Aha, so believe it or not, here I am with another chapter already.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. I also know very little details about history so well, if it's not correct, sorry.

And thanks, as always, to everyone that reviewed. (: Since I have a lot of the next chapter written, I'll send teasers to everyone who reviews this chapter.

Chapter Ten.

Esme was thrilled to hear the news. As soon as Carlisle told her she threw her arms around me. "Oh! Bella! This is so amazing!"

I was still reeling from it all, but I managed to nod anyway.

"I'm so happy for you. And Edward."

Edward. His name made my chest tighten, and I put an arm around my ribcage, like I was trying to hold myself together or something.

Esme's smile turned to concern. "Bella...? Are you okay, dear?"

I nodded. "Yeah..I'm just...overwhelmed."

She nodded understandingly.

"What's going on...?" Rosalie asked, walking into the dinning room, where we were all sitting.

I hadn't even heard her come in. She looked at us, weary. I wasn't sure if we looked happy, shocked, or sad.

Carlisle glanced at me. "Bella's expecting."

Rosalie turned sharply to stare at me. "What? A baby?"

I nodded weakly. I felt terrible, remembering what Rosalie had told me. She and Emmett wouldn't be able to have a baby. And now both Alice and I were. I couldn't imagine how hard that would be, and as her face ran through a ton of different expressions, I wanted to reach out and say something to her. Make her feel better, somehow, anyway I could.

Her face finally settled into an expression I couldn't really read. "I'm happy for you, Bella," she said in a quiet voice. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Rosalie," I said, softly.

She reached up to brush her hair out of her face, and I noticed her hand was trembling a bit. "I, uh, I think I left something cooking at home. I should run back and check."

I knew she needed an out, so I nodded that she should go.

Esme looked confused for a second, but agreed. "Oh, go ahead, dear. You're coming for dinner, though, right Rosalie?"

"Of course, Esme."

I smiled at her, gently as she left, hoping to convey that I understood. Maybe not what she was going through, but that she needed a minute to herself.

When she returned, just in time for dinner, she looked better, her hair pulled up neatly into a bun, and her face composed. While Esme and Alice set the table, she came over to me and hugged me. "I really am happy for you, Bella. Really."

I was ready to cry all over again as I hugged her back. "Thanks, Rose."

"I bet you can't wait to tell Edward," she said matter of factly.

I shook my head. "Not...really. I mean, I am. I just...this is big news. I wish I didn't have to tell him through a letter. I wish it was in person, just the two of us..."

She nodded in understanding. "Well, who knows. It's not like you have to write him right this second."

What was with the Cullen woman and believing that everything would work out? I wondered if when I was around longer, if I would be the same way. I hoped so.

---

I was putting off writing Edward. I knew I should write him and tell him about the baby, but even as I sat down and tried to write, the words just wouldn't come out right. How could you tell someone something so big, so important, so life changing, over a letter? I couldn't find the words, couldn't make them come out right.

And as for me...it still hadn't sunk in. I was still having morning sickness, a lot of morning sickness. Not to mention 'every other time of the day sickness' and I didn't feel like eating much of anything. Carlisle had assured me that it would go away pretty soon, and that day couldn't come soon enough. But even though that was so real, it still seemed like a dream, not something that was really happening.

"Are you ready to go?" Alice asked, coming up behind me, shrugging into a purple sweater that matched her white dress with liliac colored flowers. In her hand was her letter to Jasper.

"Just a second," I said, stuffing my letter into the envelope, and licking the seal. I wrote letters to Edward everyday, and like every other letter since I found out about the baby, I hadn't said anything about it. Instead I wrote about how Alice was doing, how Rosalie and his parents, and my parents were doing-I hadn't told them about the baby yet, either. I talked about the weather-rainy-and how much I missed him, and wished he was here.

I grabbed my brown coat, and put the letter into my pocket. I linked arms with Alice, and we walked out into the light, drizzling rain, for our daily walk to the post office. It wasn't far, and it was good exercise for both of us, especially Alice.

"Would you rather have a boy or a girl?" Alice asked, suddenly, as we walked.

I was surprised for a second, we hadn't really talked about my baby thus far. "Oh. A boy, I guess."

"Really." She sounded surprised.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I want a boy, just...you know, in case," I bit my lip, because I hated thinking like that...

She nodded in understanding. "I think I'm having a boy. I just...I have this feeling," she smiled. Alice was always having 'feelings'.

I smiled, because I hoped she had a boy for the same reason I wanted one.

"Does Jasper want a boy?"

She bobbed her head. "Oh, yes! I mean, he told me he'd be happy with a girl too, of course, but I can tell he really wants a boy."

"I wonder if Edward would want a boy or a girl," I mused. We had only been married for two weeks, we had never really gotten into the subject of kids. We had talked about how we wanted some, of course, but never how many, or when, or anything like that.

She shrugged. "He probably would tell you he just wants a healthy baby, and it doesn't matter."

I smiled. "Probably." That did sound like Edward.

"Have you told him yet?"

I shook my head. "No. Not yet. I will soon," I promised. "It's still a long while before it's born, I have plenty of time to tell him."

She looked indifferent, even though I knew she thought I should just tell him, at the same time she understood why I didn't want to yet. She rubbed her hands over her stomach and smiled.

I looked at her questioningly, and she grabbed my hand and put it over her stomach. "He's kicking."

I could feel the movement under my hand, a little nudge against Alice's stomach, and my hand, and a smile tugged at my lips. There was a baby in her, a real baby, that was about to be born. Just like there was a baby in me. A little tiny, but beautiful and perfect baby.

Edward's baby.

It hit me then. Really hit me. I was going to be a mother. Edward was going to be a father. We were going to have a baby. A he or she, because I couldn't be like Alice and just decide it was a he or she, at least, not yet, that would be just...perfect.

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I laughed a bit-because they were tears of joy-and I felt a few run down my cheeks, but I didn't brush them away.

Alice was staring at me. "What's wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing!" I cried. "Nothing. I'm having a baby."

She looked at me like I was crazy.

"I'm really having a baby. There is a baby inside me."

"Yes?"

"I just realized it...for the first time. It's...it's real."

A smile spread across her face, and she hugged me. "Yes, it is real!" she agreed, and she laughed. "It's amazing, isn't it?"

I nodded, still crying. I put a hand across my stomach.

I already love you. I don't know how I can already love you, but I do. I love you so much.

Alice started crying too, and we cried and laughed together. Finally we pulled ourselves together-mostly because the rain was really coming down now, and we finished our walk to the post office. We handed our letters over to Jessica Newton, who was working at the post office while her husband, Mike was overseas too.

"Oh, hey!" she announced. "You two have letters!" She held one out to each of us, and I felt my heart leap as I all but ripped it out of her hand.

I saw Edward's handwriting on the front, and it was all I could do not to start crying again. I ripped it open, because I knew I could never wait until we got home. I pulled the letter out, my heart a lump in my throat as I read his wonderful handwriting, reading his words, touching the paper that he had touched. I scanned the letter first, some words jumping out at me.

I have great news. I'm coming home. Not for good, I'm afraid, love. But for two whole weeks. Two whole weeks I get to be with you. I'll be home on the twentieth. I love you more than anything. I can't wait to see you, Bella.

He was going to be home. In just a week and a half. Just ten days.

I burst into tears again.

I'm sorry if it's really cliche...but that's kind of the point, I guess.