long awaited...hope you like it! More to come if this gets a good response!

With a kiss to her cheek and a rub at her belly, Edward rose from the bed and made his way into the shower. There were endless tasks to be done today, and he'd promised Isabella that he would have everything done before their little girl arrived.

Bella was almost due, their daughter was set to enter the world in only a few short weeks and in the last eight months and some change, the only thing Edward felt that he'd accomplished was giving her a name...Lilly.

It wasn't for lack of trying or even excitement that things hadn't been completed, in fact, it was the complete opposite! The issue was that he'd planned so many elaborate designs for her nursery and hadn't anticipated the amount of man power it would take for him to complete them. Sure he could have hired a contractor, but he liked that it was him who prepared his little girls room. He treasured crafting each and every shelf, chair rail and piece of hardwood that would house his little princess.

When they'd first found out that Bella was carrying their daughter, Edward had been horrified. But not with disappointment…no, he'd been horrified of ever seeing his little love being hurt by and idiot like he used to be. Though he'd changed so completely since meeting Bella, he knew that there were many more idiot like him out there…hell he'd still known a few to this day. He understood now just how wicked and twisted of a man he'd been. More so now that he was bringing a daughter into the world.

But he vowed to be great, knew with certainty that he would not fail her. As he started in on painting the walls, he couldn't help wondering what Lilly would look like. They'd had a 3D sonogram not too far back and were able to make out her features clearer, but he wondered what color hair she'd have…what kind of smile. He knew already that the first time she made a noise he would fall over himself with excitement. It was already over for him…Lilly owned him. A lot like her momma did too.

As the afternoon wore on, he made great strides with the nursery. He'd paused only once to inhale the sandwich Isabella prepared him, and to kiss her body thoroughly as Caleb slept…but aside from that, he'd worked from sun up to sun down. When the last piece of furniture was stained and set in its place, he made his way to their room and gathered his clothes for a shower before finding Bella. But when he walked in, he found her in bed. She looked so lovely in her pale lavender night gown, with her arm cradling her belly and her eyes entranced in her book. Sometimes when he found her like this he felt as if his heart were too big for his chest. Anything concerning Isabella made him feel weak in the knees, but seeing her like this…at home…their home, carrying his child…it was everything he wanted in life.

He stood in the doorway and watched her for a long moment before she realized he was there. When she met his gaze, he felt all the love she held for him with just that look. "How are you feeling sweetheart?" He didn't want to dirty the sheets so instead he kneeled at her side instead of pulling her into him on the bed. As he kissed at her neck and caressed their little girl, Bella cuddled into his embrace as if she'd longed to do that all day.

"I'm fine, but…" as her words trailed off he ceased all movement. As gently as he could, as if she were made of glass, he took her face into his hands so he could see her face. She didn't look sad, but he could see that there was something going on there.

"What is it, love? What's the matter?" he didn't think he even breathed until she kissed his palm and started.

"It's going to sound stupid…"

He was already shaking his head no and kissing her cheek, "no baby, tell me! Whatever it is, you can say it, love!"

Edward watched as she bit her precious lip in nervousness and glanced away as if ashamed. He knew that whatever it was, that this was incredibly difficult for her to ask or say. He could understand that, at least in a way. Bella was the most un-materialistic, non nagging wife. She never asked for anything, not even when she truly needed it.

He was still going insane with thoughts of what could be bothering her when she finally gathered the courage to say what it truly was.

"It's just that you worked all day today…and I completely understand why! But it's just that…" she paused again, as if truly ashamed of what would come next. "Well… you only get today off and then you'll be working again for the rest of the week…"

Realization dawned on him then. She wanted to spend time with him. He understood that more than she probably knew, because all day he'd been torn between stopping where he was and hiring a professional so that he could curl up with Bella on the couch, or keeping his word to himself and finishing his princess's nursery himself. He was beginning to realize just how torn he was going to be when Lilly arrived in the flesh.

"I don't have to do anything love…" she looked up with confused eyes as he held her gaze. "I'm the owner. I can stay home tomorrow and there isn't a thing anyone can say to me about it." Though he knew it was the truth, he knew that he needed to exercise that little clause a hell of a lot more than he had been of late.

He didn't like that it took Isabella being nervous and self conscious about wanting to ask him to stay with her an extra day. He should have been doing this a lot more than he had been, and then maybe his pregnant wife wouldn't be sitting here with tears in her eyes, about to have a breakdown because she was feeling guilty for even mentioning it.

Though he'd come a long way in a short amount of time, Edward knew that there were still many things he needed to perfect. The first thing, well that would be balance. He hadn't yet figured out a way to make the transition to high stakes business owner, to loving and devoted husband and father. It was a fine line that he still wobbled on. If he had it his way, he'd stay home every day and do nothing but practice making more babies with Bella, but he couldn't.

"Baby, I'm going to hop in the shower real quick and when I come out, I'll rub you back and we can talk about what we can do as a family tomorrow." He took her lips gently but it quickly built to a more possessive kiss. When he pulled away to breath, he saw that she was smiling brightly again. Good. She should always be happy.

Before he turned to the shower he gently pulled her to her feet and tucked her gently into his arms. "Don't ever feel like you can't ask me to stay with you love…" he was about to finish with reminding her how important she was to him, but he couldn't help but notice the small frown she was wearing again. "I'm serious, Bella. You can always ask me to stay home."

"No I can't." She said it with a serious tone, but a sly smile was tugging at her lips right now. Whenever she did this, Edward wished he could read her mind. He knew some unsaid joke or wry thought was in full effect right now, but he doubted she'd tell him what it was.

Instead of pushing her for more, he caressed her belly, kissed her neck once more and made his way to the bathroom, but before he shut the door, he turned to tell her one last thing. "You give me everything by just waking up Bella. I hope you know that there is nothing you couldn't ask of me." He watched as her smile brightened and she unconsciously rubbed her belly, then he made himself head to the shower.

Bella knew that she could ask him anything and that as long as it was within his power…it would happen. But what she also knew was that she would never do such a thing. Maybe it was a selfish thought, but she didn't want to have to ask anything of him. She wanted him to learn how to find a balance on his own. All of this was new to him, hell it was still new to her, but she wanted him to be the one to say that one day a week wasn't enough for a family.

She knew how hard he was trying, and the fact that he was building the nursery from scratch was beyond touching. She had snuck many peaks at him throughout the day as he sanded and stained different pieces, she'd even teared up as she'd overheard him talking to the empty baby crib. He was so excited to be having another baby, and the way he adored and fussed over Caleb made her stomach flutter with love for him as if it were still the first time.

As she set aside her book and rose to check on Caleb, she felt a very distinct tightness in her belly, but before she could react or even comprehend what it was, another came on her full force. The pain was so overwhelming that it nearly felled her to her knees. As her eyes watered, the only thing she could think was that she needed to get to Edward. He would make sure she was alright…

He didn't want to linger too long here in the shower, even though the hot water felt good on his sore muscles. He was still wondering what he could plan for them in the following day, with Caleb it was always hard to guess. Most days he was a happy kid, but when he was forced to do things he hated to be doing, he tended to be a little on the fussy side. He'd just turned the water off and reached for his towel when he heard knocking on the wall.

He stilled for a moment waiting to see if it was just his mind, but then he heard Bella's nervous voice calling for him. He ran from the shower with a speed he hadn't used since she carried Caleb. When he found her in the room, she was curled into a ball with her hands clutching her belly. He fell to his knees beside her but was so overwhelmed with fear that he didn't dare move her.

"Bella, baby…" He didn't know how to vocalize what he was thinking; he couldn't even imagine what was going on in her head. He was a moment away from breaking down into tears, but then the only thing in the world that could have made him pull himself together happened.

Bella gazed up at him with trembling lips and watery eyes with a pleading look and said, "Please help me…"

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