Chapter Forty-One

Welcome Home

EPOV

Kids are resilient, and Marley is no exception.

It's already been a week since she gave us the scare of our lives, she's recovering from surgery quickly and excited to have her mother back. She was still loopy for the first couple days and didn't fully comprehend that Bella was home at first.

I haven't had the chance to properly welcome Bella back because we've been so focused on keeping Marley's spirits high and her pain managed. Like always, she's our primary focus, but now that things are calming down, there's nothing stopping me.

Marley received a few get-well gifts when we brought her home, but her favorite is the fencing that Rose and Emmett got her so she can take Pooka outside. While Marley and Bella hang out with him in the backyard, I run a few errands.

My Muffin is taking full advantage of her soft foods diet, and we're going through ice cream, popsicles, and pudding as if they're going out of style. On the way home from the grocery store, I stop by the florist and pick up not one but two bouquets, one for each of my girls.

Flora remembers Marley and is sad to hear about her recent health issues. She makes a special arrangement just for her, using flowers of every color of the rainbow. She also adds a fancy chocolate bar that, according to her, will melt in Marley's mouth and tells me to bring her by when she feels better.

Once I get home, I stash the groceries in the freezer and follow the sounds of one of my favorite noises—Marley's laugh—out to the backyard where I find her and Bella underneath the biggest tree, watching Pooka run around.

"There you are," I greet, hiding the flowers behind my back.

Marley points to her furbaby. "Pooka's being a silly goose," she tells me in a raspy voice. "He keeps pooping everywhere." She breaks off in a fit of giggles that make my heart swell.

"Simmer down now, Muffin." I chuckle and present her with her bouquet. "Flora says she hopes you feel better, and she can't wait to see you again."

She fawns over her flowers, and Bella drops a kiss on my lips. "They're beautiful. Thank you."

"Nothing but the best for my girls."

We spend a couple hours outside, enjoying the fresh air and Marley's good mood until she announces that she's hungry and asks me what I've picked up for her.

While I name off the list of popsicle flavors she has to choose from, Bella puts their flowers in water and warms up some leftover soup that she made for dinner last night. Marley tries to put up a fuss, reminding us that Nurse Emily told her she can eat all the ice cream she wants.

How she can remember that when she was so out of it and in so much pain is beyond me.

Bella talks her into eating actual food by promising two popsicles and her choice of what movie we watch.

I know Marley is getting stir crazy, but she's still experiencing residual pain and tires easily. We don't want to take her anywhere if it's only going to hurt her in the end. Bella and I hope we can get her to take a nap before we go to Rose and Emmett's house for ice cream night later. We bundle her up and settle on the couch with Beauty and the Beast on the TV. Marley's head is in Bella's lap and her feet in mine. Bella rubs her back and lulls her to sleep before Belle even makes it to the enchanted castle.

"She's out," Bella whispers and pauses the movie. "We should let her rest before tonight."

I nod and slip Marley's feet off my lap before standing up. "Do you need help?"

"I got it."

Once we're both on our feet, we take a moment to breathe it all in.

"You're home."

"I'm home."

"And you love me?" I ask, reaching for her hand.

"I packed up my entire life and moved across the country to be with you and our baby. How could you even question that?" Bella asks, a soft smile playing on her lips. "How could I not love you with my whole heart?"

We've had a few moments together since we brought Marley home, but there was always that nagging feeling of guilt if we tried to do anything that wasn't related to her safety and wellbeing. I've kissed Bella and held her in my arms for a brief time, but we haven't had the time or the energy for anything else.

"What about you?"

I look up from our joined hands and raise a brow in question.

"Do you love me?"

"More than my own life."

Marley turns over on the couch, and we make sure she's still sleeping before going into the kitchen so we can talk. I lift Bella up on the counter and step between her legs, just wanting to be close to her.

"Not much of a welcome home, eh?"

Bella nuzzles the scruff on my chin and hums. "I'm here now, and that's all that matters." She pulls away and checks the time on the stove. "I should get started on my contribution for dinner."

With one finger, I tilt her chin back to me. "We can order out tonight."

"But—"

"But nothing. I've had no quality time with you since you got here, and I'm not about to spend Marley's entire nap watching you cook."

"Okay." Bella sighs and wraps her arms around my neck. "What do you want to do while the child naps?"

I chuckle. "I don't think you want to know what I really want to do to you, but I'll take just holding you, for now."

"For now?"

"Mm-hmm. I think it's time for Marley to go back to sleeping in her own room tonight."

Bella giggles. "Sounds good."

~MM~

To make up for not having nacho night, we pick up Mexican food on the way to Rose and Emmett's house.

Marley is a strict cheese quesadilla girl, so we weren't worried that the chips would agitate her sensitive throat, and she couldn't care less where her food comes from. Instead of nachos, we get a fajita kit so everyone can make their own plates.

"I'm starving," Bella whines when we come to the third red light in a row.

"I'm starving," Marley mimics.

Ever since she woke up from her nap, she's been in a great mood, acting silly and cracking jokes.

"Hey, Muffin?"

"Yes?"

"Guess what?"

Her nose crinkles. "Chicken butt?"

Bella snorts and claps her hand over her mouth in embarrassment.

"Mommy sounded like a piglet." Marley cackles, and I forget what I was going to tell her.

As soon as we pull up at Rose and Emmett's, Emmett comes rushing out, but instead of helping us with the food, he grabs Marley, throws her over his shoulder, and runs back to the house, ignoring my plea for him to take it easy with her.

"Kids." Bella shrugs and hands me a bag.

When we enter the house, Marley is bouncing around the living room, waving a slip of paper around.

"I'm getting a cousin! I'm getting a cousin."

"Calm down before you hurt your throat, precious," Bella warns as she makes her way around the coffee table to hug a sobbing Rose into her arms. "Congratulations."

Emmett throws his arm around my shoulder and gives me a hearty shake. "Our surrogate's eggo is preggo."

Finally, I get my hands on my best friend, who is crying her eyes out but has never looked happier. She shows me the sonogram, and I can't make out anything, but she assures me that the procedure was successful, and their surrogate, Maggie, is six-weeks pregnant.

"I didn't think it was going to happen this soon." Rose bawls and hugs my neck.

I pat her back. "I am so happy for you, Rose."

Marley snatches the sonogram out of my hand. "I want her first picture."

Bella calmly explains that the baby could be a boy or a girl and that it's too soon to find out, but Marley holds firm. Her baby cousin is a girl, and she's going to love her so much.

We're popping open a bottle of champagne when my parents arrive with tubs of ice cream because no one felt like making it from scratch tonight. The excitement over the impending arrival starts all over as Marley announces that she's getting a baby cousin who's going to be a girl.

I have a feeling if the baby winds up being a boy she'll love him regardless.

We're filling plates when she stops when her head tilts to the side. "Does this mean we're getting a baby too?"

Bella chokes on a tortilla chip. "No, precious. We aren't … getting a baby." She looks at me with pleading eyes.

"Maybe in a couple of years, we'll have a baby, Muffin. Right now, we'd like to spoil you rotten."

Marley pouts. "That's not fair. Uncle Em gets a baby, and I want one too."

Rose takes pity on us and crouches down to Marley's level. "You are the reason we decided to make a baby, Marzipan. Uncle Em and I love you so much. When Mommy and Daddy are ready, they'll give you a baby, but until then, you can share ours. Okay?"

Marley seems happy with the arrangement and goes back to eating her cheese quesadilla like she didn't almost just give us a heart attack.