Chapter 7
BellaPOV
I stood in the airport waiting on Edward by the baggage claim anxiously. We hadn't seen each other for almost a month now and my body had changed drastically over the past month and I was nervous as to what he was going to think of it. My stomach had rounded out and my boobs had almost doubled in size and my hips had started spreading a little bit. It was all enough changes that made me go maternity clothes shopping just last week when I had started crying because my shirt was hurting my boobs because it was so tight across my chest. I had just bought a few dresses, shorts, and a few shirts because I didn't want to spend a whole lot of money when I was going to outgrow the clothes in a few weeks anyways.
I was pulled out of my musings as a warm pair of arms wrapped around my waist from behind cradling my baby bump gently. "Well hello there, gorgeous."
I smiled as I leaned back against the chest I had missed something awful as of lately. "Hello handsome. We have missed you." I told him as I laid my head back on his shoulder.
"I've missed you guys too. You are absolutely gorgeous, Isabella." He whispered against my bare shoulder as he placed gentle kisses there. I was wearing a strapless light blue sundress that showcased my baby bump perfectly. There was an elastic band just below my breasts and above my bump that allowed the dress to fall gently around my bump before ending right above my knees. I had paired it with a simple necklace with a tiny little flip flop charm on it and a pair of white flip-flops.
"I look fat, you don't have to flatter me." I mumbled quietly.
Before I could take a stuttering breath he was standing in front of me tipping my head up so I couldn't avoid his gaze. "You are beautiful. You are carrying our child and you are gorgeous while doing it. Your hair has an amazing shine to it that I noticed from twenty feet away. You skin has a glow to it that only comes with pregnancy, or so I've been told. I find you sexy as hell." He said huskily as he gently kissed my lips as he sunk his fingers into my hair angling my head so he could deepen the kiss.
I sighed as he broke the kiss. "Thank you." I whispered against his lips.
"Anytime, baby, anytime." He pecked me on the nose before grabbing my hand and walking to the turning conveyor belt to grab his suitcase. Today was Thursday and after our ultrasound appointment tomorrow we, along with Seth, are driving up to Oregon where Dad and Sue were meeting us for the weekend. Edward was staying until Tuesday of next week when he would head home for another month.
Once we had his suitcase we headed outside to the short-term parking where I had parked my car earlier. "Want me to drive?" Edward asked when I let a yawn slip past my smile.
I quickly dug out my keys tossing them to him. "Sure, you want to pick something up for dinner on the way back to the apartment?" I asked him because I honestly didn't feel like cooking anything tonight.
"Sure, baby, what do you and BB want?" He asked as he helped me climb into the passenger seat of my car.
"Burger King?" I asked him with hope in my voice because I had been craving Burger King everything for the past week.
Edward laughed as he backed out of the parking space and pulled into the flow of traffic. "Sounds perfect." We made small talk all the way to Burger King where had the genius thought to call Seth and ask if wanted to join us for dinner and placed his order along with ours. We were quiet all the way home until he started laughing at the sounds my stomach was making.
"It's not funny, Edward." I pouted as we climbed into the elevator to go upstairs to mine and Seth's apartment.
He immediately sobered up. "I'm sorry, baby, I was only jesting."
"It's okay, babe, we're just hungry. BB can make me sound like I've got a living dinosaur or something inside of me when he gets hungry." I told him as I unlocked the apartment door while Edward went to knock on Seth's door so he could come over or dinner.
I was extremely impressed with how Seth handled being around Edward after he had quietly asked him for his autograph. We all sat around my kitchen table enjoying our hamburgers and french fries as we told stories of some stupid things we done as children.
"Before Esme and Carlisle adopted me Emmett, Alice, Jasper, and I were inseparable despite Emmett being older than us other three. Alice and I were seven years old and wanted to go fishing in the pond so we all piled into the little boat with our fishing gear. We spent the next few hours fishing and horsing around until Emmett had knocked the paddles out leaving us stranded out in the middle of the pond. I didn't know how to swim at that time, Emmett was terrified of deep water at that time, Alice refused to ruin her clothes with pond water, and Jasper refused to leave Alice's side." He said shaking his head.
"What did you guys do?" Seth asked out of curiosity.
Edward hung his head chuckling quietly. "Like idiots, we all stood up in the little boat and started screaming for help. Alice in her excitement started jumping up and down which started the boat rocking and knocked us all into the water. We quickly realized that with all of our splashing that we had managed to get to where we could touch so we managed to get to shore and out of the pond. We walked back to the house and tried to sneak into the house without getting caught because we weren't supposed to be fishing without an adult present. Ma caught us about ten feet inside the front door."
I gasped with my hand over my mouth. "Did you guys get in trouble?" I asked quietly as I cradled our child gently in my hands. I don't know how I would react if something like that ever happened with our baby. I could see where the situation was both hilarious and terrifying at the same time.
Edward nodded. "Yeah, we had to go much the stalls out. Ma hugged us as she cried and ran her hands over all of us from head to toe before she stood back and scolded us about how dangerous that could have been without an adult present. We learned our lesson and so did they. From that day forward either Ma or Dad would take one day a week to give us swimming lessons in the pond. By the end of summer each and every one of us was a proficient swimmer." He said with a smile as he reached over stroking my stomach gently.
"That sounds dangerous for a little one." Seth said in a concerned voice as he watched us.
Edward shook his head. "You just have to show them that it can be dangerous and not hide things from them. My sister has two little ones and my brother has three little ones and they all live on the family farm. They have all been taking baby swimming lessons since they were four months old and can swim really good but they know that they aren't allowed to go in the pond unless an adult is with them. We spend a lot of our free time during the summer as a family in and around that lake. Hell, my brother and his wife got married on the bridge that goes across it."
Seth nodded contentedly. "Did I tell you Bella that Ferguson and Moore called me the other day to come in for an interview?"
I looked at him curiously because he already had a job. "What about your job at Smith and Sons?"
Seth just laughed. "Brian Smith is the one that set up the interview. Ferguson and Moore is located in Miami, Bella. I have to be there next Thursday for the interview which if they are interested will continue probably Monday or Tuesday of the next week. Where exactly in Florida do you live Edward?" He explained with a huge smile.
"Delray Beach, about 50 miles north of Miami." Edward answered quietly as I practically vibrated in my seat with the excitement that Seth would be in the same state as me without me having to ask him to relocate for me.
"Really?" I asked him with wide eyes.
He smiled and nodded. "Absolutely, I couldn't let you consider moving clear across the country without me. Even though you never asked me to go with you." He said with a mock pout on his face.
"You love your job and friends here, Seth, I wanted to ask you but it wasn't fair to you. Plus, all of the details haven't been worked out between Edward and I yet and my job situation is still undecided also." I told him honestly as I laid my hand over Edward's on top of my stomach.
"Seth, man, if I could I would gladly relocate to out here so this discussion wouldn't even have to happen but if I opt out of my job back at the farm then my dad will take it all back and I'm sorry but I just can't do that after everything that has happened in the last few months. I could live out here but I would honestly probably spend more time on an airplane than in either location. I hate taking her away from the home that she has painstakingly built over the past seven years, her friends, and her family but we have a family now too that we are starting and have to consider." Edward told him sincerely.
Seth nodded in understanding. "I understand, Edward, and I don't think it will be that hard leaving her dad and my mom behind because we only see them a few times a year anyways. Angela, Ben, and Aubs on the other hand will most likely cause a melt down." Seth stopped when he saw me shaking my head quickly in denial. He and Edward looked at me curiously.
"Angela and I just found out two weeks ago that Aro, Caius, and Marcus are wanting to open up a local office publishing house and they want to do it on the East Coast." I told them quietly as I chewed on my bottom lip.
"And?" Edward prompted me quietly with a wide smile on his face that made his eyes crinkle.
I nodded. "They told us to submit a state and city of our choice and why we were choosing that area. Angela suggested Miami because it is such a hot vacation spot for lots of people while I chose Fort Lauderdale because it is also a great vacation spot and is closer to you." I said quietly, teasing them with tiny bits of information. When they just continued to look at me quietly I sighed and gave them the biggest news. "Angela and I were the first ones to submit our entry but are waiting to hear if we got it or not. The only downfall if we do get it is that we would have to..." I trailed off teasing them even more.
"Isabella, stop playing games and just tell us already before I die from anticipation." Edward scolded me gently as he settled on the floor between my knees as he cradled our baby in his hands.
I laughed as I sunk my hands in his hair. "We would have to move to Fort Lauderdale or Miami, whichever city they choose to open shop up in, within the next few months because he wants the office open and running by January." I told him with a wide smile on my face because I knew that this solved the biggest of our problems.
"Really?" He asked quietly almost like he didn't believe that it was true.
I nodded as I slid my hands out of his hair to cup his face. "It's true, my love, it true. Angela and I are keeping our fingers crossed because that will take care of the job portion of our problems." I told him as I bent down to kiss his lips gently.
"I love you, Isabella. So damn much." He whispered as he raised up on his knees to seal his lips more firmly against my own.
We spent the rest of the evening discussing my possible new job, Seth's job interview next week, and BB's doctor's appointment tomorrow. That is until Edward started yawning widely and looked bleary eyed.
"Okay, Seth, it's bedtime for the old people." I told my brother who looked wound tight because Edward had told him that he would email Hannah and give Seth's number to her and leave it all in her more than capable hands.
He bit his lip to keep from laughing as Edward rolled his eyes from his position in my lap. He was stretched out on the couch with his feet propped on one arm rest and his head laying in my lap. "Goodnight, Seth. See you tomorrow afternoon." Edward called to Seth as he was walking out of the apartment.
"Goodnight, bubba. Love you." I called as I rolled my head back to look at my brother upside down.
"Yeah yeah, old woman. I love you too. See you guys tomorrow afternoon." He called as he walked out of my apartment closing the door behind him.
I looked down at Edward who was looking at me with an intense gaze that shocked me to my core. "You ready for bed, my love?" I asked him quietly as I stroked my fingers through his hair gently.
He smirked at me and nodded. "Am I allowed to sleep in your room tonight?" He asked with a small pout on his face.
"If you must." I teased with a roll of my eyes.
He shook his head and all the playfulness disappeared off of his face. "I'm serious here, Isabella. Yes, I want you more than I've ever wanted anybody in my life. I am in a constant state of arousal when I'm around you or when I just think about you but I do not want to cross that line until YOU are ready to cross it with me." He said as looked at me with such seriousness.
"Edward, I know that you won't push me and I'm not guaranteeing that anything more than cuddling will happen tonight but I do want you beside me in that bed. I sleep better when you are there with me." I told him honestly because I wasn't sure I wanted to take that final step just yet but I wasn't going to throw the option completely out because my hormones were not something to play with these days.
He smiled gently as he met me halfway for a gentle kiss. "Okay, come on then and let me help you lock up for the night." He said before rolling off of the couch with a groan. "Damn I really am getting old.
I just laughed. "You are only 26, babe. That's not that old and I'm not far behind you." I told him as we both walked to the front door where his suitcase was still sitting. I had a birthday coming up in a little over a week and was not looking forward to it.
"I know, next week. Will you come back to Florida with me next week?" He asked as we headed for the bedroom with his suitcase in his hand and his other arm wrapped around my shoulders.
I shrugged playfully because in all reality I took a week off for my birthday and had every year. It was the last little bit of my vacation time but it had been submitted since January, well before I had even met Edward. "I don't know if I can do that." I teased him as I tugged a pair of my new panties and nightgowns from my dresser before heading for the bathroom.
"Why not?" Edward pouted as he leaned against the bathroom door. "I want you to meet Oreo, he's a little cutie but he's feisty too." He told me with a smile that stretched across his entire face. He was like a little boy when he talked about his horses and Oreo was the newest addition.
I smiled at him through the mirror as I brushed my teeth. "Convince me in the shower?"
He smiled and nodded because he knew he was already going to get his way. We took a shower together before quickly crawling into bed exhausted. Too exhausted to do much more than snuggle and steal a few kisses. The next morning we didn't crawl out of bed until 8:30 and that was only because our appointment was at 10. I grumbled to myself that I didn't have anything to wear since I had only bought a few things when I went shopping with Angela.
"What's wrong, baby?" Edward asked as he tugged on his cargo shorts covering up his amazing ass while mine continued to spread a little more every day.
I sighed as I tugged one of my new tops from the closet along with a pair of capri's. "All of my clothes make me look fat and I don't have many that fit me anymore. I only bought a few outfits the other day when I went shopping with Angela because I don't know what the weather is like in Florida." I rambled as I tugged on my capri pants with the elastic waistband that didn't help my figure issues at all.
Edward came over and stopped my frantic movements. "Isabella Marie, you are beautiful because you are creating another life within your tiny body. The weather in Florida is humid and muggy and hot. Even during the winter time it doesn't get really cold. Want me to go shopping with you?" He offered as he caressed our baby soothingly.
I sniffed and shrugged my shoulders as I held my head down because I wasn't sure if I was embarrassed over how I was acting or irritated because none of my clothes looked right on me. "You don't mind?" I asked him quietly.
"We can go after we leave the doctor's, if you feel up to it. We can even pick you out coordinating outfits for the gender reveal pictures we have to go take." He said reminding me that we had a photo opportunity after our appointment before we left for our drive up north to meet up with mine and Seth's parents.
I smiled up at him because he was being really sweet. "Okay and maybe we can pick out some stuff for the baby too?" I asked softly as he helped me put my stretchy shirt with the long waist on over my head and situate it around our baby.
"Absolutely. I already have a room cleared out back in Florida for the nursery. It's right next to the master bedroom, has a connecting bathroom, and gorgeous view of the pasture. When we get there we can make a run into Miami and shop around for baby furniture so we can get the nursery set up." He said before placing a gentle kiss against my lips before striding across the room to finish getting himself dressed.
"What if I want my own apartment or house until we date for a little while?" I teased him as we finished getting ready.
He sighed as he sat down on the edge of my bed. "Is that what you want? A place of your own in the city?" He asked seriously.
I shrugged. "I don't know, Edward. I just feel like we are moving so fast just because of the baby." I admitted honestly.
"We are but that can't be helped really and I don't want you rushing into anything you aren't ready for but it just feels right. I miss you when you aren't near me and I am counting the minutes until you are back in close proximity. If you really want your own place then we can find you one in the city, maybe you and Seth can live in the same building like you do here." He rambled nervously as he ran his fingers through his hair on reflex.
I walked over to him stepping between his legs tipping his head back so the I could look in his eyes. "It's not that I don't want to live with you but I don't want either of us to regret it six months or a year down the road."
"I won't regret it, Isabella, I can't wait for us to live together like a real family. Will you regret it?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I can't say definitively but I don't think I will regret it and it is nice snuggling with you at night. That is something I could get used to." I told him as I sunk my fingers through his hair.
"Then let's get used to it when you make the move to Florida." He said before tugging my head down so that our lips touched gently.
"Okay." I whispered before sealing our lips together passionately. Another of our problems solved. Living arrangements.
We made it to Dr. Carmen's office with less than five minutes to spare. I scowled at Edward as I went to sign myself in because he had been determined to stop and get me something to eat when he heard my stomach growl on our way here. "Hello, Isabella." The nurse said smiling in my direction.
"Hi, Gina. How are you this morning?" I asked as I signed my name on the little clipboard.
"I'm good. Doc Carmen should be with you fairly quickly since we aren't that busy."
I nodded and headed for the seat next to Edward. "The nurse said it shouldn't be too long of a wait since they aren't that busy." I told him as I fiddled with his fingers that automatically went to rest on my thigh whenever we were near one another.
"Good, I can't wait to find out what our bundle of joy will be." He said with a gentle kiss to my shoulder.
Before I could respond to him I heard my name being called. I was patient while I went through all the normal routines of these appointments while Edward was shifting impatiently in his little plastic chair. I breathed a sigh of relief when we were escorted into the ultrasound room. "Finally." Edward breathed as he helped me up onto the table while Doctor Carmen got the machine ready.
She chuckled at his breathed frustration at it taking so long. "Is daddy anxious?"
I smiled as Edward nodded. "Yes, a little bit." He mumbled as I positioned my clothes so that the gel wouldn't get on them since we had plans after we left here.
"Well, let's not keep you guys waiting." She said pushing the little wand to my stomach so that a grainy image came up on the screen. She showed us the baby's head, the feet, the hands, the heartbeat, and finally the part we had both been wanting to see. "You guys are having a little..."
"I like this shirt." Edward said as he sat outside the dressing room as I modeled one outfit after another.
I smiled and nodded as I looked in the mirror. "I do too and it would also work for the reveal pictures because of the ribbon." I told him admiring the lace shirt I had on. It had a built in tank top under it for modesty sake with 3/4 lace sleeves that embraced my stomach beautifully. I actually felt sexy in this shirt and skinny jeans Edward had talked me into trying on. "Now we have to find you a shirt and some jeans also."
We shopped around for another hour until meeting our photographer at the park for the pictures. Edward helped me pick out numerous pairs of shorts, capri's and jeans along with t-shirts and some dressier shirts along with some skirts, dresses, and work clothes. The back seat and trunk of my car was filled with bags and bags of maternity clothes for me but there were also a few bags for the baby back there. We had stopped at a little baby boutique on the way to the park that caught my eye. Inside we bought a stuffed duckling for the baby, Edward insisted because of my duck collection from my childhood. We also bought a few outfits that neither of us could resist along with a few toys and random items that we would need eventually.
"Hey Bella, how are you feeling today?" Samantha asked as she hugged me gently before shaking Edward's hand. Samantha was a photographer that often freelanced for the Journal occasionally.
"I'm great, Sam. Edward this is Samantha, Sam this is Edward." I said introducing them.
Once the picture was taken Sam immediately let us have the one we picked to upload to our phones so we could send it to all of our family members. We titled it "Sophie Elizabeth is going to be joining the family next year" before sending the picture of Edward and I standing facing each other with our hands joined on our daughter with huge smiles on our faces.
