A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! I truly appreciate them. I didn't get in the top five over at TLS, but thanks so much to all of those who voted. I hope the story lives up to your expectations.
On that note…I feel I should tell you that after this chapter, there are three chapters and an epi. Over these last few, we'll move forward in time and hit on significant events. Like I said, I hope it lives up to your expectations.
Scorpio11 – Thank you so much for sharing your remarkable skills with me. Love your insights as well!
SMeyer owns…I merely borrow. So, who wants to go to a wedding?
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25.
##
"Here, let me help you," Edward suggested as Jacob tried to tie his bowtie. He was tying it like he laced his sneakers, and it wasn't working out. Carlisle had tied Jared's, but Jake wanted to try on his own, though he wasn't having any luck.
"I guess it doesn't matter if I know how to do it or not. I doubt I'll be wearin' a monkey suit very often," Jake remarked as he pulled the tie to undo the mess he'd made.
Edward stood behind him, looking at their reflection in the mirror as he put his arms around Jacob's shoulders to show him how to tie the tie. "First, nobody, and I mean nobody knows how to tie a bowtie without a lot of practice and someone to teach you. Second, you'll learn how to tie a bowtie and a necktie over time, so don't worry about it. That's one of my jobs as your dad. Now, I need a favor," Edward told him as he evened the two sides of the tie and brushed Jake's shoulders, quite happy with how great everyone looked.
"Sure, what?" Jake asked as he examined the tie in the mirror, trying to figure out exactly how Edward had accomplished the task.
"I need you and Jare to take this to your mom," he responded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the long blue box in which rested a diamond bracelet he'd found at a jewelry store in town that he wanted to give Bella for a wedding gift.
"What is it?" Jacob asked as he turned to look at Edward.
"It's a wedding gift," Edward explained as he handed the box to one of the two young men who would be his sons in the not-too-distant future.
"A wedding gift? Dude, she oughta be givin' you a gift. You're takin' on a woman and two kids. Hell, we should give you our bank account," Jacob joked as Jared came back in the room, zipping his pants.
"Come here," Edward ordered, seeing Jared's vest askew.
Jared walked over to him and waited patiently as Edward adjusted his clothes. "First, it's customary to give your bride a gift. Second, your mother doesn't need to give me anything because she's giving me herself and you guys. I really don't need anything else. I come out on the best end of this, okay? Now, go give it to her and then come back and tell me how beautiful she looks," he instructed.
"Dude, that's our mom," Jared announced with a pained look on his face.
"Yes, she is, but in about forty-five minutes, she's going to be my wife. Now, go and come back. I want details…oh, but you can't tell me about the dress. That goes against tradition," he told them. They both laughed and as they left, his father came into the groom's room at the small church where the wedding was to be held.
Jared and Jacob scurried past him with a "hey Gramps" which caused Ted Masen to laugh. "So, where are they off to?" he asked.
"I gave them Bella's wedding gift to give to her. I also sent them to run recon for me. So, Dad, you got any words of wisdom you wanna lay on your baby boy before he gets married and adopts two near-teens?" Edward teased as his father pulled out a flask and opened it, offering it to Edward with a smile.
After a sip of scotch, he handed it back to his father who took his own sip and smiled. "You know, son, when we heard that you were dating someone, we were happy. When we found out that you were interested in a woman with two eleven-year old boys, we weren't sure you hadn't flipped your lid. Your mom and I worried because that's a lot to take on, and well, you're only twenty-five. But, seeing you with them, well, it really seems like you've got it under control," his father told him.
Edward laughed. "I'm like a duck on water…all calm on the surface and paddling like hell below the water line. They keep me on my toes, but I'd never have it any other way. You and Mom have no idea how much I appreciate that you've taken to Bella and the twins as you have. They mean a lot to me, and the fact that you've never questioned my judgment regarding my relationship with them is really a blessing."
"Nothing to question. When it's right, it's right," his father told him as Carlisle came into the room.
"So, you ready?" he asked Edward with a smirk on his face.
"I seriously doubt it, but what the hell. You only live once," was Edward's response.
##
"You look lovely," Liza Masen told Bella as they stood in the bride's room at the church. She was dressed in the champagne-colored, silk dress that she'd found in Port Angeles when she and Alice had gone shopping. It had thin straps, a chiffon overlay, and a chiffon wrap that was tied behind her back. She'd chosen not to wear anything in her hair, though it was up, and she felt almost like a princess…albeit a slightly older princess.
She couldn't believe that she was getting married again, but from almost the moment that she'd met Edward Masen, she could imagine it. There was something about him that no matter how hard she fought against it, she couldn't deny. She knew in her heart that at the end of the day he truly was the man for her, and it had really been a no-brainer when he proposed.
Everything else that came with him was like buttercream frosting on top of the wedding cake that was being delivered to Carlisle and Esme's house as she stood in the ante-room at the church looking at her future mother-in-law and wondering where her own mother was hiding.
"Liza, are you okay with this? I mean…I feel like I should have come to you and Ted and asked for Edward's hand in marriage," Bella teased as she took in her future mother-in-law.
"Oh, sweetheart, there's no need for that. I'll be honest. When we found out that he was dating you and you had children, we were a bit concerned, but when we met you and the boys, all of that went out the window. The look on my son's face when you walk into a room…that's the look every mother hopes to see at some point or another. You'll see it on Jacob and Jared's faces one day, and you'll just know that they've found the right girl for them," Liza told her as someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Bella called. She didn't want to cry, but what Liza had told her made her more emotional than anything she'd ever imagined.
When Jacob and Jared walked in with smiles on their faces, she really wanted to cry. They looked quite handsome in their tuxedos, and she couldn't stop the tears that welled in her eyes. "You guys look great," she told them as she hugged them.
"Now, don't start bawlin' or you'll have those black marks on your face. Dad sent this to you," Jacob remarked as he handed her a slender blue velvet case. She flipped the lid and saw a diamond bracelet that took her breath away. The setting was white gold and there were flowers and vines. It was gorgeous.
"Help me. How's he doing?" she asked as she took the bracelet and held it out to Jared. He took it from her and clasped it around her wrist.
"He's wonderin' about how you look. We're supposed to tell him how you look. So, how do you look?"
Jared asked with a laugh.
"I look like a woman who's ready to marry the man of her dreams. Go tell him that," she responded as she kissed her sons on the cheek, wiping the lipstick residue before they left.
Walking down the aisle the second time in her life was surreal. Jacob was on her right, and Jared was on her left. Edward was in front of her with Carlisle behind him, but when she saw the look on his face as the twins led her down the aisle with a bouquet of white roses and holly in her right hand, she couldn't erase the smile from her face even if someone held a gun to her head.
As she settled at the altar and the minister asked, "Who gives this woman?" she smiled when Jared and Jacob responded, "We do," just as they practiced the night before.
After they sat down next to her parents, Bella handed her bouquet to Alice, who looked lovely in red, and turned to Edward, taking both of his hands as they'd practiced the night before. "You sure?" he whispered as the guests sat down.
"I am. Second thoughts? It's a lot to take on," she replied quietly.
"Ha! Try and stop me," he responded with a huge smile. That was all she needed to hear.
When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Edward swept her into a deep kiss. When the pair broke apart, they couldn't stop the huge smiles on their faces. There were so many reasons why things shouldn't work out for the couple, but no one could convince them that any were valid. That day, Bella Swan Uley changed her name to Bella Masen, and she'd never, ever be sorry about it.
##
The honeymoon was surreal. The resort was stunningly beautiful, and the suite that Edward had secured brought tears to her eyes. He'd planned activities for the family, and had planned several romantic things for just the two of them. While she'd enjoyed the romantic dinners, picnic, and the horseback riding that the two had done, one activity stuck out in her mind and caused her to laugh hysterically every time she thought about it.
"You guys sure about this?" Bella asked as the four of them stood on the dock. Edward, Jacob, and Jared were going parasailing. She'd declined because she'd watched a few other guests indulging, and it was a bit more daring than she'd envisioned for her honeymoon. If Edward and the boys wanted to do it, she'd take pictures, but she'd take them from the beach.
"Sure. It looks fun. You don't wanna join us?" Edward asked. Jake and Jared were waiting. The three had rock/paper/scissored for the chance to go first, and Jared had won. They were all excited for the chance to soar above the Pacific Ocean, and Edward had gone so far as to purchase a waterproof disposable camera to try to take photos while he was aloft.
"Oh, I'll be just fine down here on terra firma. Have fun," Bella called to them as the boat captain revved the engine. Edward kissed her quickly and climbed into the boat. Bella could see the excitement on their faces, and she quickly captured it with the camera that Alice had bought them as a wedding gift.
She made her way back to the chaise lounges as the boat sped out into open waters, and she took many photos of each of the guys as they took their turn sailing in the clouds at the end of the tether that held them securely behind the boat.
When they docked and her three loves climbed out of the speed boat, she noticed that each of them was moving very slowly down the dock to where she was resting on the chaise. Jacob arrived first and flopped down on a towel on the sand, groaning and holding his crotch. His pose was mirrored by Jared, and when Edward slowly walked up to where she was perched with a large straw hat on her head, she could see the pain on his face as well.
"What happened?" she asked as she took in the sight of the three.
Edward sat down at the end of her lounger and leaned into her to whisper into her ear. "My nuts are wrecked. That fucking harness was meant to castrate a guy. I need to go back to the room and get ice on my crotch if you plan to have sex again over the course of our honeymoon. Cover for me." With that, he rose from the lounger and slowly walked up the beach, leaving her in a fit of giggles on the chair.
She turned to her sons. "Let me guess…you feel like you got kicked in the crotch?" she posed to her sons, seeing them both nod wordlessly.
"Come on. Your dad gave me a good idea," she suggested as she began gathering their things. She led them back to the suite, only stopping to fill her beach bag with ice at the ice machine at the end of the hall.
When they walked into the suite, she led them to their room and went to the adjoining bathroom, pulling two hand towels from the rack. She quickly filled them with ice and walked back into the room where the boys were standing.
"Okay, um, take a quick, cool shower, and then put these over your…um…parts for fifteen minutes. There's Advil on the counter. Take one each, and then take a nap. I'm gonna go check on Dad," she ordered as she walked out of the room and closed the door.
Her laughter echoed throughout the suite, and later that night at dinner, the three men in her life made certain she knew that they didn't appreciate it by avoiding conversation with her altogether. That caused her to laugh as well.
##
"Mrs. Masen, please tell me this is the last trip we'll have to the ER for a while. I truly think that Carlisle is happy seeing you for Sunday dinners. I don't think these extra visits to the ER really add anything to the family experience," Edward commented as he carried her into the house.
"Yeah, Mom. Dad's right," Jared added as he and Jacob carried in the luggage. The family had been camping with Charlie and Renee. School had just let out, and the boys were in full swing with their lawn care business in Piney Woods. Thirty yards were mowed…fifteen a week…with the new mowers that Bella and Edward had bought them for Christmas after the used ones played out. They still used the McCarty's new riding mower on occasion after their mom had bought it for them with the settlement check.
Life in the Masen home was great…with the exception of the social worker who showed up unannounced. It was necessary for the adoption, but no one at the house on Bennett Circle appreciated her visits even though she was a nice woman.
"You're all comedians. Take that show on the road and see if you can carve out a career," Bella snapped as Edward placed her on the couch in the living room with a pillow under the brace on her ankle. A misplaced tree root and Bella's tenuous relationship with balance had brought them home early from the trip. Everyone was grateful it was only a sprain, and as Edward gave her a pain pill, he did so with a sense of history repeating itself.
It had been eighteen months since the wedding. The honeymoon had been great, and they'd all fallen into a wonderful routine about which no one complained. The only change on Bennett Circle was that the Vaughn family moved.
Jane, who wasn't the mother to Seth, Kim or Vanessa, had left Demitri, and after the dust cleared, he'd moved the family across town. Only Jared missed them. Every time Jacob saw Vanessa in the neighborhood prior to the move, she flipped him off which always brought a laugh from the family that Jacob didn't appreciate.
"Edward, I need to talk to you," Bella announced as they settled her on the couch. Jacob and Jared took it as their cue to leave, so they said their good-nights and carried their things upstairs without question.
"So, love, what can I get you? With the pain pills, I'd suppose you can't have anything alcoholic, so would you like some tea?" Edward asked as he sat down next to her with a smile that lit up her world.
"God, how in the hell did I land you?" she asked. It was a mystery to her, but she'd never questioned her luck. She only thanked the heavens for him.
"The boys egged my car," he laughed. She laughed with him, and then took his hand because she had something to tell him that she was certain would be a surprise, though when she thought about it, it really shouldn't have been.
"You remember back on our anniversary when we decided that we were ready to add to our family, and we decided together that I'd go off the pill, right?" she began. She remembered the night very well.
"God, I love you. How the fuck did I convince you to marry me?" Edward asked as the two of them caught their breath after making love. The boys were at Charlie and Renee's, and Edward was able to have Bella to himself that night, which suited him perfectly.
"If I remember correctly, you made a nuisance of yourself until I gave in. I had no idea to what I was opening myself, but damn if I wasn't lucky. What's on your mind? I know it's something because you were quiet during dinner. Is it work?" Bella asked as she turned on her side, propping her hand on her jaw as she looked into his gorgeous face.
"Work? Hell, that's actually going well for now. No, what I want to talk about is family. Now, not to bring up a sore subject, but you turned thirty-two in September, and I turned twenty-six in June. The boys are thirteen, and I think if we want to add to our family, now is the time to do it. What do you think?" he asked nervously.
She thought for a moment and considered the position in which they'd found themselves. She was older, and she didn't really want to be having children in her forties. She loved the man, and they'd weathered a year together, so she was ready. At least she hoped she was.
"Okay, um, I believe I'm ready to have another baby. So, should I go off the pill?" she asked tentatively because she wasn't sure if he was looking at short-term or mid-term.
"Yep. Toss 'em. I'm ready, I think. The boys have made me wise beyond my years, I think," Edward remarked as he shifted to his side to stroke her face.
"Oh, Masen, you have no idea what you're in for. I'll go off them, and we'll try, okay?" she asked. He laughed and pulled her onto him stating, "Let's try now." They laughed as they made love many times that night, and they were both happy with the decision.
"I do. I also remember that as the night of five times," Edward teased as he kissed her from his seat on the floor next to the couch.
Bella laughed. "Oh, yes, you were bound and determined that we were going to get me pregnant that night even though I was still on the pill. Well, sorry, but you didn't get the job done that night," she teased, seeing his smile that lit up her whole world.
"Oh, but I'm not a quitter. I believe I've been diligent in my efforts, wife," he replied.
She took a deep breath and let it go because her next words would change their lives forever. She'd had no idea that she was pregnant when he'd taken her to the emergency room, but Carlisle suggested a pregnancy test before the x-ray, and when it came back positive, he'd kissed her cheek and smiled.
"As a matter of fact, husband, you've been quite diligent. So much so that I'm about seven weeks into it," she announced, staring at his face for a reaction.
"Into what?" he asked. Not the response she was expecting, but she knew that he liked things in black and white, and if she'd been able to hobble back to the office, she'd have typed a statement that would have been worthy of a press release to all of the major news outlets.
"Masen, I'm pregnant. You got the job done. I'm about seven weeks, and I can tell you that there's been no milkman in sight. It's just you and me, and we're going to have a baby," she whispered as she stroked his stubbled face.
The flash of confusion surprised her, but after a moment, that familiar smile lit her up like a Christmas tree. He got it and he was happy. That was all she wanted. When his hand settled on her lower abdomen, she could see the unshed tears in his eyes. This brought her own that she had been holding at bay since Carlisle had given her the news and she'd sworn him to secrecy.
"Oh, God, I'm going to be a dad again," he whispered as he caressed her stomach.
"Honey, you're going to be a dad for the first time," she reminded with a smile.
"NO! I'm already a dad to two great sons. This is just us adding to our family. Bella, they can never feel like they're in the backseat on this. They're the older brothers, but they're as much mine as this baby will be. We have to make sure that they know that I love them as much as I'll love this baby," he announced forcefully, causing more tears to spill from her eyes.
"Okay, honey, we will. Don't worry. They'll know it, I swear," she assured as she stroked his face while he sat next to her. She could see how important it was for him that the boys understood that there would be no difference between them and the child she was carrying, and she truly appreciated it. It was exactly how she thought he'd treat the news, and it made her heart soar.
##
"You realize that something's wrong, right?" Jared asked Jacob as they took a break from mowing Mrs. Jacoby's yard on Cameron Run. It was the third that day and it was hot as hell, but it was their last and Alice was picking them up to go swimming at her house so they weren't complaining.
They'd noticed that since the camping trip, Edward had been treating their mother differently. He brought home flowers and the two held hands and kissed a lot more than usual. It had only been two weeks, but the boys knew something was off, and they were worried.
"I think that you're being a dumbass and lookin' for trouble when there isn't any. They haven't been married very long, and Aunt Es said that it's normal for them to be all gushy and shit. It'll settle back, trust me," Jacob offered as he drank his Gatorade.
"Maybe, but it seems like they don't want to be apart. I know that they're inappropriate a lot of the time but this seems different. He just seems to fall all over himself to make sure that she's happy, and she walks around with that stupid smile on her face.
"He touches her stomach all the time, and hell, she doesn't seem to get mad about it. I heard him say something about her boobs looking great, which I tried to block out, trust me, but Mom just laughed about it instead of yelling at him. I think we need to start asking some questions because if something's wrong, we need to be prepared," Jared informed.
Of the two Uley brothers, neither would deny that Jared was the more intuitive, and if he'd picked up on a vibe, Jacob was going to listen and take it in. He couldn't deny that things at home had been different, and his mom and soon-to-be dad were acting funny. If there was something for which the brothers needed to prepare, he definitely wanted to know.
"Well, he just pulled into the driveway, so I'd say let's go ask. You're right. We need to be prepared," Jacob answered as he hopped off the porch and grabbed the push mower that he'd been using.
He and Jared pushed them back to the house on Bennett Circle, seeing Edward waiting for them on the driveway, and he steeled himself to have a discussion with the man who wanted to be his father. If something was wrong, the Uley brothers wanted to know it, and they both believed that Edward Masen would be honest.
He always had been in the past, and they had no reason to doubt him. It was time for a talk, and whatever the outcome, the truth was better than the speculation, or so Jacob reasoned as he parked the mower in the garage.
"Dad, can we talk to you?" he asked as Edward stood waiting for them.
"Always. Let's get something to drink. You guys look hot," Edward replied. The brothers looked at each other and nodded, determined to get to the bottom of things, no matter how uncomfortable the conversation would be.
##
As Edward sat at the table with the boys who would be his sons within a very short period of time, he could see that they were troubled. He didn't know what was on their minds, but he didn't like that they were worried about anything. His goal in life was to take away their worries, not to create more.
"So, what's wrong?" he asked as he took off his jacket and shook off his day. It hadn't been great, but whatever was going on at home was far more important.
"We've noticed things," Jacob began, gulping the iced tea that Edward had pulled from the fridge.
"Okay, what things have you noticed," he asked.
"You and Mom, you seem to be more touchy-feely. You put your hand on her stomach when you don't think we're lookin'. Is somethin' wrong with her?" Jared asked.
Immediately, he knew that they'd likely waited a day too long to break the news about Bella's pregnancy. They'd been to the doctor…Carlisle…and everything was fine, but they were holding off telling the boys for one silly reason or another. It was time to come clean.
"Nothing's wrong with Mom, okay? She's actually in perfect health, and your Uncle Carlisle can verify it. I wish she was here, but we can't keep it from you any longer, so I'll tell you. We're going to have a baby. You're going to have a brother or sister in late December or January. How do you feel about that?" Edward asked nervously. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would be tricky, but he hoped and prayed that they'd be happy about the news.
He saw them clam up and walk out without a word, which wasn't at all what he expected. He heard bedroom doors slamming, and he had the urge to call Bella, but he knew in his heart that he needed to handle the situation himself.
After several minutes of a self-imposed pep talk while loud banging echoed from upstairs, he climbed the stairs and opened both doors, standing in the hallway. He saw that Jacob had completely trashed his room which was the banging he'd heard, and Jared was sitting on the bed quiet and unmoving. That wasn't good at all.
"Okay, talk to me. What's with this?" he asked as he stared from one room to the other.
"We've seen this show before. When our dad had his other family, he gave us away. Now you and Mom are going to have a kid, and you'll love it, and we don't have anywhere else to go," Jared yelled.
Just then, as if fate had something against Edward Masen, the doorbell rang. "Shit. We're not done with this because you two aren't going anywhere. It's not like that," he called as he ran downstairs.
When he opened the door, he wanted to crawl in a hole. It was the social worker, and it was as if she had radar about the fact that there was a crisis. He wanted to tell her to leave, but he knew he couldn't. "Leslie, come in. We're in a bit of a crisis, so make yourself at home in the kitchen. I'll be back," he called as he escorted her into the kitchen and then ran back upstairs.
When he arrived on the second floor, he found both doors closed again, and he banged on them and then opened them, taking his place in the hallway between the two. "First, we talk about things as a family, and your mom had to work late tonight, so I'm sorry, but that doesn't mean that this discussion can wait.
"Second, you two were here first. No other child who comes into this house is going to cause us to send you anywhere, okay? This is your home. Right here with your mom and me. You don't need to worry about the fact that you're going to have a brother or sister, okay? It's not going to make me love you any less. We are a family, dammit," he cursed, seeing that they weren't listening to him.
"Hey, when I talk to you, I expect you to listen. You're not going to be pushed aside. We'll go talk to Dr. Smith about this, and we'll get some comfort about it, but just because your mom and I are adding to our family doesn't mean that you're not important. The damn social worker is downstairs right now, and I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that as soon as we can, we're going forward with this adoption.
"God, tell me what I need to say to convince you because you're just as stubborn as your mom," he lamented as he stood in the hallway seeing two backs that didn't seem to be listening. It drove him crazy, but he was at the end of his rope. He was trying as hard as he could to convince them, but nothing seemed to be working.
"Edward? I'm going to go. I think it's for the best," Leslie Something called from downstairs. He'd never bothered to care about her last name, but it seemed that if she left that day after hearing the confrontation, it was the death knell on the adoption.
"No! Give us a minute," he called. He looked into the rooms and saw two statues, so he ran downstairs to beg the woman to give them a little bit of time.
"Look, it's not as bad as it sounds, okay? They're just surprised. Bella's pregnant, and we should have told them sooner, but they're worried about it because when their biological dad started another family, he gave them up, and that's all they know. It's not going to happen here, I promise you, but we need to deal with it as a family. Please, I beg you, come back another day and give us another shot," he pleaded with the woman.
"Look, I've got another appointment, and I've heard all I need to hear. I'll submit my report, and you should hear something from the Court soon. Congratulations on the baby," she called as she left out the front door, much to Edward's dismay. He had no idea how he was going to explain any of it to Bella because he knew she'd be upset, and in that moment, he'd never felt more defeated in his life.
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E/N: Now, take a deep breath. It's not really an angsty story, but hell, if you have kids…and I know a lot of you do…you know shit does not go smoothly. This is just another one of those things.
So, what do we think?
Thanks for reading. Love you!
Till next time…xoxo