BPOV

My god, Edward and Charles were flippin twins! How many times had I come home to see Edward sulking on my doorsteps after I had decided to keep our baby? How many unexpected visits had I encountered from him as he struggled with his inner demons? Hadn't Edward been angry about the baby? Hadn't he wanted me to get an abortion?

...but he changed.

He changed his mind after he had time to process it. Charles was the same way. Well, I wasn't entirely sure that's what was happening, but it seemed the most plausible at this point. Considering the fact that Charles hadn't disrupted the wedding, he had come here and not caused a scene or been rude. Maybe he was just waiting for us to give him the opportunity to be forgiven... maybe.

"Edward, do you think that he wants to make peace with us? Well, with you at least?" I let my words settle over him as he stayed staring down the empty hallway.

"If he wants to make peace, then he's going to have to do more than just show up unannounced expecting to be taken in with open arms."

it was in those words that I laughed a good solid laugh. Edwards head snapped to me as if I had gone crazy and waited for me to tell him why I was doubled over.

"It's just..." I was downright cackling now. "Just that... you... you did... the... same... thing!" I had tears streaming down my face from the hilarity of it all. He sounded like Rose when I had called her and told her about what I had been going through with Edward. It was just so weird hearing Edward saying these things... given he had been in his grandpas shoes not long before.

"I did what!" He sounded offended and it made me laugh even harder. I did my best to stop cackling because I was afraid I would pee, but that thought only made me giggle harder. Finally Edward relented from his stance and was laughing simply because I was. After a good round of humor I finally calmed enough to get the words out.

"Baby, how many times did you come to my door? Sit on my porch steps and sulk?" Realization dawned across his face and then shame.

"It's not the same thing, love. I was in denial... I just needed time... just..." and with his own words, he had solved the puzzle himself.

Charles simply needed time. He too was in denial and since he had been so far removed from everything, it made it harder for him to come to terms. He didn't have what Edward had... he didn't have someone to listen to his ramblings... to hear him say his horrible comments and patiently wait for him to come around. All he had was himself.

"I'm not defending him, baby... I'm just saying that for what it's worth, he's human. And he's family... our family." A smile spread over my husband's indulgent face and I knew it was because he liked that I was his wife... that his family was now our family. I would be lying if I said I wasn't just as giddy. "You should go to him. Talk... hug it out…something."

"Hug?" he asked with a smirk. I matched his smile and gave him the only answer that came to mind.

"Hug it out Bitch" Edwards eyes just about bugged out of his head and before he could ask me what that meant, I went ahead and told him. "I saw it on The Office..." He raised his eye brows and smirked but I didn't care. I had a lot of time on my hands these days. I was about to say those very words aloud but I was hit with a cramp just then. It started from my abdomen and wrapped around my hips... it was much worse than anything I had felt to date.

"Sweetheart? What's wrong?" Edward was gathering me into his arms just as soon as he realized I was in pain, and before I knew it, I was on the couch and my husband was holding his cell and frantically stuttering numbers out loud, for what though, I had no idea.

"five... fi.. seven, six, one... NO! It's four, seven, six..." My pain subsided and as it did, I realized he was trying to remember the number to the doctor's office.

"I'm fine, Edward. I think it was just a Braxton Hicks, no need to do anything just yet." My words didn't stop him though; instead he stuttered more numbers even faster. I had to take his face into my hands and shake him a little.

"Baby." still nothing.

"Baby! I'm fine! We're going to face more of this until it's time, Dr. Scance even said so." I could see that he was trying to process my words, so while I had him thinking calmly, I did the only other thing I could think of to calm him down.

Ever so slowly, I lay back on the couch and pulled his hands over the large mass that was now my belly. In an instant, his face warmed tremendously and before I could say a word, my love was cooing to our son.

"You cannot scare daddy like that, Caleb." He paused only to kiss my stomach then continued, "don't make mommy hurt... she shouldn't hurt."

I could only smile at the tenderness of his words. The way he loved me was something I still found hard to believe. I was sure it would take the rest of my life to wrap my head around, but I was willing to give that trade.

Now that I had Edward calm, I figured it was about time to get him back on track and explaining this house.

"So tell me, baby. What have you done in the way of acquiring us a house?" It didn't completely capture his attention, but I had him thinking better thoughts now.

He didn't answer immediately, but when he did, he looked like the cat that ate the canary.

"Well I don't want to tell you, I want to show you... but... are you really okay, love? I don't want to take any chances with you or Caleb."

I felt warm and loved by his words. He loved us... the baby and I both. He had truly embraced our son and was no longer anxious or hesitant. He hadn't been any of those things in a long while now, and it was Edward who named our son. He was ready to be a father; he was ready for the life he had chosen for himself to begin. We were ready to start living it together.

I sat up with my loves help and gave him my firm promise that I was fine. I was... although, I really anxious to see this spectacular home in which he was positive I would love.

"I want to see our home, baby. I want to see where Caleb will come home to."

We were out the door and in his car only minutes later.

EPOV

This had seemed like a much better idea at the time I had thought of it. But now that the house was ours and Bella knew I had bought her one... I wasn't so sure anymore.

What if she had merely been making an observation? What if she thought the house was simply quaint? What if she had a different vision entirely in her head for it? Surely she would tell me if that were the case... right?

We drove silently but peacefully out into the suburbs of Chicago. I had been out here many times in my life, mostly for parties of clients or extended family that I didn't really know, but in all the times I had been out into neighborhoods, I had never imagined I would be in this moment right now.

Sitting beside me was my wife. And sitting inside her was our son. No, I had certainly never anticipated this could be me. But now that it was, nothing on this earth could rival the absolute completeness of it all.

I was now a whole person.

As our drive brought us to the community we would reside in, I started my well-rehearsed speech. "Do you remember when we went driving through neighborhoods and we saw that house with a cobblestone walk way and you were certain it had a deck out back?"

I glanced in her direction and saw her brows bunch up and her face drop a little. She seemed sad now, but before I could comment on it, she snapped out of it and smiled to me with a nod. "What about it? Is it near that house?"

I just smiled and coyly lifted my shoulders to tease her. She giggled and slapped my arm playfully as we continued our drive through the extravagant neighborhood.

This was no ant farm, the houses weren't side by side and laid out on a grid, these homes were well equipped with yards and space, we would have neighbors, but beyond a wave at the gate to our home, we wouldn't be disturbed. I loved it here.

Just before we got to our side of the neighborhood, I made Bella close her eyes.

"Isabella, please no peaking!" I waved my hands in front of her face to make sure, and instead of proving she couldn't see, she play nibbled at my hand.

"Hey! I thought I told you no peaking!"

"Love, I can smell your cologne being waved in front of my face. I'm not peaking... I promise."

I pulled over to the curb of our new home and placed the car in park before kissing her cheek and rubbing at our son.

"Okay love...were here." I was anxious. That was an understatement. "Keep your eyes closed, I'm coming around the car for you, okay?" she simply chuckled and nodded her head yes. I was out of my side and jogging to her door in an instant and as I opened her car door, every insecurity about what I had done came to the surface. It was too late to go back now though, all I could do now was hope for the best.

I took the love of my life's hand into my own and helped her step carefully from the car. For a moment all I could do was look at her. She was spectacular. I made myself take her in at this exact moment so that I could forever look back in my mind and see her this way. Her face was soft and excited, the flush in her cheeks giving that little secret away even if she wouldn't say it. Her hair laying perfectly curled and soft over her shoulders... and lastly, her belly. Her beautiful, round form being cradled tenderly by her hands. For a moment there, the shame of what I had asked of her came back again. I knew it would never go away either. I didn't want it to, I would need to remember just how horrible I had been to both her and our son... even before he was on this earth. I would use that shame as a guide to who I never wanted to become again. I would use it as a guide to stay the man she deserved.

With my love perfectly immortalized in my mind, I gently took her into my arms and brought our lips together briefly before whispering to her, "Welcome home Isabella." I caressed her beautiful face and she opened her eyes but kept them only on me as she responded.

"Wherever you are... that is where my home is." I couldn't fight the sting in my eyes at that point, and I didn't want to. I did however manage to compose myself enough to step aside so my love could see her new home.

I watched her eyes widen as she took in what was now our home. I waited... and then I waited some more.

Still she said nothing.

I decided that I should attempt to get her moving, so I took her hand in my own and we began walking toward the front door. As we approached the beautifully crafted oak door, I reached into my pocket and grabbed the single key that rested there and inserted it into the lock. I chanced a glance at Bella and still she was just completely quiet. I turned the key, opened the door and again stepped out of my loves way so she could enter first.

She simply stood there for a moment and then took a step, but just as she did, I realized I was supposed to carry her across the threshold.

Quicker than I thought I could move, I gathered her into my arms and walked her across. She gasped and turned in my arms, and in that moment our eyes met.

"I love you, Isabella... so much that I can't even remember my life before you. I don't want to. I only want to think of our life from here on out. I hope you're not upset... I hope you like the house... if you don't we can get a different one... I can have this one sold just as quickly as I bought it, just say the word."

She kissed me then, and when I kissed her back, I could taste her tears on my lips. I was afraid of what the tears actually meant, but I needed to know. I was about to ask her those very words aloud, but then she told me before I could ask.

"You bought me a house?" She was smiling and tears were streaming harder, so I placed her gently on her feet and did my best to explain.

"When you saw it, you just seemed to love it so much. I wanted you to have it... I want you to have anything you want love. And I want to be the one to give it to you forever."

"You bought me a house!" she replied again. I chuckled nervously with a nod.

"Do you like it?" I was walking blindly here... I could only hope she did love it.

"You bought me the house of my dreams, Edward... I... wh... how could I not love it?"