BPOV

The day after the rest of the Cullen family found out about the pregnancy was the day I told Sophie that I was pregnant. Naturally she became very excited, not only about the baby but also about the fact that me taking my maternity leave meant she would get the chance to run the office by herself and get some experience dealing with clients firsthand. I had already made a note of the events that were scheduled around the time I would be on leave, and I was spending the day briefing her and letting her become familiarized with the clients' accounts. All in all, prepping Sophie was proving to be quite productive, especially since it efficiently distracted me from the whole situation with Edward.

The days went by quickly. Both Edward and I were busy with work, so there wasn't much chance for confrontations or awkward situations. I had called Renee the day before to tell her the news. She squealed with excitement and promised to come visit as soon as Phil's schedule would allow it. I loved my mother very much, but I seriously doubted that trip would be happening any time soon. With luck, Renee would be here before the baby's first birthday. Although she did the best she could, motherhood was not for Renee. She had always been more of a friend than a mother; therefore, all the responsibility fell to me. Before I left Jacksonville to go live with Charlie, I had been in charge of cooking, grocery shopping, paying the bills and the laundry because Renee was too much of a "free spirit", so to speak, to do it herself. Once Phil came along, I knew she would be taken care of and decided it was time to spend time with Charlie and let Renee enjoy her life with Phil.

I sighed, realizing I still had to tell Charlie the news. Despite the fact that I was a fully grown woman, the prospect of telling Charlie that I was pregnant was a bit scary. However, time was running out. Between Edward's family already knowing and the fact that I would probably start to show soon, a visit to my dad's house would have to be scheduled soon.

Since the eventful dinner at the Cullens' a few days ago, I had been speaking with Alice and Rosalie quite frequently, venting about my frustrations and fears about Edward. I decided to implement the advice Alice had given me during our last conversation. Despite being terrified of Edward confirming my fears, I knew Alice was right, and I had to confront him. I was sick and tired of tiptoeing around him; I needed his support, his love, his understanding. Alice had suggested that I force Edward to acknowledge the baby situation by being more upfront about all the baby-related stuff, like suggesting shopping trips for baby stuff, or mentioning ideas for the nursery or even a strategically-placed book of baby names. I thought it was a great idea since it was less likely to lead to a fight, and Edward would have no choice but to talk about the baby. The following afternoon after work, I headed to the nearest bookshop and purchased a book of baby names along with a few other pregnancy and birth books and a book called The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be for Edward. However, before I had a chance to put in motion my plan, or Alice's plan really, I was treated to quite the surprise when I got home.

As soon as I entered, I was greeted by an exuberant Edward, who quickly came over to greet me with the most passionate kiss we'd shared in weeks.

"Hi," he said before kissing me again.

"Hello," I replied a bit confused.

"I hope you're hungry. I made dinner," Edward said before taking the bags I had been holding and helping me take off my coat. He deposited everything on the couch and led me towards the table where dinner was waiting.

"You look beautiful," he whispered before kissing me quickly. He pulled out my chair and then sat down across from me giving me the most radiant smile I had seen in quite a while.

"You seem happy," I pointed out smiling at him.

"I am. I got some pretty exciting news today."

"Let's heart it," I said.

"You know that case I've been working on? The Dillon case?" he asked. I nodded. "Stevenson, one of the senior partners, stopped by my office today to see how it was going and said he was really pleased with my performance. He said that if I won the case I would probably be made partner in a few months."

"Oh my God! That's amazing, Edward."

"Do you know what this means? I could finally stop working such crazy hours; I could take a day off here and there. I can't even remember the last time I took a day off," Edward said.

Dinner was a cheerful affair. Edward was in such a good mood it was hard not to get caught up in it. After finishing, I was standing in front of the sink washing the dishes when I felt Edward wrap his arms around me from behind and softly place a kiss on the side of my neck. It felt so good to receive that kind of attention, especially after the last few tension-filled weeks in which he had pretty much avoided all contact with me. Once I finished, I dried my hands and turned around to face him. He placed a short, almost hesitant kiss on my lips before leaning down again and kissing me much more passionately. Soon, we were moving in the direction of our bedroom, discarding our clothes as we went before landing on our bed and making love.

This continued throughout the rest of the week. I would arrive home from work to find dinner on the table. Edward would either cook or get take out. Then we'd clean everything up, and as soon as we were done we would head straight to the bedroom, clinging to each other and leaving a trail of clothes behind us. I was ecstatic naturally. Even though we still weren't discussing the baby or any baby-related topic, I felt like this was the turning point that I had been waiting for. Little did I know, this would actually be the calm before the storm.

About a week after Edward had received his good news, I woke up to find something that had definitely not been there the night before. A baby bump. It was small, hardly noticeable underneath clothes, but since I was in my underwear it was quite visible. I was absolutely perplexed. I softly ran my hand over it, noticing how hard it was. I went to stand in front of the full-length mirror and was so busy looking at myself from all possible angles that I didn't hear Edward come into the room. I looked up in the mirror and saw him staring at my belly with a look that was a mixture of shock and absolute fright. It was a few minutes before either one of us made a move. It was Edward who broke the spell, turning away from me to head towards the closet to get a tie. I was almost holding my breath, not sure what to expect from Edward. Everything had been going so well the past week that I wasn't quite sure what to expect. But it seemed like this was a bit too much for him.

Finding something to wear was tricky. I didn't want to wear anything that was too baggy nor something that was too tight. The real problem was finding a pair of pants that fit, since my waistline had expanded overnight. I realized I would have to make a shopping trip soon for maternity clothes, particularly for pants with expanding waistlines. After settling on a skirt and a blouse, I went to the kitchen to have some breakfast. Edward was sitting at the table, quietly eating his cereal. While I made myself some toast, he rinsed his plate and quickly walked over to me to place a light kiss on my head before murmuring a goodbye and leaving. I sighed deeply, praying this new development wouldn't cause a setback in our relationship.

But as the days went by, Edward became withdrawn and indifferent, just as he had been before. I was heartbroken to see that what had happened the week before had been an exception and that Edward's attitude hadn't changed at all. I decided not to wallow in my misery and to put my plan into motion. I left the baby book on our bed and went on the internet to look at cribs and strollers, so that when Edward got home, he would see what I was looking at. I had also called my father that morning and made plans for Edward and me to go visit him the following day.

I was once again disappointed when Edward came home and made no comment or acknowledgment about the websites I was looking at. I was just about to ask for his opinion on a particularly ugly crib, just to get him to talk about it, when I remembered I had to tell him I'd made plans with Charlie, and I was afraid the crib would push him over the edge, so I turned off the computer and went into the bedroom where he was changing out of his work clothes.

"I talked to my dad today," I said from my place at the threshold.

"Did you?" he asked while he changed. "How is he?"

"He's good. He wants to see us. I told him we would go visit him after work tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure," He answered distractedly.

"Are you going to be able to make it?" I insisted.

"Yes, it won't be a problem."

"I figured we should probably tell him about the baby while we're there," I said, waiting to see how he would react. He froze for a few seconds before he went back to looking for shoes.

"Okay, whatever you want."

That was pretty much the extent of our conversation for the day. We had a very quiet dinner and then went to bed. After having enjoyed being intimate the entire week, I felt as though we were miles apart from each other instead of being in the same bed.

When the time came to head over to Charlie's the following day, I sat on the couch impatiently, looking at my watch every few minutes. Edward was running late. After half an hour had passed and I still hadn't heard from Edward, I decided to call him. The call went straight to voicemail. A few minutes later, just as I was about to call him again, I got a text message. Stuck in court. Sorry. Can't make it. I felt my eyes well up with tears. I breathed deeply a few times, trying to compose myself. After fixing my makeup, I grabbed my car keys and left.

A few minutes later I pulled up in front of my old house. I went inside to find Charlie sitting on the couch watching sports as usual.

"Hey Dad."

"Hey Bells. You look good," He said, breaking away from the TV long enough to look at me.

"Thanks."

"So, what's up?"

"Just wanted to drop by, make sure you were feeding yourself properly," I said, eyeing the empty pizza box lying on the coffee table.

"I'm a grown man, Bells. I can take care of myself," He grunted. I rolled my eyes.

"How about I make us some dinner?"

"Sounds good. There's fish in the fridge," My stomach churned unpleasantly at the mention of fish. I willed myself not to throw up in my dad's living room.

"I'll just head to the grocery store, pick up a few things," I said once the nausea had passed.

"Alright," he chuckled.

About half an hour later, I was back at Charlie's making dinner while he watched TV. Once I finished, we sat down in the kitchen and ate quietly.

"So, how's work?" Charlie asked.

"Work is good, I've been pretty busy, but it's good," I answered.

"I actually have some news," I began after a few minutes of silence. Charlie must have sensed it was important because he stopped eating and looked at me expectantly.

"Edward finally pop the question?" he asked.

"No. That's not it."

"Then, what is it?" he asked.

"I, umm…" I trailed off. "The thing is…" I stopped again.

"Bella…" he said.

"I'm pregnant," I finally blurted out.

"You're what now?" I definitely had his full attention now.

"Pregnant," I almost whispered.

"Where's Edward?" he almost barked out after a few minutes of silence.

"He's tied up at work," I answered avoiding his eyes.

"Don't you think he should be here with you now?"

"I do. It's not that I don't think he should be here. He's just really busy with work. He's about to be made partner."

"Work is just work. Family comes first," he grumbled. "He should be here, taking care of you."

"I don't need him to take care of me. I can take care of myself," Now I grumbled.

"Well then, he should be here to take care of his child."

"It's not like he can do much now. The baby pretty much goes where I go," I pointed out.

"I'm just saying, he should there for you is all."

Without even realizing it, Charlie hit the mark with his words. I tried my best not to let it get to me and to enjoy the rest of my time with him before I went back home. Edward was already home when I got there. He was in bed working on his laptop. Since I was still completely pissed off at him, I ignored him while I got ready for bed.

"Hey," He greeted me softly, looking up from his computer.

"Hi," I muttered.

"How is Charlie?"

"Fine," I said while I took off my clothes.

"Did you have a nice time?"

"You mean despite you blowing me off yet again? Yes, I had a lovely time," I said in a very sarcastic manner.

"Bella," He stopped to sigh deeply. "I'm sorry. Something came up at the last minute. I had no idea I'd have to go to court."

"I don't want to talk about it, okay?" I answered in a clipped tone.

We both remained quiet after that. Once I was ready for bed, I got in and turned to lie on my side before reaching over to the nightstand and turning off the lamp. I tried to sleep but I couldn't. I heard Edward typing on his computer for a few minutes before he stopped. A few seconds later I felt him softly caressing my hair. My eyes welled up with tears, and soon they were running down my face. I tried to be as still as possible, because Edward thought I was asleep, and I didn't want him to see me crying.

The following morning I got up feeling exhausted. I'd hardly got any sleep the night before, even after Edward went to sleep. His side of the bed was cold when I woke up, meaning he had been up for a while. I went into the kitchen to make breakfast and found a note from Edward saying he had to be at the office early. I wanted to scream in frustration. The rest of the morning only continued to get worse, as a number of unexpected complications came up at work, making things extremely hectic. On top of that, the baby decided it didn't like what I'd had for breakfast; therefore I spent my time dealing with clients in between trips to the bathroom to empty my stomach. By the time I got home that night I was exhausted.

Edward was quiet as usual, and I was beginning to lose my mind. I figured it was a good time to put my plan into motion. After dinner, once we were both settled in bed I broached the subject of the baby.

"I went to the bookstore the other day. I got a book of baby names," I mentioned casually.

"Did you?" he asked distractedly while going over some papers from work.

"Yeah. I didn't get a chance to look at it yet."

"Hmm," he mumbled.

"Maybe we could take a look at it together."

"Sure."

"I got a book for you too. The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be. It's supposed to be really good. The lady at the bookstore recommended it," I commented.

"I'll take a look at it," he answered. I sighed deeply.

"I was thinking that maybe this weekend we could go look at cribs and stuff for the baby."

"Isn't it a bit early to do that?" he asked, looking up for the first time since the conversation started.

"We're not going to buy, we're just going to look. We are gonna need a lot of stuff," I said.

"Yeah. Maybe," he said noncommittally.

Soon enough, I entered the twelfth week in my pregnancy. I definitely looked pregnant by now. As soon as I mentioned shopping to Alice, she dragged Rosalie and me to all kinds of stores where she proceeded to pile clothes for me to try on. I ended up coming back with practically an entire wardrobe's worth of maternity clothes. I was scheduled to go see Doctor Bradley today for my first ultrasound. I was very excited about the prospect of hearing the baby's heartbeat. Because it was too soon to feel any movement, I was really looking forward to hearing the heartbeat. It would make everything seem that much more real.

I was dreading asking Edward whether he would go with me or not. He had been really busy with work, and I knew he was really uncomfortable about the appointment. Finally, I gathered the courage and asked him. As usual he was too busy and apologized profusely. I felt the familiar burst of anger mixed with disappointment and sadness creep up, but I decided not to let this get me down. Today was an important day and I wanted to enjoy it, even if it was by myself.

My appointment was at three p.m. I left the office before lunch, giving Sophie instructions to lock up at the end of the day. I went home to have lunch and a shower and then headed towards Doctor Bradley's office. Once I was finally inside her office, she instructed me to get on the examining table and to lift up my shirt. She squirted some of the gel and then pressed the ultrasound device to my belly. She moved it around and examined the image on the screen, pointing out some things to me. Then I was able to hear the heartbeat. Tears poured from my eyes as I heard the beautiful sound that sounded like galloping horses. Once we were finished, I wiped my stomach and sat at her desk.

"Well, everything seems to be going well. The baby should be about two inches long, roughly the size of a lime," Doctor Bradley smiled at me. "You're just about to enter your second trimester which means the risk of miscarrying will decrease significantly."

I smiled and lightly rubbed my stomach. I was still amazed to feel the hardness of my skin that had stretched to accommodate the baby.

"Are you experiencing any type of discomfort, aside from morning sickness?"

"My skin itches, especially my stomach," I said.

"That's perfectly normal. Your stomach itches because the skin has stretched. If it bothers you too much there are some things you can do to help with that. First of all, you should try to avoid hot showers or baths since the hot water can dry out the skin and make the itching worse. You can use mild soap, making sure to rinse it off thoroughly and then towel off lightly. Then you should slather on some unscented moisturizer."

"Okay, so I shouldn't worry about the itchiness? I asked.

"Well, if the itchiness becomes more intense, particularly during the second and third trimester you should probably schedule a consult so that I can have a look. Severe itchiness in the second and third trimester can be a sign of a condition called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. However, it's a pretty rare condition that usually affects only one percent of women, so I wouldn't worry about it." She smiled reassuringly at me.

EPOV

I sighed heavily, slumping against the counter in the bar I was currently sitting in, nursing a beer. Everything felt completely out of control. I felt out of control. All the emotions that everyone had assured me would go away only seemed to have intensified in the last few weeks. Seeing Bella pregnant was absolutely bittersweet for me. It was painful. I could hardly stand to look at her most days. She looked so unbelievably beautiful. She was made to be a mother. She was made to be carrying life. But she deserved someone who would be there for her, someone who would go with her to the doctor's appointments, who would go through that stupid book and try to find the perfect name, someone who would help her decorate a nursery and pick out a crib and clothes and everything that the baby would need. She deserved someone who would treat her right. Someone who could enjoy this with her. Instead, she got stuck with an asshole who constantly hurt her feelings, someone who put work before her and their child, someone who could barely breathe at the mere thought of being a father. Someone who was too much of a coward to admit that he was terrified of being a father and instead of being there to listen to his child's heart beating was hiding in a bar, drinking. He flipped his cell phone open and looked at the time. Three o'clock. She deserved much better.

*AN:

Hello everyone! First of all, I would like to apologize for the delay. I know I said I would try to have this chapter out in a week but I had a very complicated week and then I had a hard time finding inspiration to write but here it is! I was extremely happy with the response I got to the previous chapter so I hope you'll enjoy this one too!

I'd like to thank my beta as usual, tiffanyanne3, and send her all my love and support to her and her family!

Hopefully next chapter won't take as long as this one did to write. I'm really looking forward to hearing from you!

Love, Rory*