Ch. 69 Like Her Mother
Love? Thank God. I could hear an internal sigh from Edward.
Ohmygod! Edward?!
Yes, love. It's alright. I'm here.
How? How can I hear you? I couldn't ever hear anyone else when I drifted to them before...
How can I hear any of you? I heard his warm chuckle. Things must be different when you're in me because of your and my combined abilities.
I looked back to my lifeless body lying on the table. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to highjack your body...
No, it's better this way. Look, you're so peaceful, but I can hear your heart beating. You're changing even as we watch...
Are you sure...?
Of course I'm sure. This is a miracle! You can miss all the pain of the change, and you can see our baby...our daughter. His voice wrapped around the word, swaddling it softly and exposing all his devotion and adoration for the new life we had created.
"Our daughter." I said out loud, and I felt the instant draw to her in the other room. Edward's body was as in tune to her needs as my own.
Go to her, love...
I gave my body, lying quietly as if asleep, one last fleeting glance. Though, Carlisle didn't know what was internally happening, he nodded to me—as Edward—and I heard in his thoughts that he would watch over me. My body would be fine here. Our daughter was waiting...
I slowly, for a vampire—Holy shit this is strange to not be human again—approached the doorway. "Esme?"
"Edward? How's Iris? She's so still..." Why is he not with her? Is she alright? Oh, look at his face. He's in love already...
It was strange to hear other's thoughts and Edward's. I had a new respect for my husband. I bet he kept so many secrets all the time...
She was clearly worried about both of us and didn't know that we were both in front of her totally fine which I could easily correct by telling here, but I couldn't pay attention to anything she said because my—Edward's—eyes were locked on to the most beautiful shade of bright, emerald green I had ever seen.
"Stunning..." My baby. Oh my God. She's amazing. So ethereal, so angelic, so pure, so absolute. Nothing seemed adequate to describe the total perfection which Esme held so near to her chest. She was everything.
Our everything. Edward agreed in a reverent tone. The wonder in his mind echoed my own, our thoughts so intertwined that I wasn't sure where his stopped and mine began.
I reached for her just as I could feel Edward mentally reaching for her, and we sighed together when Esme gently released the small, warm bundle of blankets to us.
The tiny baby stared up at me blinking at the brightness. Her thoughts were curious. No words, but a sense of calm, only slightly stressed from the lights. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. Is that light too much? Come here, sweetie." I cuddled her gently to me, and walked into the darkened hall. Her thoughts shifted back to a drowsy state of peace. I rocked her to and fro in my arms until her eyes closed. I mourned the experience of staring into their jade depth, but I was content to study her tranquil expression, and listen to the flutter of her hummingbird heartbeat.
Her appearance was an impeccable blend of Edward and me. She had Edward's straight nose, his full lips, and his piercing eye color. Her thick, blonde hair stuck out about an inch from her head wildly in perfect disarray, so she got his hair with my color...
Alice will love that...I heard Edward's internal chuckle.
The rest of her face was all me. Her eyes were ovals, close-set, but wide somehow at the same time. Her face was round and soft without the sharpness of age yet, but I could see my high cheekbones beneath the chubby skin. She was fair skinned, but there were both pink and olive undertones present. Her scent was a mixture of honeysuckle and lemons. Sweet and citrusy, another example of a perfect combination of Edward and me. There was no bloodlust for her, at least not from Edward's body. I prayed that I would feel the same when I saw her in my own body. Every piece of her was harmonious, balanced.
Wait, we need a name!
Hmm I've been thinking, but nothing seems good enough. Edward thought.
How about Renesmee? Hah. Just kidding. I could practically feel Edward's sigh. Sometimes he just didn't properly appreciate my humor. Then it came to me.
"Thea." I said aloud as the name flowed through me. I liked the softness in the syllables and the otherworldliness. It was both of this world and unique.
Perfect. Edward murmured.
"What?" Rosalie appeared next to Esme, and she smiled.
"Her name is Thea. Thea was the goddess of light and mother of the moon in Greek mythology. It's perfect. Thea Elizabeth Cullen." Maybe it was a bit narcissistic of me, but I wanted my daughter to have a piece of me in her name. Edward wordlessly supported my choice. I could feel his warmth for our daughter still flowing throughout me.
"Thea." Esme tested, and her lips turned up. "Beautiful, absolutely right. How did you and Iris decide, Edward?"
"What?" I was still wrapped up in Thea's mind. So wonderful. Oh, that's why Edward kept saying that...
Exactly...Edward was living vicariously through me.
God, for how melodramatic Edward is about her, he sure isn't concerned about his wife. Way to go, brother...Rosalie's signature bluntness was present even in her mind.
Oh right. No one knows it's me..."Actually, I am Iris. That's why my body seems so cool under pressure back there...And as strange as this is, I can read Edward's mind, and he's totally fine with sharing the space while I change in there." I spoke without looking away from our sleeping beauty. Even in just the ten minutes I had been holding her, I could see her features changing minutely. She was growing, maturing, and I didn't want to miss a single second of it.
"Oh." How strange. Esme's thoughts shifted to imagining sharing a body with Carlisle. She was undecided on whether that would be pleasant or frustrating.
Rosalie's mind went right back to the baby. I really want to hold her. Would that be rude to just take her? She sighed internally and then looked at me with a guilty expression when she remembered that I could hear her.
"Iris!" Alice danced to my side, and looked at Thea. "She's perfect, of course. But since you're in Edward, I was thinking—"
"Horrible idea." I laughed as I got a vision of Alice giving Edward a total makeover.
"Killjoy." She deadpanned, but giggled. "I guess I'll just focus my talents elsewhere. Do you mind?" She gestured toward my body, and I shrugged.
"Go for it. I'll just be here soaking up everything I can about the most precious part of my life." I was dizzy with how happy I felt holding this little being. Sorry, my love, you're running a close race now.
It's fine. It's no competition, really. Look at her...Esme was right. He was so in love, and who could blame him?
She was the personification of love. She was beauty, light, joy...All things good in this world. She was everything.
Our everything.
I walked to Thea's room, careful not to jostle or wake her, and sat in the rocker in the corner of the room. We had done the room in a warm but light shade of linen with touches of cream. The carpet was lush and off-white, the crib was blonde raw wood with a glossy finish, and the bedding was ivory. Alice must have been in here during Thea's delivery because now there were touches of blush and lilac scattered about in the pictures, blankets, and a bedside lamp. She was always prepared...
Edward and I sat quietly watching our daughter rest. I couldn't get enough of her. I would never be finished staring at this wondrous creature. I could easily be lost for hours in analyzing the way the blood swirled under her skin just so, or how her chubby, hot fingers curled perfectly around my large, cool finger. The little sounds she made as she dreamed of colors swirling around her mind...
Edward was listening to my thoughts, and I his. We each felt...whole, complete.
Then she began to stir.
"Hello, Thea." I couldn't help but smile at the sweet expression she made as she blinked her eyes back open to us. Her cheeks were creased and rosy from sleep, and her green eyes were more striking than even Edward's perfect memory could recall. Her thoughts were content, but there was a hint of confusion or question to them.
"What is it?" She imagined the womb, and there was an overwhelming sense of being home to the image. Then she pictured Carlisle's office, and Esme's face. She was happy, but there was still a remaining question...a longing. "I don't understand, sweetie...I'm sorry."
Then she disappeared. Just like that, my hands were empty. Holy shit! Where's my baby?! "Thea?" Edward's thoughts turned to chaos which didn't help me at all because I was losing my shit already.
Alice, Esme, and Rose heard me screaming too, and their minds each turned on high alert.
"What happened?" Rose was rushing around the room, destroying all the organization.
Esme had pure fear in her face. "Where's the baby?"
"I still can't see her!" Alice was trying her hardest to force a vision, but she was literally coming up blank.
"I don't know!" I cried. Panic. All I could feel was panic. I knew I was going to screw this up. Oh God. I've been a mother for a whole hour, and I was already screwing things up! Shit!
Love, listen...I hear her. I froze at Edward's thought, and then I heard it, her heartbeat.
"She's here." Carlisle called from his office. "I have her, and she's safe."
Edward and I both sighed in relief. If I still had a heart in this body, it would have been beating out of my chest. But how the hell was she in there?!
She must take after her mother...Edward mused, but the thought was tinged with worry.
I rushed back to Carlisle's office—followed closely by Rose, Alice, and Esme—and stopped abruptly when I saw her.
Thea was sleeping soundly once more in my arms—MY arms. She missed her mother. She didn't understand that this was me because she only saw Edward when she looked into my eyes.
Of course. Edward understood immediately. The longing. She wanted you and was trying to tell us.
Oh, Thea...I went to crouch near her—near me—lying with my body, and I ran my hand over her head lovingly as I whispered to her. "Sweetie...you scared us. Did you miss mama? I'm sorry. I know this is confusing. You will have your mama back soon." I hope...I silently amended.
She will. Edward affirmed.
"How..?" Esme began.
"It's like Iris!" Alice proclaimed. "She drifted!" Esme and Rosalie each gasped.
"My baby is an hour old, and she's drifting..." Holy shit...We're in so much trouble.
So much...Edward agreed.
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