Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination.
Author's Note:
So, I hope this makes up for my two month absence.
I have the Epilogue nearly finished, so I'll be posting the last chapter not too long after this one.
Enjoy!
Chapter XXIV – Equivocation
Alice POV
Hearing the knock on the door, I glanced over at Jasper as he started to rise but I shook my head, getting up and letting him and Zachary stay seated as I went to the door. As expected it was Rosalie at the door, with a suitcase, letting her in without a word, I led her to Jasper's office where the sofa bed had been set up.
Rose followed me in and sat on the edge of the bed, one hand on the top of her suitcase as her shoulders slumped and I sat next to her, putting a hand on hers.
"You can stay as long as you need to"
"Thank you Alice" she lowered her head and squeezed my hand.
"It's okay, it will be okay" she nodded slowly, looking off at the wall her expression was desolate.
Having just gotten off a plane a few hours ago, she went to sleep straight away and pulled the covers over her face as she turned to face the wall. Leaving her to rest, I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could, making my way back to the living room.
"How is she?" asked my husband when I walked in.
"Not good" glancing at the clock I turned my head to look at Zachary. "Time for bed Zach" he pouted and looked to Jasper.
"It's late buddy, listen to your mom and let's get ready for bed" he sighed heavily.
"Okay" he said dragging it out as he stood up and let Jasper take him into his bedroom to change into his pajamas.
~X~X~X~
The following days were difficult for Rose, she was up and dressed before I had even gotten out of bed, but when I came into the kitchen she was sitting at the table.
"Rose?" she looked up from a cup of coffee and gave me a weak smile.
"Hey Alice, there's more coffee if you want?" rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I shook my head.
"I prefer tea in the morning for some reason I can stand the taste of coffee when I'm pregnant" she nodded slowly and I got out a mug, before putting the tea kettle on the hob after refilling it. "Did you sleep alright in the study?"
"I did, but I was so tired I fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow" running a hand through her hair, she had forgone straightening it as she had taken to doing recently, so it was wavy now and she sighed heavily.
"Thank you for putting me up"
"It's nothing, like I said you can stay as long as you need to" breathing out she got up and put her mug in the dishwasher, turning around and leaning against the counter as I made my tea.
"I don't want to put you out, I know someone who can help me find a new apartment so as soon as I find a new place, I'll be out of your way" I shook my head.
"This is New York Rose, don't you remember how hard it was to find a basic two bedroom apartment for us?"
"I only need one bedroom, a smaller apartment would be fine"
"Well, however long it takes you are always welcome here. Zach was excited for you to be staying with us and he'll probably tell you that himself when he and his dad wake up" her smile was wider then, I felt so sorry for her but I wouldn't tell her that, as proud as she was.
It had been difficult for her when she found out she could not naturally conceive children, but it didn't stop her loving Zachary and being so good with him. In fact even at her surliest she loved kids and even wrinkly new born baby's never failed to get her to smile.
As if on cue my son followed by his father walked into the kitchen, Zachary saw me and then Rosalie and with a wide grin he whizzed over to her.
"Aunt Rose!"
"Hi Zach!" with a truly bright smile that matched his, she reached down and picked him up, giving him a hug as he wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, you're getting heavy"
"I'm taller too" he said gleefully and she looked at him with astonishment.
"I can tell...soon you'll be taller than your mom" scowling at Rosalie, she just smiled at me and Zachary giggled whilst Jasper put a hand on my waist and kissed my cheek.
"You hear that mama?"
"I did sweetie" I replied and Rosalie chuckled, Zachary turned his head to look at her again, still smiling excitedly.
"Aunt Rose, are you really staying with us?"
"I am"
"How long?"
"I don't know yet, maybe a few days or a week" Zachary buzzed with excitement.
"You can stay as long as you want, right?" he looked to me and Jasper, ready to bust out the crocodile tears or the puppy dog eyes if we needed convincing.
"Of course she can" Jasper said and Zachary smiled again.
He barely let Rosalie out of his sight for long, taking her hand after breakfast and happily showing her his room and his toys, his books all the while chattering as if he hadn't seen her in months. The entire time she smiled and went along with it, letting him natter on as she didn't want to miss a single word he said.
Rosalie POV
It was a nice reprieve to just let my godson talk and show me around, he was so innocent and young and his laugh was beautiful to hear.
Zachary had never been hurt by anyone and he trusted everyone, because he had no reason not to. Though he would argue when Jasper tried to get him to eat his vegetables and when Alice told him to was time for bed, he did as they said in the end without too much of a fight.
When I had woken up that morning, for a moment I had forgotten what happened but then I saw Jasper's desk and bookcase and I realised where I was. I stared at the wall for what felt like hours but could have only been minutes, before I got up.
Three years, the second longest relationship I had been in and in just a few minutes it had ended not with a shout or even much of a fight. Should I have fought? Told him what he wanted to hear.
It would have been a lie.
I had done the right thing, even though I felt like shit now.
Was it really better to be alone?
Getting out of bed and folding it away, I went to shower and change, taking my time as it was still early in the morning. Towel drying my hair, I was ready before anyone else had even got out of bed, I headed into the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker.
I stared at the wall as it brewed, replaying our last conversation over and thinking about what I could have said to make it better for him. I also thought about what Jasper had said to me, before I left for California a week ago.
We wanted different things and maybe it was the best for both of us in the long run. I listened to the adorable boy in front of me chatter on about the new book he had gotten, I smiled as I realized that Jasper was right.
I wasn't alone.
~X~X~X~
A few days passed and I didn't go back to work straight away, Felix had arranged cover and so they could manage without me for another week, so I took the time off. Alice had to work a few days so I got to spend time with Jasper and Zachary, when Jasper had patients around I'd take Zachary out to the park or for lunch.
Most morning I happened to sleep in later than nine, Zachary was like my alarm clock, he always came flying in and jumping on my bed. Jasper scolded him about it so he resorted to sneaking in and cuddling up next to me, to gently wake me up.
"Aunt Rose" he stage whispered, I was already awake but feigning sleep I let out a deep snore. "Aunt Rose" he patted my shoulder and I snorted, earning a giggle from Zachary. Still pretending to be asleep, I flipped over so I was facing him and flung an arm over him, mumbling as I hugged him to my chest tightly. "Your squishing me!" blowing a raspberry against his cheek, he laughed again and opening my eyes I started tickling him.
"How do you like that?" he was giggling when Jasper came to the door, looking at us both with a raised eyebrow and his arms crossed over his chest.
"Dad make her stop!" he said in between giggles, stopping my assault I picked him up and swept him off the bed, laughing at his messy hair at I stoop up.
"I think I'm awake now, how about we make breakfast?"
"Oh, can we make pancakes?" I looked at Jasper and so did Zachary, getting the gist. "Please dad?" he was silent until Zachary turned his puppy dog eyes on him, he rolled his eyes an sighed.
"Fine" he said with a small smile and Zachary smiled and turned his head towards me.
"Aunt Rose can we make chocolate chip pancakes?"
"Sure we can sweetie" I went into the hallway and put him down and he practically ran to the kitchen ahead of us, despite Jasper's warning to slow down. He was so much like Alice, I hoped for their sakes that their next child had some of Jasper's self-preservation.
Alice's mini me loved to watch me cook for some reason, Jasper made sure he didn't make too much of a mess and that he stayed back when I cooked the pancakes on the griddle pan. However he couldn't prevent him for stealing a few chocolate chips, he thought he was being sneaky but the smear of chocolate on his moth said otherwise.
Once he had had his fill of pancakes, Jasper got him cleaned up and I put aside the leftovers for Alice, before we all headed out to see Emmett and Maya. It was now a regular occurrence as thy now lived less than an hour away from Jasper and Alice's apartment.
The last time I had seen Emmett I had been with Royce and there had been quite a few people around, now the circumstances had changed.
When all's said and done, all roads lead to the same end...you never would have been with me, I got in the way didn't I?
Closing my eyes and slowly breathing out, I tried to push away the memory of what Royce had said about Emmett. Now wasn't the time to analysing what my now former partner had said when I last saw him, I could think about it later.
Getting ready I might have spent a little longer choosing what to wear, in the end I settled for light skinny jeans and white loose tank top and minimal makeup, scraping my hair into a messy bun. I slipped on my shoes and got my jacket, before we left to go to Emmett's once Alice was back from work at noon.
"Are you okay?" asked Alice as we left, Jasper and Zachary a little way ahead of us.
"No" I blurted out, not being able to think of a plausible lie that my friend wouldn't see through right away.
"Penny for your thoughts?" I looked ahead as we walked.
"When I last talked to Royce...when we ended it...he said that he hoped that me and Emmett would be very happy together" she frowned, but she didn't seem surprised by his statement.
"He said that?" I nodded and Alice thought about it for a moment. "What does he think is going on?"
"I think he thought that he was my rebound after Emmett and I finished" looking away from Alice I sighed deeply. "He thought he got in the way of us and by extension that's the real reason I didn't want to marry him"
"So you don't want him to be right?"
"I don't know, he was right about us wanting different things but I wonder if he just said it because he really thinks that or if he just wants there to be another reason why we couldn't be together" Alice nodded slowly.
"You don't have to see him today"
"It's just one afternoon, if I bail then I'm just running away" why was it that when it came to him, my first urge was to run?
"You can leave at any time, okay?"
"Alice you are my best friend and your son is my godchild, I'm going to have to see your brother now and then" I gave her a smile I hoped didn't look too forced or fake. "I'll have to put on my big girl pants and act like the grown up I am"
"Or think you are" we chuckled at that, I had ever been more happy to have a friend like her and Jasper. We arrived at the house without incident and jasper knocked on the front door, answered only a minute later by Emmett, with Maya by his side.
"Zach!" Maya exclaimed happily and he quickly let us all into the house, as Zachary let go of Jasper's hand to hug Maya, barely glancing over his shoulder before they disappeared.
"And...only five seconds and we get forgotten" said Alice with a smile and no real bitterness in her voice as Jasper took her hand, with a similar smile.
As we walked through the house I noticed how child friendly the house was; the plush fabric sofa and chairs along with the rest of the furniture being devoid of sharp edges or corners. Where the living room had wood panel flooring, there were various carpets and rugs thrown down to keep feet warm and fast steps from echoing.
Overall the house was warm and homely, there were shelves with trinkets Emmett had collected along his travels and it was so much more Emmett that the uptight and pretentious hotel room he had been in last time. Smiling I felt a bit of my tension dissipate, I felt inexplicably relaxed here and it sort of reminded me of our first apartment, with the mismatched furniture and bits of color everywhere.
It reminded me of the Emmett I had known as a teenager, he had been at his most comfortable in jeans and a ratty band tee, sprawled on a couch and not a care in the world. My Emmett was the teenager who made everyone laugh and didn't have a serious bone in his body, until the ones he loved were suffering.
I'd seen a glimpse of my Emmett when he came to New York to find me, but in the end he was just a man in a suit acting like the man I had loved.
Now something was different.
We sat at the kids played and Emmett got us drinks, Emmett who was wearing jeans and a rolling stones t-shirt, the same one he had worn when he saw him again in New York.
I didn't even realize that I had remembered that little detail.
"Rosalie?" he called my name and I brought myself back to the present.
"Yes?" he smiled as if he knew what I'd been thinking about.
"Do you want a drink? I have that iced tea drink you like"
"That would be nice thanks" he nodded and smiled again before going back inside and heading to the kitchen.
When he came back with the drinks, he called over Maya and Zachary who ran over and grabbed a juice box each, pausing long enough to chug it down and run away again.
"Emmett how's your new job?" asked Jasper.
"Good, I can mostly work from home, whenever Maya isn't trying to drag me away from my laptop" he laughed and glanced over at the girl, there was that look the one very similar to one I had seen Alice and Jasper give Zachary many times before.
"Other than that?"
"When I can actually work it is good, I prefer it to pharmaceuticals anyways"
"What do you do exactly, if you don't mind me asking?" Emmett turned his head to look at me, looking a little surprised by my question.
"I organize the transport of medicines to countries where they are either low in supply or too expensive for the locals who need them. I've been able to use my contacts at my old job to help the charity as well as getting a few more volunteers for the organization"
"That sounds tough"
"It is at times, but having seen firsthand how much this charity has done to save lives and prevent illness from spreading it's a worthwhile job"
"It is" smiling at each other, I no longer felt awkward or anxious, we had been friends once, surely we could do the same again?
~X~X~X~
Soon I was needed back at work and in between work and going to sleep in Jasper's office, I looked for a new apartment.
In my search for a place of my own lay one of the biggest inconveniences to breaking up with the man, you had until that point lived with. I had moved into his apartment and so it only made sense that I be the one to move out, we had silently come across this decision on the plane journey back.
My second day back in New York left me with the arduous task of collecting the rest of my things from the apartment. In a curt voicemail he had told me when he would be out of the apartment and he asked me to leave my keys before I left. With the help of Jasper and Robert, I cleared out my things and put them in storage apart from the other bits I couldn't do without.
Returning to work was what I need, but I tried to not get so invested in only my work this time around. We had a new manager and a few extra wait staff which meant I wasn't really needed for the day to day running of the restaurant, it was doing well. Which meant that I mainly worked in the office, doing paperwork as Felix oversaw the staff and I approved the specials and kept the books in order.
"Hey Rose, want to get some lunch?" asked Robert from the office, his jacket already on. Glancing at the time, I put down my pen and got up from my desk to smile and nod at him.
"Sure just let me fax this invoice really quick and I'll be down" he frowned.
"Who still faxes?"
"The guy planning a retirement party here" he nodded slowly and put his hands in his pockets.
"Makes sense, okay I'll wait downstairs for you"
"Thanks, I'll be as quick as I can" once I was done, I got my jacket and we headed down the street to a small deli that did the best sandwiches and coffee.
"How goes the flat search?" over three years later and he still had broad English accent and he still used English slang. We had learnt what he meant most of the time, but it was priceless when other people didn't know what to make of him.
The other day he had almost gotten into a fight with a cabbie over the cab fare, the cabbie was a balding man in his forties with bifocals. He had seemed confused when Robert had called him a 'knob end' and I had to usher him out before he felt the need to explain.
"The search is not going well as all" I replied after a sip of my coffee. "I'm pretty sure the last apartment had a rodent problem and one of the apartments had an open plan living room slash bathroom" he chuckled around a mouthful of his food, eating like it was going out of fashion.
"You know my offer still stands you can always take my spare room" he bit off another chuck of his food, talking around it. "It woub be etta an ashofer beb" with a look of disgust I handed him a napkin. "Ankh oou"
"First of all...ew, chew your bloody food and secondly, thank you but I want my own space"
"Fair enough, but the offer's there if you ever need it"
"If what I just saw was any indication of what living with you would be like, thanks but no thanks..." I shook my head. "I feel sorry for Maria"
"Hey, I'm a great catch" he said but we both laughed at that.
"Why does she put up with you?" he smirked and waggled his eyebrows.
"I can think of a few reasons, but I don't kiss and tell" he continued to waggle his eyebrows and it made me laugh so hard I nearly spat out my coffee.
"Oh, thanks Rob I needed that" he smiled and thankfully stopped moving his eyebrows.
"Anytime" his phone rang and glancing at the screen he smiled, but he glanced at me about to reject the call when I smiled and motioned for him to take the call. "Hey babe" he held up a finger to say he'd be a minute before walking away from our table to take the call.
I could tell it was Maria from the way he smiled and crinkled his eyes as he laughed at what she said. He had met Maria Soterro a few years ago at a Levi's photo shoot and they had been seeing each other casually on and off for two years as they were both travelling a lot for work. Then eleven months ago she settled down in New York and they started getting serious, it was inevitable that they would move in together soon.
So it was better not to move in with him and have to also deal with Maria, whom I had only really met a handful of times.
~X~X~X~
It was nearly two months later before I came across a decent apartment, that wasn't too far away from either my friends or my work. Alice came with me to view the apartment as Felix managed the restaurant and Jasper looked after his son.
It had an open plan kitchen and living room, the bedroom and bathroom to the right of the living room area. It was small, but for a one bedroom apartment that was to be expected, plus I just needed my own space and it wouldn't be permanent.
"What do you think?" asked Alice, walking with me to the bedroom and peeking in.
"It's a lot better than what we saw earlier and the open plan makes it look bigger"
"The kitchen is nice" she commented and I nodded as we went back to the door, where the realtor was waiting for us, with a ready smile and pressed grey suit.
"Do you have any questions about the apartment?" asked the suit as we came to a stop.
"The shortest period I can lease the apartment is a year, right?"
"Yes, I have a copy of the contract if you'd like to look over the terms?"
"I would" this was why I had brought Alice with me, she was good with contracts and getting the best deal, in a different way to the paperwork I had to deal with at the restaurant.
Half an hour later and a phone call to the apartment's owner, and the revised contract was on its way to be approved, but Alice said it was a formality as the terms were more than fair. A day later I got the call saying it was approved and the next step was to sing the contract and put down the deposit before I could pick up the keys and move in.
Emmett watched the kids, but I wasn't lacking in free labor as Royce, Jasper and Alice helped me move in. The men did a decent job of hauling up the furniture that was too heavy for Alice and I too lift.
"A little more to the left boys" with a grunt and a groan they moved the new couch where I directed.
"Why did we agree to do this?" moaned Robert, rolling his shoulder as Alice came back up with a box, one that Jasper immediately relived her off with a small smile at her annoyed look. She was now four and a half months pregnant and started to show, so her husband treated her like she was made of glass.
"Because you're my friends?" Robert rolled his eyes. "How about when we're done dinner's on me? I heard about a place that does a decent roast and has a good selection of cider" he smiled and nodded.
"We are good friends"
"The best" I agreed chuckling and unpacking a flat pack box that would be a set of shelves.
When we were done Emmett and the kids joined us, Zachary and Maya happily sitting with their head together, coloring in the books given when we got to the restaurant gleefully.
"All settled in the new place?" asked Emmett who sat opposite me at the table, peering at me over a menu.
"Yeah, I still have some unpacking to do, but that's for another day" when the waitress came over to take our order Robert was the first to order, slightly disheartened when told they didn't have any mint sauce, then he was comforted by the cider they had on tap.
We chatted over the food and drinks, Zachary and Maya off in their own world, Robert and Emmett telling bad jokes as Jasper looked at them in his unimpressed way.
Excusing myself to go to the ladies, it was when I came out that I almost bumped into Emmett. He smiled at me and I returned the smile, noting that his hair was getting longer and there was a slight wave to it.
"Hey Emmett"
"Hey Rose" he looked like he wanted to say something else. "I'm sorry about Royce"
"It's okay we were on different wavelengths, it was for the best" I found that it was a little easier to say and that I meant it, it was okay.
There were many days when I missed Royce's easy smile and the way he would strike up a casual conversation about totally mundane things. I was still adjusting to his exit from my life, but he was right and unfortunately we wouldn't work out.
"I heard from Alice that you don't think you'll ever remarry? I can't help but feel guilty about that" I shook my head.
"Don't, I don't blame you Emmett" he looked at me in disbelief.
"You don't? Why not?"
"When we first got married I thought it would be forever...that we would grow old together, like we had talked about. Then it all became very real, you and me in a new city alone together and there weren't any reasons for me to be scared but I was.
Before Roger was the reason for me to stay away from you and once that was gone it was just me, scared that I would be like my...father and ruin the only good thing in my life" I gave him a wry smile. "So I did what I've been going since and I ran away, before I could fuck it up"
"I don't understand, what are you trying to say?" he moved a fraction closer and I looked away from him, brushing my hair out of my eyes.
"I loved you" I said and he looked a bit sad. "I loved you and I meant it when I made our marriage vows, I don't really believe in God but I believe that marriage is sacred and to marry someone else and say those vows with someone else would seem false to me. So once is it for me, I won't marry again, that's why I said no to Royce...and why I'm going to be okay without him" I made myself look back at him. "I owe you an apology, you were a good friend and you saved me. Without you, I never would have gotten away from my father...not unless I followed my mother"
"You're stronger than that" he said with conviction.
"I don't know about that but I'm sorry for not thanking you for everything you did and I'm sorry for running away instead of telling you the truth"
"I'm sorry I never fought for you" he said in a low voice, looking at him for a long moment I stepped closer and put a hand on his arm.
"You always found me in the end" he returned my smile. "I could always use a friend"
"You always have me" I felt there was another meaning to that but for now I choose not to overthink it.
"Thank you"
Five months later...
"It's a girl!" proclaimed Jasper, bursting into the waiting room and beaming brightly at us. "They are both healthy" he added, bending down to hug his son.
"Mama's okay?" Zachary asked with concern and Jasper smiled with a nod.
"She's fine now" he looked at his father distrustfully, probably recalling how just a few hours ago she had been all but screaming in pain when we had arrived at the hospital.
"Are you sure?" Emmett snickered and I smacked his shoulder and glared at him, Maya yawned and glanced at us curiously for a moment before glancing back at Zachary.
"I am do you want to see your mom and your new sister?" he nodded in response, still looking at his father suspiciously, but taking his hand when Jasper straightened up. "The doctor says no more than two visitors at a time, so I'll take Zachary in for a bit then you can see her next" Emmett and I gave a nod at the same time, then Jasper took Zachary to see Alice and the latest addition to the Cullen slash Whitlock family.
We all sat back down and smiling at Maya, I whipped out my cell phone and dialed Robert's number. When he picked up I heard the sound of chairs being moved and the music came to a stop a moment after the phone was answered.
"Hey Rose, how's Alice?"
"She's good, she had a baby girl and Jasper just took Zach into go and see them both"
"That's great, give them my love...damn over five hours labor" he whistled low and I heard his footsteps.
"Yes childbirth is very long and painful"
"I feel like I should call my mum" I smiled and held back a laugh.
"Why don't you? You might want to wait a few hours though"
"You're right it's about four in the morning back in London" he said with a low chuckle. "I'll see you later Rose, let me know when Alice is back home and I'll visit both of them"
"See you, bye for now" hanging up I looked at Maya and Emmett, the girl was rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn as she leaned against Emmett, who put an arm around her. Her eyes were half open and she looked to be fighting to stay awake, Zachary's own excitement at getting a younger sibling had rubbed off on her and I knew she wanted to see the baby even though it was getting close to midnight.
"Maya?" letting out a yawn, she looked up at him.
"Yes?"
"We can come back tomorrow if you're tired" she shook her head so quickly; I had to press my lips together to stop myself from laughing.
"Main bacce ko dekhana cahate haim!" he smiled at her.
"Ve abhi yahaim kala hoga" he reasoned but she pouted and he sighed giving me a glance, smiling at her I just shrugged.
"Hama thika hai, to hama ghara ja rahe haim aura apa sidhe bistara para ja rahe haim interjara aura eka minata ke li'e bacce dekhenge?"
"Yaya thika hai" she agreed and luckily we didn't have to wait long, only a few minutes later Jasper came back out, Zachary in his arms and yawning.
"Zachary?" he looked at Maya when Jasper sat down, smiling sleepily at her. "You saw your sister?" she asked and he nodded, yawning again.
"She's pink and squishy looking" he raise a hand. "She held my finger..." he turned to look at his father. "What do I call her?"
"We're not sure yet"
"She can stay" announced Zachary quite seriously, before yawning and falling asleep n Jasper's shoulder. Emmett chuckled at his nephew and looked at his brother in law as Maya let out another yawn.
"Is it alright for us to see them, I think any longer and Maya will be out too"
"You can go straight in he wants to see all of you, the nurse said she'll let the three of you in provided you don't stay too long"
"We'll keep it quick and let everyone get some rest" Jasper nodded and patting Zachary's back gently as he slept, I put his jacket over him when I stood and my friend smiled at me.
"After you" Emmett held the door open for Maya and me, I ushered Maya in first and followed her in. Alice smiled at us as we came in, looking happy but exhausted too, next to the hospital bed was her daughter.
She was so tiny and her cheeks were very pink, she was asleep as the three of us peered down at her, Emmett lifted Maya up so that she could get a better look at her.
"She's beautiful Alice" moving closer to me friend, I brushed her hair off of her face with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"The glorious drugs they gave me have me feeling wonderful"
"You get your rest and we'll come see you again tomorrow" Alice let out a big yawn and nodded at her brother, Maya's eyes were closing too and holding her he moved round the bed to kiss his sister's cheek.
"Goodnight Alice" I said as I gave her a hug.
"Night" she muttered back after another yawn, which in turn made Maya yawn.
I cast another glance at the baby as Alice settled down to sleep, before holding the door open for Maya and Emmett, who clung onto him as her eyes fought to stay open. Jasper looked up as we came back in the waiting room, Zachary was fast asleep and snoring lightly as we approached them.
"Alice is so out of it" Jasper nodded with a s mile. "We said we'd come back tomorrow, when she's had some rest, see you Jazz" he stood up and I gave him a one armed hug, giving Zachary a soft kiss on the head.
"See you guys" Emmett put a hand on his shoulder with a smile and then we left the hospital and headed towards Emmett's car.
Holding Maya with one arm, he got out the car keys and unlocked the doors, I helped him get Maya in the backseat and she barely stirred. He offered me a lift home and I didn't really like the idea of waiting for a cab at this time of night, so I accepted a lift and got in the front passenger seat. I directed him to my apartment and we got there less than twenty minutes later.
"I'd invited you up for a coffee or a nightcap...but someone needs their bed" I looked back at Maya, sound asleep, before looking back at Emmett.
"If you weren't right, I'd say yes" he smiled and I remembered what Alice had told me a couple of days ago.
"Alice told me that you're in the process of legally adopting Maya? I'm really happy for you Emmett" he smiled and nodded.
"I am thank you"
"I always knew you'd make a good father, she is lucky to have you" he shook his head and undid his seat bet to look back at her.
"No, I'm lucky to have her" putting a hand on his arm, he shifted his gaze away from Maya.
"Congratulations, how long until it is official?"
"About a month and a half, the social worker reports have to be refilled and more forms need to be filled out, before I can get final approval and then they can't send her away"
"How was it? I realized that I've never asked about how your travelling was"
"It was a great experience, I met so many people and saw a lot, remind me to show you the photo's one day"
"I will" I kept my hand on his arm. "Go on"
"There was the Golden Temple, it was amazing I got to help in the kitchens. It was great because they serve lunch or langar in the temple and it's free you don't even have to be Sikh to enter either. I also saw the Great Wall of China" we talked for a while, he told me some of the sights he saw and I sometimes asked a few questions, which he obliged me with answers easily enough. "I want to take her back to India, she should know where she is from"
"Everyone should know where they are from" I agreed, as we had talked we had leaned in and now I looked down to check my watch. "It's one in the morning" he looked at the dashboard clock and shook his head.
"Sorry about that"
"My bad, me and my questions...I'll see you tomorrow" it came out as more of a question and he nodded slowly and leaned back as I withdrew my hand.
"See you Rose" a hand on the door hand, I saw my apartment building and I turned back to Emmett.
"I missed this, talking to you"
"Me too" he said in a low voice, a smile on his lips and something else in his expression.
"Goodnight Emmett"
"Goodnight Rose"
Emmett POV
She bit her lip as she looked at me and it was like all of my senses were heightened, I could smell her perfume and maybe I imagined I could feel the heat from her body.
Just a year ago, if we had been in this position I would have wasted no time in kissing her and taking her up on her offer of a nightcap.
But things were different now, I was different.
"I'll see you tomorrow" maybe I saw what I wanted to see when her eyes looked down, she seemed a disappointed, but as she moved back at raised her eyes the look was gone as she opened the car door. Getting out, she turned around before closing the car door and flashed me a smile, glancing at Maya in the backseat.
"See you" she closed the door as gently as she could and walked towards her building I started the engine and as she got to the door, she paused and half turned to look back at me.
I raised a hand and she did too, giving me a small wave before turning away and entering the building.
I drove off with a smile for no fathomable reason.
~X~X~X~
"So does my niece have a name yet or do I have to keep calling her baby girl? Even though that does have a nice ring to it, if I was a rapper" Alice sat up and Jasper perched on the side of the bed, fluffing a pillow for her and putting a hand on hers with a tender smile. I held my nice as Zachary and Maya were at school and daycare respectively; while Rosalie, Jasper and I visited Alice in her new hospital room.
"We thought of a few names before she was born, a few unisex names like Taylor, Alex and Jamie, but I don't think any of them seem right for her now"
"You've got loads of names to choose from" said Rosalie pouring Alice a cup of water.
"That's part of the problem" admitted Jasper, looking over at his daughter as I sat in the chair by the bed, holding her as delicately as I could. She was awake and looking up at me, her eyes the same shade of blue as her father's, she was quiet as she looked at me and she looked so small wrapped up in the blanket with just a hand poking out to touch my chest.
"Let's narrow it down then" Rosalie suggested, sitting in the other chair and pulling out her cell phone. "Pick a letter and we'll see what we come up with"
"How about E?" she nodded at Jasper and tapped out a search on her cell phone, starting to read out a few of the names that came up.
"Eden...Ella...Elena...Elizabeth...Elle...Ema...Emilia..."
"Stop there" Alice and Jasper said at the same time.
"What was the last one?" asked Alice.
"Emilia, it's a Latin name which means to rival or excel" they both shared a smile and I passed my niece back to her mother.
"I like that, what do you think sweetie...Emilia?" cooed Alice, kissing her daughter's forehead, who let out a content sounding gurgle in response.
"That's it" Jasper agreed with a happy grin. "Hello Emilia Whitlock" there was more gurgling and Alice leaned her head against Jasper's shoulder and he put n arm around the two of them.
~X~X~X~
When Alice and Emilia were discharged from the hospital, we had a small gathering the following Saturday afternoon at their apartment to welcome the latest addition to our family.
I had offered to get in the drinks and Rosalie took the food, whilst Jasper kept an eye on the kids and Robert was introduced to Emilia. Admittedly I may have forgotten my duties in favor of chatting with Rosalie in the kitchen, being more of a hindrance as I tasted her cooking and got in her way a bit.
"Emmett, you're in my way" she slapped my shoulder and she shoved me out of the way so she could get a fork out of the drawer, that I had been leaning against.
"It looks and smells really good" I said as she checked the potatoes on the hob, my compliment went over my head as she probably was ignoring me as she checked on the cobber in the oven next. Satisfied that it wasn't over cooked, she took the oven glove I handed her and pulled it out, to put on the side and cover it, still ignoring me.
"Do you want a drink?" I asked heading to the fridge.
"Is there any of that soda left?"
"The cream soda?" I asked knowing well enough which one she liked without pausing to think about it, she only nodded and I got out two cans, pouring it for her.
"You better not touch that cobbler Emmett. I mean it"
"Damn"
"I mean it, don't even think about it" she said sternly and I chuckled.
"Darn it, you foiled my brilliant plan for dessert theft" she rolled her eyes and turned her attention to putting the beans in a pan of boiling water.
"Pass me the colander" doing as she asked she drained the potatoes and mashed them.
"Make yourself useful and let everyone know that the food is ready" with a nod I went and gathered everyone, returning to help her take the food to the table, while Jasper put Emilia down to sleep in the bedroom.
When his parents had told Zachary he had looked at his sister for a long moment, before nodding as if approving of the name.
"Okay" he had said and put a hand on her head. "Hello Emilia, I'm your big brother Zach. It's my job to take care of you" she had blinked a couple of times at him before letting out a happy sounding squeal that had made Zachary smile and kiss her cheek, Alice had wiped away a tear at that.
Even in Alice and Jasper's sizable front room, fitting all of them at the dining table had been a challenge. Alice sat at the head of the table, I sat to her right with Maya in between me and Rosalie, while Jasper sat on Alice's other side next to Zachary with Robert on his other side.
Their table was made for four or five people at a stretch and so we had gotten a fold out table and placed it on the end, to add more room as well as fold out chairs for Rosalie and Robert. Jasper had put the radio on and as some upbeat song played, plates were pled with food and we all chattered in between bites of food.
"Mmmm, these potatoes are so good Rose" complimented Robert in between massive bites of his food.
"Thanks" she said with mild disgust as he ate like he had never seen food.
"It's all delicious, thank you Rose" Alice beamed at Rosalie and she returned her smile, raising a glass.
"I propose a toast" she said jovially. "To the latest addition to our family, Emilia Whitlock and to many more evenings like this"
"Cheers!" everyone lifted their glasses and we toasted the latest addition to the family.
Plates were emptied as were cups, soon everyone had had their fill of food, including the dessert, Jasper went to clean up Zachary and get him ready for bed, while Maya fell asleep on the couch. Alice went to feed Emilia when they heard her wake up on the baby monitor, Robert had to leave as he had an early morning interview before training, then an evening shift at the restaurant.
So Rosalie and I took on the task of clearing up the table and the kitchen, she turned off the music before bringing in the leftovers and I loaded up the dishwasher.
"That's the last of it" she said as she put away the last of the food in the fridge, and I finished wiping down the counter tops. Rosalie had always been a clean and organized cook so it barely took a few minutes to clean up and get everything back in order.
"All done here" we turned around at the same time and bumped into each other, I put my hands on her shoulders as I moved back and gave her what I hoped was an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that"
"It's okay I wasn't looking" she gave me a small smile and I dropped my hands. "Today was nice" she added.
"It was, I can't remember the last time we did something like this"
"I think it was on our third wedding anniversary" she replied and I nodded slowly.
"We were all crowded into our new apartment, even my parents" I recalled.
"Our furniture hadn't even arrived yet"
"We laid a sheet on the floor like we were having a picnic" we laughed and it was nice to hear her laugh so freely around me.
"Your parents just went along with it, but Alice wasn't amused"
"I remember..."
"I think I still have the photo's somewhere" she said, a reminiscent expression on her face as she looked at me.
"You do? I didn't think you would have kept them"
"They were the last things I took, before I left...I got to the door and then I turned round and took them with me"
"There's one photo I always kept with me" I got out my wallet and she frowned in confusion. I pulled out a photo folded in half behind a few cards, I unfolded it and showed it to her.
It was both of us in Forks. On la Push beach which had been our spot; we were ankle deep in the water, well I was, she had jumped on my back and was kissing my cheek. I had taken the photo myself, one of my arms stretched out to hold the camera the other going back around Rosalie.
Looking at our younger selves, she smiled as if remembering the day it was taken and I wondered if she remembered it as well as I still did. I passed the picture to her and she smiled wider, lifting her head to look back at me.
"Seems like a lifetime ago"
"We're not that old Rose" she laughed quietly.
"We're getting there" she handed me back the photo her hand brushing against mine perhaps on purpose judging by her smile. She moved forwards and kissed my cheek, her lips lingering as if waiting for me to make the next move, turning my head I caught her lips in a kiss which she returned.
Rosalie POV
Eleven months later...
Maya ran at me as I walked in and I bent down to give her a big hug, kissing her cheek as Emmett closed the door behind me.
"Janemana haid, apa kaise haim?"
"Maim accha hum, tuma mere satha raha rahe haim?"
"I am, while your dad goes on his date" she smiled at both of us and took my hand.
"Are you seeing the woman you met at school" she asked her father and he nodded at her.
"Her name is Beth and yes I am" she shrugged.
"Why don't you just date Aunt Rosalie? Aunt Alice said that you used to be married" bending down and smiling at her, Emmett kissed her cheek and cast a glance at me, with a soft smile as he turned back to Maya.
"We were sweetheart" he began to explain. "But your Aunt Rose is dating someone and I'm seeing Beth" that was half true, but I wasn't going ton say anything just yet.
"You are?" asked Maya in an almost accusatory manner, I almost chuckled at her, as she crossed her arms over her chest with a huff. "What's wrong with my dad?"
"Nothing Maya" she narrowed her eyes a moment, then she muttered something in Hindi that neither of us caught, before uncrossing her arms.
"Okay then" she huffed out and she turned to her father. "Have a nice date dad"
"Thank you, you girls have fun too" Maya hugged him and waved as he grabbed his coat and left the house, smiling at both of us. "See you Maya, see you Rose"
"Enjoy your date"
Beth was one of the mothers who had a daughter in the same class as Maya at school, she was a single mother and she had gone on a few dates with Emmett. From what he had told me, she was nice and very involved with the school, being a member of the PTA and helping with the various events the school held annually.
Up until recently I had been seeing a personal trainer, Robert had introduced me to Dean at one of the PR events I had attended with him when Maria was out of town. He was nice enough if a little bit of an airhead we had dated for nearly three months, but apart from the bedroom it hadn't been going anywhere.
I was in my thirties, I was wasting my time with one night stands and casual relationships, I didn't want to be in a relationship that wasn't going anywhere. Even though I didn't want to get remarried it didn't mean that I didn't want a serious relationship.
I tried, Alice had set up a few dates and even made me a profile on a dating website, I had gone on plenty of dates, yet it didn't seem to be working out for me. It appeared to be working out better for Emmett, he gave the impression that he liked Beth, so for now I choose to keep it to myself.
"Hey, how about we have dinner then we watch a movie?" she nodded. "I can make up some hot chocolate"
"With the tiny marshmallows?"
"You bet" I pointed to the bag I had left by the door when I greeted her. "Wash your hands and we'll make dinner, does ravioli sound good?"
"Yeah"
"Good, come on then" after dinner she ran over and picked out her favorite Disney film, as I carried in the mugs of hot chocolate for us. I had navigated the kitchen with ease only having to ask Maya where something was once or twice, I had spent enough time in the house during weekend lunches and the occasional evening where I looked after Maya.
We all made a point to see each other on a regular basis; Friday dinners at Alice and Jasper's, weekend brunch or barbecues' at Emmett's, weekday drinks at Robert's and the odd evening at mine for tea and baked goods. Additionally I also babysat for Alice and Jasper when they needed a date night now and then, the first time Alice left Emilia she nearly had a panic attack.
She was nearly a year old and starting to walk, she was familiar enough with me, yet even now I got at least three calls from her even despite Jasper's attempts to soothe her.
Maya and I watched Disney films starting with her current favorite Pocahontas, she knew the words to all of the songs and we sang them together even though I was slightly tone deaf.
"You know I think you look like her"
"Really?" looking form the television to Maya, I smiled and nodded at her, which earned me a beautiful grin.
"You have gorgeous long hair like her" she twisted a lock around a finger sitting cross legged on the couch and turning to face me.
"Do you know how to braid hair?"
"Sure, do you want me to do your hair sweetie?" she nodded with a smile.
"Dad isn't very good at doing my hair"
"He's good at other things, but there are some things a man can't do. I'll do it for you and show you how to do it yourself so you don't have to let your dad do it, okay?" she nodded emphatically, I motioned for her to turn around and I plaited her long hair, telling her I did it as I went along. "All done, go have a look and tell me what you think" she hopped up and went to the mirror on the wall, turning her head and happily touched her hair.
"Maim isē pyāra karatā hum, dhan'yavāda!" she ran back over and nearly knocked me over, when she threw her arms around me in a tight hug.
"Kisi bhī samaya, I quite like doing it" returning the hug, I kissed her forehead.
"Can I try it on you?"
"Yes, hold on a moment" I untied my hair from the loose ponytail it had been in and sat on the floor as she sat on the couch and tentatively started to do my hair, gently pulling it back. A couple of times she got it wrong and had to backtrack a bit, but she took her time and when she was done, it was quite neat. "Nicely done, dhan'yavāda Maya"
"Āpakā svāgata ha"
~X~X~X~
We watched another movie and I agreed to paint her nails, but drew the line a putting makeup on her, promising I'd do it when she was old enough. At around half nine she was starting to get sleepy, yawning and rubbing her eyes, I asked her if she wanted to sleep but she denied being tired at all.
"Half an hour more and then you're going to bed, okay?"
"I wanna wait for dad" she whined, trying and failing not to yawn again.
"We'll wait up a little longer, but not past ten okay? Your dad will want you to get your sleep"
"Okay" she agreed begrudgingly, leaning on my shoulder.
I saw her eyelids getting heavy, putting an arm around her with my other arm I reached for a nearby blanket, throwing it over us with my free arm as she snuggled closer to me. Not long after, I heard a car pull up outside and then a couple of minutes later a key went into the lock on the front door.
Emmett came in and spotted the pair of us on the sofa, as Maya yawned and blinked a few ties, he grinned and hung up his jacket, taking off his shoes before coming over to us.
"Hey" he kneeled down, giving me a smile then looking at Maya.
"Dad" she sat up and rubbed her eye with one hand. "How was your date?"
"It was okay" she reached up and he leaned over picking her up effortlessly, she wrapped her arms around him, putting her head on his shoulder.
"Let's get you to sleep, baby"
"Okay" she was already in her pajamas, so she only needed to brush her teeth and get into bed, he took her into the bedroom. "Daddy, do you like my hair?" she asked groggily and he nodded at her.
"I do, it looks very pretty" he tucked her into bed and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Aunt Rose did it for me and I did hers" he glanced at me by the door and I smiled at him.
"She did it very well as did you" he kissed her forehead softly. "Goodnight sweetie" her eyes were closing as she yawned again.
"Na night dad and Aunt Rose" she murmured half asleep already.
"Sweet dreams" when her eyes closed he gently patted her shoulder for a moment, until her breathing evened out, Emmett got to his feet and walked out, I stepped back as he quietly closed the door.
"Thanks for watching her" he said as we went to the front room.
"It's no trouble, we had fun"
"She loves it when you come over" he went over to the kitchen. "Do you want a drink?"
"I'll take a double of whatever you're having, on the rocks"
"My kinda girl" he got out a bottle of scotch and poured it into two glasses after throwing ice into one, returning back to the front room and handing me mine.
"Thanks" we sat on the couch, not right next to each other but not right on opposite ends either. "How was the date then? Come on, tell me all the details" he rolled his eyes at me.
"You spend too much time with Alice, she's rubbing off on you"
"Evasion won't work on me, go on" he took a sip of his drink, slowly to stall for a few moments.
"We went to a nice restaurant and we talked for a while, but she doesn't have much of a sense of humor and it was mainly small talk"
"So a bit lacking in conversation wise?" he shrugged and looked down at his glass. "I don't feel much for her, but I don't think she likes me that much either"
"So, no more dates in future?"
"I don't think so" he took a bigger gulp of scotch and sighed, looking at me as he leaned back. "How about you, how is Dennis or Dan?"
"Dean" I corrected and he nodded slowly.
"He's fine, but we stopped seeing each other a few days ago" I slowly drank my drink, the warm feeling my throat appreciated all the more considering how little I drank alcohol.
"Really? Why's that?"
"It wasn't going anywhere, he was a little slow and self-involved and you can really only have one vain person in a relationship, can't you?" he sniggered and put down his now empty glass.
"That's true"
"Hey! You're meant to say that isn't true" I slapped his shoulder and he chuckled again. "What kind of friend are you?"
"I'm a great friend, I set you up with Caleb and you said he was stuck up"
"What about Ericka she was funny, but you said she was too chatty"
"Please enough about disastrous dates"
"We haven't been very lucky have we?" he nodded slowly, I put my glass on the table before looking back at him.
"Do remember what we talked about when Alice came home with Emilia?"
"I remember" I was reminded of it when I had been on terrible dates and when Dean and I called it a day, it was always on my mind in those moments and I half wondered if it was all self-sabotage.
"Can I be honest?" he asked and I nodded slowly.
"I'm listening" he breathed out and took my hand.
"I spent most of the evening ticking off a mental list of all the things she did that was either like you or different. The way she was nice but never gave me a proper smile and she never called me out on my bad jokes, she wasn't sarcastic in the slightest and she's never hit me as many times as you have. It wasn't just her though, on the other dates I've been on I find myself comparing them to you...and I've come to wonder if I'm sabotaging myself" I turned my hand over and threaded my finger through his, silently urging him to continue. "I'm glad we can still be in each other lives as friend, but I-"
He broke off when I kissed him, he was stunned at first then drawing me closer with a hand on my back, he pressed his lips back against mine.
"I love you, Emmett" feeling the heat in my cheeks as I realized I had actual said it first, he grinned widely as brushed his fingertips against the side of my face.
"I love you too" he replied with sincerity, planting a softer kiss on my lips.
"I want you Emmett, I want to try and make us work. No more running"
"I want that too, there's nothing I want more" smiling at each other, he leaned in again grazing my lips with his, but it wasn't enough. I put a hand on his neck as I deepened the kiss, pulling myself closer to him as his grip on me tightened.
"I love you...I love you" I repeated in between kisses and it had never felt so right saying those three simple words.
Author's Note:
I must admit I am not quite sure if any of the adoption details are 100% true, but I sort of glossed over it a bit so I hope it wasn't an issue. So, I'm going to hide in a corner now until the final update, but feel free to tell me what you thought of the ending, cheesy, too drawn out?
Thanks for reading and until the last chapter, any thoughts on what anyone wants to see in the epilogue?
Bye for now!