ESPOV
"I love days when we get to ride together." I whisper laying my head against Carlisle's shoulder as he drives through the Washington forest.
"Me too" He twists his head to kiss my forehead.
It's Thursday and we are headed home from work. I have tomorrow off and will be helping Alice with baby shower preparations while Carlisle works a normal shift at the hospital. In a few weeks I'll have to start my maternity leave, so I'm enjoying work while I can. If Carlisle had his way, I would already be on leave and would sit at home with my feet up all hours of the day. I'll admit, my belly is getting huge and somewhat uncomfortable, but it's still important to me to get out of the house every now and then. When I was young, I was trapped in the house all of the time, and it was the same when I was married to Charles. Carlisle says that once I take my maternity leave, I'll be big enough that I won't want to get up and walk around—I'm not looking forward to that stage. We are in the last leg of the pregnancy and I'm getting super excited for our Peanut to get here. I've read pretty much every baby book ever made, and I'm still not sure I'm ready—although having an all-knowing and never sleeping man by my side helps a lot.
The driveway is full when we get home and I'm happy that we'll get to spend time with the whole family this summer. The kids are officially off school, after finishing up finals last week. We are all happy to be back together as a large family, but no one is as excited as Sammy. As soon as the kids pulled in the driveway, he ran out to greet them. They each got sloppy kisses and tail wags…except Emmett who got some shady eyes thrown at him. Sammy still isn't quite sure that he approves of him.
Carlisle takes my hand as we walk up the porch steps together, carefully making sure to support me and my counterbalancing belly, and go into the house.
"Holy…"
"...Crap." I finish Carlisle's sentence.
Every inch of our house is covered in pink and white. It looks like a tulle factory exploded in here. There are balloons all over the couch, and several plates of desserts on the coffee table: cake pops, cookies, cupcakes, macaroons, and any other sweet thing you could imagine.
"Good you're home." Alice says coming out of the kitchen with a hot pink apron wrapped around her slim waist and a smudge of flour on her cheek.
"What happened in here?" Carlisle asks stunned.
"Your baby shower is in two days, Carlisle. TWO DAYS! I can't believe I have to remind you that." She screeches. "Men!" She throws her hands in the air with exasperation before coming over to me. Taking my hand she pulls me over to the arm chair—the only empty space in the room—and shoves a plate of desserts in my hands.
"We made several different kinds of each dessert and we need you to pick your favorites of each. After all this is your party and we don't eat human food."
I eagerly nod my head and dig in. First are the cake pops. There are four different kinds: vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and strawberry. They are all covered in vanilla flavored icing. I pop each one in my mouth and they are all amazing, moist and rich with the perfect amount of icing, and eventually I conclude that the chocolate and vanilla are the best. We repeat the process with every dessert and by the end of the night, we have decided on the menu: vanilla and chocolate cake pops, strawberry and coconut macaroons, chocolate chip and sugar cookies, yellow cupcakes with pink icing, and chocolate dipped rice krispie treats instead of chocolate dipped oreos. By the time I'm done tasting, I'm in a sugar coma and Carlisle whisks me up to bed.
"Do you want a bath, love?" He asks me.
"Only if you join me."
"I think that can be arranged." He smiles.
I lay on the bed digesting my sugary dinner while Carlisle runs our bath making sure it's the right temperature with the lavender bath salts that he likes—he says I smell like a spring day. I think he's a little cheesy, but when he buries his nose in my neck and kisses my tender skin, I don't care that he's cheesy.
"Come on cookie monster." Carlisle laughs picking me up and walking into the bathroom.
He carefully undresses me and then climbs into the bathtub. I take my time watching every muscle in his body move as he settles into the water—he is the most beautiful man in the world.
"Are you going to stare at me all night, or are you going to join me?" He asks smiling.
I just smile and climb in with him. He has to hold my (ballooned) hips to steady me as I step into the tub. I try to sit across from him so we can see each other, but he pulls me down so my back is against his chest. He was right. This is much better. His skin is warmed by the water, and it's a nice change. I can feel every curve of his muscle behind me and his manhood poking into my backside. He is a complete gentleman, not acting on his desires, and instead he uses his hands to drag warm water over my shoulders.
"Hmmm" I sigh.
"You're happy." He whispers in my ear continuing to run his newly-warmed hands all over my body.
"Extremely."
"Good." He murmurs. "It's my life goal to keep you happy."
"Mission accomplished."
He chuckles softly in my ear and wraps his arms around my belly. Peanut is going crazy, and he loves feeling her move.
"Just a few more weeks." Carlisle whispers and I don't know if he's talking to me or her. "Are you nervous?"
"More about the labor part than after." I tell him.
"Me too."
"Why do you have to be nervous about labor? I'm the one in pain and you've delivered babies before."
I laugh and he joins me.
"I'm anxious because I hate seeing you in pain and I know it will be horrible, but I will be here every step of the way helping in any way that I can. Have you given any thought to whether you want the kids here? They won't be hurt if you would rather be alone."
"I want them here. Although if Edward and Jasper want to leave because of my pain that would be fine. I want the girls to be with me while I'm in labor, and I want every one to be there after. While I'm actually giving birth, I want it to be just me and you if that's okay."
"That's perfect, love, but I think I might need help once the baby's here. She will need to be checked over and there are several things with you that have to immediately be taken care of. I would prefer to have some else with a medical degree in here to help."
"That's fine. Do you have anyone in mind?"
"Rosalie. She's been to medical school, and even trained in pediatrics for awhile. She could check the baby's breathing and reflexes while I help you."
"You trust her?" I breathe low enough that the kids downstairs can't hear me.
"Yes. Completely. I need to be with you, make sure you're okay before I'll be able to concentrate on anything else, but Rosalie will be right there with the baby; she won't leave the room. We'll have a place right by your bed where she can do her tests so you can see the baby the whole time, and then you can immediately have her back."
"That sounds great. I trust you and I know you would never endanger me or our baby."
"Never." He whispers and tilts my head so he can kiss my lips.
After laying together in the water, exchanging gentle touches, my skin starts to get pruney and Carlisle helps me step out.
I almost fall asleep in his arms while he dries me with a warm, soft towel, and barely manage to throw on a silk tank top and shorts before falling into bed. Carlisle crawls into bed behind me, gloriously bare except his boxer briefs, cuddling me and my belly.
"She's still." He says unhappily.
"She's sleeping." I giggle. "She moved so much for you earlier, she tired herself out."
"I can't wait until I can hold her in my arms."
"Me too." I whisper as he kisses my bare shoulder.
"Sleep now, angel. I'm sure Alice has big plans for you tomorrow."
I groan and fall asleep to the sound of his laughter.