"They are in her room together," Carlisle emphasized. "Together."
"Yes, Carlisle, you have said that three times now," Esme smiled. She shut the door to her closet and turned to look at him, hands on her hips. "What do you think is the worst thing that could happen?"
"Don't patronize me," he scowled. "If they spent the night together, they were most likely having sex."
"And what?" Esme rolled her eyes. "Edward will get someone pregnant? I think we've crossed that bridge. And unfortunately, that isn't something we need to worry about with Bella."
"That doesn't mean we should allow that kind of behavior to go on right in front of us," Carlisle replied staunchly. "We have an obligation to Charlie to make sure that while Bella is with us, we – "
Esme snorted. "We have no obligations to Charlie. As far as I am considered, he has ceased to exist. He doesn't deserve to be the Chief of Police and he certainly doesn't deserve to be Bella's father."
Carlisle sighed and rubbed his face. "I'm not standing up for Charlie, Es, but what he's dealing with is an illness. It isn't necessarily his fault, completely. And regardless, we have the same obligation to all parents that let their children stay over. They should be able to leave them here knowing that they are safe and supervised."
Esme tossed her jacket onto the bed and sat down next to Carlisle. She reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "I hear what you're saying. And I agree with you, to an extent. But I also want my son to be happy, and that goes for Bella, too."
"You think I don't want them to be happy?" Carlisle asked softly, his brow furrowed.
Esme leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Don't be so dramatic. You know that isn't what I think. Bella has had it tough, and with everything that is coming…I just want them to have a little bit of happiness before it's too late."
"Do you think they'll make it?"
"If I have anything to do with it, they will," Esme laughed. She stood and reached for her jacket. "Dr. Cullen, you may not know it yet, but I have it on good authority that Bella will be part of our family for a very, very long time."
Carlisle stood up and cocked his head. "Good authority?"
Esme smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Call it my womanly instincts. But you should know, it's not only me that feels that way. Alice thinks so, too."
He rolled his eyes and followed Esme out of their bedroom. "And we never bet against Alice."
"Never," Esme chirped.
"Where are you going?" he asked, nodding at the jacket draped over her arm.
"I have some shopping to do today," she replied vaguely. "Is Charlie awake yet?"
Carlisle shook his head. "No. I left him some ibuprofen and water around eight and he was still out cold. Do you think Bella would like to come with me to drop him off?"
"I'm not sure. If she doesn't, she can always come shopping with me. It would be a good time for us to talk."
To their surprise, both Edward and Bella were already sitting at the kitchen table.
"Hmm," Carlisle eyed them suspiciously. "Edward is awake before noon? On a day when he doesn't have to attend school?"
"Very sketchy," Esme agreed, but her lips were already curved up in a smile.
Edward yawned dramatically. "Bella made me get up. Hey, listen, can we get a dog?"
Carlisle pulled several boxes of cereal out of the pantry. He placed them on the middle of the table. Working as an effortless team, Esme opened the refrigerator for the milk.
"Bella, you look a little flushed," Carlisle noted.
Bella stared at the refrigerator for a moment and then looked back at him, swallowing hard.
"Do you want something from the fridge? Orange juice?" he asked.
Edward started choking on his cereal and turned away from the table, coughing.
Bella blushed even redder and she shook her head. "No, no thank you."
Slightly confused, Carlisle nodded slowly. "Um…so, a dog. Esme?"
Esme was perched on the edge of her seat, taking small sips of coffee. "I take no part in house breaking. That means my carpet takes no part in it. Which means absolutely no accidents on the carpet."
"Okay," Edward coughed. He straightened up in his seat."That's fine."
"Bella, I'm bringing your father to that facility I told you about. I'm leaving in about twenty minutes… Would you like to join us?" Carlisle questioned, resting his elbows on the table.
A heavy silence descended on the table and three pairs of eyes swung in Bella's direction. She looked so uncomfortable that Carlisle took pity on her, and rushed to make her feel better.
"You don't have to," he said quickly. "I can just as easily tell him that you aren't allowed inside, and we'll be there quite a while getting him set up."
"I don't want him to think that I don't care," Bella said quietly, her voice just above a whisper.
"Why don't you talk to him before he leaves?" Esme suggested. "Wish him luck and tell him what you need to tell him."
"Do you think that's okay?" Bella asked anxiously.
"Of course it's okay, Bella," Edward scowled belligerently. "He's an asshole. He doesn't even – "
"It's fine, Bella," Carlisle interjected. "I think Charlie will appreciate anything you want to say to him."
Bella nodded and avoided looking at Edward.
"Come on," Carlisle stood up. He held out his arm to Bella, which would have been weird if it was anyone else. Bella took his arm, grateful for his support, and he led her out of the kitchen, murmuring quietly.
Edward was about to take a huge bite of cereal. Esme waited until Bella and Carlisle were out of earshot, then she reached across the table and smacked the spoon full of cereal and milk out of his hand. It splashed over the front of his shirt. "Hey! What was that for?"
"You might know what Charlie is doing is wrong, and you might think he is a scumbag, but he is still Bella's father!" Esme reprimanded him. "You do not talk about her father like that."
Still surprised, Edward sat back in his chair and laid down his spoon. His expression turned into one of a disobedient child. "I was just saying what everyone was thinking. He is an asshole. He was an asshole four years ago and he's an even bigger asshole right now."
"Edward," she sighed. "I know you don't like the Chief. Right now, frankly, I don't like him, either. But he is still Bella's father and she still cares about him. What if the situation was reversed, and Carlisle was the one having problems? How would you feel?"
Edward scoffed. "Carlisle would never ruin his life like that."
"Edward," Esme said through her teeth. "Did you see the look on Bella's face when you called Charlie an asshole?"
His eyes shifted to the right and the hard edges on his face melted away. "No…"
"She looked like you sucker punched her," she said sympathetically. "And in a way, you did. You need to be careful with Bella. She's fragile right now."
He smirked at that but didn't say anything. Edward reached for his napkin and began sopping up the spilled milk.
"So have you told her?"
Esme watched him closely. Edward seemed to stiffen slightly, but that was the only reaction she could see. He nodded.
"And how did she handle it?" she asked, dreading his response. How could Bella handle it any way, except terribly?
Edward balled up his paper towel and tossed it at the garbage can. It hit the wall, missed, and fell to the ground with a soft plop. He sighed. "I don't know. Okay, I guess."
"Too soon to tell?"
"Yeah," he replied glumly.
They heard the door to the study open and shut. Edward jumped guiltily, like he was caught doing something wrong. Esme bit her tongue and resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. He might look like a man, but he was still just her little boy. She hated that he had to go through this.
Bella entered the kitchen. Her face was pale but her eyes were red, and it was glaringly obvious that she had been crying. Esme loved her son dearly, but wasn't sure if it was wise to leave this delicate girl in his care. At least, not while she was still crying.
"Bella, I need to head out to Port Angeles for a bit of shopping. You'd be doing me a huge favor if you could come with me," Esme wheedled. "Lunch on me?"
Bella looked at Edward, who shrugged. "Okay. That sounds good."
"I'll go get the puppy while you guys are out," Edward offered. He stood up and put his bowl in the sink. He hugged Bella briefly and kissed the side of her head.
"No!" Bella blurted out. "Umm…he isn't at my house."
"Where is he?" Edward asked. "It's no big deal. Is he back at Angela's?"
"No," she responded in a tiny voice. "He's uh, um…well, Jake's taking care of him."
"Jake?" Edward repeated sharply. "As in…Jacob Black?"
"I can get him later," Bella said quickly. "Don't worry about it, okay? When I get back I'll call him and have him – "
"I'll handle it," he replied curtly.
"Edward," Bella began pleadingly.
"Edward will handle himself like an adult and not make any trouble at all," Esme cut in succinctly. "Correct?"
Edward gave Esme a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."
"Bella, why don't you go get changed? We'll leave once you're ready."
Bella nodded and glanced at Edward nervously. "Do you promise?"
He rolled his eyes. "I promise your precious Jacob will still be alive and breathing when I leave La Push."
"And not, like, bruised or anything?" Bella persisted.
"Yeah, yeah," Edward said grudgingly. Bella threw herself at him for another hug and squeezed him tightly. Her lips brushed against his ear and she whispered, "Thank you. Love you."
He had to remind himself that they were still in the kitchen with his mother. He still landed a kiss square on her mouth, but he decided to save the tongue for later. "You ladies go have fun. I'll just stay here, in Forks, all by myself. Nothing to do."
"You could always go to school," Esme teased.
Edward laughed and raised his eye brows. "Actually, I'm feeling kind of sick now. I think I better get back in bed."
Esme laughed at his terrible performance and reached up to ruffle his hair. "I'm sure you'll be able to amuse yourself."
"So what are we shopping for?" Bella asked.
Esme pressed the lock button on her key chain and the black Mercedes let out a happy little chirp.
"Why don't we have lunch before we shop?"
Bella thought she noticed a hint of nerves in Esme's voice. "But we just had breakfast…"
"Let's just have a cup of coffee, then," Esme offered.
It was a nice day in Port Angeles. They were lucky, because the stretch of shops that Esme hoped to peek in were scattered in a two block radius. Rain would have seriously hampered her ability to drop some dough.
"Is everything okay?" Bella asked.
Esme led her into a small café and they took a table by the window. Bella sat down and folded her hands in front of her. Esme felt her heart break at Bella's peaked, worried face.
"Nothing is wrong, sweetheart," Esme said, unable to stop emotion from filling her voice. "I wanted to check on you. Are you all right?"
Bella nodded in relief. "I'm fine."
Esme sat back, unsure of how to approach the topic. If she was in Bella's shoes, she wouldn't want pity or sympathy. "I know Edward spoke to you about Jessica and her situation."
Bella immediately dropped her eyes. "Yes."
A waitress came by to take their order. As soon as she saw Bella's tense face and Esme's concerned posture, she began to edge away.
"We'll take two teas, please," Esme managed to order. The waitress nodded and scurried away.
"I want you to know that you will always have a place in my home," Esme began. Bella's head shot up and her chin quivered. "Don't you dare cry, Bella, or you'll make me cry, too. Just listen, okay?"
Bella nodded.
"I would love to have a baby in our house," Esme admitted. "I can't lie about that. I wish Edward had exercised more caution and that we weren't dealing with this situation now, before he's even out of high school, but you and I both know how precious new life is."
Tears streamed down Bella's face. Esme was telling her how much she was going to love Edward's baby. Sure, she might not be able to have kids, but she had Alice. That was something Bella would never get to experience. She wanted to get up and leave. She didn't want to hear anymore.
"Carlisle wanted to move Jessica into our house for the duration of her pregnancy so he could keep an eye on her. That isn't going to happen," Esme said firmly.
Bella tried not to show the shock she was feeling on her face. Edward had definitely never mentioned that.
"I don't like Jessica," Esme continued. "I never have, and I doubt I ever will, but if she is the mother of my grandchild then I will do everything in my power to get along with her. But Bella, Jessica is not a threat to you. Not in any way."
"What do you mean?" Bella asked tearfully. "Of course she is. She can give all of you everything that you want."
Esme reached over the table to cup Bella's cheek. "No, Bella. What we want is for Edward to be happy, and he's happy with you. He is in love with you, Bella. Not Jessica."
"But she's going to have his baby," Bella wailed. She hiccupped and covered her mouth, trying to regain her composure. "Things will change then. Once you all see the baby. You'll fall in love with both of them."
"Silly girl," Esme said affectionately. "That will never happen. You are part of our family now."
Bella snatched some napkins off of the table and wiped at her face. "Esme, it's nice to hear, and I appreciate it so much. I appreciate everything you and Carlisle have done for me. I just – it's hard for me to believe that it's not going to just disappear in two months."
"Then we'll just have to make you believe it," Esme smiled. The waitress stopped by to drop off two steaming mugs. "Now drink up. We have two rooms in the house that need makeovers."
"Two rooms?" Bella echoed.
"Yes. A possible nursery, which could be tricky," Esme mused. "Considering we don't know if it's a boy, girl, or even ours."
Bella took a sip of tea and burned her tongue. "Neutral colors, I guess."
Esme nodded approvingly. "Sounds good. And what about your room?"
"My room?" Bella gulped. "My room is fine the way it is."
"Nonsense," Esme shook her head. "I am a firm believer that your living space needs to represent your personality."
"I couldn't possibly – "
"Nothing you say will change my mind, and if you don't participate in my afternoon of shopping, I will be forced to start a bonfire in the backyard and burn every stick of furniture in your bedroom."
Bella's jaw dropped open and Esme laughed. "No, I wouldn't start a fire. Carlisle has a strong aversion to fire. One of his few fears, actually. But I will donate it to Good Will right out from underneath you. So no more complaints."
"Okay," Bella said faintly. "Maybe just a little bit of color on the walls, then. I love the furniture."
Esme rolled her eyes and dug into her purse for her wallet. "You're a terrible liar, Bella."
"I know," Bella sighed. "Edward tells me that all of the time."
Esme tossed a ten dollar bill on the table and stood up. "Shall we?"
"Okay. But I just have to say that I really don't feel comfortable spending your money when you've already – "
"Bella?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up," Esme said affectionately. She linked arms with her and headed for the baby superstore. Might as well get the painful shopping out of the way early.
Edward spent his day sulking on the couch. They were granted a reprieve from school for one day, and everyone deserted him. Carlisle had taken Charlie to rehab, and that was a two hour drive each way. Plus, he was going to stay for a few hours to "get him settled," whatever that meant.
If it was up to him, he'd pull up at the curb and tell Charlie to tuck and roll.
Alice had gone to school that morning. She ignored all of his text messages, replying only once to tell him that she was hanging out with someone after school.
Bella and Esme went into Port Angeles for an afternoon of shopping. It turned into lunch and some shopping, and then that blossomed into dinner and some shopping. Bella's text messages became increasing few and far between as the day wore on.
He was in full on sulk mode.
In addition to having to deal with all of that crap, he had to go get the puppy from Jacob. Bella left his number and promised she would call ahead of time to explain the situation to Jake.
Apparently, Bella forgot. When Edward showed up at Jake's door, Jake turned white under his tan skin and looked like he was about to pass out. Edward smiled, remembering how frightened Jake appeared. That was good. He liked that.
Jake handed over the puppy with barely a fight. In fact, he seemed more afraid of Edward than ever before. He suspected someone else was there, and Jake was eager to get rid of him.
Probably because of what he named the puppy. Edward fought the urge to grind his teeth. Jake only had the thing for two days and it was already answering to only one name. He wanted to throttle Jake. He probably would have, except he promised Bella he wouldn't.
It was almost eight-thirty by the time he heard Esme's car come down the drive. The puppy, who spent the entire afternoon snoozing on the couch, perked his ears up and looked at the door.
"Yeah, yeah," Edward muttered. "Your momma's home."
The garage door opened and the puppy hopped off the couch. He looked around, cocking his head, unable to find the source of the noise.
Edward heard Bella and his mom laughing as they climbed the stairs from the basement.
"Edward? Are you home?" Esme called, opening the door.
The puppy went flying into the foyer, where Esme and Bella now stood. Edward heard his mother's screech of surprise, and Bella's of delight.
"Hey Mom," he called. He pulled himself off the couch and sauntered into the foyer. "Bella."
She was on her knees, her arms around the puppy's neck. Bella looked wonderful. Her cheeks were red and she looked happy. It made him feel good.
"Aww, you're a cutie," Esme cooed. "What's his name?"
"He doesn't have one yet," Bella said, looking up at her. "We couldn't think of one that fit."
Edward sighed and dropped to his knees by Bella. The puppy nudged under his hand, and Edward rolled his eyes. He knew the drill by now. He scratched behind his ears and the pup's tail thumped against the floor.
"We don't have to think of a name," Edward muttered. "Jacob already did."
"He did?" Bella asked. She looked thoughtful. "What did he choose? Does the baby already know his name?"
"Oh yes," Edward scowled. "The baby knows his name. He won't answer to anything else, and trust me, I've been trying all day."
Bella and Esme looked at him quizzically. Edward's frown deepened.
"Well, Edward?" Esme prompted. "What did he name the dog?"
"Eddie," Edward said through his teeth. "He named the dog Eddie."
Eddie promptly barked and thumped his tail harder, sending Bella and Esme into peals of laughter.
"Oh, my God, he really does know it already!" Bella laughed. Eddie barked again and ran around them in circles, obviously relishing the attention.
"Oh, Edward," Esme said, covering her smile. "It's cute. Oddly fitting, isn't it?"
"Adorable," he replied acidly.
"Oh, Edward! Can you help us with some bags? In the backseat. And the trunk. It might be more than one trip," Esme said apologetically.
"Suuuure," he drew out the word. "Anything for you two."
"I'll start some pasta for you. How does that sound?" she bargained.
"Good," Edward acquiesced.
"I'll help you," Bella offered.
Edward waited until Esme was in the kitchen. He held out his hand and Bella approached him timidly. She bit her lip and took his hand, and Edward yanked her against him. He kissed her thoroughly, only breaking away to murmur, "I missed you today."
"I missed you, too," Bella smiled. She twined her arms around his neck and nuzzled against his cheek.
"Did you have a nice day?" he asked, his mouth sliding down the column of her throat.
"Mmm hmmm," she murmured. "We had fun. Your mother spent an obscene amount of money, though. We're going to have to sneak back to Port Angeles and return some of the stuff she got me and – Edward!"
He muffled his laughter against her skin and his hands, which already made their way under her shirt, reached the front of her bra. Bella squirmed against him. "Stop it! What is wrong with you?"
"You left me alone all day," he pouted.
Bella's eyes dropped to his full lower lip. He pushed it out a little bit further and she was shocked at the urge she had to lean forward and tug on it with her teeth. "Esme is in the kitchen."
He turned his head away from her. "Hey Mom? I'm getting your crap. Where do you want it all?"
"Keep it downstairs in the den. I'm not sure when I'm going to get a chance to unpack it all," Esme called back. "Have you talked to your father?"
She said something else but Edward already opened the door to the basement and started shoving Bella through it.
"She wants to know if you want garlic bread," Bella protested, trying not to laugh.
"Tell her that I am busy feeling up my girlfriend," Edward whispered. Edward pulled the door shut and sandwiched Bella against it. "This feels familiar, doesn't it?"
Bella nodded. "Familiar, and just as inappropriate."
Edward laughed. "You like inappropriate. Speaking of inappropriate…you left me all alone today. For hours. I had to amuse myself."
"I'm sure that must have been terrible," Bella said sarcastically. She couldn't keep the breathiness out of her voice, though, and Edward knew he was getting to her.
"It was terrible," Edward agreed. "Your behavior was deplorable. In fact, I think you might need to be punished again."
Her eyes widened. "No!"
Edward grinned gleefully. "Yes. Definitely, yes."