-Chapter Seven: A Tale of Two Sticks-

"Um, Edward, which one do we get?" Bella asked softly, clutching my arm.

We were standing in the middle of one of Seattle's busiest drugstores, facing the intimidating shelves that housed feminine products, contraceptives and dreaded pregnancy tests.

There were so many…

I sighed, and ran a hand through my hair. "Let's just get a bunch. Look, this one has smiley faces…"

Bella shivered. "No smiley faces."

"Okay, then… here," I picked up a random box that seemed the most cheery, given the situation. "This one seems pretty straightforward. Just a simple positive or negative. And let's get one of the traditional blue line ones. I think they're supposed to be the best."

"I've heard these things can put in false results. Should we get another one?"

I bit my lip. The test I held in my hand was twenty dollars before tax. I quickly put that figure against the cost of a doctor visit to confirm or deny a pregnancy, and decided that it would be best to get another test or two, just to make sure. It would be cheaper than the doctor's office.

"Yeah, let's pick out a few more."

Bella and I carefully sorted through the rest of the tests and put three boxes in our basket. I paid for our purchases, deliberately ignoring the cashier's curious stare and knowing smile.

This was going to be bad enough without some stranger prying into mine and Bella's business.

We drove through the slick, wet streets in complete silence before heading home. It wasn't that I was upset with Bella, or that she wasn't speaking to me, we were just trying to process this turn of events in our own way. Bella fidgeted in her seat; her hand would tentatively brush her stomach, and then quickly recoil, as if burned. I fought the urge to touch her belly myself- what if there was a baby in there?

I couldn't believe we were even doing this. I thought I had been careful enough. I didn't blame Bella for the possibility of a pregnancy- it would be both our responsibility if she was indeed carrying a baby.

So much for all my careful planning. I had read somewhere that having a baby could cost up to ten thousand dollars a year. I did not have an extra 10k lying around, and wouldn't for some time.

Things were tight as it was- we never shopped without coupons, paid the minimum amount on Bella's car payments and the rent, and I could not remember the last time we had bought something extravagant- which to us, was renting a movie or going out for dinner. Those expenditures were few and far between, and now it looked like it was going to be even longer before we splurged again.

Babies needed a lot of stuff- clothes, bedding, diapers, bottles, car seats, a stroller… I hoped we would be able to borrow Rosalie and Emmett's crib, and maybe a car seat as well.

Relax, Edward. She hasn't even taken the tests yet. All this worrying may turn out to be nothing.

As much as I wanted a baby with Bella's hair and eyes, I didn't want one now.

--

The crinkling of cellophane pervaded the dark bathroom's quietness as I watched my wife unwrap the first test. I saw her read the directions once, twice, before setting the test on the counter and looking at me expectantly- no pun intended.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes at me. "I have to pee on the stick, Edward. Do you mind? I love you, but not that much, honey."

I felt myself blush and quickly backed out of the bathroom, allowing her the privacy I knew she craved.

Bella was surprisingly quick in… taking care of business, and opened the door immediately after she had washed her hands. I didn't escape my attention that she looked sickly and pale.

How had I missed the signs of morning (or in Bella's case, all day) sickness? How had I been so inattentive and obtuse to my wife's needs?

The answer was always the same.

My damn job.

I was gone so often that I tended to miss the important nuances of everyday life. I should have been home the past few days, giving Bella lemon lime soda and saltines, all while making sure she stayed rested. I should have been holding her hair back when she threw up and treating her like the princess she was. Instead, I was off performing a back breaking job with lousy pay, missing out on the precious moments I could have been having with my wife. I could have been there for her when she needed me- granted, she didn't relish the idea of me watching her throw up, but I wanted to help her in any small way that I could- holding her hair back, providing mouthwash, etc.

It wasn't that I didn't love being a firefighter. I thought I had chosen a very noble profession. I got to save lives on a regular basis, and the knowledge that I was doing some good in the world helped me get through each day. I just wished that the pay was better. Bella and I were doing alright, but if she was indeed pregnant, we were going to have to tighten our belts even more to cover expenses.

I set the timer on my phone for three minutes, and both Bella and I waited with baited breath until we could check the stick. After some of the most agonizing moments of my life, we were able to look.

"Blue? What does blue mean?"

…

I looked at Bella with tears brimming in my eyes.

"It means, my lovely Bella that we are going to have a baby."

--

I sat in a poorly cushioned chair in the middle of a crowded waiting room with my wife clutching on to my arm for dear life.

"Bella, relax," I chuckled, wincing when I felt her nails dig unintentionally into my skin. I gently pried her off of me and allowed her to cuddle into my side.

"I'm scared, Edward," she whispered as we sat together, wedged next to each other as closely as possible.

I ran my fingers down her arms in a comforting gesture, tapping a melody on her skin.

"Why are you scared, love?"

"I don't know about this baby," she said, staring at our intertwined fingers. "What if something's wrong? What if all those tests were wrong, and we're sitting here for nothing?"

"I highly doubt all three tests were wrong, Bella. And a baby that's half you? He or she would be nothing less short of perfect. We'll be okay, love. Even if the tests are wrong, we'll just take this as a learning experience and try for a baby at a later date. Both you and I know that this time in our lives isn't the best one for expanding our family."

"Isabella Cullen?" A nurse in scrubs called out into the office waiting room, file folders in hand.

Bella quickly straightened up and pulled me by the hand to where the nurse was waiting. Her mood had suddenly gone from downtrodden to excited, and I smiled as we were led down the narrow hallway to the exam room.

--

Bella's doctor was surprisingly kind and patient with us, and she seemed to actually know what she was doing. I think she could sense mine and Bella's apprehension, and she did her best to put our fears at rest. After what had to be an uncomfortable internal exam, the doctor checked Bella's weight and measurements, noting everything on a chart. She also took a blood sample, which was not pleasant for Bella in any way, shape or form. Blood made her nauseous, and she claimed she could smell it too, which I found to be amusing. We weren't sure how far along Bella was, but I imagined that it couldn't have been more than five or six weeks. We would have noticed by now, or so I thought.

"Well, Bella, everything seems to be in order. To determine your due date, we're going to do an ultrasound. Would you like to see your baby?" Dr. Irina Gerandy asked cheerfully, motioning with a wave to the sonogram machine.

Bella's face lit up. "Yes," she said shyly, then looked up at me with sparkly eyes.

I watched intently as she had Bella pull her shirt up to her breasts and push down her jeans slightly, exposing her pale belly, which had already begun to swell with our baby.

Bella grimaced when the blue gel was spread over her slightly raised stomach- apparently it felt pretty cold. I sat on a stool by Bella's head, holding her hand tightly. I was just as nervous as she was. I couldn't believe that I was going to be a father, not after going through most of my life alone.

Dr. Gerandy clicked on the computer, and began to move a small, white wand over Bella's tummy, searching for the little baby that lay within. It took less than ten seconds for her to locate the small white blob that we saw on the screen, which surprised her.

"There's your baby, honey." She said with a smile, and turned the monitor towards Bella so she could see. Sure enough, there was a small, white blob, with a discernable head and arms, moving around the dark screen.

"Baby? As in just one, correct?" I asked hesitantly. Twins ran on both sides of my family, and Bella's grandmother had been a twin, so there was a high likelihood of us having twins somewhere down the line.

Dr. Gerandy chuckled. "Yes, Mr. Cullen, just one baby."

I hoped Bella hadn't seen my visible relief.

"Look, Edward, our baby," Bella said softly, a tear running down her cheek.

"I see, love." I was getting a little choked up myself, and tenderly placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Your baby definitely wasn't conceived six weeks ago, Bella." Dr. Gerandy said suddenly.

Bella drew in her bottom lip between her teeth. "Oh really, then when?"

"Almost fourteen weeks ago, judging by the size of the little one," she smiled. "You've gotten lucky with this baby. If you just started getting sick, you'll have little morning sickness, since you're already into your second trimester. I have to say, though, most women realize or suspect a pregnancy as soon as eight weeks along or less. Can I was why this pregnancy went unnoticed for this long?"

Bella squeezed my hand even tighter. "Well, I've been busy, you know, between school, and work… I am always regular with my cycle, but the last time it wasn't nearly as heavy, mostly just spotting. I chalked it up to stress."

Dr. Gerandy suddenly looked concerned. "How old are you, Bella?"

"I just turned twenty-two, why?"

Now I was a little confused. Why did it matter? Did we do something wrong? Sure, we had gotten married young, and we were having this baby pretty young, but so were teenagers in high school, so what did it matter?

"Do you go to school full time? And how many hours a week do you work?"

The doctor's questions were coming off as a little too nosy.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but what does this have to do with the baby?"

Dr. Gerandy laughed. "Please, call me Irina. I just wanted to know how much stress Bella would have to handle while she is pregnant. I'm a little concerned, that's all. You seem to be in perfect health, Bella, but I'd like to see you gain at least five to ten pounds before your next appointment. The vomiting you've been doing this past week or two no doubt has contributed to weight loss, but I really need you to keep up your health for the baby's sake. You are also small framed, which may lead to bed rest later on.

You mentioned school. This is your senior year, correct? I know there's a lot of pressure for you to graduate on time, but please keep in mind the baby's health. Don't skip meals, go to bed at a reasonable hour, and most of all, don't stress about assignments and exams. As far as work is concerned, you're going to need to take it easy. No lifting anything over twenty pounds, and stay off your feet as much as you can. Be sure to let your boss know that you are expecting, and arrange your maternity leave right away.

I know this is a lot, but taking care of your baby requires you to take the best care of yourself as you can."

Bella smiled shyly. "It won't be a problem. I know my husband is taking every word you say to heart. He'll make sure I'm not over exerting myself." She squeezed my hand affectionately.

Irina smiled. "That's good to know. Well, like I said, you are almost fourteen weeks along, so your due date will be… around May the fourteenth to May the seventeenth."

In less than seven months we were going to be parents.

Irina carefully cleaned Bella's stomach and called for a technician on the intercom. "Well, my work here is done. I'm going to have Charlotte come in and get out the Doppler for you, and she'll give you some pamphlets to read, as well as some books to suggest, and you'll be on your way!"

Another nurse wearing scrubs came in, and Irina excused herself, bidding us to have a nice day, with a reminder to make an appointment for next month.

Charlotte, the tech, was very nice like the doctor had been, and chatted enthusiastically with us about our baby as she put more of the cold blue gel on Bella's midriff. Charlotte reached for a small Doppler on the instrument table, and after turning the machine on, lightly pressed the hand held device on Bella's small bump, searching for the heartbeat.

After a few moments of holding my breath, the sweetest sound in the world (besides Bella's voice) rang in my ears.

It was the sound of my child's heartbeat- something I never thought I would get to hear.

I am incredibly sorry for how long this took. I will be updating this story in "chunks" so to speak, almost like drabbles, so we can get through this faster. We still have to catch up to where PB&J begins!

So when we see our favorite couple next, Bella will be farther along in her pregnancy, like a month or two. We'll see how she and Edward are struggling to follow Dr. Irina's "low stress" orders :)

If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know.

xoxo,

ybeg