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CHAPTER 25
"Daddy!" Masen exclaimed excitedly, climbing into bed with Bella and I. "I so esciteds you stay all night."
"Masen, honey," Bella groaned, scooting up and away from me. "You have to remember to watch out for Mommy's belly, baby."
"Sorry Momma," Masen replied, his bottom lip tucked securely between his teeth just as his mother had done her whole life.
"It's alright, buddy," I soothed, pulling him onto my lap before scooting up to sit against the headboard with Bella.
"Be careful," she scolded. "Your leg. You don't have the cast on …."
"I'm fine," I replied before bringing my attention back to Masen. "So, Momma tells me you have a present for me?" Masen's face lit up brighter than the tree at Rockefeller Center as he nodded wildly.
"Uh huh, can I give it to him, Momma?"
"Yeah, baby, you can," Bella replied with a smile that very closely resembled that of our son's.
Masen jumped off my lap, bumping my leg in the process. I flinched and Bella was up and off the bed pulling Masen off before I even knew what exactly happened.
"Masen!" she scolded. "You have to watch out for Daddy's—"
"Bella …" I sighed, pushing the blankets off. "Masen, why don't you go get my present for me?"
Masen nodded and ran off toward his bedroom while I moved to the edge of the bed, pulling my flannel sleep pants on before putting the fracture boot back on. Bella was standing at the corner of the bed, rubbing her belly, gnawing the shit out of her lip when I pulled her into my arms.
"My leg is fine," I soothed, cupping the back of her head. "I flinched more out of shock than anything, he honestly didn't hurt me. But, baby, we've really got to watch—"
"I got it Daddy!" Masen yelled, thrusting what appeared to be a small shirt box wrapped in dark blue wrapping paper at me.
"Well, okay," I chuckled, taking the box from him, moving to sit on the bed.
Bella settled in next to me with her right leg tucked under her, her whole body turned facing me, while Masen stood directly in front of me, bouncing around excitedly as I tore the paper from the box. I had absolutely no idea what was in the box, but it obviously excited them to no end. Their excitement caused me to be excited as hell to open it.
When I pulled the top off the box, I found a 11 sheet of tri-folded paper. "I Masen Antony Cullen now!" Masen screamed excitedly before I even got the first fold open.
I turned to Bella. She was nodding, wiping away the tears that flowed freely from her eyes. I turned back to the paper in my hand and finished opening it ...
Masen Anthony Cullen was the first thing to catch my attention, but the section that read Edward Anthony Cullen as the father was a solid second.
I looked up to find Masen staring at me, and instantly pulled him into my lap.
"This right here," I whispered, kissing the side of his head. "Is by far the best present anyone has ever given to me, Masen Anthony Cullen."
Masen turned his smile on his mom, and I believe took her tears as tears of sadness instead of joy.
"Momma's sad I not Swan no mowes," Masen whispered in my ear so Bella couldn't hear him. However, he failed miserably, because I heard Bella giggle a bit, at least until I narrowed my eyes at her, then she shut her mouth.
I leaned in and whispered into Masen's ear so only he could hear me. "Can you keep a secret?" I asked. Masen nodded. "Well, if Daddy has his way, Momma's not gonna be a Swan much longer herself … but you can't tell her. It's a secret, remember?"
He nodded again while I ruffled his hair, turning to see if Bella had heard me. She narrowed her eyes at me in question so I assumed she hadn't.
"What did you just tell him?"
"Uh uh, that's a father-son secret," I teased, pulling Masen closer. "Isn't it buddy?"
Masen nodded. "Uh huh. Mine n' daddy's secret."
Bella laughed as she stood from the bed. "Never trust a three-year-old to keep your secrets, Edward. Especially, when his mother knows all his weaknesses."
I wasn't worried.
"Masen," Bella called, walking into the living room after cleaning up from lunch. "Naptime."
"I not tired," Masen whined. "I wants to stay up wiff Daddy."
"I'm not going anywhere, buddy," I reasoned. "I'll still be right here when you wake back up."
"Rights hew?" he asked, biting his lip.
I chuckled, saying, "Maybe not right here, but yes, somewhere in the house."
"Come on, Masen," Bella said, extending her hand toward him. "Daddy isn't going to leave."
"Uh uh," Masen pouted, shaking his little head. "Daddy tuck me in."
"Then let's go," I replied, sitting forward on the couch, bringing Masen with me, considering he was tucked firmly into my side. Had been all morning.
Masen climbed off the couch and waited for me to follow him. My girl smiled apologetically as we walked by, but I just shrugged—if Masen wanted me to tuck him in, then I'd gladly tuck him in.
"You reads me a story, Daddy?" he asked once we entered his bedroom.
I nodded, but quickly clarified, "One."
He grabbed one of his many Curious George books and climbed into bed. I settled in next to him, and opened the book.
"Curious George at the Baseball Game," I began.
"There's the man with the yellow hat," Masen pointed out when I opened to the first page of the story.
"Yup," I agreed. "And he's holding George's hand just like your Mom and I hold your hand …."
"Uh huh," he agreed, yawning.
"This is George," I said, starting the book. "He was a good little monkey and always very curious. Today, George and the man with the yellow hat were going to the ballpark to watch a baseball game. George couldn't wait to see what it would be like."
"Why that guy give George a red hat?" Masen asked, pointing to the guy handing George a red baseball cap as I turned the page.
"To make him apart of the team," I replied, before going back to the book. "At the baseball stadium, the man with the yellow hat introduced George to his friend, the head coach of the Mudville Miners. He had arranged for George to watch the game from the dugout. What a treat! George got a Miners cap to wear. Then he sat on the bench with the players. He felt just like part of the team!"
Masen listened carefully, occasionally pointing at something on the page and asking questions as I read through the story.
"Whys that little boy sad?" Masen asked as we neared the end.
"Because he can't find his mommy and daddy."
"He misses him?" Masen asked, sitting up.
"Well, yeah …."
"I misseded yous when I couldn't find you," Masen replied matter-of-factly. "But that's when Momma took me to see you. But, I still misseded yous cause you didn't talk."
I sat there staring at my son, honestly speechless. I mean, I knew my absence affected him, but I guess I didn't really get how much until that very moment.
"I thoughts you leaved me alones again," he went on to explain. "But Momma said yous come back to us when yous could. And yous did. So that little boy shouldn't be sad, his momma and daddy will comes back too."
I blinked looking at the page Masen was pointing at before bringing my focus back to him.
"Masen, you know Daddy would never leave you if he was given any choice at all, right?" Masen nodded but he didn't say anything. "I love you, buddy."
"I love you too, Daddy," he replied looking at his book. "You finish the stowy now?"
I laughed. "Yes Masen, I'll finish the story now."
Bella was lying in bed when I finished reading Masen his story. I wasn't sure if she was actually sleeping or not, so, I decided to lie down with her and see if she started talking. She'd been unusually quiet all morning.
"How do we tell Masen?" she whispered, shuffling closer to me.
I sighed, pulling her into my arms. "I don't know, baby," I answered honestly. "I mean, I think he's a bit young to really understand ..."
"Yeah …" she whispered.
We laid in silence for a long time before I finally broke it—hoping like hell, she hadn't fallen asleep. "Bella?" I whispered.
"Hmm?" she hummed against my chest.
"I want you to tell me what happened while I was in the hospital." I felt her tense, but she didn't say anything.
Finally, she sat up. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"I mean, what happened the six weeks I was in the hospital? Six weeks is a lot of time to miss, baby. I just want to know what happened …."
She sighed, scooting back against the headboard. I followed her movement and settled next to her.
"Edward, I don't …" she began, but then seemed to reconsider because she grew quiet again.
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and pulled her into me. "Baby," I murmured lovingly. "Just tell me what you can, okay?"
Nodding against my chest, she whispered, "Okay, but it's not going to make you happy …. In fact, I'm sure the majority of it is going to piss you off … at me."
**Author's Note**
Well, give me some reviews :)