45
EPOV
"The Call"
"Hello?"
"Mr. Cullen, this is Garrett with—"
"I know who this is. Is everything all right? Did something happen with Vision?" Bella must have heard my voice when I answered the phone because she's wandered out from her bedroom, and she's looking at me from the top of the stairs with a sympathetic expression on her face. I quickly place the call on speaker.
"Vision is doing really well, although we did end up putting him on IV fluids. I was calling to let you know that the owners called us back." His voice trails off, and I brace myself for the worst.
"Are they making arrangements to come get him?" Bella reaches a hand down to me, and I grasp it.
"Unfortunately, they are … uninterested in bringing Vision home to them." Garrett pauses, too long in my opinion, almost as if he's searching for the right words. "They didn't seem very interested in the fact that he'd been found and brought in."
I sigh deeply. I had been hoping that wouldn't be the case. "Can I adopt him? Is that why you're calling? To see if I'll take him?"
The line and Garrett go silent for a moment, and I worry that there's some reason I couldn't take Vision. I've never owned a dog, but I'm pretty sure I'd be a better owner than his last.
"I don't see any reason why you could't take him. We'd like to see how he's doing in the morning and go from there." Garrett is going over the services they've already provided and how they would update the microchip's information to reflect my own.
Bella gives me a watery smile, pats my shoulder, and heads back up to bed. I tell Garrett that I'll be available to pick up Vision whenever he's cleared to come home. "I really appreciate you calling."
"I wasn't sure I should, given the time. But, I saw how upset you were and how you'd already bonded. I couldn't let you go all night without knowing." Garrett bids me goodnight, and I find Bella curled up in her bed, waiting for me.
"So, our family is expanding, huh?" Bella snuggles into my arms when I climb into bed, and I sigh.
"I like the sound of that." I hum.
"Sound of what?" She's yawning, already falling asleep.
"Our family."
"Edward! You can't get everything in the store!" Bella has her arms crossed while I load up two shopping carts full of supplies. Wanda has laid down on the cool linoleum, watching us.
"I don't know if you're aware, but I recently won the lottery, so I can, in fact, get everything." I stick my tongue out at her as she rolls her eyes.
"You put that food back, or so help me God, we're through. I'll be making Vision's food." She literally steps between me and the cart, and I take a breath, surveying the damage.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe I went a little overboard."
She clicks her tongue. "Maybe? Edward, you don't need a dog bed for every room! Vision might not even like a bed. Babe, you need to calm down." She steps up to me, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "I love you, but you're nuts right now."
We both freeze up, me calming down at her words. She pulls away abruptly, trying to explain away what she just said.
"I mean that I love what you're doing for Vision, and you're so thoughtful. I didn't mean … of course, I mean it. Jesus, I didn't want to tell you like this, Edward. Not in a pet supply store." She sighs, raking a hand through her hair. "Say something."
Stepping forward to kiss her lips, I murmur, "I love you too."
Bella exhales sharply. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. I knew early on, but I didn't want to scare you off. I wanted to plan something while we were on the island, but with the sunburns and then we finally—"
She leaps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist. "Say it again."
"I love you. I love you. And you love me. So, I'll listen to you and only buy two leashes, one bed, but I'm getting most of these toys." She giggles in my arms as Wanda barks happily around us.
"You'll buy a few toys to see what he likes. I love you, Edward. I'm so lucky to have you in my life." She climbs down, quiets Wanda, and smiles at me. "Let's go get our boy."