I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!! IT'S BEEN ALMOST A MONTH!! I'M SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY!! FORGIVE ME!! PLEASE!! But this is partly your fault; if everyone reviewed we wouldn't have been low on the review count. Jamison Square does not have any playground equipment, it has a pool thing and grass and benches, but for the sake of the story I am going to add playground equipment. Deal with it! Teehee. : ) : ) : )
DISCLAMIER: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING AFILLIATED WITH THE TWILIGHT SERIES OR STEPHENIE MEYER!!
Bella POV:
Friday! Yay…shopping…with Alice. Edward was taking the girls to Jamison Square, and Rora was under strict rules not to go anywhere near the water. She had pitched a fit when I told her. I wasn't worried though, Edward would watch her.
He was such a good father. So attentive, so loving, caring, sweet. He had told me his story. He had been in the army, he fought in the war, survived it. Then he came down with the Spanish influenza when he got back. Carlisle saved him, made him immortal. He had been twenty-six, no wife, no children, and he had never been in love. And somehow out of the thousands of prettier human girls, dozens of gorgeous vampires, he had picked me. Why? I have no idea, I wasn't pretty, or smart, or especially interesting. I was just me. Me. That's it. And yet, for some unknown reason, he loved me. I couldn't begin to fathom as to why.
"Daddy!" I turned to look at Aurora. She was pulling on Edward's leg; he was standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing dishes and then putting them in the dishwasher. "One second, Princess," he smiled down at her. She was bouncing impatiently, "Daddy!" He turned the water off and closed the dishwasher, then he picked her up and through her in the air, she squealed in delight. He sat Rora on his shoulders and she covered his eyes, "Guess who!" He laughed.
"Hmm? Who?"
"Daddy you have to guess!" he was smiling.
"I don't know. Who?"
"Daddy! It's me!" she screamed happily.
"Ahhh," he pulled her off his shoulders and kissed her forehead, when he put her down she pouted and reached her arms back up to him.
"Daddy!" she wined. He picked her up and smiled.
"Sweetheart, you have to get ready," He ruffled her hair. "Don't you want to go to the park?" he knew the answer, he was smiling,
"YAY!" she clapped. "Put me down!" he placed her on her feet and she ran, I heard the pitter-patter of her little feet on the stairs. I looked back at Edward, he was glowing, he was looking at me, with a smile on his face, love in his eyes. I walked toward him and he opened his arms for me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his chest, I felt his strong arms go around me and he held me there. "I love you three so, so much," he whispered into my hair.
"You guys are my life," I felt my eyes tear up. What would I do if I lost her? Things were finally coming together for me. How could I have her taken away? How could my baby girl be taken from me when we were finally complete? When she finally had a daddy? It wasn't fair. He pulled back and wiped the tears that had begun to streak down my face.
"Bella," he whispered.
"It's not fair," I can't count how many times I'd said this to him. "Everything's finally coming together. I'm not alone anymore. She finally has a father. What am I supposed do?" my voice broke. I was already crying, but I held in the sobs that threatened to rack my body.
"We're not going to lose her, love. She's ours, and no one's taking her away. Not even God himself," he held my face in his hands.
"How?" I was still whispering.
"When we get the test results-,"
"And what happens if they're negative, Edward?" I demanded of him.
"We'll get a second opinion. She's not going to…to be taken away," so he was having trouble with the word, too. I nodded and leaned into him. He held me tight, to tight almost, but it made me feel better.
"Daddy, I'm ready!" Rora came running into the kitchen. I turned my head to look at her and smiled. She was getting better at dressing herself. Her clothes weren't backwards today, and only one sock was inside out. I looked at Edward and could tell he noticed it, too. "Mommy, tie my shoes for me?" she gave me a smile. Edward let me go and I went get her shoes from the cubby by the door. I came back in to the kitchen and Rora was giggling hysterically as Edward played tag with her, just missing on purpose. I smiled at them. I ran in front of Rora and caught her. She laughed.
"Let's put your shoes on," I sat her on the counter. When I was putting a shoe on the foot with the inside-out sock I "accidentally" slid the shoe and the sock off. I turned the sock the right way and put it back on, she didn't notice. I put her down and she ran to Edward. He picked her up. "Daddy, let's go!" she had an expression on her face that made me laugh. It was commanding. Edward found it amusing, too, apparently.
"Okay, Princess. Let's go. Right after we get your sister," she clapped and tried to get down, he let her and she ran back up the stairs. I ran after her before she could wake Antoinette. "Rora. Shhh. Your sister's sleeping," I whispered as I ran-walked into the nursery, I knelt down to her level.
"But mommy, we're going to the park."
"Your sister can still sleep on the way there, and while you're at the park."
"But then how is she going to play?"
"She's too little, yet," I smiled at my little girl. "She might be able to play with you, but only if she wakes up," I touched her nose. She swatted my hand away, smiling. "Go back downstairs to daddy," she nodded and kissed my cheek. I got up to get Antoinette, I picked her up gently and she stirred in my arms, "Shhh. Shhh, baby, shhh," she drifted back to sleep. I carried her downstairs. I had dressed her earlier so she was ready. Edward was carrying the diaper bag on his shoulder and Rora in his arms. He smiled and opened the front door, I walked past him and I heard his Volvo beep, signaling that he unlocked it. He opened the back door for me so I could put Antoinette in her car seat, he put Rora in hers.
The car seats had been in his car for over a month now. Since the first doctor's appointment he went to. He insisted on driving wherever we went, and there hadn't been a time he wasn't around for more than 24 hours, he only left for hunting trips. He had clothes here, so he didn't need to go home to change. Not that I minded him never leaving. I preferred it this way. I needed him like I needed my babies. Which I needed like I needed oxygen. There had been a time when all I needed had been Aurora and Antoinette. Now I needed all three of them, when I deserved none. Yet God had blessed me with the three most perfect people in the world. Surely there were people more deserving, more worthy of their love. But I wouldn't give them up, no matter how undeserving.
Edward kissed me goodbye and wished me good luck with Alice, I stuck my tongue out at him and he'd laughed. Then they took off. They probably could have walked, but Rora would probably fall asleep on the way back and it looked like it was going to rain later anyway.
Edward said Alice was going to show up around 11:00. I was already ready so I decided I'd write a bit. I was very behind. I was in the middle of probably one of the most romantic scenes I'd ever written when the doorbell rang. Damn. "Coming!" I yelled, though she could have probably heard me whisper. I walked out of my office and down the stairs. When I opened the front door I felt the air rush out my lungs. I thought for a second I'd been punched in the stomach but looked down to see Alice with her arms around me in a bone-crushing hug. "Alice-can't-breathe," I wheezed.
"Oh! Sorry!" she stepped back. Her smile was so wide I'd thought for sure it would hurt any normal person, but she wasn't normal was she? "You ready?"
"Hmm," I nodded, trying to hide my fear.
"YAY!" she grabbed my arm and pulled.
"Alice! Wait, I need to get my purse and my jacket!" she was yanking me out the door.
"Oh! Right," she let go so I could get my stuff. I took a coat from the rack and my purse was on the table against the wall. I walked back outside to meet Alice. I looked around for her car and stopped in my tracks. What is it with this family and their fancy, expensive sports cars?! She was sitting in a canary yellow Porsche. I sighed and got in the passenger side door. "We're gonna have so much fun!" with that she stepped on the gas and took off.
Edward POV:
"Rora! Come here!" I caught her around the waist and picked her up with one arm. "What did I tell you about no swimming?"
"Not to swim?" she smiled sheepishly. I smiled and shook my head. I put her down.
"What do you want to do?"
"Swimm-,"
"No swimming."
"Daddy please?" she was begging.
"No Princess, it's to cold," I kissed her forehead.
"Fine," she sighed. "Swings?" she perked up.
"Yes. Swings are fine," she squealed happily and took off again. I had been holding Antoinette and I put her back in the stroller. I went over to the swings. "Daddy help me!" she was too short to get up by herself. I parked the stroller next to the swing the set and sat Rora on the swing. "Daddy, push me!" I smiled and obliged.
Bella POV:
The day had been horrible. I was sitting on the couch. I had demanded of Alice I get back by 4:00 because Edward and the girls would probably be back then and he was sure to be tired out, no matter how indestructible he was. I was watching I Love Lucy reruns when I heard the door open. "Mommy! Mommy!" I turned my head to see Rora running into the living room, Edward followed with a tired but loving look on his face. I hid a smile. "Yes Baby?" I put my hands under her arms and lifted her over the back of the couch. Once she was situated on my lap she went into full recount of her day. They had went to the park, and she rode the swings, and daddy had bought her hot chocolate because daddy said she couldn't have ice cream. At that part of the story I looked up at Edward and smiled lovingly, I didn't even have to tell him that. He smiled back from the end of the couch, Antoinette was in his lap. All I could see were her arms; there was penguin in them, blocking her from view. When Rora was done with her story I put her down for her nap. Antoinette was grumpy so I put her down, too. It seemed like she was catching a cold, that couldn't be good. I would not have Rora catching it. After we put them down I lay on the couch with Edward. "So. How bad was it?" I tried to hide a smile as I looked up at him. He chuckled.
"Not to horrific actually. You know I don't mind watching them," he looked at me through his topaz eyes with love.
"I know," I moved my head up to kiss him. He put his hand behind my head to hold my lips to his. Ring. Ring. Ring. "Ugh!" I groaned. He let me go so I could get the phone. "Hello," my voice was husky.
"Bella! Oh it's so good to hear your voice."
"Mom?" I was surprised. She didn't usually call, she just showed up announced.
"Yes, silly, of course."
"What did you need?"
"I can't call my daughter without needing something?" Well, not usually. The last time she called she wanted directions to the dry cleaners and asked me not to tell Charlie because they had a bet she couldn't make it through one day without help from someone. I had kept my promise, and Renee had won permission to cook dinner for Charlie, which was absolutely horrible. My mother can't cook.
"Well, then why did you call?"
"I was wondering if you and the girls wanted to some over tomorrow night for dinner. Do you think you could make it or do you already have plans?"
"Um," She didn't know about Edward, I hadn't told her. It's not that I was afraid she wouldn't like him, it's just, we'd only been going out a month and the girls already saw him as daddy and I'm sure my mother would not be happy about the fact he'd been sleeping over since the second night I'd met him. Not that we were doing anything she would deem inappropriate, Edward and his rules. And it's not like I would tell her that anyway, it was just odd. Renee didn't really trust my judgment when it came to men, not after Jacob. But if Edward wanted to meet my parents than of course we'd go over. I covered the bottom of the phone, "Edward," I was whispering, I knew he'd hear me.
"Yes, love?"
"Do you want to meet my parents?" please say no, please say no, please say no.
"Sure," he smiled, I grimaced.
"Bella? You still there?"
"Yeah mom. We'd love to come over, and there's someone I want you to meet," not really. What am I supposed to say? Hey mom, dad, I'd like you to meet my vampire boyfriend!
"Who?" her voice was suspicious in a second.
"Edward," I was beating around the bush.
"Edward? A guy, Bella? Are you dating?" now her voice was accusing.
"Yes."
"Bel-."
"Wait! Before you say anything, or accuse me of being a bad judge of character, will you at least give him a chance? He's a really good guy, mom. And the girls love him-."
"He's met the girls?! How long have you been dating?!"
"About a month."
"You've only been dating a month and he's already met the girls?!"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"Yes, Bella, there is a problem! You've been dating a month and he's met the girls already! It's one thing if it doesn't work out for you but what about the girls?! Are they supposed to lose another father?!"
"Jake was never a father to them! Edward is! He loves them, mom! He loves me!"
"Does he know she's sick?! How do you think he'll react to that?! Do you honestly think he'll stick around when she's gonna die?!" I froze, how could she say that to me.
"He does know! He's known since the first day I met him! He doesn't care! He loves Rora! And how dare you say that! How dare you! She's just sick! She's going to get better! He has no reason to leave! He loves us! I love him!"
"You've only been dating him a month!"
"I don't care, mom!" my eyes were brimming with tears; I wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer.
"Bella! I'm trying to keep you and the girls safe! I don't want you hurt anymore than you already have been!" her voice was thick with tears that were now falling down cheeks.
"He's not gonna hurt us mom. If you could see the way he is with them. With me. With all of us. Mom, he's so loving, so good. He's nothing like Jacob. Nothing. And don't you ever say he is," my whisper was fierce. She didn't talk for a minute.
"I'm sorry, Bella. I shouldn't jump to conclusions like that, I'm just trying to protect my girls," she was whispering, too. "You can't be mad at me for that."
"I'm not. See you tomorrow," I put the phone back on the ringer. I was however mad at her for saying Rora was going to…going to…gonna…I couldn't even say the word in my head. How could she say that to me? My baby girl was going to be fine! She had no right! No right! It wasn't her daughter sick! I felt two strong arms go around me and I finally let out the sobs that had been threatening to take over.
"It's okay, shhh. We both know she's going to be fine," he whispered in my ear. I turned to press my face into his chest. He held my head there with one hand, the other arm wrapped around me.
"I know," it was just a whisper.
A/N: If you don't get the next chapter tomorrow you'll get it in two days. I vow to never take 17 days to update again. And if you haven't read my other story yet go read it! :) It's not as good as this one…yet. I hope you guys like it as much as I do… or more. REVIEW! Or I WILL breaks my promise!