Several people mentioned that they didn't realize things had moved so far so quickly but I will say once again that there were two chapters (10 and 11) that didn't send notifications out so if you are lost in the story please be sure to read those chapters as there is a lot of information in there. Otherwise just enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 13 (Bella)
Who knew picking out sheets could be so hot?
Tossing the turquoise and hot pink towels into the buggy I growled in frustration at the fact that my pixie of a friend was more interested in her phone than helping me replace all the little things I had lost along with my house. "I thought you came to help? Not play on your phone!" I snapped as I walked past her with the buggy and Maci leaving her and her empty buggy aside from JJ.
"Mama?" Maci asked as I turned us down the sheet and comforter aisle.
I smiled down at her. "I'm okay, I just really don't like shopping. You want to pick your new bedding out?" I asked as I scooped her from the buggy.
She nodded enthusiastically as I placed her on her feet in front of the toddler bedding. I couldn't help but chuckle at her fierce expression on her face. "I'm gonna go get Molly and Mia's okay? I'll be right down there." I told her as I pointed further down the aisle.
Without ever turning to look at me she nodded as she concentrated on the pictures in front of her. Molly and Mia both showed me online what they wanted for their bedding and bedroom theme in general so I just had to find what they showed me. I found the multi-color chevron striped comforter set that Molly had showed me last night fairly quickly but the multi-color polka dot one that Mia wanted was proving to be difficult. I didn't think to get second choices so I was going to have a very upset little girl on my hands this afternoon or an upset store clerk because I wasn't leaving here without that comforter set. Heaving a heavy sigh I decided to pick one for myself instead of stressing over Mia's choice in covers.
I found the same white duvet that I had been using for years and quickly pulled it off the shelf along with a white duvet cover and a purple quilt to toss over the foot of the bed. I nearly cheered when I spotted the comforter that Mia wanted behind the duvet. Dragging all three bags to the cart I checked in on Maci's progress because she was now sat in the floor tapping her finger on her chin. "Having problems, Maci girl?" I asked as I squatted behind her.
She sighed and nodded. "I wike dis one." She said pointing to a pink and purple Doc McStuffin's set before shaking her head and pointing to a light blue one of Frozen. "An dis one too."
I laughed as I kissed the top of her head. "How about we get Frozen for today and we can come back for Doc in a few weeks?" I suggested pointing to each.
"Weally?" She asked wide eyed.
Nodding I kissed the top of her curls before grabbing the bag and standing up. When I turned around I came face to face with a face I had only seen through a computer screen. "That was some smooth negotiating skills there, sweetheart." Edward said as he shifted Noah on his hip.
I rolled my eyes at him as I tossed the bag into the buggy. "Not really considering she's going to end up with both of them anyways." I told him as I walked over to him. When I was just a few inches away from him I looked up into his beautiful green eyes and whispered. "Hi."
He smiled down at me as he set Noah on his feet. "Don't leave the aisle but go say hi to Maci." He told him before standing up straight and stepping closer to me so that when we both breathed deeply our chests touched. "Hi." He whispered as he cupped my face in his hands tugging me closer. "I came a helluva long way for this…" He whispered before pressing his lips against mine.
It was a relatively tame kiss considering our kids were with us and we were in the middle of a fairly busy store. "Was the drive worth it?" I asked as I placed my hands on his chest while our foreheads were pressed together.
"Every mile." He whispered before placing another gentle kiss on my lips before pulling away. "You can thank Alice for this little surprise." He said with a wink as said best friend worked her way onto our aisle.
I smiled contritely over at her and she just nodded and smiled back at me. Without a word spoken between us all was forgiven. "What's next?" She asked as she pulled out her ever present list.
"Kitchen stuff." I said with a groan while Edward and Alice chuckled.
An hour and a half after Edward surprised me in the aisle he surprised me again when we were in the checkout line. "I've got this." Edward said as he pulled his credit card from his wallet.
"No, you don't." I said shoving him out of the way with my hip.
"Please let me do this for you." He whispered softly into my ear.
Looking up at him I shook my head. "I can't do that, Edward. That's over two thousand dollars, Edward." I argued with my hands on my hips.
"Payback, baby, payback." He said smugly as he reached up and swiped his card through the machine.
I scowled at him as he accepted the charge of all my household items I had bought today. "Mama?" Maci called me as she sat in one of the carts.
"What's up, pretty girl?" I asked running my fingers through her beautiful red curls.
"Hungy." She said as she looked up at me with sleepy eyes. "Sweepy."
"I know, baby girl. We're gonna go to the house for lunch and a nap, okay?" I reassured her.
"I'm so thankful you're here." I told Edward as I sat in the middle of my kitchen floor putting away the kitchen supplies. The kids were napping on pallets of new blankets in what was going to be Maci's room. "Though I don't really like that you paid for everything this morning." I said with a playful scowl pointed in his direction as he broke down the boxes I was unpacking.
He just laughed at me and shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't like that you were so adamant about paying for Disney World but you still done it."
In all the chaos of the past few days I had forgotten all about our already paid for trip to Disney World. "Oh no." I whispered as I fished my new phone out of my pocket. Within 2 minutes I groaned in frustration because of what I found on the website. "The tickets are non-refundable and non-transferrable. That's over six thousand dollars down the drain if we don't go." I groaned laying back onto the floor with my hands over my eyes as I wallowed in my frustrations for a minute.
"Then I guess we should go." Edward said causing me to snap my eyes open and sitting back up straight.
"Are you crazy? With everything going on right now you want to go on vacation for a week?" I asked just to make sure I hadn't misunderstood him. "Did the two day road trip cause you to loose some brain cells?"
He just laughed as he stood up next to me holding his hands down for me. "Come here." He requested softly. I couldn't deny him anything so I placed my hands in his and allowed him to pull me to my feet and into his chest. "If anything that two day road trip made things clearer for me. I am here to help you with whatever you need help with and I have a surprise coming for you tomorrow." He told me as he placed a soft kiss to my forehead.
"You paying for all of this today was surprise enough for me, handsome." I told him honestly as I took a deep breath of him, almost trying to memorize his smell for when he wasn't here in person.
He shook his head. "Sorry, this next surprise didn't cost me anything at all. I promise."
"What is it then?" I asked pulling back a little bit so I could look him in the eyes.
"My mom." He mumbled nervously.
My eyes widened as I registered what he had said. His mother was coming in a few days and my house was a disaster with no furniture. Though the furniture issue would be solved as soon as the kids woke up. "Your mother?!" I said pushing away from him so I could pace the small space of my kitchen. "We just met today in person and now you want me to meet your mom tomorrow?" I rambled as I drug my hands through my hair nervously.
He laughed at my antics before snagging me around the waist and pulling me back to his chest. "It will be fine, baby. I promise. When my office burned down the following two weeks were so hectic I could barely find time to eat and shower so I can only imagine this is going to be worse. My mom is coming to help, both you and me." He explained as he hugged me tightly against his chest.
"I forgot all about your office." I said as I wrapped my arms around his waist hugging myself to him tightly. "So, I guess I'm meeting your mom tomorrow." I mumbled into his chest before looking up at him. "I'm going to need a damn good kiss to make that less stressful." I whispered as I slid my hands up his back.
He slid his hands down to my hips before winking at me as he slid his hands down to cup my butt that the shorts I had on emphasized according to Alice earlier this morning. "This may cause a different type of stress." He said cheekily as he suddenly closed his hands around my butt, picking me up off my feet causing me to squeal and tighten my limbs around his body as he walked us toward the kitchen counter. "You ready?" He asked softly as his eyes bounced from my lips to my eyes.
I nodded as I slid my fingers into his hair. "Are you?" I whispered as I tightened my fingers in his locks causing his eyes to darken and a hiss to leave his lips as he sat me on the countertop. Needless to say, all of our emails exchanged hadn't remained completely innocent.
Without another word, he smashed his lips to mine as his hands tightened on my hips. The kiss was absolutely amazing but as he had warned a different type of stress became a problem when a little voice echoed through the baby monitor we had set on the counter. "Dada?"
Edward groaned as he pulled his lips from mine. "He's nervous cause he's in a strange place." He explained before placing a kiss to my forehead as he stepped back away from me. Giving me a longing glance he adjusted his shorts before disappearing down the hallway as I cracked up on the countertop until I heard Edward's voice come through the baby monitor.
"It's okay, buddy, I'm right here."
An hour after Noah woke up the four of us were heading for a second-hand store for some furniture. I was going to buy the beds and couches brand new but the dressers and tables could be bought used. "I still need a hotel to stay in tonight and times ticking away so what do you suggest?" Edward asked as he took a drink of water while we sat at a red light.
"You don't need one. I figured you could stay with me since you came all the way down here for me." I told him with a side glance just as the light changed color.
He choked on his drink as I followed the traffic down the highway. "Unless I was mistaken, your house is only four bedrooms and there are four of you ladies." He said as he capped his water bottle.
I nodded in agreement. "You are correct. I figured Noah could share a room with Maci and you could share mine."
"Thought we weren't going there on the first meeting?" He teased as he reached over for my hand that was resting on the gear shift.
Unable to stop myself, I chuckled because we had indeed said that. "Were you serious about not using me? And this being real?" I asked because he had told me that so many times in our emails, texts, and video chats.
"Of course I was or am." He said giving my hand a squeeze. "I have no hidden agenda. Do you really think I would drive all this way with my son if I wasn't all in?"
I shook my head because I never had any doubts so I had to make him see that so he could understand my decision to allow him to stay in my new house. "That's my point, Edward. I trust you. The only thing that will make you have to sleep on the couch is if Molly and Mia has a problem with it. I will talk to them once they get home from school."
He nodded in understanding as I turned into the parking lot of House Stuff. "Sounds like a plan, baby." He whispered against my wrist as he placed a soft kiss on my pulse point.
Thankfully, I wasn't that picky as long as the furniture looked decent and was stable so we were in and out of the store in less than an hour with a promise that it would be delivered at 4:30 that afternoon. "Where to now?" Edward asked as we buckled our kids into their respective car seats in the backseat of my car.
"To get matresses and couches."
"Was Maci sleeping in a big girl bed before the fire?" He asked once we closed the back doors of my car.
I shook my head and shrugged my shoulders. "She had one but wasn't sleeping in it through the night and I fear this will be a huge setback." I admitted softly.
He nodded. "Possibly. So are you going to get her a baby bed or a big bed?"
"I'm thinking a baby bed that can change into a big girl bed later. I just don't think she's ready for the transition yet, especially now." I explained as I smiled at my little girl in the backseat as she babbled with Noah.
"Katie was still in a baby bed when she went into the hospital, she never did transition. Rose tells me all the time that I am rushing his growing up because he's pretty much potty-trained and not even a year and a half old yet." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
I nodded. "I can understand her point and yours. It will be such a relief when she is 100% potty-trained but that means she is just one step closer to becoming independent."
"True. Do you think Maci's room is big enough for two baby beds?"
Once the delivery of the beds and couches was set we headed to the grocery store. "Will you let me pay for at least part of the groceries since Noah and I will be eating there too?" He asked as he placed Noah in a cart while I put Maci in another.
I shook my head. "No can do, mister. Does me paying for everything hurt your manhood?" I teased as I went to grab the cart to head inside when Maci pushed my hands away.
"No, Mama. Want E to push." She said with a scowl at me.
Edward nearly doubled over in laughter at the shocked look on my face. "I thought you were my girl, Maci Isabella." I pouted playfully.
She nodded quickly. "Wove you, Mama, want E to push." She said with a beaming smile on her face.
I popped a kiss to the top of her head as I turned the cart over to Edward as I bent down in front of Noah who had remained fairly quiet all afternoon. "Noah, will you be my buddy since Miss Maci abandoned me for your daddy?"
He nodded with a crooked grin little grin that I noticed he got from his father. "Yep." He said softly with a nod of his head.
"You are such a cutie." I told him as I ruffled his hair playfully, laughing at the scowl on his face for me messing with his hair.
"No, B." he said pushing my hand away from his head before smashing his hair back down. "Mine."