Chapter Eleven: Feliz Navidad
"I feel like you're abusing the bed rest thing," I said, ripping off another piece of tape and sticking it to the package of pink and white glittery wrapping paper. "I suck at this shit."
Bella laughed from her seat on the couch, lifting her mug of hot chocolate to her lips. She was abusing the bed rest. Her ass wrapped all of five of Little One's small gifts from her perch above me as I was left to the huge fucking boxes of the doll house and other toys.
With everything that had happened, Christmas shopping was left to the last minute. And done online. The boxes were delivered to Charlie's house over the past week, so I picked them up a few hours ago once Sofia went to bed. It was Christmas Eve, and I didn't know how the fuck we were going to get all of this done.
"I'm making bows," she said, picking one up from her lap. "The fact that I get to do it from the couch and not the floor is not my fault."
I rolled my eyes, holding my hand out for it. "Throw me one. I'm calling this baby done. It's covered, right?"
"Covered, yes. Does it look good? Eh." She laughed, tossing me the bow. I stuck it on the top with another piece of tape and then pushed it under the tree, grabbing yet another doll.
Sofia had basically gotten a doll house, dolls, a shit load of clothes, a couple other toys, and a fucking tablet. Seriously. Apparently it was for kids, but I still thought it was a little ridiculous that my five year had gotten a tablet. I was going to be pissed if it didn't have her doing fucking algebra pretty soon."
That might have been a high expectation, though. I'd seen her use her toes to count a few days before. But I mean, she'd gotten the math right.
"You know that if we get to sleep before she wakes up, it'll only be an hour at most," I said, looking at the clock. It was already past two in the morning, and we'd been doing this since eleven. The kid had a lot of shit because Bella had gone a little too happy with the add-to-cart button. "I think she'll be happy, though. I guess I can live with an hour of sleep if she grins like I imagine."
"You know she will." Bella smiled, tying another bow. "It's her last Christmas as an only child, so I want it to be special. I'm really glad your mom understood and went home earlier. Christmas morning should be . . . you know, us."
I nodded. "Yeah, and she gets that. Dad sent me a thank you text once she got home. Pretty sure the old man missed her."
"I feel so badly for disrupting their lives. I know it's not my fault, but she shouldn't give up her time to take care of me. I really hope that Dr. Uley will lift the bed rest when we see her again. I know my placenta hasn't moved, but I can't do nothing for four more months."
"We'll make it work. Look at us now. We managed to get Christmas done while you rested. That's a huge fucking feat."
Unfortunately, Bella's appointment last week had shown no change whatsoever. Her uterus was growing, but the placenta wasn't shifting up. I'd honestly expected the news, but Bella was brokenhearted. Dr. Uley did say she might lift the bed rest if Bella didn't bleed anymore, though. She wouldn't be able to go back to work, but she'd be able to walk around for longer than it took to go to the damn bathroom.
"True," she sighed. "We're going to start planning the nursery next week, so that's something to look forward to, I guess."
"It won't be another pink wonderland." I smirked. "Hell yes for that."
She stopped pouting and let out a quick laugh. Not what I wanted, but that wasn't very funny, either. She was just down right now, and I couldn't blame her. She didn't let it affect her much, though. I knew she was going stir crazy, but she was happy most of the time. I made it my goal to make her laugh as much as possible, though.
. . . . .
Bella and I had managed to finish wrapping just before four in the morning, but we took a little break at one point because our son had been kicking up a storm and I couldn't miss that shit. It was a Christmas miracle that Little One didn't come running into our room until seven-thirty. She was in a panic because she'd slept in longer than she wanted.
We were thrilled, though.
After helping Bella downstairs and getting her settled on the couch, we pulled all the gifts from under the tree — after getting a picture of Sofia with them — and settled in front of the couch. Little One went ape shit on my wrapping job. Clearly, she didn't give a fuck that they weren't expertly wrapped like usual. She loved each gift, even the clothes. Hell, she even tried most of them on in between gifts.
"Oh my god!" she screamed, tearing the wrapping paper off of the dollhouse. "You got it! Yay!"
Bella snapped a picture as we laughed at her excitement. She spent the next ten minutes telling us all about how much she wanted it and how down right fucking incredible it was. Apparently, it was a very special doll house. Why? I had no fucking clue.
"Thank you guys!" she said, throwing her arms around my neck, squeezing the hell out of me. "I love you!"
"I love you too, baby," I chuckled, patting her back. "Mommy's the one who got it, though. I guess Santa couldn't find it, so she pulled some pretty serious strings to get it."
In fact, she out bid someone on eBay and probably crushed another kid's dreams of the dollhouse. That was my girl.
"I take it you're happy?" Bella asked, grinning as Little One climbed up on the couch to hug her.
Sofia nodded. "Yeah! Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome, sweet girl. How about we finish, okay? Remember, Gampy and Ms. Sue are coming over and then we're going to Nana and Pawpaw's house this evening."
"Okay! What one next?"
It took a total of two hours to get through unwrapping everything. It'd have been a hell of a lot less time if Sofia didn't play with everything as she unwrapped it, but that was just how she did things. Each toy and doll deserved some attention, I guess. Once she finished, she gave Bella and I our gifts.
I got a new tie and scrub cap and Bella got another willow tree figurine — which had become a staple gift since our first Christmas together. This was the first time Sofia had given her one, though, and unsurprisingly, it made Bella cry. Probably the hormones, but it was a really sweet gift. My idea, by the way.
"Hmm, what's this?" I asked, smirking as I pulled Bella's gift out of the tree. I'd hidden it up high a few days ago, deep in the branches where she wouldn't see it. "I think it's yours."
I sat down beside her, handing the small box to her as she smiled. "Nice hiding spot," she giggled.
"Even I had to reach to get it, so I knew you wouldn't find it."
She unwrapped it slowly, careful to not tear the paper. Her grin was so fucking wide and tears formed in her eyes as she opened the necklace box. It was a circular amethyst pendant with small diamonds around it. This was all my idea, thank you very much.
"Sofia's birthstone," she said, gently pulling it from the box.
"If our boy comes on time, the diamonds represent his birthstone. I totally thought ahead. Nice, right?"
She laughed softly, nodding as she wiped her tears. "It's perfect, Edward. Help me put it on?"
She passed me the necklace and turned away. I laid the pendant on her chest and quickly clasped it as Little One inspected the piece closely. I knew better than to tell her about it because the kid couldn't keep her mouth shut most of the time. Sometimes, but not usually.
"Merry Christmas, Bella," I said, pressing my lips to hers. "I love you so much."
"I love you, too." She smiled. "Merry Christmas."
. . . . .
After opening the new watch Bella bought for me, we spent the morning playing with Little One and her new toys until she was yawning and ready for a nap. She'd been asleep for an hour before our doorbell rang, signaling Charlie and Sue's arrival. Since they'd made plans to have Christmas dinner with her family, we'd had dinner with them last night and planned for a light lunch today to exchange gifts.
It was different than previous years, but . . . things were changing. I didn't realize exactly how much they'd changed until I walked back into the house, carrying the grocery bags from Charlie's car.
Sue had her left hand out, grinning as Bella held it — her eyes boring into the small diamond settled on Sue's finger. "Oh my god," Bella said, jerking her head up to look at Charlie. "You're getting married?"
Charlie stood there, ringing his hands together as he nodded, smiling nervously. "I asked her last night, Bells. I-I was going to tell you first, but . . . I wasn't plannin' on asking her yet."
He was so fucking nervous as Bella's wide eyes focused on him — her expression blank. Either I was about to get to throw Pornstache out of my house or she was about to start sobbing. My money was on sobbing because, well, she cried a hell of a lot lately.
"I just . . ." Bella started, blinking rapidly. "I'm a little in shock."
"I love your father, Bella," Sue said, holding her hand out for Charlie's. "I never thought I could be so happy again, but I am. He's a kind, generous, and loving man. I want nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with him. I know it's sudden and we caught you off guard, but I hope you can be happy for us. I adore you and your family, and I've loved being a part of it these last few months."
Bella's eyes moved between them as I stood still in the corner of the room, watching her closely. I was kind of pissed he shocked her like this, to be honest. She was fucking pregnant — pregnant with complications. The last thing she needed was to be stressed or upset. But at the same time, I knew it wasn't exactly my place to be pissed at him. He deserved to be happy, and he was.
I put a ring on the woman I loved, after all, and I would have done it whether he or anyone else disapproved.
"I'm not upset," Bella said, shaking her head as her lip curled slightly. "I'm surprised, but . . . if this is what you want, who am I to get mad about it? It's a good thing. I'm really shocked, but happy for you both."
Charlie grinned, his pornstache twitching as he took a few steps closer and leaned down, hugging Bella tightly. "I love you, kiddo. Jesus, that was terrifying." He laughed.
"Congratulations," I said, smiling. "Now, uh . . . what do I do with this shit?"
I held up the bags as Sue laughed, quickly taking them from me. "I guess we got a little sidetracked," she said. "I'll go get lunch started."
"If you put a cutting board on the table for me, I'll help you," Bella said, easing herself up off of the couch. I rushed to her, making sure she was balanced before letting her arm go. "Thanks. Pregnant chick taking a tumble wouldn't be a good Christmas memory."
"Fuck no," I laughed, kissing her cheek. "I'm going to grab Sofia. She'll be sad she missed this."
"I'll grab her," Charlie said as I headed for the stairs. "I need to see my pumpkin."
. . . . .
Little One was fucking thrilled with the engagement news. Hell, she'd already secured her spot as flower girl moments after Charlie and Sue told her. Not that there was any competition, of course. Our lunch was just sandwiches with last night's leftover turkey, but it was fucking delicious.
Once we'd finished eating, Sofia was once again spoiled with more presents than she knew what to do with. It was a nice, easy afternoon for Bella. I was a little worried she'd do too much and wind up bleeding again, but she stayed on the couch or in a chair all afternoon, perfectly compliant with her bed rest limitations.
After saying goodbye to Charlie and Sue, we all finally got dressed and headed to my parents for dinner. It was the first time Bella had gotten out of the house aside from doctor appointments, so she was ecstatic about getting in the fucking car. Little One, on the other hand, was somewhat depressed about leaving all of her new toys, but quickly cheered up once we pulled up to my parents' house.
"Make sure she's careful on the steps, Edward!" Mom called out from the doorway as I held Bella's hand. She was perfectly fine, but . . . my entire family was really fucking nervous for her.
"Mewy Christmas, Nana!" Sofia said, running past us toward her. My mom quickly lifted her up, kissing her cheek. "Isn't my dress pwetty?"
"So pretty, sweetheart. Pawpaw's inside with Ben and Felix. Why you don't go get him?"
Little One nodded as she was placed back on her feet, and then took off running inside. Bella was a little slower than normal, but just so that she could be more careful. Once we got inside, I got her settled on the couch and she had to endure watching football with Dad, Emmett, the boys, and me.
"No beer, Em?" I asked, sitting down beside Bella.
Emmett shook his head, sighing. "Nah, I put myself on call this weekend so everyone else could spent it with their families. I didn't get home this morning until six o'clock. Rose let Ben open a video game to distract him."
"I don't miss that about Edward one bit," Bella said. "He's called in maybe twice a month."
"Lucky bastard."
"Daddy!" Ben yelled, mouth opened wide as he played with Sofia. "I get a dollar!"
"I want a dollar!" Little One said.
I laughed my ass off as Emmett grumbled, pulling two bucks from his wallet and passing them to the kids. Little One's money when I cursed went into a jar for college, but Rosalie made Emmett pay Ben directly each time. Ha.
"I hate you, just so you know," he said, glaring at me as I kept laughing. "So, how does that not-getting-called-in thing work anyway? I thought you didn't want to be out of the OR."
I shrugged. "I have scheduled procedures a few days a week and I get an emergency surgery here and there. Besides that, I mostly work in the ER. I don't mind it, really. The hours are good, so I get to be home almost every evening."
"And I heard Dr. James set his retirement for the end of May," Dad said. "Are you ready to take over the chief of surgery position?"
I grinned, nodding. Fuck, I couldn't wait, actually. I'd worked there for almost four years, waiting for that promise to be fulfilled. I'd worked hard and made many improvements to the surgical department, so I knew I deserved it this time. It wouldn't be passed down to me because of my father. "When he and Dr. Valente told me a few days ago, I couldn't believe it was actually happening. I'm so ready."
"I'm proud of you, son," Dad said. "Of both of you, actually. Emmett, you're doing incredible as my replacement and I know you'll do great too, Edward."
"Thanks," I said.
"I'm still pissed at you for lying to me about the amount of paperwork I'd have, but thank you." Emmett smirked.
. . . . .
Mom broke her biggest, most absolute rule in the world and let everyone eat in the living room so that Bella could stay on the couch. We'd set up the little table in here for kids too, but both Little One and Ben were pissed that they didn't get to sit on the couch. It was quiet, relaxing, and nice.
Bella had a great time with everyone, which I knew she'd missed. And thank fucking god, there weren't any heart attacks or bleeding episodes that seemed to follow our family gatherings. It was the perfect way to spend the holiday.
. . . . .
"Um . . . what about this one?" Sofia asked, laying between Bella and me in bed as she pointed to a name in the book.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Tyler. I like Tyler for my bwother's name."
Bella kissed her head, nodding. "We'll write it down, sweet girl."
It was New Year's Eve and we were all lying in our big bed, passing the time until the clock ticked past midnight by looking at baby names. This was the first year we were letting Sofia stay up for that moment, and I was fucking shocked that it looked like she'd make it. We only had another hour, and she was wide awake.
I was pretty sure Bella had sneaked her sugar or some shit.
"So, what's the list up to now, baby girl?" I asked as she wrote down the newest name.
Whether or not we'd actually pick one of these was beyond me, but I'd already made Bella well aware that his name wouldn't be Edward. Never in a million fucking years.
"Hunter, Miles, Aawon—"
"Aaron," I interrupted her. "I know you can say it if you concentrate."
She huffed, rolling her eyes. "Aa-run. Aaron."
"Good girl."
"Anyway, Aaron, Chase, Owen, and Tyler. What's your favowite, Mommy?"
"I like them all, sweetie." Bella smiled. "I don't know, we might have to wait until we meet him to give him a name."
"Who named me?"
"Kate did," I sighed, holding her a little closer. "Sofia is the perfect name for you, so I'm glad she picked that."
She shrugged. "I wish you picked my name."
"Me too."
"I don't like Kate. I wish I grew in Mommy's belly like my brother is."
She really hadn't expressed much anger about this topic, so I was expecting it at some point. Not tonight, though. I was caught off guard as Bella reached over, squeezing my hand over Little One's shoulder.
"It's normal to feel anger, Sofia," Bella said, smiling sadly down at her. "I know learning about her was big shock to you, but it doesn't change anything."
"Yeah-huh!" she grunted, crumbling up the name list. "You gonna love him more than me. You get to pick out his name and feel him in your tummy. It's not the same. You didn't feel me."
"That doesn't mean she loves you any less," I said. "Remember? You grew in her heart."
"Not the same." She rolled her eyes. "Why do you hafta have another baby? I don't weally want a brother anymore or even a sister. I don't want a baby 'cause you gonna give it a name and it's gonna be more important than me."
"That is not true, Little One." I held her to my chest tighter, but she shrugged me off, crawling down the bed before I could stop her. "Hey, we're talking."
"No." Tears filled her eyes as her bottom lip jutted out. "Don't have the baby."
"We're having him, sweetheart," Bella said, sitting up. "I know it's confusing for you after what we told you, but it doesn't change anything. I swear. We're having another baby because we have so much love. Daddy and I love you the same amount that we'll love your brother. The fact that he's growing in my belly and you didn't . . . the love isn't any different. I won't love him more than you. I was afraid you'd feel this way."
Little One cried as I moved on the bed, wrapping my arms around her before she could try to get away. She tried like I figured she would, but I held her tightly. Fuck, I didn't know how to handle this shit.
"It's okay, baby girl," I said, kissing her head as she cried. "Are you really angry at us for having another baby? Do you really believe we could ever love you less? Do we not love you enough?"
"I don't know!"
"We love you more than words could ever express," Bella said, reaching out to take her hand. "Things will change, but our love for you won't. My love for you can never change. You're my daughter, whether you grew in my belly or not. You're just scared, aren't you?"
Little One nodded against my chest, nuzzling her head against me. My heart was in fucking pieces, aching for my baby girl. I wished we hadn't told her about Kate yet, but lying would have only made this tantrum worse in a few years.
"It's okay to be scared when things change," Bella continued. "I'm scared, you know? I'm so excited for your brother to come, but it's a big change. I know it'll be a great change, though. You will love him so much, and Daddy and I will love both of you the same amount — an amount I could never put into words."
"You wouldn't love me more if I grewed in your tummy?"
She shook her head, smiling. "That's impossible. Do I wish you had? Of course, but we can't change the past. We wouldn't have you — in all of your perfectness — if things were different, and I wouldn't change you for anything in the world."
Little One wiggled out of my arms and crawled over to Bella, embracing her tightly. "I want you to always love me, Mommy."
"I swear to you that I will."
"Have you been worried about that for a while, baby girl?" I asked.
"Kinda." She shrugged. "I know I'm special, but I'm not special like the baby."
"You're both different and special in your own ways. It doesn't make either of you more special than the other. As you get older, you'll understand a little better, and I know that once you meet your brother, you'll love him."
"I do love him. I just . . . I don't know. I'm scawed."
Bella kissed her temple, nodding. "And we're both right here to talk to about your fears. Never hide it from us, okay? Do you feel a little better?"
"I guess so. Can I come with and see him next time you go to the doctor?"
Bella's eyes met mine as she shrugged. "I think that would be a good idea."
"I do, too," I said. "I think you'll really like that, actually. He's pretty cool looking."
Little One smiled. "Will he see me, like when we talk on the camera with people?"
"No, technology isn't that advanced yet," I chuckled. "But when he's born, you can tell him that you got to see him on a monitor in Mommy, okay?"
"That's kinda cool."
Once we got her settled down, we put the baby name book away and turned on some cartoons until about ten minutes 'til midnight. I grabbed the apple juice and wine glasses from downstairs, pouring a little for each of us as we sat on the bed, counting down the clock. Once the ball dropped, I kissed Bella and then gave Sofia a raspberry on her cheek, making her giggle.
"Happy New Year!" she yelled, clanking her glass of apple juice to ours before chugging it.
"Happy New Year, baby girl." I smiled. "This is going to be an incredible year, isn't it?"
"Yep! And next year I'm gonna stay up again because this is awesome!"
Bella and I laughed softly, sharing another kiss. This year would bring our son and our family would be complete. Little One would adjust with time, and I had no doubt that she'd love her brother once she met him. As long as she didn't actually try to trade him for another kid at the hospital, we should be good.
I could see her trying that, though.