The Gift

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns all Twilight and the Characters

Chapter 4 Dishes

BPOV

"Hey handsome," I said when I walked into his dad's office that fateful New Year's Eve night. He didn't say anything at all to me and that was strange. "Sweetheart what's the matter."

"We can't do this anymore," he said with no emotion and a blackness in his eyes. What is going on? Everything was great this morning when I headed back to Charlie's after staying the night.

"What do you mean," I said as the tears started to fall.

"I don't want to be with you anymore," he said taking a deep breath. "I need to stop listening to my young naïve heart and what it says to do. I need to do things that are smart and will benefit me in the long run."

Walking into the dinning room I noticed that the two only vacant seats at the table were between Alice and Edward.

"Carlybug," I heard Alice say. I couldn't believe that they had come up with a nickname for her so quick and she responded so easily to it. "Will you sit beside me?"

"Yesss," she answered skipping over to the seat beside Alice. Just great I had to sit beside Edward. How could my evening get any better.

Taking my seat beside Edward I tried to ignore him. In the long run I can't do that to him. So I gave him a small smile when I looked over at him. He cleared his throat as if he wanted to say something to me, but Carlisle cut him off by standing up at the end of the table.

"We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season," he said looking over at me and Carly. "One of those things is the fact that we have Bella back in our family. Let's not forget the addition of Carly to the family as well."

After he sat back down everyone started to fix their plates. I reached to get Carly's plate when Alice stopped me.

"I'll do it Bella," she said taking the plate. "I need to practice taking care of a child. Carly can be my doll that helps teach me all I need to know."

"Sure Alice," I said trying not to laugh as Carly told her what she would eat.

The rest of dinner went off without a problem. I couldn't help but laugh when Rose smacked Emmett upside the back of his head a few times. I never imagined a twenty-eight year old trying to act worse than a three year old at the table. He would chew his food up and stick his tongue out to show Carly the chewed up food. Wait a minute I am talking about Emmett though. Never mind then he is acting perfectly normal by all means. Edward and I didn't speak to each other during dinner. What was I supposed to say to him? How is the weather? Where is your bitch of a wife?

After we all ate Carly wanted to spend some more time with Alice and Rose. I agreed but told her that we couldn't stay long because of the snow that was falling. The three of them headed upstairs, and it worried me just a little. The one thing I didn't need was a miniature Alice, and I had the feeling that was going to happen. That would be okay as long as Alice would be the one taking her shopping and spending hours in a store. I walked into the kitchen and put the apron back that I laid on the counter walking towards the sink.

"Bella," I heard Esme say sternly. "You do not have to do the dishes."

"It's the least I could do," I responded putting a stack of dishes in the hot soapy water. "What is it that you taught me?"

"You are a guest tonight," she said picking up the sponge. I shook my head in disagreement. "Since you are going to be stubborn like always at least let me dry the dishes."

"Fine," I answered her. She taught me that in her household if you were grateful for the meal then you should help clean up the kitchen afterwards. She grabbed a towel out of the drawer and stood beside of me.

"Earlier you said that you were glad that it was all over," she asked drying off the glasses I just washed. "Did he ever hurt you or Carly?'

"No," I said quickly. "He never laid a hand on either of us."

"Thank havens," she said taking a deep breath. "If he had then I would have let them go with shot guns loaded."

"I wouldn't have gone against you," I said as we both laughed.

"Were you ever happy dear," she asked getting quiet.

"To be completely honest," I said taking a deep breath. I could feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. "The only time I was ever happy was when I was interacting with Carly. Other then that I was never happy. I regret getting married for all the wrong reasons."

"It's alright," she said as tears started to fall. "We all do crazy things in our lives."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," I said with tears steadily falling. "Growing up I used to wish that I could have what you and Carlisle have. Find that perfect person for me and be able to share everything and have that happy family together. I've learned that wishes don't come true."

"It is Christmas," she said rubbing my back trying to calm me down. "You know what they all say. It's the season that all wishes come true."

"I don't," I was saying when I was interrupted.

"The dinning room is make to perfection mom," Edward said walking into the kitchen. The last thing I needed was for him to see me like this. "Bad timing on part I guess."

"No," she said handing him the towel. "I'm going to go check on your dad. Will you help Bella with the drying?"

"Of course," he said. I looked over at her and she smiled back at me. Was this her attempt to get us to talk? I quickly wiped off my face with the apron and went back to washing. He came and stood beside me picking up one of the plates that I had just washed.

A few minutes went by and neither one of us had spoken a word to each other. It looked as if Esme's plan was going to backfire on her. That was until I heard.

"Shit," I heard him say dropping a knife on the floor.

"What happened," I said turning to him. I could see blood droplets hitting the floor.

"It's nothing," he said wrapping his hand up with the towel. "I just cut my hand that's all."

"Let me see," I said drying my hands off. He wouldn't so I grabbed his hand bringing him closer to me. I took the towel off to see that he cut him self pretty good. It didn't need stitches but it was still a good cut. "Damn it Edward. It's nothing my ass."

"You'll pass out," he said jerking his hand away from mine.

"No I won't," I said opening the cabinet door under the sink. I knew that Esme kept a first aid kit under there. Sure back in the day I would have passed out at the site of blood but things change. "I've been able to control it since Carly was born. Now sit your ass down."

"Okay," he said smirking taking a seat at the table.

"This is going to sting," I said getting the peroxide out to clean the wound.

"Carly seems like a special little girl," he said.

"She is," I said cleaning the cut and watching him flinch. "She is everything to me."

"Bella," he said while I wrapped his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"Please don't," I said stopping him from saying anymore. I put the final piece of tape on his hand and started to clean up the mess before anything else was said.

"You at least called me Edward," he said with a chuckle.

"It just slipped out," I answered putting the kit back under the sink.

"Let it slip out again," he basically pleaded. "Call me Edward again. Mr. Cullen makes me sound like an old man."

I didn't say anything in return to him, because I was too busy looking out the window. I noticed that the snow was starting to fall faster and harder then earlier.

"Carly," I yelled. "We need to leave now."

"Bella," I heard Carlisle say. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I answered. I saw Carly and Rose bounce down the stairs heading to the coat closet. "Where's Alice? She's supposed to drive us home."

"Jasper won't let her," Rose said zipping Carly's jacket up. "He says that the snow is falling to fast. Emmett's already in a sugar coma from the cookies, and Carlisle has a conference call in ten minutes."

"Why don't you and Carly stay the night," Esme said.

"I would love to," I said. "I can't not this time."

How was I going to get home? I knew that I should've drove my own car. But no! Alice wouldn't hear any of it.

"I'll take you," Edward said speaking up behind me. "It's the least I could do for you. Since you bandaged up my hand."

"Okay," I said watching Carly tell everyone bye.

What in the hell have I gotten myself into now?

EPOV

Walking into the dinning room I sat down in my usual seat leaving two empty between Alice and myself. That would only lead up to two things. Either Carly or Bella was going to sit down beside me. Not long after I walked in I saw the two of them come in, and she looked disappointed when she saw where the chairs located.

"Carlybug," I heard Alice say. "Will you sit beside me?"

"Yesss," she answered skipping over to the seat beside Alice. Wonderful Bella was going to sit down beside me. How much better could my night get.

As she sat down she looked over at me and gave me a small smile. I cleared my throat as if I wanted to say something to her, but Carlisle cut me off by standing up at the end of the table.

"We have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season," he said looking over at Bella and Carly. "One of those things is the fact that we have Bella back in our family. Let's not forget the addition of Carly to the family as well."

After he sat back down everyone started to fix their plates. She reached to get Carly's plate when Alice stopped her.

"I'll do it Bella," she said taking the plate. "I need to practice taking care of a child. Carly can be my doll that helps teach me all I need to know."

"Sure Alice," Bella said trying not to laugh as Carly told Alice what she would eat.

The rest of dinner went off without a problem. I couldn't help but laugh when Rose smacked Emmett upside the back of his head a few times. I never imagined a twenty-eight year old trying to act worse than a three year old at the table. Bella and I didn't speak to each other. What was I going to say? How is divorced life? Why doesn't Carly call Mike daddy? Did I tell you I'm divorced as well.

When everyone cleared out the dinning room I old mom to go to the kitchen. I was going to put the dinning room back in order and clean it up. I couldn't help but think about her. She has always been on my mind since the night. I stacked up the remaining dishes, wiped the table off, and pushed the chairs back under the table before leaving. I headed back to kitchen but stopped at the doorway listening to mom and Bella speak.

"Earlier you said that you were glad that it was all over," I heard mom ask her. "Did he ever hurt you or Carly?'

"No," Bella said quickly. "He never laid a hand on either of us."

"Thank havens," mom said taking a deep breath. "If he had then I would have let them go with shot guns loaded."

"I wouldn't have gone against you," Bella said as they both laughed. It looks like Mike would be living another day. If he had touched either one of them he wouldn't have had to worry about our dads. He would have to be worried about me killing him.

"Were you ever happy dear," mom asked.

"To be completely honest," she said with a long pause before she spoke again. "The only time I was ever happy was when I was interacting with Carly. Other then that I was never happy. I regret getting married for all the wrong reasons."

"It's alright," mom said as I heard Bella cry. "We all do crazy things in our lives."

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," Bella said as I could almost hear the tears steadily falling. "Growing up I used to wish that I could have what you and Carlisle have. Find that perfect person for me and be able to share everything and have that happy family together. I've learned that wishes don't come true."

Didn't she understand that I wanted all of that too. I wanted all of that with her not Tanya. I had to protect my family.

"It is Christmas," mom said and with that I needed to walk into the kitchen. "You know what they all say. It's the season that all wishes come true."

"I don't," Bella was saying when I interrupted her.

"The dinning room is make to perfection mom," I said walking into the kitchen. I looked over at Bella and could tell that yes she had been crying. "Bad timing on part I guess."

"No," mom said handing me the towel. "I'm going to go check on your dad. Will you help Bella with the drying?"

"Of course," I said. I looked over at her and she smiled back at me. Was this her attempt to get us to talk? She quickly wiped off her face with the apron and went back to washing. I came and stood beside her picking up one of the plates that she had just washed.

A few minutes went by and neither one of us had spoken a word to each other. It looked as if Esme's plan was going to backfire on her. I really needed to talk to her. I need her to say something to me. I took the chance when I saw a knife in the sink. Acting like I was washing it I cut my hand on it.

"Shit," I said dropping the knife on the floor.

"What happened," she said turning to me. I could see blood droplets hitting the floor when I looked down.

"It's nothing," I said wrapping my hand up with the towel. "I just cut my hand that's all."

"Let me see," she said drying her hands off. I wouldn't so she grabbed my hand bringing me closer to her. She took the towel off to see that I cut myself pretty good. It didn't need stitches but it was still a good cut. "Damn it Edward. It's nothing my ass."

"You'll pass out," I said jerking my hand away from hers. I remembered that whenever she caught the smell of blood let alone see it she would pass out.

"No I won't," she said opening the cabinet door under the sink. I knew that Esme kept a first aid kit under there. "I've been able to control it since Carly was born. Now sit your ass down."

"Okay," I said smirking taking a seat at the table.

"This is going to sting," she said getting the peroxide out to clean the wound.

"Carly seems like a special little girl," I said.

"She is," she said cleaning the cut and watching me flinch. "She is everything to me."

"Bella," I said while she wrapped my hand. I had to say at least one thing to her. "I'm so sorry."

"Please don't," she said stopping me from saying anymore. She put the final piece of tape on my hand and started to clean up the mess before anything else was said.

"You at least called me Edward," I said with a chuckle.

"It just slipped out," she answered putting the kit back under the sink.

"Let it slip out again," I basically pleaded. I loved the way it sounded when she said it. "Call me Edward again. Mr. Cullen makes me sound like an old man."

She didn't say anything in return to me, she was too busy looking out the window. I myself noticed that the snow was starting to fall faster and harder then earlier.

"Carly," she yelled leaving the litchen. "We need to leave now."

"Bella," I heard Carlisle say. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered. I made my way to the hallway and saw Carly and Rose bounce down the stairs heading to the coat closet. "Where's Alice? She's supposed to drive us home."

"Jasper won't let her," Rose said zipping Carly's jacket up. "He says that the snow is falling to fast. Emmett's already in a sugar coma from the cookies, and Carlisle has a conference call in ten minutes."

"Why don't you and Carly stay the night," Esme said.

"I would love to," she said but there was something holding her back and I could tell. "I can't not this time."

There was no one to drive her, but Alice said it would be better to bring just one car. That's when it hit me. I could spend more time with her if I drive her home.

"I'll take you," I said speaking up behind her. "It's the least I could do for you. Since you bandaged up my hand."

"Okay," she said watching Carly tell everyone bye.

This was going to be an interesting drive if I say so myself.

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