DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer. All are human.
Bella's POV
"Bella?" A simple word from an angel's voice, as impossible to ignore this morning as it was every morning, and yet, I wanted to remain asleep. I was having a very nice dream and I wasn't willing to let go of it just yet.
"Isabella, love?" That voice again! So soft and sweet, calling out to me.
I couldn't ignore it, and come to think of it, I couldn't remember why I had wanted to in the first place. No dream could compare to the reality of my husband, my Edward.
"Come on, Bella. It's time to get up," Edward insisted. "Angela and Ben will be here before long."
I rolled onto my back and opened my eyes, instantly finding his gorgeous, emerald eyes. "Good morning, Edward."
"Good morning, my love," he chuckled, brushing my hair away from my face. He smiled, lifted my shirt, and kissed my skin just below my belly button. "Good morning to you, too, baby."
I giggled just as much from the way his lips tickled my skin, as I did from the words he'd spoken.
"Why did that make you laugh?" he asked, wrapping me up in his strong arms.
"For one, it tickled. For another, it's amazing to have you so excited and smiling like a loon." I sighed happily, snuggling against him a little more. "Are you sure we can't stay like this all day?"
"As wonderful as that sounds, I'm afraid not. Esme is making your favorite chocolate chip pancakes as we speak, and Carlisle is very excited about the party we are going to later on."
"I love Esme and her pancakes," I sighed.
"She loves you, too," he chuckled.
I rested quietly in his arms for a few seconds, letting my brain catch up with the rest of me. "We get to tell Angela and Ben our news," I squealed, suddenly getting very excited about the day ahead.
Edward kissed my ear and rested his head against mine. "I'm sure they're going to be very happy for us."
All of a sudden, I felt like my stomach was doing some sort of a weird flip. I knew what this was and what was going to come next. "Edward, I need to go."
"One more minute," he sighed.
I pushed on his arm and wiggled away from him. "Let go now or you will have to clean the bed, and possibly the floor," I yelled.
His arms were gone in an instant and I was racing for the bathroom. I made it just in time and Edward was right behind me, holding up my hair and gently rubbing my back.
After a few minutes had passed, I felt certain that I was done being sick for the morning. Edward suggested that I take a shower, and I willingly listened to him. The hot water felt wonderful and helped me to forget all about being sick earlier.
I stepped out of the shower and started drying off, watching Edward as he brushed his teeth. "So I guess we can't play 'one more minute' anymore," I chuckled.
He rinsed out his mouth and turned, smiling brightly at me. "No, I suppose it's safer to let you go immediately for now."
"But you can always wrap me up again as soon as it's over."
Edward walked forward and took me into his arms. "That is an offer I will gladly take you up on, again and again, Bella."
I sighed and rested my head against his chest. "I love it when we have a slow morning and we can take our time getting ready."
"Well, then, I'll have to start setting the alarm for an earlier time so that every morning can be slow."
"Except weekends. You are still banned from setting the alarm on the weekend."
"Agreed," he laughed, placing a kiss on the top of my head. He sighed and I could feel his reluctance to let me go as he removed his arms. "We need to get ready."
I nodded my head and followed him into our room. I looked through my closet, searching for something that looked comfortable to wear, but would also look very nice for the day ahead. After breakfast, we would all be going over to a party at the house of one of Carlisle's colleagues.
Edward already had his black slacks on and had picked his shirt for the day, an emerald green button-up that matched his eyes perfectly. I was immediately envious of how easily he was able to get dressed, while I just kept staring at the closet, waiting for some sort of inspiration to strike and tell me what to wear. I knew it was irrational, but I was really mad that he could get dressed with very little effort.
"Do you want me to get Alice?" he asked, hugging me from behind and gently rubbing my stomach. "You seem to be having trouble on your own."
I suppressed that very unnatural urge to snap at him and leaned further into him instead. "I don't know what's wrong with me, but everything I look at, I feel like I'll be trapped in it."
"Let me get Alice. I'm sure she'll find the perfect thing for you."
"Okay," I sighed, standing up straight so he could let me go. He kissed my ear and was gone.
Alice's delighted squeal was heard throughout the house, I'm sure, and I caught myself smiling at the sound of it. It wasn't long before she was bursting into the room, dragging poor Edward behind her.
"Bella, I have the perfect outfit for you," she chirped. She let go of Edward, ran over, and hugged me. "I'm so glad you're letting me help."
"It was either that, or stand here in front of the closet all day," I said.
Alice pouted and I sighed, feeling bad for having hurt her feelings.
"I didn't mean it like that. I feel kind of off, that's all. I would love it if you would help me out, and find me something to wear," I told her.
Alice's pout immediately disappeared and was replaced with a wide grin. "You are going to love this, Bella. I had a feeling about the shirt Edward would pick to wear today," she said, as she dug at the far end of the closet. She came back out, holding a beautiful emerald green silk dress in one hand, and a comfortable looking black sweater in the other. "You guys are going to match and look so perfect together!" Alice squealed.
I reached out and touched the dress, amazed at the smooth texture. "Alice, it's so beautiful. When did you get this?"
Alice spoke quickly, rushing her words together, and making it almost impossible to know what she was saying…Unless, of course, you knew her very well. "I-bought-it-yesterday-when-I-had-Rose-take-you-to-the-bookstore."
"That's where you went?" I asked, trying to give her a glare, but secretly loving the dress.
"Yes, and I can tell from the shine in your eyes that you love it and I am forgiven," Alice said as she handed me the hangers. "Now get your prego-self dressed and get downstairs."
"Alice, you are not allowed to call me that," I yelled, my cheeks burning red with anger.
"Sorry," Alice said, lifting her hands in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it, Bella."
"No, I'm sorry, Alice," I sighed. "I must just be a little grumpy. I haven't been up all that long and then the clothes thing."
"It's okay, Bella," Alice assured me. "Now, please get your mother-to-be self downstairs." She danced out of the room, not waiting for any further comments from me.
"You're going to look gorgeous in that," Edward said, reminding me that he had been here the whole time.
"I really do like it, but you can't tell Alice I said that," I told him, as I picked out my undergarments.
"I think she already knows, Bella. The look on your face when you saw the dress told her."
"She will use that knowledge against me," I sighed, as I walked into the bathroom.
"I'll do the best I can to protect you from the pixie," Edward promised, trying not to laugh.
"You really are a wonderful husband," I told him.
I put on my undergarments and handled my messy hair. I ended up just brushing it out and then clipping some of it at the back. I purposefully put on the dress and sweater with my back to the mirror, not wanting to see myself until I was completely done. I smoothed out the bottom of the dress one more time before turning to face the mirror. What I saw reflected back at me, made me gasp.
It also made Edward rush into the bathroom. "Bella, are you okay?" he asked, looking worried.
"I'm fine. Sorry to have scared you," I chuckled, taking his hand and pulling him closer to me. "I was just surprised."
"By what?"
"By this," I said, waving a hand in front of the dress. "By me. I look really pretty in this."
"No, love. 'Pretty' is too weak of a word. You look absolutely stunning." He smiled mischievously at me. "Come on," he said, tugging on my hand gently.
"Where are we going?" I asked, letting him lead me out of our room.
"I can't wait to show you off to everyone."
"Don't you ever get tired of parading me around like I'm some super model?"
"Beauty like yours should be shared with the world, my dear Isabella," he whispered into my ear, causing me to shiver. He noticed my reaction and chuckled.
When we entered the living room, our family was standing near the door, greeting Angela and Ben. Edward and I stood back for a minute, smiling and watching over our family and friends. We were very lucky to have so many wonderful people in our life.
Angela noticed me and squealed. "Bella," she cried, as she ran to me and hugged me. "I can't believe it's been nearly a month since the last time I saw you."
"That's what happens when you leave college and start a career in the real world," I laughed. "Speaking of which, how are you enjoying your job?"
"We can talk about work later," Angela said, brushing off the topic with a wave of her hand. "I want to talk about you! You look so happy and you're glowing!"
"Thanks, Ange. Love how you're making me feel right now. I must have looked awful before," I teased.
"Bella, you know what I mean. And I love the dress. Is it from Alice?" Angela asked.
"Aren't all of my clothes from Alice?" I laughed.
"Except for the jeans and sweats!" Alice announced. "But I'm slowly removing those from her wardrobe!"
"Leave my clothes alone, Alice Cullen," I fussed.
"Alice, do not upset Bella," Edward warned.
"Protective much?" Alice asked with a huge smirk.
I glared at her, not wanting my news to just be a slip of the tongue. I was excited to get to tell Angela myself. She and I had been friends for years and I knew she would be thrilled for me. She would also be hurt if she felt like she was the last to know. Proximity was the only reason she didn't already know about the baby.
"Breakfast is ready," Esme called. "Let's all head into the dining room."
We all moved into the large room and took our seats at the long cherry wood table. I sat down with Edward on my left and Angela on my right.
"I have been dreaming about your pancakes, Mrs. Cullen," Ben said.
"That's lovely to hear," Esme chuckled. "I hope they live up to your expectations."
"I'm sure they'll be even better," Ben replied.
Once all of the platters had been passed around and everyone had a plate, we started eating and talking between bites. I was so excited—and extremely nervous—to tell Angela and Ben about the baby. I was still trying to figure out how to approach the subject, when Angela did it for me.
"Bells, since when do you drink milk in the morning? You've been an O.J. girl for as long as I've known you," Angela commented.
"Well, I was actually just trying to think of how to tell you, and I guess this is as good a way as any," I said, stopping to take a deep breath. "I'm drinking milk because I need to." I took her hands in mine and smiled happily, thinking of the words I was getting ready to say. "Edward and I are going to have a baby."
"Oh, my God!" Angela cried, pulling me into a hug. "Oh, my God! When did you find out? How far along are you?"
I laughed, feeling relieved that she was happy for us, not that I doubted her—Angela had always been one hundred percent supportive of me. "We found out I'm pregnant two days ago, but we won't know how far along I am until next Friday."
"You've known for two whole days and you're just telling me?" Angela chided.
"I didn't want to tell you over the phone," I shrugged.
"I can understand that." Angela's smile returned full force. "I'm so happy for you, Bella! And you, too, Edward."
"Thank you, Angela," Edward chuckled.
"Congratulations, guys," Ben told us.
"Thanks, Ben," I replied.
"I take it everyone else already knew since I am the only one squealing?" Angela laughed.
"Yeah, well, Edward sort of screamed it out across the house the other day," I chuckled. "You would have laughed your butt off if you'd seen his face."
"Was he smiling that goofy grin like when you two got married?" Angela asked.
"That's the one, only bigger," I replied.
"How many times has Alice made you go shopping so far?" Angela giggled.
"Only once," Alice pouted. "And she didn't even let me buy anything."
"But I did promise you that we will go for real after we know the sex of the baby," I reminded Alice.
"Yes, and before then, Rose, Angela, Esme, and I get to take you shopping for maternity clothes," Alice said, clapping her hands together.
"But not until after the holidays are over," Edward commanded.
I turned and smiled up at him. "Thank you, Honey."
He leaned down and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "You're welcome, Love."
"I can't wait to find out if I'm having a nephew or a niece," Emmett announced. "I love Lily to death, but I would really like to have a buddy to wrestle with."
"Em, you do realize you can't actually wrestle with our baby, right?" I asked, putting a protective hand over my stomach.
"I didn't mean it in that sense, Squirt! Have some faith in me," Emmett said, rolling his eyes at me.
"This is so exciting," Angela squealed. "I can't believe you're having a baby!"
"That's like the fifth time this morning that you have squealed," I laughed.
"I'm just so happy for you, Bella. You deserve to have a wonderful family of your own, after everything you've been through," Angela said, leaning her head against mine.
"Edward says he thinks my parents know and are proud," I whispered to her.
"As I've often told you, Edward is a smart man," she replied, patting my hand.
"What's with the whispering?" Alice demanded. "You better not be planning on any shopping without me."
"I would never shop without my favorite pixie," I said, smiling at her.
"Well, this certainly explains why you look happy and are glowing," Angela chuckled. She looked up at Esme. "Carlisle and you must be so excited."
"We are, Dear," Esme said, patting Edward's hand. "It's very exciting to know we'll soon have two wonderful grandchildren, and Lily will have a little cousin to play with."
At the mention of her name, Lily started to bang her spoon on her highchair tray.
"I think Lily likes that idea," Rose laughed, placing a kiss on her baby girl's forehead.
"Rose, she looks so much like you, and those curls of hers are gorgeous," Angela said.
"Thank you, Angela," Rose replied, smiling. "Most people tell me how much she looks like Emmett."
"She certainly has his hair, but her face is all yours," Angela said.
"She'll definitely break some hearts when she gets older," Ben chuckled.
Emmett stiffened in his seat and sat up straighter. "She's not allowed near boys."
We all laughed at him and he frowned.
"I'm not kidding! I know how boys think. I was one of them," Emmett fussed.
"Emmett, you've got about twelve years before you need to worry about that," Edward chuckled.
"Laugh now, buddy," Emmett said, pointing a finger at Edward. "Because I bet you'll be ten times worse than me if you have a little girl."
"How do you figure that?" Edward asked.
"You know how to be a gentleman and you're going to expect any boy coming near your daughter to be that way, but I've got news for you. Those boys…they're going to be just like me," Emmett explained.
The look of horror on Edward's face would have been funny if I didn't understand exactly what Emmett had been saying. While my brother had always been respectful to his dates, he'd never made it a secret that he wasn't looking for more than a good time; not until he met Rosalie anyway.
"So we're hoping for a boy, then?" I asked Edward, rubbing his shoulder.
He looked at me, his face extremely serious, as he nodded his head. We all started laughing again. Poor Edward had, once again, been left terrified by my big brother. I might be pregnant, and my life might be headed for some enormous changes, but it was good to know that some things would never change.
I titled my head toward him and he smiled wide before giving me a gentle kiss. "I love you, Edward."
"I love you, too, Bella," he replied before kissing me once more.
"So," Angela chirped, putting her hand on my arm.
I turned toward her, finding myself mirroring the excited smile on her face. "So."
"Do you want a boy or a girl?" she asked.
"I'm just amazed to pregnant at all."
"Are you looking forward to getting to eat whatever you want when you want?"
"No. I don't want to get huge," I said, my nose crinkling up at the idea of being a whale.
"Bella, embrace your cravings," Rosalie chuckled. "The baby weight will come off."
"Listen to her, Bella," Emmett instructed. "You need to be more worried about eating enough for the baby to be healthy, than about what size your clothes are."
"It took me a little while to get over that initial panic about the rising numbers on the scale, but once I gave up on worrying about it, my pregnancy was a lot more fun. Except for right at the end," Rose said.
"What was wrong with the end?" I asked, slightly worried about her answer.
"That last month just about kills you, with the swollen feet, swollen stomach, and lack of real sleep. No position is comfortable and it's nearly impossible to get up on your own," Rose explained. She took Lily out of her highchair and snuggled the little girl close to her chest. "But once they put that baby into your arms, you know it was worth every second of being uncomfortable."
Lily laughed and put her hand over Rose's lips, causing all of us to chuckle at the cute sight. Rose laughed and then kissed each of her baby's fingers.
"Give me my princess," Emmett ordered, wiggling his hands toward his daughter.
Rose chuckled as she handed over their daughter. "Go see your daddy."
"Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy," Lily chanted, smacking her little hands against Emmett's cheeks.
He laughed loudly before covering her little face with kisses. "My princess."
"Amazing what a baby does for the bear's attitude," Alice chirped.
"Watch it, Pixie," Emmett warned, looking over the top of Lily's head.
"Don't talk to me that way," she said with a wicked smile. "I'll predict your next baby as a girl, too."
The look of fear on Emmett's face was priceless, causing us all to laugh once again. This was by far the happiest, most laughter-filled breakfast I'd had in a long time.
"Alice, please don't scare Emmett that way," Esme chuckled. "I don't want him to look so frightened when we take pictures later today."
"Ah, mom," Alice whined. "Pictures again?"
"You know how I love my family photos," Esme replied.
"You'll have some really good ones in three days," Jasper said, speaking up for the first time during breakfast.
"What was that?" Rosalie asked, looking at her brother.
Jasper's eyes widened with fear. "Um…I…Nothing. I just was thinking out loud."
"Jazz!" Alice whined. "How could you?"
"I didn't mean to, Alice. I swear," he said, taking her hands into his. "Please don't be angry with me. I've just been so excited and keeping it all inside has worn me out and I slipped up."
"Would someone please explain what is going on?" Esme pleaded.
"Well…um…it was supposed to be a last minute surprise, to make it more exciting," Alice said, twisting her fingers nervously. "Jasper and I made plans to get married on the 28th at the courthouse. We were going to have you all get dressed up without knowing why and then spring it on you all."
"Why on Earth would you do that?" Esme fussed. "How would we have been able to give you a proper reception? What about the traditional wedding you always said you wanted, Alice? Although, I suppose I should be happy that I was actually going to be able to see one of my children get married in person, and not just on camera."
"Esme, dear," Carlisle said softly. "Please relax and let Alice finish her explanation. Our daughter always has a reason for what she does."
"Thanks, Dad," Alice sighed, looking relieved. "Mom, I know I always talked about a big wedding, but now is not the time. Jasper's business is just getting off the ground, I've finally become a manager at the store, and neither one of us can afford to take time away from work. So we discussed things and we both agreed that the most important part of our wedding would be the people surrounding us as we said our vows. And with everyone home for Christmas, we just felt this would be the best time for it."
"And we thought a family dinner at a nice restaurant would be the perfect reception," Jasper added, still holding tightly to Alice's hands. "We didn't mean to upset you, Esme, or make it seem like we were leaving you out of anything."
"No, of course not, Jasper," Esme said, giving him a motherly smile. "I was just a bit shocked by Alice planning such a low-key event for herself."
"With the baby coming, I'll have all the big planning I need," Alice chirped.
I groaned and buried my face into Edward's shoulder, causing him to chuckle and everyone else to laugh audibly. "Why does she hate me?" I whined.
"Alice just has an odd way of showing her love," Edward said, holding me close to him.
"Remember the fun we had planning Bella and Edward's reception?" Alice asked, looking over at Esme. "And Bella's face when Edward brought her into the hall?"
I blushed darkly from just the memory of that day, causing everyone to laugh at me once again. If Alice's baby planning turned out to be anything like that reception, I was going to be buried beneath baby products. I just hoped Edward would protect me from the worst of the pixie's exuberance. As I looked up at his smiling face, I knew he truly would do anything for me. I was amazingly lucky to be so loved by the man sitting next to me. And our baby was definitely going to have the best daddy ever, right up there with my own father—I was positive of that. I only hoped that I could be as good of a mother to my baby as Renee had been to me.