Operation: Santa's Elves
Chapter Fourteen
(Hoodie)
Many nights pass by, nights filled with innocently tucked sheets around two virtual strangers slowly getting to know one another. During some of those nights Bella talks about her father, a man who lost his life in the line of duty, and so tragically too. Edward opens up more about his childhood, stumbling over his own words one night as he openly admits to always wanting to be a dad himself, the type of father he always dreamed of as a child.
Mornings are spent sneaking out of Bella's bedroom and creeping by Bethany's. Edward lingers near the kitchen most mornings, a carton of eggs in one hand, a pack of bacon in another, and a longing on his face. Bella nods, turning and hiding her smile. While she showers, Edward starts breakfast. Bethany pads out of her room, the lacey edge of her gown dragging the floor, her balled fists scrubbing the sleep from her eyes. She will join them at the breakfast table as she has done for months, smiling and rosey-cheeked, happy to see her new best friend, Edward. She's dropped the "Mr" since she caught her mom kissing him on the stoop one day.
He's been Edward ever since.
Today is a special day, more so than others. They all sense it. They sense it in the way Edward mixes the fixings for waffles, big red bowl wedged between his arm and ribs, whisking the contents as he not-so-discreetly nudges Mr. Nibbles aside with the toe of his bare foot. Bella returns to the kitchen, fresh-faced, the scent of her new body wash following her to the fridge. She and Edward exchange smiles.
Bella digs around until she finds the whipped cream in the can, calling over her shoulder, "You want the works, Bethany?"
Bethany's face brightens and she bounces in her chair. "Whipped cream, chocolate chips and rainbow sprinkles?"
Bella smiles, but rolls her eyes. "Yes, you'll be bouncing off the walls all day long."
"That's the way it should be on birthdays," Edward says, nodding with a serious, yet thoughtful frown. "Everyone should get a sugar rush on their birthday."
"And a pony," Bethany replies, beaming at the stack of waffles coming her way. "But no parties. Mama doesn't like birthday parties."
"I like birthday parties just fine," Bella argues. "People tend to go out of their way … I don't have the means to reciprocate."
"No one expects you to reciprocate." Edward bristles. This is one of those tiny flaws he doubts Bella will ever overcome. "It's a small party."
Bella narrows her eyes. "It's a circus. You literally ordered a circus for my daughter's birthday party."
Edward tweaks her nose. She wrinkles it and dodges his wiggling fingers aimed at her ribs, but she's no match for him. Soon he has his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands drifting below the heaviness of her breasts. Thier laughter fades and the squirming begins. The bar is the only thing holding them up.
"It's a petting zoo … and horse rides. And there's a clown, but I wouldn't necessarily call that a circus," Edward says, chuckling at her knowing smirk. "Hey, I never had a lot of birthday parties. Let me live vicariously through my girl, okay?"
"Your girl?" Bella asks, goosebumps peppering her skin. He's never said that before.
Edward rubs away the shock from her arms, warming her heart along the way. "My girl. My girls. The both of you, for as long as you'll have me."
Later that night, after buckets of ice cream and barrels of fun, Edward, Bella, Esme, Carlisle and Rose collapse in Esme and Carlisle's patio furniture near the back yard of their large estate. Kids chase one another around, hooting and hollering, balloon-shaped hats flying off their heads, their fingers sticky from cotton candy and dirty from the petting zoo. Esme's spent half the day passing out Purell and the other half of the day being a pseudo grandmother to Bella's daughter.
Bethany streaks past, bows in her hair and happiness in her eyes. A gaggle of geese part from her path, flapping their wings. Children follow closely behind, all new friends she's acquired in school. Bella looks on with a wistful smile and a tear in her eye, unable to have imagined the scene before her. If not for Edward and his wonderful, open-armed, open-hearted family …
"I have a surprise," Edward says, taking Bella's hand from where it rests on the table. He presses his thumb on the back of her hand, rubbing soothing circles. "A gift."
"For Bethany? You've already given her the best gift. This party … the book."
Edward's never been happier to be in debt. First edition copies of The Velveteen Rabbit don't come cheap, but Bethany is worth every penny.
"The book," Edward says, sighing. "I hope she hasn't outgrown it since Christmas."
"She hasn't." Bella clears her throat and takes a deep breath. "It's rude to ask, but I know the book was outrageous. And this party … this party musta broke the bank."
"You don't have to worry about money anymore," Edward responds, palms sweating. Carlisle and Esme shoot Rose a knowing grin and before long, Edward and Bella are seated alone, no onlookers interfering with Edward's true gift. He takes it from his pocket and slides it across the table. Bella's mouth parts, her eyes guarded and unsure, looking up to meet his.
"If you say yes … you'll never have to worry about anything ever again," Edward says, slowly opening the lid to the blue velvet box, easing off the patio chair and onto one knee. "Because I'll spend a lifetime making your … our daughter happy. Our daughter, because I'm not only asking you to marry me. I'm asking permission to be the father of your child, the father she deserves and the father I deserve to be. Will you do it, Bella? Will you marry me?"
Hoodie wrote the chap but I'm hijacking the AN to not only steal her thunder but announce that I started a new fic! It's titled 'Clallam'. You can find it under my Jonesn account if you feel like reading about school teacherella and fishermanward.