CHAPTER SEVEN
In 1960, Emmett and I had made a bet. A bet that would forever be known as the worst wager of my life. It was the World Series, and the Yankees had been favored to win. Only Alice would have known what was to happen, and of course, she had been forced to stay silent.
Now, for even a minute, could you ever imagine that a team whose starting roster included Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Roger Maris could ever lose? It had been a dream team, a sure thing. Even now, I would never know how the Pittsburgh Pirates had pulled it off, and some small part of me still wondered if Alice and Emmett had worked together to cheat me.
My point being, in 1960, I had lost a huge bet to my brother. Since Emmett had won, he had been able to decide what my next educational degree would be. For two years, I had spent a tedious number of hours tortured in the classrooms at Cornell University; where I had trudged on to obtain my first and last degree in apparel design. I would have finished sooner if the damn school hadn't limited the number of courses I could take per year.
But I digress. Anyone who knew me would say I could handle just about anything since Cornell. After hours of professors droning on about the history of polka dots and cost-effective fabrics, I thought I could handle anything…
Another bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the house, causing me to twitch.
My once beacon of hope had somehow turned into an object that needed to be exorcised. Evie had a demon inside her. It was the only explanation for how something so sweet, so small, could suddenly turn on us.
Bella was at her wits end.
The first day it happened, it was nearly five-thirty in the evening when it started. Evie wouldn't stop screaming until after three o'clock in the morning. Then, she slept the rest of the night, and most of the next day. We had hoped it was a one-time thing. Bella and I hardly spoke. Mainly because Bella used the time to sleep with her baby, but as nightfall came, so did the screaming.
I wanted to offer my help, but Bella kept her baby in her bedroom. I could hear Bella pacing about the room as she sang, shushed, and tried just about anything she could to calm the once angelic baby.
No matter where I went in the house, I could hear the screams. The loud, obnoxious sound eventually caused me to spend my night out hunting. It took nearly ten miles of distance between me and the house before I found peace. However, a few times, I could have sworn I could still hear the screams, even if there was no way I could hear them this far out.
After draining a bear, I began to feel pretty shitty for abandoning Bella. Even if her daughter wasn't my child, I still felt partly responsible for her. I couldn't just take the good Evie offered and then run out into the forest when all that was left was the bad. It wasn't fair.
I returned to the house, hearing the screams from a distance. Some screams sounded as if Bella were ripping her arms off. Some were just a constant pattern that reminded me of those annoying car alarms. I had to hand it to Bella; so far, she had managed to handle the situation fairly well. But when I returned this time, I could hear her soft pleas through her whimpers.
"Please…please, Evie. You have to quiet down, or we're going to have to go back to the car. Please. Please."
Well, now I felt even more like a piece of shit.
I knocked on her door and then pushed my way in, not waiting for an invitation. Bella was walking around by the window, bouncing and swaying as she went. Out of five, with five being the highest, I would say Evie was managing a three with how loud she was being.
"I'm sorry. I'm trying…" Bella looked panicked, as if I were there to serve her an eviction notice.
"Let me try," I said, walking toward them.
Bella's face was covered in tears, and her body was tense.
"I don't know what's wrong with her," she whimpered, as I took Evie out of her arms and brought her close to my body. "Maybe we should ask your father?" she suggested.
"I think it's colic, Bella."
I didn't know much about babies on an up-close level, but I had been fairly well educated on them in the medical field, and it was the only thing that made sense.
"You don't know that. Maybe her…arm is broken. Maybe she fell or something? There has to be a reason. Maybe she has a tumor or something else internal we can't see."
Evie was fighting me for everything she was worth, while I tried every move I could think of, but she wouldn't calm.
"I don't have my father's education, but I still have a few medical degrees. It's the only thing that makes sense. Look, why don't I take her downstairs for a little while. You can shower. You can sleep. I can stay up with her."
Bella cringed. She looked around the room, and then her focus landed back on me.
"I can't do that to you. She's not your responsibility…"
"That doesn't mean I can't help. I don't sleep, Bella. You're not taking a night of rest away from me. Please, just take my offer," I pleaded.
She seemed to think about it for a minute before sighing and relenting. I walked out of the room with Evie and then spent the next two hours trying every combination of soothing sounds and movements I could do to see if any of them would work. If I had been a mere mortal, I might have earned a night in the psych ward.
Evie was exhausting. Even for a vampire who didn't require sleep. I would watch her face turn red before she would belt out a sound so ungodly, I feared she might shatter glass. Finally, her cries died down into whimpers, and around five o'clock in the morning, she finally fell into a sound sleep.
It was then I was able to appreciate her, even if she had fried a few of my nerves. She settled down in her bassinet and gave out a long sigh, as if I were the reason she was exhausted. Her little pacifier moving up and down was my favorite. It looked like a little bunny nose. And I could never get over her full, round cheeks; I had to stifle the urge to pinch them.
Yes, as difficult as my new houseguest had become, when she was asleep, she made me feel as if my life had purpose.
Bella's snores had come about an hour before. She had tossed and turned after her shower, probably debating whether she should come down and take her baby back. Thankfully, she had chosen to sleep.
When Bella woke up later that afternoon, I had Evie in the small Halo bassinet next to the couch with a fire warming the room. Bella came down the stairs looking better than I had seen her in days. Her hair was brushed. The bags under her eyes were smaller, and she was wearing a new outfit.
"How did she do?" she asked, cringing.
"She was fine, Bella. She cried, but as much stamina as she thinks she has, vampires will always have more," I said with a wink.
She rolled her eyes and looked down into the bassinet at the once-again sleeping angel.
"Can we call your father? I really just want to make sure she's okay."
I sighed. "If it'll make you feel better."
"Maybe just a conference call, he needn't come all the way out here. I don't want to inconvenience him, but perhaps he can give us some tips."
"I put his number in your phone."
I had given her a cell phone a few days ago. She didn't want to take it, but it wasn't hard to convince her it was necessary. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and gave me a look.
"You're afraid to call him," she suggested.
"What? Uh…no…afraid? I'm not afraid…" I embarrassingly stuttered.
Bella's eyebrow rose.
"I'm not afraid. I could never be afraid of Carlisle. It's just hard because our relationship changed, and I don't really know how to approach things yet."
"Changed? I doubt that. I have a feeling it hasn't changed as much as you think. If he's your father…you think of him as your father, and in turn, he thinks of you as his son…then, I can't imagine he sees you any differently than the day you left."
I watched the flames dancing in the fireplace, while I mulled over her words.
"I don't know. What makes you think that?"
Bella looked down at Evie.
"When you love your child, love them with everything in you, there isn't anything they could do to change your mind. I've been with Evie for only a few weeks, and yet, even if she did something horrible…became a serial killer…I'd never stop loving her…" she bit her lip, and her eyes turned sad, whispering, "…even if she got pregnant."
I felt bad, and yet slightly awkward. I wasn't sure how to make the conversation better, so after weighing my options, I grabbed my phone and said, "You know what? I'll call him."
As strange as my relationship with my father was currently, it would be better to give in to Bella than to continue with the conversation on Bella's ill-fitted mother.
My fingers hit the correct buttons, and then I placed the phone on speaker, so Bella could hear for herself what Carlisle had to say.
"Hello, Son."
Bella looked over at me with a cheesy grin and mouthed, "Aw," while making a heart shape with her fingers. I returned the gesture with a scornful eye.
"Uh…hi, I'm here with Bella, and she has some concerns," I began.
"Hi, Dr. Cullen," Bella announced herself.
"Hello, Bella. Please, call me Carlisle. How can I help?"
Bella stood up, wringing her hands, as she prepared for what she wanted to ask.
"Um…first of all, my apologies for bothering you, I know you must be very busy. Edward thinks Evie might have colic. She's been screaming for hours every night, and nothing I do seems to help. I just need to hear a second opinion, because right now, my mind is going down some very dark paths."
Carlisle cleared his throat before answering. "She's about six weeks. No formula changes? No falls? Injuries?" he asked.
"Same formula and I don't believe she's injured herself. I mean…maybe she did. Maybe she…"
"Bella, we've been with her the whole time. If she'd injured herself, I'm sure we would've known. She didn't fall off the bed and then magically climb back up before we got to her," I explained.
"We don't know that. What if she banged her head on a table leg when we had her on the rug? What if she did do something magical? She could have magical blood. Look at you, you're not supposed to exist, and yet, here you are. Some would say vampires are magical…"
"We're supernatural, not magical," I argued. "You make us sound like we're pink ponies…"
"Can I get a word in?" Carlisle interrupted our silly argument.
Both Bella and I went silent and refrained from adding to our humiliation.
"Edward, how does she look?"
I knew what he was asking. I had learned years ago how to give a standard examination, and he knew I wouldn't call without having done one.
"Physically, everything is fine. Her crying jags usually begin around seven o'clock and last anywhere from six to eight hours. I've tried various holds, but so far, none seem to work. I really do think it's colic."
"I concur. I'm sorry, Bella. The good news is that there doesn't seem to be any lasting side effects from colic. It should clear up in two to six months."
"SIX MONTHS!" she nearly screamed, but then she remembered the sleeping baby and immediately cowered.
"Six months," she whispered. "Are you sure? Would it be better to see her in person? I can bring her to you…"
"Bella, it's colic. As much as it sucks, it's better than a brain injury, right?" I asked.
She deflated and landed on the couch, looking utterly defeated.
"I wish there was some magic pill, but unfortunately, not much will help. Some say probiotics help, but it's just something you'll have to weather through. Please, don't hesitate to call. I'm always here…for both of you. All of you."
"Thank you," Bella muttered.
"Thank you, Carlisle."
"Edward, please do give your mother a call. I fear she'll do me in if you don't soon."
I sighed, and then he hung up before I could give an insufficient excuse for my lack of manners.
Bella's head was in her hands.
"This isn't the end of the world."
"It's been like this for four days. I can't do six months, Edward…"
"Two to six months. Two…"
"I'm not lucky enough to only get two months," she stood up, ready to pace her case. "If the past nine months have taught me anything, it's that the worst-case scenario will always happen. Haven't had enough yet, Bella? Let's add on colic. By the time your dad sees her again, maybe she'll have a flathead and be fitted for one of those helmets. Whatever could possibly go wrong, it'll go wrong!"
I sat back, watching her attempt to stomp a trench in the living room floor.
"Are you done with the pity party, or should I get snacks?"
Her eyes turned red, and she took a deep breath, preparing to give me the tongue lashing of my life, but I beat her to it.
"It'll be hard, but this isn't impossible. In fact, case in point, if the worst-case scenario had truly happened, you'd have met a vampire who didn't have standards. Instead, you got me…"
"The neutered vampire. Yeah, I know."
"Once again, do not call me neutered. Especially if you want me to help you, and before you tell me Evie isn't my responsibility again, I'd like to point out that you need all the friends you can get. And the kind of friend who can't sleep and never tires just might be the best thing to happen to you in nine months."
She immediately calmed and relaxed her fiery stance.
I hoped she was okay with me referring to her as a friend. We hadn't really placed a name on what we were to each other, but since she had been here nearly a month, I thought it was a fair assessment.
Bella sat back down and breathed a sigh.
"So…you still haven't called your mother?" she asked.
Immediately, I threw my hands up and melted into my chair.
"Okay, vampire families must be different from human families because you act as if you'd rather take a bath in holy water than speak to them."
I snorted.
"Holy water wouldn't do anything to me."
She waited for me to give an explanation.
"My family is not the problem. I am," I said. "If you knew them…"
I didn't know how to continue. How could I explain myself when I wasn't exactly sure what was wrong? Bella grabbed a blanket and threw it over her legs.
"You haven't really told me very much. I know Carlisle and your sister, Alice, even though you've failed to elaborate on the woman who violated my living quarters. You have a mother? Anyone else? Just you four?"
I sighed and thought through what I wanted to say. I wasn't accustomed to speaking about my family. When I was with them, we were very private. The more people might know about us, the better the chances of messing up our anonymity. This would be the first time I would ever speak candidly.
"No, not just four."
"Carlisle made you? Did he make the rest?" Bella tentatively asked.
"There are seven of us. Carlisle made me and then Esme…"
"So, she's technically younger than you? Carlisle the cradle robber," she joked.
"I'll be sure to tell him you said that," I teased.
Bella's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"I'm kidding," I said to calm her. "Anyway, then my sister, Rosalie, came along. She found Emmett near death and begged Carlisle to change him. Rosalie is…complicated."
How did I explain Rosalie without scaring this poor girl?
"Rose is loyal, but she can be pretty closed off. She tends to trust only her family and finds most humans to be insufferable. As stressful as she may be, Emmett is the complete opposite. Everyone loves him…if they know him. If you met him on the street, you might be intimidated by his size. He has the tendency to scare people with his girth, but he's also one of the nicest people I know.
"Then, Alice and Jasper came. They weren't changed by Carlisle. As you've witnessed, Alice is as kind as they come, but she can be very determined. It's better to just go with it. She doesn't take no for an answer. Her mate, Jasper, is quiet but very intelligent. He mostly just follows along with Alice's lead. He loves Alice more than anything and will do anything to make her happy, including feeding on animals. He wasn't always on an animal diet."
As if on cue, Evie began to stir, as if to give me a reprieve. It shouldn't have been this difficult speaking about my family. However, since I had left them, I tried to not think about them at all. I thought if I opened the door, it would hurt too much. I didn't want to miss them.
"Just let me get this bottle real quick, and I'll be right back. Don't vanish into thin air or turn into a bat," Bella began to rush off.
"Can't do either of those things…I can only run really fast," I called out to her.
Somehow, I thought if Bella really knew what vampires were capable of, she would be disappointed. Hollywood knew how to glam things up. She'd probably find me boring if she knew the truth.
Evie began to cry, so I jumped up and went over to her bassinet.
"Hey, little one, did you have a good nap?" I leaned down and picked her up without another thought. I cradled her in my arms, as if I had been doing it my whole life. Even my diapering skills had improved. I had even changed a poopy diaper, and it wasn't so bad. I wasn't sure why people made such a big deal out of it.
"So, your mother…is she the reason you don't want to see the rest of your family? Were you jealous of her or something?" Bella asked upon walking back into the room with a formula-filled bottle, taking her baby back.
"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?" I asked, slightly offended.
"Well, you were the apple of your daddy's eye, and then he finds her and brings her in. Do you resent her?"
I laughed. "No. Absolutely not. I love Esme. She's the single most honorable, kindest person I know. In fact, I love and respect Carlisle and was happy he was able to find his mate. I'm happy they were all able to find their mates…" I trailed off, thinking about the six of them. My body involuntarily landed on the first surface I could find to sit on.
Bella narrowed her eyes, and then it was as if a lightbulb went off.
"Okay, I understand."
"Understand?"
For the first time, Bella seemed to not want to speak her mind. She suddenly took an active interest in feeding Evie, not wanting to look at me.
"You…were the odd man out," she stated quietly. "I'm sure that was hard…living with three happy couples, being the third wheel…seventh wheel."
"But I was happy for them," I attempted to defend.
"Of course, you were. You love them. That doesn't mean it was easy to watch them in their happy, lovey-dovey bubbles."
She was right, even if I'd never admitted it to myself. I'd done what I could to ignore their behavior. I'd focused on reading and studies in nearly every field of interest. I'd kept to myself, hiding in my room, so I wouldn't be exposed to their lifestyles any more than needed.
I would tell myself that I was content, and finding a mate wasn't a priority. I was fulfilled. Wasn't I?
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," Bella apologized.
"No…I'm not uncomfortable. I'm just lost in thought." I shook my head and cleared it. "So, how do you want to handle this? If Evie really is going to have her screaming jags for the next few months, perhaps we should come up with a system so no one gets overwhelmed."
Bella deflated. I felt bad for bringing it up. She had finally gotten her mind off the stressful situation.
"You needn't worry. As I said, she's not your responsibility…"
"And as I said, you should accept help where you can get it. For now, why don't we change off every other night? Since I had her last night, you can take tonight. I suggest sticking to the old adage, 'Sleep when the baby sleeps.'"
I would have taken every night if I thought she would agree to it. It wasn't as if I needed to sleep. She could handle Evie during the day, and I would come on the nightshift. Bella would get a full night of sleep, which in turn meant she would be happy and less agitated.
"If you're up for it," she said, giving in.
"Also, I think you should speak to my father about your post-partum care. You probably should've been signed off by a doctor to make sure everything is fine and healthy."
Bella began to blush, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.
"No offense, but I don't think I want to talk to your daddy about my 'down there' care."
"Please, don't ever say daddy like that again. He's my father. And he's a doctor. You really should speak to someone."
Bella cringed and sat back pouting. Evie began to play with her fingers, while she seemed to be thinking over my offer.
"How about this," she said, perking up, "I'll speak to your father…when you speak to your mother."
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
She was good. As much as I loved Esme and the rest of my family, I wasn't quite ready to be back in their lives and vice versa. I wasn't ready for the thoughts or looks from my family, as they wondered about my dark past. I wasn't sure they would ever look at me the same. If I called Esme, she would beg me to come by. I would have a very hard time saying no to her.
I didn't call Esme. Bella didn't call my father. We spent another month dealing with a very upset baby. It was hard. Even if we stuck to our shifts, it was really hard to keep our sanity, but I had to say, I believed it brought Bella and me closer. I was not even sure if that was the right word, but as we spent our nights with uncontrollable screaming and crying, we would spend our days talking.
I found out quite a bit from Bella about her past, but there were still a few things that remained a mystery. The horrible experiences Bella had endured still remained unspoken. I had finally asked about Evie's father when I had gathered the courage up one night, and all she would say was that he was a childhood friend who was no longer a friend.
Carlisle came by and administered the next round of vaccines, but he didn't stay long, as he needed to get back to his hospital. Personally, I wondered if he felt guilty for spending time with me when I hadn't seen the rest of my family yet.
Since Evie was sucking the life out of us, figuratively, we ordered groceries to be brought to the house, as well as any other items we needed. When Evie was just about to turn three months, she seemed to be calming somewhat in her nightly banshee impersonations, so I decided to see if Bella wanted to get out of the house for some intercity shopping.
Even though Bella was never a fan of shopping, she seemed to accept my offer gratefully, agreeing that we deserved some time out and about. It was supposed to have been a happy, carefree day. However, one of those horrible experiences I had mentioned before…I was about to learn all about it when we came in contact with some of the ghosts from Bella's past. Fortunately, those ghosts had no idea Bella would be bringing a vampire to the party.
AN: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I want to wish you all a happy holiday, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and just well wishes as we go through this precarious period in our lives. Just last night another coworker of mine, father passed away from Covid. Four parents within my coworkers have died now from Covid and we only have twenty people who work in my company. Stay safe. Be healthy. Give thanks for what you do have. Peace on earth and goodwill to all!
Thank you DOLLYBIGMOMMA for editing!
STORY IS MINE. CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.