Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight
A/N: I'm so excited!! I finally got this chapter up. I worked really hard on it =)
I'd like to thank everyone who gave me suggestions. I'm sorry for those ideas I haven't been able to use!
Onto the story now!!!
EPOV
If there was one characteristic quality about me that was certain, it would be that I was never one for wasting time. This was mainly because I seldom had the time to waste. I was a complete workaholic, and my job was very demanding. Being one of the top doctors of a hospital was certainly no laughing matter.
I was on the beck and call of my patients 24/7. I never had a free moment for myself, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my lifestyle. Sitting around, doing nothing got on my nerves like nothing else could.
Yet that was precisely what I found myself doing, once Bella came back into my life. Take the present situation for example. I was watching the sleeping form of a little boy with great fascination.
I was a doctor for Pete's sake! A sleeping boy hardly constituted a biological miracle, as one would assume was the case judging by the way I was looking at him. Nope. There was nothing extraordinary about him.
Barring the fact that he was mine.
My little boy!
My son!
I couldn't even think those words without a wide grin appearing on my face. The past week seemed so surreal. First, my transfer to New York, then my meeting with Bella, and finally the discovery of a son I never knew I had. It had been one heck of a week.
Thinking about it now, I finally realized why I was so hesitant to just let loose and enjoy myself. Why I never dated another girl since Bella's disappearance from Forks.
It was because of the walls I had subconsciously built around myself. Contrary to Bella's belief I was not completely unaware of, conceited as this may sound, the numerous girls hitting on me. What she didn't realize was that they meant nothing to me.
How could I even spare them a second glance when I had my beautiful angel right before me? The only person whom I wasn't immune to was Bella.
Seeing her four days ago at the hospital brought down all the walls I had worked so hard to build. Never before had I felt so vulnerable. Bella had so much power over me, and there was nothing I could do about it. The thought that she could break my heart all over again was frightening.
I looked at Ethan and saw him stirring slightly. I was determined to be a good father to him. I had missed out on so much, but I was eager to make up for lost time.
He suddenly yawned, stretched widely and squinted open his eyes.
"Mommy" he called out sleepily. "Mommy!! Where's mommy?"
"Mommy's at work, so I'll be taking care of you today" I said.
He opened his eyes fully, and looked at me for a second. Then he shrugged lightly and said, "Okay!" before pushing the bed sheets off his body.
"What would you like to do now?" I asked.
His growling stomach answered for him. I couldn't help chuckling, as I remembered the same thing had happened with Bella yesterday.
"What happened" Ethan asked. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing." I said. "I was thinking you're just like Bella". He frowned at that as if he found that piece of information extremely insulting.
"I don't want to be like mommy!!" he whined. "Mommy's a girl!!!"
"Okay…." I said slowly. "Then whom do you want to be like?"
"You" he said, without hesitation. "When I grow up, I'm gonna be just like you"
It's astonishing how a five-year-old's innocent words can have such an impact on my emotions, but they did. I'm sure I looked like I had just won a lottery. It touched me so much that Ethan was so willing to include me in his life, though I had only known him for a few days.
Today's importance finally dawned upon me. My interaction with Ethan would determine any future I might have with Bella. It was of utter necessity that I did not mess this up; otherwise I could kiss my relationship with Bella goodbye.
Ethan's stomach growled once more bringing me back to reality.
"Okay champ, time to eat." I said, lifting him up and carrying him to the kitchen. He giggled and tried to break free of my grip. I placed him gently on the kitchen platform.
"What would you like?" I asked.
"Pancakes" Ethan said at once.
I had no idea how to make a pancake, but honestly, how hard could it be? I tried to recall one of the numerous times Bella or my mom had made me pancakes.
Eggs! Pancakes definitely had eggs, so that was my first ingredient. I took out three eggs from the refrigerator. What else did you put in a pancake??
As if he could hear my thoughts, Ethan said, "Daddy! You need flour!"
"I knew that" I said immediately, before spooning out some flour into a big bowl. Then I broke the eggs and mixed its contents, shells and all with the flour. I mixed it all together with a large spoon, and added water to make it more liquid.
I ended up with a highly suspicious looking concoction, to which I added some vanilla and blueberry essence.
Finally I poured this mixture onto a saucepan, set the stove's intensity on HIGH, and placed the saucepan on the stove.
"There. All done!' I said cheerfully. 'Cooking is so easy"
Ethan looked like he was about to say something, but kept quiet. Instead a tiny frown made its way onto his face.
"Don't look so worried. I'm sure it will taste great" I said.
I should have never said that. Because a strange smell suddenly filled the air.
"Daddy, look at what happened to the goop!" Ethan yelled out.
Sure enough, the 'goop' as Ethan had christened it, was emitting black vapors, and smelled awful.
I looked at the charred remains of the pancake dejectedly, before turning of the gas and scraping of the blackened particles from the saucepan. However, the saucepan looked like it could never me used again, so I threw it.
Note to self: Buy Bella a saucepan.
"Hey Ethan!" I said. "How about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?"
He nodded unsurely. "Are you sure you can handle it daddy?" he asked.
Come on! Even I can't mess up a PB&J!
"Yes Ethan. I can handle it" I said, in what I hoped was a reassuring voice. I then pulled out a loaf of bread from the cupboard, and Ethan handed me the peanut butter and jelly. We made the sandwiches, and breakfast passed without further incident.
Okay…maybe a little peanut butter fell on Bella's white rug, which will never be the same again, but accidents happen, right??
Note to self: Send Bella's rug to the dry cleaner.
Ethan then began a sneezing fit, so I ran to the storage closet to find him some tissue paper. I fumbled with the box, managed to pull out a few sheets, and literally shoved them onto Ethan.
Once he stopped coughing, and I wiped his nose clean, I threw the tissue paper, and ran to the bathroom to wash my hands with disinfectant.
What else did you expect?? So, I'm a doctor. Sue me.
Back in the hall, I saw Ethan pulling out two video game controllers, and inserting a CD in his gaming console.
"Daddy, you wanna play?" Ethan asked. I looked down in embarrassment.
I (this is your cue to laugh) have never played a video game in my entire life. Not one. But I couldn't tell my son that now, could I? Fathers are looked upon as role models, and honestly which little boy could be truly proud of a dad who couldn't even play a video game.
I couldn't say that I had never played before. So I did the next best thing. I lied.
"Ethan….umm actually there's a ….umm problem with my thumb so … I can't strain it playing video games."
"Really?" Ethan asked, with an innocence that broke my heart. I nodded solemnly.
"Okay, I'll play by myself then" he said sadly.
Well, call me a push over, but he had me right there. "I was just kidding" I said. "Of course I'll play with you."
Ethan's eyes lit up and he handed me a controller.
"Okay, how do I play?" I asked him
"You shoot the bad guys, collect the gold coins, eat the fruits for health, use your money to buy bullets and other stuff and….that's it, I think. X is to shoot and Y is to kick. The arrow marks are for moving. Daddy, did you get all that?" he rambled.
"Actually, no" I said. "But I'll manage.
Five minutes later
GAME OVER.
Winner: Ethan67
Loser: Daddy Edward
Ten minutes later
GAME OVER.
Winner: Ethan67
Loser: Daddy Edward
Fifteen minutes later
GAME OVER.
Winner: Ethan67
Loser: Daddy Edward
Twenty minutes later
Oh, alright. You get it don't you. I lost every game, to my five year old son.
"Don't worry, daddy" Ethan said. "I'm really good at this game. Mommy can't beat me either."
"Is there anyone who can beat you?" I enquired curiously.
"Nope" he replied quickly. Too quickly. I simply stared at him until he caved.
"Fine" he sighed. "There is one person. But before I tell you, you must promise not to tell anyone. It's the biggest secret."
"I promise not to tell." I said solemnly.
"Aubrey." he muttered so quietly, I almost didn't hear him.
"You mean Rosalie's kid?" I asked. He nodded. I had to purse my lips together hard, so as to not burst out laughing. Only a five year old could attach such significance to something so irrelevant.
"Daddy, I'm bored", Ethan whined.
"Well, you're also sick. You really need to rest now" I said, my doctor's instincts kicking in.
"But daddy" he begun, dragging out the 'daddy' part.
I never got to hear him finish that sentence, because the phone began to ring.
"Hello?" I said impatiently, not even bothering to look at the caller id to see who it was.
"Hi Edward" said the person on the line, sounding very amused.
"Alice??"
"Yup, it's me", she said cheerfully.
"Is it just me or are you more high than usual?"
"You silly boy! I can never be high. I'm not even 5 feet"
"That's not what I meant" I began, when I realized she was just messing with me. "Okay, why did you call?"
"Can't I just call my future brother in law for fun?"
"How am I your future brother in law?" I asked.
"Umm…duh! Bella's like my sister, and if you had any nerve, you'd be married to her very soon!"
I was quiet for a while. She had a point there.
"Alice! I love her. And I really don't know what to do about it." I said quietly. "She means everything to me, and I don't want to mess this up"
Ethan's ears perked up at this comment and to my utter surprise he started to cry.
Great. Just great.
As if I don't have enough problems, now my son hates me. I can't believe he would be so repulsed by the fact that I love Bella that he would cry.
Now what do I do?
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