EPOV

We're stuck at a red light when she turns to me. Head tilted to the side, icy blue eyes that have owned me since day one are narrow, her face a mask of annoyance.

"Will you stop it?" she growls, and I release my hold on the dashboard to pull at the seatbelt that is cutting off my air supply. "You're making me nervous enough as it is without all the theatrics."

"You have to ease to a stop, Muffin."

Another growl and she utters the words that break my heart.

"Stop calling me that."

I sigh and apologize. It's been a hard habit to break, considering after fourteen years, she suddenly decided that she doesn't like her nickname. I'm man enough to admit I cried behind closed doors the day she came home from school and announced that she's too old for pet names.

My baby girl is growing up, and I'm not ready.

It feels like it was just yesterday she was a fat little baby, sitting in a high chair with banana muffin all over the place. If I close my eyes, I can still picture the toothless smile she gave me after knocking her three front teeth out, wondering how much the tooth fairy would leave her for multiple teeth and now ... now my baby is a fifteen-year-old, walking and talking sassy brat. She's lucky I love her.

That mouth that sometimes doesn't know when to quit is now full of braces and power chains.

"The light is green, Muf—Marley."

Eyes rolling, she grips the steering wheel, and I feel every one of my forty-one years as I fight the urge to not whimper as she squeals the tires.

My poor car. My poor safety.

It's by some miracle that we get back to the house unscathed. I'm almost positive we were only riding on two wheels when she made the turn onto our street.

We lurch to a stop, and she scrambles out of the car, slamming the door as hard as she can for good measure. The front door opens before I can get out of the car, and my beautiful wife steps out, asking how Marley's first time driving went.

Marley turns and launches the keys at my head before stomping up the stairs. "He's the worst driving teacher who ever lived! Either you teach me or I'm calling Uncle Em."

The door slams behind her, and I can hear her yelling for Perdita to follow her upstairs.

Bella offers me a small smile. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse. I think I saw my life flash before my eyes at some point. I might have peed a little."

My girl laughs and wraps her arms around my neck. "I think I see that you're sporting a few more gray hairs than usual. I'll take her from now on because there's no way I'm letting Emmett teach her how to drive."

"Agreed." I nip her shoulder playfully. "What have you been up to while I was risking my life and my sanity?"

She shrugs. "Just working on perfecting a recipe for the restaurant's new dessert menu." She pulls back with a secretive smile. "It's chocolate. Maybe we can convince the princess to come down from her tower. Would you like to be my guinea pig?"

"Of course."

It takes Bella a good twenty minutes to talk Marley into joining us, and I'm not allowed to enter the kitchen without them. They decide Bella will take her out for her next lesson, and the promise of a big surprise that she has for us finally does the job.

I know Marley thinks that her surprise is a new car. She's been not so subtly hinting around that she wants a Mini Cooper, but she still has a year of practice with an adult before she can hit the road on her own.

While Bella pulls our surprise out of the fridge, I apologize for my wrongdoing, and Marley seems appeased for the moment. Could be due to the fact that she's still a little sugar bug, just like her mother.

"Okay, guys. It's not really a recipe for Rosie's, but I hope you like it," Bella says, her voice shaky with nerves as she approaches. "What do you think?"

Marley and I take a peek at the massive chocolate cake, and it takes a minute to decipher the decorations.

Two small bundles, one blue and one pink.

Marley is the first to understand, and she quickly jumps up, hugging her mother for dear life. "You're pregnant!"

Tears fall unnoticed down Bella's cheeks and she nods.

"You're pregnant!"

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out, and Bella leans across the table to close my gaping mouth.

"You okay there, Daddy?"

Unshed tears sting my eyes. "You're— How?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. I went in for my checkup yesterday, and they ran some tests. I made them check again, and it's true. My first OB appointment is next Tuesday."

I stand up and gather both my girls in my arms.

We tried so hard. For years with no luck. Between infertility from repercussions of Bella's accident and our advancing ages, we'd all but given up on expanding our family.

"A baby."

Bella nods. "A baby."

~MM~

Eight months fly by despite the trials and tribulations of a geriatric pregnancy. The first trimester was full of paranoia and hoping that everything would go smoothly. The second trimester was easier, but there was still that nagging feeling in the back of our minds that something would go wrong. Bella spent a lot of time with doctors, and we spent a lot of time praying that the pregnancy would stick. We'd suffered through three back-to-back miscarriages when Marley was still in grade school before we gave up trying, but our boy seemed to be a fighter from the get go.

I'm shopping for last-minute party supplies when I get the call. While Marley is too old for nicknames, she insisted that we still throw her one last adoption party.

"You need to get to the hospital. Now," Marley tells me, and I can hear Bella huffing and puffing. I take a page out of Marley's book, breaking laws and speed limits to get there.

By the time I get information from the nurse, Bella is already in the operating room. Our scheduled cesarean isn't until the following week, but baby boy obviously does things on his own time.

Marley has already scrubbed in and taken her spot at Bella's side. When she mentioned she would like to be in the delivery room, we got it okayed with Dr. Denali, and she assured us it would be fine.

I kiss my wife and assure her that everything is going to be fine. Her bottom lip trembles and her eyes are glassy, but her smile is blinding.

Marley gives us a play-by-play, excited as the medical staff works. She's been waiting for this moment since Maggie was born.

"He's coming, Mom," she whispers. "Oh! Definitely a boy."

"You're correct, Marley," Dr. Denali states, holding up the screaming, wiggly body of my newborn son before passing him off to a nurse.

Bella is openly sobbing, and I'm right there behind her while Marley joins her baby brother. I kiss my wife and wipe her tears away while she gets closed up.

"He's so perfect."

Marley, our usually rambunctious crazy girl, approaches us at a snail's pace with a clean, still wailing bundle in her arms. She's crying and whispering to her little brother, and I feel complete, watching my children bond.

When she looks up, she gives us a big smile. I help her rest the baby on Bella's chest, and she runs a finger down his soft cheek.

"Welcome to the world Masen Elliot Cullen."

Big thanks go out to my wonderful team that helped make this all possible. i couldn't have done it without all their help. a bigger thanks goes out to all of my readers that took a chance to read the 2.0 XOXO Ashkey