CHAPTER 21
"You son of a bitch! I'm going to fucking kill you!"
My eyes darted over to where the children were playing in the pool, laughing and squealing loudly enough that they hadn't heard Edward's growled threat.
"Edward! Watch your language!" Esme warned.
"Kids! Out of the pool! Time to go inside!" Rose quickly instructed the children to get out of the water. I moved to help her as Emmett grabbed Edward in a bear-hold grip to keep him from chasing after Jasper, who'd pulled his dripping frame from the opposite side of the pool to remove himself from the imminent danger of Edward pummeling him.
"Edward, don't you dare threaten him!" Alice yelled at her brother.
"Mary Alice, how could you?" Esme wailed.
I pulled a towel around Jackie's shoulders and led him into the house, anxious to get him away from the scene that was unfolding outside. How had such a peaceful morning turned ugly so quickly?
Edward had been in a brilliant mood all morning. The team had won the night before, and Edward was in his element, spending time with his family. We'd all agreed to play in the pool early in the day because Edward would once again be called away to work in the afternoon. Alice and Jasper had come over to join the group. The children played in the shallow end of the pool while the adults hit a beach ball back and forth across the deeper water. When Doc suggested we play a game of chicken, Edward dove under the water and came up with me sitting on his shoulders and giggling. We all laughed like crazy when Esme decided to lift Doc up out of the water the same way.
Emmett's innocent concern for his wife changed everything.
"Nah. I don't think we better play, not while Rose is knocked up. Wouldn't want her or those babies to get hurt!"
"Baby," Rose reminded him, pouting. "Singular. Quit insisting it'll be twins, Emmett! You'll jinx me!"
"We better not play then, either, huh, sweetheart?" Jasper asked, looking over at Alice. The expression of pure shock and fear that came over her face as she looked up and around at her family members was all it took. Alice dropped one hand to cover her midriff, and her lower lip trembled.
"Oh, shit, Mary Alice," Doc mumbled.
Everything that happened next was a blur. I was practically tossed off Edward's shoulders as he went into motion. I came up, spitting water and pushing my hair out of my eyes to see Emmett dive for Edward, stopping him from getting to Jasper, who scrambled to get away.
I hurried to help Rose get the kids out of the pool, stopping with Jackie by the door while she ushered Sophie and Grant inside.
"You two go with Bella. Us adults have some things we need to discuss."
"Let's get into dry clothes and get some lunch, okay?" I asked.
"Don't worry." Grant put his hand on Jackie's shoulder. "Your dad isn't really going to kill that guy. He probably just wants to punch him in the nose."
"That's because he did coitus to Aunt Alice," Sophie offered.
"What?" I asked, eyes wide.
"Coitus. That's how babies are made."
"How old are you again?" I asked.
"I'm almost twelve." Sophie shrugged. "I'll probably get my period soon. Mom and Dad told me all about vaginas and penises."
"Let's, uh, not discuss the details in front of the boys, all right?" I asked. Sophie nodded and went downstairs to change clothes.
"Let's go, boys. Upstairs." I sighed. Both of the boys went into Jackie's room to do as instructed. I let out a deep breath once I finally got to the room I shared with Edward. What in the hell was going on outside? Edward had completely lost his temper. I'd never seen him so furious, but… Alice was pregnant? When I really thought about it, the clues had all been there: her moodiness, not feeling well, and hinting she'd been thinking of moving up her wedding date. Edward's reaction—well, her whole family's reaction, really—was probably the very reason she hadn't said anything to anyone.
I hurried to get dressed so I could get back outdoors. If I knew Edward, they would all need help getting him calmed down.
Thankfully, Mrs. Waters was already showing Sophie how to put a movie on the big screen in the living room when I got downstairs.
"Can you make sure the kids have some drinks and snacks brought in?" I asked her. "The, uh, grownups are dealing with something…"
"I heard them dealing with it all the way in the kitchen." Mrs. Waters nodded, understandingly. "You go on out there."
Thankfully, any yelling that had been taking place had stopped by the time I got back to where the adults sat on the patio. Well, everyone except Edward. He paced back and forth, clearly agitated.
"What were you thinking, Alice? I thought we'd talked about all of this!"
"You're not my father, Edward!" Alice defiantly stated. "Quit lecturing me!"
"Well, I am your father," Doc said then. "I've raised you, and I think I deserve a little damn respect. How could you have kept this from us? Your mother shouldn't have had to get this news this way!"
"I'm sorry!" Alice wailed. "I was going to tell you when you were all here! I didn't want to say anything because I knew Edward was going to freak out!"
"Of course I'm freaked out!" Edward fisted his hair. "You're my little sister, damn it!"
I walked up behind Edward and quietly placed my palm between his shoulder blades. Immediately, he dropped his arms and turned to look at me. "Did you know about this?"
"No one knew." Alice shook her head, speaking for me. "Just me and Jasper, and we only found out a couple weeks ago."
"So much for a nice long engagement," Esme muttered.
"We've already decided to move the wedding up," Jasper offered. "I love your daughter, and I'm gonna do right by her."
"You damn well better," Emmett growled.
"I think it's exciting," Rose added. "We're pregnant together!" At that, Alice smiled.
"Don't encourage her!" Edward scolded. "This is a mistake."
"Was Jackie a mistake?" Alice's voice rose as she stood to face her brother.
"You fucking know better than that!" Edward stepped away from me and glared down at Alice. "How could you even ask that?"
"Because that's the way you're acting!" Alice spoke loudly. "Like this is some horrible thing. Just because your first marriage didn't work out…"
"Alice, I just don't want you to get hurt!"
"You're hurting me!" She shoved his chest. "You know better than anyone that this isn't going to be easy, Edward. I need your support, you jerk."
"Of course I'll support you," he muttered then. "But damn it, Ally. I didn't want this for you."
"Why?" Alice asked before stepping back. "Because I'm young? What's the difference if I have a baby now or three years from now? I'm still going to be married to a ballplayer, Edward. We'll still have to figure out how to do this around Jasper's schedule. Now or later makes little difference."
"I… don't know." He shook his head, looking defeated.
"I do," Alice told him. She took him by the hands. "The problem, Edward, is that you've spent the last several years blaming yourself for your marriage not working out. You know I love Lauren—she's a great mom—but it wasn't your schedule that destroyed your marriage, Edward. It was her inability to deal with your schedule. She couldn't handle it, but I'm not Lauren."
"She's right, son," Esme said, laying her hand on Edward's shoulder. "Lauren didn't have realistic expectations. The right woman…"
Suddenly, I felt like a hot spotlight was shining on me. Unspoken questions were heavy in the air when Edward turned his eyes to look over at where I stood. I twisted my hands together, wondering what was going on in his mind.
"Please be happy for me, Edward. Please." Alice brought his attention back to her by tugging his hands. "I need you, big brother."
"God. You're probably stubborn enough to pull this off." Edward finally allowed himself to give her a half-grin.
"Stubbornness runs in the family, you ass." Alice smiled. Edward stood then and wrapped his arms around Alice, hugging her to his chest. He raised one hand to point at Jasper over her shoulder.
"You just stay the fuck away from me for a while." He narrowed his eyes at the man. "I'm still pissed at you!"
"Stop it." Alice sniffled and slapped at Edward's arm.
"I need a goddamned drink," Emmett muttered.
"Beer me." Doc nodded in agreement.
"Edward?" I called for his attention, clearing my throat. "I don't want to interrupt, but you'll need to get ready to leave soon."
"I know." He nodded and dropped Alice's hands. "Come inside with me?"
"Sure." I smiled.
"Talk about Beauty and the Beast," I heard Rose say behind us.
"Maybe she can mellow him out," Jasper suggested.
"Watch it," Emmett replied. "Edward might be getting a grip, but I haven't decided not to whoop your ass myself!"
"Are you okay?" I asked once Edward and I stepped into the house.
"I will be," he said after a moment of hesitation. "I almost lost it there for a second. It's a really good thing I've been seeing my therapist again."
"You might need a longer session this week," I teased lightly.
"Fuck. Where's Jackie? Did he hear all that?"
"I don't think so." I shook my head. "He's upstairs, changing clothes. Sophie and Grant, though…"
"I'm going to go see my son." Edward pulled me by the hand. "Do you mind helping me? I'm running behind."
"You check in with Jackie while I'll pack your bag." I grinned.
I dropped Edward's duffle bag on the floor outside Jackie's bedroom door and peeked my head inside to see father and son leaning over Jackie's laptop, discussing baseball stats.
"Sorry to interrupt," I told them. Edward looked up and smiled. All the tension he'd been carrying with him seemed to have dissipated in the few minutes he'd spent with his son.
"I gotta go," Edward said, kissing Jackie on top of his head before standing. "Are you watching the game tonight, buddy?"
"After I talk with Mom," Jackie replied, nodding and still looking at his screen.
"Do you want to come down for lunch?" I asked him.
"Okay."
Jackie closed his laptop and scooted off the bed, walking past me in the doorway to make his way downstairs.
"I'm thinking Jackie's all the therapy you need," I told Edward then.
"He's the best thing that's ever happened to me." Edward smiled. "He wasn't a mistake, Bella. He was unplanned, but he wasn't a mistake."
"I know." I nodded, standing on tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Sometimes the best things in life aren't things we plan."
Edward's eyes searched mine for a moment. He raised his hand to brush my hair away from my neck and curled his fingers around the back of my head to tilt my face up to his. I let my eyes flutter close, loving the way he gently pressed his lips to mine. Slowly, warmly, thoughtfully, he kissed me. I felt cherished in the quiet moment.
"Ew. Are you going to do coitus?"
We sprang away from each other when Grant's voice interrupted us, and Edward laughingly growled before grabbing his nephew and tossing him half over his shoulder.
"What do you know about that stuff, little man?" Edward playfully swatted Grant's bottom while the boy giggled.
"Sophie told me!" Grant huffed and squirmed while Edward strode into the room and deposited his nephew on his bed, roughhousing with him.
"Well, don't you be telling Jackie about all of that crap, yet. He's too young."
"Edward? The time…"
"I know, I know." He shook his head, rising once more.
"That's what I came up to tell you!" Grant huffed, straightening his Ninja Turtles t-shirt that had ridden up during their wrestling session. "Jasper says you need to get your butt in gear!"
Edward grabbed his duffle bag and hurried downstairs. I followed behind, accepting one more quick kiss from Edward before he jumped in his car to leave.
When I returned to the kitchen, Alice was waiting for me. Without saying a word, I walked up to her and put my arms around her. Alice hugged me back tightly.
"Don't be mad. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"I'm not mad," I told her, shaking my head. "I understand why you didn't. I wouldn't have wanted to keep that secret from Edward."
"Is he still upset?"
"He'll be fine," I told her. "You were right. You and Jasper are different people. He can't compare you to his past relationship with Lauren."
"Jas says he's going to talk to a couple of the married guys on the team and see if they can get Edward to see things a little differently. It's not like this situation is unheard of. There are a bunch of guys who play ball who also have perfectly happy marriages and families."
"It might not be ideal for everyone," I began, smiling, "but it's the norm for them."
"Would it be ideal for you?" Alice asked, cocking her head to the side. "Would you be able to do it, Bella?"
"Do what?" I asked, raising my brows as I looked at her. "I think it's a little too early for me to start thinking about having babies."
"All of it." Alice shook her head. "You're already dating my brother. It has to have crossed your mind. How it'll all play out in the future, I mean."
"Can I be honest?" I asked, leaning against the counter. "I don't know. We haven't really discussed any of it, yet. I get worried about what will happen at the end of the season. Hell, I don't even know how things are going to work when Mrs. Spreckles comes back."
"Well, you have about three weeks to figure that one out." Alice shrugged.
"Three weeks?" Surprise caused my voice to rise in pitch.
"Edward didn't tell you?" Alice frowned. "Mrs. Spreckles called. Apparently her sister is just as much of a badass as she is. Her recovery isn't taking nearly as long as they thought it would. Lottie's supposed to be back here by the end of the month."
"Shit," I whispered, feeling my shoulders drop. "That isn't much time."
"I'm sorry. I thought he would've mentioned it."
"He's been so busy," I muttered, shaking my head. "Planning for this weekend and possibly the All-Star game. And the fundraiser…"
"Maybe he didn't want to stress you out," Alice suggested.
"Stress? What's that?" I nervously giggled. "I need a drink."
"Have one for me," Alice said, smiling wryly, "because I'm gonna add to your stress in about three seconds."
"How?"
"Stand with me at my wedding?" Alice asked, giving me an adorable puppy-dog expression. "Please?"
"Oh, Alice!" I smiled. "Of course. Of course I will!"
"Thank you!" Alice did a happy little hop and grabbed me in another hug. "I'm so happy that I could cry right now, but that could be the hormones."
"It's definitely the hormones," Rose added, stepping into the room with us. "Just wait until you're big and fat at your wedding. There will be many tears shed."
"Wait…" I shook my head. "When are you doing this? Did you set a date?"
"We're thinking about the middle of November." Alice smiled. "Even if the guys don't make it to the post-season, which I'm betting they will, we still want to wait until after Rosalie has the baby so she can be my maid of honor."
"But wait." I held up my hand. "What about Lauren? Didn't you tell me that you two are close friends? Will she be upset if she isn't in the wedding?"
"No." Alice shrugged. "I mean, yes, we're friends, but we want to have a small ceremony here. Lauren won't fly in for it because she's deathly afraid of airplanes."
"She is?"
"Just one more thing stacked against her and Edward," Rose offered. "He spends half his time on the field, and the other half in the air. Why that man insists on shouldering all the blame for their screwed-up situation is beyond me. The only thing those two have in common is that boy in there."
"So… We're planning a wedding." I smiled.
"For you, it's another wedding." Alice frowned. "I know it's really soon after Angela's. If it's too much, just let me know."
"It's not too much." I shook my head. Apparently, I'd be out of work again in a few weeks. It looked like I would have tons of time on my hands to help Alice.
"Yay!" Alice clapped her hands together. "Okay, now I have to go. I'm gonna go to the game tonight since I'll be missing it tomorrow."
"What are you doing tomorrow?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "I thought we were all going to the game together."
"I'm going to stay here with Jackie," Alice shrugged.
"He isn't going to the game?" I looked back and forth between the two women. "Why?"
"We've never been able to take him," Rose told me. "We tried once, but we had to leave before the second inning. He had a complete meltdown. He'd rather watch the game online. It's okay."
I frowned. No wonder Edward felt so strongly about his foundation. His own son wasn't able to go to any of his games!
"Well, I'll stay home with him," I offered then. "I want you to be able to enjoy the day with your family, Alice."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." I nodded.
Later that evening, the entire family filled the living room, waiting to watch the Cardinals game on television—everyone but Jackie. I went upstairs and found him in his room. He sat with his laptop open on the bed in front of him and a radio playing from his bedside table. I knocked on his door, waiting until he looked up at me before I spoke.
"Hi, Jackie," I smiled. "Did you chat with your mom, yet?"
"She sang to me," he softly replied.
"Your mom sings?"
"She likes to sing to me." Jackie nodded. "She sings. Dad plays his guitar. I have piano lessons." Edward played guitar? I had no idea. "What do you do?"
Surprised by his question, I paused to consider. I had absolutely no talents to add to such a musically inclined family, so I shrugged.
"I don't know." I told him. "I guess I'm pretty good at just being quiet."
"Quiet is good," Jackie told me. "I like quiet. It's too noisy downstairs."
"Okay." I nodded. "Would you like me to be quiet right now? I can leave, if you want. I just came up to see if you need anything before the game starts."
Jackie shook his head.
"What are you listening to?" I asked, feeling encouraged.
"Mike Shannon. John Rooney. KMOX."
"You listen to the game on the radio?" I asked. "Do you like these announcers?"
"I don't like the television announcers," Jackie replied. "Except Jim Edmonds. He used to play centerfield for the St. Louis Cardinals, but now my dad does that job."
"So you watch the game on your computer and listen it on the radio?"
"Mike Shannon. John Rooney. Play-by-play broadcast." He continued to stare at his screen without offering anything else. I had a feeling our conversation was over, so I turned to go. In the back of my mind, an idea started to form. "Well, we'll all be downstairs if you need anything. I'll come back and check on you soon, if that's okay?"
Again, Jackie didn't reply. I bit my lip and turned toward Edward's room so I could grab my shoes and purse. I wasn't sure if my idea would work, but I was willing to take a chance.
"I'm going to leave for a little while," I told Esme, who was busy pouring popcorn into a large bowl in the kitchen. "Do you need me to bring anything back?
"If you have something to do, just take your time dear." Esme smiled. "We have everything we need here."
"Okay." I grinned. "But I'll hurry, anyway. I don't want to miss too much of the game!"
Within the hour, I returned from my impromptu shopping trip and hurried back upstairs to Jackie's room. Once again, I knocked on his door and waited for an indication I should enter.
"Have I missed much of the game?" I asked.
"Station break," Jackie informed me. "Second inning. No score."
"I, uh, got you a present," I told him. At that, Edward's son looked up and met my eyes. I was struck speechless for just a moment as I was captured by the green gaze that looked up at me. Jackie was the spitting image of his father. I had to swallow past the lump in my throat to continue. "I don't know if you'll like it or not, but I thought you might want to try…" I walked toward his bed then and held out the bright red canister-style headphones I'd purchased at the electronics store during my outing. "These are noise-cancellation headphones," I explained. "And they have a radio built right in. I thought that if you wanted to try to wear them, maybe you'd be able to listen to the game on KMOX this way. If everyone's talking around you, it won't bother you so much, because you'll still be able to hear your announcers. See? You just put the batteries in right here, and then you can set the radio station with these buttons on the side…"
Jackie looked back down at his computer screen, so I laid the headphones down on the foot of his bed.
"Anyway," I continued, "I'll just leave them here, and you can play around with them, see if you like it."
I quietly returned to the group downstairs and found a space in the corner of the sofa to sit beside Carlisle and Esme.
"Where have you been?" Alice asked.
"I went to Best Buy," I told her. "I needed to pick up something."
"You haven't missed anything, yet," Emmett informed me. "Dad? Wanna go out back?"
"Time for a dip." Carlisle nodded. He got up, and the two men left the room.
"You kids aren't staying up for the whole game," Rose warned her children, who were laid out on blankets spread across the floor in front of the television. "We've got a long day tomorrow. We're gonna go see your Uncle Edward play ball, and then we're going to see fireworks when it gets dark."
"It's going to be a long day for me, too." Alice yawned. "I think I'm just going to head home for the night. I'm so tired!"
"Get used to it." Esme sniffed. "One of the many joys of being pregnant."
"See you tomorrow." I smiled up at Alice as she left the room.
The third inning played out very well for our team. Edward hit a stand-up double and brought a runner in. The catcher hit a homerun to bring the score up to 3-0. During the fifth inning, though, we were in real danger of losing our lead. The opposing team had bases loaded and a heavy hitter was up to bat. Jasper, however, caught a wicked line drive and turned it into a brilliant double play that ended the threat and had everyone in the room cheering loudly. It was then that Esme's voice brought my attention to the stairs.
"Well, I'll be!"
Jackie walked silently into the room, wearing the large headphones I'd purchased over his baseball cap. Without a word, he came over to the sofa and climbed up to sit between me and his grandmother. My face actually hurt, I was smiling so hard.
"Where did he get those?" Rose asked.
"I bought them." I grinned. "I wasn't sure if it would work or not, but I remembered a student I had last year, Zachary, who didn't like going to school assemblies because they were too loud. He wore headphones like these to drown out the noise around him. Mozart made him feel calm."
"Why in the world haven't we thought of that before?" Esme wondered out loud. She smiled at me over Jackie's head. "You're a gem. You know that? A real gem." She put her arm around Jackie's shoulders and hugged him to her side. "This is wonderful!"
"He's listening to Mozart?" Emmett asked, making a face. "You coulda given him something better to listen to, like Metallica!"
"He's listening to the game." I shook my head. "KMOX Radio."
"Cool!"
"I wanna listen, too!" Grant pouted.
"Forget about it." Rose rolled her eyes. "It's time for you two to take showers and get in your pajamas."
"No fair," Sophie whined as she stood. "How come we have to go to bed and Jackie doesn't?"
"Because Jackie's gonna watch the game with Grandma for once! Now scoot!"
I was still awake, reading in bed, when Edward got home. The game had been exciting, no doubt, but I was still buzzing with elation and couldn't wait to tell him about the progress that had been made here at home. Not only had Jackie stayed downstairs to watch the entire game with us, but he'd also asked if he could go to the stadium the following day!
"Hi," Edward said quietly, closing the door behind him. "What are you still doing awake?"
"I couldn't sleep." I smiled, shaking my head. "Oh, Edward! I can't wait to tell you!"
"What is it?" Edward dropped his bag by the door and crawled up on the bed to lie on his stomach, looking up at me.
"Jackie watched the game with us tonight!"
"What do you mean he watched the game with you?"
"He came downstairs, curled up next to your mom on the couch, and watched the game with us."
"Are you serious?"
"Uh-huh!" I nodded.
"With everyone?" His eyes sparkled with interest.
"Well, not Sophie and Grant. Rose had already put the kids in bed, but he sat there with us adults!"
"How in the hell did you get that to happen?" Edward smiled, shaking his head.
I told Edward about the headphones and how I'd come up with the idea. When I told him Jackie wanted to try to come to the stadium for the Fourth of July game, Edward's smile lit the entire room.
"Do you think it'll work?" he asked, his voice filled with hope.
"I don't know." I pulled up my shoulders. "But I'll drive separately, just in case. If he gets uncomfortable, we'll just leave early. At least he's willing to try."
"My God… You're fucking amazing. Do you know that?" He moved up the bed and grabbed my face between his palms, kissing me over and over until I felt breathless. When he started attacking my neck with kisses and lifting the hem of the tank top I wore to bed, I giggled.
"Your parents are right down the hall," I reminded him. "What are you doing?"
"I'm thanking you," Edward whispered against my midriff.
Thank God I hadn't been lying when I told Jackie I was good at being quiet, because Edward very enthusiastically thanked me twice.
*~*~Reviews are better than being quiet. Leave one!~*~*