I'm sorry for the wait, but here you go. This one is kind of...a humdinger. See you on the flipside!
Someone Else's Baby
May 7th 2021 - two weeks later
"All right, Miles! Let's go!"
Thumping down the stairs, Milo hefts his backpack over his shoulder, flashing a grin that knocks the wind from her carefully propped-up sails.
He's so excited for this weekend. He has no idea that it's going to turn his world upside down.
Guilt and anxiety gnaw at Bella as she and Milo carry their gear out to the four-wheel-drive they've borrowed from Jacob, stuffing as much as they can into the trunk, then dumping the rest onto the backseat. She's stalled telling him the reason for this impromptu camping trip. Tried to start the conversation multiple times, and failed. So far, all he knows is that they're meeting up with 'an old friend from Forks.'
As she watches him slam the door and turn to her with a smile, the real explanation catches in her throat once again.
"Shotgun!"
Snorting, Bella ruffles his hair. "That's your only option unless you want to ride on the roof, pal."
Milo's eyes widen and light up.
"No!" Bella laughs, turning back toward the stairs. "Wait here, I'm just going to check we've locked up."
"'Kay. Dibs the radio!"
Sure enough, when Bella returns a few minutes later, Milo has turned the keys in the ignition and music is pumping from the speakers; she hears it before she can see him or the car.
He's going to have a shit enough day when we get to the campground and I explain why we're really there, who we're really meeting. He can have this now, Bella decides, trying to stifle the thought that climbing into the vehicle with her son feels like stepping up to the hangman's noose.
~ oOo ~
The drive to Summit Lake Campground is almost excruciatingly long.
When they hit the halfway mark four hours after setting off, Bella watches Milo scarf down a McDonalds and thanks her lucky stars that her principal is a good one, and not only let her yank Milo out of classes for the day, but also covered her own class with a substitute. Sitting down to explain why she needed this trip was as difficult and emotional as she'd expected it would be, but in the end, she needed to do this.
This trip, hard as it would be, had to happen.
Swallowing hard, Bella sips her milkshake through the straw, managing a weak smile when Milo offers her the pickle from his cheeseburger.
"Thanks, Miles."
Does Lucas like pickles? she wonders fleetingly, both terrified and excited at the thought she may soon find out.
That in just a matter of hours, she and Milo will be in the same campground as Edward and Lucas.
They chose the location carefully, Edward suggesting somewhere closer to Vegas since Bella's drive would be hours longer than his own, Bella shooting him down gently. She'd known eight hours in the car would be painful for Milo, who hated sitting still for more than eight minutes, but selfishly, she'd wanted the extra time to mentally prepare.
It isn't until they finally reach the 'Welcome to Summit Lake Campground' sign and hit the rocky, bumpy road leading to it that she realizes no amount of time will prepare her.
Finding what Milo declares 'the perfect spot,' they clamber out into the bright spring sunshine, drifting down to the water's edge. The rippling reflections of the trees and mountains around the lake dance before their eyes, and as Bella drapes her arm around her son's shoulders, she's slammed with another round of guilt. At some point before she and Milo go to bed tonight, she needs to explain why they're here. Why fishing and roasting s'mores and hiking might not be on the agenda as much as he thinks.
"This is awesome, Mom," he sighs happily, leaning into her. "This trip to see your friend doesn't mean we can't go see Nana and Papa when school breaks, right?"
Chewing her lip, Bella squeezes him a little tighter. "No, pal, it doesn't. We can still go. I think Uncle Jake, Aunt Claire, and the kids are coming with us, too."
It's part of Jacob's plan to keep watch over the whole process and protect 'his BFF and lil BFF.'
"Oh, cool! They don't usually come out 'til the second week."
Bella nods, watching a stray branch drift along the top of the water. "Things will be a little different this year, but you've got me."
You've always, always, got me. No matter what.
Milo shrugs. "That's all right. Change can be good."
Her chest aches. "Yeah."
~ oOo ~
"Can we rent a boat?" Milo asks once the tents are finally up and they've unloaded as much as they can from the Jeep.
"Uh, maybe," Bella says distractedly, chewing her lip as she checks her phone and sees that Edward sent her a message a little while ago.
Hey, Bella. We're here getting set up. Hope your journey wasn't too bad?
"Helloooo? Earth to Mom?"
Milo waves his hand in her face, grinning crookedly as she drags her eyes up.
Scrambling to remember what he was saying, she finally musters a smile and slips her cell back into her pocket. "I don't know if they rent them out here, but we'll find out. Promise."
"Cool. Your friend gets here tomorrow, right?" Bella nods, relieved when he doesn't run with that topic or ask any more questions about her 'friend.' "Shall we go for a run or somethin'?" Looking around, he does a couple of jumping jacks, brows drawn in a little.
"Need to stretch your legs?" she guesses, silently acknowledging that maybe she could do with a run to burn off some of her excess anxiety. "Sure, let's do it. Let me change real quick, then we'll go."
When they first set off, Bella is keenly aware that Edward—and therefore Lucas—could be anywhere. As they run, dodging the pine cones and handfuls of leaves they're throwing at each other, Bella lets her guard down.
Her mind full of how nice it is to see Milo relaxed and laughing so loud his joy seems to be everywhere—in the trees, the tall grass, and the fresh breeze—she doesn't hear the commotion unfolding a few hundred feet away.
So when a dog comes flying out of the brush to tackle Milo, Bella doesn't put two and two together.
For a moment, anyway.
Then the dog's owner careens through the trees panting and calling for her, and Bella's blood runs cold.
"Sienna—shit," Edward croaks, eyes snapping between the yellow Labrador on Milo's lap, both of them on the floor after her sloppy-tongued, waggy-tailed attack, and Bella's wide-eyed face.
"Dad? Dad, did you find her? Oh, there you are. Sienna, you crazy mutt. Get back here!"
Bella's stomach flips as a boy trips over a big, fallen branch behind Edward, his attention only on the dog, hers flipping between Milo and him.
Him...Lucas.
Milo and Lucas, just feet apart.
Both her sons; one by blood, one by heart.
As Edward's hand lands on his shoulder before he can get to Sienna, Lucas looks up at his dad, then over at Milo, before following Edward's gaze…
To Bella.
She swallows hard as Lucas's deep brown eyes find hers, crinkling a little in the corners with his sheepish, dimpled grin. As the dog jumps up, apparently distracted by some leaves blowing along by the lake's edge, Bella reaches for her son. "M-Milo." Her hand trembles, a thought somewhere way in the back of her head reminding her that she needs to be mindful of her heart-rate.
Milo is laughing and watching the Labrador go, brushing dirt and bits of leaf off his legs as he moves to get up.
Completely unaware of the turmoil tearing Bella apart, Lucas huffs a laugh and shrugs off Edward's hand, strolling over to Milo. "Sorry, bro. She's a loon."
A choked breath catches in Bella's throat when Lucas extends a hand, the one not encased in a blue cast with black scribbles and drawings all over it, to pull Milo up.
"It's okay, she's cool."
Bella's knees wobble as Milo slaps his hand into Lucas's, the pair sharing broad smiles once they're face-to-face.
Over their heads, Bella watches Edward's face redden, one hand tangled in his hair while the other clenches at his side around what looks like a frayed piece of rope. Tears burn her eyes, the pit in her stomach more like a chasm, the emotions barrelling around her body setting her heart off at a sprint. A small part of her is comforted by the fact she's not alone—the glassiness of Edward's eyes and the way his chest heaves in a big breath tell her he knows how big this moment truly is.
He catches her gaze, eyes the color of the trees all around them, and she expels a shaky sigh as she quickly reaches up to dash away an errant tear.
They'd planned how they would do this. Discussed easing the boys in gently.
With those careful plans out of the window, all they can do is let the boys lead.
"...name's Milo Swan, and that's my mom, Bella."
"Lucas Cullen," Lucas says as Bella drags her attention away from Edward. Lucas's dimple pops as he points at the dog rooting around in the undergrowth. "That's Sienna, and that's my dad. We're just here to go boating for the weekend and hang with some of my dad's friends. I've never met them before, but it should be fun."
A flutter of warmth spreads through Bella's chest.
He overtalks when he's nervous...like me.
"You have a boat? That's so...cool."
Her distraction does nothing to hide the odd lilt to Milo's voice. It clues Bella in to the fact that something is wrong. She can't see his expression from where she's standing, but he sounds off.
"Wait…"
Bella's heart stops, or it feels like it, and Milo twists his neck to face her. "Is this your friend?"
Opening her mouth to answer, Bella just...can't. Frozen, she stares at her son as Edward finally clears his throat and murmurs, "Yes."
"Oh, awesome! Mom, why didn't you tell me he had a kid?" Milo and Lucas exchange big grins, their weekend made by the news they won't be third wheeling two boring adults. "D'you play soccer? Oh, I guess you can't."
Lucas groans quietly and gently knocks against his cast with his good hand. "I can, Dad just won't let me."
Both boys turn to face Edward when he huffs a chuckle and shakes his head. "Do you want to break the other wrist? 'Cause you're kind of challenged in the staying-upright department, so I wouldn't put it past you."
A smile spreads across Bella's face as Lucas and Milo laugh together, her thoughts stuck somewhere between panic and relief that they might still be able to salvage this. Above everything, though, she can't get over how surreal this moment is, Milo and Lucas standing close together, laughing…
And completely unaware of who they are to each other.
"That's like my mom," Milo finally admits, shooting a crooked grin over his shoulder at her. "She falls over a lot." Leaning in closer to Lucas, he fake-whispers, "Papa says it's 'cause she's got two left feet, I just think it's 'cause she's a klutz."
"Hey, now!"
Lucas rubs his face in a poor attempt at hiding his smile, while Edward and Milo…
Bella's stomach knots as her eyes dance between the perfect copy of Edward's smile on Milo's face.
"All right…" she breathes, emotionally wrought, extending a hand toward Milo. "Let's head back to our tent for tonight. We can, uh, meet up with Edward and Lucas tomorrow?"
Closing the gap between himself and the boys, Edward ruffles Lucas's hair and nods, offering her a gentle, reassuring smile. "Sounds good."
They still have a lot to work out, like whether this accidental introduction changes their plan to tell the boys everything tonight, but as Edward calls Sienna to heel and Milo turns to rejoin Bella, she feels quietly confident that it's all going as well as it can, so far.
And then Milo trips over a twig between his sneakers.
"Whoa, there. Now who's the klutz, huh, son?" Edward teases, catching Milo by the shoulders before he can face-plant the dirt. Snorting, Milo looks up at Edward, mouth opening to unleash a no-doubt sarcastic retort...that never comes. His jaw snaps shut, teeth clicking together as Bella watches him tense.
Almost as if in slow motion, the world spins and slows, Bella remembering a few minutes too late that Edward is a couple-decades-older version of her son. When she looks at him, she sees Milo's soft features with grown-up edges. When she looks at Milo, she sees the boy Sue and Harry showed her in old photo albums when she visited Forks two weeks ago. Having seen those photos with fresh eyes, with fresh knowledge, none of them could believe they'd missed it all this time.
From a distance, you could write off the similarities as coincidence.
From up-close, from a handful of inches away, that wouldn't—won't—fly.
"Who are you?" Milo grits out, Bella's stomach lurching because not only can she hear fear in his voice, she can hear the tears he's fighting.
He knows.
"Milo…" Edward breathes, apparently frozen as he holds Milo's shoulders to stop him crumbling to the floor.
"You're him, aren't you?"
"'Him,' who?" Lucas wonders, a confused frown taking the place of his smile.
"Get off me!" Milo desperately shoves at Edward until he lets go, staggering a few steps back as Edward's arms drop helplessly to his sides. "How could you?"
"Look, Milo—"
"No! Stay away from me! Stay away from us!" When he turns to face her, red-faced and with a face so full of misery and hurt that it almost brings Bella to her knees, he whispers, "Why did you bring me here to meet him? He left us!"
He...wait. What?
Slowly shaking her head, Bella reaches for him. "Milo, what are you—"
"Whatever. I'm outta here."
The thumping of his sneakers against the ground echoes the pounding of the headache settling into Bella's temples.
"I need to...I need to go talk to him," she murmurs as Edward rakes a hand through his hair with one hand and rubs his side with the other.
"Yeah. I hope...I hope he's okay. I—"
"I'll explain—" Bella starts to say.
Lucas's hand slides up into the air, cutting them both off. With his head cocked and one eyebrow raised, Bella has the fleeting thought that he couldn't look any more like his police chief biological grandfather before he clears his throat.
"So, I'm confused. What the heck just happened?"
So, that happened *eep*