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Chapter 2: Help Wanted

Bella POV

Present Day, January 2013

Hilltop Lakes, Texas

"Bella, we can't do this by ourselves anymore. I know that your daughter is your life and we love her like she is blood, but you cannot keep juggling both the ranch and Cassie the way that you have been. Jake and I and the rest of the crew are working nonstop as well. We need help, sweetheart," Billy, my dad's childhood friend and ranch manager, said gently as we start to clean up.

Billy worked for my dad for years and stayed on to work with me when I took over the ranch. His wife, Sarah, cooks and cleans the main house where my daughter and I live, plus the twenty other cabins on the property. His son and daughter in-law, Jake and Leah, also work on the ranch. Jake is the Head Ranch Hand and Leah is a physical therapist who helps me with the animal therapy programs that we run. We have a few ranch hands, but the ranch has become so successful that we are all busy.

"I know Billy, give me some time and I will work it out. I promise," I tell him. I know I have to do something and fast. Summer is our busiest season and it is quickly approaching.

Sitting at my computer and going through my emails is always a chore. We get so many requests and questions from returning and new families. As I scroll through, a familiar name catches my attention, making me smile. I have been keeping in touch through email and an occasional phone call with one of my dad's old friends from college. He is a renowned pediatrician in the state of Washington. We communicate regularly, however, our correspondences increased dramatically in the past six years, since the birth of my daughter, Cassie.

The focus of our latest string of emails is about a series of tests that Cassie's doctors suggest her to undergo to determine the cause of seizures. I am starting to become concerned with the increase in frequency of them. Cassie seems to have them more often as she ages.

I know his family is having some problems in Washington, but I really don't know how bad they are. I remember reading online something about one of the Cullen boys cheating on his fiancé, but you can never believe everything you read on the internet. I know my dad would want me to help them out if I could. I know exactly what it feels like when your world is falling apart. You need all the help and support you could get. But, I also know that Carlisle is not a person who will come right out and ask for help.

September 2005

"Mike are you sure you are ok with this?" I asked one last time.

"Babe, I told you if you want to try, I will support your decision. Maybe we should take your dad up on his offer to move into one of the cabins on the ranch. I would feel better knowing that you will be closer to him since I will be leaving again after the New Year," Mike suggested.

"Maybe that will be better to have him close by and I will be closer to work," I agreed.

"Then it's settled, after we get back from Houston, we will move. I will be on leave until after holidays," Mike stated decidedly.

"Thanks Mike, love you and please be safe."

"Love you too," he said before we ended the call.

A few weeks later, during Mike's leave from the military, we met with the specialists at the fertility center in Houston and started IVF treatments. At the end of November, three viable eggs were implanted and I had been put on immediate bed rest. Mike and my dad moved us from our small apartment in Downtown Hilltop Lakes into one of the cabins close to the main house on my dad's ranch.

I had worked for my dad since I graduated from Texas A&M University with my Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in Special Education and a Masters in Animal Science. I developed and implemented programs on the ranch for animal therapy.

It was during my undergrad when I met Mike. He was on leave from the Marines, visiting his sister in Texas. His sister, Jessica, was my roommate. Mike and I became fast friends and started dating long distance. We were never really together for longer than a few weeks at a time, but we made it work. A year later, he asked me to marry him and we ran off to Vegas during his next leave.

I wasn't concerned about how quickly everything happened. I believe that Mike wanted someone permanent to come back to. It was hard for him to leave his only surviving family member alone while he was overseas. Mike and Jessica's parents passed away in a car accident when they were in high school. I was happy and loved to be with Mike, but we seemed more like friends than husband and wife. We had been married for a few years when we first started trying to get pregnant. After a year, we were both tested and discovered I had endometriosis like my mother. I had to undergo a few surgeries.

IVF was our last option and proved to be a success.

When I went in for my twenty-two week checkup, the ultrasound showed the baby had not grown since the last ultrasound. They determined that I had developed IUGR (Intrauterine Growth Retardation) and was immediately sent to the hospital for tests. The results from those tests showed that I had Lupus, which, in turn, caused the complications. Due to the high risk of my pregnancy, I was transported by ambulance to Saint Luke's in Houston where a team of specialists would monitor both me and the baby until I delivered.

My dad contacted Mike's commanding officer explaining the situation. Mike was still in the process of getting his leave approved, when his team was hit by a roadside bomb. The stress that the baby was putting on my body, compounded with finding out my husband was killed, sent me into premature labor. The doctors had to perform an emergency C-section when I was just twenty-nine weeks into the pregnancy. Our daughter, Cassandra Arline Swan-Newton, was born on June 20th, 2006, weighing 1 pound 14 ounces. She was rushed to Texas Children's Hospital NICU, where she fought hard to survive. I was finally able to bring her home when she was twenty-two weeks old. I knew I had to push through the grief and depression I had felt pulling me under. It was what Mike would have wanted.

I knew that Cassie would have problems, but as she got older, the more problems it seemed she had to overcome. She always pulled through with lots of prayers, support and love.

To: BSwan

From:

Subject: Catching Up

Bella, I am really sorry to hear about yet another obstacle that you and Cassie have to overcome, but you are both strong. I agree that it is probably hormones causing the recent seizures. I can take a look at her medical records if you would like another opinion. I am sorry to hear about the problems at the ranch. But, at the same time, I am happy for your success. Your father would be so proud of you.

I might have a solution for the help you need, and you would be doing me a great favor if you are in agreement. I mentioned that my family was going through a rough time right now, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better here. Please do not feel obligated to agree to this, but how would you feel about my family moving to the ranch and offering our assistance? I believe the change would be good for all of us. We are keeping you and your family in our prayers.

Sincerely,

Carlisle Cullen

Maybe this is God's answer to my prayers. I know Carlisle and his wife Esme have three sons, but I have never met them. I would just have to wait for his call but my dad would want me to help Carlisle, if I was able to.

I want to thank everyone for their reviews. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.