bella's POV
Christmas has never been a good holiday for me. When I was little I always ended up being sick and the thought of Santa Clause terrified me until at age 5 my parents finally told me the truth.
As I got older the whole thing was just overrated and the still creepy Santa seemed to stalk me. I hated how every year my mom would stress for months over the perfect gifts and menu and decorations, especially since in the end hardly anything came out of it. I hated that we had to go to church when everyone there knew we wouldn't be back until next Christmas, I felt like an intruder. I hated the fake cheer and the corny music.
I hate Christmas. Yet here I am in the biggest toy store in the state with my Christmas obsessed best friend exactly one week before the miserable holiday.
"Jake, she just turned two! She does not need all this crap. You know Sam bought her tons of crap already, and then there is my dad and Sam's parents and Leah and Embry. It's too much!" I try to talk him out of just about everything in the cart including a Princess doll house, a horse you can ride, a dog that barks and 4 different princesses. And he's still looking.
"Stop whining Bella, what are you getting her?" He asks and I tell him whatever Sam already bought and signed my name too.
"What is Santa getting her?" He asks trying not to laugh.
"Not funny Jacob Black." I tell him and he laughs.
Sam and his family were not happy about the whole Santa can choke on a candy cane and die attitude since a big part of that is not letting Maddie believe in him. Apparently Santa is HUGE deal in their family which is weird. He's imaginary! Why base so much on nothing?
I compromised on letting them get her picture taken with him but that is it. No leaving cookies for him, no presents from him and absolutely no little Santa toys or statues or pictures in my house.
"Seriously though Bella chill out and try to enjoy it. I know you hate it but Sam doesn't and Maddie doesn't. I mean she doesn't love it either because she's a baby but don't ruin it for her. Especially since Sam loves it."
"I hate it when you get all smart on me. Luckily it doesn't happen often. I'll try Jake but can you please not get her all this crap?" He laughs and tells me he's getting all this but he won't get anymore.
"So what are you getting Sam?" He asks and I think crap! I guess I should get him something. Last Christmas we were just married. Not married and in love so I baked him some cookies and gave him a framed picture of Maddie and he bought me a way too expensive robe that I wanted to insist he return until he forced me to try it on and I fell in love with it.
"I don't know Jake, what sure I get him?" Jake is so much better at this stuff than me which is kind of sad actually.
"Well you could just tell him you're pregnant." He says causally but I flip out! No one knows that. I just found out 3 days ago and I wanted to have my first appointment before I told anyone.
"You took the test at my house, then my dog knocked over the trash and I saw it. Was it supposed to be a secret?" He asks slightly amused but worried I'm mad too.
"I just want to make sure everything is OK before I told anyone." At least that what I'm telling myself.
"Sam is not Edward honey; he's going to be happy." Jake assures me seeing right through my reason.
When I told Edward I was pregnant he was actually mad at me which was stupid because he knew we weren't doing anything to not get pregnant. He avoided me for most of the time I was pregnant and then after she was born he went back to wanting my full attention and would get mad every time she had to come first. Looking back I don't know why it took me walking in on him cheating on me to leave him. Talk about young and stupid.
"I'm scared Jake." I admit even though he doesn't need me too. "We haven't talked about this. We got together, real together so fast and it just so… right that I guess neither of us really thought about protection. How could I be so stupid?" Now I'm crying in the middle of the toy store so Jake is half comforting me, half pushing me to the check-out line.
"If you're stupid then so is he." He jokes but I glare at him. "Bella do whatever you want but if I were Sam, well I wouldn't be able to handle living with you no matter much I love, but seriously if it was me I would want to be at the first appointment with you."
"OK, you're right! I will tell him tonight. Thanks Jake, I don't know what I would do without you."
"Not tonight! On Christmas, do you ever listen?" I thought he was just using that as a way to bring it up.
I argue saying I don't have anything to actually give him.
"Because he's going to care but fine, think of something to give him. It can't be a corny number one dad cup or anything like that because he'll just think you really suck at Christmas and it's for Maddie. You do really suck at Christmas but still." I stick my tongue out and then whine about the long line. Why do people still come to stores when everything can be ordered online? Amazon is my best friend.
After the miserable shopping trip and lunch we stop by Jake's house so he can drop off all the junk for Maddie than go home to my house.
"Mommy! Jakey!" Maddie runs up and hugs us both and then is talking up a storm about shopping and presents and Mommy and Santa and while I can make out words I have absolutely no idea what she is talking about.
"Hey babe, Jake. How was shopping?" Sam asks and I say terrible at the same time Jake says great. Sometimes I wonder how we are friends.
"Ok then… I'm going to head to the resort for a couple of hours. Do you want to come and bring Maddie? Or just you come and we'll beg and plead for Jake to keep Maddie?" He laughs but Jake readily agrees. He knows how much I love going with or without Maddie. If Maddie goes we usually hang out at the water park or in the Princess Castle which is basically just a pink indoor playground. On the other side is a Pirate's Cove with I always try to get her to go to but she screams Princess! And I never win. Sometimes we will walk around with Sam and sometimes I will put her in the childcare center and get a massage or take a nap in the room that is reserved for us and the rest of the family.
"Will there be a Santa there?" I ask him and he hesitates and says yes but he stays in the kid area. So I agree to go with Maddie staying with Jake. Yes, I hate Santa that much.
"You should spend the night." Jake offers "I'll take Maddie to my house and you can pick her up whenever you feel like it."
Sam looks at me and I'm like yes please! I love Maddie but I'm all for sleeping past sunrise if I know she's safe. So I pack up a few of her things and Jake takes her home after lots of hugs and kisses and love yous. Before he leaves he tells me where Sam can't hear to chill, Christmas is not supposed to be this stressful and the baby doesn't need the stress.
After Jake leaves we leave soon after. On the way he tells me he just needs to check on a few things and go to a meeting and then we can spend the evening and all day tomorrow together. Sounds good to me.
Once we get there we head straight to our room and when we walk in…
"Holy crap Leah! Put on some freaking clothes!" Sam yells and I don't know why but I think it's hilarious so I start laughing and Sam is looking at me like I'm nuts and Embry is throwing blankets at Leah and she wraps herself up then runs to the bathroom.
"Damn Embry I told you to tell me when you're using the room. I don't care; I would just like to know." Sam tells him and Embry tells him sorry he didn't even think about. "It's fine. Sorry about walking in on Leah naked."
"So come in. Where's Maddie?" Embry asks.
"With Jake so I can avoid Santa." I tell him and he rolls he's eyes but he's smart enough to not say anything about it.
"So what are you doing up here Sam?" Embry asks.
"Just checking a few things out, then a meeting. Then we are just going to spend the day tomorrow together before getting Maddie from Jake. You?"
"I really pissed Leah off and so I brought her to try to make her forget with massages and good food and whatever else she wants to do." He looks at me to see if he's in trouble with me too.
"What did you do?" I ask him.
"Um well she told me she's pregnant and I kind of flipped out on her, told her she should have been more careful. It was just a shock! I didn't mean it at all. She's still really mad." He tells me and Sam grabs my hand probably to hold me off from hurting Embry because he knows how Edward treated me.
I take a couple of really deep breathes and then Sam suggests Embry come with him to take care of everything and Embry agrees because he can tell something is going on and Sam tells me he'll get us another room and text me the # but if I want to spend the night with Leah it's OK, Embry can stay with him. Embry looks like he wants to argue but doesn't which is a smart move. After they leave the room I knock on the bathroom door and Leah opens it.
"Are you OK? He told me what he said." I hug her and she starts crying.
"And you didn't kill him?" She half laughs and I tell her no I don't think Sam would have let me but if she wants to me I can try to get around him.
"Congratulations though! And I shouldn't tell you this since Sam doesn't know yet but I am too." Her eyes widen and then she's laughing and squealing and doing all this other completely not Leah stuff and I'm glad I told her.
We figure she is about three weeks farther along than me and we talk about how I should tell Sam. We talk about how awesome next Christmas is going to be with two babies and she's laughing and saying she's thinks she's going to refuse to do Santa Clause just to piss Embry off.
"Maddie should be going to bed soon so I'm going to call her and tell her goodnight." I tell her and she laughs and says there is no way she's going to bed at bedtime with Jake which is true but I can pretend.
I call and tell her goodnight and then tell him Leah's idea of giving him a copy of What to Expect When Your Expecting and he loves the idea but tells me I still have to get him a real gift.
"So what should I get Sam as a real gift?" I ask Leah because she's better than I am at this too.
"A new truck?" She asks and I tell her that's a bit much.
"A kitten?" I tell her and I look at her like she's freaking nuts.
"I don't know Bella!" She yells and then bursts into tears, Crap, I'm hope I'm not that bad. "You have crap loads of money. It shouldn't be that hard!"
"Leah chill the freak out. What did you get Embry?" I ask her.
"A kitten." I start laughing when I realize she's serious.
"Why?"
"Because the man seriously has everything! And we were at the pet store looking for something for… um anyways he saw this little black kitten and he was all instant girl and cooing at it so I went back and bought her. She's at Mom's house." Wow.
"Please tell me you did not buy Maddie a live animal?" I ask her cautiously.
"Surprise! Maddie's getting a puppy… Sam knows! We thought you would hate the idea just because it's Christmas. No offense and I love you." She smiles her big bright love me smile.
"OK well then Sam does not need a kitten. Maybe a watch." Yeah I think a watch is good. I decide to spend the night with Leah and leave Embry to Sam and we watch sappy movies and cry and eat way too much food and sometime during the night crash in the bed together. I'm glad my dad married her mom even if we were both already moved out.
The next morning she's feeling forgiving and Embry spends the rest of the day making sure she has everything she wants and Sam and I just enjoy being together with no interruptions.
The whole day was amazing and I'm pretty sure it's what got me through the week leading up to Christmas with Christmas parties and Christmas dinners and gift exchanges and Santa at every freaking corner.
Finally it is Christmas Eve and even though we don't do Santa we still set out everything after Maddie goes to sleep.
"Sam I want you to open one of mine tonight, I just don't want to get caught up in the morning and well just here." I hand him the beautifully wrapped by Leah book and wait nervously. Ever since Embry freaked out on Leah I've been so nervous because I know Sam is not Edward but then neither is Embry.
He opens it slowly and I want to scream hurry up but I don't because Maddie is asleep. Finally he gets it unwrapped and stares at it for a minute.
"You?" He asks and I shake my head nervously. "Bella, oh wow. This is the best Christmas present ever! When are you due?" Relieved I tell him that my first appointment is in 4 days. "You were nervous, weren't you? Baby I am so happy. I can't believe Maddie is going to be a big sister! I love you. I love Maddie. I love this baby!" He kisses me and I melt into him thinking how lucky I am.
Christmas morning we wake up before Maddie since she is still too little to really get Christmas and we drink coffee and open our gifts to each other.
I give him his watch which Jake picked out and he gives me a beautiful bracelet carved with the date of the night we said I love to each other and the newest book by my favorite author. I feel bad for him thinking about my gifts so much and only giving him a watch that I didn't even pick out so I start crying and he starts panicking thinking I don't like my gifts.
"I love the bracelet and the book Sam. I just feel awful that you picked out these perfect things and I gave you a watch. I didn't even pick it out!" I start crying and he holds his arms out for me and holds me tight whispering to calm down it's all OK.
"Bella, you always get me nice things, books you think I'll like, my favorite ice cream when you go shopping, shirts you think I'll look good in. All the time. I like the watch, Jake did a good job." I smile a little bit. "I know you don't like Christmas, that's why it's so hard for you but you telling me you're pregnant is the best gift ever. I love you baby, don't be sad. Maddie will be up soon so let's just focus on making the day happy for her. Can we tell my parents about you being pregnant?"
"Actually Leah and I made them frames to tell both yours and mine. Sorry I should've told you. Is that OK?" I ask him.
"Yes of course that's perfect. They are all going to be so happy." He tells me and I agree it is perfect.
Maddie wakes up and we feed her breakfast and then give her presents and after the first one, a stuffed monkey that plays music she's done so I open the rest for her and show her each one and she smiles and holds on to the monkey. So I set everything else under the tree figuring she'll grab them later.
A couple of hours later my Dad and Sue show up with Sam's parents soon after then Jake and Leah and Embry all showing up at the same time. Maddie is super excited and finally drops her monkey only to pick it back up after she's had her fill of hugs and kisses.
She's no more interested in anyone else's gifts and Sam's mom keeps glaring at me and I over hear his dad telling her Maddie is just a baby, it's normal.
Finally it's time for us to exchange gifts and Leah and I save the best for last. Leah already had an ultrasound so we got two frames with two spots and put her ultrasound in the top spot with Embry and Leah's first baby- Due November 12th 2013 under it. Then in the second spot we put a coming soon strip like you see in movie theaters and under it we wrote Sam and Bella's second baby- Due date to be announced on December 29th.
She handed one to Sam and Embry's parents while I handed the other to Dad and Sue. They open them and Sam's mom and Sue both start crying and then there is a lot of hugging and crying and congratulations.
The rest of the day goes by wonderfully and as we finish up dinner Embry says he has to run home but he will be back soon. Leah whispered to me, puppy. Oh right, I forgot about the puppy. I told Sam I knew once Leah told me and he said he was sorry and they could return it if I didn't want him but I told him it was OK. I like dogs. Some dogs.
Maddie is playing with her monkey when Embry walks in with this tiny little black pug wearing a tiny little Santa hat. He's absolutely adorable and I am instantly in love.
"Santa puppy!" Maddie yells and Embry sets the puppy down and he runs right into Maddie and she laughs and pats him on the head.
"I hold Santa puppy?" She asks me and I tell her yes if she sits down so she does and I put him in her lap.
"What do you want to name him Maddie?" I ask her and she looks at me funny and says his name Santa puppy. Awesome. At least he doesn't look like Santa. Jake laughs and I stick my tongue out and he laughs more.
Maddie is loving her puppy and everyone is awwing and oohing and talking about how next Christmas we will have newborns.
Maybe Christmas isn't so awful. But I still hate Santa.