so this is either right on time or a week late… your choice!

Chapter 25

Isabella Swan

I was already exhausted by the time my friends and I left the house. As much as I wished we could postpone wedding planning, it was just two months away.

Alice and Rose were thrilled though, talking about where the appointments were, how long they were due to last and our next destination. They'd included lunch and the last stop was the spa.

I tried to protest the spa but a massage would feel so nice and a facial… I smiled and sighed happily.

Rose was driving, Alice was the passenger and I was in the backseat. Locked in until we got to the first bridal shop, I sat back to relax. Until I heard my two best friends speak in unison, "So Bella!"

"Um, so Rose and Alice!" my excitement was a little fake but then I remembered – they were leaving their families for the days, too. Plus, they were both pregnant. They'd be total exhausted by the day's end, so I perked my voice up, "What's the agenda?"

"Welllll… " Alice started.

"That's not exactly what we were hoping for…" Rose finished for her. I looked back and forth between them, trying to figure out exactly what they meant. Then I remembered Edward opening the door, just in his boxers. I groaned softly and shook my head, "I'm not talking to you guys about anything."

"We're your best friends, if you don't tell us… who will you tell, Bella?" Alice insisted, her normally tinkering voice had turned whiney.

"How about I don't tell anyone?" I tried, trying to keep a smile off my face but failing.

"We tell you everything!" Alice made another attempt. I sighed, knowing I'd already shared so much there was no going back and I'd have to give them most of the info.

"All right. After Edward's party last night… he'd found out you can get pregnant while breastfeeding, it was bad. We argued. He said he didn't know if he could marry me after trying to trick him into two babies but I didn't trick him into Audrey…we made up and we were both a little toasted and I didn't mean to let it happen, I swear! It was like make up sex and it was so built up. I know it's only been four weeks since she was born. A lot people on forums say they did it like two weeks after and there was no infection!"

"I knew you two did! Did he use a condom?"

"No," I laughed nervously, my fingers fluttered over the spot where Audrey used to kick the hardest, "we didn't use anything. We decided that whatever happens happens. Edward had a talk with his mother that made him do a completer one-eighty. It was crazy." I shrugged my bare shoulders, staring out the window to refrain from going into Esme's private story and how it affected Edward's childhood.

"Bella," Rose started out gently, "why does it seem like you don't want this to happen anymore?"

I shook my head quickly, "I'd love another baby… maybe not right now but I've made so many arguments far for it, I can't even think about not going though with it. He'll think I have split personalities!"

"You have to do what you want… because you never know what he's up to," Rosalie stated cryptically.

"What do you mean?" I asked and even I could hear the urgency in my voice, "What would he be up to?"

"Oh, nothing," Rose said coolly. I still felt anxious about the statement and my heart was racing but I didn't say anything else because I knew if I did, Rose wouldn't say anymore. If I didn't, Rosalie might drop random hints.

When we finally made it to the first bridal shop, Alice signed us in for the appointment she had made for our own personal consultant. This was a high end place and I was impressed by what they had on display. Rose and I wandered around the store. The dresses were gorgeous, better than I had ever imagined and I knew they were expensive but Edward insisted we spare no expense on this day that had been so important to me since I was a little girl. This was one thing I wasn't going to argue with – my father and grandparents would have wanted it.

Ever since I was little, I wanted a giant, poufy dress with layers and layers of tulle. I'd have to say the style had changed but I still wanted to feel like a princess. When I was five, my Dad found the perfect, white poufy dress. It had the sleeves and everything. At the time, I had no idea where my father had found it but was convinced it meant I'd be married soon. Now, I realize it must have been an un-dyed flower girls' dress or a Holy Communion dress but when I think about it now, it just reminds me how caring and amazing Charlie was.

Now surrounded by dresses, I had a thousand thoughts running through my mind. Did I really want to look like a princess? Could I wear a white dress when my three month old baby will be here? Would my three month old daughter be there? If we kept her out of the pictures and fudged the year on our wedding date, she'd never know she was born out of wedlock. In fact, we could pretend she was a honeymoon baby.

I sighed loudly to hide a groan and hid my face in a bunch of dresses.

I almost shrieked when I felt a tiny hand on my shoulder. I turned and the face to the person I turned to looked concerned. Rose gently turned me to face her and I bit my bottom lip, worrying it between my teeth.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Rose asked, still rubbing a soothing hand on my shoulder. I smiled the biggest smile I could at her and quietly lied, "I just wish my parents were here."

"Oh, sweetie," Rosalie hugged me and I felt bad for how much lying I've been doing lately. I had never lied before the pregnancy, before Edward. Now I felt myself lying to make Edward seem like a better man and lying to make myself feel better because… well… I was lying to myself.

Alice came over a few seconds later and I heard her quietly ask what was wrong and Rosalie whispering the answer. I felt even worse when I felt Alice's arms envelope me as well and I started silently crying.

"Okay, Bells… we're wedding shopping! I know they're not here but we're your best friends and we'll have so much fun! Come on," Alice soothed, pulling away gently and grabbing tissues out of her purse to gently wipe the tears off my face. I nodded, standing still and letting her when at one point I would have shooed her away and done it myself. I wondered if being pregnant had made me that way, compliant and not as hard-headed as I used to be.

Finally the consultant came out and I showed her the kinds of dresses I thought were pretty. I was hoping this would take one stop then we'd be done and to the spa. The consultant took us into a private room to wait while she picked out dresses based on the ideas I'd given her.

I changed into the white silk robe the shop provided with just my strapless bra and panties underneath. While we were chatting, Audrey came up and she didn't believe that I'd had a baby just a month ago. I blushed and played with my hair, nervous and uncomfortable standing in front of three other people dressed in barely anything.

I fell in love with the first dress I found. It was simple, Henry Roth and perfect. It was pure white, A-Line, strapless and empire waist. The bust was tight and bunched with some detailing between that and where the skirt flowed. It was gorgeous and I knew right then I wanted it.

But of course, Rosalie, Alice and the consultant insisted I try on other dresses.

And I fell in love with the second. It was more extravagant and much more expensive. It was a very light shade of Ivory… just not white. It had spaghetti straps and a Sweetheart neckline. The top layer of fabric ended on an angle and underneath was tulle. It had a small, tulle flower on the hip. And underneath the bust, there was a thin line of Swarovski crystals.

Either of these dresses, I was in love with and would have taken in a heartbeat but the third one… the third one. I had decided on the third one and no one would tear that away from me. It was a beautiful shade of white and strapless with a little bit of a Princess neckline. This one had princess seams and no waist. It had silk gathered down almost the entire dress and a bundled rose on the hip. It was gorgeous. I loved it.

Everyone protested that we should shop some more but I made sure I was assertive. I didn't want to go to the rest of the bridal shops for a dress for me but I had no problem going for bridesmaids' dresses.

It was a little harder to shop for them – we ended up going to the next place on Alice's extensive list, then the next place then the next where we finally found dresses the three of us agreed on. They were knee length and a shade of green called peridot. It reminded me of Edward's eyes and anything that reminded me of his eyes, I loved. The bust of the dress was runched and the dresses' straps formed a V down the back of their necks, forming into a silk flower like on my dress.

The fact that the dresses were pretty much empire waists made out perfectly – Alice was due a week before the wedding date. If he was born or wasn't born, the dress would still fit her relatively well. And the same for Rose, she would only get bigger but the dress could be let out as late as two weeks before the wedding, the seamstress told us.

In the car on the way to the spa, Alice and Rose were arguing about what kind of shoes I'd wear and they would wear. I wanted them to wear ballet flats, dyed to match their dresses but they both wanted heels.

"I would not have wanted to wear heels down the aisle of a wedding if I were six or nine months pregnant!" I argued from the passenger seat.

"But heels will look so much better with the shorter dresses! They'll help elongate my legs," Alice whined and I rolled my eyes.

"I think it'll be more comfortable if you wear flats!"

"Alright," Rose interrupted and I could tell she was annoyed with Alice and I arguing like toddlers, "Alice and I will get both heels, to walk down the aisle and flats for the reception. Actually, Bell, you might want to do the same. My feet were so sore by the end of the night… remember your reception, Alice?"

Alice nodded grudgingly as I smirked; glad she wasn't able to see me.

"So flowers?" Rose asked. I groaned softly, just wanting to go to the spa and get a massage and the works.

"I'd rather not go through that today… plus, Esme asked specifically to be there for that. But I was thinking you would both hold white and I'd hold peridot green, like your dresses. I'm trying to decide though… if I should have a third color… or just white and green?" I was mostly talking to myself, not sure.

"What if you did a light pink with it?" Alice suggested but I shook my head. I'd thought of it but I wasn't a fan. The idea I was toying with was dorky and Edward would make fun of me but I was thinking of green and some shade of brown: both our eye colors.

"No… I guess we'll see what I like when Esme and I go to the flower shop," I said, playing with my B necklace. I hadn't been away from Audrey for this long since she was bored and it was painful how much I missed my month old daughter.

"Alice," Rose glanced back at our friend through the rearview mirror, "how's Jasper's new practice?"

"Oh, the new practice," Alice sighed. "I wanted him to do it because in the long run, it'll mean less hours and more money. But the beginning is tough. He's busy all the time, Charlotte's always asking for him, she cries when he's not home at bedtime… when he is home, he's working and she doesn't understand. Then this baby is going to come and… I don't know," Alice sighed.

I turned halfway in my seat and grabbed Alice's hand, "Whenever you need help, let Edward and me home. He's going back to law… going to do some pro-bono work but I imagine that'll be for a few weeks every few weeks so he'll be around. He's a diaper changing pro now," I grinned at Alice. Rose snorted in her seat next to me and I looked at her.

"What?"

"Oh, I just had a tickle in my throat… I'm just so thirsty," Rose insisted.

"All right," I said, turning forward in my seat. I pulled my phone out of my purse and saw I had three text messages from Edward.

The first one was Edward holding Audrey in front of his face.

The second of Audrey on her tummy on the floor, propped on the Boppy with Charlotte leaning over her and smiling.

And the last one was of Edward and Audrey, nose to nose. Her mouth was wide open and he was making a kissy face at her.

I sighed and sent Edward the picture Alice had insisted on taking in me in the white silk robe, I had hammed it up, my hands on my hips and making and exaggerated kissing face at the camera. I sent it with the simple message of, "I miss you."

Shortly, I got one back from him.

Audrey misses mommy's boobies. So does Daddy. – E

Daddy is a perv. – B

When will Mommy be home? – E

Bella will be home after the spa… I'm getting the full works, baby. – B

You deserve it. Love you, lovely. – E

I could feel the goofy grin on my face. I loved when he called me love or any variation of it. It was different than baby, in some way. It was telling me he loved me with a simple word.

"Oh, I know that look," Alice teased.

"What look?" I said innocently, though I could feel my cheeks turning rosy and Alice laughed at me.

"Edward and Bella kissing in the tree… K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Rose sang.

"First comes Audrey…"

"Then comes marriage…"

"Then comes lots more babies in the Tiffany's baby carriage!"

I couldn't stop the giggles as Rose pulled into the parking lot of the spa. They laughed with me for a few more minutes before Rose insisted that we were running late for our adjusted appointment time. This spa was high-end, one of the most exclusive and expensive in Chicago. None of us had been there but the Cullen name had gotten us in quickly.

When we walked in, we all quieted down, looking around in awe. I smoothed my dress and walked up to the receptionist.

"Hi, we have appointments… Swan, McCarty and Hale-Whitlock," I smiled.

"Of course! Soon to be Mrs. Cullen, I hear? Oh… the ring is gorgeous!" The receptionist grabbed my hand, examining the ring there.

"My fiance has a tendency to go a little overboard," I laughed nervously.

"And I heard you had a baby on Edward's thirtieth birthday! A girl right? Oh, my name is Jenna, by the way!"

Who was this girl and how the hell did she know so many things about my personal life? It's not like we put a birth announcement anywhere, we only sent them to close family and friends.

"Oh, yeah… um, just curious," I paused, glancing back at my friends, "where did you hear this?"

"There's a section on the Cullen family in the Chicago Suns Times almost every week. You know, usually what Dr. and Mrs. Cullen are up to… what parties they're attending but mostly it's been about Edward, you and the baby, especially since they found out you were expecting!"

"Oh my God, that's crazy" Alice whispered.

"So, I definitely didn't know about that but I'd really like to get started… I'm getting the full works and these two are getting the pregnancy works."

"Of course, of course! Whatever you say!"

I shared one last glance with Alice and Rose before being lead away with my aesthetician. She was nice and quiet, simply introducing herself as Pat and didn't seem to speak much English. She definitely didn't know who the Cullen family was.

I quickly got my phone out of my purse and texted Edward, hoping he'd see it.

So I hear the Cullen family gets a section in Suns Times every week? – B

I tossed my phone back into my purse and changed into the purple robe. The first step was a full body wax, which I was nervous about. I'd had my eyebrows done and Brazilian waxes but never a full body. I wanted to get it done once before the wedding to see how it turned out so I could get it done again.

I heard my phone buzz just as Patty knocked on the door. I called for him to call in before I got my phone and saw Edward's text back.

It's not a big deal. My parents just feed them details. -- E

They shouldn't our one month old, Edward! We'll talk later. – B

I angrily tossed my phone back into my purse and smiled at Pat before following her instructions. The waxing wasn't too bad. The worst was the inside of my thighs and the Brazilian wax. I tried not to complain and Pat kept asking if I was okay. I forced smiles at her and nodded.

The last place Pat waxed was my eyebrows and I'd been getting that done since I was fifteen so that was easy, though she shaped them in a way that I liked better. I definitely knew I'd request her again, before the wedding.

Next was the ninety minute massage, which I fell asleep during. When I woke up, I felt amazing and relaxed, my entire body felt like jelly. After my facial, I still felt great but my entire body was covered in oil.

Before I showered, I sat in a personal steam room which was kind of boring since Alice and Rose weren't in there with me. In fact, I think most of the things I was having done were probably not allowed for pregnant women and I wondered if they were done and bored and waiting for me.

I had to shower and then pump after the steam room. I thought about looking at my phone but I was annoyed that Edward hadn't informed me of this Suns Times thing. Ugh. Is it that hard to let me know? Then again, there was a lot of stuff Edward was quiet on and didn't necessarily feel the need to tell me.

When I was napping the other day, he completely rearranged Audrey's room after Alice and I had so painstakingly arranged it the day we moved in, before the baby was born. Granted, it was more sensible the way he changed it but the fact that he didn't feel the need to tell me had me annoyed and wanting to trip him.

So I decided to leave the phone in my bag and was sent to get my hair done. I had it trimmed and added bangs. I actually was in the changes they'd made… between the bangs and eyebrows.

Lastly was a pedicure and manicure. I picked a shade of green that made me laugh because it matched the bridesmaids dresses I'd picked out with my best friends earlier. It was by OPI and ironically called, 'Leaf Him at the Alter,' I figured I'd use this to show Edward the color I'd chosen with for the wedding colors.

I continued to look at the display and found two other colors. One was 'Brunette on the Internet,' which was pretty close to what I was thinking about for the other color along with 'Rumba Romance,' It was quick and when it was finished, I had to wait for everything to dry before changing back into my dress and slipping my feet into my sandals. I grabbed my bag and went to pay; noticing Rose and Alice weren't in the waiting area.

Jenny was still perky and smiling at the front desk and when I went to hand her my credit card, she informed me it was taken care of.

"It was taken care of, by whom?" I asked, hoping it wasn't Rose or Alice. This spa was very expensive and I didn't want either or both of them spending their money here.

"I really can't say," Jenny said with a little smirk on her lips.

"Well, can I pay for my friends' treatments?"

"Taken care of!"

"By Edward?" I asked, sort of annoyed. This was something I wanted to do for my friends and me but he had to call ahead and pay.

"Well, I didn't say that but…" Jenny looked around, wide eyed before nodding enthusiastically.

"Well, thanks. I'll just be sitting over here, waiting for my friends," I said as politely as I could.

I took my phone out and had a bunch of messages from Edward but ignored them, instead opening a new text message. Angry that he had done yet another thing without asking what I thought, I typed quickly. I poked the touch screen hard, imagining it was Edward I was poking instead.

You couldn't just let me pay for this? I get that you want to pay for things but this was something I told you that I wanted to do! – B

Five minutes later, I got a text with a picture of Audrey crying and I felt my heart break. I didn't bother texting back.

"Bella!" Alice called as she and Rose came out, both glowing.

"You two look fantastic, oh my gosh!" I grinned at my two best friends and grabbed my friends' hands, walking out to the car. It had been a good day, great even but I knew that Edward and I would be having a long talk when I got home and our company left.

We got lunch at a local deli and talked about the treatments we'd had done. The three of us laughed at some of the pregnancy treatments, which I'd gotten in the middle of my pregnancy.

"Oh!" Rose said, "We went to try to pay and they said…"

"Edward," I snapped, harsher than I meant. I saw them share a glance before looking at me.

"Is everything all right with you and Edward?" Alice asked, smoothing her napkin over her lap.

"I just feel like we're always going to be that couple that's mad at each other all the time. He just does stuff without asking or suggesting or seeing what my opinion is… and I think he expects me to take it because he's Edward Cullen and has always gotten his own way but… I don't want Audrey to be like that because she's Audrey Cullen and should get what she wants, when she wants."

"Maybe you should have a talk…" Alice began before I cut her off.

"I don't want to always have to have a talk! He's my fiancé. There's got to be give and take, compromise," I wiped my eyes, which I hadn't realized were even tearing up.

"Um, I hate to suggest this because we know I'm not a fan of Edward and that's not why I'm suggesting it but I think you guys moved too fast because of the baby. I know Jasper and I did but you moved even faster. Maybe you're not compatible," Alice finished, looking down at her stomach.

I hiccupped softly, "I really wanted what you two had… it seems so perfect."

"Oh Bella," Rose said, reaching over to rub my back, "Nothing's perfect. You heard Alice earlier and how do you think I felt when Emmett opened a club when we had a second baby on the way? He's talking about opening a second, in New York. Our third baby is on the way and he'd be away so much. All we do is argue about that. We all just… hide it better."

Alice nodded encouragingly, "Jasper and I fight all the time. Well, a lot anyway. Over the practice, money, the pregnancy… sex," she whispered the last word.

"Sex? Really? Doesn't being pregnant make you want it like, constantly?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"Oh, no," Alice shook her head adamantly.

"How often do you do… it?" Rose asked, raising her eyebrows at me.

"Every few months, mostly on special occasions…" Alice flushed, "why, how much do you guys do it?"

"Once a week, twice if he's lucky," Rose answered. They both looked at me and I blushed, shaking my head.

"I'm not answering!"

"We both did, Bella, now it's your turn!" Alice insisted.

"When I was pregnant? Um… in the second trimester, three or four times a day then in the third, I couldn't until I was full term. But I still gave him a blow job or hand job every day. We did it last night… this morning on the couch," I mumbled then saw the shock on their faces and laughed, "I guess we're passionate."

"That's… wow," Alice said, shaking her head.

"I don't know how we'd find time for that," Rosalie laughed.

I shrugged and smiled at them, knowing that if there was nothing wrong with our relationship, it was our active sex life.

When we finally made it to my house, Emmett and Jasper were rushing out with their kids as I walked in, stopping for hugs and kisses along the way. When I reached the doorway, Edward was standing there with Audrey in his arms. My picture perfect family.

"We need to talk, Edward," I said, carefully sliding past him into the house.

"I know. I think I messed up, Bella."

previewers get a special sneak peak of alice and jasper's new baby, including the name.

***VERY IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER***

I don't have babies. I know a lot about babies but I don't know things like it's illegal in most states to 'pump and dump' so I'd like to say: do not do this. It is incredible dangerous. If you're breastfeeding, just don't drink. It's worth giving up for your baby, right? Because this is a fictional story, I'll leave it in but please, don't do anything I mention without consulting a doctor. Also, I know it's been stated but breastfeeding is NOT birth control. It doesn't stop you from ovulating and as it's been stated, you get pregnant very easily after you've had a baby. It's when you're most fertile.