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What Becomes of the Brokenhearted?
Chapter 37
BPOV
If you were to look up the word `blessed´ in the dictionary, you´d probably find an 8x10 glossy picture of me cheesing like an idiot.
I didn´t know how or why, but God had seen fit to bless me with everything I could have every wanted, but was too busy being miserable to ask. Every time I reflected over the last six months, I found myself in a state of awe.
Pinching the meaty flesh of my forearm, I winced at the sting. "Well, do you believe that it´s real now," Esme asked from behind me.
"Yikes," I squeaked in surprise. "Esme, I´m sorry, I didn´t hear you come in." My heart was currently trying to part ways with my body; I placed a shaky hand over my chest in an attempt to keep myself whole.
"Oh, dear," she fussed, flitting to my side and placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright? I didn´t mean to startle you. It´s just that you looked so deep in thought staring out of the window, I didn´t want to interrupt."
"That´s okay," I responded dismissively. "I was just keeping an eye on the twins while I got the cake ready. Emmett threatened to defile it earlier, and I just wanted to make sure it was unscathed before having the twin's blowout there candles." Like a moth drawn to a flame, my eyes began searching the crowded backyard at the mere mention of my children.
"It is, you know," Esme said out of the blue.
"What is?" My eyes never left the beautiful boy and girl that giggled and chased behind a clown that was blowing bubbles.
"This… them… all of it," she responded cryptically. "I noticed you pinching yourself, and Bella, let me be the first to say… all of this, is very real! I can´t remember the last time I watched son just laugh, and be carefree. That´s you, my dear, that´s all you," Esme whispered from beside me. I could hear the telltale signs of emotion cracking in her voice. "You´ve given me my son back."
It was physically painful, but I tore my eyes away for the Rockwell painting that was coming to life before me, and looked into the soulful eyes of the woman that had given my Greek God life.
"I-I don´t know, Esme," allowing my insecurities to shine through, "sometimes I feel like I´m doing it all wrong!" Looking back at my precious little angels, I croaked, "What if I mess up? What if I´m no better at being their mother than Tanya was? What if Edward one day realizes what a terrible mistake he made by getting involved with me?" By this time, I was on the verge of an all out panic attack.
My breaths were becoming shallower by the minute!
The feel of a cool rag being placed on my neck, shocked me back to reality. "Isabella, please," Esme said in a condescending tone. "You have more love for those precious little human beings, not to mention the very mind-altering love that you have for their father, in the nail of your pinky finger than that no good little gold-digging slut had in her entire body!" Esme smacked her lips as if speaking of Tanya left a bad taste in her mouth. "Please, Isabella, never speak of that vile, heinous creature in my presence again."
Esme took a rather large gulp of her wine, and I could tell that she was trying to recompose herself.
I took that time to make a mental note to never cross Esme Cullen.
The woman was epitome of a lady, refined, educated, and bred for high-society, but cross her, and you would definitely live to regret it!
"Well, dear," Esme said sweetly, "let´s not keep our guests waiting. It´s time for cake and ice cream."
The elegant caramel-haired woman had done a complete 360, going from Serial Mom to Claire Huxtable in a matter of seconds.
Her mood swings were going to give me whiplash!
Once again, my body confirmed what my mind already knew, don´t fuck with Esme Cullen! When she says, "Jump," your place was to ask how fucking high!
All afternoon, Esme had been gushing about how fabulous everything was, and how I had outdone myself with one thing or another. It wasn´t until her eyes landed on the two separate birthday cakes, did I finally render her speechless.
Giving myself a mental pat on the back, I arranged the number two candles on top of each child´s respective cake. Brooklyn, who´s absolutely crazy about Strawberry Shortcake, had a three tiered cake fashioned after the cartoon.
Being a huge fan of Ace´s of Cakes, I put a call in to the one and only, Duff Goldman, and after a negotiating a price and a very nice tip, he delivered the cakes this morning himself.
The five-tiered Car´s cake that he´d made for Gunner was a showstopper as well. My babies, having personalities all their own, each had their favorite cartoon. Often times, Edward and I had to split up, each taking a twin, so they could watch their preference of uninterrupted.
The cakes were the last of my surprises, and I had them delivered to Alice´s condo this morning so no one would spoil my big finale. "Isabella, what have you done," shock being the dominant expression on Esme´s face, I began to panic.
"What," I blushed, pulling my lip nervously between my teeth. "Do you think it´s too much? Do you think that Edward will hate them?" Suddenly, I wasn´t so sure of my surprise, maybe I´d gone a bit overboard, but in my defense, I just wanted to make the kids birthday special.
"Dear God, no! Go big or go home, is what I always say," Esme grinned, planting a motherly kiss against my cheek. "Darling, you are nothing short of amazing. Isabella Swan, I´m so glad that you´re a part of our family."
"Holy shit, little B," Emmett bellowed a little too loudly for present company as he carried the heavy Car´s cake. "These cakes are fucking amazing!" His eyes shone wide, and he was as giddy as a kid in a candy store. If I didn´t know any better, I´d swear that one of those cakes were for him.
Smack!
"Language, Emmett," Esme scolded her eldest son, "you´re embarrassing me in front of our guests."
"Sorry, Ma," Emmett pouted, placing the cake on the table in front of the twins. I could see Jasper´s shoulders shake with silent laughter as he placed Brooklyn´s cake down in front of her.
"Saw Bewy," she squealed, happily clapping her hands.
"Keen… ma keen… Mama… Keen ma keen…" Gunner squealed right along with her.
Alice passed me my very excited little boy, and we all joined in for a chorus of Happy Birthday, before Edward and I helped them blow out the candles.
Both cakes were well worth the five grand that I spent on them, and my toddlers as well as Esme´s – Emmett – enjoyed them very much.
Later that night after the guests, who weren´t immediate family, had gone, we were sitting around the fire pit. Edward and Carlisle had gone in to retrieve the little ones from the nursery, insisting that I remain seated.
I´m not going to lie, it did hurt my feeling a little, but only because I love taking care of my children. Nothing gives me more satisfaction than tending to their every need. Seeing my slight change in demeanor, Esme leaned over to whisper in my ear, "There´s nothing wrong with you sweetheart, it´s called the new mommy jitters. You need them to need you as much as you need to be needed." Before I could respond, Thing 1 and Thing 2 came barreling out onto the patio.
"Mama… mama…" they cried in unison.
"Here… pwesant," Gunner said, proudly thrusting a little blue box in my face.
"No… mama… mine," Brooklyn fussed, scrunching up her button nose in the cutest fashion. "My pwesent… Mama… yook!" I had to lean back; she thrust her little hand up so quickly at my face. Both kids were equally excited about giving me whatever it was that was tucked away in the little velvet boxes.
Pulling both the little squirming rascals into my lap, I gave them each a kiss. "How about, you both help mommy open them?" That suggestion earned me lots of squeals and a few slobbery open-mouthed kisses.
God I loved my babies.
Opening the small, but intimidating boxes, my eyes filled with tears. Nestled snuggly into the groove of the velvet pillow was a new charm for my bracelet, and the other contained a pendant dangling from a platinum linked chain. Both had the word, Mom engraved on them.
"Turn them over," Edward´s velvety voice sounded above me. "There is an inscription on the back."
The charm read, To mommy with love, G&B.
But the pendant left me feeling confused. Gunner and Brook´s initials where there, but the rest looked as if someone was going write the date, but decided against it, leaving only the customary back slashes and the number twenty. Confused, I looked up to see Edward grinning like a fool. I couldn´t fathom why he would be so happy, clearly the jeweler had made a mistake and he was going to have to return my gift on Monday.
"Edward, I think he made a mistake with this one," I pointed out, holding up the pendant for him to get a better look.
"Uhh… no, no they didn't," he responded tugging nervously at his too long strands of bronze hair. "I had them leave it blank on purpse."
"Wha… what do you mean? I don´t get it."
Pulling out a stack of papers from a legal-sized envelope, he gave them to me to read. My eyes skimmed the page, but stopped cold when the read the words in big bold letters, Petition for Legal Adoption…
"Edward…" I could barely speak from the quiet sobs that were wracking my body.
Dropping down to one knee in front of me, Edward took a hold of my left hand and began to speak. "Isabella Swan, before you came into my life… my children´s lives, there was constant darkness. I was a man without purpose, struggling to be a father to two motherless children. At fifty thousand feet, I fell in love with you and have been flying high ever since. Ms. Isabella Swan, would you do me the distinct honor of becoming my wife, and the legal mother of my two children and any future children," he added with a wink and his panty-dropping smirk.
I was rendered speechless. I watched in stunned silence as Edward opened another blue box that contained the most beautiful engagement ring that I had ever seen. As tears silently cascaded down my modern-day Prince Charming´s face, there wasn´t a dry eye in the house. I even saw Jasper, Carlisle, and Emmett batting away tears.
Taking my ring finger, he gently slid the cool metal up my finger. Placing a soft kiss against the ring that now fit perfectly on my left hand, the word "Perfect" fell from his lips.
Raising his watery eyes to mine, he timidly said, "Well?"
Unable to find my voice, I whispered, "Yes, yes… yes! A million times yes!"
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