While You Loved Me
Author's Note: I know I should probably update Every Breath you Take but as I said in the first author's note for that story…I was just doing that for fun and for my BFF Anthony. I plan to update Behind Blue Eyes after this one. I have had a couple of other ideas floating in my head but I am not sure where I want to go with it. I usually stick with writing using Carlisle or one of the wolves but I have kind of been having fun with the big teddy bear, Emmett, and Bella so I may eventually go there again. Anyway, enough with this long author's note…let's see how Emmett, Jacob and Claire take the news of Leah and Sam's little one.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, The Notebook or the song "While you loved me" but I love playing with Stephanie Meyer's characters, I kind of like working with Nick Sparks' plots and let's face it, I'm a huge Rascal Flatts fan. I have used their song titles in a couple of stories.
Chapter 17
Emmett's POV
After Leah told Sam about the baby, she, Bella and Sam made their way downstairs to the living room where Emmett, Jacob and Claire were lounging around listening to the radio. Bella could tell that Leah was scared to death to tell her father about being pregnant at 16, and even more scared for Sam since he was the father of the baby.
"Emmett, Leah and Sam need to talk to you about something. Jacob, Claire, you may want to stay and hear this as well." Bella said, squeezing Leah's hand for support before taking a seat beside Emmett to try to calm him if he were to flip out over the news.
"What is it, Princess?" Emmett asked, turning the radio off.
"Daddy, I love you and I never wanted to disappoint you." Leah said trying not to cry.
"Princess, you could never disappoint me." Emmett said starting to get up but Bella held her hand out to stop him so Leah could get through what she had to say.
"Daddy, I'm pregnant…with Sam's child and we want to get married and be a family." Leah rushed out, it was as if she were trying to get it out before she lost her nerve.
Emmett was silent for what seemed like forever before he let out a loud sigh and ran his hands through his hair. He looked at Bella who smiled softly at him and he squeezed her hand.
"Lee Lee, Princess. This is a shock but I love you and I will support you and Sam in whatever you want to do." Emmett said, calmer than everyone expected him to be. "I have just one question, Sam, were you planning to marry my daughter before or after you found out about the baby?"
"Mr. McCarty, I had planned on asking Leah to marry me with your permission this weekend. I bought the ring 3 months ago, the baby is a delightful surprise but I don't want you, Mrs. McCarty or even Leah to think that I only asked her because of the baby." Sam said.
"Good answer, son." Emmett said standing up and shaking Sam's hand "If you and Leah want to get married now, I will gladly sign for it."
"Really, Daddy?" Leah asked perking up and Emmett smiled.
"Yes, Princess. I only want you to be happy and if Sam and my future grandchild are what make you happy then who am I to stand in the way of happiness and love?" Emmett said.
Jacob and Claire sat back on the couch with Nessie and took in the whole scene. Bella could tell that Jacob was surprised but he didn't say anything as to if he were mad or not. Claire jumped up after Emmett was done embracing Sam and Leah and hugged her big sister close.
"Congratulations, Sis. I never thought I'd be an aunt at 11 but I'm excited." Claire squealed and Leah laughed. Nessie came over and congratulated Leah, but Jacob still sat on the couch not saying a word.
"What's wrong, Jake?" Bella asked, coming to sit by her son.
"It's hard to believe, Mom." He said "I mean Lee and I shared a womb and a room for years and now she's getting married and having a baby."
"I know, honey, but you're all growing up. Soon you and Lee will be graduating and Claire Bear will be in high school." Bella said with a sigh "But, that's life, ya know?"
"I know, and I'm happy for Lee and Sam…I really am. It's just a lot to take in." Jacob said.
"Well get over there and tell your sister how happy you are for them because she's starting to think you are mad at her." Bella said with a soft smile.
"Ok, Mom, I will." Jacob said, kissing his mother on the cheek before making his way over to congratulate Leah and Sam and give his twin a hug.
Sam and Leah decided that they would wait to get married until after Leah graduated, Bella agreed she would help take care of the baby while Leah was at school. After Sam graduated, he and Leah built a house on some of the land surrounding the McCarty Plantation house and moved in together. About 6 months after Sam graduated, little Embry Christian Uley was born and quickly became the apple of his grandparents' eyes.
The following spring, Jacob and Leah both graduated from high school, with Nessie of course, and Jacob spent that weekend hunting with Vanessa's father in hopes that he could win her hand. It was a tough job but he succeeded and asked Nessie to marry him right after Sam and Leah's wedding, where he was the best man and Claire was the maid of honor.
Jacob and Vanessa were married in the church where Emmett and Bella got married, by Carlisle of course, and built a house on another part of the McCarty land. They took a brief honeymoon to the Outer Banks in North Carolina which resulted in Nessie finding out that she was expecting a month later. It must have been some honeymoon. Bella and Emmett were more than excited to welcome their second grandchild 9 months later, a little girl who Jacob and Nessie named Sarah Marie McCarty after both of their mothers. Bella and Sarah, Nessie's mom, cried when they heard the name.
Leah and Sam welcomed their second and third children a year later, twins that they named Charlotte and Peter Uley. They decided that they were finished having children after the twins were born, but they were happy with the three children they had. Bella and Emmett were ecstatic over their growing family.
Claire went to college after graduating from high school and spent her graduate school years in North Carolina at the prestigious Duke University where she studied medicine. She went into the field of obstetrics and gynecology after helping her mother deliver Leah and Sam's first child after they couldn't get her to the hospital in time and the doctor was nowhere to be found. Claire shocked the family when she brought her new love home with her after graduation.
"Mom, Daddy, I wanted you to meet someone." Claire said with a smile.
"Really? I don't see anyone." Bella joked.
"Well that's the thing, Mom. They are out in the car and I wanted to ease you guys into them before I brought them in." Claire said.
"Why would you have to ease us into it Claire Bear?" Emmett asked.
"Keep an open mind, ok? Times…they're changin' and I've changed with the times." Claire began and both Emmett and Bella looked at her confused. "I love this person with everything in me and when you meet them it will come as a shock for two reasons…The first reason is that they are a bit older than I am and the second you will have to see when I bring them in."
"Um…ok?" Bella said, still really confused. "How did you meet this person and what do they do for a living?"
"I met them when I was doing my clinicals and residency at Duke Hospital…they were my attending physician during my stint in the Pediatrics ward." Claire said dreamily.
"Ok, so when you say older…how much older?" Emmett asked.
"Dr. Denali is 35." Claire said.
"If we promise to keep an open mind, will you bring them in? It's rude to leave guests outside." Bella said and Claire nodded before stepping outside.
Claire walked outside and a few minutes later she reentered the house on the arm of a beautiful Spanish woman with a dark tan complexion, brown eyes and a beautiful figure. When Bella and Emmett saw why Claire wanted them to keep an open mind they were definitely shocked to say the least.
"Mom, Dad, this is Carmen Denali, my lover." Claire said with a bright smile.
"So you're…"Emmett started, still shocked that their daughter brought a woman home claiming to be her lover.
"Mom, Daddy, I'm a lesbian. Before you say anything, I love Carmen with all of my heart and though we can't legally get married or have children without adopting, she is who I want to spend the rest of my life with." Claire said pulling Carmen close.
"Well this is definitely a shock, I really don't know what to say Claire Bear." Bella said "But if you are happy, then I am happy. I know it will be hard for the two of you but when is love easy? I love you and I only want you to be happy."
"Daddy?" Claire said, raising a hopeful eyebrow at her father who still wore a shock expression.
"Well, times are changing and I can't say that I have ever met a lesbian before…at least not that I was aware of." Emmett said with a nervous laugh "But Claire Bear, I agree with you mother. If you are happy, then who am I to stand in your way?"
"Oh thank you, Daddy, Mom." Claire said excitedly before running up to them and wrapping them both in a hug.
Claire and Carmen bought a nice house down the road from Claire's parents' house and opened their own private practice for Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology. They joked that they combined both so that they could help the children that Carmen saw from when they were inside their mother's womb, through their childhood, and back to when they were having their own children. Bella and Emmett thought it was a good idea and helped them gather the money they needed to open their practice.
Shortly after their practice opened, they got their first patients in both the Pediatrics and OB/GYN sides. Leah, Sam, Jacob and Nessie brought their children to see Carmen and Nessie became Claire's first obstetrics patient when she and Jacob announced that they were expecting their second child. Claire delivered little Jared Paul McCarty nine months later.
Five years after "coming out of the closet" to her parents, Claire and Carmen adopted Native American twins after their widowed mother died during child birth, they named them Colin and Brady Denali. Bella and Emmett were thrilled and welcomed the twins with open arms into the family.
Bella and Emmett spent quite a bit of time just spending time together and looking after their 7 grandchildren every chance they got after they both retired. After Bella's 60th birthday, Emmett noticed a few changes in Bella. Bella started forgetting things, small things at first like what day of the week it was or whether or not she fed the dog. She started becoming more and more detached, depressed and anxious suddenly, and would engage in a conversation only to stop and not remember what she was talking about or repeat herself. Bella would spend hours writing in a notebook but wouldn't tell anyone what she was writing, it was as if she were in her own little world most of the time and didn't notice anyone else. Emmett became concerned with this and one evening, after Bella had gone to bed, he had a family meeting with their children to discuss the problem.
"Guys, I am sorry to bring you here so late but I have been noticing a few things about your mother that have me kind of concerned." He began.
"Honestly, Daddy, we have as well but we were afraid to say anything about it." Claire said.
"What have you noticed? Maybe it's the same things I have been noticing." He said.
"Well, the other weekend she was talking to Embry and she stopped midsentence. She spaced out for a few minutes before she started talking to him again, only she was calling him Charlotte and talking about something she and Charlotte did together a long time ago." Leah said.
"She came over a couple of weeks ago and sat with us a little while playing with Sarah and Jared. When I went to get her something to drink, I noticed that she had put her car keys and purse in the fridge." Jacob said.
"I've noticed a few things like that as well." Emmett said.
"Daddy, I didn't want to worry you but Mom called Carmen and I the other day in tears." Claire said, biting her bottom lip nervously.
"What about Claire Bear?" Emmett asked.
"She was on her way home from the grocery store and she called us in tears because she couldn't remember how to get home." Claire said, sobbing. "When we got to her, she suddenly remembered and told us how to get there."
"It's worse than I thought then and it worries me." Emmett said.
"Dad, I think that you should take Mom to see our specialist friend in Nashville. Eleazer is a highly recommended cognitive specialist." Carmen started "He specializes in…in…patients with Alzheimer's and Dementia."
"I didn't want to believe that was what it was but all the signs are pointing to it, Daddy." Claire sobbed and Emmett nodded sadly.
"Please call Eleazer and set up an appointment, I will get your mother there to be tested." Emmett replied sadly. Claire and Carmen made the call to their friend in Nashville and a few days later an appointment was set up to speak to Dr. Eleazar Garcia, Emmett hoped for the best but feared the worst.
Author's Note: I know, another one? I have one more chapter after this one, I threw quite a few curve balls in here but the next chapter will be the meeting with Eleazar and how the notebook came about…not sure if I want her to give it to Emmett before or after the appoint. I am thinking before, like she knows something's wrong…you tell me.