AN: I hope you've all enjoyed this one. Epilogue 2 will post shortly
Thanks to my wonderful team of beta's and pre-readers - MeteorOnAMoonlessNight, Midnight Cougar, and ghostreader24. They're the best of the best
To reviewers, followers, and favoriters; thank you for your constant support
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns every piece of Twilight
Boyfriends of Christmas Past Epilogue 1
Summary
A trip back home for the holidays shows Bella everything she didn't know had been missing from her life.
Epilogue Part 1
Bella
I came awake slowly to the feel of Edward's hair brushing against the skin of my stomach and his tongue on my clit. A powerful orgasm rocked through me before I'd even opened my eyes, and I luxuriated in the feeling rushing through my veins and out to every extremity. I curled my toes, stretching and smiling like the proverbial cat that got the cream.
"Good morning, sweetheart." His words were soft and spoken against the skin of my stomach.
Edward shifted until he was behind me, drawing me close to his chest. Smoothing my hair back from my neck, his mouth worked its way from my shoulder along my jaw, ending behind my ear with that spot that made me shiver.
Lifting my leg back over his hip, his fingers found my clit again as he slid his length into me, withdrawing then pushing back inside. Still sensitive from my orgasm, it didn't take long for me to come again, Edward following seconds later, murmuring his love for me into my neck.
Lying there with Edward's scent and body surrounding me, I drifted in and out of sleep for a while until I felt him leave the bed.
"If you can give me a minute, Edward," I murmured, "I'll make you breakfast and do your lunch for you."
He leaned over me, brushing the hair off my face and kissing my forehead. "It's fine, sweetheart. I'm perfectly capable of doing both. You stay where you are, okay?"
I nodded and yawned before closing my eyes and returning to sleep.
The next time I opened my eyes it was past mid-day. I cursed and slid out of bed, making my way to the shower where I quickly washed myself and my hair. Alice would be pissed if I was late again.
Looking out the window, I could see the river tumbling and raging below. The storm last night had swollen it to the extent there was no sign of the small beach below the boardwalk. It looked cold, as Forks' Decembers usually were, and I dressed in warm, fleece-lined leggings and a short, knitted dress Alice had insisted looked great on me.
I sat on the end of the bed, glad I'd persuaded Edward to move the master bedroom upstairs, turning the suite downstairs into a guest room.
The banging of the front door and footsteps running through the house brought me out of my thoughts.
"Momma! Momma! Where are you?"
"I'm up here, sweetheart. Is Nana Esme with you?"
The thunder of footsteps carried on up the stairs and the face of a breathless child appeared around the edge of the doorway.
"Hi, Daisy, sweetie." I held out my arms, and my four-year-old daughter rushed into them. I hugged her tightly until she squeaked.
She giggled as I released her. "Momma, not so tight!" She laughed.
"Is Nana Esme with you?" I asked again.
"Yep, she's in the kitchen, putting some dinners in the refrigerator."
"That's nice of her, isn't it?" I brushed a wayward curl off her face and tucked it behind her ear.
Daisy had inherited Edward's unruly bronze hair and gorgeous green eyes, with very little of me showing in her face. She was as outgoing as he was, too. Always on the go, wanting to try new things. She seemed to be afraid of nothing.
"Did you have a nice sleepover with Nana Esme and Grandpa Carlisle?
"Yep! Me and Grandpa Car had a tea party, and Nana Eme and me made choc muffins for your party aday." She'd had trouble pronouncing both Carlisle and Esme, and her nicknames stuck.
"Sounds lovely, sweetie."
I sniggered internally at the image of Carlisle sitting in one of Daisy's little chairs with a feather boa and holding a tiny cup with pretend tea, his pinky finger at just the right angle. How did I know this? Edward had indulged her a time or two.
My musing was interrupted by Esme popping her head around the door. "How are you today, Bella? Little ones giving you any trouble?"
I laughed. She asked me the same thing every day, and I couldn't love her more for it. "I'm fine, thanks, Esme, apart from feeling like a beached whale. I haven't seen my feet in forever, and they love to kick my ribs and my bladder alternately. I can't wait to meet these two," I said, smoothing my hand over the huge expanse of my stomach, receiving a kick from each baby in reply.
"Well, you can stay there and relax for a while if you want. There's a few hours until the shower, and I can keep Daisy occupied."
"No, that's okay, Esme. I'll be down in a second, although I will take you up on the occupation bit for Daisy. She's a sweet child, but exhausting."
"No problem. I'm just going to make some raspberry leaf tea, so I'll see you downstairs in a bit." She held out her hand. "Come on, Daisy. Help me make Momma some tea."
Daisy leaped off the bed, where she'd thrown herself while Esme and I were talking. Taking Esme's hand, they left me to my thoughts again.
~ oOo ~
This pregnancy was so different from when I was carrying Daisy.
Edward and I had returned from L.A. in mid-January, and the first few weeks of us living together had gone by in a dream. When he wasn't working, which was fairly often since the weather was awful, we spent afternoons in bed making love, reading, talking, watching television, and making love some more. Weekends were reserved for decorating the house and comfortably furnishing it to our tastes.
Our first argument was over money—he wanted to do everything, and I wanted to contribute in some way. Eventually, we agreed I would put half the money I received from the film script collaboration I'd recently finished into the house. I wanted to feel it was partly mine, and Edward understood that. Since he had come into his inheritance and used some of it to build the house, there was no mortgage to pay, so we split the utilities and groceries.
We received notification that Alec's trial was to take place in early April and he was pleading not guilty, claiming I liked rough sex and role play. I was shocked he would say something like that about me, and I was worried sick about standing up in front of a jury and reciting what had happened and the public revelations about my sex life.
Although I continued working remotely, Emma agreed I wouldn't have to come back to L.A. unless it was crucial. I lost myself in work, withdrawing from Edward while I tried to come to terms with having not recognized what Alec had been hiding from me.
When the nausea and sickness continued weeks after the prosecutor's office contacted me, Edward quietly made a doctor's appointment for me. At first, I was angry at him for what I thought was interfering, but then I realized it was only his worry for me as I'd lost weight, too.
The doctor insisted on doing a pregnancy test, and although I protested it was only stress that caused my periods to be absent, I was shocked when it came back positive, and I felt stupid.
Edward was worried enough to talk to his mom and dad, then staged an intervention, suggesting it was time I talked to a professional. I agreed with bad grace, only because Edward looked so devastated when I told him to stop interfering with my life.
The therapist I talked to over the next four months helped me see that people like Alec were very adept at hiding their true selves, and relied on people like me who trusted them to be able to perpetuate their crimes. She made me see that none of it was my fault; all I had done was stay in a relationship for longer than I should have, and that wasn't a crime.
Before the trial opened, three women came forward from Alec's past and gave statements that told of his treatment of them. Their information corroborated mine, and when Caius Salvatori, the storage unit manager, came forward to tell the police that Alec had paid him to follow me and inform Alec of my whereabouts, Alec changed his plea to guilty.
Not having to attend a trial lifted a huge weight from my shoulders. When Alec was sentenced, he was given eight years for each of the three women he raped and four years for assaulting me, resulting in a minimum term of fourteen years and having to register on the sex offenders list.
His career was finished, since his agent and the movie-makers dropped him like a hot potato, especially after the magazine ran stories given by the other women. I refused to comment or to speak to any reporters, and eventually, we were left alone.
~ oOo ~
Despite waking late, I must have fallen asleep again, these babies taking it out of me in a different way than my pregnancy with Daisy.
I surfaced listening to Daisy whisper to Esme. "Is Momma gonna wake up soon, Nana Eme? I wanna start the party."
"Well, sweetie, your momma needs her rest. Those babies in her tummy make her really tired, and you want her to enjoy her party, don't you?"
"O'course, Nana Eme. I don't want Momma to be tired, but I been waiting for a long, long time."
"I'm awake, Daisy." I yawned and pulled myself upright. "Sorry, Esme, I didn't mean to fall asleep again; I missed my tea."
"It's fine, Bella; I've just made more for you." She indicated the cup on the nightstand. "Are you going to be okay for today?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks, Esme. Give me a minute to wash up and drink my tea, and I'll be down."
Esme left the room, trailed by Daisy, and I stretched, then reached for my tea. I drank half of it before standing and making my way to the bathroom. I splashed my face with water and tidied my hair, then finished my tea. Grabbing my empty cup, I headed downstairs, rinsing it and placing it in the dishwasher, then took a seat in the living room. Edward had lit a fire this morning, as usual, making the room as warm and welcoming as it had been that day almost five years ago now; the day Edward had first brought me here.
It was two days before Christmas Eve, and the baby shower, which had been planned for the diner, had been moved to the house because I'd been so tired lately. Thirteen people were due to arrive in—I leaned over and looked at the clock in the kitchen—approximately an hour.
Esme and Daisy had already laid out the food and soft drinks while I rested; the room decorated with a teddy bear theme. The Christmas decorations had been up since Thanksgiving, adding to Daisy's excitement, and the huge tree we'd found at the same lot Dad and I had bought one from every year was in pride of place—in front of the window looking out over the river and opposite the fire.
Baby number one was a boy, and we already had one name. Edward Charles or Teddy, hence the teddy bear themed baby shower. Our baby number two was shy, and we still didn't know if they were a he or a she, as even the scans were inconclusive. Either way, we hadn't yet decided on a name, though we'd spent many evenings discussing it.
Alice was the first to arrive. After we'd left L.A., Jasper and Alice had stayed in touch, visiting us when I couldn't bear the thought of going back to California. Dad loved Alice, her bubbly personality, her love for me, and of course, how she'd stepped up to help me when I needed it the most—twice. She and Jasper had fit in with our friends as if they'd always been there, and I'd been over the moon when they'd finally made the move to Forks eighteen months ago.
That was where Edward was today. Alice and Jasper had rented an apartment when they first arrived in Forks, but Edward was over at the site of their house, where he and Jasper and Emmett McCarty were busy renovating.
"Hi, Alice," I called as Esme let her into the house.
She practically bounced into the room, full of beans as usual, and hugged me, then rubbed her hand over my stomach.
"How are you and my god-children today?" she chirped.
"Much the same as yesterday, Alice. I'm tired, and they're gymnastics champions, but we're good, actually. I'm looking forward to meeting them."
"You had a scan yesterday, too, didn't you? Did baby two show you the goods?"
"Nope." I laughed. "He or she is still shy, and hiding from every scan. Thank goodness, I only have a little more than three weeks to go, but twins are usually born early. Dr. Banner, the same obstetrician we had for Daisy and her emergency Cesarean, has scheduled me for a C-section on the eighteenth of January, but I'm hoping they'll put in an appearance sooner, and I can avoid it this time."
"So, everything's ready now?"
"Yep! Esme finished the last-minute changes to the new nursery yesterday. Now, all we need are the babies." I yawned again. "Sorry, Alice, but these little ones kept me up half of last night. It seems as soon as I get into bed and get comfortable, they're at their most active. I didn't fall asleep until late last night—or was that early this morning? Then Edward woke me before he left for work."
Alice winked at me, and I blushed. There was nothing in what I said for her to know why or how he woke me, but my blush gave me away.
"Shut up!" I giggled, turning away and heading to the refrigerator to get a bottle of water.
The doorbell went again, saving me from any more inquisition from Alice. Jess and Angela trouped in, followed by Lauren. The latter was almost as far along as I was with her and Jake's first baby, and she was positively glowing.
"Lauren." I pulled her in for a hug as she kissed my cheek. We'd become good friends over the last few years. Even though Jake and I never made it because I was not part of the tribe, I didn't resent her being his 'one'.
Jess and Angela were talking about the coffee shop, which Jess had recently invested in so they could expand. I greeted them both, then all three moved into the house, taking seats around the dining table or on the long, comfortable window seats. There was a lull between arrivals, and I took the opportunity to get something to eat while Esme passed around plates and everyone helped themselves to the food.
Fifteen minutes after the girls arrived, the doorbell rang again, and I opened it to admit Rose McCarty. Esme had introduced her to me at the New Year's Eve party where Edward and I had finally cleared the air; the turning point in our relationship.
She was a surgeon at the same hospital Carlisle worked at, and was married to Emmett McCarty, one of my dad's deputies. Emmett and Edward had connected when Dad invited them to go fishing, and a bromance was born. When Jasper joined the two of them, they became the best of friends.
Rose had recently found out she was pregnant, and although she and Emmett had been shocked at first, they were really looking forward to the arrival of their baby.
"Hi, Rose, I'm glad you could make it." She and I had become good friends, bonding over all things baby. "How are you?"
"I'm good, Bella." She reached out and pulled me into a hug. "How are you feeling? I bet you can't wait to meet these babies. You had another ultrasound yesterday, too, didn't you? Any luck?"
"That's so true, Rose. I'm fed up with feeling like a whale. I've no idea why Edward still wants me. I'm a blimp." I sighed. "And still nothing—I guess he or she wants to surprise us. How about you? Do you know what you're having yet?"
A secretive smile crossed Rose's face. "It's a little girl, Bella." She clapped her hands, reminding me of Alice at that moment. "I'm so excited, and Emmett is over the moon, but, come on, sweetie. This is your day, so let's not tell anyone yet."
I nodded, then led Rose through into the dining area. "Hey, everyone, I think you all know Rose."
There were cries of yeses and hellos from the girls, and I left Rose getting something from the buffet and chatting to the others so I could answer the door.
Sue, Leah, and Emily arrived together. Sue and Charlie had married not long after Daisy was born, putting off their wedding until after Alec's trial and Daisy's birth, happily uniting our families.
Didyme Volturi and Kate Denali, who was now Kate Damon, having married Garrett a few years ago, arrived at the same time and were stepping out of the car. Kate was the only one of the three sisters I was friends with, despite Garrett having been my boyfriend first. Tanya had accused me of having an affair with Tyler Crowley—as if I'd ever pick Tyler over Edward in any world. Irina, after Edward had very strongly told her he wasn't interested, had left town. I wasn't interested, but Kate had said she was living with a guy named Laurent somewhere in Alaska.
Didyme was married to Aro Volturi, another of Carlisle's colleagues, and had also been at Esme's New Year's Eve party.
Now, with everyone there, I took a seat between Daisy and Esme. Jess, who'd helped Alice with the planning, had arranged for some games. These broke the ice and had everyone laughing in no time, as we tried to guess who's baby photo belonged to whom, then moved on to guessing my waist measurement, musical chairs to change then re-dress the baby, all with prizes for the winners.
Alice and Jess arranged for everyone to guess the birth weight of each baby, and even to choose names, which all went into a hat, the winner of both of these to be decided once our twins were born.
We had plenty of baby things from when Daisy was tiny, but needed more because at least one of the twins was a boy, and I now needed two of everything. Jess had said it wasn't a bad thing to create a registry since most people didn't know what we needed.
The party was winding down by three-thirty, leaving me tired but happy. Daisy really enjoyed herself, especially since everyone doted on her, and she passed out little goody bags that she and Esme had put together yesterday. The backache I'd had all day was beginning to bother me, and I couldn't sit still. Esme eyed me with concern a few times, but I smiled and shook off her concerned looks—I'd had backaches for a lot of the last couple of months, so I wasn't worried.
Didyme and Kate were the first to leave, followed by Lauren and Angela, and Jess said she'd catch a ride with Alice after they'd helped with the cleanup. Both Alice and Rose were staying until the boys finished whatever they were doing for the day, and Esme was taking Daisy again tonight.
As I returned from saying goodbye at the front door, I felt a gush of warm fluid soak my leggings.
"Oh, shit," I whispered, then called out loudly, "Esme, my water just broke."
~ oOo ~
