CATERPILLARS AND UNEXPECTED MEETINGS

5 years and 6 months later

BPOV

"Mommy! Look I caught a caterpillar! Caterpillars are fun to play with. They're all weird and squiggly!" my son said holding the hideous thing between his fingers with an air of apparent fascination.

Needless to say a protest soon followed. "Eww! Ethan that's gross", chimed the high pitched voice if my best friend, Alice. "Put it down!" Alice had a hatred for bugs of all kinds. Yes, even butterflies. She says 'they're out to get her'.

Ethan thought about it for a moment. Then his eyes gleamed. Oh no! What was that kid going to do this time? "Okay", said Ethan and promptly flung the bug at poor Alice. It landed on her top. She tried to get it off her, squishing the insect in the process, staining her outfit light green.

She looked like she was going to explode but she was too shocked to speak. I closed my eyes, counting down the time before she blew up. 3…2…1…

"EWW! Get this thing off of me! I'm so gonna get you Ethan!! AARGH!! You know I hate bugs. And my outfit is ruined. I had to choose today to wear white!! And I really liked this top too. It goes perfectly with this skirt. What am I going to do now?

...Well I guess that just means another shopping trip! Yay! There's a new store opening this weekend. They're supposed to be great. And since I'm going you can come too, Bella. You totally need some new clothes. I don't know why you wear such boring stuff all the time and hide your inner beauty in those frumpy clothes."

I could never fully understand Alice and her mood swings. One minute she was boiling with rage and the next, thinking of ways to achieve what she called her ultimate goal – giving me a permanent 'makeover'. My inner beauty needed to be exposed to the world. Bah! What inner beauty? Sometimes Alice could be blind. Or maybe she was just being a good friend.

All I knew was this weekend would be pointlessly whiled away in some mall in New York City. How much fun! And here I was, looking forward to reread Wuthering heights. It had been a while since I had read the book though I had read it so many times that I could recite it from cover to cover. Still it was a classic that I could never read too many times.

I glared at Ethan. It was because of him that my weekend plans were ruined. "This is all your fault", I told my 5 year old. "If I'm getting tortured, so are you! You're coming with me, young man!"

"But Mommy…" whined Ethan pouting just a bit at the end, "I don't wanna go shopping! Sorry auntie Alice! I shouldn't have done that."

"Oh Bella! The poor kid needn't come with us. He really doesn't want to go. I can pick out stuff for him myself. I know his size and everything." said Alice

Poor naïve Alice! She wasn't resistant to Ethan's pout. In fact, Ethan pretty much had every one he met wrapped around his little finger.

Ethan was such a charmer…..he got that from his dad. His oddly colored bronze hair and striking green eyes were definitely from Edward too. Luckily Ethan was in no way influenced by my plain Jane looks though Alice insists that he has my nose (what is that even supposed to mean??).

He had however inherited one of my core characters. An inexplicable hate for shopping. Though, I guess anyone would hate shopping with Alice!

I looked at Ethan and he looked so much like Edward that suddenly, I wondered how Edward was doing but quickly pushed the thought from my mind. No need to brood over the past and ruin my day. What was done was done.

"Bella, dad said to tell you to take off this week. He's traveling all of this week so unless there's an emergency at work you needn't go. He said that he wanted you to go tomorrow, though. " said Alice interrupting my day dreams.

Alice's family owned a real estate company and I worked there as her father's secretary. They were the only company who would take me in when I came to New York just out of high school penniless and pregnant. At first I did odd jobs for them but soon graduated to being Mr. Cullen's secretary. That's how I first met Alice.

Flashback

It was a long day at work. I had finished only around half of the report due tomorrow. Guess I'll stay late and finish it. Sigh.

Suddenly I saw a tiny hand waving in my face, trying to catch my attention. I turned around thinking it was some little kid but instead saw a petite woman with short spiky black hair. She was very short; she couldn't even have been 5 feet. She looked faintly familiar.

"Hi! I'm Alice Cullen!! I don't know your name but I do know that we are going to be best friends", she said.

I was a little taken aback but realizing it would be rude not to reply I said, "Umm….hi! I'm Isabella Swan, but call me Bella. Are you a client…."I trailed

"No, silly. I own the place. At least my dad does"

Now, I saw the connect. That is why I had recognized her vaguely. She looked a lot like her dad.

"I was supposed to ask you to how you report on potential buyers in New York was going" she continued, "but I've decided that shopping is a much better idea. I'll convince dad"

"But..." Before I had said anything she sped away into her dad's office. "Daddy…" I heard.

And that was the start of a beautiful friendship

End Flashback

I looked around the park and saw Ethan and Alice busy playing catch. More like fetch. Alice was randomly throwing a Frisbee around the park while Ethan ran around to get it.

"Much as I would like a dog I think I'd prefer my kid back" I sarcastically said to Alice.

She stuck her tongue out at me, resuming her game. This went on for around ten more minutes before Ethan got tired.

I glanced at my watch and saw that it was getting late. "Let's get going Ethan." I said. "We'll come back to the park later. You have school tomorrow and you need your rest."

He ignored me so I began to walk away hoping he would follow. However such dramatic gestures just did not work for me. I turned around to see if he was coming and in the process managed to trip myself over a protruding root of some random tree.

I fell to the ground bracing myself for the painful impact. And I wasn't disappointed.

"Are you okay", asked Alice anxiously running to my side. Though I don't see why. This happened all the time.

"Mommy are you alright?" asked Ethan who had run up beside her to see what had happened.

"I'm fine!" I grunted. "I just twisted it. No biggie" I tried to play it down so I wouldn't worry them.

"Are you sure?" Alice asked, now suspicious. I never was a good liar.

"Uh huh", I managed. In reality the pain was unbearable. I just wanted to avoid another trip to the emergency room. Just the thought of it made me nauseous.

"I'm still taking you to see a doctor", insisted Alice.

This was an argument we had every time I hurt myself and I always lost. Still, no harm in trying. "Alice, I'm ok" I lied

"No arguments. Wait near the driveway, I'll get the Porsche. Ethan, you wait with mommy. Ok?"

Not even giving us time to respond Alice rushed off. Typical Alice. Not 2 minutes later she was impatiently honking on the driveway earning her annoyed stares from everyone around her. "Coming", I said and went to the car quickly to avid further damage to my eardrums.

"Alice is this really necessary?" I asked once I was in the car. "You know you always lose this argument so why even try Bella", said Alice impatiently.

Because this was a free country.

Because I hated hospitals.

Because I want to.

I could have said any of these, but chose, wisely, to remain silent.

Ethan looked at me amused as I crossed my arms and huffed. I'm a wonderful example aren't I?

Going at least 30mph above the speed limit Alice reached New York Public Hospital in 10 minutes. That's probably a new record.

Being as clumsy as I am, I was on first name basis with most of the doctors and nurses here. Lucky me. As we entered the hospital, the receptionist Lauren smiled at us.

"Hey Bella! What did you fall over this time?" She said, trying not to laugh. I grimaced and Alice grinned.

Her phone rang and she went outside to take the call. I made an appointment and waited for my number to be called. Alice returned five minutes later and said, "I have to go now Bella. I have to edit some designs and get them stitched by today for one of my costumers. See ya! I'll get Luke to give you a ride home."

Alice was an upcoming fashion designer. She had a few loyal customers but to retain them she had to be at their beck and call 24/7. Though her parents were well off she wanted to make it big on her own. She even had a small office of her own and an idiotic assistant, Jessica.

She was very talented and would no doubt be very successful one day. After all a flair for business ran in her blood!

"Your appointment with Dr. Masen is in 5 minutes" called out Lauren. I lazily flipped through some magazines while Ethan went to the gum machine to buy some.

Sure enough, I heard my name on the intercom five minutes later. I walked along with Ethan to Dr. Masen's door. Strange. I hadn't heard of him. He must be new. I thought I knew everyone here. Oh well.

I knocked on the door. "Come in", called out a velvety voice.

I gingerly pushed the door open and was greeted by a mass of messy bronze hair bent over papers. Masen. Doctor. Bronze hair. Velvet voice. This could only mean one thing. Oh no! It couldn't be!!

But it was. It was him.

"Edward?" I called softly.

He looked up. Sure enough there was Edward looking, if possible, more handsome than ever. He looked at me shocked.

"Bella" he whispered.

He looked amazing. His bronze hair, messy as always fell over his bright green eyes…

"Mommy who is this?" asked Ethan snapping me back to reality.

Edward flinched at the word (mommy) and looked at me, his eyes a mixture of confusion and hurt.

"Hi doctor. I'm Ethan and I'm five years old. You look just like me!!" this was Ethan's general introduction to any doctor except the last bit.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before Edward would make the connection and Ethan had made it simpler for him. Not wanting Ethan to witness the scene that would soon follow I said hurriedly,

"Ethan darling, why don't you go play in the hospital play pen. I'll be right there." Ethan ran out of the room happily leaving me alone with Edward.

Edward was just staring at me bewildered. He hadn't said a word. The betrayal on his face and the hurt so clearly displayed that I began to cry. I had caused the pain on that beautiful face.

He was by my side in a second. "Hush, Bella" he said wiping away my tears. I cried even more at his touch as it reminded me of what I had been missing out on all this time.

Bewildered at my reaction, he pulled back. "Don't cry. I'm sorry" he whispered. I was violently shaking by now and on the verge of losing it but hearing him apologize brought me back.

He was sorry? What had he done? If anyone was doing any apologizing it would be me.

I was the one who suddenly left him and not informed him of my whereabouts. I was the one who broke my heart. I was the one who had had his baby without him knowing.

I'm sure Edward held himself responsible for my behavior. I had to try to set this right. I took a deep breath. 'Edward, I owe you an explanation", I began.

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