AN: And she's here. It's been over 30 years since I had a baby so I have to admit to cheating a little and looking up birth stories to fit some correct details in and the rest came from ghostreader24. Lol!
All my thanks go to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight, Midnight Cougar and ghostreader24 for their help with every chapter.
Can we have a drumroll and a round of applause for my wonderful reviewers who have pushed this baby over 3K reviews? Thank you all so much, I'm so happy I could dance a jig! Thank you so much to you and everyone else who reviewed to bring me to the best reviewed story
It was Leesa's guest review that tipped me to the 3K reviews, so thank you Leesa.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all it's characters, but Connor and Harley are all mine. I wish Edward was, too. I need a man like this in my life.
Deceit and Destiny Chapter 66
Bella
A fast beeping sound echoed in my ears as I opened my eyes slowly.
"Dr. O'Donnell? Where am I?" I queried.
Finishing whatever she was writing, she looked up and smiled. "Welcome back, Bella. You had a massive headache and you're in the hospital. How are you feeling?"
I put a hand against my head and frowned. "A bit better, thanks. Where's Edward? Is he here?"
Dr. O'Donnell walked around the bed, checking the machines beside me.
"He's checking you in right now. The remaining pain you're feeling will fade over the next few hours, but you must remain calm."
The door opened before Dr. O'Donnell could say anything more, and Edward walked through, coming straight to me. He leaned over and kissed me, taking my hand.
"Hi, sweetheart. You look like you're feeling better," he said with a smile.
"I am, thanks. Whatever it is that Dr. O'Donnell gave me, it's reduced the severity of the pain in my head, although I can still feel it. She assures me it'll fade in the next couple of hours."
While Edward and I had been talking, Dr. O'Donnell finished talking to the nurse and came to stand on the other side of the bed.
"Okay, Bella. While this is commonplace to Edward, I'll explain it to you anyway. With the headaches and the vision changes, and now the presence of protein in your urine, it's almost certain you've developed sudden onset preeclampsia. We've admitted you, and you've been given something to bring your blood pressure down. Since you're almost thirty-eight weeks, and depending on the results, we may decide on a C-section—"
"Is that really necessary, Dr. O'Donnell?" I interrupted, my heart falling at her words. "I really wanted to deliver her naturally if I can possibly do it."
"We are planning to induce your labor because the sooner you have the baby, the sooner the effects of preeclampsia will disappear. However, although I can't promise we won't need to do a C-section, we can see how labor progresses, and how it affects your blood pressure. There's a chance you can deliver naturally, but I want you to be prepared if that doesn't happen."
"What about the baby? She's not due for a couple of weeks yet. Will she be okay?" The questions ran through my mind, suddenly worried about her.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," Edward said soothingly, brushing my hair back off my forehead.
"There's no reason to believe otherwise, Bella," Dr. O'Donnell confirmed. "Her heart rate is normal, your blood pressure is coming down, and development-wise she's on target. As for natural or C-section, as I said before, we'll know more later, but I don't anticipate any problems at this point."
"Is there anything I should've done differently?" I asked. "I can't help feeling that maybe I should've stopped work earlier, or rested more."
"You were doing all the right things," Dr. O'Donnell said gently, patting my hand. "We've monitored you every week, but sometimes there are no obvious signs. Preeclampsia can come on very suddenly, which is what happened to you. We've been monitoring your baby's heartbeat, which is fine, so I'm going to give you an internal exam to check your cervix. If it's necessary, I'll insert some prostaglandin gel to help ripen it for labor."
"Can I get up and walk around, or do I have to stay in bed?" I wanted to know.
I remembered that my labor with Connor took a long time, and I'd spent most of it hooked up to monitors making it seem even longer.
"You'll need to lie on your side for at least thirty minutes after we've put the prostaglandin in place, and we'll monitor you to check how your body is responding to the hormone. For now, we want to continue to monitor your blood pressure, so you'll have to stay in bed, but as long as everything is on track, you can move around after that."
I sighed with relief as Edward helped me to get into the right position, then held my hand while Dr. O'Donnell did the internal exam. She nodded at the nurse standing by, who left the room, presumably to get the gel.
"Okay." Dr. O'Donnell smiled at me. "The good news is that because you're over thirty-eight weeks, your cervix has already begun softening, so we'll give you a small dose of the prostaglandin, then I'll check again later to see the result."
The nurse returned with the medication, which Dr. O'Donnell administered, then she stripped off her gloves and washed her hands.
"Okay, all done," she said. "I'll pop back and see you in a few hours. The nurse will remove the blood pressure and fetal monitor once we're sure everything is under control, but until then, you should stay lying down."
"Okay, Dr. O'Donnell, thank you."
She left the two of us alone, and Edward stripped off his white coat, threw it on the chair, then pulled the recliner close to the bed, holding his hand out to me. I took it, holding tight, as he reassured me over and over that it was nothing I'd done or not done.
"I'm sorry, Edward," I said quietly.
Edward drew back, looking confused. "Sorry for what, sweetheart?"
I shrugged. "I must've done something. Why would this happen? I should've listened to you and stopped work earlier," I insisted, my voice breaking.
"Oh, sweetheart," he said, kissing the back of my hand. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for; you've done nothing wrong. Come on, rest now, my love, you'll need all your strength in the coming hours."
~ oOo ~
I was woken a few hours later by the cheerful good evening from the nurse on duty. Edward was still seated beside me, looking as if he'd just woken, too.
"Good evening, Dr. Cullen, Miss Swan," she said cheerfully. "Dr. O'Donnell will be here in half an hour to check you over, then she'll decide the next step."
She checked the fetal monitor and my blood pressure, declaring both looked good. Less than ten minutes later, Dr. O'Donnell bustled into the room with a smile, following up with a second internal exam.
"It's looking good, Bella. Have you had any contractions yet?"
"A few twinges, but I've been having those for a few weeks now, and I assumed they were only Braxton Hicks."
Dr. O'Donnell nodded. "That's most likely, so we'll give the gel a little more time to do its work, and if your contractions don't start, we may add oxytocin to the mix or break your water, either of which should get things moving."
"Can I move around now?" I asked. "Would that help the contractions start?"
"It could do that," Dr. O'Donnell agreed. "Nurse Smith will unhook you from the monitors and you're free to move around. I finish in an hour or so, but I'm on call, so if things start moving before tomorrow morning, I'll be back."
I did manage to get a little sleep, although I woke several times. Then around three in the morning, I realized that what I'd initially thought to be Braxton Hicks had developed into longer contractions, becoming closer together. Several times, Edward helped me out of bed so I could walk around the room and along the corridor, which seemed to not only help with the pain, but to intensify it, too.
I remembered this stage lasting a long time when I was in labor with Connor, and was glad it seemed to be progressing quicker this time.
"Are you going for the epidural?" Edward asked as the sky began to lighten.
It had been ten hours since Dr. O'Donnell had given me the prostaglandin, and it was now six-thirty in the morning. So far, I felt I was coping well with the contractions, which had become closer together, but hadn't seemed very painful as yet.
"Not yet, though I can't guarantee I won't change my mind in the next few hours," I answered.
Edward had been wonderful—fetching me ice chips and rubbing my back or simply holding my hand and talking me through the contractions. The only break he'd taken was to call Mom and Dad and let them know what was happening.
"Did you speak to Connor, too?" I asked.
He nodded. "He was a little worried, but excited. He wanted to know when he could come and say hello, but told me to tell you he loves you."
The door swung open to admit a different nurse from the one yesterday. She fastened the blood pressure cuff around my arm, reading the numbers before smiling at me.
"Okay, that all looks fine," she said. "How are your contractions?"
I told her they'd increased in both strength and duration, and seemed to be a little closer together.
She listened to the baby's heart rate. "Your little girl sounds fine, but Dr. O'Donnell will be here shortly to check on you."
After she'd gone, I tried to get some rest, knowing I would need it soon.
"Good morning, Bella," Dr. O'Donnell said as she pushed open the door. "I'm going to do a quick internal exam before the next contraction hits so I can assess how far along you are." She quickly donned gloves and encouraged me to relax my legs so she could do the exam. Any internal exam was uncomfortable, and this one was no exception, and I couldn't help tensing my muscles.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that you're five centimeters dilated, so you're already halfway there, and your blood pressure is holding up fine." She checked the baby's heartbeat, and agreed that she was doing well, so I was okay to continue with the natural delivery.
"Would it be all right if I took a shower?" I asked.
"Yes, of course, but Edward or a nurse should be with you in case of any problems," Dr. O'Donnell agreed.
After a quick warm shower and a clean gown, we took a walk around the room and down the long corridor. Dr. O'Donnell returned to give me another internal, and I was disappointed to find I'd only dilated another two centimeters.
"Your contractions are closer together, but they're irregular, so we'll get you on an oxytocin IV, which should help. Have you decided on an epidural yet?" she asked.
"I don't want one yet, thanks," I answered her. "The contractions are still manageable."
"Okay, but don't leave it too long to decide," she cautioned. "I'll be back later."
A few minutes after she left, the nurse returned and set up an IV.
"Can I still move around?" I asked her.
"It's likely the oxytocin in the IV will make your contractions speed up considerably, and Dr. O'Donnell also wants to monitor your baby's heart rate, so that means you'll need to remain in bed," she answered sympathetically.
I sighed, resigning myself to having to stay there until the baby was born, which I hoped would be sooner rather than later.
Luckily for me, the medication seemed to get my contractions going and they became more regular, and as a consequence, also more painful. Edward never left my side, wiping my forehead with a damp cloth and encouraging me to breathe through the contractions, letting me grip his hand as hard as I needed.
When Dr. O'Donnell came back later in the afternoon and decided she would break my water, my contractions became increasingly more painful, longer, and much closer together.
"I think I'd like that epidural now, if that's okay?" I said to her as another contraction hit.
"Okay, I'll arrange that for you," she said.
The epidural gave me a welcome relief from the contractions, and I managed to doze off until Dr. O'Donnell bustled back into the room at around six o'clock.
"I'm going to check how far along you are, again, Bella."
"You're at nine centimeters," Dr. O'Donnell announced. "Not long now."
I smiled at Edward as he leaned over to kiss me, then tensed as another contraction hit, this one harder than before. My grip on his hand tightened as the contraction built, my breath coming unevenly.
"Breathe slowly, Bella," Edward said, as he brushed the hair back off my face with the damp cloth. "We'll get there."
After another internal exam, Dr. O'Donnell announced that I could push when I next felt the urge. A few minutes later, another contraction began, and the compulsion to push became imperative.
After half an hour of pushing, I felt the pressure increase. My energy had begun to flag and tiredness was taking over, and all I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep.
"I can't do it," I moaned.
"Bella, listen to me. I can see your baby's head, so with the next contraction, I want you to take a deep breath, hold it, and push for as long as you can. Just a few more now and she'll be here," Dr. O'Donnell encouraged.
"Come on, sweetheart. You can do this. Push, my love, push."
Edward's soft voice in my ear and the feel of his hand in mine lent me his strength and support, and with the next contraction, I held my breath and pushed as hard as I could. When it seemed as if I was getting nowhere, suddenly the pressure eased.
"That's it, Bella, well done," Dr. O'Donnell praised. "The head is out, so I need you to give me another big push when you feel another contraction to deliver her shoulders."
I followed her instructions, feeling the pressure disappear.
"Edward, do you want to watch your daughter be born and cut the cord?"
He hurried from my side toward the end of the bed in time to see our baby girl come into the world, yelling at the top of her voice.
Dr. O'Donnell handed Edward the scissors for him to cut the cord, then he lifted our little girl up to place her on my chest. The nurse helped me to move the gown out of the way so we were skin-to-skin, and covered her with a clean towel. My hands automatically held her close as I kissed the top of her head.
"Oh, my God, she's beautiful. Edward, look at her."
Edward leaned over, kissing me, then her. "She's perfect, Bella. Thank you so much."
The nurse came to take Harley over to the pediatrician, who announced she was a perfectly healthy baby girl, weighing in at seven pounds, two ounces, and twenty-one inches long. She was wrapped in a clean blanket with pink and blue stripes, and a white newborn cap and placed in Edward's arms while Dr. O'Donnell finished delivering the afterbirth.
"I couldn't have done it without you, my love," I said as Edward kissed me again.
Harley was cradled in my arms, and I couldn't stop looking at her. Edward, sitting on the bed beside me with his arm around me, was equally enthralled. Lifting the cap from her head, I could see she had a lot of hair, the same burnished penny color of her father's, and I hoped her eyes would change the milky blue of a baby to the sparkling emerald of Edward's. The only part of her that was me was the shape of her face and her nose.
"Well done, Bella. She's a beautiful baby," Dr. O'Donnell said. "I'll leave you in the capable hands of one of our nurses. I understand you've breastfed before, but if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask her."
Both of us thanked her as she left the room, and the nurse helped me, then left us alone for Harley to have her first feed.
"You should call everyone. They'll all want to visit," I murmured quietly, unwilling to look away from her for even a second once she'd fallen asleep.
"In a minute," he spoke, just as softly.
Our daughter opened her eyes, and although I knew it was unlikely she could focus, I couldn't take my eyes from her. Tears filled his eyes as Edward stroked her cheek with one finger, then held it out. She grabbed for his finger, took it, and held on hard.
"Hello, Harley Elizabeth Cullen," Edward breathed. "Yes, beautiful, I'm your daddy. I love you so much, and I'm so happy to finally meet you, gorgeous girl."
Over an hour later, Edward leaned back a little. "I suppose I'd better make a couple of calls." He sighed. "But I don't want to take my eyes off her for a second."
"I know. I can't believe she's here, safe and sound," I echoed.
Eventually, Edward slipped outside the room to call my parents and his, and have a quick word with Connor. Within half an hour, Mom and Dad were at the door, bearing gifts and eager to have their first cuddle.
I watched Edward encourage Connor to sit quietly, and then he helped him to hold Harley the proper way. From the second he saw her, he was smitten, and like Edward, he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"She's so tiny," he said in awe. "What's her name?"
"Harley Elizabeth Cullen," Edward answered, proudly. "She'll grow so quickly, she'll soon catch up to you, Connor."
Carlisle and Esme arrived not long after, followed by Rose and Emmett, then Alice and Jasper, everyone taking a turn at holding her and marveling over how pretty she was, and how tiny.
"You look good holding her, Rose," Emmett said.
Rose looked up at him. "She's gorgeous, Em."
"Did you call Angela?" I asked Edward, not seeing her in the room.
"She's in the next room, sweetheart. Thomas Robert Weber was born an hour ago."
"Wow, that's wonderful. Please, can you pop in and see her and give her my congratulations?"
Harley was eventually handed back to me, and I leaned into Edward's body as his arm came around me, my eyes closing as the voices in the room all melded into one quiet noise.
Connor climbed up on the bed, stroking Harley's hands and the top of her head. When Harley began to fuss, Edward ushered everyone out, and Mom and Dad said they would be back shortly to take Connor home with them.
"Can't I stay here with you?" he asked.
"Well, it would be lovely to have you here with us, but your mom needs to rest and you need your sleep, too," Edward said to him, then looked at me.
I nodded, knowing that he wanted to do something with Connor.
"How about I come and get you in the morning and take you out for breakfast? Then we can come and see your mom and your baby sister."
"But it's a school day tomorrow."
"Well, I'm sure they'll understand," I said. "Nana will call them in the morning to explain."
"Yay!" Connor fist-punched the air.
I shook my head, laughing at his exuberance.
At that moment, the baby began to fuss again, showing signs of wanting to feed. "I'm going to feed Harley now," I explained to Connor.
I moved my gown out of the way and she latched on quickly, already having gotten the idea of what to do. Connor's eyes took in everything, and although he did wrinkle his nose at first, he didn't seem to be bothered.
"Did I do that?" he asked curiously.
"You did. It's the best food for a little baby," I answered.
When she'd had enough, Edward took her and changed her diaper with Connor looking over his shoulder, asking a hundred and one questions about everything. I dozed for a few moments waiting for Mom and Dad to return to take Connor home.
~ oOo ~
Unfortunately, I had to stay in hospital for a few days after Harley arrived, because Dr. O'Donnell wanted to make sure my blood pressure returned to, and stayed, normal.
Saturday morning saw the four of us leaving the hospital and making our way back home, as I'd begun to think of the apartment. When we arrived, Edward insisted on carrying the baby seat, while I held onto his arm, and Connor opened all the doors in front of us.
He set the baby seat down on the sofa, unbuckling the harness and lifting Harley out of it, while I looked around at the living room, which was filled with flowers, balloons, and cards from all our friends.
"Oh my," I said. "We could start a florist shop with all of these. They're beautiful."
"Come on, Momma," Connor said excitedly, taking my hand and tugging me down the hallway to his bedroom. "Come and see what Auntie Alice and Auntie Rose have done."
He dragged me to his room, proudly opening the door to show me his new bed, with a desk and small sofa underneath. The walls now had posters of dinosaurs, transformers, and the Cars movie.
"Do you like it?" He beamed.
"It's perfect, Connor. Alice and Rose did a great job, didn't they?"
"There's more!" He left the room at a run. "Follow me, Momma."
Edward was ahead of the two of us, and had opened the door to his office—or what had been his office.
"Isn't this great, Momma? Harley has a room of her own, too."
Gone was Edward's desk and chair, the shelf unit was filled with books and toys instead of medical books and magazines. The gray utilitarian tiles had been banished and the floor was now covered in the palest of pink plush carpet, and the furniture consisted of a changing table with drawers, a crib, and a dresser. Next to the window, a rocking chair identical apart from color, had been placed, a colorful throw over the back for those late night feeds.
"This is absolutely beautiful, Edward. I love, love, love it."
Looking around, I spied a hanging sign with "Harley Elizabeth" painted in multicolored letters and a frieze had been stuck at waist level with letters and Winnie-the-Pooh pictures.
"And for now, while she's still a little baby, the bassinet is in our room," Edward said. "I knew you'd want her close for now."
"You've thought of everything. It's so gorgeous."
I reached out, and Edward placed Harley in my arms so I could take her around and show her the new room.
Edward picked up Connor and settled him on his hip, then pulled me into his side. I turned my face up to him, my lips meeting his.
"I love you, Edward," I murmured. "Thank you so much."
"Nothing but the best for my family," he answered, planting a soft kiss on Harley's head, then Connor's cheek.
I knew we still had some things to deal with, such as the finalization of the sale of the house, and finding something new, but somehow, I knew these were only minor issues and we would work through those and any other issues that arose.
The love and trust we'd found would help us to grow as a couple, as parents, and as a family, and I couldn't wait to get started on the rest of our lives together.
~ oOo ~