Chapter 25
It takes some convincing—okay, a lot of convincing—but Bella agrees to meet us in Cleveland with Charlie. I tell her that I'll buy an open-ended ticket, so she can return home whenever she needs to if Charlie doesn't take well to travel. If I have my way, she'll stay at least until we move on to Indianapolis in five days.
I promise her that she'll be able to work during the day because I'll take care of Charlie. She can work from anywhere as long as she has her laptop, so this is a winning situation for all of us. I get Charlie and Bella with me for a little while and Bella gets uninterrupted time to work. Alice isn't home too often in the evenings to help out anyway, so there won't be much difference when I'm out at a show.
She tried to complain that she didn't want me to spend money on flying her out or hotel accommodations, but I shot that argument down quickly. First of all, I wanted them to be with me so it should be at my expense. However, what it really comes down to is that I have enough frequent flyer miles and hotel points that a first class ticket and an adjoining room don't cost me a cent. I already have a suite for myself in order to have a kitchen and dining room, so the added room for Bella and Charlie is no big deal.
As I sit in the baggage claim area of the airport waiting for my girls, I keep my baseball cap low on my head and my Ray-Bans over my eyes. This won't eliminate the possibility of being spotted by a fan, but it helps. I'm also sitting in a quiet corner away from the rest of the mayhem. Bella told me that she'd be checking Charlie's stroller at the gate to make it easier for her to navigate through the airport, so I'm assuming she'll be coming out of the elevator, instead of the escalator which is in the center of all of the activity.
I've already checked to see that her flight landed, so my eyes stay glued to the elevator doors. Adrenaline spikes through me every time they open, only to be disappointed when Bella doesn't emerge.
The open area is loud, and I'm doing my best to avoid looking around in the hope that I won't be spotted. I know it's ultimately unavoidable, but I just want to be able to greet them in peace without cameras going crazy around us.
After twenty long minutes, the silver elevator doors open and Bella emerges, pushing Charlie in her black stroller. She's looking around, presumably for which way she needs to go to claim her bags, when I call her name quietly.
Her eyes widen when she sees me standing in front of the bench I had been sitting on. "What are you doing here?" she asks when she reaches me.
"I wanted to come get you and Charlie," I tell her with a shrug.
"I told you I'd take a cab. What if someone sees you?" She looks around to make sure no one is watching us.
"What if they do? They could spot you just as easily." Unable to resist any longer, I pull her into a tight hug. I breathe in deeply when her arms wrap around my waist and return the embrace. "I missed you," I tell her quietly. "I'm so glad you came."
She pulls back and gives me a small smile. "I, uh … I have to get our bags."
I peek into the car seat that's clipped onto the stroller and see that Charlie is sound asleep. "Do you want me to take her out to the car while you get them?" As much as I want to be a gentleman and get her bags for her, I realize that the three of us together out in the open baggage claim area is likely to draw more attention.
Bella agrees, so I push the stroller outside to the waiting limo. I release the car seat and put it on the floor while I fold up the stroller—all things Bella taught me how to do. The driver takes the stroller to the trunk while I climb into the car and strap Charlie in using the seatbelt. Not the ideal way, but Bella also told me that it's safe when needed. I really want to hold Charlie and hug her, but that will have to wait until she wakes up.
It doesn't take long for Bella to get her bags and find us, and then we're on our way. The short ride to our hotel is fairly quiet, except for me asking how Charlie was during the plane ride and Bella telling me she handled it just fine. Apparently, our adorable daughter was the hit of the first class section, which Bella thanks me for again, with the flight attendants and other passengers fawning all over her.
A porter greets the limo when we arrive, and I instruct him to bring the luggage to our suite while I quickly usher Bella and Charlie inside.
"Edward, you didn't have to get all of this for us," Bella says when she walks into the sitting room of the suite.
"I didn't, really," I admit, rubbing the back of my neck. "We usually get suites when we stay somewhere for a few days so we'll have a kitchen. I just added on the adjoining room." I point to the door over my shoulder. "I'll stay in there so you'll have plenty of space with Charlie."
"Thank you. That's really generous of you."
The porter arrives and drops off Bella's suitcases. I hand him a twenty before he leaves.
Turning back to Bella, I admit something that's been on my mind lately as I take a seat on the couch. "It's not like you've let me spend any money on her. I mean, you buy pretty much everything she needs, so if this is all I can do for you two, then I'm gonna do it."
Bella sits down next to me just as Charlie begins to stir from the car seat on the floor.
"I'll get her," I quickly tell Bella, excited to see my baby girl with her eyes open.
She fusses around for a minute while I open the straps holding her in, but I get an honest to goodness wide smile when her eyes finally open and land on me.
"Hey there, baby girl. Did you come to visit Daddy? I missed you," I say as I pull her from the seat and hug her body to mine, kissing her chubby cheek loudly. I hold her up in front of me and marvel at how big she's gotten since I last saw her. "My goodness, look at you!"
My thumbs dig into her ribs a little as I hold her and she lets out a squeal. I can't help but laugh at her. "Are you ticklish?" I dig my thumbs in again and she laughs. Turning to Bella, I ask my burning question. "Do you think she remembers me?"
"I'm sure she knows who her Daddy is," Bella responds as I bring Charlie over to the couch and sit her on my lap. "I show her your picture all the time and play the CD you made. And I've even showed her some clips of your shows that I found on YouTube. She's not all that interested in the TV, but I figured it was something."
I feel like my jaw must be on the floor. "You did all that for me?"
"Of course. You're her Daddy."
Before I can say anything else, we're interrupted by a knock at the door. I cross the room and look through the peephole, only seeing an eyeball.
"Emmett," I sigh, knowing the big goofball's tricks anywhere.
I open the door with Charlie on my hip, and in walks over six feet of man-child, followed by his statuesque girlfriend.
"Bellaboo!" Emmett exclaims with his arms wide open while Rose snatches the baby right out of my hands.
"Hi, Charlie," she says, cuddling her close and blowing a raspberry on Charlie's cheek.
Charlie squeals again at the same time Bella does, and I look over to see that Emmett has her wrapped in a bear hug with her feet lifted off the ground. I look back at Rose who is rolling her eyes but smiling.
"That's my monkey man," she sighs.
After all of the greetings are exchanged, we sit down with some drinks.
"So, you comin' to the show tonight, B?" Emmett asks, using a new nickname for Bella every time he addresses her.
"Oh, uh …" she starts, looking at me and clearly not knowing what to say. "I don't think so."
"We didn't even get a chance to talk before you two came barging in here," I interject, giving a pointed glare at Emmett. Turning to Bella, I explain that she could come if she wants. "There are always monitors in the dressing room, so if you want to come with Charlie, you can just hang out in there. It's up to you, though. If not tonight, maybe another show," I say hopefully, knowing she's probably tired from travelling.
"Okay, maybe the next one?" she asks. "I'm kind of beat from being up so early and the flight."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you want." I slide off the couch in front of Charlie, who is lying on the floor, and hand her one of the toys she was trying to reach.
Rose clears her throat, gaining everyone's attention. "There actually was another reason that we came by," she starts. "Not that we didn't want to say hi to Bella and Charlie. But we were wondering what you were planning to do tomorrow on our day off."
"I hadn't even thought about it yet. I wasn't really thinking much past Bella and Charlie getting here," I respond, shaking another toy for Charlie.
"Well, we're hoping you can join us tomorrow …" Rose says hesitantly.
My eyebrow shoots up as I wait for more information. I've never known Rose to be hesitant about anything.
Emmett throws his meaty arm around her before announcing, "We're getting married!"
My eyes go wide before I can think of anything to say. "Wow," is all that comes out at first. "What … how …" I'm not even sure what I'm trying to ask.
Rose laughs before putting me out of my misery. "Emmett's uncle is a retired judge. We got our marriage license today while you were picking Bella up, and he's going to marry us tomorrow at his house. We figured that we'd all go to Rock Hall for lunch afterward." She acts like this is an everyday occurrence.
I completely forgot that Emmett was originally from Cleveland since he's lived in Seattle for so many years. I did know that he still had family here though. If nothing else, it makes sense that they'd want to celebrate at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
When my mouth finally works, I assure them that I'll be there. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. Bella?" I look in her direction, questioning whether she'll come, too.
She looks slightly uncomfortable. "Um, yeah, I guess. Are you sure Charlie and I should be there?"
"Absolutely, Belly!" Emmett beams with yet another nickname. "You and Charlie are kind of our inspiration."
"Huh?" I ask, snapping my head back to Emmett.
His smile grows about a thousand times its normal size. "Rosie's havin' my baby!"
"Wow, congratulations," I offer while my mind whirls with the news. Emmett was my wingman for quite a few years before he and Rose stopped fighting like cats and dogs and started fucking. I've never pictured him as the type to settle down and have a kid, although I'm not so sure the kid part was planned. But hey, if I can do it, I guess he can, too.
Rose smiles. "I was finally able to get to a doctor the other day in Pittsburgh. We wanted to be sure before we told anyone. I'm ten weeks along already."
"Congratulations, Rose," Bella chimes in softly. "That's great news."
The two girls start talking pregnancy stuff while I get up to fix a bottle for Charlie. I keep an eye on Bella though, because as friendly as she's being, she still appears somewhat uncomfortable. I wonder if she's slightly jealous—as I find myself to be—of the fact that Rose and Emmett are together and getting married before they have their baby. I also find part of my jealousy to be at the fact that Emmett gets to experience the entire pregnancy with Rose, something that I missed out on with Bella, though that's no one's fault.
I'm surprised at how much I want what they have—a loving relationship and what will be a full-time family. I hope someday that can happen for me.
Maybe I should start by telling Bella that I'm in love with her.
A/N: Yes, many of you guessed that Rose was pregnant, and now it's confirmed. Up next is a wedding and lunch at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that you're not going to want to miss! The teaser will be posted on FicZone on Saturday. I'll also be posting a picture tease on Facebook.
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Many thanks to beachcomberlc, but all mistakes are mine. Yes, I tweaked this right before posting.