The Hole In Her Heart by Mick
Well, Lola and I are back. This is going to be another sweet little story. It'll be a little sad, but not for long. Lots of happy times are included too and there's nothing too angsty, more like intense drama. Oh, and there is a happily ever after. A few things before we begin...
Stephenie Meyer owns all these wonderful characters. I promise she will get them all back, slightly worse for wear, at the end of my story.
Chapter 3 – Let's Do Lunch
"Bella, while this is not going to be an extensive all over remodel, I do want you to make it a priority right now. You know my work, and I know yours. You of all people should know how difficult it is to find someone you can work with, tolerate and not be completely annoyed by." Esme took a dainty sip from her glass of lemonade.
"Esme? From what I have seen of your house so far, there's not a thread out of place. What could you possibly need me to do?" Bella asked, sipping from her own glass. Briefly looking over to where Alice sat engrossed in a discussion with Jasper, she wondered what was going on between the two of them.
"Actually one of the rooms upstairs needs to be redone into a nursery. The boys have kept their old bedrooms, but I am afraid that the old college dorm days are behind them. If they are going to be bringing wives and children back, then it's time to update. Poor Rosalie is stuck sleeping in a room covered with sports memorabilia and I really don't like to think of my grandbabies being in there." Esme sighed as she looked dreamily over where Carlisle and Emmett were sitting, each holding a baby.
"Mom?" Rose addressed her mother-in-law with the single syllable word, causing Esme to smile at her warmly. "It's honestly not that big of a deal. We'll be finding our own place soon. Please don't feel like you need to do this on our account. We've looked at a few places, and I hate to tell you this, but I think we are looking to move out of the city." Rose looked over at her husband, her expression unreadable as she addressed her mother-in-law.
"Rose! I wish you would reconsider that. The boys all went to school in the city and they all turned out fine, for the most part." The three women laughed as they looked over at Emmett right when he sniffed the baby's butt to see if he needed to be changed. From the face he was making it clearly did.
"Watch him try to pawn this off on me." Rose said snickering and leaning over to Bella. Bella laughed in return almost choking on her drink. The afternoon had been too much fun, getting to know some of Esme's family.
"Uh, Rose? I think Ethan is hungry again." Emmett tried to appear casual walking over to where the women were sitting and starting to hand over his son to her.
"Emmett Cullen! He just ate! Now don't you dare try to get out of changing that boys diaper! It's your fault we had twins, they run on your side, not mine. Now, you go change that dirty diaper, which we can all smell from here and then I will consider taking Ethan from you." Rose's voice was stern and playful at the same time. "And don't you dare make a mess on that changing table." She added as a parting shot while he went indoors.
"Sorry ladies, but my pager just went off. Of all the days to be on call. Bella? Alice? This was lovely. I hate to leave, but I'm sure I'll be running into you again soon." Carlisle looked over at Alice and Jasper who were lost in their own little world. The two of them barely spoke to anyone else all afternoon. "Rose, do you want me to put Emily inside?" He asked as Esme stood to walk him out.
"No, give her here, she's the mellow one. Thanks Dad." Rose clearly adored her in-laws as much as they liked her.
"Esme, I'll try not to be too late. I'll call you if it's going to interfere with dinner. What time is Edward coming now?" Carlisle looked at his watch.
"He should have already been here; he was supposed to join us for lunch. I guess there was another problem at the site. Bella, I'll just walk Carlisle out and join you again shortly, please make yourself at home." Esme said patting Bella on her shoulder.
Bella leaned forward in her chair, peeking at the baby now cradled in Rose's arms.
"Rose, you have a beautiful daughter. May I?" Bella asked with her voice full of trepidation as her arms ached to hold her own daughter.
"Please do!" Rose said handing Emily over. "I love being a mom, but I didn't realize that there'd be two! Oh, I knew Emmett was a twin but I never thought it would happen to me. I don't mind sharing at all. I only have two arms and two bottles. I unashamedly take all the help I can get." Rose laughed as she handed her daughter over.
Bella inhaled the sweet baby smell. "Her name is Emily? She's so precious. I have a daughter at home. Her name is Tansy." She said rocking the baby softly.
Rose smiled and nodded. "Esme mentioned it. It'll be nice to have someone my age around that has a baby. Then you know what it's like to go through all this. I hope you don't mind if I call you sometime for help. Twins can be so, tiring! She's the quiet one though. It's funny, between Emmett and his brother, Edward, Em's the wild rambunctious one and Edward's the quiet sensitive one. Between Ethan and Emily, well, you can tell which is which. So, anyway, what exactly are you doing for Esme?" Rose asked as she stretched.
"Well, she's mentioned redecorating and lately I've been specializing in murals. Especially children's. I can sew well, but for some of the work Esme wants done, it's going to require fancier details than what I am good at. Alice is a demon with materials and designs. How old are the twins?" Bella asked still holding Emily close even though she was starting to fuss.
"Almost three months. I was hoping to get a break between feedings but it seems all I do is feed them. That's another reason I am always so ready to take the help. I am the only one who can feed them right now. Let me just go get a blanket to cover up with. Are you okay holding her?" Rose looked back at Bella as she stood up.
"No, I don't mind holding her at all." Bella shifted the baby over to the other arm as Rose left to find a blanket. It was different, to hold an infant that needed no special attention, no special help. Bella's thoughts were elsewhere, thinking about another baby. Was it possible that Emily who was three months younger than Tansy, weighed just the same? Of course, Tansy had a lot of setbacks. Esme had said that she should bring her with, but with Dr. Smith's advice ringing in her ears, Bella decided it would be in her daughter's best interest to remain home. If not for needing the money, Bella knew she would have stayed home as well.
Bella didn't even mind the squirming as Emily clearly started to work herself up for a battle. She thought about standing up to walk with the baby but decided against it because of her extreme clumsiness. She didn't really walk around with Tansy all that much for fear that she might trip. It was a good thing Carlisle walked her back to the patio because they didn't realize that there was a huge chunk of air laying on the lawn and she would have gone down if not for Carlisle's steadying hand. She started to hum to the baby, and then realizing that Alice and Jasper were ignoring her and she was alone, she started to sing.
"Bella, that is so pretty. You have an amazing voice." Rose complimented, closing the patio door behind her. She had a small baby blanket draped over a shoulder but flung it over an empty chair when she saw how calm her daughter was in Bella's arms.
"Bella's always singing to Tansy. And she just loves karaoke." Alice turned toward Rose and Bella to make one statement and then turned back to Jasper.
"Al, I do not! I love singing, I hate karaoke. I'm horrible at it. I do sometimes play the guitar at this little dive of a bar in our neighborhood, but that's strictly for venting purposes. Our friends own it and sometimes we help out there." Bella looked over at Rose to explain herself.
"I thought that was the idea of karaoke – to see who sucks the most?" Rose laughed as she told them about one of Emmett's many excursions to a karaoke bar.
"So, did you two always live in Chicago?" Rose sat back down pouring herself another glass of lemonade.
"Alice grew up in Chicago. I was always moving around the city and suburbs with my mom, being shuffled between two houses. Alice and I actually live in the house my father left me. Of course, it still needs some work done on it and it's definitely not paid for yet. But our neighborhood is awesome. People always watch out for each other. We've got some awesome neighbors huh Al?" Bella looked back over at Alice and Jasper trying to get her attention.
"Totally. It backs up to the woods and it's so cool. Bella had to be talked into it of course, but once I helped her see the potential she was totally on board with it." Alice looked back at Jasper, her face became all happy again as they started back into their own little conversation.
"Well, I was never really close to my father. When I found out he left me the house I was shocked. I mean, I loved him but only saw him as much as my mom would let me and he had a crazy schedule. I mostly kept in touch with him through phone calls. The neighbors seemed to think the world of him though." Bella shrugged her shoulders dismissively.
Esme joined them again on the patio and suggested they now tour the entire house.
"Oh, Bella? Maybe you should give Emily back to Rose? We don't want any, mishaps." Esme leaned toward Bella's ear so no one else would hear her remind Bella of her little 'trip' into the yard. "I spoke with Carlisle dear." Alice caught on anyway and laughed as Bella didn't know which way to turn.
"Here Bella. I'll take her and swap with Emmett. He's always better with the kids when they're asleep." Rose reached gently for her daughter.
After an hour of touring the entire house, Bella had to admit that Esme had some really good ideas and they all made sense, but she was getting antsy to get home to her daughter. She would have to ask Esme for the specifics of what she wanted done and talk it over with Alice later that night. There had to be a way to snag this deal.
"Esme, what time frame were you thinking?" Bella asked her as they walked slowly toward the living room. Rose and Emmett were close behind holding a baby monitor while Alice, perched on Jasper's back followed farther behind.
"Well for starters I definitely want the nursery done for the twins first Christmas." At Rose's interruption that they might not be living with them at Christmastime Esme held up her hand to stop her protests. "Please Rose, don't argue with me on this. Bella, when do you think you can start?" Esme looked worriedly over at her.
"Oh, start? Esme, I still need to draw up some sketches and then go over the fabrics with Alice. And we still need to find a company to do the bigger construction work. There are still a lot of details to…" Bella stopped as Esme cut her off.
"Oh Bella, I apologize. Maybe I didn't make myself clear. The job is yours if you can do it. As for a construction company, I only use one construction company on this house and that's my son Edward's. Have you ever heard of Phoenix Construction? I was hoping that he would come and have lunch but he was held up at another job site. You'll have to meet him again another time. I doubt you remember him from the party last year. At any rate, there shouldn't be a lot of construction, mostly it will be redecorating." Esme turned to hug Bella. "Please call me a soon as you straighten out all the crazy details."
"Actually Esme, if you really want to see some of Bella's work, you should come out to our house and see Tansy's bedroom. Bella has it painted to look like the woods outside her window. It's brilliant and will give you an idea of her more recent work." Alice practically chirped the words as she climbed down from Jaspers back as they continued talking between themselves again.
"You're right Alice. That would be a good idea. Rose, what do you say we go visit Bella and Alice? Say, next Saturday?" Esme looked over at Bella, who nodded her confused approval.
"I'll call you to make definite plans, as well as give you directions. Actually, I'll probably have to meet you at the edge of town and guide you in because it's so easy to get lost. Most GPS systems don't yet recognize our neighborhood and if you follow Google Maps, you will be driving straight into the wall that separates our neighborhood from the State Route 64." Bella promised Esme she'd call her later in the week.
"It was so nice to see you again Esme. You have a beautiful home." Alice finally moved herself away from Jasper for the first time that afternoon and reached to hug Esme.
"Thank you Alice, and if your outfit is anything to go by, I think your designs will definitely fit in at Cullen House." Esme returned Alice's hug warmly and smiled as they walked to the front door.
"Bella? I'll wait to hear from you. I'm hoping to have you meet with Edward by then also. His schedule is so crazy these days. Please feel free to go ahead and get started and we can fill him in next Saturday. I hope Carlisle can take the day off." Esme looked at Bella and smiled.
It was only then that Bella realized that Esme meant to have everyone over at their house and that she would be playing hostess to the entire Cullen clan. She hid her surprise and silently prayed for a non-threatening emergency at the hospital that would be sure to keep at least one Cullen out of the suburbs that day. Times were still tough for her and Alice and she was careful to watch everything that she spent. There was room for precious little 'extras' such as entertaining.
"Of course Esme, my studio is in the basement, so I can get to work as soon as I get home. Which brings me to one minor detail." Esme looked perplexed as Bella held out her hand to Alice. "Alice, if you are just going to stand there and stare at Jasper all day, can I at least have the keys so that I can drive myself home?"
"Coming Bells!" Alice replied as she finally broke eye contact with Jasper and reached for Bella's hand as they made their way to the car. As they pulled away from the house, Bella gave Alice a stern look.
"I could have used a little help in there from you. You were totally making fuck-me faces at Jasper and ignoring Rose and Esme. And then you offer to host a party? What was up with all of that?" Alice knew Bella was mad.
"Oh don't worry Bella, you've got the job. No, we've got the job. I've got a date with Jasper. Rose and Emmett are going to move out near us. The only piece I can't pinpoint is elusive Edward." Alice expertly steered her car through the woods and back on the expressway to go home.
To Bella's dismay, Esme Cullen called a few days later and accepted the invitation for all Cullen members. On Saturday, Bella and Alice would have a house full of people. Still, over the phone, she managed to fake her enthusiasm while throwing daggers at Alice as she played on the floor with Tansy. Even after disconnecting the phone with Esme, Bella held out a shred of hope that one or more of the Cullen cars would develop some kind of trouble that would stop them from being driven. It was all for nothing when the following Saturday, Bella worked up her courage and greeted Emmett and his family as they pulled up to her little house.
"Hi." She called from the bottom step of the wooden front stairs.
"Wow, this is something else Bella." Rose called to her as she exited Emmett's truck. "I love this neighborhood. It's so peaceful. And there are so many trees!" Rose gushed as Bella started walking toward them greeting her with a friendly hug.
"Thanks. We love it here too. Come on in, I have someone I can't wait for you all to meet." Bella couldn't deny it. For how anxious she was, she was looking forward to introducing her daughter to someone that wasn't wearing hospital scrubs. Sure, they had neighbors. But there was something so ordinary in the way Emmett and Rose were visiting that it made the whole event extraordinary for her. Bella craved the norm and what most people took for granted, such as friends visiting with their children, Bella learned to be truly thankful for. Anxiousness aside, she vowed to truly enjoy herself today.
"Jasper and Edward will be along soon. He got directions from Alice so they shouldn't have any trouble. With two car seats, no one really wants to sit in the back seat anymore. Wow, Bells. Are those the woods you were talking about? That's really something. Can we go there?" Rose asked looking past Emmett as he held out a baby to her.
"Sure, I only have one stroller though. Did you bring yours? The woods have a small paved trail through it, and it's only about a forty five minute walk. Maybe after lunch we can all go. It's still cool for April, so bugs shouldn't be a problem." Bella took a diaper bag and slung it over her shoulder as she reached to take Ethan from Emmett.
"Dammit, we bring everything except what we really need. Oh well, there's always next time." Rose took another diaper bag and Emily from Emmett as he stood there with nothing left to carry. He shrugged following Rose and Bella onto the front porch.
Bella put the sleeping Ethan in the playpen on the porch and took Emily from Rose to put her into the bear-shaped baby swing that hung from the porch's rafters. "I had a friend install this swing out here for Tansy. I guess our kids will just have to learn to share at a young age." Bella said laughing.
"I know they are going to be great friends. I can't wait for the twins to meet your Tansy. Right Em?" Emmett was still staring around at the porch and the woods just past the house.
"Bella?" He said, ignoring his wife's comment. "Where did you find this place?" Emmett didn't try to take the awe out of his voice as he took in his surroundings.
"My father's old house." Bella said by way of explaining. "When he passed away he left it to me. Jacob and I lived here briefly and we started remodeling it, but then after he…well, after he left, Alice moved in. It was never my intention to stay here, but now I can't think of leaving. Helps me feel closer to my dad too I guess. I feel safe here. Like he may be watching over us, or protecting us. He was a police officer you know." Bella sighed as they continued to talk about the neighborhood.
"Would you two excuse me for one second?" Bella jumped up as she suddenly remembered something. She left the porch and jogged down two houses to a neighbor's house. After talking for a few minutes, she went into their garage and came back pushing an empty jogging stroller.
"Seek and ye shall find. Mr. and Mrs. Frank have this stroller for their daughter to use when she comes to visit. After lunch we can all go on a walk." Bella sat again on the porch swing folding her legs up under her while they talked enthusiastically about their walk later. Just then, Alice came stepping out onto the porch holding Tansy carefully out in front of her so that the little girl could see where they were headed.
"Bella, I can't find her purple MaryJanes. Did you do something with them?" Alice pouted as she held a sock-footed baby out to Bella.
"Rose, Emmett, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Tansy." Bella reached out to take her from Alice. "Alice, I think they are in the kitchen, I may have dripped pudding on them yesterday and I needed to wash them." Bella looked embarrassed as Alice narrowed her eyes at her.
"What kind of pudding?" Alice asked quietly.
"Um, well, you know how much she hates vanilla, and there was no more tapioca. I kind of had to give her chocolate." Bella looked at Tansy, avoiding Alice's glare.
"I swear Isabella, one day I am going to just pack up, and me and Tansy are going to be divas in LA without you. Did you at least wipe them off? Please tell me you didn't put them in the wash machine!" Alice groaned.
"NO! I learned my lesson after the last pair. They should be just about dry. They're mostly for show anyway, she doesn't actually walk yet. Cop a squat Alice, you're making me nervous. We were just talking about going for a walk in the woods after lunch. Are you game?" Bella smiled and turned Tansy toward where Emily was swinging in her swing. Tansy just barely managed a wobbly headed smile and clapped her tiny hands lightly. Clearly she was entertained by another little person, even one that didn't really respond yet.
"Oh Bella, Tansy's so pretty. Look at that hair." Rose reached over and gently patted the soft, black swirls.
"She's a beauty. Good thing she looks like her mama. Now Ethan will have a wife just as hot as her mama when he grows up." Bella blushed as Emmett ducked from Rose's swat as he laughed. "What? You're the one that said they would all grow up being best friends. Seriously though Bella, how sick is she? I mean, except for that thing taped to her cheek, she looks fine."
"Right now she is fine Emmett. But look at her size compared to Emily's. Do you notice a difference?" Bella leaned forward and handed Tansy over to Rose.
"Nuh uh. They're almost the same size." Emmett shrugged, clearly not catching on as he kept a careful watch over Emily's swinging.
"Exactly. Tansy is three months older than the twins. She should be much bigger and stronger. Her heart is working twice as hard as a healthy one. The nasogastric tube in her nose is because she doesn't always keep her food down, so sometimes, when she's getting hungry and fussy, I feed her supplements through that. I need her to keep her food down and start gaining weight so that she is strong enough to have the surgery that she should have had already." Bella tried to dumb things down for Emmett as best as she could.
"So, uh, she's gonna be okay though right?" Emmett looked over at Rose who was cradling the baby in her arms and his big teddy bear heart melted for the little girl.
"Well, she was dealt two bad hands. Her stomach surgery for the vomiting can't be done until after her heart is stronger. And her heart surgery can't be done until she gains more weight and keeps her food down. Right now, she's on medication to keep her heart rhythm regulated and her blood pressure down. Unfortunately it also makes her tired a lot. I'm glad you guys were able to make it here today though. Today seems like it's going to be a good day for her." And for me, Bella added silently as she leaned over and knocked on the wooden rail of the porch so she didn't jinx herself.
"Hells yeah we're here. Gotta introduce Ethan to his future wife soon!" Emmett laughed and launched himself off the porch before any one of the females could smack him.
"I hope mom and dad didn't get lost. I don't know where everyone else turned off." Rose said a few minutes later as she started to pace with Emily, voluntarily giving Tansy a turn in her own swing. The rhythm of the swing was calming Tansy into a nap and Rose's rhythmic pacing was doing the same to Emily. Alice moved slowly to the playpen where Ethan slept soundly all by himself.
"Oh, Bella, put Tansy into the playpen next to Ethan. Rose, put Emily in there too." Alice ran back inside the house returning with a camera. After obeying Alice's order, Rose and Bella both looked at each other and smiled as their arms came around each other in a sisterly hug.
When all three babies were nestled to her liking in the playpen, Alice started snapping away at the sleeping angels. It was too precious a moment and all three girls started to tear up. Rose leaned back into Bella and Alice and the three of them turned into a heap of female goo. Just then Carlise's Mercedes pulled into the driveway and both he and Esme got out. Esme made it up to the steps first as Carlisle lagged behind, his cell phone pressed to his ear.
"Sorry girls, I don't know where Edward and Jasper have gotten to. They were following right behind us. Bella you weren't kidding when you said out of the way. It's so quiet here. I'm surprised Carlisle gets phone reception." Esme looked around and then noticed that the girls were wiping their eyes. "Oh my. Oh my goodness! Carlisle? You have to see this!" Reaching over to Alice for support, Esme's own eyes began to tear.
"I just left a message for Jasper. They must have not made that last turn…Oh wow, now that's a picture. May I?" Carlisle took his cellular phone out to snap a photo.
"What's all the cryin' for? I thought this was a party?" Emmett's voice boomed close by as everyone hushed him. The babies stirred but didn't wake as he pounded up the steps. "Awww, I'm such a sap. Ethan's future wife is going to be Emily's BFF." Emmett reached around and hugged his wife from behind as they peered into the playpen again. Rose was so overcome with emotion that she didn't even smack her husband for his remark about Tansy becoming their son's wife.
Suddenly Alice's cellular phone started playing 'You Are' by Jimmy Wayne. She left the porch immediately but not before the country twang of the voice startled all three babies and they immediately woke up crying. Esme, Bella and Carlisle all reached in and picked a baby.
"May I Bella?" Esme reached for Tansy just as Bella picked her up out of natural instinct.
Startled by the request Bella stared at Esme for a moment before surrendering her daughter. No one ever purposefully reached for Tansy. Every time Bella thought of this, her mind went back to the clumsy little third grader she use to be when everyone else was picked and she was the only one left, the last one picked for every sports team. She usually picked up Tansy first, determined that her daughter would never know the hurt of being picked last. Now, she smiled as she took in Esme's request.
"Of course Esme. Here you go munchkin." Bella smiled, handing a sobbing Tansy over to Esme. She turned back to the playpen to pick up another baby, but Emmett had already beaten her to Emily as Carlisle was already sitting down with Ethan on his lap.
"Well, I guess now would be a good time to go check on lunch. If you're sure you are okay Esme?" Bella looked over at her for approval and Esme threw her a knowing glare.
"Don't forget Bella, Carlisle's a doctor. If anything should happen in the next ten minutes, I imagine he can handle it." Everyone left on the porch laughed. Bella turned and asked Rose for her help in the kitchen since Alice was busy on her phone call. Just as they were headed inside the little house, Alice came back up the stairs in a huff.
"Bella, you have got to control that pack of dogs! That was Jasper. They'll be here in about fifteen minutes. They got lost and while driving aimlessly through town they were apparently stopped by Seth on his bike. He's leading them over here. I am sure they were just given the third degree, and guess what? It's your turn to do damage control." Alice smiled sweetly as she stormed into the house.
Bella started to explain as she turned to the puzzled expressions on the porch.
"The dogs are actually a small group of friends. Actually they were Jacob's friends. They happen to own the local bar we sometimes, well, that we use to go to. They've sort of adopted Alice and I after Jacob left. They've taken an um, liking I guess to Tansy. They're pretty overprotective but definitely harmless. They just don't like the thought of two helpless females out here with an infant. Seth is one of the less fierce ones though so I am sure that Edward and Jasper are fine." Bella ducked into the house pulling on Rose to join her.
"Alice?" Bella called.
"In the bathroom Bells." Alice answered. That's exactly where Rose and Bella found her primping before Jasper was to arrive.
"Well, at least Jasper gave you fair warning to primp before he gets here. Spill it, 'You are' by Jimmy Wayne? What's up with that? I sang that at the bar once and you gave me hell for singing such a sappy song. I can't believe you'd use that as a ringtone." Bella rolled her eyes as Rose snickered.
"Well, he um, set the ring tone himself." Alice blushed. "Bella, are you kidding me? He's perfect! He called me portable, and he loves to give me piggyback rides. He's so romantic and thoughtful."
"Face it Alice. Any man would love a girl's crotch rubbing on his back, even if it is through layers of clothing." They all laughed at Rose's words, but knew Alice's talk had a deeper meaning. She was truly falling for Jasper Cullen.
After trading a few more laughs in the bathroom, the girls went into the kitchen to have everything ready for lunch. Alice's head looked up. Bella stopped setting the table and looked at her.
"What's up Alice?" Bella looked worried.
"They're here; they're just turning at the fork now. Bella, you should go out there. Seth's with them." Alice nodded her head and went to the sink to fill a pitcher of water.
Bella pulled on Rose's arm and drew her out of the kitchen.
"What the fuck was that?" Rose looked at Bella as they moved to the front door.
"Alice sometimes senses things, it's best just to go with it – she's rarely wrong." Bella explained nervously.
"O-KAY then." Rose exaggerated.
"Come on, I hear Seth's bike now. This is going to take some finesse." Bella pep-talked herself as she stepped onto the front porch with Rose in tow.
Rose walked over to where Emmett was sitting with Emily in his arms. She reached over to the diaper bag and grabbed a blanket before she sat next to him.
"Hand her over Em. The girls are getting sore." She said loud enough for only her husband to hear. "I'm such a cow." Rose sighed through the initial little tug of pain as Emily latched on.
"Baby, watching you feed the twins is just the sweetest and sexiest thing I can imagine." Emmett leaned in to kiss his wife.
Bella reached over for Tansy and Esme reluctantly handed her over but then claimed Ethan from Carlisle. Bella went over to sit on the bottom step while cradling Tansy in her arms as she waited for Seth to stop the bike and get off it.
"Bells, you didn't send me an invitation to the party? I'm crushed!" Seth said, hopping off the bike as he removed his helmet. Walking over to where Bella sat on the steps he reached down taking Tansy from her. He gave Bella a quick kiss on the cheek before turning his attention to baby in his arms.
"Hey Seth. You know no invitation is needed; you guys just drop by whenever you want anyway." Bella stood. "But since you are here, I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine. These are the Cullen's. Cullen's, I'd like you to meet Seth Black, he's one of the owner's of the local bar. He's also a cousin of Jacob." Bella explained before adding, "So, what are you doing here now Seth?"
"A distant cousin by the way." Seth said smiling as he nodded at everyone. "I came to make a delivery of sorts, I guess." He rubbed his free hand along the back of his neck and then gestured toward Jasper and Edward. "I get nervous when strange people start poking around in my hometown. I stopped them to ask who they needed to find. I was pretty surprised to hear that two men were looking for your house. You know Jacob wouldn't approve." Seth's eyes flashed toward Jasper and Edward. It was Alice who spoke next.
"Just so you know Seth, Jacob has no say in what happens in this house. He has no claim to the house or the people in it. ANY of the people in it." Alice's tone left room for no exceptions. She walked up to Jasper who kissed her before he place his arm gently around her shoulder. "Now, if you want to stay, that's fine. But just so you know, the Cullen's are our friends and if you want to stay in our good graces, you'll accept them. Don't you dare make us choose between them and you – it wouldn't work out well for anyone." Alice leaned her head into Jasper's chest.
Seth sighed, reluctantly putting his free hand out first to Jasper and then Edward. "Hi, I'm Seth. It's nice to meet you. Sorry for being such a prick back there. It's just that we tend to look out for everyone around here." At the men's insistence that everything was cool, Alice beamed and relaxed visibly.
"Seth, you're welcome to join us for lunch if you'd like." She said smiling, clearly pleased now that Seth had done damage control.
"Nah, I better go get the bar ready for tonight. Do you think you guys will make it?" Seth's scowl brightened considerably as he looked from Alice to Bella.
"Not tonight Seth." Bella said reaching to take her daughter from him.
"Alice, what about you and Jasper?" Seth cast a glanced over to where Alice remained joined to Jasper's hip and looked at her hopefully.
Alice looked over to Bella, who shrugged as she took her daughter from Seth.
"We'll see Seth, maybe we'll stop over for one drink." Alice leaned again into Jasper's chest and he nodded his approval. Neither Jasper nor Alice felt the need to speak their conversations out loud.
Bella looked over at Jasper and Alice. Next to them, standing awkwardly to the side, was Edward Cullen. Bella felt like she was punched in the gut as memories of meeting him on Labor Day flooded into her mind. He looked exactly the same as she remembered him and she stared as her daughter squirmed in her arms. He met her gaze and Bella found that she couldn't take her eyes from him. She carefully closed the distance between them as Seth got on his bike and took his leave.
"Hi, you must be Edward. I'm Bella. We met last year but you probably don't remember." She stuck her free hand out to shake his, which were jammed into his jeans pockets.
"No, I do remember actually. I just remember that she was inside you." Edward's words fell from his lips before he could stop them and only realized how inappropriate he sounded after he heard Jasper snickering. He reached his hand out to try to recover. "It's a pleasure to meet you again. Esme's said nothing but nice things about you. So, this must be the famous Tansy I keep hearing so much about." Edward reached toward Tansy to pat her soft curls, causing Tansy to turn a wobbly head in his direction.
The flush of Edward's words was just leaving Bella's cheeks as she lifted Tansy to get a better view of Edward.
"This is my daughter, Tansy." Bella said with pride as she awkwardly stared at Edward. Immediately her defenses responded to Edward's comment about Tansy being inside her. While there was no real ignorance over Tansy's condition, Bella's defenses still surfaced. She was use to public opinion of her daughter, but to hear it voiced on her own property was entirely different.
She smiled at him, trying not to let her anger take over control of her body as she realized that this was Esme's son. Esme, her possible employer. They stared each other down, Edward gazing at the tiny infant she held in her arms and Bella throwing daggers at him while he did. They found no more words to say between them and it wasn't until someone on the porch cleared their throat that Bella snapped out of it.
"Well, I hope everyone is hungry because Alice and I spent most of the morning cooking." Bella turned on her heels and made her way up the stairs and into the house as the long procession of people followed.
"Smooth Edward. Very smooth." Jasper said, his voice laced with sarcasm as he shook his head at his younger brother. Edward stood silently, staring at Bella's retreating form. "She was inside of you? Really? That's your opening line?"
"Shut up Jazz." Edward was clearly annoyed by his own lack of propriety and stared. He winced as the front door slammed behind Bella and then reopened again as his family walked through, each one casting him a glance that let him know his response was not too bright.
Before Edward knew what was happening, he was left standing alone on Bella's front lawn. He shook his head as he made his way slowly up the stairs and into the house, wondering just what it was about Bella that had him so off his game.