I'm so sorry for the delay in posting with this one! Life has been hectic to say the least, but I think I'm back on track with writing so hopefully that will translate over to posting as well. I've still got chapters pre-written in the bank so you can expect another chapter soon. Thank you for your patience!

Someone Else's Baby

April 24th 2021

Skidding into the ER, Edward is relieved to spot Lucas right away.

Shelly—known as Mrs. Cope, the school receptionist on weekdays, and Shelly, Edward and Lucas's neighbor otherwise—has her arm around his shoulders as he swings his legs and cradles one arm across his chest. They're talking quietly, so Edward can't hear what they're saying until he gets close.

"...you won't tell Dad, though, right?"

"I wouldn't count on it, bud," Edward sighs, almost laughing at the way Lucas's head pops up and his wide eyes find his dad's face. "What happened?"

The question is for Shelly, and she smiles slightly as she rubs Lucas's shoulder and admits, "Lucas here had a tumble on the basketball court. His legs got tangled up with another boy's and they both went down, but the other boy was fine, no injuries."

For the love of God.

As his racing heart starts to slow, Edward drops into a crouch and turns his gaze back to a guilty looking Lucas. "It's always you, huh?"

"I guess," Lucas mumbles with a shrug, wincing right after. "Ouch."

"What hurts, your arm?"

"Yeah. I landed on it funny. It's probably just a sprain or somethin' though. I've had those before and I've never had to come to the ER."

Shelly just laughs at his accusatory sideways glance. "Better to be safe than sorry, Lucas."

"Hmm."

With a pursed-lipped smile, she offers Edward her seat and says she'll get back to her husband, patting both Cullens on the head as she goes.

"She worries too much," Lucas says as soon as she's out of earshot. "We should just go. I'm okay and my arm will be fine. Besides, we've been here ages and they're not exactly rushing to see me, so even the doctors must think I'm fine."

Snorting, Edward kicks his legs out and settles into the uncomfortable plastic chair. "Well, if you've been here ages already, we must not have much longer to wait. Might as well hang around and see what they say, huh?"

Grumbling under his breath, Lucas leans back in his chair and chases his quiet protest with a heavy sigh and a pretty intense sideways glare.

Edward just smiles and shakes his head, trying not to let his mind wander back to the diner and the woman whose matching brown eyes had bored into him when he ran away so abruptly.

~ oOo ~

"I can't believe you broke your arm, dude."

Lucas blows out a big breath, the same frustrated scowl on his face now as the one he wore hours earlier when the ER doctor told him he has a fracture in his right ulna.

From over by the stove, Edward turns to grin at Lucas and his cousin, Henry. "Did you tell H what you asked the doctor?"

Lucas's scowl deepens. "Dad…"

"What? It was funny."

Henry looks between Lucas and Edward, his father's wide smile spreading across his face. "What did you ask? C'mon, tell me."

Groaning, Lucas flops backs on the small loveseat tucked in the corner of the kitchen, mumbling against his arm, "I asked if I could still play basketball."

To say Lucas is unimpressed by Henry's and Edward's laughter would be a massive understatement. Growling under his breath, he throws himself up and off the couch, stomping all the way upstairs. When his bedroom door bangs shut, Edward offers his nephew a rueful little smile. "He's really bummed that he doesn't get to play."

"How long's he out for?"

"The doctor says a month is a good guess, but they'll be able to get a better look in a few days once the swelling goes down a bit." Sighing, Edward switches off the stove and turns to lean against the counter. "Honestly, I'm just relieved it wasn't his heart this time. It's wrong to be glad your kid has a broken wrist, but man...when I saw him and realized it wasn't his heart…"

Henry purses his lips. "I get it, Unc. It's always a worry. When Dad texted and said Luke was in the hospital, I just figured it was his heart, didn't even think he might have broken somethin'. It is kinda a relief, though. And I guess this'll keep him sidelined for a bit so he probably won't have any episodes anyway, right?"

With a shrug, Edward admits, "Not necessarily. His condition...it can trigger itself. It doesn't always need exercise to go off."

His chest squeezes, mind casting back to a night a year or so ago when he'd woken in the night to Lucas standing over him in bed, one hand on his chest and his face ghostly pale. His racing heart had woken him up and, luckily, he'd made it to Edward's room before he fainted.

Since then, Edward's had a phone installed beside Lucas's bed. Speed dial option one calls Edward's mobile, which is always set to 'loud' and right beside his own bed.

Still, Edward worries, which is why whether it makes him a terrible parent or not, he's relieved Lucas has a wrist brace on right now and not a heart monitor.

"Well, I'm gonna go say 'bye' and pray he doesn't shut the door on me," Henry says, unfolding himself from the couch. "Thanks for letting me come see him."

"Thank you for coming over. I know it means a lot to him."

After watching Henry jog across the street a little while later, Edward puts the dishes away before heading upstairs. Following the sound of his son's music, he pauses to lean against the doorjamb and watch Lucas while he's still unaware of his presence.

With his good hand, he tosses a small basketball at the mini hoop mounted on the wall at the end of his bed, catching it in his feet to pass it back up to his hand.

Pursing his lips, Edward says, "You want to watch a movie with me?"

As the ball drops through the hoop, Lucas lifts his legs and catches it between his socked feet. "Sure. What d'you wanna watch?"

With a shrug, Edward admits, "I don't care. You can choose. I thought we could make some popcorn as well, with the M&M's the way you like?"

Lucas smirks as he twists and drops down from his cabin bed. "This sympathy thing could work out well for me, huh."

Huffing a chuckle, Edward rubs his knuckles lightly over Lucas's mop of thick, dark hair.

As it so often does lately, thoughts of thick, dark hair on his son's head turn to thoughts of the woman he inherited it from.

He still feels guilty for running away like he did. If the shoe had been on the other foot, Edward knows he'd be worried.

"You wanna watch Captain America again?" Lucas asks as they head downstairs together.

"Sure, sounds good to me," Edward agrees absent-mindedly, making a mental note to shoot Bella a text later or tomorrow morning, both to apologize for rushing off and to have a discussion about something he's sure she's thought about, too.

When they'll introduce each other to their sons.

~ oOo ~

Lucas's pain meds kick in about halfway through the movie.

By the time the credits roll, Edward has his son's head resting against his knee and drool soaking into his sweatpants.

Sienna hops up from her spot on the floor in front of Lucas, nails tapping all the way to the back door, so Edward carefully extracts himself from under Lucas, propping his head on a cushion before trailing after Sienna. While he waits for her to take care of her business, he spots the blinking green light on his cell. Rubbing his own tired eyes, he scoops it off the counter and taps in Lucas's birthday, absently smiling at the home screen—a picture of Lucas making the winning dunk at his most recent basketball game—before the smile slips from his face.

1 new message

Isabella Swan

Her concern bleeds through even though her message is brief, and Edward's guilt returns tenfold.

Debating what he should or shouldn't say, and how much he wants to share, he finally decides that honesty is the best policy, but it should come face-to-face.

Shooting back a brief message saying that everything is fine but tricky to explain by text, Edward whistles for Sienna and has just closed the door behind her when his phone starts vibrating in his hand.

Isabella Swan calling

"Oh," he breathes, raking a hand through his hair before biting the metaphorical bullet.

"I'm sorry. This is overstepping, isn't it? Shit. I'm sorry. I'll speak to you tom—"

Huffing a surprised chuckle, Edward cuts her off with a gentle, "Whoa, slow down."

Bella sighs. "I'm sorry. You said everything was okay in your message, but I've been worried all day, and…yeah. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, you're fine."

Surprisingly, Edward isn't lying. Although surprised she took the initiative to call, he's not upset.

And in the back of his mind, he knows this is the sort of thing they'll probably be doing often.

Letting each other in—to their lives, and to the lives of their sons.

Slowly—because neither of them are ready for speed—but yeah. Baby steps.

"So, I wasn't lying before. Everything is fine—"

"Oh! I wasn't, I didn't mean to imply that you were lying!"

"I know," Edward laughs. "Just wanted to reassure you. I shouldn't have taken off like that, but when I get a call about Lucas...it's just instinctive."

"I get that."

"Anyway...he was with our neighbor today and she took him to basketball practice for me. Apparently he got tangled up with one of the other boys and went down." Edward's lips twist up into a rueful smile as he shifts so he can see his son still sprawled out and snoring on the couch, wrist brace hanging over the edge. "He's got a small fracture in his ulna."

"Oh, no! How is...how is he?"

"Good," Edward admits, warmed by the concern in her voice, also understanding the hesitation. They're walking an odd, fine line.

Both wanting to know more. Both wanting to protect their life with their boys.

"He's enjoying the sympathy."

Bella snorts. "Milo was the same when he sprained his ankle last year. He really dragged that baby out."

A pang hits Edward in the chest. "How'd he, uh, how'd he do that?"

"Soccer. He plays for the school team. Jake coaches, and he talked Milo into joining." Her amusement is obvious as she adds, "not that it took much convincing. Thursday's are their 'boys night,' and lucky for me, practices are on Thursdays."

Edward grins, leaning back against the counter. "Ah, so you get some free time. Nice."

"Yup."

For a second, the question 'is his father involved at all?' hovers on the tip of his tongue. Then his smile drops as he realizes that's him.

Rubbing his neck, he sucks in a big breath and asks a question he's sure she's thought about too. One they've both danced around for long enough.

"So, uh, when do you...when do you want to talk about meeting up with the boys?"