That day went excruciatingly slow as I went through the motions of my day, finally finishing an enormous and excruciating assignment that had taunted me for weeks. Rose seemed to stay precariously out of my way, even to going to the extent of leaving a plate of mushroom ravioli outside my door that night for dinner. It was her way of saying sorry, and I was grateful that she understood she'd hurt me... a lot!
The next day started out with a bang, when, because of a power-failure, my alarm ceased to work and blinked 12:00 constantly in that fluorescent red, causing me to swear and jump out of bed, only to find, yes, because of my little sleep in, my nausea was waiting until I was awake to hit me.
I could say that I made it to the toilet just in time, or even just the sink. But, alas, no, luck was not on my side this morning. I hurled last nights dinner on the carpet just outside the bathroom. I know, eww, wa-ay too much information! Hey, at least I didn't mention the fact that I kept walking while up-chucking causing my vomit to spread on the bathroom floor.
Alice was the first to hear my somewhat violent reaction to my pregnancy, and quickly bounded to my side, holding back my hair.
"Oh, Bell, it'll be done soon" she cooed softly, rubbing my back before reaching her tiny little body across the room towards the medicine cabinet for a black hair elastic to hold my hair back.
In between my gagging, I sobbed, the pain and hurt of everything came crashing down on my now very weak shoulders. "He doesn't know, Ali" I choked out, slumping down on the cool tiles that were still clean.
Alice looked at me, I could see the sympathy in her eyes, she didn't need to say anything. Stashing the air freshener and disinfectant she'd been hunting for in the vanity cupboard, she fished out a flannel, wet it, and slumped down beside me. Pressing the flannel to my mouth, she looked at me.
I sighed, and got the gist of what she was doing. I took the flannel and wiped around my mouth, before folding it and cooling off my flushed face. That, and laying my head on the tiles and shutting my eyes, made me feel much better.
I heard Alice fill the basin with water, I assumed to clean up my vomit. I would have protested, but it felt like my stomach was going to make acquaintance with my mouth again.
So the little pixie scrubbed up the bathroom for me, carpet first. I would have said I sat there for about 30 minutes while she cleaned... and I continued to vomit.
"I'm so sorry, Ali!" I sobbed, dry-reaching after nothing else would come up. She really didn't need to see this.
She continued to rub my back, "shush Bell, don't be stupid, you'd do the same thing for me" and she forced tissues and more water into my hands.
I nodded, and blew my nose, and wet my lips with a little bit of the now sweet tasting water, before allowing her to flush the toilet.
"Geez, this is not what I expected when I needed to take a leak!" a male voice cut thickly through the silence.
I looked up with scared, shocked eyes, trying to cover what I could of my legs in their tiny pink pyjama shorts and rest of my body that seemed swollen and frumpy with pregnancy 'side effects'. It was now all too painfully obvious that the Snoopy that was usually well proportioned on my pyjama tank-top was mangled and disfigured with a humongous nose and stretched-beyond-realistic floppy ear.
"Oh, Jazzy, sorry, I heard Bell's... she's sick, um, you can use the down stairs bathroom" she was quickly enveloped in his long arms and was given a light peck on her nose.
"It's alright, no biggie. Just wondering where you'd run off to, but I can see it was important"
I slowly reached over and dragged a towel off the rail to cover myself as they talked. The man looked back down at me.
"Feeling better?" he asked kindly,
I shrugged, "as good as it gets"
He laughed at me, not meanly, but still, it ruffled my feathers so to speak. "Wait a bit longer, you'll wish for the morning sickness!"
And then I paled. "What!" I shrieked, remembering to try to tone it down as to not wake Rose.
Alice looked as confused as I did, so I didn't pounce on her for telling this mystery man, "Jazzy?"
'Jazzy' looked from Alice, to me then back to Alice. Then paled like us, "shit! I haven't put my foot in it right? I mean, you are pregnant right? Oh, fuck, I'm sorry, I assumed "
"No, no! You're right" I cut him off, before he completely chastised himself. "I just haven't told anyone, not even the father, and you just knew!"
He sighed, and smiled, "I'm a midwife" he shrugged, and apparently it was news to Alice 'cause she had this funny look on her face as she pulled away slightly to have a better look into his eyes.
It was one of those, 'I'm-not-sure-you're-serious-but-I'm-definately-not-going-to-laugh-cos-if-you-are-that-would-be-embarresing' kind of looks.
"I wanted to be an obstetrician/ gynaecologist, but didn't get the scores, so I settled for midwifery..." his voice somewhat trailed off, and Alice's face was priceless.
"You look at women's Virgingerbread's all day long?" She screeched, so damn close to slapping him it wasn't funny.
'Jazzy's eyes popped out of his head, fumbling over what words to say, that all that came out was "Virgingerbread?"
"Answer me Jasper! I cannot believe you!"
Ah, so the name was Jasper.
I couldn't help myself, I cracked up. Laughing, until my stomach hurt even more and tears came to my eyes. "Alice!" I gasped, in between guffaws, "lay off, it's his job" I reasoned with her, not caring anymore about my frump I called a body. Snoopy can go screw himself if he wants to stay normal.
"Nice to meet you by the way, Jasper. I'm Bella" I finally forced out, still giggling.
"Uhuh" he looked wary now. "Virgingerbread?" he still whispered to himself.
I rolled my eyes. "We have very interesting and provocative gingerbread men... or women... at Christmas" I watched his eyes furrow in confusion, "think half a smartie" I hinted, and watched his face go from understanding to disgust, laughing at the same time.
"Argh, I will never be able to look at another gingerbread man the same way, thankyou so much Miss Bella!" his Texan accent suddenly came out strong with his guard going down.
I looked to Alice who had suddenly forgotten all about his occupation, and looked as if she would melt at the sound of him. I caught her eye, and she winked.
Oh Alice and her accents.
I used the toilet, lid down, to lever myself up.
"Well, nice to meet you this fine morning, now that I no longer want to hurl, the bathroom's all yours!" I patted his shoulder as I walked past, before stopping and glaring my best death-ray's at him "oh, and just for the record, if that seat is left up, and I fall in the toilet in the middle of the night, I will hunt you down. Got it?"
He burst out laughing, before giving a mock salute, and the best 'Yes, Ma'am' I could have hoped for.
"Alrighty, we have an understanding, at ease soldier" And I shuffled back down to my room and back into my now cold bed.
I had one text on my phone. Edward. Strange, it was a video file, with a cover picture of a wooden tabled with a very dark tint on it. On the centre of the table was a sheet of while card. 'Bella' it had written on it in Edward's lovely and neat handwriting, with little hearts around my name and a swirl to underline it.
'I miss you! ' the message after it said, 'And I intend to keep my promise :)'
I frowned, what promise?
I touched the play button in the middle of the video and turned my phone to the side so the screen adjusted.
A vaguely familiar guitar rift softly played out. It sounded like beachy summer days, lounging on green grass, and love all rolled into one.
A string must have been pulled, because suddenly a new card, with different words was revealed.
'This is the first day of my life
I Swear I was born right in the doorway
I went out in the rain
Suddenly everything changed
They're spreadin' blankets on the beach.'
I gasped, I thought I knew this song. Edward constantly hummed it the day after our first night, and sung completely random and heartfelt lyrics into my ear. The next day I looked up some of the lyrics, and found Bright Eyes' song, 'First Day Of My Life', and downloaded it from iTunes instantly. It was Edwards' ringtone, and had been since that first night.
That card was pulled away, and again a new one was revealed. I was crying hard now. So hard that I couldn't read the words, just listen. It was stating that that the lover's face was the first one he saw, for he was blind before he met her. He was lost, he didn't know where he had been, but know he knew where he should go.
'So I thought I'd let you know
That these things take forever
I especially am slow
But I realized that I need you
And I wondered if I could come home'
Came the next card. I smiled, 'of course you can come home', I sent telepathically to him.
The next verse had the girl driving all night simply to see him. 'I thought it was strange' the verse stated, 'You said everything changed. You felt as if you just woke up'. That was Edward and My verse, because it was like a switch was flicked with us. One day we were friends, the next we were completely infatuated by each other. It felt as if we had both simply woken up only to see each other standing right there. Magical.
'And you said,
This is the first day of my life,
I'm Glad I didn't die before I met you
But now I don't care I could go anywhere with you
And I'd probably be happy.'
Happy. That's for sure, maybe even an understatement. If I had Edward beside me for the rest of my life, I would smile every morning, and keep that smile on my face through out the day. As long as we were together, we were happy. We could be in the middle of a fight, and turn around and see something in the others eyes and burst out laughing.
'So if you wanna be with me Besides maybe this time it's different
With these things there's no telling
We'll just have to wait and see
But I'd rather be working for a paycheck
Than waiting to win the lottery
I mean I really think you like me...'
I smiled a little wider, oh, yeah, Edward, I might like you... just a little.
The lyrics trailed off, but the melody continued longer than it usually did. He must of chopped and changed the song. And the card changed once again.
'I think I like you too...
And I will make you my wife'
If I hadn't smiled wide enough, it just got a bit bigger.
'I promise...'
And a ring in a tiny black box slid into frame. I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my throat, in between my tears. It was psychotic and loud and completely me. To laugh and cry simultaneously.
I must have been louder than I thought because when I wiped the tears from my eye, there Alice stood with a concerned look on her face. She cocked her head to the side.
"You alright?"
I looked at her, and burst out laughing, and into tears again. "The bastard!" I laughed.
I explained everything to her, and let her watch the video. She buzzed with excitement for me, giving me the necessary congratulatory hugs.
"Oh, Alice... I'm so happy! And so confused" I laughed.
I just couldn't believe that he'd do that! We hadn't even told anyone we were together. Not even his parents, or my parents, or our friends, not including Alice, or our extended family. It was something that seemed to lie on the cards for us, just no one knew!
Alice shrugged, and smiled, being strangely quiet. "I am so happy for you!" she whispered in my ear, kissing my forehead and leaving me. She popped back a minute later; I was still sitting in the same position.
"Um, do you want me to call Ang for you? Tell her that you're sick?" she asked reminding me of today's eventful morning.
I shrugged, than shook my head, "No, I'm fine now" and at the reminder that I did actually have to work, I showered, dressed, then went to work at the little coffee shop I'd been at for years.
