Chapter 47: Returning Home Again
"Look what the cat dragged in," Sky said as a grin stretched across her face. Amanda looked up as well as Edythe and Beau stepped into the large living room of the Thompsons' home. The couple had been immediately bombarded by a cacophony of barks, meows, and chirping—not to mention nearly barreled over by half a dozen canines—upon arriving. Sky called them off, pushing the dogs out of the way before pulling Edythe into a hug. Edythe returned the embrace tightly, her own smile wide as the older woman released her and stepped back half a step.
"How does it feel, Doctor?" she asked.
"Don't call me that," Edythe countered immediately. Sky raised an eyebrow and glanced back at Beau and Carine, who had come in after her daughter and son.
"Did no one notify her that the title was a part of the deal?" she asked teasingly. Carine laughed.
"She doesn't like the formality," Beau answered for her. Sky rolled her eyes.
"You're just as dramatic as always," she told Edythe.
"Not that you'd want me any other way," the redhead returned.
"You're right," Sky agreed then pulled her in once more before releasing her as her wife approached.
"I know I already told you congratulations when you called, but I figured an in-person one would also suffice, to make it sound more official," the veterinarian said. Edythe smiled.
"Thank you, again," she replied.
"I heard that Carine and Earnest are actually letting you back into the house?" Amanda said with a side-glance at the woman in question.
"What else did you expect, babe?" Sky commented, "Unlike us, her parents love them."
Carine smiled slightly, though with a slightly sad expression.
"As long as they want to live at home, they are welcome there," she said diplomatically, squeezing Edythe's fingers as she passed, leaning against the counter to stroke the bright red chest of the parrot perched onto the toaster. The humans followed, settling outside on the back deck, under the large awning as they overlooked the property. The sun was setting, and the deep gold rays danced off Carine's skin dully, though no one else took notice. The Thompsons took the opportunity to talk with the couple about the baby, and Edythe and Beau were too happy to engage.
"The rocking chair looks perfect in the nursery; it matches the crib well," Edythe said.
"The one from Forks, right?" Sky clarified, to which Edythe nodded.
"We're waiting on everything else until we know the sex," Beau added. His arm was wrapped around Edythe, tucking her into his side.
"Are you guys going to find out ahead of time, or wait until the birth?" Amanda asked.
"We are not sure yet," Edythe admitted.
"Wouldn't Archie know by now anyway?" Sky cut in.
"He says he doesn't; but even if he did, he wouldn't reveal it unless we asked," Edythe answered, then added, "I think it's a girl though."
"What makes you think that?" Amanda inquired, one eyebrow raised. The younger woman shrugged with a smile.
"Just a feeling, I guess." The women smiled at that, then continued with their half-interrogation.
"I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but who do you think the baby will look like?"
"We haven't really talked about it, but I want it him or her to look like Beau."
"And I want the baby to look like their beautiful mother," Beau said at once.
"You two are so adorable it's disgusting," Sky said with a shake of her head; the entire company laughed.
"At least you know the eyes will be pretty regardless," Amanda said. "With green or blue as options. Both recessive traits."
"Yes, though I think green is dominant over blue…" Edythe trailed off, looking over at her mother.
"Correct," the human doctor confirmed, "but your birthfather's eyes were green and your birthmother's brown, making you mostly like heterozygous. There's a seventy-five percent chance of your eyes over Beau's." Edythe frowned just slightly, thinking.
"It just means you'll have to have four kids," Sky laughed, "If you really want to play the odds."
"Oh God, no, " Edythe said with a shudder, "I'm not even out of the first trimester and I already want it over."
"Morning sickness?" Amanda asked.
"And cravings, and strange ones at that."
"And side effects from those cravings," Carine added with a narrowed look that slid from Edythe to Beau. The latter held his hands up in the air, as if defending himself.
"If I have learned anything from the past seven years, it is that I should not argue with the pregnant former vampire. She wanted pickles and peanut butter ice cream, so that's what I got her," he defended himself. Amanda and Sky laughed and, despite herself, Carine's lips twitched.
"How does the rest of the family feel about it?" Sky asked.
"They are thrilled," Edythe said with a grin.
"We all feel truly blessed," Carine added, placing her hand against Edythe's cheek gently for a moment. Her daughter smiled, pressing into the affectionate gesture.
"I bet it will help when you both have to get up in the middle of the night," Amanda said.
"Definitely," Beau agreed, "And they're going to take the baby classes with us too."
"I doubt they need a class on bottle feeding," Sky said.
"Maybe not, but they will for diaper changing," Beau replied, "They all need to learn, for everyone's sake. They all know how she is when she doesn't sleep." Edythe giggled, unashamed, as Beau nudged her in the side playfully.
"As long as I can pump enough to cover the night, then everything will be well," Edythe said, "Though I expect I'll be too anxious to not get up the first few weeks anyway."
"Of course you will," Carine said, "It's a natural instinct. But you both still need your sleep; that is where we can come in to help."
"So you're going to breast-feed?" Sky asked curiously.
"I am going to try," Edythe said, "It'll only be a few months, at the most."
"What, you're not going to be one of those mothers that doesn't wean their child until they're eight?" the woman added with a slight snort.
"Definitely not; I am not doing teeth, if I even survive that long," Edythe answered with a slight shudder. The others chuckled. Amanda and Sky watched Edythe carefully as she continued to talk, relaying details she couldn't wait to share. The women were only too happy to oblige in the discussion. They could see the change in the girl—now woman—that they had known for six years. Edythe had a glow about her, a new light in her eyes that neither of them—nor any of her family—had seen before. It was a direct manifestation of the life within her, shown in her sparkling expression as well as the now defined—though small—bump protruding between her hips.
Edythe was happier than she ever had been, her life at an all-time high. After all she and the Cullens had been through, the Thompsons were ecstatic to see them get to this point, finally.
As they were leaving, Carine held back as the other two headed for the car. Her golden eyes were on Amanda.
"I will take care of her while she's at work," she promised before Carine could say anything. "As will the rest of the staff. They care about her almost as much as I do." The vampire exhaled with a small, guilty smile.
"Thank you; you have no idea how much it eases my mind to know that," she said quietly. Her eyes were on her children, besides the Mercedes but stepping up to the fence to the chestnut gelding that had approached, looking for attention. Edythe reached out and stroked the white stripe on his face, giggling as the horse tilted his head to the side, sniffing her pockets.
"I do not want to suffocate her, with all of us watching her so closely. I know it annoys her when we do it, but…" Carine trailed off.
"It may annoy her in the moment, but I imagine she doesn't mind it as much as you think," Amanda said. "She's been through so much—you all have with her—so your worry is not unwarranted, especially after her miscarriage." The vampire stiffened just slightly at the mention of the horrible event, something that did not escape the women's notice.
"Even if she hadn't miscarried last year, even if she had come out of the other end of the transformation with no ill effects or disasters, you still wouldn't be unjustified," Sky said quietly. Carine looked over at her.
"Even with her own child on the way, she is still your child," Sky continued, "She will always be your daughter, your youngest, in a way. Being a parent is a lifelong commitment; it doesn't end when they 'grow up'." Carine looked at her, a little surprised by the words coming from the woman. She was reminded again of Sky's story, and she knew those words cut a lot deeper than the human was letting on. That was confirmed as Amanda took her wife's hand silently.
"She'll always need you," Sky assured her, "No matter how old she gets. In fact, she probably needs you now more than ever."
Carine considered for a moment, then nodded, her fears appeased momentarily.
"You know, I know she isn't yours by blood, but damn. You two are so similar, it's a little terrifying," Sky commented lightly, making Carine laugh, breaking the tension of the deep conversation.
Carine stepped into the brightly lit, welcoming lobby of Tompkins Veterinary Center; she waved silently at Donna at the front desk as she slipped upstairs, easily finding her way to Edythe's office. Her daughter sat at the L-shaped desk, eyes flicking between the two monitors, one that held one of her current patient's records, and the other the most recent results of a biopsy. Edythe glanced up as her mother entered, coming to lean against the desk besides her. The human gratefully leaned into her as Carine's cool lips touched her temple.
"Hi, Mom," she greeted, her eyes straying back to the computer screen.
"Hello," Carine returned, "How are you?" Edythe glanced up at her with a rye smile.
"Do you think you can convince your grandchild to find somewhere else to sleep other than on my bladder? I've had to pee every fifteen minutes all day." Carine chuckled, leaning against the desktop.
"I can try, but I don't think it would make much of a difference, " she replied.
It had been six weeks since Edythe and Beau had moved home. Edythe had begun work at TVC the following week, once again reunited with old and new friends, though now in a slightly different role. The familiarity brought her great comfort, and she had been happy in her work since the first day. It was only down the road from Ithaca General, so Carine made a point to visit for lunch as often as she could, just as she had done before. Today though, she was off, so she had decided to come closer to the end of Edythe's shift. This consistency, pulled from four years before, gave both mother and daughter significant peace.
Though everything had gone as smoothly as clockwork, Carine still kept a more watchful eye on Edythe than usual. Partly, it stemmed from her conversation with the Thompsons, but also her own peace of mind and the rest of the family's. Sky was right in that Edythe had gotten used to it and didn't mind; in fact, she even came to rely on it. So, as Carine caught the strain behind her daughter's eyes, she was alert immediately.
"What is it?" she asked, concerned, her senses expanding automatically to listen to Edythe and the baby's vitals, finding nothing amiss. Her daughter shook her head then leaned over to close the door. Carine met her gaze as she turned in her chair to face her.
"I don't know," Edythe admitted, "I just feel…anxious. I don't know why; I have no reason to be. Something just feels off." Unable to clarify her sentence, Edythe shook her head, as if to clear it.
"Maybe I'm just being paranoid, my hormones getting the better of me." Carine leaned forward, lifting Edythe's chin up to look at her.
"If there's anything I've learned in the past hundred years, it's to trust a mother's instinct," she said quietly, with a soft smile. Edythe returned it, but Carine could see the worry still there.
"Is the ultrasound free?" she asked after a moment. Edythe's eyebrows raised, but she nodded. Minutes later, she stood besides Carine in the radiology room, lifting her scrub top and bunching it under her chest as Carine ran the gel over her swollen belly. The human doctor took the probe from its hook and pressed it expertly against Edythe's skin, reaching with her free hand to adjust the settings and bring the picture into focus.
Edythe could feel herself automatically relax as she recognized the form, her eyes falling on the child inside her womb. She'd only ever had one ultrasound, insisted on by Carine the moment she had returned to Ithaca. Refusing to go to the hospital, Carine had employed the help of her colleague Dr. Cynthia Green, an OB/GYN that offered both traditional care and worked with the local birthing center. Dr. Green had called ahead to the facility to allow her to use an ultrasound there. Edythe was a little unsure at first, but calmed as the center looked very little like a hospital.
Seeing the small gray form on the screen for the first time was the most awe-striking moment, and she'd had to swallow the lump in her throat as she laid eyes on her unborn child through the ultrasound waves. Equally so was hearing the heartbeat, which Carine had switched on for the benefit of her and Beau. Dr. Green had assured them that the baby looked perfectly healthy, which was confirmed. The first set of bloodwork confirmed the same of Edythe. The obstetrician had given them a bunch of pamphlets on different options for labor and delivery, which Edythe and Beau were gradually perusing.
Back in the present, Carine reached over and switched on the sound, as she had before. The fetal heartbeat reverberating from the machine calmed the pregnant mother further. Carine smiled slightly at the changes she saw in Edythe, before her eyes returned to the screen, scanning it expertly.
"There," Carine assured her as she moved the probe minutely, adjusting the angle, "The baby is healthy; everything looks perfectly fine. In fact…"
The abrupt freeze of Carine's hand brought Edythe's calm to a sudden end, her eyes immediately moving to her mother's face. Hearing her daughter's heart rate skyrocket, Carine glanced at her.
"What's wrong?" Edythe demanded at once.
"Nothing, Edythe," Carine made to reassure her, but Edythe was not convinced. Carine moved to continued before she could say anything more.
"I don't want to adjust any more unless you want me to find out the sex," she said, "And I don't think it's fair for me to know if you and Beau don't." Realization came to Edythe's face.
"You can tell this early?" she asked after a moment; seeing the positive change in her expression, Carine smiled and nodded. Edythe hesitated, conflict raging in her eyes.
"Call Beau and ask him," Carine encouraged her, "I can print pictures from here if needed." Edythe reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, sending a video call request to Beau. He picked up on the second ring, his face over the camera concerned by the fact he knew Edythe didn't call him while she was at work.
"Edythe," he greeted, "What's wrong? Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Beau," she soothed him, "Carine is with me. I asked her to do an ultrasound on me, for my peace of mind."
"Is there something wrong with the baby?" Beau asked, immediately concerned and anxious.
"The baby is perfectly healthy, Beau," Carine told him, "I can tell you both the gender now, but Edythe did not want to until she spoke with you." Realization came to Beau's features and Edythe met his gaze through the screen.
"Do you want to? We never actually decided whether we were going to wait or not," Edythe asked him. Now that the anticipated threat had passed, Beau relaxed where he was, leaning back in his chair.
"We vote to find out now!" The exclamation from the other side of the screen made both doctors laugh, recognizing Eleanor's voice that most likely was standing in the doorway of Beau's office. Beau made a face at her beyond the camera.
"Nothing can ever be private in this house, can it?" he grumbled.
"Nope," came another voice Edythe and Carine recognized as Archie's. Jessamine joined in.
"Though we try to stay out of each other's private business as much as is feasible. But in this case, I think we would all be very interested in the answer; Archie is not one for his patience when it comes to not knowing information." Beau glanced from their voices to the screen as the coven leader spoke.
"It is Beau and Edythe's decision only," Carine said to her coven, then prompted, "Beau?"
"I would like to know, but it is up to you," Beau told his wife; Edythe smiled, ever thankful for his graciousness, though unnecessary in this moment. Edythe glanced up to Carine, who waited patiently for their decision, her hand still balanced gently against Edythe's belly. She nodded enthusiastically, and her mother smiled. Edythe trained the phone camera on the ultrasound screen as the human doctor expertly angled the probe, working to find what she wanted. No one spoke, eager with anticipation.
"Can you feel the pressure on your shoulders, Carine?" another voice asked. Edythe and Carine looked toward the door where Amanda stood. The veterinarian smiled as she stepped into the room, looking to Edythe, who felt suddenly guilty at using the hospital's equipment for personal use.
"I'd wondered where you'd gone, but I can understand. I imagine from the way you can hear a pin drop in here that you're going to find out the sex?" Edythe nodded and Amanda made a gesture to Carine.
"Go on," she encouraged with an easy smile, "I'd hate to be in your place, Carine; too much stress. Thankfully, I don't need to determine sex until after they're born." The human doctor laughed good-naturedly as her eyes returned to the screen, her wrist twisting ever so slightly. Amanda stood besides Edythe, her hand touching at her back reassuringly as their eyes followed Carine's movements.
"Ah," the matriarch finally said after another moment, the smile on her face widening as she turned to meet Edythe's gaze.
"You're carrying a baby girl," Carine informed her daughter, her smile growing as Edythe's eyes softened and her expression lit up. Amanda wrapped one arm around her in a side-hug as the phone chorused out the Cullens' exclamations. Edythe met Beau's gaze through the screen, where his own lips were stretched in a grin, his blue eyes soft on hers.
Carine took a couple of images, printing multiples before cleaning the probe. Edythe ended the call, assuring her husband she would be home within the hour. Carine offered her clean towels to wipe off the gel, tossing them in the trash before reaching out to take Edythe's hand. Edythe squeezed it tightly as she met her gaze. Her mother's honey eyes were gentle, full of tenderness as well as excitement, and Edythe was reminded again how much her pregnancy was not just a miracle to Beau and her, but to the rest of the family as well.
"Well now," Carine said, "I think that means you two need to start thinking about names."
"Just don't name her Bella," Amanda commented, causing Edythe to giggle at the joke. The senior veterinarian left mother and daughter be at that point, going to share the news with the staff at Edythe's consent. Carine lifted her hands to take Edythe's face between her palms, looking into her eyes to ensure the worry she had seen there had gone. And it was, replaced with serenity and awe.
"I hope I was able to ease your fears, Edythe," she said. Edythe nodded.
"Good," she said with a smile, "But never hesitate to tell me whatever you feel. I would rather know and have it be minor." Edythe nodded in understanding.
"Then can I tell you a new fear?" she asked. Carine nodded, her eyes turning troubled; Edythe still struggled to volunteer such information, though she had gotten better since she discovered she was pregnant.
"How on Earth are we supposed to settle on a name?" she asked, "For the hundreds of thousands of people I've met, how am I supposed to find a name I don't have some previous experience with?"
Carine laughed at the question, pressing her lips to Edythe's hair affectionately as she responded.
"I'm sure you and Beau will find a name you both love," she said, then added, "Are you ready to leave?"
"Almost, I just need to call the owner of this Mastiff," her daughter said, turning to return to her office, pulling Carine with her. Edythe relayed the details of the case as she typed out the discharge notes, and both doctors tossed around different methods for treatment as they drove home. They were greeted in the back kitchen by their husbands, Earnest and Carine watching as Edythe moved with Beau upstairs to the third floor. Instead of going to their bedroom to strip and shower though, Edythe drifted into the nursery, a sizable room off the hall. It was bare save for the rocking chair from Beau's old room in Forks, and a new crib that matched the chair's wood stain perfectly.
Now, Edythe sat in the chair, curling her legs underneath her as she leaned back. Beau moved to join her, kneeling in front of her. His hands went to either side of her, his fingers grazing across her belly bump.
"A girl," he murmured, matching Edythe's grin as she nodded.
"We're going to have a daughter," she said, her voice soft and tranquil.
"If she's anything like her mother, I'm going to spend most of her teenage years beating the boys back with a baseball bat," Beau said, and Edythe laughed.
"I'm sure Royal and Archie would be more than happy to help you with that. El and Jess, too, probably. Though they won't need a bat," she said, and Beau grinned wider.
"Very true," he agreed. Edythe leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his.
"I love you," she murmured, her eyes boring into his.
"You are my life now, both of you," Beau responded. Edythe smiled, recalling the déjà vu.
This was bliss, heaven on earth. There was nothing more that they could want. The moment was perfect, and somehow got even more so as the couple kissed, followed by a small gasp by Edythe as she felt the tiniest flutter across her abdomen.
But, distracted by their baby, Edythe and Beau had no idea what plan had been started.
A/N: Hello again! I hope this wasn't too delayed, and I hope you don't mind the fact this chapter was basically all fluff! Again, the story will be long enough as it is, so the timeline is progressing to only the most important pieces. If you have the time, let me know what you think! See you soon! :)