I figured you all deserved an update because of how amazing you all have been to this story so far. You all rock!
Bright yellow light shone through the front window, casting along the floor. I could feel the warmth on my bare back – wait. Bare back? I yawned, reaching back to feel my warm skin. Something hard was pressing onto my thigh, almost on the inside of my leg, which felt too intimate. I tried to roll away but hit something soft. The back of the couch. I shifted. The hard object was still there. I cracked my eyes open and came face to face with Edward's chest. My body went into alarm when I realized that we'd fallen asleep together on the couch. And worst of all was yet to come.
Come...
I looked down and spotted what the uncomfortable hard object was: Edward. But not just Edward. His, er...his erection was straining against his jeans. My eyes widened in shock, maybe a little disgust, a small gasp escaping my lips. I jumped off the couch, careful not to wake him.
Though I felt tremendously bad for keeping him overnight, I always felt horrible for my reaction to his morning problem. Don't all guy wake with erections? Its completely normal, I told myself, fanning my face and willing the heat to go away. As I was debating whether or not to wake him up so I didn't feel like I was violating him, but there was a distinctive yell from upstairs.
And it starts, I thought, hauling myself up from the couch and heading for the stairs. As I started up them the yells got louder – it almost sounded like a conversation. As if Sophie and Emma could do that. I was amazed that Caitlyn was still asleep and that the twins had slept this long. Melly was no surprise.
In the nursery they stood holding onto the railings of their cribs, gabbing to each other but snapped their heads to the door as I entered. Both their dark hair was a complete mess on top their heads as they bobbed and jumped and ran from side to side of their cribs.
I smiled at the both of them.
"A-ba-ber-daaa...na. Na!" Emma shouted, bouncing so high on the mattress I thought she would clink her chin on the side of the crib.
"Good morning," I cooed, going to Emma first, lifting her out and planting a kiss on her cheek. Sophie didn't look well, very tired and grumpy-looking, but smiled nonetheless.
We started down the stairs with Sophie on my hip and Emma holding my hand tightly as she teetered down them, her other hand planted firmly on the wall. It was a slow process when Emma wanted to walk, but sense she would be doing it by herself soon, I figured she needed the practise. Sophie wasn't really into the whole I-can-do-it-myself-don't-baby-me thing. She was more the oh-if-your-offering-than... sort of way.
I had a lot in common with her.
When we hit the bottom of the stairs I steered them toward the kitchen. The least I could do was allow the teenager to get some more sleep – I've heard rumours they like to sleep in. Edward would be no exception. So I buckled the girls in to prevent them from going in there and hitting him until he woke. Naturally, they were loud, slapping their trays and yelling nonsense.
Yes, it definitely started.
We sat for an hour, me staring off into space while they fooled around with household items. Their toys were limited. The money I received from my parents was always cutting it close to our survival; toys had never been much an option. Emma and Sophie had wooden spoons and a few little rubber gloves for items fresh from the oven. They were content. I, however, was not.
"Bella?"
I turned my head and sighed. "Oh, morning, Melly." I opened my arms for her and she slowly padded over to sit on my lap. I tucked her head under my chin as she held her little brown teddy bear to her chest. "How'd you sleep?"
Her dark hair brushed the skin of my neck as she shook her head.
"No, not good?" I cooed in that little child voice. With these three girls I always talked so childishly to them, like they couldn't understand if I pronounced my words and syllables like you would to an adult. "What's wrong?"
"I feel sick." Her voice was quiet, rough with sleep.
"Do you need to go to the doctor?"
Yes...
"No." Melly was scared of doctors, so her response was predictable.
I shrugged. "Maybe we'll go later."
While she sat in my chair and the girls played and talked, I started breakfast. Pancakes. Something they all enjoyed. I really did like cooking, but it was times like this that made me wonder why I did. By this time Caitlyn still wasn't awake, which was very uncharacteristic for her, so I went up to roust her. She was pretty tired as well, which made for a quiet morning. It was so out of the ordinary for them all – even the twins were abnormally quiet with their chitter-chatter.
Though the quiet was pleasant it also gave me the chance to think. I hate thinking. It gives an open opportunity to crush and beat yourself down, to realize your mistakes and what you could do better. Its never helped me keep my spirits high.
As I started serving the pancakes I heard the familiar echo of foot steps against the old creaky planes of wood.
"Hiiiiiii," Emma drawled, her pink lips stretching as she smiled widely, showcasing the contents of her mouth. I playfully reached over and tapped the chin, closing it. She giggled, slapping her tray.
Edward scratched his head, dazed and groggy. He blinked the haze from his evergreen eyes, slowly focusing on us all.
"Uh, morning," I said hesitantly. "Sorry about last night. I didn't realize we feel asleep." I could only imagine what he would be thinking. I felt horrible for keeping him over night – surely his parents had to be worried – and even worse for not waking earlier. But I cursed myself mostly for falling asleep.
I think he shrugged. "No, its fine." He yawned, obviously still exhausted. I gestured for him to sit down in the space between the twins – also known as the Parent Chair because it was always my space. I don't think Renee's nor Charlie's butts have touched it.
"Hungry?" I offered, holding up the spatula as I gestured to the frying pan. The room was sticky with the scent of maple syrup and pancakes, the most wonderful combination.
"Sure, thanks."
I slipped two onto a plate and set it in front of him, then got some for myself and sat on the nearest counter due to the lack of seating. Because my parents never ate with us, there weren't extra spaces.
"Here, you can have mine." I looked up at the sound of her voice and got just a glimpse as she slipped the remaining contents of her plate atop Edward's.
A wave of embarrassment hit me instantly. "Melinda," I chided, "take it back. That wasn't very nice, and plus, your sick."
The wave turned into a tsunami when she picked the food back up in her tiny hands, making her mark over his own food as well. I rolled my eyes at Edward, silently conveying that this was Melinda Swan. He'd been silently laughing when Melly offered up his food and even told her – very gently – that he wasn't that hungry.
Breakfast was pretty quiet but not awkward. Well, maybe slightly on my part. But I guessed Edward was a little more uncomfortable here, maybe thinking this was just a little awkward. When I finished first I started cleaning up while they all continued. Caitlyn seemed really down and I didn't know what to say to her.; I figured I could just leave her be. As I started clearing the empty plates and glasses off the table I noticed that Melly seemed flushed. Her face rested against the wood and I guess it would feel kind of cool to her.
"You okay?" I asked, loading my hands up in dishes.
"Its hot in here," she breathed, jumping down from her chair. And to think, I was hoping she wouldn't get sick. Even Sophie looked better than her.
Not believing I finished clearing the table and piling all the dirty dishes into the sink, submerged in warm soapy water. The thermometer was sitting on the counter from the last time I'd had to use it. I picked it up and turned around, only to stop walking.
Edward's hand was pressed to her forehead and her hands were folding in her lap as she waited, watching him carefully. His face was one of concentration as he felt her flushed forehead. "Bella, you should probably take her in," he advised, his voice sounding much different now, more awake and formal.
I frowned at the thermometer in my hand before setting it back down on the counter and going over to them both. "How do you know?" I asked skeptically.
He smiled. "My dad's a doctor. I've picked up many things."
"Oh. Okay. Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Oh, lovely," I groaned, taking in Caitlyn's blankly worried face and Emma and Sophie, both oblivious to the world around them. If I had to take Melly to the hospital, consequently to ER, than I would have to tow all them, which involved a lot of work and a lot of time taken up.
If there was one thing that I hated it was taking these girls with me to public places. They were everywhere all at once, loud beyond belief and ready to have fun at the wrong time. They may have been very good girls for their age but they were all babies, in my eyes. They couldn't just be little angels when out and about.
"What?" Edward asked curiously, slumping back in the chair and watching me with a thick burning expression.
I cast a quick glance at Caitlyn. "Take your sister into the living room." She did as I asked without missing a beat. Melly trudged along, dragging her feet like they weighted a thousand pounds. As soon as they were out of the room and it was only Edward, the twins, and I, I told him, "My parents travel, so their never here. I take care of these girls a lot and I know they don't handle public places very well," Because they don't get out, "and Melly doesn't like doctors. Its...probably not a good idea."
He shook his head, a determined look set. "She needs one, Bella," he insisted. "What if she's really sick?"
"It's the flu. They've all had it, or are going through it."
Though I knew he didn't want to give up like that, he didn't push on it. It was absolutely astonishing that he cared that much about the heath of my little sister, but I knew her better. She would be fine. They were all fine. What I couldn't wrap my head around, though, was how much he did care. The teenage boys I knew, the ones I went to school with, would have shrugged it off and made a few mindless comments. I knew for a fact that no one should have cared this much. Especially a guy. Especially a new guy.
Hell, I couldn't even name a reason that any teenage boy would be here.
Its not like I'm the first on any guy's list.
I sighed. It was that one single reason that I had to agree.
"Okay, I'll bite."
He looked up and smiled. "I'll drive."
Ta-Da! I'm actually quite proud of this chapter.
So what do you want to see happen? I know what's going to happen, but what do you want?