Happy Friday, you wonderful readers!! If any of you are still even following along! LOL!! I'm trying to catch up so I can post more chapters. I hope to have the other half of this one up tonight or tomorrow to give you guys a two chapter weekend. Plus! Edward's apology from the club will be revealed in that second chapter.
SO! I know Bella kind of seems emotional and not really like her sarcastic self from LLC, but keep in mind that she's pregnant and missing her parents. Those first few months turn a woman upside down with changes and hormones. I'm shocked to see how many of you love Edward getting in trouble, so I'll do more of that for sure! There will also be more Alice and Jasper for chapters where she announces her own good news.
LLC was mostly fun and fluff. Do you guys want that? Or do you feel it needs drama? Sometimes, sweet is perfectly fine. I just want a general idea so I can have a better understanding of what direction I should be heading in.
And for any of you that read and loved the vampire stories, they are up for Twilight Awards. Voting is open right now on the site, which you can get to through the link on my profile page. All pictures of Alice's outfits are on my website, which is also linked to my profile page.
That's it! Go enjoy your chapter!
DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.
Bella's POV
"Bella," Edward groaned, pulling my hand away from my mouth for the fourth or fifth time, trying to keep me from biting my nails.
"Sorry."
He kissed the back of my hand and held it against his chest. "At this rate, you're going to start nibbling your fingertips before we even get you signed into the doctor's office."
"I'm nervous."
"That's easy to see. But why are you nervous?"
"What if Dr. Jensen was wrong and my test was a false positive?"
"What made you ask that question?"
"I read that it can happen," I admitted.
"Bella, if you are going to get worked up every time you read something, I'm going to ban you from all books dealing with pregnancy," Edward said sternly.
"Just answer my question please," I begged him.
"If, and this is a very big if, it is a false positive, then you and I will sit down and discuss whether we want to try for a baby now or after we find a home."
"Would you want to try for one now?"
"Love, I know it's hard for you to have so many unanswered questions, but I really think it's best if we hold off on this until after your doctor's appointment."
"Okay," I sighed, giving in for now.
"Why don't we try to take your mind off of the pregnancy for a bit? We can talk about Alice's wedding."
"Can you believe how she left four empty chairs open at the dinner table?" I asked, still just as touched by it now as I had been when we'd arrived at the restaurant.
"She wanted to make sure all of our loved ones were accounted for," Edward replied. "You know, I used to worry that she could only focus on clothing, but Jasper has changed her in so many ways. He's calmed her and helped her to have more empathy for the people around her."
"I'm so glad they're married now. I know they both said that they didn't need a license or rings to be committed to each other, but there's just something about officially being husband and wife," I said, running my finger over my own wedding bands.
"It will be extremely official once Esme gets the wedding announcement into the local paper," he chuckled.
I winced, remembering how uncomfortable I had felt when I had seen a picture of Edward and me splashed across the front page of the living section. Our "announcement" had taken up half of the front page. Edward had said that was perfectly natural for a family with their status.
We pulled into the parking lot of my doctor's office and Edward found us a spot not too far from the main doors. He came around the car and helped me out, wrapping his arm around my waist. Ever since I'd told him about the pregnancy last week, he'd hardly left my side for a moment. And when he was with me, he was more caring and loving than he'd ever been and that's hard for a man like Edward to accomplish. My entire life with him, every choice he'd made, no matter how small, had been to make me feel loved and happy.
"What are you thinking about so hard?" Edward asked, drawing me out of my reflective mood.
"You," I replied, smiling at him.
He chuckled and leaned down, giving me a sweet kiss on the lips. "Ready?"
"Definitely," I sighed, taking his hand and squeezing tightly.
"Relax, Bella. It's only a checkup to find out how far along you are."
"Right! Just going to find out how long I've unknowingly been carrying a life inside of me and when we might possibly get to meet the little guy."
Edward held the door open for me, making sure I walked over the threshold without tripping. I had proven many times in our life together that I could trip over air if given the chance. Although, I was getting better about it. Something about walking while balancing student papers, a briefcase, a soda, and car keys was increasing my balance and lowering my number of falls.
"Bella," Mrs. Elliot greeted with a big smile as I approached the counter. "Didn't we just see you a couple of months ago, Sweetheart?"
Mrs. Elliot had been a nurse at Dr. Johnson's office for so long that she remembered my mother being pregnant with me. She had to be in her late eighties, but she didn't look a day over fifty. She had beautiful silver hair, pale blue eyes, and a smile that seemed to never fade. And she always had a new story to tell me about my parents when I came in for my yearly check-ups.
"Oh, Bella. Is that him?" she whispered, nodding to Edward who had taken a seat in the corner.
"Yes," I replied, my face breaking out into a wide smile. "That's my Edward."
"Greek God indeed," she chuckled. "No wonder you've been on cloud nine since you met him. So! What brings you by?"
"My regular doctor did some blood work on me and he seems to think I'm pregnant."
"Bella," she squealed as she ran out from behind the counter. She threw open the door that led to the back and pulled me into a huge hug, shaking me from side to side. "Your mother must be throwing a party in Heaven right this second. I can just imagine your dad turning beet red at the number of people she's running around telling about her grandbaby being on the way."
Once again, I couldn't seem to control myself and I ended up sobbing my eyes out against this little old woman.
"Oh, Sweetheart. It's okay," she laughed, gently running her hand over my hair. "Edward, you might want to come and help me here," she chuckled when my tears still didn't slow.
"What happened?" he asked, his worry clear in his voice.
As soon as I felt his hand on my back, I turned to him, burying myself in his chest and breathing in his scent. Nothing could calm me better than being close to Edward in this way.
"I mentioned her parents and the poor dear got a bit weepy on us," Mrs. Elliot chuckled, patting my arm. "I'll just sign you in at the desk and get your paperwork ready while you calm down, Bella."
I nodded my head, sniffling too hard to answer her just yet. Edward led me over to the chairs and sat me down in his lap, holding me tightly while I calmed down.
"Bella, I know you're going through a lot of changes, but you have got to calm down. You don't want to be in the middle of a Shakespeare discussion and then fall apart in front of your students."
"That would be bad," I sighed, wiping my wet cheeks on my sleeve. "But in my defense, I didn't expect what she said."
"What did she say?"
"That my mom was throwing a party and telling everyone about the baby while my dad stood around turning red and watching her. It's just…If they were here now, that's exactly what they would be doing, Edward."
"Do you want Alice to throw you a party and we can put some make-up on Jasper to make his cheeks red?" Edward asked, barely holding back his laughter.
"Nah," I grinned, playing with the collar of his shirt. "I like Jasper too much to put him through two punishments at once."
"Yes, helping Alice plan a party would be a second form of torture," Edward chuckled. "Especially since she held back so much for the wedding."
"She swears she was satisfied."
"I know. And I believe her, too. She really wanted to keep things low-key."
"Yeah, 'cause she's saving it all up to torture me when it's time for a baby shower," I grumbled.
He laughed at me, hugging me tightly and burying his face in my hair. "I won't let her go overboard."
"You can't stop her."
"I can give it my absolute best try, though."
"Thank you for that."
"Anything for you, Love."
I took his face into my hands, wanting to see those wonderful emerald eyes I loved so much. They were practically sparkling today and I knew he was just as excited as I was for this doctor's appointment. I leaned toward him, wanting to feel his lips against mine, but was interrupted long before I ever got close.
"Bella Cullen," a nurse called.
"That's you," Edward said, smiling at me.
"That's me," I agreed, too excited to even be upset about my interrupted kiss. I settle for kissing his cheek and then jumped up, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with me.
"Did you fill out the family history paperwork?" the nurse asked.
"I didn't receive any," I told her.
"Mrs. Elliot?" the nurse called.
"Yes, Mallory?" Mrs. Elliot replied.
"Bella Cullen didn't get the family history paperwork," Mallory informed her. "Dr. Johnson wants all prospective mothers to fill that paperwork out."
"I'll be handling her paperwork myself," Mrs. Elliot said, winking at me. "I'm pulling her mother's old paperwork to fill out the history."
"Thank you," I said sincerely, knowing I wouldn't have been able to answer many of the questions on my own. A horrible side effect of losing your parents early is realizing just how many questions you never got to ask them before they died.
"Alright. Right this way, Mrs. Cullen," Mallory said, waving us forward. "You'll be in exam room three. Mr. Cullen, you're welcome to go in and have a seat while I take her weight and blood pressure."
"I'd rather stay with her, if you don't mind," Edward replied, squeezing my hand reassuringly.
I smiled at him as I stepped up onto the scale.
"First baby, huh?" Mallory said, clearly amused.
"That easy to tell?" I asked.
"Sure," she laughed. "You're practically shaking and he hasn't let go of your hand yet, which is making it a bit difficult to get your correct weight."
"I'm sorry," Edward said, his face taking on a slight pink tint as he released my hand.
"It's fine," Mallory assured us. "Happens all the time."
Once my weight and blood pressure were written down—both of them perfectly fine—Mallory handed me a cup and sent me off to the bathroom while she escorted Edward to the exam room. After I had filled the cup, put my name on it, and shoved it through the secret door, I went to join Edward in the exam room.
I found him sitting in the corner, and the usual gown and cover to change into draped across the table. I went into the space behind the curtain and sat down on the bench, taking my shoes off one at a time.
"So do I get to see you in all your glory?" Edward teased.
"Nope. You get to see me get a very uncomfortable exam. From what I read, I'll be getting a full physical, including pelvic. I shouldn't have to endure the torture of the pap smear, though, since I had one so recently."
"Bella, some of these tools look absolutely barbaric," Edward noted, sounding a bit worried.
I laughed, used to seeing them spread out on the counter. "You know, Honey, maybe you should reconsider medical school. Instead of becoming a doctor, you could reinvent the tools for women's medicine."
"I might have to," he muttered, causing me to laugh once again. He could be so very protective sometimes, and I rarely minded. I knew he only did it because of how much he loved me.
I came out from the behind the curtain and modeled my gown for him. "Do I look stunning?" I teased.
"You always look stunning," Edward assured me, giving me my favorite crooked grin. "I can't help but think of how much Alice would hate it," he chuckled.
"I envision her getting pregnant, coming for her first visit, seeing the gown, and then setting the world on fire by designing fashion exam gowns. She'll be all the rage!"
Edward jumped out of his seat as soon as he realized I was getting ready to get on the exam table. He lifted me bridal style and gently set me on the table, getting me to laugh once again.
"Edward, I'm not breakable, just pregnant," I said, hugging him around his waist. I'd been feeling clingy lately, and as much as I hated it, I knew it was better to give into the feeling for now. I could be independent later on, when I wasn't anxiously waiting to find out about this baby.
"You are also known to become a klutz in the most innocent of circumstances, Love."
And there was the sentence to start yet another mood swing. I lifted my head and glared at him. "I haven't had an accident in months and you know it."
"Have I told you lately how much I love your pout?" Edward said, giving me that crooked grin that always made me melt and forgive him. That damn smile even had the power to shift a mood swing back to the other direction.
I smiled and rested my head against his chest, tightening my arms around him. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
"Good. Now press that little green button on the wall and let the doctor know it's safe to come in."
"Alright," Edward chuckled, pulling away from me. He pressed the button and then took his seat in the corner again.
Dr. Johnson entered the room pretty quickly, looking over my file as he came in. "Bella Swan who became Bella Cullen and is about to be Momma Bella," he joked, smiling at me.
"That's what we're here to find out," I said, returning his smile. "Dr. Johnson, this is my husband, Edward."
"I've heard many wonderful things about you, young man," Dr. Johnson said, shaking Edward's hand. "Your father is a brilliant surgeon, by the way."
"Yes, he is," Edward agreed, nodding his head.
"I bet if he was in the OB/GYN field, I wouldn't be seeing Bella right now," Dr. Johnson joked.
"I don't know about that," I interrupted. "I love my father-in-law, but some things should be private. Besides, you delivered me so it's only fitting that you deliver my baby, too."
"You know, I've watched you grow over the years, Bella, but right now, you look more like Renee than you ever have. That motherly glow agreed with her, too," Dr. Johnson told me.
"Uh, oh," Edward sighed as my tears and sobs started up once again. He rushed over, wrapping me up in his arms. "She's been a little emotional at the mention of her parents for the past week or so," he explained to Dr. Johnson.
"It's perfectly natural," Dr. Johnson assured us as I continued to cry into Edward's shoulder.
It took a few minutes, but I finally got my crazy emotions under control. Edward dried my cheeks with a tissue, smiling sweetly at me. This man was so perfect and he was about to go through so much because of me. I was really going to have to make sure his first ever father's day was exceptional…and his wedding anniversary gift…and his birthday gift…and the very next Christmas gift since this one had just ended.
"Bella, stop feeling guilty," Edward commanded, kissing my forehead.
"How do you know?" I blurted out.
"You have that little line right in the middle of your forehead."
"Bella, it's perfectly natural for you to get upset for what seems like no reason," Dr. Johnson said. "Feeling guilty about it will only make it worse. Besides, you have the hard job, not Edward. Sure, he has to deal with tears and running after late night snacks, but you have to grow a whole other life inside of you."
I nodded my head in agreement, having heard these same things from Rose and Esme over the past few days. Edward kissed my cheek, gave me a comforting hug, and then returned to his seat.
"Let's get this exam under way, shall we?" Dr. Johnson questioned.
"Yes, please. We're both quite anxious to know when the baby will be due," I told him.
"Do you recall the date of your last cycle?" he asked, looking down at my file again.
"It was around November the eighth. I was on an antibiotic for the flu and we think that's when I got pregnant."
"The night of the fourteenth to be exact," Edward added, a proud smile on his face.
I wanted to shoot him a glare, but I couldn't help but laugh with the look on his face. "Proud of yourself, Mister?"
"Exceedingly so," Edward chuckled.
I shook my head at him, watching Dr. Johnson turn a dial on the cardboard wheel in his hand. "What's that?" I asked.
"This is our very high-tech, extremely sophisticated tool for pinpointing due dates," Dr. Johnson said, clearly amused. "And according to this wonderful wizard, you should be due on August twentieth."
"Exactly two months after your birthday, Edward," I noted, smiling wide. It was so exciting to have a date in mind of when to expect our baby.
"This is a guess based on the date you gave. You should be six weeks along. We'll do a sonogram after your physical to see how close we are with the guess," Dr. Johnson informed us.
I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for the least fun part of the visit. Dr. Johnson was his usual caring self, talking me through each step of the physical. Edward literally sat on the edge of his seat throughout the entire exam, looking like he wanted to run over each time I grimaced the slightest bit. I would have liked to have smiled at him to ease his worry, but I was busy being prodded.
Dr. Johnson dumped his tray into the sink and washed his hands, signaling the end of my torture. "Bella, everything looks great. We're going to do the sonogram now and try to better pinpoint how far along you are. I promise this will be much easier on you than the exam was."
I nodded my head, letting out a deep breath. "Let's just get this all over with for today."
Dr. Johnson put on a fresh pair of gloves and walked over, holding a tube of some sort of blue gel. "Edward, you can come to her side now," he said, smiling at him. "That first exam can sometimes be rougher on the husband than the wife, but just barely," he added, winking at me.
Edward was at my side in an instant, holding my hand tightly and kissing my cheek. "I love you."
"You better," I joked, smiling for him.
"Forever," he promised, giving me the smile I loved best.
"Alright, Bella. This will be cold," Dr. Johnson warned, opening the lower half of my gown again. He squirted a good bit of the gel, and it was just as cold as he had promised. He grabbed some wand thing and pressed it into the gel while turning on a monitor. "Alright, let's see what we have here." Dr. Johnson moved the wand around a bit before smiling wide. "Right there, where you see the graininess jumping, that's your baby's heartbeat. It's too soon to hear it, but that's it beating strong and healthy. I know it doesn't look like much more than a throbbing ball right now, but that's only because it's so early. And from the look of it, you're right about that date and you're exactly six weeks along. By your next appointment, we'll be able to hear the heartbeat."
I was crying once again as I looked at the image on the screen, marveling at how lucky I was be able to experience something so miraculous and wonderful. I was going to be a mother. Edward and I were going to be parents, our own little family.
I looked up at Edward, completely shocked to find that his emerald eyes were moist as he stared at the screen, watching the little picture throb. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his face, mesmerized by the amount of emotion he was letting me see. Edward tended to always look calm, no matter what he was feeling, trying to be the strong one in our relationship. He usually one let his walls down when it was the two of us alone in our room. For him to be so open, so vulnerable like this, I knew it had to be because he was just affected by the sight of our baby as I was.
"When will we be able to know what we're having?" I asked the doctor, all of my attention still focused on my amazing husband.
"Do you have a preference already?" Dr. Johnson asked, sounding amused again.
"A boy would be very nice," I replied, pushing Edward's messy bronze hair away from his green eyes.
Edward finally tore his gaze away from the screen and looked down at me. He smiled the biggest smile I'd ever seen on his face and pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. "I love you," he whispered, his normally velvet voice choked with emotion.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and held just as tightly to him. "I love you more."
"Not possible," he chuckled.
Dr. Johnson cleared his throat, and Edward and I laughed as we let go of each other. "We'll be able to find that out when you are around twenty-four weeks, assuming the baby decides to cooperate on the day we do your ultrasound," Dr. Johnson said.
"What's that mean?" Edward asked, his brow furrowing a bit. I wanted to reach up and smooth that worry line away, but I knew I needed to pay attention to the doctor first.
"Sometimes, the babies get a bit camera shy and refuse to turn the right way for us. It can take us a few weeks to finally have them facing the right way to make sure of the sex," Dr. Johnson explained.
"That completely sounds like our luck," I laughed.
"Well, unless you have questions for me, we are done, Bella," Dr. Johnson said, wiping the gel off my stomach.
"Yes! Morning sickness. I can't stand it," I told him.
"Your mother hated it, too," Dr. Johnson chuckled. "I'll tell you exactly what I told her. Get used to eating crackers in bed before you get up to start your day. Also, eat smaller meals, but more of them. Liquids are also important. I have a sheet that I can give you with the full list of tips. But between you and me, nothing worked as well as the crackers for your mother."
"I feel really lucky to have you as my doctor," I said sincerely. "I would never have known that about my mother if you hadn't said it," I sniffled.
"She was an unforgettable woman, Bella. Just like you," Dr. Johnson replied, patting my hand. "Now, get dressed, get out of here, and go share your news with your family. And, Bella, you need to get plenty of rest. I know you have a job, but you're going to have to schedule in a daily nap to keep up your strength. And don't try to refuse. I had your mother as a patient and she tried every excuse there was for not taking naps and I still got her to take them."
"Alright," I laughed. "Besides, Edward heard you and he'll never let me get away with skipping naps now."
"Very good. I'll leave you to get dressed. The nurse will have a prescription for prenatal vitamins at the counter for you. I want you to fill it and start taking them right away. It's important to stay healthy," Dr. Johnson said. "I'll also have her schedule your next appointment for three weeks from now. If you think of any questions, or feel overly tired at all, call me right away, Isabella. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Sir," I chuckled, glad all over again that he was my doctor. I knew I was in good hands with him, and so was my baby.
"Thank you, Dr. Johnson," Edward replied, shaking his hand.
"I'll see you both soon," Dr. Johnson said as he stepped out of the room.
Once I was dressed again, we headed out front and collected all of the paperwork. Edward drove us straight to the pharmacy to fill my prescription, and then we were finally able to go home. As soon as we made it into our room, I stretched out across the bed, groaning at how wonderful it felt to not be on my feet. Edward chuckled at me as he pulled my shoes off.
"Stay," he ordered, disappearing from our bedroom. He returned a few minutes later with a glass of water and my vitamins.
I sat up long enough to take them and drink some of the water, and then I returned to the comfort of my bed. And then I decided my jeans were way too annoying, so I struggled my way out of them as my husband chuckled under his breath. I was too tired to even bother being irritated with him, though. I unhooked my bra and yanked it out of my shirt, then snuggled myself deep under the covers.
With seconds, Edward crawled up behind me, pulling me against his chest and resting his hand on my stomach. He placed butterfly kisses along my neck as his hand rubbed circles on my stomach—it felt so amazingly good. "I love you," he whispered.
I was too tired to speak, so I nodded my head a little. This had been a long, but very happy day and I was exhausted—probably from all of the crying I'd done at the doctor's office. I just wanted to stay right here in my husband's loving arms and not move for a long while.
"Sleep, Bella," Edward whispered before starting to hum my lullaby. With me being so tired, and his hand rubbing those soothing circles against my skin, it didn't take long at all for sleep to overtake me.