Chapter 3

I reached an agreement with Jacob to stay at Charlie's for a couple of weeks. We both agreed that I needed to take some time to process what was happening.

Charlie and Sue had returned from their vacation. I learnt that they had got married the same month Jacob and me did. I was so happy for my father. It was great he could find love after all the years he had spent in loneliness.

Our house hadn't changed much; just a few womanly touches were added like flowers, colorful wall arts and matching cushions. The kitchen was the most major change; it didn't look abandoned like how I had found it when I had first moved here. My room was nearly untouched, Sue clarified they kept it for Serena and me as we would come for sleepovers if Jacob had a work trip or a night pack patrol.

I also learnt that Jacob had a small fishing shop that he was running himself in La Push. He didn't earn much but enough to keep us happy and stable.

All the family was informed by my memory adjustment. Mostly everyone dealt like it was no big deal, like this wouldn't change everything. Except for Jacob, I saw fear in his eyes whenever we would have a small talk or be left alone.

My father was so excited I was staying with Harry at his place; he was doing his best to make our stay comfortable. Sue dealt motherly with the situation and she would offer help with the baby whenever possible.

It was so hard, with the baby. It felt like the little tiny creature's life depended only on me and this idea stressed the hell out of me. Harry was little, but his voice wasn't, he was able throw me into real panic in a few minutes if he wasn't attended to in proper time.

During the workdays, Jacob would pickup Serena after school in his lunch breaks and drive her to us, then come pick her again when he finishes work at night. Charlie would always ask him to stay for dinner but he usually turned off the invitation. Serena was always an addition to my stresses. It was very hard to suddenly be a mother.

Harry was having trouble sleeping that night. He screamed and I cried with him. I tried all the tricks my mind would give me, like feeding, changing, talking, walking, singing and hushing. Nothing seemed to work.

At last and after three consecutive hours of cries from his side and mine, Harry slept. I sighed in relief when he did, and placed him in the crib. As I was putting the blanket in place, I heard my window opening. I gasped loudly as cool air brushed the back of my neck, and an icy thing touched my shoulder. I turned around and found Edward, but before I reacted, the baby whining started again.

"Edward" I said in disbelief, "What are you doing here?"

"Bella, didn't you-"

"Yes, I did" I carried the baby up to by chest again, tried to vibrate him, and went on " Edward, not like that, you scared my baby, why did you jump off the window?"

"I thought you would like that, Bella"

"Oh" I sighed "I have a baby now Edward we can't interrupt his sleep like that, can you please wait for me downstairs at the living room, I'll try to put him back to sleep"

"But, Charlie?"

"Edward, we don't have to hide, we are no longer kids, obviously!" I said turning my look from Edward to Harry. "Wait me downstairs".

The moment Edward left, the kid relaxed, was he able to sense a stranger's presence?

I put him back to bed, the burst into tears!

The meeting with Edward knocked me off. It was nothing like expected. He breaking unannounced through my bedroom did actually irritate me. I was frustrated with how bad our encounter was, and I didn't know what was up with me. Being a mother had changed me and it didn't seem like there was an easy way back.

After around an hour, I could contain myself enough to go down to meet him again. Edward was sitting there, on the couch, still and calm.

He looked me from head to toe and said, "You look extraordinary"

"Ha-ha" I laughed, "I look fat"

"No Bella, motherhood added beauty to you, how is everything?"

"I really don't know Edward, it's been confusing and tough"

It was good sharing my thoughts with someone; especially Jacob seemed to willingly avoid this conversation.

"It's like I have two lives" I went on "merged together. The wife, the mother who does care for her family, but there's also the teenager, who had her life planned ahead, and who is sure what she wants"

"Mmm" Edward said after a long silence, how did I like those long pauses before? "What do you want now Bella?"

"I want you, I want your life, I see you as an invincible, beautiful creature and I have decided to give everything else up just to be compatible to you" I said the words out loud and immediately felt unsure and guilty. "That if you would still take me" I said to lighten up my mood pointing to my swelled body.

"Bella, I'll always take you, I told you before."

I smiled at him.

"Did you tell the dog?"

In a moment, anger filled me

"The dog is my husband Edward, he is the father of my children and above all my best friend!" I said harshly. "Edward… I am afraid to see him in pain, can you try to understand this?"

Edward came closer to me on the couch, and I felt cold, but tried to hide it.

"Bella, I told him this might happen, I also tried to tell you actually, but he ignored and you told me to fuck off, out of your lives"

I saw pain in Edward's eyes.

"Oh I'm so sorry Edward"

"It's OK Bella, tell me what you want me to do"

I really didn't have a plan in mind. But like I'd been surprising myself before, I replied

"Can you wait another six months? The little baby is breastfed and I have to make sure he is healthy and more independent"

"Sure Bella" he looked disappointed and I wondered if he thought I'd just dump my baby and run away with him.

"During this time I will figure how to talk to Jacob and sort everything out"

We talked for an hour. It was nice to experience back my teenage life for a while. The baby woke up and I heard it on the monitor so we said goodbyes and I went up to my motherly duties.

I gave Harry his meal, while I rested in bed beside him – a trick Sue taught me- I then fell asleep.

For the first time since I got my memory back, I woke up from a terrible nightmare.

The next day, Jacob dropped Serena after school, he usually came inside to check on Harry and hold him for sometime. I was determined to cook him a good lunch, I wasn't sure if it was guilt.

He called me as he parked outside, and explained he wouldn't be able to come inside, I suspected he smelled my specially cooked lasagna and refused to join us for the meal.

Serena was in a cheerful mood; she played around and kept performing some songs for Sue and me. She was really so cute. I tried to show her some motherly love. Honestly, I related so much more to Harry, having experienced bringing him to life, and that too brought some guilt.

After playing for a long time, she became exhausted so she dropped herself on the couch. She put her head on the couch and started to drip off. I stroked her hair. Serena's eyes suddenly became fully open like she heard a scream. She set her self up and held the couch cushion close to her nose. She sniffed hard. The more she did, the more she was alarmed.

I was in total confusion, what was wrong with the girl?

"It's a bad smell, mommy"

I held the cushion and smelled it, and I couldn't find anything.

"No baby it's clean"

"No mommy it's like the bad smell of the evil man"

"Evil man?" Was she creating images in her head?

"Yes mommy, the war night, you don't remember?"

"What war Serena?" I was afraid my daughter had an imagination mental problem because she talked with real fear.

"Mommy, I have to call Daddy"

"Ok dear, hold on, it's going to be fine!"

I dialed Jacob's number for her. No matter how pissed he was with me, he would always answer my phone.

"Jake, I think something's wrong with Serena, she is talking no sense" I touched her forehead and she didn't seem to have a fever. "She wants to talk to you"

"Daddy, I smell it" Serena said in panic as I handed her the phone "it's the evil man smell, the one who injured you, on that war night"

Serena then dropped the phone and fainted.

I screamed and Sue rushed from the kitchen.

We carried Serena upstairs. Sue was calm, like she's seen that before. She measured Serena's temperature and pulse and said they were both normal. Serena came around really fast so I was relieved. I hugged her and cried my heart out.

Sue asked me about what had happened, and I told her everything. I thought she would be as confused as I was but she, on the contrary, understood more as I spoke. She stroked Serena's hair, kissed her forehead and told her "Don't worry Serena it would be alright, Daddy will take care of everything, it's not like the war night, I promise, now go to sleep"

Serena nodded and smiled at her, and went to sleep in a few minutes.

Sue glared at me. I tried to put things together till they made some sense. We moved down back to the living room.

"But how?" I asked, "She's a little girl"

"No body knows, your daughter is special, she has very sensitive senses. She would always smell a vampire" Sue said "who was here, Bella, on the couch?"

"Edward was here" I was not ready to share this with anyone but I was too shocked to make up a story.

"What's the war night?" I asked before she started to scold me.

"The Volturi troubles, what else?" she explained, "When you changed your mind, your new choices bugged their leader. The Cullens tried to sort things with him, but one night he sent forces after you and Jacob. It was a bad fight; Jacob nearly lost his life defending you. Later Carlisle interfered and reached an agreement with them."

"Serena was there when two of them attacked your house" She added "She smelled them before she saw them, Jacob fought in the house in his human form, afraid to phase around both of you, then the pack joined and managed to pul them out. The pack returned that night, all in very bad conditions, my Leah almost died"

"Oh my God" I sighed, I noticed I was crying, "All that happened in front of my girl."

"Yes. Jacob thought we should keep in touch with the Cullens for updates. Every time she smells a Cullen she goes in the same trance"

"My poor girl"

"Yes, but you" she was upset "Why Bella? Why? And here? Your father's house? How could you?"

I felt so lame, all of a sudden.

Without a knock, the door bust open and Jacob was inside. I had forgotten about his call. He was in rage, or maybe more.

"Are you all alright?" he first asked.

"Yes" Sue said.

He stared at me in disgust. I actually wondered if Jacob preferred us being in danger than the conclusion he now reached. Tears were still falling from my eyes. That was not how I intended to tell Jacob.

I had never wanted, wanted or would ever want to see him such state again. He was deeply hurt, but it wasn't the avoiding, silent pain. Jacob looked scary at that moment.

"I don't fucking believe this" He said streaming to where I was, Sue stood in between and touched his shoulder.

"Jake" She said "Please calm down, the kids are upstairs and you know how Serena's got sensitive hearing, the girl can't go on with another scary scene, specially between her parents"

He breathed, trying to control his anger, all the time glaring at me. He didn't even blink.

"I'll leave you two together" she said again "you both sort this out" she gave me another disgusted look and left.

Jacob sat on the chair, facing my place on the couch. I was still crying. I noticed Jacob staring at my hands and I could see they were noticeably trembling.

"Why are you shaking?" he asked

I sat silent.

"So you are afraid of me?" he asked again "the terrifying monster huh?"

More tears… as my voice wouldn't support me to reply.

"You met him then? You told me you needed space so that you come here and get a chance to be in his filthy arms again?"

"No, Jake" that's all I could say.

"My name is Jacob"

All what we've been through, he had never banned me his nickname.

"Jacob" I said between my sobs "I won't do that, we just had a talk"

Jacob was waiting for more explanations.

"You knew my choice, and I know that it's not your fault, but is it also mine?"

He gave no impression, just the same glaring look.

"I won't do this now" I thought that would make him feel better "I'd wait till Harry is six months, I don't want to deny my-"

"No" he confidently said.

"No, what Jacob?"

"No, you don't wait six months, you want to be a bloodsucker? you do it now, no need to wait"

His words made me dizzy.

"But Jacob, the baby is breastfed!"

"They invented formula milk, and I think this would actually be more beneficial for him than the milk of a bloodsucker to be who plans to abandon him"

Without giving me a chance to object, he shouted, "Sue, please bring me my kids, we are leaving"