Edward's POV

I loved my profession. I loved helping people and working to solve problems and help people heal as they came through the emergency department. For the most part, people in Forks were simple but warm, always willing to chat about their farm or their wives or their kids. On most days I thoroughly enjoyed being at work. But as I got the call from Bella explaining what Mrs. Newton had done, I had never been more anxious to get away from the hospital and home to my… my… home to Bella and our children.

When I finally managed to make it home, my mother was still there. She had insisted on staying after the incident and I was grateful to her… even if she did raise her eyebrow at me when I came in and first looked over both Masen and Elizabeth, and then wrapped Bella up in the tightest hug that I dared.

Over the next three weeks though, life settled down. Bella and I had each taken out a restraining order against the Newton woman and while I knew Bella did feel guilty about completely keeping Elizabeth away from her, she also was willing to do what it took to keep her daughter safe and home.

"Relax Bella. It's going to be fine." I smiled at the woman as she flitted through the nursery, opening the large diaper bag and checking and re-checking the items inside. I knew she was nervous about today, and I had tried to reassure her on several occasions. For the first time since Masen and Ellie's birth, my mother had insisted on returning to an old habit from before we had all gone off in separate directions, inviting us, as well as both of my brothers to the house for Sunday dinner. It would be the first time that Bella would be at their place with me as my significant other with the entire family there. And while she had met both Mom and Dad several times now, this was a more formal setting to her, and I knew that she was feeling incredibly anxious.

"Come here." I pulled Bella back from the white dresser and pulled her into my arms, wrapping her securely up and holding her close to me.

"What if they think…"

"They already think that you are lovely… and they know how much I like you so they will automatically like you." I told her when she began to go down that road.

"How do you know?" She asked and I looked down, surprised to see the frustrated tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Bella look… I want you to come with me today… but if you're not ready… I mean… I know that my family will absolutely love you… how can they not… when I love you…"

I paused, realising what I said as I said it. Neither of us had said it before now, even though I knew that I had felt it. I hadn't wanted to push her and our relationship, but realistically, we were already together…. I wanted her to know that this wasn't just some rebound… some fling…

"I love you too." She whispered the words but I heard them and I smiled down at her as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Leaning down I kissed her… harder than I had ever allowed myself to before, getting caught up in the moment and pulling her body even closer to me. She responded immediately, deepening the kiss and wrapping her arms tighter around my waist.

"I love you Bella." The words sounded more intense than I had ever heard them as I spoke. Knowing that that alone was a world of difference from how I had ever felt about Tanya.

"I'm not just nervous about dinner…" She bit down on her lip and pulled back from me, looking at me guiltily through her eyelashes.

"I forgot to check the mail on Friday… and when I went out this morning… this was waiting…" I watched as she moved across the hall and into her room, going directly to the dresser and grabbing the envelope from the top and handing it to me.

It was still sealed and I had to remind myself to breathe when I saw the return address, my insides turning to jelly and a sweat breaking out on my forehead.

"I'm sorry… I was going to give it to you when we got back tonight…" She muttered and I pulled her back towards me, holding her tight to both anchor myself and to let her know that I wasn't mad.

"Let's get it over with." I sighed as I moved back to the nursery. I wanted to hold Masen as I read the results, because as far as I was concerned… no matter what this letter said, he was my son.

"Are you ready?" Bella was leaning against the dresser with Ellie in her arms and I was in the rocking chair, holding onto Masen, kissing his head from time to time.

She simply nodded and I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath I held the envelope in one hand and slid a key under the flap with the other, tearing open the package and pulling out the document.

I felt like I was in the hospital again, the morning that Tanya had been brought in, my life colliding in this second, the entire course about to change and I didn't know if it was for better or for worse.

Finally I opened my eyes again and looked at the paper, my entire body pulsing with celebration as I read the results. I couldn't stay sitting down. I couldn't contain my happiness.

Bella was pulled into my arms as I was careful not to squash Masen or Ellie.

"Masen is yours." She breathed out and I nodded. I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything but celebrate and hold the woman that I loved.

In that moment, I had never been happier.

When we finally made it to my parent's house, my father chastised me for being later than I should have been, but when he saw the look on my face, he immediately went silent. With everyone gathered in the living room, and Bella by my side, I announced two things to my family that day… I announced that Bella and I were in love and that by extension, Elizabeth was like my own child. And then I announced that Masen, biologically was my child and that the Newton woman could go to Hell.

As I knew that they would, my entire family cheered at the news – my mother pulling Bella into a hug and Ellie into her arms, and my father clapping me on the back and assuring me that I was doing well, and that he was beyond proud of me.

As my brother Emmett and his wife Rosalie stood up, I listened intently as they made their announcement… letting the rest of us know that another Cullen baby was on its way. The room was beyond happy and even my moodier brother Jasper seemed to have a strange smile on his face, something or someone else obviously on his own mind.

By the time that dinner was served the room was light and happy and I pulled Bella over to the table, both of us smiling and laughing.

And I knew that we were going to be okay. It might not always be easy… but somehow, an accident that should have torn apart our lives, simply rebuilt us into something that neither of us ever imagined was possible.