[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer

[A/N] Welcome to a new chapter, my lovely readers. Thanks for your interest in my story here.

Today's update is dedicated to jm1708 and number09

**39**

Rosalie opened the little box for another time and sighed deeply. The pearl-earrings were really lovely. But of course, Bella had been right. It was wrong to keep such an expensive gift from Carlisle after breaking off the engagement.

She pressed the doorbell and waited. Maybe she should have better brought the earrings back to the hospital. It was so random that Carlisle spent time at his apartment.

A moment later, the door was pulled open and a small face looked up at Rosalie with huge eyes.

"Hi Senna," Rosalie greeted the little girl. "Is your Mom here with you too?"

"No, she's at the hospital." Carlisle explained, stepping behind Senna. He kneeled down and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Didn't I tell you not to open the door on your own? It could have been a stranger."

Senna sucked her lower lip between her teeth. "But it was Rose."

"But it could have been a stranger." Carlisle responded dropping his attempt to tell his ex-wife's daughter what was wrong or right. He wasn't good with kids. The last days had been exhausting for him. At least Esme was talking to him again, like she didn't hate him anymore. Yesterday when he had visited her with Senna, she had even smiled at him. A smile was a good sign. Wasn't it?

"Esme's in the hospital?" Rose asked, following Carlisle and Senna into the living room. The place was a bit messy. There were toys lying all over the floor and a couple of dirty dishes had been stacked into a pile on the coffee table.

"She had an argument with her boyfriend and ended up with a concussion. Technically, we could have cleared her to go home after the first night. Esme needs rest though. I know, she doesn't get any when she's home."

"My Momma is sick." Senna explained. "Carlisle is my babysitter now. We went to the zoo today."

"That's nice, sweetie." Rose told her. She felt an almost unbearable wave of relief that she had warned Esme about Royce disgusting intentions. Hopefully, they would let the fucker rot in jail for the rest of his life now.

"I drew a picture of a car." Little Senna stated. "Do you want to see it?"

Rosalie nodded and Senna jogged up the stairs. "She's a dear girl." Rose stated.

Carlisle groaned. "Senna's a handful. I honestly didn't know how much work a child makes. How Esme manages to handle the girl and her job on top of it, it's beyond me."

Rosalie smiled. "I think mothers are pretty good at multitasking."

Carlisle nodded his head. "You could be right about that."

Rose pulled out the box with the earrings and handed it to Carlisle. "I'm sorry. I can't keep the pearls."

His forehead wrinkled. "Are you trying to insult me? That was a present."

"I know." Rosalie responded. "It was a very beautiful and gracious gift, but I can't keep it now that we broke off the engagement."

"I can't take the earrings back." Carlisle stated. "That would really hurt my pride."

Senna rushed back inside the living room, hopping on the couch right next to Rosalie. "See? I made the car red because red's my favorite color. What color do you like?"

"I like blue and purple. This is a pretty drawing." Rose told Senna, placing the drawing on the coffee table.

"It's for my Momma." Senna told Rose. "I can make you another one, if you want me to."

"I'd love that." Rosalie mumbled, leaning back against the cushions of the couch.

Carlisle took the box with the earrings and shoved them into the pocket of his vest. "I need to make a couple of calls. Could you watch Senna for a few minutes? Thank you, Ki— I mean Rosalie."

"Sure, why not." Rosalie said, her mouth curling into a smile again. "You and I will get along fine. Won't we, Senna?"

Carlisle went upstairs and for a minute, Rosalie watched how Senna started playing with two of her Barbie dolls.

Then the little girl looked up at Rose and said. "Rose, is Carlisle going to be my Daddy now?"

Rosalie didn't know what to tell Senna. The relationship between Esme and Carlisle was so tensed. Maybe, him helping her to take care of Senna would change things though. It was so wrong when two people that so obviously belonged together, couldn't work things out.

"Not my real Daddy of course." Senna explained. "My real Daddy is in Africa. But he could marry my Momma and be my new Daddy, right?"

Rose wrapped her arm around Senna's shoulder. "Would you like that, sweetie?"

Senna nodded eagerly. "So much, I never had a Daddy before."

Rosalie leaned over and whispered into the girl's ear. "You need to tell your Mom. If you want Carlisle to become your Daddy, you need to ask your mother about it."

xxxx

Alice Brandon had never given much thought about how it would be like to be a mother. She felt too young, too carefree to actually take on the responsibility for a baby. Her unplanned pregnancy was forcing her to grow up faster than she was willing to do it.

"Are you alright, little dove?" Zafrina asked her, squeezing Alice's hand to encourage the girl. "You're not nervous about the check-up, are you?"

Alice shook her head. She was so glad that she had Zafrina here with her. A nurse called Alice's name and a few minutes later she found herself sitting on her OB/GYN's chair, wearing a ridiculous nothing of a paper gown.

"How's it going, Miss Brandon?" the doctor asked her, his voice sounding a bit too cheerful to the women. "Is the morning sickness better now?"

"Yes, doctor, but I'm always hungry now." Alice confessed. "The baby is a little carnivore that keeps forcing me to eat steaks every day."

"There is nothing wrong with eating what you like, Miss Brandon." The doctor stated, pressing his stethoscope against Alice's abdomen. "Now let's see how the baby's doing."

When he was done examining Alice, Zafrina cleared her throat. "Dr. Banner, why don't you explain to me what vitamins she needs to take? I'll make sure she doesn't forget them."

Alice frowned. She hated taking pills. Alice knew she was bad at remembering taking the vitamin pills, the doctor had prescribed her. Now, Zafrina would hover over her like a mother hen. Maybe, she should just give the baby to Zafrina and ask her to raise the child for her. She would most likely make a better job at it than herself.

An unpleasant feeling of frustration began to fill Alice's heart. She climbed from the chair and went to the room next door, to get dressed again. When she was just about to squeeze her feet into her suddenly too small seeming heels, her phone beeped with a new message.

How's your day going, midget? I think of you. Em.

She rolled her eyes and typed a quick reply.

Midget? Is this supposed to be nicer than dwarf? Let me give you a hint. It's NOT.

His answer came a minute later.

I'm sorry. Was trying to be funny, but it never works with you. Still up for dinner on Friday?

Alice sighed and decided to call Emmett back instead of texting him again. When he picked up, he yelled so loudly, that it hurt Alice's ears. "Run you fucking losers! Dear Christ, run! God, you are a bunch of fucked up losers!"

"Emmet?"

"Oh hi, Alice, I'm sorry for yelling. I'm at work now. God, this place sucks badly."

"It's not the fault of those poor kids, that you hate your job." Alice stated. "How about being a bit nicer to them?"

He chuckled. "I'm saving all my nice for you. How's your day been so far?"

"So so," Alice mumbled. "Do you know that feeling when someone else is much better at a job that is supposed to be yours?"

"In a way," Emmett said. "I don't like that you sound so sad right now. It's not because of the midget comment, is it?"

"No, it's not." Alice whispered. "I just suck. I mean I suck at being an adult. It's so difficult."

"You are more of an adult than me. I don't think there's any reason for you to worry."

Alice's throat felt painfully tight. She swallowed back a sob and mumbled a quick goodbye to Emmett before she disconnected the call.

"There you are my little dove." Zafrina called out, entering the room. "What's with your shoes? Don't they fit anymore?"

"I make them fit." Alice murmured, trying to ignore the unpleasant burn at the side of her feet when she started walking down the corridor.

Outside of the hospital building she limped towards a bench and burst into tears.

"Alice, honey, why are you crying now?"

"Because I hate being pregnant. Those heels are my favorite. Now I have feet like a baby whale! I'm going to suck at being a mother. I know I will suck!"

Zafrina pulled the dainty girl against her chest and rubbed Alice's back in smooth circles. "No, you won't suck. You are going to be a good mom. I know, you'll be."

"Are you sure?" Alice sobbed. She sniffed a couple of times until Zafrina pulled out a tissue and made her blow her nose. "I love you, Mammy."

"I love you too, sweetie, more than words can say. I'm so glad I get to stay here to take care of you for a while."

"We need to tell Dad, I'm pregnant. He's going to freak."

"You know how your father is like. At first he's going to yell but then he's going to be the proudest grandfather the world has ever seen."

Alice's cell started ringing and when she fished it out of her handbag, Zafrina caught a glimpse of Emmett's picture flashing over the screen. He had already hung up before Alice managed to take the call.

"Is that the baby's father?" Zafrina asked curiously. "He's a bit tall for you."

"I like tall guys." Alice stated. "But Emmett is not the baby's father. We're just friends."

"Your face turns red when someone who's just a friend calls you? I don't believe that."

Alice could feel the heat streaming into her cheeks, making them glow. "He's just a friend."

"If you say so Alice, if you say so. Now, if Mr. Too-Tall isn't the baby's Daddy. Who is it?"

"I don't know." Alice lied, starting down at her swollen feet in the too tight shoes. "It was a one-night-stand." She mumbled, hoping that she would never have to look into James' grinning face again. How could she have ever fallen for this self-absorbed asshole? She was stupid. Being stupid wasn't exactly going to help her raise the little troublemaker under her heart.

"So, a one night stand it was. Good to know." Zafrina stated, pulling out a bottle with vitamin pills. "Take two of them right now. Folic acid is important for embryos."

Alice swallowed the pills and leaned her head against Zafrina's shoulder. "I'm so glad that you are here with me, Mammy. You're a better mother than I could ever be. Do you remember how I used to ask Dad to marry you, so you'd be my real mom? That was silly, wasn't it?"

Zafrina's fingertips stroked gently over Alice's hair. "You were a dear child. I loved raising you."

Alice sighed and pushed the uncomfortable shoes down her feet. "Zafrina? Maybe, I do like Emmett a bit more than like a friend." She confessed, sounding almost shy. "But the timing for falling in love is pretty bad right now, isn't it?"

Zafrina pulled a pair of flip-flops out of her handbag and handed them to Alice. The girl frowned. But then she put the flip-flops on without hesitation.

"Much better like this, isn't it? Listen to me, little dove. Love is not something that doesn't consider our plans. Love just happens and when it comes to you, you need to hold on to it as much as you can."