Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
Bella did have trouble letting Renee leave. It felt like she had just gotten there. Bella hadn't had much time to spend with her and now she was paying for it.
"You should come to Florida for Christmas."
"Maybe New Year's," Bella said as she held back tears.
"I love you Baby," Renee said as she hugged her tightly.
"I love you too," she said with a sniffle.
"No crying. You have to drive three hours to get home. You've got my grand babies to take care of."
The boys cooed and kicked from their stroller.
"I've got a whole album worth of pictures. You make gorgeous babies Bella my girl."
"Thanks," she said with a sad smile.
"My flight is going to be called soon and you have to pick up Jake by six."
"Call me when you get home."
"It will be after midnight."
"I don't care," she said with a shrug.
"I'll talk to you when I get home," she said before kissing Bella on the cheek.
She kissed both of the boys before gathering her bags. She blew them a kiss before walking towards the security check.
"I don't know about you two, but I'm going to miss her."
Bella waited until Renee went through the metal detector before heading towards the exit. The boys talked quietly for the first hour and a half of the ride back. John fell asleep clutching his giraffe and she found Josh's pacifier and gave it to him while at a stop light. He was asleep five minutes later. She didn't know what she was going to do when it came time to wean him off of it. A lot of frustration for her and tears from him would ensue.
Half an hour away from Forks John woke up hungry. Bella found the nearest parking lot and pulled in. She got his bottle ready before getting him out of his car seat.
"Shh. Don't wake up your brother," she said as she tried to soothe him.
He quieted down once she put the bottle nipple to his lips. He ate greedily as he held her pinky tightly. He watched her contently as she smiled down at him.
"You're a sweet boy. Momma loves you, do you know that?"
People told her that babies didn't understand when you talk to them but she didn't believe that. Just because they couldn't answer you didn't mean that they didn't understand.
"Daddy loves you too," she said a few seconds later.
His eyebrows raised and he heaved a deep sigh at the mention of the 'D' word. She would get the same reaction from Josh. They both loved their daddy, just like she did. He finished and she burped him before quickly putting him back in his seat. He played quietly for the rest of the ride into Forks.
She had to wake Josh up when they got to the station. Carl was pulling in as she pulled the stroller out of the trunk.
"Do you need some help?"
"Do you know how to set one of these up?"
"I haven't done it in about twenty years, but it doesn't look too complicated."
"It's not. Thanks Carl," she said as she unbuckled Josh.
"Not a problem," he said as he opened the stroller with ease.
"Okay buddy, there you go," she said as she buckled Josh in.
"Anything else?" he asked helpfully.
"Nope, I've got it."
"Your dad should be back soon. He had to see about some suspicious gun shots being fired in the forest."
Bella nodded before Carl went inside. She grabbed the diaper bag before shutting the car door. She was buckling John in when her dad pulled up. He helped Bella get the stroller up the stairs. Lucielle stood from her desk with a smile.
"Look at them, oh my goodness," she said as she pushed the top back.
"They're bigger than the last time you saw them, huh?"
"I'd say. How old are they now?"
"Three months."
"Where does the time go? Did you get that box of clothes I sent home with your dad?"
"Sue brought them up. Thank you."
"It was nothing. My grandson had grown out of them and I knew that you needed more clothes."
"John's growing way too fast. He's grown three inches in the past month and a half."
"You're gonna be tall like your daddy. Aren't you Sugar?" she asked as she played with John's foot.
He garbled in answer when Bella smelt something off.
"Will you watch Josh for a minute? He needs to be changed," she said as she picked up John.
"Sure."
She was in the process of wiping John down when Josh started to cry.
"Hey Bells?" Her dad asked from the door.
"Yeah?" she called loud enough for him to hear.
"Which of these bottles is Josh's?"
"The one with milk is his."
"Okay."
When she came back in Charlie had Josh in his office.
"Grandpa wanted his turn," Lucielle said as she held out her arms for John.
He went to her without a problem. Bella stood at her dad's door; he had Josh behind his desk giving him a bottle.
"I wouldn't mind if you brought them in to work sometimes."
"I wouldn't get anything done."
"Who's going to watch them now that your mom is gone?"
"Leah. She's decided to be a stay at home mom."
"What does Clay do?"
"He writes for a magazine based out of Seattle."
Charlie nodded as Josh finished his bottle. He patted his back gently before the baby let out a hearty burp.
"It's just like riding a bike."
"What is?"
"Remembering how to take care of someone this small," he said with a gentle smile.
She smiled as her dad bounced Josh on his knee. She wished that the boys would always be this small. If all of her kids stayed this small there would be trouble. 'Just don't grow up too fast.' She thought to herself.
Half an hour later she was putting the boys back in the car while her dad took down the stroller.
"You're coming over to Billy's for dinner aren't you?"
"Yeah, is that where you're headed?"
"After I pick up Jake, I'll see you later Dad," she said leaning up to hug him.
"Be safe," he said kissing her forehead.
"That's my line," she teased.
"I'm borrowing it because you have my grandsons in the backseat."
"I'll let it slide just this once."
Twenty minutes later Bella was maneuvering the stroller through the office of Jacob's work. Gina's desk was a few feet away when Josh let out a loud sneeze. Gina looked up and her eyes lit up as she stood to walk around her desk.
"Bless you," she said as she picked up Josh from the stroller.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Bella said with a smile.
"You too Honey. It's good to have a face to go with the voice. You are beautiful," she said as she hugged Bella.
"Thank you," she said as she patted Gina's back.
"Gorgeous boys," she said sentimentally.
"They look like Jake."
"They really do."
Jacob watched them from inside the shop. He was scrubbing his hands, arms, and face clean of dirt at the sink. He dried himself off before walking into the office. Neither of them noticed him as he made his way towards them. John squirmed in Bella's arms once he saw Jacob. Bella calmed him down as Jacob stood behind her.
"He's a Daddy's boy," Gina observed.
"Yeah," Bella said with a laugh.
Jacob put a hand on her back as he looked down at John.
"You should know that he screams bloody murder whenever she leaves."
"I don't doubt that. Just because he's a baby that doesn't mean that he's stupid."
"I brought you some clothes to change into."
"I'm gonna take a shower at my dad's," he said as he slung his arm around her waist.
"You two look happy together. That's what's most important. Strive every day to make each day better than the last. My husband and I were married for forty years before the Lord took him. He would drive me crazy sometimes, and then he would do something so sweet that I would forget what he had done."
"That's happened," Bella said with a nod.
"It's going to happen again and again. If you let it get to you that's when you know things are going downhill. Don't let that happen."
Jacob nodded as he squeezed Bella's hip gently. They listened to Gina tell a story about her husband before she claimed that she had taken up enough of their time. They walked through the parking lot with him pushing the stroller. They each held a baby and once the boys were in the car and the stroller put in the trunk he pinned her against the trunk.
"Hi," he said as he traced a finger down her chin.
"Hey," she said, leaning into the touch.
He leaned down, cupping her neck. The boys could be heard from the car as he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. She sighed against his lips before pulling away. She laid her head on his shoulder, burying her face in his neck.
"Things will go back to normal soon. With my mom gone I won't work as much. And school will be done by Thanksgiving then I won't have to go back until February."
"I've got a job this weekend."
"For your shop?" she asked.
"Yeah, this guy who came in a couple of months ago called asking for me the other day. I told him about the shop and he's bringing all of his cars there."
"Cars?" she asked in confusion.
"He's a car collector."
"Baby that's great," she said hugging him.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
He pulled away from her before walking to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door for her then came around to the driver's side. She waited for him to start the car before turning to face him.
"Is your boss okay with you taking one of his customers from him?"
"That's just the thing, I won't be. I don't have the tools to do detail work or paint jobs. I've never had the patience for it. He'll take the cars in to the shop for that."
The ride to his dad's was filled with talk about the job. His excitement rubbed off on her as she asked him questions. By the time they got to his dad's they couldn't contain themselves. His dad caught on as soon as he let them in. He held Jacob close to him, not able to hold back his emotions.
"You're growing up too fast. You've got a family of your own. You're not even nineteen yet. This isn't what I had imagined for you, it's better. I'm happy for you Son," he told Jacob once Rachel had dragged Bella and the boys into the living room.
"Thanks Dad."
"You're welcome Son," he said patting him on the shoulder.
Jacob followed his dad into the living room a few minutes later. He sat next to Bella watching Rachel play with the boys on the floor. The house was quiet as everyone's attention revolved around the boys.
At home that night Bella got the boys ready for bed while Jacob took inventory in the garage. He'd had a handful of jobs so far, mostly from friends. His business was far from taking off. This new job would hopefully lead to more people coming in.
Jacob was coming through the back door as she grabbed a bottled of water from the refrigerator. She leaned against the counter as he washed his hands. He stood next to her, taking the water from her. He took a long pull, drinking almost half. He handed it back to her before wrapping his arms around her. Her body fit against his like a puzzle piece. She had always fit with him. It was like they were made to be together. She was going to have a hard time letting go once he was gone. She wouldn't worry about it until it actually happened.
