Charlie's POV
Today is my little girl's 26th birthday. So much has changed since her last birthday.
Her last birthday she spent the day at the beach with Sam and Jake and Leah and then I took them all out for dinner.
Sue and I had just started to date but we decided to keep it from the girls, more because of Leah than Bella. While Bella never had a mother and mostly considered Alison her mom Leah did have a father and she took his death hard. We recently told them and to our surprise they had both known since pretty much the beginning.
Now my little girl is pregnant, due any day now and living with a man older than me. A man I was friends with in high school. As much as I wanted to hate Josh I couldn't. He treats Bella like a Princess. I thought Sam and Jake spoiled her, they are nothing compared to him. He gives her anything she asks for which is why they now have a puppy and a pool and Jason has just about every toy imaginable. He has endless patience with her and her mood swings, one minute she's screaming at him and telling him she hates him and the next minute she's making out with him in my living room and begging him to never leave her. I assured him she's not always like this. As odd as it is, he's everything I had always wanted for her. He loves her more than anything; you can look at him look at her and see it. He can take care of her financially even though she works and she refuses to quit. He's involved in everything having to do with the baby. He makes her laugh like no one else, she's so happy with him.
For her birthday she wanted everyone to come to her house and Emily offered to cook. Emily and Sam have moved quickly in their relationship and I know he's planning on proposing to her soon. Bella loves her almost as Sam does I think and Emily is good for Bella. I know she has Leah but Leah doesn't do all the girl stuff quite so well. Emily is even teaching Bella how to cook and she goes out of her way to find new things she will eat. Sue told Emily Bella is good practice for when they have kids. Tonight though she's sticking to lasagna, Bella's new favorite and gold fish salad. My daughter is strange.
Jake and Leah have been dating for a while now but they both seem content to just date.
Everyone Bella loves is here tonight except Alison and I'm pretty sure Bella has given up on her. I really thought once Sam refused to talk to her she'd come around but not so far and if she takes too long it will be too late. Bella has claimed Sue as her mom and Sue is thrilled, Bella even asked her to be in the delivery room with her. She of course said yes so now it will be Sue and Josh in there with her. I hope they survive it, my daughter was never much on being dramatic until she got pregnant, now everything is a crisis.
Everyone is ready for Jason's arrival. It took me a while to get used to her being pregnant but now I'm excited about being a grandpa and I'm glad she's not a teenager like we all were. She asked me one day if I thought she would run like her mom did and I told her no way, the fact that she's worried about it proves it. I think Renee always had leaving on her mind. Then she asked if I thought Josh would leave and I told her I really don't think so, not the way he looks at her.
He's going to ask her to marry him tonight. He asked me for permission and then he asked Sam if he was OK with it because if they get married Bella will legally be his stepmom.
We both gave him our blessing.
Emily calls us to dinner and we all sit around the dining room table that Bella demanded Josh buy her pretty much for tonight. Everyone is laughing and talking and sneaking the puppy bites of food. She still has that cat too but she hates people. After everyone is done eating we move into the living room to give Bella her presents.
Emily got her new cooking stuff since she actually seems to be enjoying it but she doesn't have much to work with. Sam got her a collection of all her favorite kid books, Jake and Leah got her a gift card to get new hiking stuff and Sue and I got her a spa gift card. She's crying so hard out of what I hope is happiness and Sam is trying to calm her down before she falls asleep and Josh is looking at me like now what? He was going to ask her now but he doesn't want to send her over the edge. She might not come back from it anytime soon.
Sam whispers over her head do it after cake if she stays awake that long. Finally between Sam and Josh and Jake they manage to settle her down and Emily brings out the cake she made. I think he might be with her just for her cooking and baking abilities.
"I'm so sorry I flipped out on everyone, I really loved everything. I really just love all of you and I'm so happy that you're all here with me. I'm so lucky and I'm so glad that Jason will have so many people that love him in his life." Bella tells everyone as Emily hands her cake.
Cake makes her happy as long as it's chocolate.
Once everyone is done with cake we move back into the living room and Bella is looking through the books from Sam.
"I love you sweetheart." Josh tells Bella as he finally hands her the little box and everyone can tell what it is except Bella. Sam and I knew already but Sue is looking and me and I shake my head yes. Then she mouths and you're OK? I shake my head yes again. She's already pregnant and living with him, she might as well marry him too.
Bella opens it and looks at him trying really hard to not cry again.
"Will you marry me Bella?" He asks and she shakes her head yes not trusting herself to talk I'm sure. Then she kisses him then tells him she loves him.
My little girl is all grown up and pregnant and getting married.
Everyone stays a little while longer with Emily and Bella and Sue already talking wedding plans. Josh shows me and Jake the rest of the house while Sam and Leah start to clean up.
Then Josh sits next to Bella on the couch and she lays her head on him and starts falling asleep so everyone gets ready to go.
She gets up and hugs everyone as they leave. Sue and I leave last.
"Happy Birthday baby." I tell her and kiss her head.
"Thank you dad and thank you for supporting me in this." She tells me and hugs me.
"I just want you to be happy baby, that's all I ever wanted from the first time I held you. He makes you happy." She smiles and I says I love you dad.
"Love you too. Now get some sleep, you look exhausted." She hugs me again and closes the door.
A few hours later Josh calls to tell me she's in labor and they are on the way to the hospital.