Mask'Charade chapter 35 part 2 What the End Justifies?
Disclaimer: All Twilight related material is the sole property of the original author.
A/N: This is part two. Part three will follow shortly.
EPOV
I race to the hospital, no doubt, breaking all types of road rules. My phone keeps ringing, and I'm unable to answer it, because I'm driving and at a highly alarming speed. I just hope I don't get pulled over before I reach my destination. Alice has called about a dozen times in the short time it's taken me to charge out of Aro's office and drive halfway to the hospital.
I park and return Alice's call on my way in. It goes to voicemail. I shove my phone in my pocket and walk briskly until someone grabs me by the shoulder.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
I spin around at the sound of the familiar voice and instantly yank out of his grasp.
"I'm going to see Bella, and you can't stop me."
"The hell I can't. You take another step, and I'll call the police."
"Call them. It's the only way you're going to stop me from seeing her."
"You're a selfish bastard, you know that? Of course you would just assert yourself to satisfy what you want. What about Bella and the health of her child?"
"You mean our child. Mine and Bella's; our son."
His eyes widen.
"That's right. I know; just like I know about the vasectomy. I also know that she's awake, and that means you're finished calling the shots. I'm going to be with her and our son."
My glare lingers before I resume walking.
"It's not that simple," he yells out.
"Go to hell, James."
"She doesn't remember." he yells again, stopping me in my tracks. I turn slowly to face him. He regards me with a smug expression. I walk back in his direction.
"What are you talking about?"
"She's having a little trouble remembering. The doctors say it's normal, but who knows how long it will last." He shrugs nonchalantly.
"I'm going in, no matter what you say. If you try and stop me, I will tell Bella's parents all about your little 'procedure', then we'll see how you deal with that."
I ride the elevator to the ICU. My heart is nearly pounding out of my chest. James' revelation haunts me. What were her first words when she woke up? Was she in pain? Could she really not remember me?
A ding signals the elevator's arrival at my floor, consequently ending my obsessing. Alice greets me as I step off the elevator.
"Why the hell haven't you been answering your phone? I've been calling."
"I was driving. She's awake?"
She frowns at me.
"How did you know that?"
I glance over her shoulder at Gwen, then back at her. "I saw James on the way in."
"And he told you?"
"It slipped out in conversation. Look, I have to get in to see her, Alice."
"Her parents are in with her now. It's not going to be easy."
"I don't care. I have to find a way." I move in the direction of her room, just as her parents walk out. Without thinking, I confront them.
"Is she alright? How's the baby?"
They frown at me.
"Who the hell are you, and what business do you have with my little girl?" Her father snaps. I shake my head, trying to quickly recover from my slip.
"I-I apologize, sir. I'm Edward Cullen…."
"You're the man who my daughter owns the restaurant with?" Her mother asks.
"Yes. I'm sorry to have come off sounding rude, but I've been concerned about your daughter and her baby. Are they alright?"
"Excuse me, but my daughter has been in this hospital for weeks. This is the first time I've seen you here."
"Charlie." Bella's mother says in a warning tone.
I glance at Alice, who's practically urging me with her eyes to tell the truth.
"I um…." I clear my throat uncomfortably. "Yes, you're right about that," I say quietly. I didn't want to intrude."
"Right. I'm going to grab a cup of coffee." He concludes, after glaring at me, and leaves.
"I apologize for Charlie's rudeness. He's just very protective of our daughter." Bella's mother offers calmly.
"I understand. I'm just…"
"Concerned. I got that part." She smiles warmly, before joining Bella's father.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Alice whispers angrily, walking over to me.
"Now's not the time or the place. Besides, I need to see Bella first. No one's in there, so I'll have to be quick."
She acts as lookout, and I slip inside Bella's room. She looks to be sleeping, but her oxygen tube has been removed. I approach her bedside cautiously not to startle her. I pull up a stool and reach out and gently brush her hair away from her face. She moans softly and lazily turns her head. Her eyes flutter open and lock with mine. I smile.
"Welcome back."
"You're here," she rasps.
"There's no other place on earth I would be."
Her mouth opens and closes repeatedly, as if she's struggling with her words.
"Hey, no talking. Just rest. Okay."
She nods and covers my hand that rests on her cheek.
I wait until she drifts off and place a kiss on her forehead, before leaving her room.
I make my way to the hospital cafeteria, searching for Bella's parents. It's time we have a conversation that is well overdue.
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"Okay, wait just a minute. You're telling us that you and Bella are in a relationship, and she's carrying your child and not her husband's?"
"That's correct, Mr. Swan. Believe me, I know what you must be thinking, but it's the truth. I've been struggling with whether I should talk to both of you about it…" I exhale heavily.
"So, why didn't you?" Bella's mother asks, concerned.
"Honestly, Mrs. Swan-"
"Renee, please. Call me Renee."
"Thank you." I smile at her, but Bella's father still doesn't look pleased. "Honestly, I didn't want to say anything without Bella's permission, but things are rapidly changing, and it just seemed like the right time. She's awake now, and she and the baby are doing well."
"It's a miracle." Renee smiles, not being able to contain her emotions. Charlie glances at her.
"Have you forgotten about her husband, Renee? What about James? He's been claiming to be that child's father. How do you explain that, Edward?"
"Mr. Swan, I don't feel completely comfortable telling you all the details without Bella, but I can assure you that James isn't what he claims. Bella and I…it's difficult to explain, but I can truthfully tell you that I love her and the baby more than anything. It's been extremely difficult for me to keep quiet about this situation and sneak in and out of her room, just to visit her for the past month."
"You've been doing that?" He asks, surprised.
"Yes. James made it problematic for me to see her. He used their marriage as leverage."
"Well, he does have a point, Edward. I mean let's be real here. You've been having an affair with his wife. That affair produced a child. He has every right to make things tough for you."
"No he doesn't, Charlie." Rene interjects. "I spoke to Bella a few months ago, and she told me that she and James were having problems. She told me that she'd filed for divorce."
"What? And I'm just hearing this?" Charlie responds angrily.
"She….she wasn't ready to tell you. I nearly badgered the information out of her. She's always had unresolved feelings about the way our marriage ended. She's been afraid that she wouldn't be good at keeping a marriage on solid ground."
"Why would she think that? I explained to her that we were young, and that she was so much smarter than we ever were. She's the best part of us, Renee. She's funny and beautiful and ambitious. Of course she could make her marriage work."
I contemplate telling him about James' indiscretions, but think better of it. That would be overstepping.
"James was being unfaithful, Charlie. Our daughter confirmed it, after I questioned her about it."
I squint at Renee. It's like she's been reading my mind.
"That stick up the ass, s.o.b has been cheating on my little girl?" He snaps and jumps up from the table. "His smarmy ass always did rub me the wrong way."
"Charlie." Renee calls after him as he storms out of the cafeteria.
"Caro Signore. Nonna, deliver us." Renee utters, glancing to the heavens, then buries her face in her palms.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stir things up," I say quietly.
"Oh, no. Sweetheart, you have nothing to be sorry for." She place a reassuring hand on mine. "Charlie has a bit of temper."
"I wish him luck."
"Charlie can handle James."
"Oh, I'm not worried about Charlie."
She laughs, then sighs. "I could tell by the look in your eyes when we were upstairs that you were more than just her business partner. I can see that you care deeply for her."
"I do. Very much."
"It's quite obvious she feels the same. She couldn't hide it when we spoke months ago."
"H-how much did she tell you?"
"Not much, but I knew there was someone in her life; someone special, mysterious and handsome. You could hear the smile in her voice when she talked about you."
I smile and divert my gaze, feeling a little modest.
"I still can't believe she's awake, and they're going to be okay," I murmur, shaking my head.
"Don't you think you've been away from her long enough?" She says, lifting her brows challengingly.
"You're absolutely right," I respond, giving her a warm smile, and we head back upstairs together.
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Two weeks later….
"Hi, beautiful."
"Beautiful? God, I must look terrible."
"You don't." I say, convincingly.
"I feel like I've been hit by a freight train."
"Still?"
"Yes. I want out of this bed and out of this hospital." She throws her head back and groans.
"Oh. I get it. You have cabin fever." I laugh, as I begin to gently massage her legs. It's been a few weeks since Bella was brought out the coma, and it's like she's hasn't missed a beat. For a brief while, she struggled with her short-term memory, but for the most part, she's remembered all the important details of her life. We actually found it a little amusing, after everything we'd gone through with my condition.
"This is not cabin fever, Edward. This is institutional pyrexia. Get me out of here. I want to go home with you and start decorating our son's nursery."
"There are a lot of things I can make happen, but busting you out of a hospital isn't one of them. Trust me, there will be plenty of time for us to decorate our son's nursery. I promise."
"Our son." She sighs happily and lies back. "I can't wait to lay eyes on his sweet little face. Are you happy?"
I give her a look of astonishment. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I don't know. A lot has happened between you and me. The situation with James…."
"That's been rectified. We all know the truth about him now, and the divorce is final. Thank God."
"I kept the truth about my pregnancy from you. You were very angry and walked out on me," she admits quietly.
"I know, and I'll always regret that I behaved that way."
I cover her up and move to sit beside her.
"Alice helped me come to my senses, and I looked everywhere for you. Jacob told me you were at Nonna's. I wasted no time coming to find you."
"That's when you noticed the fire."
I nod. "When I realized that you were still inside…." My voice catches in my throat, and she laces her fingers through mine, comforting me. "It was like reliving everything all over again."
"Edward, I'm so sorry. I never meant to put you through anything like that."
"Bella, it wasn't your fault. You're not to blame for anything that's happened. I'm just beyond thankful that you and the baby are going to be alright. That's all I care about." I lean forward and place a soft kiss on her lips.
"Am I interrupting?" Liz pokes her head into Bella's room, and I playfully roll my eyes.
"As always."
"Edward." Bella swats my arm playfully. "Of course you're not interrupting. Come in."
"Thank you, Bella." She mocks being hurt as she passes me, punching my arm for good measure, before hugging Bella.
"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
"Fantastic and ready to get the hell out of here. I have so much to do. I haven't shopped for one thing for this kid yet, and Edward and I need to get cracking on trying to find a house."
"So that means we're not going to be neighbors anymore? I won't get to spoil my nephew?" she pouts.
"Oh goodness, Liz, I'm so sorry. You know how much I love the brownstone, but it's just not big enough for a family of three. Edward also has his sights set on property with a lot of land."
"Do I sense a new vineyard in the works?" Liz looks at me quizzically.
"You never know." I shrug. "Right now, I'm concentrating on Bella and the baby having enough space to be happy."
"And you too." Bella squeezes my hand and beams at me. I force a smile for her benefit, but I can't say it worked for Liz. She always knows when something's off with me.
Renee and Charlie enter the room, and Liz and I step out so they can spend time with their daughter. They have important news to share with Bella that I'm already privy to. I'm happy that she's being surrounded by so much happiness. It's good for her, and seeing her this happy makes me want to get better.
Liz and I sit in silence on one the benches located in the front of the hospital. We both stare off into the distance and seem to be focusing on the same thing. A memorial statue in the park.
"Have you made an appointment with Doctor Evans yet?"
"No."
"Edward." She sighs, dejectedly.
"And I'm not going to."
"You're not going to even try for Bella and your son's sake?"
She sounds almost accusatory, and I become incensed.
"Don't do that. Don't pull the 'make him feel like shit' card. Believe me, it's killing me to even think about doing this. And the fact that I haven't discussed it with her…." I shake my head, disappointed with myself. "…I feel like…God…I can't even…"
"Then don't do this. There are other alternatives, Edward."
I reach into my pocket and pull out the sonogram of my son that was taken a week ago. I keep it with me and stare at it all the time. I still can't believe he'll be here in a few months.
"There are no other alternatives."
"That's a load of crap. You're just afraid."
"You're damn right I'm afraid! The migraines are worse than ever, and I can hear him. I feel him trying to break free. I can't…" I choke up as a tear slips from the corner of my eye. "….I'm so tired, Liz. I'm desperately trying to keep up this façade for her. She has to think that everything is alright. After everything she's endured, her last few months of pregnancy need to be stress free. She's already considered high-risk because of the accident." I exhale heavily. "I have to do this."
"So you're just going to leave? Just like that, no word or anything?"
"No. I could never do that to them. I'm going stay until the baby's born, and then I'll tell Bella the truth."
"She's not going to accept this, Edward. She loves you so much, and she's been through too much with you just to let you walk away."
"It's not going to be forever," I say, quickly wiping my face dry. "Aro will help me get better, and I will come back to them. Whole."
"Edward, you do know there's no timetable on this condition. "She gazes at me seriously.
I stand, placing the photo back in my pocket. "Besides, she'll have you and Alice for support," I say, discounting her statement. "Can I count on you to be there for them, Liz?"
"O-of course you can, but that's hardly-"
"Good." I sniff. "Now, I need your help looking at properties."
I walk ahead of her to my car, hoping that it's the last time I'll have this conversation. Realistically, I know that it won't be.
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Two weeks later….
"Edward, is this really necessary? I'm probably only a few pounds from matching your weight as it seems."
I roll my eyes at her ridiculousness.
"I'm just helping you up the steps, Bella, and I'm really baffled by all this overweight talk. You're all belly. The only one who seems to be gaining any weight, is this kid. She glowers at me, and I smirk, knowing that she hates it when I tease her.
"I would really like to walk through the door on my own, Edward. I've been cooped up in a hospital bed longer than I want to think about. It's time for me to stand on my own two feet. Pun intended."
"Fine. Your wish is my command." I place her back down and unlock the door. I smile, aware of what's awaiting her on the other side.
"It's going to feel so good to sleep in my own bed again."
"Welcome Home!"
Bella squeaks in astonishment. She turns and gapes at me joyfully.
"You did this." She points at me.
"Not me." I shrug. "It was all their idea." I gesture to Alice, Liz, and Renee, who are all holding a huge banner. She hurries over to embrace them all.
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The day ended well. No one stayed too long, knowing that Bella needed to rest. Liz offered Charlie and Renee one of the brownstones to stay in until the baby's born. They plan on returning to Italy shortly after. Bella was so excited to hear that they'd reconciled. It was the icing on the proverbial cake for her, and now she's all tuckered out. I stare down at her, resting peacefully on the sofa, as I finish straightening up the living room. I grab an afghan and cover her. She snuggles down into the sofa, and I get comfortable at the other end, placing her feet in my lap. I plan to spend every possible night with her like this, before I have to say goodbye.
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Two months later….
Bella, Alice, and Renee are all in the living room, helping to pack up most of Bella's things. We found the perfect home in Southampton. At first it was hard to sell her on the idea of moving to the Hamptons. She swore she couldn't see herself living there, protesting that she would now have to be worried about keeping up with 'The life of the rich and famous.' It didn't take her long to change her tune when we toured the new residence, though. She immediately fell in love with it, and since the location is in Bridgehampton, she wasted no time jumping on board. She began researching the property online, learning that Bridgehampton is an excellent location to cultivate vineyards. I also mentioned that I'd been scouting properties for a new restaurant for her. I know it will be a lot of work, especially with the baby, but once I'm back from California, I will do everything in my power so we have the life we've both dreamt of having.
Charlie, Jasper and I load boxes into the moving van, although there isn't much to be moved. Mostly, it's all of Bella's 'can't do withouts.' Fortunately, I was able to convince her to buy new furniture. Personally, I was only having my cars and the Ducati shipped over. Anything else I don't really care about.
"So, the Hamptons, huh?" Charlie questions in awe.
"Yeah. It's beautiful. It took a little convincing, but she loves it." I nod toward the house, where Bella and the others seem to be enjoying their time together.
"You know the women are in there right now, already deciding on how to decorate that place and planning some sort of party."
"Party planning? That would be Alice," Jasper adds, grimacing slightly, as he passes by with a large box.
"It's alright. Let them plan away. Whatever makes Bella happy, makes me happy."
"Yeah, be careful of what you say. You may end up adding another wing to that already plus sized mansion. She'll want to move them all in."
I shrug simply. "I wouldn't completely be against that. They all love her and vice versa. It wouldn't be a horrible thing. Besides, I feel kind of guilty moving her away from everything and everyone she's familiar with."
"Well, she has you, and from what I've seen watching the two of you, it's all she needs. Although, she seems pretty fond of Alice and Jasper. I'm glad she has friends around that, care and love her. James always seemed to keep her isolated. It bothered the hell out of me, but she was an adult, and I didn't want to interfere."
"I understand that."
"I could've broken his neck that day I approached him in the hospital. It's a good thing security was there to intervene."
"Yeah, thank heavens for that…" I can't help but smile at the thought of Charlie squaring off with that idiot James. "….and thank heavens he's out of her life for good."
"Yes, and thank heavens she now has someone with morals, who is stable and will take care of her." He pats me on the back, before returning to help Jasper.
His words linger in my head, and if I didn't know any better, I'd swear they were the reason for my now prominent migraine. I pinch the bridge of my nose and try and fight through the pain, but it's relentless.
I head into the house and past the women. Bella reaches out, and gently grasps my arm.
"Hey baby, are you alright?"
"Um, yeah. I just need to get the rest of the boxes from the bedroom," I lie, and force a smile, before kissing her on the forehead. I can tell by her expression that my explanation wasn't enough to placate her, but she doesn't press.
I quickly make my way to the bathroom and shut the door, leaning up against it for support. My chest heaves, as I try to regulate my breathing. The pain intensifies, and I reach into my pocket for my pills, swallowing them without the aid of water.
"Shit!" I grimace in pain, as I reach out and brace myself against the edge of the sink. Someone taps on the door.
"Edward?"
I quickly recover and flush the toilet for pretense.
"Yeah. Be out in a second."
I check my appearance in the mirror and open the door. She looks worried.
"Are you alright? You seemed off a few minutes ago."
"I'm fine. I promise." I attempt another smile, this one brighter than the last. It seems to do the trick.
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One month later….
Bella and I have settled into our new home. She's eight and half weeks to her due date, as I finally allow her to enter the freshly painted nursery.
"You like it?"
"I love it." She beams, as she waddles into the room.
"No traditional blue, as promised."
"It's perfect. The cherry wood we picked out will look so amazing in here. I can't wait to start decorating it. Are you sure you're okay with the zoo animal motif?"
I wrap my arms loosely around her waist, pulling her close. "I'm happy if you're happy."
"You've been saying that a lot lately. It's not all about me. You have to be happy too, Edward."
"I am. I'm very happy, and it's all because of the two of you. I've haven't had a reason to feel this way in a long time. I'm just…content."
"Content?" she eyes me skeptically
"Yes. Why don't you believe me?" I laugh lightheartedly.
"I believe you. I guess it just feels a little one-sided."
I frown. "You're not happy?"
"No….I mean yes, of course, but that's not what I meant. I mean, you've given me so much. You're building this wonderful life for us, and I don't have much to bring-"
"Okay, stop. This relationship is definitely not one sided. You've given me more than I could possibly hope for. I love you, Bella."
She smiles and sinks into my arms. "I love you too."
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I enter our bedroom, still damp from the shower and with only a towel secured around my waist. She sits at the vanity, brushing out her silky chestnut hair. It's grown considerably now, and I smile, deciding not to make any comments, even though they would all be good. Instead, I gently remove the brush from her hand and continue the task for her.
"You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"Mmhm." I respond satisfied.
She turns and eyes me suspiciously. "No comments about my hair."
"Nope."
She stands and crosses her arms over her protruding belly.
"What? Your hair is beautiful. I've always thought so, no matter what length it is. You can try with all your tiny might, but you are not going to get me to say that I'm unhappy with anything about you." I place a kiss under her ear, trailing my lips down her neck. A soft, satisfied sound escapes her lips, and I smile against her throat. I press my body gently against hers. It's been a while since we've been intimate. Mostly, out of my fear of hurting her or the baby. The doctor gave us the green light about a month ago, but things have been so crazy with the move, and getting things situated at the new office. I can't deny that I've been going crazy with want for her, but she's more reserved about our intimacy these days, insecure with her body. Sometimes she can be the most absurd woman.
I press my lips to hers, and she opens her mouth to receive my tongue. I groan deeply, when hers slides against mine.
Fuck. I'm so hard that I feel like a teenage boy about to come just from a make-out session. I remove the towel and make quick work of her pajama pants. She pulls back, looking at me with a nervous expression.
"What's wrong?"
"Um…you seriously want to do this?"
"I seriously do," I say, pulling her back into a passionate kiss. She breaks it again, but I attach my lips to her shoulder, sliding one of the thin straps of her top down.
"Edward, I'm not exactly….sexy at the moment."
I lean up and smirk at her, slowly dragging the other side down, exposing her full breasts.
"You are extremely sexy, and I'm going to make love to you. Right now."
Her face flushes as she can't contain her smile. I walk her backward and gently lay her back on the bed. My mouth tastes every inch of her beautiful skin, from head to toe, paying rapt attention to her most intimate region. She climaxes, screaming my name, clawing my shoulders and gripping my hair. If possible, it makes me even harder.
I give her time to come down, before I crawl next to her, turning her on her side. Her body is flush against mine. Her back to my front.
I press my lips to her shoulder and hitch her leg back over my hip. I hear her soft gasp as I stroke between her legs. I asks if she trusts me, and she says yes. Slowly, I enter her, and we both moan from the sensation this position brings. Not long after, I'm thrusting into her, softly grunting, getting immersed, and whispering words of endearment and praise over and over.
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I'm sitting on the sill of our bay window, watching her sleep. Only the soft incandescent ray of moonlight streams in. I'm having a silent panic attack.
The room is too big. What was I thinking? The entire damn house is too big. She's going to feel so alone and abandoned. I can't do this to her. Not like this. I thought I was making everything better by moving her here, but I realize that no extravagant house and all the money in the world isn't going to make this okay.
I bury my hands in my hair. She's never going to forgive me.
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Four weeks later….
Today Liz, Alice, Rose and Bella's mom, are throwing a surprise baby shower. We thought it would be easier to have Charlie get her out of the house, while Jasper, Emmett and I, have been mandated to do the decorating. Normally, I'd say fuck this, but I'm actually a little more than thrilled to be doing it.
So far, we've hung streamers, set up tables and chairs, called caterers, and had an array of balloon bouquets delivered. Alice has been running around like a mad woman cracking the whip. I'd never seen so much decorative shit in all my life. Although, I have to admit, she's done an amazing job.
The guys and I are exhausted, and decide to take a break by the pool. Emmett grabs us a couple of beers from the fridge, and we sit out on the loungers.
"Just a couple more weeks, and we can finally call you 'daddy." Emmett announces, and we all clink our bottles. "How does it feel?"
"I'm over the moon," I say, deciding to forgo the beer altogether. With the amount of medication I've been taking lately, it's for the best.
"Yeah, it's an awesome feeling." He sighs happily.
"I can only imagine what becoming a father must feel like. I know Alice wants her own little league team." Jasper adds.
"You two thinking about starting a family?" Emmett questions.
"Nah, we're still a bit early in our relationship to be thinking that far, but I'm positive she's the one I want a future with."
I can feel myself zoning out as they talk, but every now and then I'm able to pick up on bits and pieces of the conversation. I remain silent.
"Being a father is amazing. It's like no other feeling in the world. Suddenly, your whole life changes and becomes about that little person. It happens almost instantly, the minute you lay eyes on them. It's like soon after they're born, you don't want to let them out of your sight. I know Edward here is going to be stuck to that kid like glue. Right, man?"
I stare at the caterers, working diligently in setting the tables. I then focus on the enormous banner Emmett, Jasper and I hung at the top of the sliding glass doors that lead out to our beautiful yard. Three simple, beautifully scripted words adorn that banner. They swell and pierce my heart simultaneously. It's a boy.
"Edward?"
"What?" I utter, as Emmett pulls me out of my reverie.
"I said we'd better get back to work. We have an hour before Charlie brings Bella back."
"Oh. Right."
"Are you alright, man? You look like you're on another planet," he asks, concerned.
"I'm good, just taking it all in. Let's get back to work." I flash a half-grin, and we return to our tasks.
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One hour into the baby shower….
Bella looks radiant. She's wearing a yellow sundress and flower crown Alice had made especially for her. Her happiness is contagious, and I can't help but smile to see her enjoying herself with her friends and family.
I hear men don't normally attend these events, but I had to see the look on her face when Charlie escorted her out into the yard. I had to be here to make sure she was happy. She's blown away by everything.
The men have relocated to the "man cave", and I'll join them as soon as I'm done my version of amateur videotaping the festivities.
"You do know you've already spent thousands of dollars to have this event professionally videoed?" Liz comes over to stand next to me, as she watches Bella chatting with guests.
"I'm aware. This is specifically for me."
"Collecting memorabilia. I guess that's apt," she replies, taking a sip of her punch.
"Please don't start this again, Liz. Not here. Not today."
"Then when, Edward, in the delivery room? Or, maybe the morning of your flight to California?" she adds condescendingly.
"I'm not doing this with you. Today is a joyful day. Look at her. She's elated."
"Yes, you've definitely managed to give her everything any woman could dream of having. A gorgeous house in the Hamptons. Her dream restaurant built from the ground up. A beautiful little baby boy. It's pure bliss, but we both know that's all about to change, unless you're able to wrap up said bliss, and give it to her as a shower gift." She walks away, leaving me feeling guiltier than ever.
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Later that night, I walk into the nursery to find Bella sitting Indian style on the zoo rug, folding baby clothes.
"Baby shower loot, huh?"
"Yes. There's so much stuff. I'm going to have to buy another dresser just for pj's." She giggles.
"I take it you're pleased." I mimic her position on the rug.
"I am. Today was…I can't find words to describe it. I was completely surprised. I know it was your idea."
"Not entirely. Alice and your mother were the masterminds behind it. I gave little input," I respond, holding up one of the little shirts, smiling at the message written across the front.
"I was amazed to see so many people, even Rosanna and Tanya."
"Oh, I'm sure those two were just itching to get a look at the new house," I laugh.
"You're probably right." She points at me. "They gave us the cutest little gift though. I need to start sending out thank you cards. I don't want to wait." She moves to get up, and I stop her.
"I think that can wait just a little longer. I wanted to talk to you about something."
"Oh. What's on your mind?" She sounds worried.
"Our son." I smile, and she relaxes a little.
"Not too much longer, huh?"
"No, and that's why I was wondering why we haven't discussed names yet. We've known we're having a boy for quite a while now.
"I know. I have been thinking about it a lot lately, but it's more difficult than I expected. Do you have any ideas of what you might want to name him?"
"Well, not Edward that's for sure." I laugh. "But maybe something with an E? I don't know."
"I think that can be arranged. How about….Eric…?"
I scrunch my face, shaking my head. "Edgar?"
She throws her head back and laughs. "It's cute in a way, but I don't think so."
"What? Edgar Cullen. It sounds very….masculine."
"How about…." She taps her chin in deep thought. "…Edwin…?
"Edwin's a good one. Let's shelve it."
We continue this well into the night.
.
.
.
We lay awake, silently holding each other.
"I love you so much, Bella. Please never forget that."
"I won't, if you won't." She looks up at me.
"I won't." I whisper, kissing her tenderly on the lips. "I promise."
She smiles, looking as if a lightbulb has just gone off in her head.
"Edan."
I smile broadly, and nod. "Edan Cullen. That's it."
"That's it." She confirms and kisses me again, before sharply gasping and pulling back. Her mouth is agape, and eyes enlarged.
"W-what's wrong, what is it?"
"I-I think my water just broke."