Chapter 20 – Early Christmas Presents

We finished our shopping and then went to find the guys and headed home. Jasper and Rosalie left to go spend some time with Sue and their grandmothers before Jasper had to fly back to Texas. We were all getting together later to work on putting up the Christmas tree and decorating, and then we were having another movie night if everyone was still up to it. We walked in to find mom and Elliott sitting in the family room waiting for us.

"Hey, guys, come on in here. We want to talk to you kids about something," Elliott called to us. We all sat down, and Esryl climbed up into my lap, wrapping her tiny arms around me and laying her head on my chest. She reached for Edward's hand, and he gave it to her, as he wrapped his other arm around my shoulder and pulled us close. She was asleep almost instantly.

"Kids, this really isn't something anybody ever wants to think about, but Renee and I have recently updated our wills. We wanted to let you know what we've decided, so if anything were to happen to us, you guys will know what's going on," Elliott started somberly.

"Your dad and I have talked about this extensively, and we've decided, if you're willing, Bella, to leave sole custody of Esryl and the baby to you. I know this is a huge responsibility, but I can't imagine anyone ever taking better care of them than you would," my mom said with tears in her eyes. "It's not that we don't want all of you to step in and help out should the need arise, but it makes for less complications if only one guardian is named," she explained.

"What about Esme and Carlisle?" Emmett asked, curious.

"Yeah," Alice jumped. "Wouldn't they be a more likely choice to take in the munchkins?"

"Well, they would, but can you honestly see them with anyone other than Bella?" Elliott asked, pointing to Esryl in my arms, and everyone agreed.

We discussed the particulars of the will, and everyone was agreeable as to how things would be dispersed. They were leaving me the house and my mom's personal assets and belongings, as well as generous trust funds for me and my younger siblings, so that they would have a home and be well cared for. Everything else was divided amongst the others. That was fine by me, as I didn't see any reason to even worry about this stuff yet. Mom was only thirty-five, and Elliott was only forty-four, so they had years ahead of them to take care of things themselves.

Seeing Jasper off the next morning was harder than I thought it would be. Alice was near inconsolable, as he loaded his bags into Sue's car.

"I'm glad you were able to come home for a visit, Jasper. When will you be coming back?" I asked him.

"I'm not sure when I'll get to come home again," he said, looking sadly at Alice. "I'm working through the winter break at a clinic in Dallas under one of my professors for some extra money and training, so I'll need to stay there. It's just too good of an opportunity to pass up, so I'll be missing the holidays here, but you guys could come to Texas and visit me, maybe tour some college campuses while you're there?" he asked hopefully.

Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie nodded and agreed to join him if their parents would allow it, but I knew I would need to stay here.

"I'd love to visit, but my mom will most likely be on maternity leave and huge at that point, so someone needs to be around to help her, since Elliott still doesn't have any extra help at work and will likely be busy."

Edward nodded. "I should probably stay as well and be available to cover our heavier chores, so Bella doesn't try to do it all by herself," he smirked at me, and I rolled my eyes but smiled, grateful for his support. I hugged Jasper tightly and wished him a safe trip home.

"Thanks for giving me another chance, Bella," he said, squeezing me tighter. "You're a sweetheart none of us deserve."

"Hey, that's what family does," I said, wiping away tears, as he kissed my forehead. He said goodbye to everyone else, leaving Alice for last.

"I hope I'll see you in a few weeks," he said quietly before pulling her in for a kiss, lifting her completely off the ground. She threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist, as she kissed him back with vigor.

Elliott cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um, I know you guys like each other and all that, but give your old dad a break, Alice," he groaned, rubbing his eyes.

They finally broke apart, and Alice was smiling through the tears streaming down her face. "Winter break can't come soon enough," she said, hugging Jasper tightly.

We waved goodbye, as Sue pulled out with Jasper, heading to the airport. Once they were out of sight, everyone else disappeared into the house, leaving Edward and me alone in the driveway.

"Walk with me?" he said, taking my hand in his, and I nodded, pulling the hood of my coat over my head. It was cold today, and the gray skies above seemed to make it even more so. "It was good to see him again," Edward said quietly.

"It was, and I'm glad we worked things out amongst us," I smiled.

"It was too long in coming, and it should've never been needed in the first place, but yeah, I'm glad, too. So, I had a question I needed to ask you, and I hope you'll consider it," he said nervously.

"What is it?" Now, he had me curious.

"Well, we've been getting closer, and you've forgiven me..." he started, but I cut him off with a raised hand. "I know, quit apologizing. I just feel like I'll never be able to say it enough, Bella. I'm beyond sorry for everything, but from now on, I'm going to do my best to make sure you know how much I care about you, as more than just my sister," he said shyly. "Man, that sounded weird, not to mention creepy."

I couldn't help giggling at his scrunched-up face, and he soon joined me. "I care about you, too, Edward, as more than just my brother," I said, stopping him. He pulled me into his arms and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"So, would I sound too much creepier if I asked you to be my girlfriend?" he smiled down at me, and I looked up at him wide-eyed.

"Only if it'd be considered creepy when I'd say yes."

The last few remaining days of the fall semester flew by. My parents' cases against Jessica Stanley and Lauren Mallory had been settled, both girls' families having to pay for the damages the girls had caused, and they both had to do community service. The judge had decided that, since Rosalie hadn't actually been involved in the vandalism, Sue didn't have pay, but she did spend thirty minutes lecturing Rose on the importance of responsibility, choosing her friends wisely, family loyalty, and true friendship, to which I think Rose had actually listened. She had been like a different person, and she had also seemed much happier and friendlier than she ever had before. It was definitely a welcomed change.

My relationship with Edward and my newly defined status as his girlfriend was no big shocker to our family. "It's about time you two got on with it," Emmett smirked and clapped Edward on the shoulder. "I was just kidding about the two-headed, mullet-wearing babies, Bro, just so you know."

"That's okay, Emmett, but when you and Rose start a family, I pity your manhood," Edward smirked. "Because once she's given birth to your linebacker-sized kid, she's going to have your nads in a mayonnaise jar on her shelf." The look Rosalie shot Emmett made him cover himself. Served him right.

The remaining Performing Arts events of the season were a huge success. The Toys for Tots campaign went very well, and we visited several area nursing homes, spreading holiday cheer. Of course, Esryl charmed all the seniors in the elf costume I'd made for her, and they filled her little pockets full of peppermints and chocolates. The SHAGNICs came along as well, and we went caroling from room to room. Honey didn't particularly like the reindeer headband we strapped on her, but she did love all the petting she received from the seniors.

My mom was huge now, her pregnancy going into the final stretch. I had been correct in my assumption that she and Elliott hadn't had much time to think of a name for the baby, so when Edward and I mentioned the name Ethan Andrew, they loved it, and it was official. Our little brother was making himself known regularly to mom's bladder, and she was pretty much miserable. Unfortunately, her blood pressure shot up, so she was put on bed rest the first week of December, much to her chagrin and under protest. Braxton-Hicks contractions had been troubling her since Thanksgiving, too, making her cranky and tired. Needless to say, she was a right bundle of joy to be around.

We decided to keep her baby shower low-key, since she was supposed to be keeping her feet up and staying free of stress, so we skipped the dance lessons in favor of a pregnancy spa day just for her, while we set up for her shower. What she didn't get in her shower, Edward and I went shopping for, and we got it all washed and sorted and had everything set up. We were ready for Ethan, and mom was more than ready to be done being pregnant.

"I'll be so glad when this kid is out of me!" mom complained for the fourth time in an hour, as she struggled to get up and go to the bathroom yet again. She shot Emmett a nasty glare when he laughed at her under his breath, as she waddled down the hall as fast as she could, trying not to wet herself any more than she already was.

"Dude, you'd better watch yourself, or you'll be the one mopping the bathroom next time instead of me," I warned him. That shut him up.

School was out for the holidays by mid-December, and Elliott and Sue un-grounded Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie early for good behavior. They got plane tickets to Texas as an early Christmas present to go visit Jasper and see where the college campuses they wanted to attend were located. All five of us actually talked about graduating at the break, since we all had more than enough credits, but we decided that we wanted to finish our senior year, go to prom, do the rest of the Performing Arts benefits, and graduate with our friends. All those things were rites of passage that we were looking forward to.

It was Friday afternoon, and Edward and I had just dropped the Texas-bound contingent off at the airport when it started to snow. On the way home, Edward turned up the radio, and we listened worriedly, as the weatherman predicted near-blizzard conditions by midnight. It didn't happen often in Portland, but when it did, it was brutal.

"I'm glad their flight already left, else they'd be stuck here, I'm sure," Edward said, grinning. "Although, I think Alice would've tried to hijack the plane and make them fly her to Jasper regardless," he laughed.

He was probably right. Alice had been on pins and needles since Jasper had gone back, and they had been spending entirely too much time on Skype together teasing each other. The sexual tension between them was palpable at this point.

Just as we pulled into our driveway, the bottom fell out of the clouds. Heavy snow began accumulating rapidly, and I worried that Elliott would have a hard time getting home in a few hours like he'd promised. We made it inside to find my mom lying on the sofa. She didn't look like she felt well at all.

"Hey, Mom, is there anything you need?" I asked, as I tried to readjust her pillows to make her more comfortable.

"No, honey, I'm fine, just really achy. I swear, this is the hardest pregnancy I've had yet with this backache. You girls were a breeze, but this little guy is giving me a run for my money," she said tiredly. "I'm so glad I only have three more weeks of this."

I made dinner for all of us, and my mom fell asleep after eating a little and making another two trips to the bathroom. I was really starting to worry about how swollen her feet were getting.

Esryl, Edward and I spent the rest of the evening watching the snow pile up against the windows while baking Christmas cookies. This storm was shaping up to be a record-breaker. It was still ten days until Christmas, but our white Christmas was coming early.

By bedtime, the heavy snow drifts were well over a foot deep, and snow was still falling hard. Elliott called to say he and my dad would have to spend the night at the station due to the bad weather. Mom was upset. She wasn't feeling much better and pouted about him not coming home early, like he had promised her he would. She was unable to eat her bedtime snack and said her back was hurting pretty badly, as I helped her get into bed.

Once I had my mom settled, I got Esryl bathed and ready for bed. I had just gotten her to sleep and was heading down to the basement to start another load of laundry when I heard mom scream out from her bathroom, "BELLA!"

I ran into her room to find her slumped over the vanity, standing in a puddle. "I think the baby's coming!" she cried. "I…there's so much fluid and…oh, my god, it HURTS!"

Edward had come running into the bedroom and about fainted when he looked into the bathroom and saw what was going on. "Edward, call for an ambulance!" I said frantically, and he ran and grabbed the cordless phone from mom's nightstand, dialing 9-1-1. "Mom, didn't you know you were in labor?" I demanded.

"I thought it was just those damned Braxton-Hicks things again, plus my back has been hurting for weeks, so I just thought…OW!"

The emergency dispatcher came on the line and began asking all kinds of questions, telling us it would be a while before an ambulance could get to us, because we lived in a more remote area that hadn't been plowed yet. Edward stayed on the line with them, while I grabbed mom's cell phone and called Carlisle. He and Esme had driven up to Seattle to go Christmas shopping and sightseeing, and they were staying the weekend, so they were very inconveniently not down the street. Sue had gone up with them, and they had dropped her off to visit a friend of hers near there, so she was also out. We didn't even have any other neighbors yet, since the rest of the houses were still being built. We were truly on our own.

Hearing the panic in my voice, Carlisle went into doctor mode. I put the phone on speaker, so I could help my mom and still talk to him.

"Bella, you need to stay as calm as possible right now. Your mom is in labor and probably has been all day, and she tends to deliver very quickly. The baby's a little early, but everything should be fine. Renee, do you feel the need to push?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, really bad!" she whimpered. I had pulled all the bathmats together and piled them up under my mom, trying to make her more comfortable. Her water had broken and was making a huge mess, so I helped her slip off her soiled clothes and threw down some more towels, covering her with one as well. I had to give Edward credit. He pulled himself together and grabbed another stack of towels, helping me get them into place under my mom. She let out a cry, as another contraction hit. "Oh, the head's coming out!" she gasped.

"Bella, can you see the baby's head?" Carlisle asked. I looked and could see a patch of dark hair emerging.

"Yes, Carlisle, and it looks like he's coming out now!" I said wide-eyed.

"Okay, honey, you need to wash your hands quickly and help him out. Nature will do most of the work; you just need to hold his head gently while he's exiting the birth canal. Edward, it'll help if you get behind Renee and prop her up, so she can bear down to push."

We did as Carlisle instructed, and just minutes later, Ethan Andrew Masen made his way into the world, screaming in his shrill little newborn voice, getting mad as heck when the cool air hit him. I wrapped a towel around him and gently laid him up on my mom's stomach as Carlisle said to do, and he called Ethan's time of birth at 10:43 p.m. on December 15th. I didn't know who was crying harder; me, mom, or Edward. The ambulance dispatcher said they would be there within the next forty-five minutes and to stay on the line.

Ethan was a tiny thing, but he had a healthy set of lungs. He had come out a little blue at first, but he was quickly turning bright red with his screaming. Mom was exhausted, and Edward lowered her to the mats and ran to get a trash bag as Carlisle instructed. After the birthing process was complete, the ambulance still wasn't there.

"What do we do about the cord and placenta, Carlisle?" Edward asked, concerned.

"Just leave it attached to him for now and slip the placenta into the trash bag for the paramedics to handle, Son. He'll be fine for a while until they can arrive and take care of it. Congratulations, Edward, you've just attended your first live birthing procedure. So, how does obstetrics sound to you as a career?" Carlisle asked proudly.

"Honestly, Carlisle, dentistry is looking better all the time," Edward groaned, still looking a little green.

"Fair enough," Carlisle laughed. "I suppose a good oral surgeon or orthodontist in the family wouldn't be a bad thing, either," he said, and Edward smiled. That encouragement was all he would need.

Carlisle said he would call Elliott and let him know he had another son waiting to meet him, so we could take care of things on our end. I held the baby, while Edward helped my mom into her shower, so she could clean herself up some before the paramedics arrived. Mom appeared to be fine now, just doing that weird post-partum shaking thing, and little Ethan seemed healthy, even if he was a few weeks early.

Edward got me the baby bathtub with a bit of warm water in it and then handed me some washcloths. I cooed at Ethan while I worked to clean him up, and he calmed at my voice and tried to focus on my face with his large, dark newborn eyes. His hair was curling and had a reddish tint, and I realized he looked almost exactly like Esryl had when she'd first been born.

"He's amazing," Edward said, leaning over me to look at our new little brother, as I finished cleaning him off. "Can I hold him?"

He sat next to me on the floor with a clean towel, and I passed the baby to him. Edward looked down at Ethan in awe. The baby became a little less cute, however, when he sprang a leak, wetting the front of Edward's shirt.

"Crap!" Edward said, trying to cover the little cannon shooting at him. "Little rascal got me. I'll have to remember that next time," he said and grinned widely, handing the baby back to me, so he could go grab a diaper for him.

"He looks just like you, or rather Elliott," I marveled, as Edward returned and handed me the diaper, a little snap shirt, and a baby blanket. I uncovered Ethan to dress him, and he wasn't happy with this at all. He started protesting loudly, as I got the diaper on him and folded under his cord, before I slipped the shirt on him and then wrapped him up in the blanket. "Well, like you said, this one's yours, so here you go," I smiled, placing Ethan back in Edward's arms.

"Welcome to the world, my beautiful boy," Edward smiled softly at Ethan and caressed his head lovingly, melting my heart. He was going to make an amazing father someday.