Chapter 16

I don't own Twilight, just borrow a few characters and add a few of my own.

Edward's POV;

I leapt up from dinner table, discarding my work when I heard Oliver wail. I strode into the living room, where Evie stood next to the bassinet with my crying son in it, looking guiltily at me.

"Evelyn Grace Cullen!" Evie jumped a little at my tone and I squashed down my guilt at her expression. "Step into my office young lady."

Evie lowered her head, her little lower lip trembling as she walked to the stairs. I lifted Oliver to my shoulder and patted his back before I followed her. She sat down on the first step obediently and looked up at me with her big green eyes.

"Did you not hear me when I told you to leave your brother alone?"

"I heard you Daddy." Her voice caught as she spoke, tear tracks already forming on her face.

"Evie you know that he's not feeling well and he needs his sleep. You promised that you'd play quietly. Why did you wake him up?"

A few tears dripped off her chin and she hastily wiped them away before she started fiddling with the hem of her dress.

"I want an answer young lady." Evie covered her face with her hands but I stayed firm, waiting patiently for her to talk to me, even as my heart ached when I heard her little sobs. After a few minutes she lowered her hands and looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry Daddy! I just wanted to play with Ollie. Maybe then his mouth wouldn't hurt so much!" I sighed. Olivers teething had gotten progressively worse over the past week. He was up every night without fail, and no matter how much I rocked him, snuggled him, read to him he couldn't be comforted. He wanted his Mummy.

Since our date Bella and I had been sleeping in the same bed when she was at the cottage, which was practically every night. She and Oliver were spending more and more time here with Evie and I and Jasper was slowly moving into the flat to be with Alice. I was building up to asking Bella and Oliver to move into the cottage even though they already practically live here.

The only thing stopping me from officially asking the question was my fear. I knew it was irrational but I was so used to this little cottage being mine and Evie's that I was scared to ask, even though the question was redundant. That and the age old fear that she'd think I was moving too fast and I'd scare off the woman that I loved and the baby who I considered to be my son. Oliver's clothes filled a dresser in the nursery and Bella had clothes hanging in the wardrobe of the spare room.

Because of Oliver's teething Bella was spending most of the night up with Oliver, nursing him or rocking him and she was exhausted. So when she had started falling asleep at breakfast today I sent her upstairs to get some sleep, promising that I would be fine with Evie and Ollie. She had reluctantly climbed into bed and I had sat Evie down and told her in no uncertain terms that Mummy and Ollie weren't to be woken.

And like the excitable little toddler she was she hadn't listened to me.

Oliver was silent in my arms, his head resting on my shoulder and his breathing deep and steady. I breathed a sigh of relief that he had just fallen straight back to sleep before trying to figure out how to punish Evie for her disobedience.

I was completely out of practise with this kind of thing as Evie rarely misbehaved. Due to this I was usually either too harsh or too lenient when she needed to be punished. I wished that Bella was awake to help me handle the situation but I knew that nothing short of a house fire or another equally urgent emergency would get me to wake her up.

I rolled my weight from my left foot to my right and back again, keeping a steady rhythm to comfort Oliver who had begun to whimper in his sleep. Evie was quietly crying on the step and I felt a pang of guilt. Hadn't she been punished enough? I just needed to instil the importance of obedience into her and then I'd let her go and play or something.

"Evie honey, when I tell you things it's for a reason. I told you before that you weren't to wake up Mummy or Ollie before didn't I?" She nodded miserably, her eyes firmly on her shoes. I reached down and put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up and make eye contact with me.

"I told you not to wake them but I didn't tell you why. You know how Ollie's teeth are coming and it's hurting him?" She nodded again. "Well because of that he hasn't been sleeping very well. So Mummy has been up with him all night every night for the past few days. Ollie is tired and Mummy is even more tired. That's why I asked you to be quiet Evie." A few more tears dripped down her face and I brushed them off her cheeks with my thumb.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to play with you Evie, I just needed to get through at least one report this weekend or my boss won't be happy. Okay, no more tears now. I'm going to put Ollie back into his bassinet and we can have some Daddy-Daughter time before I finish off the report, okay?"

Evie nodded and smiled brightly at me, following me back to the living room where I put Oliver back into the bassinet. I sat on the sofa and pulled Evie into my lap, my arms circling around her little body as she snuggled into me. As I knew they would, her eyes started to droop within a few minutes and soon she was asleep curled in my lap.

I carefully lifted her out of my lap and laid her against the cushions, noting that it was almost two and resolving to wake Bella up for some food in a little while and wake Evie up in no more than three quarters of an hour.

I went back to the table, finished my report and then made some tomato soup for Bella which I carried upstairs after setting up a baby monitor downstairs so I would know if either of the kids woke up.

I opened the door and leaned against the frame, studying Bella's sleeping form for a few minutes. She was lying on her stomach wearing one of my t-shirts and a pair of knickers, her arms wound around the pillow that was under her head. The covers had been kicked to the bottom of the bed, so I could see that one of her legs was bent and drawn up a little. I allowed my eyes to drink up the sight of Bella's legs, trying to memorise every inch before shaking myself out of my stupor and walking over to the bed.

I placed the soup on the bedside table before sitting on the bed and reaching out a hand to stroke her face, chuckling when she grumbled and snuggled deeper into the pillow to escape my fingers.

"Bella, you need to wake up and eat something. You didn't eat this morning and it's already past noon." She grumbled a little more before sitting up and crossing her legs. She stretched her arms above her head and slowly blinking her eyes open.

"What time is it?" She asked groggily, her toned coloured with sleep. I chuckled and indicated to the digital clock beside the bed.

She turned her head and gasped, her eyebrows rising into her hairline.

"It's already half one? I've been asleep for 5 hours? I'm so sorry Edward, have things been okay?" I rolled my eyes at her in amusement.

"Bella I can look after our kids for a few hours alone." My heart leapt at her smile that I couldn't help but return. I loved her smile. "Now eat something. I gave Oliver some yoghurt and offered him some soup but he couldn't chew the vegetable chunks so I gave him one of the bottles from the fridge that you expressed yesterday. Evie had some soup and yoghurt."

She picked up her spoon and began eating, looking up and catching me watching her every so often. "Are they napping?" I nodded, watching her lips form the words.

She picked up her empty bowl and placed it on the bedside table before climbing off the bed. She faced away from me and stretched again, her back arching and her arms raised high above her head. The arch in her back caused the t-shirt to rise up and forced her ass out a little. My eyes gobbled the sight up, my mouth quite possibly literally watering.

And then the moment ended and her arms lowered, the t-shirt once again lowering to cover her ass. I bit back a groan of disappointment and willed my semi to abate. Bella and I still hadn't gone further than heated kisses and the rational part of me was okay with that. We'd only been officially dating for a month, though it felt like longer because of all the fantasising I did about a future with her.

I had been saying for years that I didn't agree with what marriage had become. I felt that too many people married for the big pretty wedding, the stigma that used to exist about having children outside of marriage – which still exists in certain circles – and of course the pressure from parents that believe that marriage is the answer. I had always said that I would only ever marry someone that I wanted to be with forever. I refused to marry Tanya because she was pregnant and in hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I had ever made. I guess I always knew that she was no good for me. I had no plans for marriage.

Until I met Bella.

And after knowing her for barely 6 months it kinda terrified me. I wanted something with Bella after 6 months that I hadn't wanted after 6 years with Tanya.

"Edward? I think I can hear Oliver fussing over the monitor. We should go down." I looked up and realised that while I had been daydreaming Bella had tied her hair into a bun and thrown some grey sweats on. I nodded and stood from the bed, grabbing the monitor as she grabbed her empty bowl and spoon.

We made our way downstairs and I stopped in the living room to gather Oliver into my arms while Bella put her bowl in the dishwasher. He calmed down as soon as his head was resting on my shoulder, his face pressing against my neck. I smiled. It was one of the times that he wanted to be comforted by me. Every time this happened my heart soared.

I understood that he needed Bella, she was his mum. The sound of her heartbeat lulled him to sleep in the womb and her scent has been soothing him since the day he was born. At times like this though, when it was clear that he needed me too, that he had a special bond with him I felt like I could fly. Evie and Oliver made me feel like Superman when they needed me.

I cuddled Oliver closer to me and hummed Evie's lullaby to him, smiling when his arm wrapped loosely around my neck as he listened. Bella was gently shaking Evie awake, who groggily opened her eyes after batting at Bella's hands for a few moments. She smiled at Bella and lunged at her, wrapping her arms around her neck tightly.

"Hi Mummy. Can we do something today?" Bella looked thoughtful for a second before smiling and nodding at Evie.

"We need to go food shopping and you and I have an appointment at the hair salon for a trim." Evie pouted but didn't protest, probably because Bella was going to have her hair cut as well.

"Shall we go make a list of what we need Evie?" Evie nodded and eagerly ran to the kitchen ahead of me, who chuckled good naturedly at her.

"I'll get the bags ready, get Oliver changed out of his onesie and get changed myself." Bella took Oliver from me, who protested a little before snuggling into her arms. I kissed his forehead and Bella's cheek before going after Evie. I packed up the documents on the kitchen table after pulling a few sheets of paper from my notepad and grabbed a pen.

"Right, let's check the fridge first." We made our way through the kitchen, had finished the list and packed Oliver's baby bag by the time Bella and Oliver joined us again. Bella was wearing a casual blue summer dress and converse and Oliver was wearing a pair of jean shorts, a grey t-shirt and a pair of socks. Evie was dressed in a pale yellow sundress and converse and I was in a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt with a pair of converse.

"We ready to go?" I nodded my assent and took Oliver from Bella, smiling as he snuggled into my chest.

We packed everyone into the car and I drove to the supermarket, parking in the closest spot to the entrance. I got out of the car and went to Evie's side in the back, opening the door and crouching so that I could speak to her and look her in the eye.

"Okay Evie, remember the rules. You stay with me or Mummy at all times. If you need to go to the toilet, you ask us. If you want something, you ask us. No running." Evie nodded at me and unclipped her seatbelt and I lifted her from the car, setting her down next to me. She immediately grabbed my hand and came with me to the boot so I could grab the baby bag while waited for Bella to grab Oliver from his seat. I took the baby carrier out too and strapped it to my chest, just in case. We got a shopping trolley and sat Oliver in it before putting the bag in the seat next to him. I pushed the trolley while Bella held Evie's hand and we gathered up the things from the list. We were almost at the till when Evie gasped loudly.

"What is it Evie?" Bella lifted Evie up to her hip and we both looked at her expectantly.

"I'm supposed to bring cakes into nursery on Monday. I forgot to tell you Daddy, sorry."

I leaned over and stroked Evie's cheek, smiling at her. "Don't worry baby girl, we'll go buy some now."

"Or we could buy ingredients and we could make them?" I snorted in amusement at the identical pleading looks on both Bella and Evie's faces before nodding. Bella and Evie high fived dramatically before Bella put Evie down and grabbed her hand. I rolled my eyes at the way they practically skipped to the home baking isle.

"Maybe Nana can help us? She has that mix thingy that we use when I make cakes at her house!" Evie squealed enthusiastically as she chose cupcake cases with Bella. They filled the trolley with the ingredients as well as Disney cupcake cases, cake decorations and a cupcake stand. The left the isle reluctantly when Oliver started fussing. I fished his teething ring out of the bag and put it directly into his mouth. He chewed on it happily and the cold soothed his gums.

I almost groaned when I saw how painfully long the queues were at the tills but joined the one that seemed the shortest and settled myself in for a long wait. Bella lifted Evie to her hip and listened to Evie talk excitedly about baking while I focused my attention on Oliver. He dropped his teething ring but I was ready and caught it before it hit the floor. I put it back into the bag and offered my hand to Oliver, smiling as he wrapped a fist around one of my fingers.

The line moved forwards and I moved too, removing my fingers from Oliver's grip so I could push the trolley forwards. I was next to the conveyor belt and so started to load shopping onto it, with Bella helping and Evie stood by Bella, an arm around her leg. Oliver started fussing so I fished him out of the trolley and strapped him to my chest facing me so he could rest his head against it.

He quietened quickly and I continued unpacking the trolley one-handed, the other hand resting on the back of Olivers head. We managed to unpack half of the contents of the trolley before the conveyor belt was full and we were back to waiting. Bella turned to me, Evie back in her arms with her head resting on Bella's shoulder.

"We should go and drop the shopping at home, then go to get mine and Evie's haircut." I nodded in agreement, absently rubbing Oliver's back.

"I'll call my Mum, see if she doesn't mind baking at her house. We should go out for dinner before you and Evie bake." Bella nodded and smiled at me, before leaning in and kissing my cheek. I wrapped an arm around her and smiled, before being startled out of the moment by an older lady cooing at Oliver.

I groaned internally, knowing that both Evie and Oliver hated when people they didn't know tried to touch them. I tightened my grip on Bella before releasing her slowly, steeping forward a little so I was in front of them. I plastered a smile on my face and cupped Oliver's head with my hand, effectively shielding him.

"Oh, they're precious!" I nodded and rolled my eyes inwardly. I know they're precious, they're my kids. I breathed a sigh of relief when she made no move to touch Oliver or Evie. I saw Evie press her face against Bella's neck out of the corner of my eye and watched as Bella ran a hand through Evie's long hair.

Oliver started to cry quietly and I knew the numbing effect from the teething ring was slowly wearing off. I started rolling my weight from foot to foot, trying to comfort him while helping Bella put the shopping onto the conveyor belt one handed.

"I know baby boy, I'll put the gel on as soon as I can wash my hands." I continued to murmur to Oliver, wincing when his cries increased in volume and cast a quick look to Bella who nodded. She put Evie lowered Evie onto the floor, and reached for Oliver, cradling him so he could snuggle into her breast. He quietened down a little and snuggled into her warmth. Evie clung to Bella's leg with one hand and reached up with the other to stroke Oliver's leg, offering him comfort as well.

I made eye contact with Bella and indicated to a bench across from the till that she could sit at with the kids while I paid for the shopping. She nodded and lifted the baby bag onto her shoulder before walking over to the bench and sitting down with Oliver on her lap and Evie sat next to her.

I watched as she sanitised her hands with the gel and put a dollop of gel onto her finger before rubbing it into Oliver's gums, smiling as he relaxed and the gel soothed his gums.

I quickly packed up our shopping and paid for everything before loading it all into the trolley and walking over to the bench. Oliver was snoozing on Bella's lap and Evie was sat quietly, content to just be there with Bella and Oliver.

I held Evie's hand in one of mine and pushed the trolley with the other as we made our way to the car, and left Bella strapping everyone into their seats while I loaded the shopping into the back. I unclipped the baby carrier and put it in the back seat between Evie and Oliver before climbing into the car and driving home.

I unpacked the car of everything except the baking stuff and called my Mum to ask if it was okay if we came over and baked. She picked up on the first ring.

"Hey Mum. Evie has to make some cakes for nursery on Monday and she wanted to come over and bake with you and Bella. Is that okay or do you have plans tonight?"

"No that's fine Edward. Will you and Oliver be joining us?"

"Yeah, we'll be there in a couple of hours."

"See you then. Love you son."

"Love you."

I ended the call and made my way back to the car. It took 10 minutes to drive to the place where Bella had booked an appointment. Oliver was relatively quiet in the back seat, the ear of his polar bear currently being gnawed at by his sensitive gums. Evie was studying her book quietly, tracing her fingers over the pictures and swinging her little legs in her booster seat.

Bella was humming along to the radio, her head resting on the chair and her eyes closed. When we reached the salon I parked quickly and took the keys from the ignition before opening the car door and unbuckling Oliver from his seat and grabbing his teddy while Bella did the same for Evie.

I grabbed the baby bag and followed Bella and Evie into the salon, finding a seat and sitting Oliver on my lap. I offered the polar bear to Oliver who took it and sucked the almost threadbare ear into his mouth. Bella and Evie were sat in adjacent seats with capes around their neck, waiting for their hair to be washed. Their chairs were spun around so they were facing each other and they were laughing together.

My heart clenched as I watched them a smile slowly inching its way across my face. I watched them until Oliver started fussing and I directed my attention back to him, turning him in my lap so that he was facing me. I supported his back with my fingers and bounced him on my knees as he sucked his fingers, giggling loudly at my antics.

He had started making noises and sounds close to 'dada' and I was on edge to hear him start talking. I knew that 6 months was a little early for him to be talking but my heart leapt at the thought of him calling me 'dada'.

He gurgled and squealed 'aaaah' and I raised him up so that his feet were resting on my thighs. I let him bounce a little, smiling as he chuckled loudly before leaning in a little and kissing his pudgy cheek.

"Can you say 'dada' Ollie? Dada. Now you try." I tried to coax him as we waited, ignoring the woman sitting beside me who was laughing along with Oliver.

Oliver clapped his hands together before grasping at my face, his palms squishing my cheeks. I pulled a funny face at him that had giggles erupting from him, before he moved his hands to my nose and pressed on it. I pulled back and wriggled my nose, smiling as Oliver reached out to my face. I leaned back in and let him trace his fingers along my face, chuckling at his 'oohs' and 'aahs'.

When I looked in the direction of the girls they were back in their chairs having their hair cut. I was glad to see that Bella had kept both hers and Evie's hair long, but at a more manageable length. Evie's was now cut to between her shoulder blades and Bella's was a few inches shorter. A final brush and we were paying and on our way out. I walked behind Evie and Bella, chuckling at the way Evie swung her head around as she took each step to make her hair swish.

We strapped the kids into their seats and drove to a family friendly Italian restaurant. We snagged a table with a high chair and sat down to eat. I strapped Oliver into the highchair and secured his bib around his neck while Bella got Evie settled and helped her choose her food. We ordered spaghetti bolognese for Evie and a bowl of mashed potatoes for Oliver before ordering for ourselves.

Bella ordered lasagne and I ordered spaghetti carbonara, as well as ordering a glass of orange juice for Evie and Bella and a glass of coke for me. I pulled Olivers sippy cup of water out of the bag and placed it onto his highchair table well within his reach. We had been offering Oliver the cup more often as Bella had been told by the health visitor that it encouraged him to sip and was better for his teeth. We still used the bottle when I was feeding him his milk before bed or in the morning but if it was juice or water we used the sippy cup.

Evie, Bella and I chatted as we waited for our food, chuckling when Oliver joined in and gurgled loudly, his 'chatting' punctuated with a few 'ooohs'. When his potatoes arrived I allowed him to attempt to feed himself, which was also advised by the health visitor. I sighed. The health visitor never had to clean the mash out of Oliver's hair though.

He immediately and predictably pushed his hands into the potatoes, grabbing a fistful before pushing it into his mouth. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my carbonara, keeping an eye on him as I ate.

I ordered fruit salad for Oliver and Evie before reaching into the baby bag and pulling out the wipes, leaning over to my baby and wiping the mash off his hands and face before starting on the mash he'd squashed into his hair at some point. Evie and Bella giggled as I scrunched the wipes into a ball with disgust while Oliver chuckled around his sippy cup.

I shook my head and watched in amusement as Ollie relished his fruit, occasionally cutting up a piece that was a little too large for him. When he and Evie were done I wiped the fruit juice from Olivers chin and hands before removing his bib while Bella cleaned Evie up in the men's room.

We piled into the car again and headed for my parent's house. Oliver was sleepy and so I strapped him to my chest when we arrived and let him pillow his head against my chest, rocking him until he fell asleep.

I sat and talked quietly with my dad about his new case while Oliver slept on my chest and Bella, Evie and my Mum baked in the kitchen a massive smile across my face. And a few hours later, when I was lying in bed cuddling the woman I loved with our children in the next room, sleeping peacefully together the smile was just as bright as it had been all day.

I was the luckiest man alive.

I'm really passionate about this story and so I did some research about what to feed weaning babies. The NHS website is where I got the advice about cups and the eating specifics from. I have a lot of experience with babies but not that much.

This chapter takes place on 21st May. I'm thinking that chapter 18 will be Edward's birthday and chapter 17 will be another cute filler chapter. Unless anyone has any objections? I think things will be a little rocky for this family very soon.

As always read review and enjoy!