DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creation of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.
Making Repairs…
Bella's POV
I was staring at the closet—okay, so I was actually glaring at it, but damn it I was frustrated! I'd just gone shopping with Edward for maternity clothing. Okay, so maybe it had been a couple of weeks, but really! How the heck could I have gained enough weight already to have outgrown my jeans?
I tried once more to get the button to fit into the stupid hole…And it still wouldn't go. I stomped my way out of the pants, had a fight with them while trying to ball them up, and finally managed to throw them back into the stupid closet. They didn't go nearly as far as I wanted and one of the legs was hanging out of the closet. So I did what any frustrated, pregnant woman did…I sat down and cried. No wonder Rose had spent so much time home in the beginning of her pregnancy—she didn't want us to see how much of a crazy woman her hormones made her. And now I was living it!
"Bella, what's wrong, dear?" Esme asked, wrapping her arms around me. I hadn't even heard her come into the room.
"Oh, Esme! It's everything!" I cried, latching onto her. "I keep snapping at Edward. I either can't keep my food down or eat too much of it. I'm getting behind on everything because I have to take those damn naps! And to top it all off, I can't find pants to wear today."
"I know something that will cheer you right up, Bella. Would you like to know what it is?" Esme asked in her calm, motherly voice. I relaxed in her arms, glad to have her with me during my melt-down. "You're going to be surprised when you realize how simple this is and how much better it makes you feel," Esme continued. "Bella, you're having a baby. Inside you right this very second is a part of you and a part of Edward, and that baby will be the most beautiful thing in your life for the rest of your life."
"But I—"
"Oh, hush, child," Esme chuckled, holding me close and rocking me like any other mother would do to her upset child. "Your body is constantly changing and adjusting to help this new life grow. You aren't going to feel like yourself for quite a few more weeks, but you will get there, Bella. You just need some help to make it through. Now, one of things I did was to put away all of my regular clothing so that I wouldn't accidentally grab it instead of the maternity wear. It keeps away the temptation of trying on your normal clothes, and it also keeps you from accidentally grabbing the wrong pair of pants and working yourself into a tizzy over nothing." Esme leaned forward and snagged the evil pair of pants. She pulled the tag out and looked it over. "Just as I'd suspected," she chuckled. "I made this mistake three times before putting my normal clothes away." She held the label toward me and I felt my jaw drop. All of that aggravation and I'd grabbed the wrong pair of jeans!
"Edward and Emmett are going to tease me relentlessly," I muttered.
"Really? Who's going to tell them? Because I personally don't think it's any of their business. They are not now, nor will they ever be, a pregnant woman trying to adjust to supporting two lives with one body. They can take their manly little opinions and put them where the sun never peeks for all I care."
"Esme," I gasped, never having heard her speak so frankly before.
"Bella, dear, I am a woman first and foremost," she chuckled, kissing my forehead. "And in Edward's defense—which I must take by motherly law—his father didn't get things right on the first try either. There were many accidentally provoked tears during my pregnancy with Alice. With Edward, Carlisle worked a lot harder at keeping the tears away."
"Edward's afraid," I whispered. Part of me was worried saying the words out loud would make them truer than they already were.
"I'm sure he is, Dear. Being a father for the first time is a very scary thing for nearly all men. But you must know how very happy he is and that it far outweighs his concerns."
"It's not fatherhood that has him frightened, Esme. It's me. I've got bad genes."
"What on Earth are you talking about, Sweetheart?" Esme asked, tilting my face up to hers just like Edward had done so many times before.
"My family has trouble with their pregnancies. Lots of miscarriages and bad births and stuff." I wasn't really all that surprised when she didn't say anything in reply. "Of course you already knew. He would have wanted Carlisle's medical opinion, and you have no secrets in this house. Well, let me have it! Tell me how silly I am for even walking around in my condition. I should be on bed rest, letting Edward wait on me hand and foot."
"I will do no such thing! And I will personally deal with anyone who dares to tell you such a thing. Isabella, you are not your family. Yes, their medical history affects you, but as long as you follow all of your doctor's orders, you'll be just fine. It's not all in the genes, Sweetheart. I had no family history of miscarriage, but I lost a baby before Alice and two before Edward. And then I lost the ability to have any more at all."
"What do you think made the difference with Alice and Edward?"
"Well, with the first baby, I didn't even realize I was pregnant until I had lost it. With Alice, I just felt like there was no force on Earth that could keep her from coming into the world. The first baby after her, I took for granted, thinking I was out of the woods, and the second baby…I think I worried the poor dear to death. So when I suddenly found myself pregnant with Edward, I just decided to enjoy every bit of that pregnancy for as long as it lasted. I think it's why he was such a calm little thing," she chuckled.
"Do you think that can work for me? Just enjoying the pregnancy and not worrying about anything?"
"I think whether it works or not, it's exactly what you should do. I know it's difficult right now with the morning sickness and the emotionality of it all, but these will pass soon enough, Bella."
"Is Edward still going to love me months from now?"
"What on Earth made you ask such a silly question?" Esme laughed.
"I'm not his Bella right now. I'm moody, and I cry over everything, and I yell, Esme. I think I actually ran him off this morning."
"Would you like to tell me what happened?"
"Well, I was sitting in front of the toilet, waiting to see if I was done being sick for the morning. Edward asked if I knew what I wanted for breakfast. I told him I'd get something later, and he started fussing about nutrients and breakfast being the most important meal of the day. So I told him to take his breakfast and…well, do that thing with the sun you talked about earlier."
"My foolish, foolish boy," Esme chuckled. "His father made that very same mistake when I was pregnant with Alice. Only he took it a step further. He'd actually come into the room with a tray full of breakfast foods. The smell hit me like a ton of bricks and that was all it took to set my temper off. I said to him, 'Carlisle Cullen, if you don't get that food out of here right this instant, they'll be picking those bacon strips out of the oddest places when I'm done with you'."
"No way!" I gasped, looking up at Esme. She was always so sweet and calm.
"Yes, way," she laughed, tucking some of my hair behind my ear. "I wasn't myself that morning. I was a hormonal pregnant woman with a weak stomach and a short temper."
"Did Carlisle forgive you for snapping at him that way?"
"Of course he did, Sweetheart. He knew that no matter what I said in the moment, I still loved him with all of my heart. You know, some women have a perfectly glorious pregnancy without an ounce of sickness or temper. And then there's you and me, struggling with both the changes and the guilt over our behavior. And then there's Rosalie, who thoroughly enjoyed being treated like a fragile queen. She knew it was the one time in her life when she could be a little selfish without feeling guilty for it since it was all for the baby."
"And Em and Rose are more in love than ever," I mused, thinking about how they were hardly ever without each other. "Do you think Edward would like it if I brought lunch out to him and Emmett?" I asked, looking up at Esme.
"I think they would both love it. I'll help you make lunch and we'll go together. That way, you can have a few minutes alone with Edward and I'll keep Emmett entertained."
"Thanks, Esme," I said sincerely, hugging her tightly.
"You are so very welcome, Bella."
Edward's POV
"Get a move on, Tutor-boy," Emmett yelled, looking down at me from the roof. "This roof isn't going to patch itself."
"Where did you even learn how to do this?" I asked, starting to climb up the ladder.
"Spent a lot of time with my dad," Emmett shrugged. "He fixed everything around here. Charlie was sort of a jack of all trades. He just seemed to know how to fix whatever was broken and needed a little attention."
"Bella's talking about them more and more," I mentioned.
Emmett had a nail between his teeth and his big hands were trying to set a roofing tile straight, so he only grunted.
"She was happy to hear you were going to fix the house with me."
Emmett's head bobbed the slightest bit as he drove a nail through the tile.
"She yelled at me again."
Emmett snorted and turned his head toward me. "You know what I like about you, Edward? You very rarely beat around the proverbial bush, but when you do, you do it with such style."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning you've wanted to talk about my baby sister yelling at you from the moment you showed up at my house. You were just too chicken to say it before now."
"You're the one who promised you would kick my butt for upsetting her."
"So you brilliantly wait until you're up here on a roof alone with me?" he asked, smiling wide. "No worries, Eddie. You're safe with me. A few bruises is one thing. Actually breaking something on you would piss Bella off. She might be the baby sister, but I don't doubt her ability to kick my ass if I screw up with her. So tell me what you did this time."
"I just asked her what she wanted for breakfast."
"And what was she doing when you asked?"
"Sitting on the floor in the bathroom and talking to me."
"You idiot!" Emmett laughed. "You don't ask a pregnant woman about food while she's in the middle of her morning sickness."
"She was done!" I defended.
"Until she's out of the bathroom with her teeth freshly brushed, she's not done. Jeez! What is it with you? Bella tells you she's pregnant and you suddenly get as stupid as me. Did you transfer all of your brains to your kid, or what?"
"I don't know. I just…I don't seem to be able to say or do anything right."
"Because you're trying too hard. Bella doesn't need you to be all that different around her just because she's pregnant. She needs some extra attention and patience. She needs you to not be an insensitive prick, but that part you can't help. You're a guy and you have no concept of what pregnancy is like, so you're not going to get it right. Sometimes, you just have to stand there quietly and wait for her to ask for what she needs."
"Bella doesn't ask," I sighed, helping Emmett lay out the next tile.
"She will. Just give her time to accept the fact that she has no choice. You know Bella doesn't like not feeling in control of every second of her life. She'll fight hard against it. But she will realize the baby is more important than her own stubbornness and things will change for the better. This is only the second week of knowing about and dealing with her pregnancy. Just give each other time to adjust. I promise you, Edward, once Bella hits that second trimester, things will smooth out for you guys."
I nodded my head, letting his words sink in. I knew enough about pregnancy and hormones to know Bella wouldn't be herself for a little while, but it was an entirely different thing to face it. She was my Bella, but she wasn't. This version of Bella would cry or yell, and in the next second, not let me go. I didn't know how to react to her mood swings without upsetting her more and it made me feel like a complete idiot. I hated not being able to make her days happy.
And I hated feeling useless and scared with the medical side of things. "Emmett, do you think Bella's going to make it through this pregnancy?" I asked, almost afraid to hear his answer.
Emmett's POV
I'd known from the moment I'd first seen Edward this morning that the kid was just waiting to ask me a question. I could tell from the way his hands had been twitching and he'd kept sighing. I'd guessed correctly about his behavior, too—he'd gotten himself yelled at again by Bella.
I knew what that was like, feeling like a screw-up. I'd always been the goofball of whatever group I was apart of, and more so with this set. They all got too serious and too focused on the troubles of life, so I had to be the one to lighten up our lives.
And now he'd really gotten to the heart of the matter. He wanted to talk about the medical stuff behind the pregnancy. I wondered if it had been Rose or Alice who'd told him. I'd asked them both to wait until Bella made it to the second trimester. She was so much more likely to carry to term after that point. Plus, knowing she was already into the safer part of the pregnancy, Edward wouldn't be able to get himself all ramped up about her health. He was always accusing me of being overprotective, but he had me beat hands down.
I didn't answer his question; I decided to ask one of my own instead. "Edward, do you want this baby?"
"Of course, I do…But I need her."
"You need to relax. There's no reason to get yourself all worked up. Bella's healthy, the baby's healthy, and that's all you need to focus on. Just do what you can to keep her happy and don't worry about the rest. Life's not predictable and it can't be controlled after a certain part, so just relax. Unless something medically changes with Bella, just enjoy this time with her."
"Emmett, thank you," Edward said, finally giving a smile.
"Roll up those sleeves of yours and get busy with some real work, Cullen! It's about time you get some blisters on those pretty girl hands of yours," I joked, moving us back to happier conversation.
Bella's POV
Esme stopped the car right out front of my old house. We could see Emmett and Edward on the roof, both of them shirtless and looking tired and hot. This lunch thing seemed like an even better idea now.
I climbed out of the car, waving to my brother and my husband. "Hi, guys! We brought food and cold drinks!"
"Bless you Bella!" Emmett yelled, giving me a bow.
"Be careful up there, Em! Don't fall through the roof or anything," I called out to him.
"We'll be down in a sec, Squirt. Go inside and set up the food for us," Emmett said.
"Are you telling me what to do, brother bear?" I asked, smirking at him as I shielded my eyes with my hand.
"Wouldn't dream of it, little sis," he chuckled. "Please set up lunch while we get our sorry butts down from here."
"That's more like it," I laughed, heading inside with Esme.
Esme set the picnic basket on the table and I started pulling items out of it while she poured us all drinks from the two thermos bottles she'd brought along. Edward and Emmett came inside, laughing and smacking each other on the back like men always seemed to be doing.
"What do we have here?" Emmett asked, attempting to lean over the basket.
I pushed on his sweaty shoulder. "Ick! Go clean up in the bathroom. Both of you!"
"I'm starving, Squirt," Emmett whined.
"So am I, and I'll never be able to keep my food down with you smelling like that. Go clean up right now," I demanded.
"Come on, Emmett," Edward chuckled, pulling him toward the stairs. "Let's do as the lovely lady said and get cleaned up."
"Thank you, Honey!" I called after them.
"Thank you, Honey," Emmett mimicked, making kisses noises.
"Bite me, Emmett," Edward hissed.
"I am Count Dracula and I vant to suck your blood!" Emmett yelled out.
"You are such an idiot," Edward told him—but I could hear the amusement in his voice.
"There's that lovely smile we've all come to know and love," Esme said, patting my cheek.
I smiled and finished putting out our lunch on the paper plates we'd brought. I sat down in my old chair and looked toward the stairs, watching Edward come down them and pull a t-shirt on at the same time. If I'd have tried a move like that, I would have ended up trapped in the shirt and tumbling head over foot.
"Hello, Love," Edward greeted, leaning down to kiss me.
I smiled and met his lips, truly happy to see him. "I missed you."
"Really?" he asked, sounding surprised as he took the seat next to me.
"Of course," I said, hating that my crazy mood swings had made him doubt that.
"Then come here," he offered, holding his arms open for me.
I squealed like a kid and jumped out of my seat and into his lap, making him laugh. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him as tightly as I could. "I love you so, so much Edward."
"And I love you more," he whispered, kissing the hollow right beneath my ear.
"Squirt, you seem to be in a lovey-dovey mood this afternoon," Emmett announced, ruffling my hair as he passed me.
"I'm with my husband, my mother-in-law, and my big brother. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked, smiling at him.
"I'll be in a good mood myself as soon as I get some food and drink in me," Emmett replied, as Esme handed him a cup.
We sat around the small table, enjoying our sandwiches and tea while talking and laughing together. I staid perched on Edward's lap with one of his arms wrapped around me at all times. It felt like nothing had changed between us, like I'd never gotten a single mood swing or yelled at him once. It made me more resolved than ever to get control of my feelings and keep them in check. I wanted to make sure our little rough patch was completely repaired, and then I was going to keep it that way.
Emmett's POV
I was a man of simple thoughts: I hate re-tiling roofs! I hate how my fingers get torn up, and my back gets sunburned, and my knees get all stiff from the kneeling and squatting. And what I wanted most in the world was a cold shower and a beer. But I also wanted the best for my baby sister and she needed a house of her own—well, she at least needed the option. So that required me fixing up this place and getting it sold.
I stood up and stretched, groaning as my lower back popped.
"You okay, Em?" Edward asked.
"Fine, Tutor-boy. That's just the sound a body makes when it's gotten a long workout," I told him. "You almost done with your section?"
"Yeah. Just a few more nails."
"That was sweet of Squirt and your mom to bring us food like that," I said, slowly starting to walk the roof. I needed to make sure we'd repaired all of the bad spots.
"It was very nice of them, and Bella seemed a lot happier."
"She'll do that, so make sure you really enjoy the happy times until she evens out."
"So second trimester, huh?"
I started to say "yeah", but it quickly turned into a scream as the roof beneath me gave way and tossed me into the attic below.
"Emmett! Emmett, are you okay?" Edward yelled.
"Stay back! I don't know how much else was rotted."
"Are you hurt? Do you need the paramedics?"
"Don't know. Go down the ladder and then come up through the house. There's an access door in Bella's old room."
"Just stay still and don't move until I get there."
"No worries, Edward. I'm not moving," I assured him. I let my head fall against the floorboards as I tried to take stock of myself and any injuries I might have. My ankle was throbbing, so I'd probably twisted the hell out of it. My back wasn't feeling all that great either, but since I'd landed on my feet, I didn't think I'd hurt it too much. I knew my neck was fine since I hadn't hit my head coming down.
Rose was going to kick my ass when I got home tonight and told her about this. She'd warned me to be careful and not put my full weight down until I'd tested the roof beneath my feet. But oh no! I had to be clomping around in my boots.
"Emmett?" Edward called, opening the access door.
"Still conscious," I told him.
"How hurt are you?"
"Not sure. Think I might have twisted my ankle. And my back's probably going to be sore for a few days."
"I'm calling my dad."
"No. I just need to stay still for a few minutes."
"Em, I'm calling my dad or driving you to the hospital."
"I'd like to see you try and get me down those narrow ass stairs," I laughed.
Edward ignored me completely and did what he wanted—so much like Bella. "Carlisle, I need you to come to Bella's parents' house. Emmett's fallen through the roof and into the attic. He says his ankle and back hurt. No, Carlisle, I can't. Even if I wanted to, the stairs are too narrow for us to go down together. Alright, I will. Thank you."
I heard his shoes on the stairs and then Edward's wild-haired head popped up into view. "Come and sit for a spell," I chuckled. "From the sound of it, Carlisle's going to be awhile."
"Do you want me to call Rose?"
"Are you stupid?" I yelled. "Would you want me to call Bella before you knew what your injuries were?"
"No," he chuckled.
"Make yourself useful," I told him. "Get my boot off my right foot."
"Swelling?"
"That, or my boot has suddenly turned into a vise grip."
"How can you possibly have that much humor in you after falling through a roof?"
"What would you rather me do, Eddie? Cry like a little girl?"
"Well, no, but…I don't know. I just wonder how you can take life so loosely all the time."
"Believe me, Edward, I only appear to be goofy ninety percent of the time. I have plenty of worries, but I try to balance them out for the sake of everyone around me. Would I be nearly as much fun to hang out with if I was constantly letting my worries over Rose and Lily, or Bella, get the best of me?"
"You worry about Rose and Lily?"
"All the time. I worry if I'm providing them a good enough life working as an assistant coach for a college football team. I worry if Rose is one day going to get tired of my antics and kick me to the curb. I worry if Lily is going to respect me and not see me as just the goofball in her life."
"Emmett, no one thinks you're just a goofball," Edward said, putting my boot down between us.
I just looked at him, waiting to see if that was all he was going to say about it.
"You've gone out of your way to help every one of us when we really needed it. You helped shape Bella into the amazing woman that she is by being her father and mother when your parents died. You might mix humor into it, but you do manage to give great advice from time to time. You know, it must be a Swan family thing to not see yourself clearly."
"Must be," I chuckled. I glanced around the attic, noticing all the cobwebs I was going to have to sweep away at some point. My eyes trailed upwards, looking at the hole in the roof. "Hey, Edward. Do me a favor and call Jasperilla. Tell him we need a tarp sturdy enough for a temporary roof, and we need a roofing contractor who won't rob us blind. The women are not going to let us back up there after they find out I crashed on through."
"Jasperilla," Edward snorted. "When did you start calling him that?"
"Since he decided to admit he plays cowboy with your sister. He likes to order a sasaparilla from the bar wench. What kind of cowboy orders a root beer instead of a real beer anyway?"
"What kind of man admits he does that stuff?" Edward yelled. "There are things I never, ever want to know about my big sister, Em. I especially don't want to know about her role playing."
"Damn! I thought for sure you'd get a kick out of them playing vampire. They have fangs and capes, and Alice springs for cherry Kool-aid so they can pretend to drink each other's blood."
"Deviants," Edward muttered, scowling at the dirty floorboards.
"So you mean to tell me that you've never played naughty teacher with Bella? I was so sure you would have been into her spanking you. It's always the quiet ones that have the masochistic tendencies."
"Sorry to disappoint, Emmett. I like my wife just the way she is."
"Role playing has nothing to do with that, Edward. And if you'd stop being a prude long enough to find out about it, you'd see that. It's just a way to spice up your love life a little. It's not like Rosie pretends she's someone completely different when we play Assassin and spy. It's just her way of killing off the part of me trying to catch a peek at her."
"So disgusting," Edward laughed. "Do you think Rose would kill you if she knew you said that?"
"Nope," I chuckled. "She'd offer to take Bella and you costume shopping.
"Okay, this conversation is over and I'm calling Jasper," Edward said, dialing the number on his phone already.
"Be sure to ask him about Civil War night at the Hale household," I teased, nudging Edward's knee with my fist.
I really hoped Carlisle was bringing some pain meds with him because my ankle was hurting like a very bad word I wasn't allowed to say now that my sweet little Lily was talking. She'd toddled her little self up to me just this morning and clear as day, she'd said, "Love, Daddy." She was definitely getting snuck some of daddy's ice cream tonight when we cuddled on the sofa together. But first things first! I had to get myself and the roof repaired.