I don't own Twilight.

For Sue, Anne, and Mary.

Delivery

Before I knew it, a nurse appeared and told me the operating room was ready, and I'd be taken to surgery shortly.

"Do you want me to be in the OR with you?" Esme asked.

The nurse cleared her throat. "Per hospital policy, only one guest is permitted into the operating room..."

Without saying a word, Esme flashed the ID badge hanging from a lavalier around her neck.

"...but of course, that doesn't apply to guests who are also on staff as attending physicians."

"Do you want me there with you?" Esme repeated.

"Yes, please," I said, nodding. "I couldn't imagine doing this without my mother."

"I couldn't imagine letting you." She smiled. "I'll go get changed and meet you down there."

She gave my hand a quick squeeze then left with Liam.

Once they were gone, the nurse continued what I assumed was her standard spiel. "As you are aware, this is a teaching hospital. Are you comfortable with medical students observing your surgery?"

I looked over at Edward.

"It's entirely up to you," he said.

"That's fine," I told her.

"All right, then. An orderly will be in to escort you to the operating room shortly." She looked at Edward. "Make sure you bring all of your things with you; you won't be coming back to this room. Do either of you have any questions before I go?"

I shook my head.

"In that case, good luck!"

She hurried off, leaving me alone with Edward.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

My tears came hard and fast, and I was powerless to stop them.

"Oh, Bella." He fingers brushed my wet cheek. "What is it?"

"Nothing. Everything. I don't even know how to explain it. I mean, I knew I'd end up with a c-section. Around here that's just as it is. And though general anesthesia terrifies me, so does the idea of being cut open while I'm awake. How will I not be able to feel it?"

"You won't; I promise." He threaded his fingers through mine. "You're going to be fine. In addition to the usual staff, you're going to have my mom and me with you. Nothing is going to go wrong; I won't let it."

And he didn't.

Granted, I was so flipped out I offered the anesthesiologist a blow job if he made sure I didn't feel anything. Then I found out he'd been Carlisle's raquetball partner, and I wanted to die. The needle he proceeded to give me in my back did make me lose all feeling from my shoulders down. It did not, however, do anything to ease my mortification.

They positioned me on the table and positioned drapes so I couldn't see anything.

Edward touched my face. "It's better this way; trust me."

"How many medical students are in here?"

"Three," Esme said, peeking over the drape.

"They're female, I presume?"

"Surprisingly, they're all male."

"They can see my vag, can't they?" I sighed. "My pussy hasn't been on display like this since college."

She laughed. "Trust me, in this context they're more interested in your uterus."

The next thing I knew, the pressure in my belly I hadn't realized I was feeling went away. In the distance there was the plaintive cry of a newborn.

"Time of birth: nine-thirteen."

"The same as your birthday," Esme said. "How perfect."

"Do you hear that?" Edward looked at me with tears in his eyes. "That's our little girl."

"It's over already?"

"Well, they're still closing you up, but yes."

"So that's the tugging I feel."

"You're not in pain, are you?"

"No. It's more weird than anything else."

All of a sudden, his eyes widened. I turned my head to see Esme holding a bundle of wrinkled pink skin.

"And here she is," she said.

"My god, she's beautiful," Edward said.

"She's a delicate little thing." Esme handed her to Edward. "She weighed in at six pounds, two ounces."

"She perfect." I stared at my daughter, completely in awe. "Hello, Carissa," I added in a whisper. "I'm your mommy."

Esme's eyes darted from Edward back to me. "Carissa?"

"We wanted to honor Dad," he explained.

"I think that's lovely," she said, looking down at her granddaughter. "And so does he."

The look on Edward's face as he looked at Carissa was one I'd seen countless times before—I didn't have to wonder what it meant.

He loved her already.