A short chapter, but it was a needed transition.
Bella was sitting on the beach. The waves crashing against the shore and the gulls flying overhead were peaceful; Bella found herself relaxed and happy beneath the fickle Washington sun. She knew without a doubt she was at the beach at La Push and that she wasn't alone. Turning her head to her left, she saw a young Katie – about the age she was when she died – making a sand castle. Katie didn't seem to be paying any attention to Bella. She was focusing hard on her task, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Bella watched her for a few minutes before Katie finally spoke.
"It's pretty isn't it?" She said in a sing-song voice which Bella assumed was how she'd sounded as a young girl.
"Yes. What is it?" Bella asked, realizing the sand castle was not typical looking, though she couldn't seem to recognize what it was.
Katie smiled and put down the plastic shovel she was using. "It's started. Are you ready?"
Confused, Bella frowned. "What do you mean?"
Katie giggled and covered her mouth like she told a really funny joke. "Your fate, silly!"
Bella was even more confused. "I thought my fate related to Edward."
"That's part of it." Katie replied, pointing toward Bella's stomach.
Bella looked down and gasped at the size of her fully pregnant belly protruding from her frame. "That's impossible. I just found out about the baby." Bella said, rubbing her swollen belly tenderly.
"Look closer." Katie beckoned.
Bella didn't understand her meaning. It was obvious they were talking about her pregnancy, but what could she possibly see if she looked more carefully? Lifting her stretched t-shirt, Bella examined as much of her round belly as she could. Seeing nothing, she looked up at Katie. That's when she understood Katie's words.
Katie was not just the way she'd been as a girl; she had long, straight brown hair instead of her wavy bronze locks. Everything else about her was the same, from her high cheekbones underneath the pudgy child's face to the shape of her emerald eyes. Though she looked very much like Edward, Bella realized this Katie also had some of Bella's physical traits. Putting the pieces together, she felt panic rise in her chest.
"This was supposed to happen wasn't it? I'm meant to have Edward's child?" Bella asked.
Katie nodded and turned back to working on her sandcastle. "We thought it would take longer. But that's okay! I'm ready too!" She exclaimed, not looking up from her work.
Bella swallowed thickly. "I'm NOT ready for this yet. I haven't even started university yet." She said, trying to hold back tears.
Katie giggled again. "Silly Bella, it'll be okay. You're as strong as my castle!"
Bella looked at the sand castle again. Although she could now discern every feature, she still didn't recognize the building. "What is it?" She asked again, hoping for a more straight forward reply.
Katie looked her directly in the eye with a very serious face. "If I were you, I'd choose this one."
Bella closed her eyes in frustration, counting backward from ten to avoid losing her cool. When she opened her eyes, Katie was gone and the beach was fading out of her mind's eye as she woke up in her bedroom in Forks.
The sun was barely on the horizon as Bella stretched her stiff muscles. When her arm bumped into something warm next to her, she rubbed her eyes and looked over, remembering that Edward had sneaked back into her bedroom after Charlie returned from work. Edward had refused to leave after Bella burst into hysterical tears, but had been forced to wait in the bushes. He had opted instead to go home to change into something more appropriate for outdoor ambush. And ambush he did, once Charlie's bedroom light went out.
Bella was grateful for his persistence; she didn't like asking things of people which might be inconvenient for them. But this was a big deal. Bella and Edward had never even had sex, and yet here they were. It was like putting an Amish person in the pilot's seat of a 749 jumbo jet. Bella felt lost, confused, and more than anything frightened. When Bella got up to go to the bathroom, Edward stirred and woke up.
"Good morning beautiful." He said lazily, enjoying the crazy way Bella's hair stuck out in all directions.
"Hey yourself. After I get dressed and go to the bathroom, we have to talk." She said seriously. Edward nodded as Bella padded quietly out her bedroom door. She returned within minutes and threw on a pair of jeans, an old tank top, and a plain black hoodie. Edward was still laying under the covers in his morning daze.
"What time is it?" He asked.
Bella checked her watch. "Just before seven. Edward, we really need to talk about this."
Edward sat up and crossed his legs, still half under the comforter. "So talk."
Tears welled up in Bella's eyes. "What are we going to do? We're too young."
Edward sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I know. But I mean… we were going to do this eventually anyway, right?" Bella nodded warily. "So maybe this is a bit soon, but we love each other. We can handle anything, including a baby."
Bella sat down on the bed beside Edward. "I'm not ready for this. We haven't even graduated high school yet. There's so much I still want to do, and having a baby will just complicate everything."
"Yes it will. But Bella, it doesn't make anything impossible. Unless… are you having doubts about us?" Edward asked.
Bella shook her head vehemently. "Never. I just meant, what happens if we want to run away to Paris for a weekend? Or go surfing in Bali? We can't do these things with a child to think about."
Edward grinned. "I never took you for the surfing type."
Bella frowned at him. "That was a metaphor for any activity that would be inappropriate for children." When Edward's grin widened mischievously, Bella felt a flash of anger. "How can you think about your libido at a time like this?!"
"Bella, relax. We graduate next week – officially – and after that, the world is ours. Money is not an object. You know I inherited a very large sum from my parents, so we're okay on that front. If you decide to keep the baby, we can spend the next seven-or-so months travelling. We could go to Bali first, if you'd like, so you can surf before the baby gets too big."
Although she knew Edward was trying to lighten the mood, Bella was still feeling very sour. "You mean you are set for life. Remember, I don't have a dime to my name."
Edward sighed in frustration, shaking his head. "No, that's not what I mean. Bella, you are the love of my life. Baby or not, we're going to stay together forever, and what's mine is yours."
"Edward, be serious. We're not even married yet."
The smoldering look on Edward's face took Bella by surprise. "We can fix that."
Bella searched his face for any hint that he was joking, but finding none there, she replied, "I don't think so. At least not yet." She almost regretted her words upon seeing the crestfallen expression on his face, but she held firm. "We're not even 18 yet and I doubt our parents would concede."
Edward was still upset, but he knew this conversation had to happen. "How do you feel about abortion then?" He couldn't look Bella in the eyes. He was too afraid of what her answer might be.
Bella rubbed her temples. "I've always been pro-choice, believing that women should be able to make informed decisions about their own bodies without hindrance from outsiders who are not involved. But… I can't picture making a decision that would kill a living being." Images of a young Katie with brown hair danced in her mind's eye.
Edward raised his eyebrows. "So what does that mean?"
The tears Bella had been keeping at bay finally flowed freely. Bella cried out of anger & bitterness at the situation she was in. She sobbed for the last of her youth that slipped away from one night of sex-less passion. And she blubbered madly over the thought of telling their families what was going on. Edward scooted closer to her and put his arms around her protectively, letting her get it all out on his shoulder. When she finally calmed down enough to speak, he asked what she wanted to do.
"We have to go see Carlisle." She replied, the dread building in her stomach at the thought of Edward's uncle and legal guardian finding out about their situation.