Happy Sunday! We officially hit 200 reviews last chapter!
*cue pompoms* tff000 you were the 200th reviewer :)

I tried to get to as many reviews as possible, but if
I missed you, I'm very sorry! Each and every review means
so very much to me, so thank you.

***IMPORTANT***
As you'll probably know, alerts have been messing up for
a week or so now. If you haven't already, please go back and
make sure you've read chapter 8 before reading this one, or it
won't make a lot of sense lol.

Big thank yous to SunflowerFran and
annaharding for all their hard work and general
awesomeness.

~ oOo ~

All the familiar characters, of course, belong to
Stephenie Meyer. The originals are all mine.

~ oOo ~

Summary: Happily Ever After; it's a lovely concept. Bella
is ready to embrace it after twelve years in captivity. Finally
home with her family, she wants to live a quiet life with the
ones she loves most, but they're not alone looking for happy
endings in the wake of her captor's demise. Big questions still
go unanswered. The past may be behind them, but that doesn't
mean it can't catch up.

Promises to Keep

Chapter Nine

Ten weeks later ~ December 20th, 2019

"Marley Rosalie Swan! Get your butt down here, or I'm tossing out all your Christmas presents!"

"Mamma?"

Bella felt a tug on the hem of her t-shirt; she looked down at Bodhi. "Yeah, baby?"

He frowned. "Is Santa n-not bringing our p-presents?"

Shit. Running a hand through her hair, Bella huffed. "Of course, he is. I, ummm, I—"

"Where are my shoes, Mamma?" Marley yelled, saving Bella from having to think of something to get out of the hole she'd dug herself.

"Bodhi, sweetheart, please can you grab your jacket? We'll talk about Santa later, okay?"

"'Kay, Mamma."

"Praise Jesus for a kid that listens," Bella sighed, leaning back against the wall as Bodhi sprinted off into the kitchen where he'd left his coat after they walked the dog earlier. Marley clomped to the top of the stairs, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she huffed and threw her hands in the air.

"I can't find them anywhere!" she cried.

"Marley, I'm sure they're here somewhere. Have you checked the hall closet?"

"Yes!"

"All right, Marley. That's it with the attitude. Just…put some shoes on and get down here, please. We're already late."

Marley stomped off toward her room, the door slamming behind her.

Today of all days, Bella needed her daughter to be in a less confrontational mood and for Edward to be on time.

However, Marley had woken up on the wrong side of the bed and been in a foul mood ever since, and Edward had gotten stuck in traffic on his way back from an early meeting and was still trying to get home with only ten minutes until they needed to be leaving for an important appointment.

Even as she rummaged through the under-stairs cupboard in search of Marley's shoes five minutes later, because her daughter absolutely refused to wear anything other than her beloved purple Converse, Bella couldn't stifle the smile that curled her lips at the thought of today's meeting.

Today, she and Rosalie were finding out whether they were having boys or girls. They were due just one day apart, with Rosalie due May 11th and Bella, May 10th, and they'd booked in to have their gender scans the same afternoon. Now eighteen weeks pregnant, they were both far enough along for the sonographer to be able to tell if they were carrying boys or girls. Everyone was taking bets – so far, Rosalie was tipped to have a girl, while everyone was adamant that Bella's baby was a boy.

Both women were just pleased to be carrying healthy babies.

By the time Edward arrived home, a full half-hour late, Bella was frazzled and ready to crawl back into bed for the rest of the day. The forty-minute drive out to the clinic in Heathfield didn't appeal at all after having to put Marley in time-out twice and informing her that she was grounded from the second they got home for her poor attitude.

"Oh, finally," Bella grumbled when Edward walked through the front door.

"Sorry, sorry," he rushed out, tossing his bag and jacket on the rack before taking the stairs two at a time. "Give me two minutes to get changed, mi amore!"

Bella settled the dogs with bones, both of them happy to chill out after their long walk earlier in the morning, then rounded up the children and loaded them into the car. Edward took just long enough getting changed that Bella was starting to get annoyed when he ran out of the house toward the car.

She should have been excited to find out if the baby kicking her bladder at all hours and causing funny flutters in her belly at inopportune times, like when she was sleeping, was a boy or a girl.

Instead, she was exhausted and wanted to fall into bed with a tub of ice cream and Jeremy Kyle on the TV. Nothing cured stress better than watching other people's drama or seeing Jeremy give a particularly rude guest a dressing-down for their behaviour.

"I really am sorry, Bella," Edward murmured as he pulled off the driveway, steering them toward the bypass that would lead them to the clinic.

"I know," she sighed, bumping her head back against the headrest and closing her eyes. "I'm just...tired."

As they stopped at a red light, Edward quickly leaned over and rested his lips against her bump; it was huge. She wasn't even halfway through yet, but Bella's baby was measuring bigger than average on almost everything, her bump jutting out almost as far at just eighteen weeks than it had at thirty-six weeks when she gave birth to Marley. Undernourished as she was, Bella's bump been small for a few weeks shy of full-term with her daughter, but the same sized bump was large for just eighteen weeks. She'd been big with Bodhi, too, but not quite this big, and especially not so early.

It was for this reason that everyone was betting the baby within was a boy, and that Rosalie's much smaller, but still cute, bump was housing a girl.

"Hey, son. Be good to Mamma, okay? She needs to get some sleep, so she's less cranky—"

"Hey!" Bella cried, shaking her head as Edward righted himself and laughed, setting off again.

"What? It's true. You're cranky when you don't get enough sleep. Right, kids?"

"Right, Daddy!" Marley agreed with a cheeky snicker.

"Mamma, I d-don't think you're c-cranky."

Bella turned her head to offer Bodhi a smile and a wink. "Thanks, baby boy. For that, you can have a McFlurry on the way home, and stinky Marley and Daddy won't have any."

"Yay!" Bodhi did a fist-pump; he'd clearly been spending too much time with his Uncle Emmett.

Thanks to her phone being hooked up to the car speakers, Marley and Bodhi got to cheer 'hellos' to Rosalie when she called a little while later to check that they were on their way.

"Yeah, we're about ten minutes away. Right, Edward?"

Edward nodded, "Right. We'll be there soon. Have you guys parked?"

"Yeah. We're parked just down the street though, so keep an eye out for Em's car. We're outside the dentist place, because the car park was, and I quote, 'too goddamn tiny.'"

"Ooh, Aunt Rose said a bad word, Mamma!" Marley giggled. "You've gotta pay the swear jar, Aunt Rose!"

"Sorry, Mars! But you need to hit up Uncle Em for swear jar money, sweetheart. I was just repeating what he said."

"Mamma, does that count?"

Bella shook her head 'no.' "Nope. That's not how it works, and you know it, Ro."

"Darn. Okay," Rosalie laughed, "I'll owe you a pound when you get here, okay?"

"'Kay, Aunt Rose!" Marley sang, pleased with herself.

"All right, well I'll let you go. See you soon!"

"Yep. See you soon."

~ oOo ~

"Whoa! Your baby has grown loads!"

Everyone cracked up at Marley's stunned outburst.

Thanks to Charlie and Peter having recently renovated the sonographer's home, they'd managed to get around the usual two-guest rule and had been given the biggest room in the building so everyone would fit.

Rosalie was first up on the table, with Emmett in the chair beside her. Then Bella, Edward, Charlie, Peter, Esme, Carlisle, Marley, and Bodhi had piled in after them, much to the amusement of the sonographer. There wasn't enough room for everyone to sit, but a spare chair had been pulled in for Bella, and Bodhi had immediately climbed onto her lap so he could see the screen.

As Kylie moved the wand over Rosalie's bump, trying to find the best shots of her baby, Marley couldn't contain her surprise at how much Rosalie's baby had grown since she accompanied Rosalie and Emmett to their twelve-week scan.

"Yeah, little missy," Emmett chuckled, ruffling Marley's hair even though he couldn't pull his eyes from his baby on the screen. "She's grown a whole lot, huh?"

"Still betting on a girl?" Rosalie whispered, teary-eyed but smiling wide.

"Sure am. She's beautiful, just like her mummy."

There were titters of laughter around the room; Emmett's American accent was slowly fading away, his words coming out sounding more British every day.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense, Kylie," Peter chuckled, reaching out to squeeze Emmett's shoulder as he waved a hand at her. "Put us out of our misery."

Kylie's dark brown eyes were full of twinkly-eyed happiness as she moved the wand around a little bit, showing them a perfect profile as she met Rosalie and Emmett's gaze in turn. "I'm very pleased to tell you…"

Everyone sucked in their breath, waiting.

"You're having a boy! Congratulations, Mummy and Daddy! You were wrong. Baby McCarty is most definitely a boy."

"Oh…" Emmett breathed, tears tumbling over his cheeks as his smile widened.

"A boy? Are you sure?" Rosalie laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh my God, he's going to be so mad at us! We've been calling him a girl for weeks now!"

Congratulations, hugs, and kisses were passed to the overjoyed parents as Kylie took the necessary measurements. Marley turned to her mamma and sternly informed her that her baby 'better be a girl.'

Kylie laughed as Bella and Rosalie switched places, the latter clutching a handful of pictures of her baby boy. "You know, sweetheart, your mummy doesn't get to choose."

Marley shrugged, "I've been wishing. You know, like how you always say, Mimi? On the big, bright star?"

Esme beamed and blew a kiss to Marley. "You're right, baby girl. But you know, babies are the only ones who get to choose if they're a boy or a girl. And even if it's a boy and you're getting another baby brother, it's extra special because that baby boy has chosen you to be his big sister. It's a very important job, being a big sister to a brother, and you do such a good job with Bodhi."

Marley visibly puffed up with pride, the adults in the room laughing lightly at her beaming grin. "I guess it's okay if the baby's a boy, Mamma. Mimi's right – I am very good at being a big sister to this little brother, so I can do it again."

Bodhi squealed and giggled when Marley leaned over to blow a raspberry on his cheek, the entire room delighting in the sweet bond the siblings shared. As Kylie smeared the cool jelly on her stomach, then began wiggling the wand around to get the shots she needed, Bella sucked in a deep breath and wondered if this baby would feel the same bond with Marley and Bodhi as they shared with one another.

Edward had taken Emmett's seat, but he called Marley and Bodhi over and lifted the little boy onto his lap while Marley stretched up on her tiptoes to see the screen better. "Look; that's your baby brother."

Marley and Bodhi let out twin sighs of awe, their smiles wide as Kylie pointed out their baby sibling's waving hand.

"Oh, Daddy he's w-waving at us!"

"Yeah, tesoro," Edward breathed, "he sure is."

"Edward…" Bella warned with raised eyebrows. "We don't know 'he' is a he."

All eyes expectantly turned to Kylie. She was wearing a small, secretive smile.

Just as it had been when they were waiting to hear the gender of Rosalie and Emmett's baby, the air in the room was tense and saturated with excited anticipation. Edward's heart raced in his chest as he held Bodhi with one hand and twined his free fingers with Bella's. As much as he'd joked about being sure the baby was a boy, he really didn't mind. He loved Marley and Bodhi equally, and this baby would be exactly the same whether it was a he or a she.

"Oh, the anticipation is killing me!" Esme whispered loudly, earning a round of chuckles.

"All right, shall I put you out of your misery, too?"

Bella looked around at all the expectant faces. Edward looked close to tears, just as he had been through every scan so far. Marley and Bodhi were all-but vibrating with excitement, much like Esme, who was being held down by Carlisle; Bella was sure she'd have bounced clean through the ceiling with excitement without his gentle hold around her waist.

Rosalie and Emmett were still riding the high of finding out that they were having a boy. Bella couldn't be more excited for them as a couple and as her best friends.

Peter was grinning as he nudged Charlie with his elbow. They'd been the ones to instigate the betting ring surrounding the babies' genders, and so far, Peter was winning. If this baby turned out to be a boy, they'd be even and cancel out each other's bets.

Whether this baby was a boy or a girl wasn't important to Bella. What mattered was that he or she would be loved beyond measure, and with the family they had around them, Bella knew she didn't need to worry about that. This baby would know just as much love as his or her older siblings.

With a beautiful, calm smile, Bella nodded at Kylie. "Yes, please."

For dramatic effect, Kylie held a deep breath, her grin a million miles wide as she blew it out in one big rush and said, "It looks like Little Man McCarty is going to have a built-in best bud from the start. Your little guy is, indeed, a little guy. Congratulations."

~ oOo ~

Hours later, everyone was still basking in the high of the joyous news when Edward grinned down at his phone. "Riley's calling."

Charlie quickly shut off the TV, Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett halting their conversation.

"Hey, man," Edward answered, holding the phone up so Riley could see his face.

"Edward." The expectant look on Riley's face told Edward exactly why he'd called. "Come on then. Am I about to become a rich man?"

There were chuckles all-round as Edward told him to check his phone in a moment. They all heard the beep once Bella had sent him the photo she'd posed for right after they returned from the clinic. She and Rosalie had prepared ahead of time, buying long-sleeved white t-shirts and paint in two colours – pink and blue – so they could do the gender announcement they'd seen and loved on Pinterest some weeks beforehand.

A litany of curses spewed from Riley's grin as he slapped his free hand on his desk and shook his head. "Well, damn."

The photo Bella had sent was pretty telling. It was of her and Rosalie standing side-by-side, with Emmett and Edward standing behind their respective partners. Their hands were wound around their bumps, joined at the front to create a heart shape over their belly buttons. Underneath was the same photo again, except they'd pulled their hands away to reveal their paint-coloured palms and blue handprints on the white t-shirts.

Riley had bet both babies would be girls, so he was now a hundred dollars down, but didn't look the least bit upset about it when Edward turned the phone toward the women sitting on the other sofa. They were sitting at either end with their feet up and tangled together in the middle, Sammy squeezed into the gap behind their legs.

"Congratulations, ladies!"

"Thank you, Riley!" they trilled in unison with bright smiles.

"How'd the little ones take the news? I know Mars was hoping for a girl."

"They're happy," Bella promised. "Marley was appeased when Esme reminded her she can play dress-up and hairdresser with Poppy's Chloe."

"Ah, that's all right then."

They chatted about their pregnancies and Riley's busy life out in New York for a while, then, after a brief pause, Riley cleared his throat and admitted he had another reason for calling.

"So, I've got news of my own."

Everyone sat up a little straighter, responding to the sudden seriousness of his tone and expression.

"It's nothing bad, just thought I'd tell you now rather than leave it until after Christmas."

"All right, come on then. Out with it," Edward said with a sigh, raking a hand through his hair.

"I looked into Lucien's business like you asked. All above board and he's definitely who he says he is. He's got the residence over here and the one he mentioned to you just outside of London. No previous marriages or other children. Everything adds up."

"All right. Thank you. What else? I'm assuming that's not it," Bella called, trying to speed past the subject of Paul. Everyone, including her, was still fuming with him for his no-show a couple of months previous. His reason had been he was stuck in unexpected meetings, but it hadn't gone down well with anyone. Bodhi especially, who'd refused to play with him when he visited the following week and had insisted Bella take him home after just fifteen minutes. Their subsequent visits had been better, but Paul still wasn't completely forgiven.

Riley chuckled, admitting, "No, that's not all. I've had a team working on tracking down Remi Wilson. We've found his previous address, so I sent a couple of men to check it out. He's not there, but his son and daughter are. You were right, Edward – the man's sick. He's…well, to put it bluntly, he doesn't have long left. A year, maybe, but probably less according to his kids. Bowel cancer spread to his liver and lungs. He's in a hospice, just, waiting…"

Nobody needed him to clarify what he was waiting for. The man was undoubtedly very sick, which was exactly what they'd deduced from the wording of his letter and the look of him in the photo he'd sent.

Bella blew out a long breath and ran her hands over her bump, feeling for her son's foot when he landed a solid kick against her touch. "So…what do we do? Do we write back? I'm assuming they gave you the details of the hospice where he's staying?"

"Yeah, Bells, they did. He's in Washington, or Seattle, to be exact." Riley huffed, scowling. "It seems he comes from there originally, and I guess he got tangled up with Smith at some point. I can't find a lot of information on him, to be honest, although we'll keep looking."

"I told the son and daughter that Wilson had written to an old acquaintance, and you were looking for him to respond, but I didn't tell them who it was or why he'd contacted you. I wanted to leave that up to you. I mean, obviously, you can leave it there if you want to. There's no obligation to respond at all, if that's what you want. God knows, the piece of shit doesn't deserve your time."

"No, he doesn't," Bella agreed, sharing a loaded look with Rosalie. "But we deserve an apology. A proper one, not a half-assed letter."

"What are you thinking, Bells?" Charlie asked with obvious trepidation.

Bella breathed out a long sigh and offered him a smile laced with an expression of regret. "You're not going to like it."

Charlie was shaking his head 'no' before she'd even finished speaking. "No, Bells. Not happening. You want to go see him?"

Riley hissed through the phone. "Shit, Bells…really? Rose? What do you think?"

Despite her nerves, Rosalie had made Bella a promise. One she wasn't going to back out on now. "I'm in. I'm with Bella – we should go. We deserve to look him in the eye and make him realise what he's done, Riley."

"Fucking hell, girls!" Charlie growled, throwing himself out of his chair to pace a circuit around the room. "You've gotta be kidding me! You're both pregnant, for Christ's sake!"

"We can still fly right up until thirty-six weeks, Dad—"

"Bella," Edward interrupted gently. "I know you technically can fly up until then, but both little sweet and tesoro were born at thirty-six weeks. It would be really-fucking-risky to leave it that late, just in case."

Throwing her hands in the air, Bella huffed, "Well, we'll go sooner, then! Riley, how soon could you arrange for us to pay this guy a visit?"

"Realistically? As soon as you want. And from speaking to his kids, it seems like the sooner, the better."

Nobody spoke for a while. Everyone took some time to just absorb the news and the decision Bella and Rosalie had made. Emmett was supportive when they'd initially discussed the possibility of visiting Wilson, but that was before they'd known Rosalie was pregnant. The baby boy growing in her uterus negated his reasoning that he could protect her from anything this guy said. The idea that his innocent baby would have to be there, would have to be within feet of this sick fuck, made Emmett uncomfortable.

"Why don't we just…all take a couple of days to think it over?" Carlisle suggested gently from the window seat. "We can work out a plan of action if you two are serious about going and discuss everyone's concerns."

Everyone agreed that Carlisle's suggestion was a good one, so Riley said 'goodbye,' and they left him to his work, the room quiet as they all mulled over the unexpected twist to the evening.

"I think we're going to head home," Esme said softly, rising from her spot beside Carlisle to kiss Bella's head, then Rosalie's. "We'll see you tomorrow. Around nine?"

Bella nodded, her smile grateful. "Yes, please. We're meeting Paul at the park at half past."

"We'll be here at nine, then."

She and Carlisle went around giving out their 'goodbye' hugs and kisses, closely followed by Peter, Rosalie, and Emmett. By the time it was just Bella, Edward, and Charlie left, Bella's yawns were woefully close together, and her back was aching enough that she couldn't bear to sit still any longer.

"I need to walk around a little bit," she murmured when Edward shot her a quizzical look. "My back's killing me."

His gaze was soft and sympathetic as he got to his feet, gently kneading her lower back and resting his forehead against hers. "You've had a long day, mi amore. Come with me; I'll run you a warm bath and then we can get an early night. Sound good?"

Bella sighed, leaning in to peck at Edward's lips. "Sounds perfetto." Turning to her dad, she asked, "Do you need the bathroom at all?"

"No, no," He waved a hand dismissively, looking lost in thought. "Go ahead. I'll be up a while yet, anyway."

Seeing the look on Charlie's face and the anxiety in his eyes, Bella felt a flood of guilt for putting this extra weight on his shoulders. Five days before Christmas, and on a celebratory day like today, everyone should be happy and relaxed – winding down for the holidays.

Instead, they would all be worrying about this 'should we-shouldn't we' trip Bella and Rosalie were adamant they take.

As Edward gently led her upstairs, sitting her on the closed toilet lid while he ran the bath, Bella felt a tear roll over her cheek.

"Bella! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Edward fell to a crouch in front of her, brushing the tear away with his thumb, a concerned knot bunching his eyebrows. "Bella…talk to me, please."

"I just…God, this is so ridiculous, isn't it? Wanting to go and meet this Wilson man, I mean." Her watery eyes moved down to the bump jutting out from her mid-section. "Am I insane?"

"Bella, I…" Edward reached up to tug at his hair. It was a mess and still bore traces of glitter from his arty session with the kids that afternoon. "Look, I won't lie to you. I don't understand why you need to go see him."

"Edward—"

"Wait, wait," Edward interrupted, smiling apologetically. "I may not understand it, but if we can work out a way to get this done and go, safely, I'll support your decision. That's not to say I like it, because, hell…I don't. Not one bit. To be honest, it screams of panic attacks and setbacks. But, if this is what it takes to give you peace of mind…" he breathed a long sigh, emerald eyes troubled but defeated. "Then that's what we'll do, and you'll have me at your side the entire damn time."

At almost five months pregnant and more than a little overwhelmed by the day's events, it was no surprise to Edward or Bella that she immediately burst into floods of tears, throwing herself into his arms.

"Th-thank you, Hubs. I d-don't know what I'd do without y-you!" she sobbed against his shoulder, all the excitement and shock and worries of the day overflowing in torrents of tears. Edward chuckled softly, brushing a hand over her soft, chocolate tresses and down her back; he repeated the gesture over and over until she was calm enough to sit back and face him again.

"I'm sorry," Bella murmured shakily, pulling some tissue from the roll beside the toilet to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. "Pregnancy sure isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Edward grinned that crooked, double-dimpled smile Bella loved the most. "Are you okay now?" She nodded, so he asked, "Do you still want that bath?"

The tub was half-full already and the bubbles he'd added smelled divine – too nice to resist – so Bella nodded again and let Edward gently strip off her clothes, his touch tender and sweet as he peppered her cheeks with kisses before helping her climb in. The water felt glorious, and as soon as she sank down the ever-present ache in her back from carrying such a large bump began to abate.

Edward laughed at the blissful sigh that escaped Bella's lips as she rested her head back against the towel he folded and tucked between her neck and the wall. "Good, mi amore?"

"Amazing," she groaned. With her eyes closed, Bella didn't see the way the sound went straight to Edward's groin, his chest heaving with a silent sigh.

It didn't help that it had been almost a week since they'd been together. As Bella's bump ballooned, so did her insecurities. Her obstetrician had commented on her large size at every appointment, which hadn't helped, but did prove it wasn't just Bella noticing how big she was already. The baby himself was on the bigger side, too – long and chunky, according to Kylie at the scan earlier in the day. He was showing all the signs of being just as big as his dad, which was a good sign in terms of his strength and health, but not so great for Bella. Already, at only eighteen weeks, he was taking his toll on her petite frame and the way she thought she looked.

To Edward, there was no sight more beautiful than his amore, rounded and glowing as she nurtured their unborn son. Now that the morning sickness was more limited to mornings and evenings, she'd managed to get her appetite back and was looking healthier than ever. A glorious late summer had given her skin a sun-kissed glow, and the weight she'd gained only exaggerated the curves Edward loved so much.

His hands constantly itched to touch, his eyes forever roaming over her whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Recently, if Bella caught him staring, she'd cover up or become self-conscious, so he'd become adept at ogling her while she was busy helping Bodhi cut up his lunch, or when she was plaiting Marley's hair after her before-bed bath. Despite the winter chill, Bella was forever complaining about the heat only she could feel, and she'd taken to wearing the lightest clothes possible. To Edward's delight, this often included jersey shorts and thin dresses.

The light splashing of Bella washing herself brought Edward back to the present. He bit the inside of his cheek to stifle a whiny groan as she used the sponge to lather herself, her honey-toned skin glistening in the bathroom lights.

"I'm—Uh, I'm gonna go…check on the kids."

Bella frowned but quickly plastered a smile across her face, nodding and refusing to meet his gaze. "Okay."

Edward all-but ran down the hall from the bathroom, cursing under his breath as he tried to get himself under control. Not so long ago, he'd have made a joke about her being wet, and they'd have shared the bath, likely making a big mess like they had many times. Now, though…it was all Edward could do to bite his tongue. He hated that Bella felt less than beautiful, because to him, she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and he hated that whenever he complimented her, she got uncomfortable and assumed he was lying to make her feel better.

Sucking in a deep breath, he quietly let himself into the children's room and smiled. Marley and Bodhi had insisted on a 'sleepover,' both of them making a nest in the bottom of their teepee tent in the corner when Edward had brought them to bed. They were still there, fast asleep and curled around one another with Mr. Eddie and Mr. Teddy snug between them.

Without waking them, Edward crept closer and managed to snap a photo, unable to stifle the swell of pride as he gazed down at his babies. They were beyond beautiful; their sweet little faces were relaxed in sleep, and they were holding each other's hands, their bond undeniable even when they were unconscious.

Fleetingly, as he settled himself on the carpet leaning against Bodhi's bed just to watch them for a little while, Edward wondered if the little boy Bella currently carried would share such a strong bond with his half-brother and -sister. Of course, he hoped they would be just as close. Their enormous extended, blended family was already proof that blood wasn't necessarily everything.

Gazing at Marley and Bodhi, their similarities were surprisingly few and far between – in appearance, anyway. Marley had long, wavy, chocolate locks while Bodhi's head was topped with tight golden curls. They shared the same eye colour, their mother and grandfather's gorgeous sea-blue, both sets framed by enviably long lashes, but Bodhi's were almond-shaped – a gift from his biological father – while Marley's were round and guileless, set in her mother's heart-shaped face.

As Marley fidgeted in her sleep, Bodhi shifting slightly to accommodate her movement, they stretched out alongside each other. Edward shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck. They were both getting so big; overnight, it seemed. Having met Paul and seen him in person, Edward knew both Marley and Bodhi had inherited his height. Even though Marley had her mother's petite frame, she was already taller than a lot of girls in her class. And Bodhi…Edward grinned, seeing Charlie in his stocky grandson. He'd seen plenty of photos of Charlie as a kid, and Bodhi was him made-over.

Huffing out a long breath, Edward decided to stop worrying so much. Marley and Bodhi, despite their different appearances, were both the most loving children. How could he doubt that they'd be anything other than their usual, adorable, affectionate selves, regardless of the fact that their new brother would have Edward's blood running through his veins?

As you may know, Pinky Promises is in the running to win Top Ten Fics of 2017 over at the TwiFanfictionRecs site! You can vote once a day, so make sure you vote for all your faves.

Also...to my absolute shock, Pinky Promises has been nominated in TWO categories in the TwiFic Awards - Favourite Potential Bestseller and Favourite MY EMOTIONS fic
Promises to Keep has been nominated in the Favourite 5Ever Fic category
and I've been nominated in the Favourite Newbie Author category!

It's madness! Thank you so very much to whoever nominated! It's an amazing honour and a total rush to see my name and my stories amongst some of the greats. The first round of voting is now closed, but check back again on Saturday to see the second round. Again, you can vote once a day for your favourites, so make your votes count!

Have a great week, everyone xo