Three years later
BPOV
"Angela, can you take the tarts out of the oven? I can smell they're ready," I ask my new bakery manager, and she looks at me questioningly.
"The timer won't go off for another four minutes," she says.
I shrug and give her a little laugh. "I'm trusting my nose on this one."
She smiles and walks back to the kitchen while I finish helping Mrs. Cope, Liam's afterschool babysitter. "Shelly, take home an éclair. On the house. You'll love them," I tell her as I add one to the box I'm filling up for her.
"Oh, Bella, you always have the best treats here." She smiles wistfully. "I just need to be careful how much I'm eating every week."
"I'm thinking Liam keeps you on your toes enough that you don't have to worry about your weight." I smile and we laugh as I ring her up and send her out the door. Speaking of Liam, I wave as I see him climbing out of Edward's car after they pull up in front of the shop.
"I was just talking about you," I say as I pull Liam in for a hug, and he smiles up at me and asks if he can run the register. At six, he's already running the shop as I used to when my grandmother ran it. "You can, but don't get in Angela's way."
Shortly after Edward and I got married two years ago, I adopted Liam. It was a long process, but my heart has never been fuller. He may not be mine by blood, but like Edward, he's the best part of me.
I turn to Edward and smile as he leans in for a kiss. "Hi." His cheeks are red from the cold, and I love that they match the red in his plaid shirt.
"How are you doing?" he asks as he hangs up his and Liam's coats. "Staying off your feet?"
"Of course not." I laugh. "How else will I get you to rub them later? It's been busy today."
"It's always busy." Edward laughs and places a hand on my bulging belly. "But the doctor said you needed to be careful since we were getting so close."
Placing my hand over his I smile. "I'll be better. I promise."
"Bella, Lauren's on line two," Angela calls from the front counter where she and Liam are going over the keys on the register. I waddle to the back and pick up the line.
Ever since Lauren, Ben, and my other employees agreed to keep "Bella Bakes" open in Seattle, it's been the same thriving bakery it once was. Lauren has turned it into one of Seattle's must-see places when in town and has been running things smoothly ever since I promoted her.
"Bella Bakes Cakes" in Forks is just as successful on a slightly smaller scale and an homage to my grandmother. I have just three employees including Angela, and when Ben came up to train them and met Angela, it was only a matter of time before he left Seattle and became our fourth in Forks.
Alice and Jasper were tried for their crimes with Jasper getting three years probation for aiding and abetting, and Alice was sentenced to four years for arson. She has not made early release due to good behavior, and I'm not surprised.
"I just wanted to let you know that Jane called again and wants to know if we can sweeten the deal any more for her?" Lauren asks, and at this point, it's just a courtesy; she's been running the bakery in my name and can make this decision, but it's nice to be included still.
"Tell Jane that we'll knock another five percent off, but if that doesn't meet her expectations, then she'll need to find someone else. Be firm, Lauren," I tell her as I feel a little lightheaded and reach for the stool placed by the phone to sit down.
"You're right," Lauren says. "How are you doing, big mama?"
"Uh, actually." I look down as I feel a growing wetness between my thighs. "I've gotta go, Lauren. I think it's showtime!"
I hang up the phone and calmly walk back out to the front where Edward is telling Angela that she should just ask Ben to move in with her, and I smile.
"Hey, babe," Edward says, and when he sees what must be a look of slight terror on my face, he bolts to me. "Are you okay?"
"My water just broke," I tell him. "It's time."
"Okay." He draws out the "O", and I laugh a little. "Liam, Miss Angela is going to take you to Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Sue's house because Mama and I need to go to the hospital."
"But it's not time to close yet! I can run the store, Mama," Liam pleads.
"I know you can, baby, but this is a special day, remember?" Edward shrugs into his coat and helps me into mine, and we both look to Angela, who laughs.
"I don't know nothing about birthing no babies, but I've got this one just fine." She shoos us out. "Go, have that beautiful baby, and we'll all be by later."
As Edward helps me into his car and straps me in, he kisses me once, twice, three times on the lips, shuts my door, and runs to the driver's side, and climbs in.
I look at the bakery as he pulls away, and I think of all the blessings I have in my life and how we almost didn't get this far. "I love you," I whisper as tears begin to stream down my face.
"I love you too. Let's go meet our daughter," Edward says as he takes my hand.
"I guess it's true what they say, huh?" I say as we pull into the hospital parking lot.
"What's that?"
"Love is all you need."
A/N: I know some of you aren't happy with the way this ended, but I'm sticking to my guns. To those of you that stuck through to the end, thank you! Happy Holidays, wherever you are!