I loved that you loved "Into The Light"… we are almost at the end of our story… just a few more chapters to go… sorry if I won't be able to update much for the rest of the week, but I've got several things going on right now… rest assured I'll be back by Friday at the latest… in the meantime, enjoy!
--
Light filtered through my eyelids, staining everything red. I had lost all sense of time and place. My eyes fluttered open slowly, as I reached up to rub sleep out of them. Something tugged on my arm—an IV. In a flash, I remembered everything like a dream.
I sat up slowly in the bed. There were flowers and balloons everywhere. Sitting where I almost overlooked her, reading a book, was Renée. Noticing I was awake, she put the book facedown on the vinyl couch and hurried to me.
"Bella, honey, how are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Sleepy, but fine. Where is she?" My daughter. I savored that to myself.
"Let me call a nurse to bring her to you. You were asleep for awhile."
"How long was I out?"
"Well, Elizabeth was born at about six this afternoon… It's now two in the morning," she said, looking at her watch.
"So you're the only one here? Where's everybody?" I asked Renée,
"Well, they all went to get some sleep. At around eleven, when it was clear you weren't waking up anytime soon, they left. Charlie brought me a change of clothes, but I couldn't sleep on the couch. Too plastic."
"Have they all seen her?" I tucked my hair behind my ears, impatient for the nurse to arrive.
"Yes, and they all absolutely adore her." She smiled. "Charlie cried."
"No way."
"He did. Jasper seemed pretty choked up himself." A knock interrupted us and Renée called out, "Come in!"
The nurse walked in, holding a white bundle in her arms. "Here she is." She approached the bed, and leaning in handed her to me. Without the drug-induced stupor, I was able to truly appreciate my daughter. Elizabeth.
She really was beautiful. I knew mothers always thought that about their children, but she was just perfect. She was awake; her tiny fists flailing, trying to break free of the blanket. Her eyes were a deep chocolate brown, like mine. Her hair was dark, almost black. But her nose was still mine; her tiny seashell ears and delicate toes were faultless. I put my face to the crown of her head and inhaled. Nothing on earth could compare to that smell.
"Want to try and feed her?" The nurse looked on me kindly, while Renée touched Elizabeth's cheek. I gulped.
"I guess." I loosened the top of the hospital gown and attempted to position the baby so she could feed. As she took my breast in her mouth, I felt a sharp pain. Elizabeth had no teeth, but it still hurt. "Ow."
Renée smiled. "Hurts, doesn't it?" I rolled my eyes at her, but winced.
After about ten minutes, she was done. I tied the gown back up, but when the nurse tried to take her, she wailed.
"Oh, please don't take her yet." I looked pleadingly at the nurse. She relented, saying she would be back for her in about half an hour.
I was cuddling Elizabeth, with Renée sitting next to us on the bed when another knock brought me out of my reverie.
"Yes?" I held her a little bit closer, afraid it was the nurse again although my thirty minutes weren't up yet.
"Can I come in?" Edward opened the door slightly, his head peeking around it.
"Edward! What are you doing here?" I made sure the hospital gown covered me up before I gestured to Renée to beckon him in.
Edward came close to the bed, pulling something from behind his back. He was holding out a bouquet of lavender roses.
"Oh, my God, they're beautiful… thank you." I noticed Renée inconspicuously sitting on the couch again. She came forward and took the roses, setting them in the pitcher of water beside my bed.
"You know what? I'm going to go get some coffee. I'll be back soon." With that, she practically fled from the room, giving us a moment alone.
"She looks just like you." Edward peeked in at Elizabeth in my arms, her arms waving about.
"Wanna hold her?" Before he could protest, I shifted her into his arms. He had no choice but to cradle her. He looked awkward, like I'd never seen him before. He held her like she'd break. I laughed, and he smiled. Finally, Edward relaxed a bit, rocking her gently while she snuffled.
"So… Elizabeth. You finally chose one."
"Yeah, I did."
"I like it."
"I looked up the meaning online. It means 'God's promise', or 'God's gift'."
Edward gave her back me, carefully supporting her head. He stroked her satin cheek with his finger.
"Elizabeth… little Lizzie." He laughed when I frowned.
"I was kind of out of it, but I remembered it was the first name on that list you gave me. Thanks for your help."
He gazed intently at me. "It was my grandmother's name."
"I know."
Edward, looking shy, bent down swiftly to kiss my cheek.
I blushed.
--
When Renée came back from her coffee break, Edward excused himself, with a final caress for Elizabeth and an awkward hug for me. The nurse also took her back, promising to bring her again soon for another feeding.
Renée settled on the awful vinyl couch again, and picked up her book. I stared at her, until she put it down again.
"Did you know he was out there this whole time?"
"Well, I hadn't left the room since you went under, but I thought he might be."
"Why?"
"Oh sweetie, don't you see it yet?"
I glanced warily at her. "Okay, I'll play along. What don't I see?"
"Edward's in love with you." Renée smiled indulgently.
Huh. I sat, stunned. My head almost rocked back as if I had been hit.
"I don't think so, Mom." I swallowed hard.
"Oh, why is it so impossible to believe?"
"Because Edward's my friend. He's my best friend. Why would he want me?"
"Because you're Bella."
"Mom, I could never…" I stammered helplessly. "He's just a friend."
Renee shook her head, giving up. She knew how stubborn I could be. But this wasn't just me being stubborn. I loved Edward, but I couldn't be in love with him. There would be too much at stake and now, with Elizabeth… she came first and foremost.
But what if… now that Renée had planted the seed of doubt in my head…
My heart recoiled at the very thought of the pain of losing Edward.
--