Disclaimer-Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or
Three months had passed.
Three months of being alone. I missed Mike so much. My friends tried to be around me as much as possible, but they couldn't leave behind their jobs. Phil had to go back to Jacksonville almost immediately, but Renée stayed with me for two weeks. She eased my loneliness for a while, but at the same time, drove me crazy. This was my house and I did things my way, but she wanted to reorganize things and change everything to be her way. I loved her, but she was better off in her own home. She tended to take over with little projects around me.
I was getting bigger and bigger. My friends kept on joking about how big I was going to get, as if I knew. I was already eight months, and I knew that I wasn't done growing, yet.
I was feeling apathetic towards this baby. I really felt numb, nothing at all. I'd seen the baby's ultrasounds, and felt nothing. I'd seen Mike's old pictures and just shrugged. I'd watch the news in the living room, surrounded by his old things.
Robot. That was the word that described me. Either that, or I was getting cynical.
Finances weren't easy. I tried not to spend money, but the rent and utilities ate up most of the house fund. As Charlie got out of the hospital, finally, I decided to move home with him. Jasper, Jacob and Emmett helped me to move my stuff either to a storage unit in Port Angeles or to Charlie's house. I took the baby stuff with me, since I was probably going to give birth while staying with him. Getting out of my lease helped a lot.
Charlie had rehab several days a week. I had to drive him all the way to Port Angeles and back. I cooked and at first, cleaned for him, until I started having problems getting up from kneeling on the bathroom floor to clean the tub because of the strain on my back. Angela came over from La Push to help with the cleaning after a while. Will ran around, asking questions and drawing scribble shapes on Charlie's casts.
Rebecca acted as if she didn't know me. I came to the store, and she hardly spoke to me. I hated it. I was carrying her grandchild.
I was grocery shopping while Charlie was napping one afternoon, and while I was trying to put my things into the trunk of my car with the ache in my hyper-extended pregnant back, a strong voice came up behind me. "You shouldn't be lifting that."
I whirled (well, waddled) around to see who said that to me. It was Dr. Cull- Edward. "I'm just fine," I replied.
"Let me get it for you," he said, picking up the plastic sacks. "You moved in with your father, right?"
"Not that it's any of your business, but yes," I said.
"He's not able to help you carry this in," he said. "I'll come over and help you unload these."
"I don't think that's necessary, Doct- Edward," I said.
"How are you holding up, Bella?" he asked.
"I'm fine," I replied, albeit, shortly. He slammed the trunk.
"Where is it that you live?" he asked. I gave him the address. "OK, thanks."
"Do you even know where that is?" I asked.
"I have a Garmin," he replied. "I'll see you there. Only unload the lighter things, if anything. I'll get the rest."
I got in my car, rolling my eyes. He was being a little too knight in shining armor. I was going to have to tell Alice about this and see what she said and see if she thought it was funny. I sure didn't.
I got home, but there was already a shiny, silver Volvo already in the driveway as I pulled in. Edward stepped out.
"Hi," he said, getting out. "Let's see how quickly we can get this done."
"Don't you have patients to operate on?" I asked, sounding testy.
"I'm off today," he said. I rolled up my window and popped the trunk.
Edward took the bags into the house four at a time. Charlie was still napping.
"So, tell me, where does it all go?" he asked, looking around Charlie's little kitchen.
"Um, the cereal goes in that cabinet there," I said, pointing. "The eggs and the fruit can go in the fridge in the crisper. The canned goods can go in that cabinet to the left of the sink."
He put things away, dutifully, asking occasionally if I wanted things frozen or refrigerated. I knew it was bad manners not to offer him a beverage for his good deed.
"Edward, would you like a drink?" I asked once he was done.
"I can only stay for a little while," he said. "I'm going to meet someone in about an hour and I still have to get ready." Sounded like he was getting ready for a date with someone. I didn't want to hold the sexy, handsome, single doctor up.
"You've seen my refrigerator, what would you like?" I asked.
"Bottled water would be nice," he said.
"In a glass?" I asked. He seemed a lot like Carlisle and Esme, who never drank anything out of a bottle or a can. They always drank out of a glass.
"If it's not too much trouble," Edward said.
"So, tell me," I said, getting some ice. "Are you related to Carlisle or Esme?"
"Carlisle," he said. "He's my Dad's brother."
"Have a seat," I said. He went over to our little kitchen table and sat down. I looked over at him. He seemed like a male model, a little too out of place in such a cheap setting. "It must be weird have two Dr. Cullens at the hospital."
"They've resorted to paging me as Dr. Edward," he said, offering a half-smile. I almost found him cute. I wanted to hate him for not saving my husband's life, but Carlisle, Alice and Esme told me that he did all he could. They even told me that the doctors in Seattle were impressed with his diagnosis of Mike, given the limited CT scan in the Forks hospital. I set the glass of iced water down in front of him.
"How did you end up in Forks?" I asked.
"Quite by accident," he said, sipping his water. "I was accepted in an ER doctor residency program, and it randomly assigned me to a hospital. I ended up in Forks, which was funny. I had only been here a few times to visit my Aunt and Uncle before when I was in high school. I hadn't been back since I went to college. It hasn't changed much"
"What made you choose being an ER doctor?" I asked.
"I could practice several branches of medicine at once," he said. "It's quite exciting. Well, enough about me. How are you doing?"
"I'm hanging in there," I said. "I keep busy, taking care of my dad."
"How is he?"
"He's out of his casts, walking with a cane," I said. "His left knee hurts a lot from the break."
"I would expect so," he said. "What do you when you're not taking care of him?"
"I got my Master's in English when I lived in Seattle," I said. "So, when Mike got his degree in business and moved home to Forks to work in his father's store, I applied for a teaching position with the local high schools. I was teaching English to the ninth and tenth grade in La Push at the time of the accident. I haven't been back since. They don't want me back because I'm giving birth so soon, and the school year's almost over."
"You're OK talking about Mike?"
"Yes," I said. "Are you surprised by that?" I challenge him.
"Somewhat," he replied. "But, everybody mourns differently."
"I suppose," I replied.
"Well, thank you for the water, Bella," he said. "I really must be going, now. I hope I'll see you around. Good luck with everything."
"Thank you, Edward," I said. I showed him out the door.
A/N- Well, I'm sure you've all noticed how Bella has a stick up her butt. She's just mourning the loss of Mike, but she's being very selfish and thinking only about herself. Our dear Bella Newton has forgotten her manners! Somebody's going to have to give her an attitude adjustment, soon! At least she made nice with Edward.
