A/N Remember president Obama dancing on Ellen's show? Yeah? Good. If not, you can check out the video on youtube.

Also, I want to thank my beta Nikki and pre-reader Jen for making my words look prettier :-) I flove them both.

Enjoy Bedward's reaction at finding out he's gonna be a daddy!

Chapter 21

Edward Pov

~ June 11th, 2012 ~

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As I sat there, staring at my shoes that were now covered in vomit, I had a hard time grasping the importance of Isabella's words.

Had she actually uttered them or was it just my imagination playing tricks on me?

Was my desire of becoming a father so big that now I was hearing things?

Had I gone insane?

Was it a dream?

But no, it couldn't have been a dream. I could clearly remember being in my office and speaking with her over the phone. I could hear the distress in her voice… the fear. When I had asked her what was wrong, she said she was going to tell me later. After she had hung up, I became agitated and called her again. She hadn't answered. I'd called Angela and she told me to get there as soon as possible. And I had flown out of my chair, ignoring my father yelling something intelligible after me.

No, it was definitely not a dream and I hadn't heard her wrong. She was pregnant.

But how?

It must have been an accident, because judging by her reaction, she was not happy about it. In fact, she looked absolutely distraught.

This wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

And I was torn. I wanted to sympathize with her, but my heart was screaming at me that I should be ecstatic about the news. It was my prerogative to be excited about the pregnancy, because I had waited so long for this to happen. For many years, I had longed for this child with all my being. Accident or not, I had gotten my wish and I would have been a hypocrite to complain about the timing.

But I knew this wasn't what Isabella wanted, and it pained me to see her so upset about it. She was still very young and had plans for her life that didn't include an unexpected pregnancy. However, there was nothing that could be done about it, and we both had to face the situation and try to make the best of it.

My mind was reeling with all the things that had to be done. There were factors that needed to be taken into consideration, and we had a lot to talk about, but for now, my priority was to take care of her. I had to pull myself together and calm her down.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed, wiping her mouth and avoiding my gaze. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," I said, pulling her in a sitting position. "It's okay. Let's get you to the bathroom." Standing up, I leaned down and took her into my arms while calling over my shoulder for Angela.

She showed up immediately, her eyes widening when she saw the mess on the floor.

"Can you help clean this up, please?" I said hurriedly, not waiting for her answer as I carried Isabella past her and into the bathroom.

I sat her down in front of the sink and turned on the faucet. Still crying, she began rising her mouth before splashing water over her face with trembling hands.

Grabbing the toilet paper, I wiped off my shoes the best I could before discarding them on the tile floor next to the bathtub. Dealing with vomit wasn't pretty, but given the fact that Isabella was pregnant, I knew I had to start getting used to it.

Pregnant.

It was still hard to believe this was actually happening.

"I'm sorry I ruined your shoes." She sniffed, keeping one hand on the sink for support as she used the other to dab her face with a towel.

"I don't care about the shoes, Isabella," I said, making my way to her and placing my hands on her waist. "I only care about you. Do you need me to get you anything?"

She shook her head. "No, I just want to go back to bed."

As I carried her back to her room, Angela was just finishing wiping the floor with a mop. She left quietly, closing the door behind her.

I placed Isabella on the bed then began removing my suit jacket and tie. She got under the covers, and I tossed the tie and jacket on her desk chair before sliding in beside her. We both lay on our sides, facing each other, but her head was angled downwards, her gaze focusing on anything but my face.

"Is it true? I asked softly, lifting her chin up so she would look at me.

She nodded; her lower lip quivering as she answered. "I'm pregnant."

"How did it happen?"

"I forgot to take some of my pills."

"Are you upset about it?" I said stupidly, my hand moving from her face down to her upper arm where I rubbed her skin with my thumb.

"Isn't it obvious?" She sniffed, using her fingers to wipe her puffy eyes of tears. "I'm not ready to be a mother, Edward. I'm just not ready, okay?"

She sounded so devastated that the darkest of thoughts suddenly clouded my mind.

"Please tell me you're not thinking about abortion, because I won't accept it," I said, my voice taking a sharper tonality. This was my child as well, and I had no intention of giving him or her up, no matter how Isabella felt about being pregnant.

She was quiet for a moment, but then shook her head. "No, no, of course I'm not. I would never do that. But I'm so scared." As she said the last word, her voice broke and she began to cry a bit harder.

I sighed, part in relief, part in lamentation for the situation we were in. Inching closer to her, I ran my fingers through her hair in what I hoped to be a soothing manner.

"What are you so scared about, baby?"

"I'm scared that I won't be able to focus on school, that I'll never be able to have a career, that something is going to happen with your family that's going to drive us apart…" she trailed off, her hands finding the front of my shirt as her forehead pressed against my collarbone.

"First of all, you are going to be able to focus on school and you will have a career if that's what you want. I promise you that. You can quit your job at the bookstore and focus your entire attention on your Master's. Then when the baby comes, we'll hire a full time nanny. As for my family, I'll never allow them to drive us apart."

"What if I'm not going to be a good mother?"

"You're going to be a great mother," I assured her, an involuntary smile tugging at my lips. If there was one woman out there born to be a mother, that woman was Isabella. She was caring, devoted, selfless and one of the most beautiful and pure souls I had met in my entire life. Too young or not, she was going to make one heck of a parent.

"How do you know that?" she inquired suspiciously.

"I just know it."

She sniffed again, and I reached behind me on the nightstand for the box of tissues that was lying there. She grabbed one and blew her nose noisily then gazed up at me with large fearful eyes.

"But are we ready for this, Edward?" she croaked. "Are we ready for a baby? Is our relationship strong enough to survive family drama and this at the same time?"

"Yes, I think we're ready and I also think that you worry too much," I said sincerely.

"Maybe I do worry too much, but I can't help it," she admitted with a staggered sigh. "Are you happy?"

I grinned, the enthusiasm I've been suppressing slowly beginning to surface. "Yes, I am. I'm so happy, I feel like doing a happy dance right now."

She chuckled huskily, wiping a few more tears away. "Do it. I want to see you doing a happy dance."

"Is that a dare?" I asked playfully.

"Yeah, it is."

"Alright, I accept."

Fully aware of the fact that I was about to embarrass myself, I got up from the bed, intent on lifting her mood. She watched me curiously, her dark hair spilling all over the white pillow as her bloodshot eyes followed my every move.

Spreading my legs some, I began moving my hips and arms from side to side in the same fashion I had once seen Obama dance on a TV show. I had no music, my dancing skills were pretty rusty and I was willing to bet that Obama had done a much better job than me, but my little artistic moment gained me the most beautiful sound I'd heard the entire day. Isabella started laughing, a few snorts escaping her as she sat up and reached for another tissue to blow her nose again.

"Do you like my dancing skills?" I asked with a laugh of my own as I finished with a pelvic move a la Elvis.

"I can't believe you just did that," she breathed when I retook my place beside her seconds later.

I chuckled, leaning down to kiss her softly. "Thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Only for making me the happiest man alive," I murmured, my hand drifting lower until it rested on her stomach. "God, I can't wait to see your stomach grow."

I could almost envision her, heavy with my child and round in all the right places, and a wave of desperate longing came crashing down on me. I wanted this baby so badly it hurt to think about the fact that I had to wait nine torturous months until I was able to hold my son or daughter in my arms.

Isabella groaned, covering my hand with hers. "Ugh, I'm going to get so fat. Will you, gym freak, still love me when I'm the size of China?"

"I'll always love you, no matter what you look like," I said, pressing my lips to her a bit more firmly. "And I've never seen an ugly pregnant woman. All pregnant women are beautiful."

"You're just saying that because you want to be a father so badly. We'll see how attractive you still find me when I ask you to rub my ass with anti-cellulite cream."

I smiled at her indulgently. She had no idea how much I was going to love seeing her body transform; how much I was going to enjoy her new curves born out of the most beautiful metamorphosis life had to offer.

However, my optimistic train of thought was interrupted by her next comment.

"We need to tell your mother. I mean, you need to tell your mother. Maybe she's calmed down in the two months you've been giving her the silent treatment."

My mother.

For a moment, I had allowed myself to forget all about her.

It had been quite some time since I had last spoken to her, and I had to admit that the fact that she had accepted my decision of breaking off ties with her without even putting up a fight made me nervous. She wasn't the kind of person to give up that easily, and I was reluctant to try and decipher the meaning of this new strategy she seemed to have developed.

"I doubt it, but hope dies last, right?" I said with a heavy sigh.

"Yeah. Maybe by now she's desperate enough that she's willing to get over her aversion to me."

"We're both being so naïve. I would love nothing more than for her to accept our relationship, but I just don't know if it's ever going to happen." I pulled Isabella closer and she rested her head on my chest.

"But I'm going to give it a try. I'll call her tomorrow, because it's the right thing to do. She needs to know that she's going to be a grandmother again and it's better if I tell her myself. All we can do is hope that she's going to see reason and make things right for the sake of her grandchild."

Isabella hummed in agreement, and we both grew silent for a minute in which only the steady sound of our breathings could be heard.

She was the one to speak again. "So, I guess now would be a good time to move in with you."

"Yes, I think it's the best time for us to start living together."

She let out a long breath, something between a sigh and a huff, and I craned my neck to the side only to see that she was scowling, her tears now dried on her pale skin.

"What?" I asked, confused.

She looked up at me, her frown deepening. "It's just… it bugs me so badly that we're not even married and we're going to have a baby."

"We can get married anytime you want," I offered, but even to my own ears it sounded wrong. I loved her and I wanted nothing more than to make her my wife, but we had to refrain from making sudden decisions out of desperation.

She shook her head, a sad expression making its way to her face. "It wouldn't be right. We'd only be doing it because of the baby and I don't want that."

"Tell you what. Let's give it until next year. That way we'll have enough time to see how our relationship evolves during the pregnancy. If it were up to me, I would marry you tomorrow, but I know it's better if we wait."

"I would love to marry you, Edward," she murmured, her expression softening as her palm cupped my cheek. "But I really do think it's better if we wait until next year to take marriage into consideration. We need to take it one step at a time."

"I love you," I whispered, capturing her lips between mine.

"I love you, too," she replied between kisses, a solitary tear escaping the corner of her left eye. "So much."

I continued holding her to me for a long time. As some point our position reversed, and I ended up lying between her parted legs with my ear and hands glued to her still flat stomach. Out of instinct, I began humming a random song that I had heard over the radio that morning when I was heading for the office.

"What are you doing?" Isabella asked sleepily. She had her fingers buried deep into my hair and was looking down at me through heavy lids.

"I'm singing to him," I said with a sheepish smile.

She chuckled. "Oh, it's a he already?"

"Well, I would hate to refer to my own child as 'it', so for now, I'm going to pretend it's a he."

She stroked my hair gently. "Do you have any preferences regarding the baby's sex?"

"No," I replied immediately. "I'll love him or her equally."

She gave me a tentative smile, and I went back to humming.

"He can't hear you, you know," she pointed out as I began rubbing her bare stomach in sync with my singing. "He's barely an embryo."

"I don't care," I retorted, cocking my head to the side so that I could examine better the part of her my hands were exploring. "Now that I look closer, I can actually see a small bump."

"No, you can't," she contradicted. "I don't have a bump yet."

"You do if you look at it sideways," I said, fascinated by the way her stomach swelled with every deep inhale.

"You're starting to see things," she said amusedly. "Just shut up and keep humming, maybe I'll fall asleep."

~~ 0 ~~

The next morning as I slid undetected from Isabella's embrace, I felt like a new man. Something had shifted inside of me, and I could barely contain my happiness as I climbed into my car and headed home to get ready for work.

I was seeing the world with different eyes and I had to admit that I had never felt like this before. It was an entirely new emotion that couldn't be compared with anything else. Overnight, the notion that I was going to be a father had finally registered in my head and the enthusiasm that came with it was overwhelming.

I wanted to scream from the top of my lungs that my girlfriend was pregnant, and a couple of times I had to stop myself from rolling down my window and doing so.

I cut off another driver in traffic and when he gave me the finger at the next red light, I just grinned stupidly at him. He began muttering under his breath, most probably curses addressed to me, and I could have kissed him; I was so far gone.

The weather was rainy, large droplets of water falling from the cloudy sky, but to me, it was the most glorious morning of my life.

I hadn't even slept the night before; the excitement that came with the wonderful news had kept me from getting any rest. But it didn't matter, because I felt reinvigorated.

After a quick shower and cereal breakfast, I got dressed and climbed back into the car to head for the office. When I arrived, Victoria was at her desk, typing something at her computer.

"Morning," she greeted, smiling up at me.

I smiled back widely, transferring my briefcase from one had to the other. "Good morning. My girlfriend's pregnant so I'm going to need you to order a flower arrangement and send it to her house, because I forgot to stop by the flower shop on my way here. I'm thinking white and pink lilies. Make sure they add a nice card to it. Oh, and also send her a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates. She loves them."

"What?" she said dumbfounded, gaping at my rambling.

"Oh yes, you need the address," I said, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen from her desk and writing it down quickly. "Here, make sure she gets them by noon. Her name is Isabella Swan. And bring me my coffee and one of those chocolate muffins from the pastry shop across the street. I feel like having something sweet."

Leaving a completely discombobulated Victoria behind, I stepped into my office and sat on the couch near the window, pulling out my phone and typing a text message to Isabella.

Yesterday still feels like a dream, a very vivid one that is. I love you and I can't wait to see you again this evening. Enjoy the chocolates.

When I was done, I shoved the phone back into my pocket and moved to sit at my desk, trying to focus on work instead of Isabella and failing horribly. About noon, there was a knock at the door and Emmett stepped in looking sharp in a gray suit and brown leather shoes.

"Hey," he said, coming to stand on the other side of the desk.

My eyebrows rose in surprise at seeing him there since he rarely came into my office anymore. "Is there something wrong with the file I sent you?"

"No." He sighed, pulling out a chair across from me and sitting down. "I'm here to speak to you about Mom."

I frowned, taking off my glasses and leaning back into my seat. "Whatever it is you have to say, I don't want to hear it, Emmett."

"Why the fuck do you have to be such a jerk to her?" he snapped, his eyes narrowing. "It's been two moths now. She's a fucking mess because you refuse to talk to her."

"I need to stand my ground so she knows I meant it when I said that if she can't accept Isabella she'll lose me as a son."

"Jesus Christ, Edward." He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you're doing this for a woman. Is she more important to you than your own family?"

"I love her, Emmett," I replied, trying to stay calm. "She's my family now. I can't afford to lose her because of Mom."

"I'm so tired of this. I can't believe that a woman like her manages to keep you away from us. I thought you were stronger than this."

"What would you have done if Mom was against Rosalie?" I retorted, staring at him intently.

He huffed, his gaze moving to the windows behind me. "It's not the same thing. Mom loves Rose; she loved her from the very beginning."

"See?" I straightened up, pointing a finger at him accusingly. "You always had it so easy. Remember how Mom didn't like Tanya in the beginning? It's like none of the women I bring home are good enough for her."

Emmett looked back at me with a frown. "Mom learned to love Tanya for your sake, but even you have to admit that when you first met her, she was a bit wild."

"So why can't she learn to love Isabella?" I asked, starting to get annoyed despite my efforts to remain calm. "What's the difference between her and Tanya, royal blood?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's just so young, man. She's young, alright? I thought you were going to settle down with a woman your age."

I chuckled bitterly. "You speak as if I'm fifty, not thirty-four, going on thirty-five."

"I just don't think that she's going to give you want you want the most."

"What, children?" I snapped, burning holes through his thick skull with my eyes. "She already gave me that."

All of a sudden, all color drained from his face. "What?" he inquired in a low voice. "She's pregnant?"

"Yes, she is," I answered, a strange feeling of utter satisfaction traversing my body from my toes to the hairs on my scalp. For some reason, his shocked expression pleased me to no end.

He was quiet for a minute, only his mouth opening at short intervals as if he wanted to say something but couldn't decide what. Finally he settled for, "And when were you going to tell us?"

I shrugged, grabbing a pen from my desk and starting to play with it as I leaned back in my seat. "I found out yesterday. She has a doctor's appointment on Friday for confirmation."

"So, it wasn't planned?"

"No, she forgot to take some of her pills."

He let out a humorless chuckle, running his large hands up and down the chair's leather arms. "She forgot…"

"Don't even dare implying that she's using this baby to get her hands on my money," I warned, dangling the pen between my forefinger and middle finger.

He didn't say anything, just pinched the bridge of his nose before getting up and starting to head for the door. Halfway, he stopped and turned around to face me again. "Could you at least have the decency to give Mom the news yourself? I really don't want to have to do it."

"I'll tell her."

He hesitated, his wandering eyes landing on the old frame still resting on my desk. The picture of Tanya and me had been replaced with one of Isabella and me in Prague. "So, what, are you going to marry her now?"

"Yes, but not this year. For now, we're going to move in together."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that."

With those final words, he left my office, closing the door behind him quietly.

Sitting there in the large room's deafening silence, I suddenly realized that I hadn't even told my father about the baby. Putting my glasses back on, I rose to my feet and followed after Emmett, heading for my father's office. His assistant wasn't at her desk, so I knocked on his door twice before poking my head inside to see if he was there.

He was standing in front of the large windows overlooking Chicago eating what looked like a club sandwich. He smiled when he saw me, motioning me over with his hand. "Come on in, son."

"I just wanted to give you some news," I said, stopping in front of him and crossing my arms over my chest in an almost defensive stance. "Isabella's pregnant."

Dad stopped mid-chew, seeming to be mulling over my words. "Is she now?"

"Yeah. Look, I know it's a bit too soon for that, but it happened, and I'm glad it did," I rushed to explain. "To be honest, I'm ecstatic about it. I've wanted children for a long time and this is my biggest wish coming true. I just hope that you can be happy for me."

He put his sandwich down and wiped his hands with a tissue all the while his intense blue eyes never leaving mine. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you. Isabella is a lovely woman. But your mother…" he trailed off, shaking his head.

I sighed. "I know, Dad. She's going to throw a fit."

"She's not well right now, Edward," he said cryptically. "Your argument has affected her more than I thought it would."

My brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

He loosened his tie, leaning against the windowsill, and for the first time in a long while, he actually looked affected when speaking about my mother. "She's become extremely irritated. I can't even mention your name without being the receiver of her wrath."

"I'm sorry, but why didn't you tell me?"

"She's mad at me because I'm taking your side. She wants me to convince you to break it off with Isabella, but that's not an option anymore, is it?"

"No, it's not and it never was."

He nodded in understanding. "I'm afraid of your mother's reaction when she finds out. She's got this blind hate against the poor girl that even I don't understand. I initially thought she was being stubborn, but it's more than that."

"See?" my voice raised on its own accord. "That's why I refuse to speak to her. She's my mother and I love her, but I'm afraid she's going to ruin my relationship with Isabella, and I can't let that happen. Especially not after finding out that out she's carrying my child."

"I understand and I couldn't agree more," he said, patting me on the shoulder sympathetically.

"But I have to tell her about the baby," I added.

"Indeed. It's better that the news comes from your mouth. Why don't you come home with me tonight?"

"No, Dad," I declined. "I'd rather do it by phone."

"Yes," he said after a moment, his gaze focusing outside the window again. "It might be wiser to do so."

As I returned to my office minutes later, my phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see a text message from Isabella.

Just woke up to the delivery guy ringing the doorbell. The flowers are lovely, but the smell almost made me throw up. I can't wait to have my way with the chocolate box though. I love you, too. Always will.

~~ 0 ~~

Just before leaving work, much earlier than usual, I dialed my mother. The phone rang a few times with no answer before going straight to voicemail, and a sense of dread rocked through me. I sat there frozen, staring at the phone in my hand and not knowing whether to try again or wait for her to contact me back. Fortunately, the decision was made for me seconds later when the blue display began flashing eagerly and showing Mother's name.

"Hello?" I answered tentatively, unsure of the mood she was in.

"Edward," she said, her voice eerily calm. "Oh, honey, I'm so glad to hear from you. I was waiting for your call."

Although her words were supposed to express joy, the way she had spoken them sounded robotic, like an overly-rehearsed speech. This was my first cue that something was wrong.

"I'm only calling because I have some news and I think it would be better that you hear it from me," I said

"Did something happen? Don't tell me you broke up with that girl," she replied with an air of indifference, and I noted once again just how odd she sounded.

My mother could be angry bordering on rage. She could be disrespectful, rude and even vulgar. She could even be hypocritical and completely dishonorable when she wanted something badly enough. What she couldn't be was indifferent, and that was the reason why her current attitude alarmed me.

"No, I haven't," I said reluctantly, closing my eyes and bracing myself for her reaction at the news I was just about to give her. "Actually, she's pregnant."

The line was silent for so long that at some point I thought she had abandoned the phone. Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes and was about to speak when she beat me to it.

"What did you say?" she uttered, her voice so low and menacing that I felt a cold shiver electrocute my spine. Her aloofness was suddenly gone. "Please tell me I heard you wrong."

I swallowed hard, shaking my head although she couldn't see me. "No, you heard me right. Isabella's pregnant. Do you think you could try to be civil to her for the sake of your future grandchild?"

"Never! I will despise her for as long as I live and now you've just given me one more reason to do so," she spat, venom dripping from every word.

For a long moment, her hostility rendered me speechless. Gripping the arm of my office chair tightly, I steeled myself for what I was about to say. "Well, in that case you won't be a part of my child's life."

"Can't you see what she's doing? She's manipulating you, Edward. How can you be so stupid?"

"Mother, you're being unreasonable," I gritted, wishing I had the necessary force to break the hard plastic currently in my hand. "Here I am, calling to give you one more chance to make things right, and you still refuse. For Christ's sake, I don't want to choose between you and her, but you're just forcing me."

"You didn't speak to me for two moths," she replied, her voice now trembling with resentment. "That alone tells me you've already made your choice long ago. Why didn't you speak to me, Edward? Why didn't you try to make things right then? Hmmm? Tell me, why?"

I was taken aback by the bitterness resonating in my ear. "I thought you would've learned your lesson if I cut you off from my life for a while. Now I'm offering you the opportunity to leave the past behind and get over your unjustified antipathy for Isabella."

"Learned my lesson? You ungrateful, insolent child!" she yelled. "I don't need you to teach me anything. I know better, and I know that girl is not good for you."

"That girl is going to be my wife one day," I snapped, starting to get angry.

"Over my dead body! I'd rather die than let you marry her, and it's not a threat, it's a promise."

"Do you even hear yourself?" It was my turn to yell as I jumped to my feet and kicked the chair to the side roughly. "Have you gone completely mad? What's gotten into you?"

"You don't know what I've been through these past couple of months, and it's only her fault."

"Are you actually blaming her for my decision?" I said incredulously.

"Yes," she hissed. "I bet she forced that idea into your head."

"That's crazy. I'm sorry, Mother, but I don't recognize you anymore. I know you're able to hold a grudge for the rest of your life, but this is more than that," I said with finality. "I have to go."

"Don't you hang up on me; I'm not done talking to you."

"But I am." I hit the button to end the conversation and had to reign in the urge to smash the phone against the wall.

Feeling the need to take my anger out on something, I grabbed the chair and threw it at the bookshelves. The impact made a terrible crashing sound and one of the wooden shelves gave out, the books and files resting on it spilling to the floor with a loud thud.

Seconds later, the door opened and Victoria peeked from behind it apprehensively. "Something wrong?" she asked, her eyes widening as she took in the mess.

"Get out!" I yelled hoarsely, and she scurried off before I had time to blink.

~~ 0 ~~

Isabella greeted me at the door, clad in a pair of barely-there pajamas. She was smiling brightly, but her smile disappeared as soon as she saw my expression.

"Have you called your mother?" she asked carefully, watching as I removed my shoes and suit jacket.

"Yes, I have," I replied curtly, taking off my tie and handing it to her before making my way to her bedroom.

She followed. "And?" She looked at me anxiously, placing the tie on the back of her desk chair. "How did she take it?"

I sighed, lying down on the bed next to her open laptop, and my gaze landed on a page about first time mothers. "She reacted as expected," I answered, picking up the laptop and starting to scroll down the page. "She was furious."

Your child is a gift from God. But you must be prepared because motherhood is a life changing experience and sacrifices have to be made.

"Eh. Well, at least you tried." She sounded resigned. "Are you upset? You look upset."

Whether you are a mother with a newborn baby or just pregnant, no amount of training can ever prepare you for it fully. It's a learning journey.

"I am a bit upset, yes," I replied, a bit distracted by what I was reading.

She came to join me on the bed, and I placed a kiss against her forehead. "I have to confess that her words hurt me more than I thought possible. We never got along, my mother and I, but I never thought we were going to get here."

"What did Emmett say?"

"I think he's actually resigned with the idea. But let's not talk about my family anymore; it's ruining my evening."

"Okay, but you should know that I told Alice and she was really happy about it."

I hummed in approval. "Good. Good."

Remember that you aren't the only one going through the experiences you are encountering.

Continuing to scroll down, I stumbled upon an interesting title: 10 things that might surprise you about being pregnant.

I began reading out loud so Isabella could hear as well, and that's how I found myself fascinated by the whole pregnancy process and the emotional and physical changes affecting mothers-to-be.

~~ 0 ~~

On Friday afternoon, I sat in an uncomfortable chair, holding Isabella's hand as her doctor performed an ultrasound. She had already done a urine test to confirm the pregnancy and a pelvic exam including a Pap smear, and now she was pointing to a gray spot the size of a button surrounded by a black aura.

"See this, Miss Swan?" she asked with a smile. "This is your baby right here."

We both stared in awe at the monitor, and I felt my chest constrict as I took in the unclear image and listened to the faint heartbeat. It all seemed too good to be true, and I had to reign in the childish urge to pinch myself just to make sure it wasn't just a taunting dream. I was looking at my child for the first time; a moment I had dreamed about for so long that somewhere along the road I had lost faith that it was going to happen.

And I hadn't known.

I hadn't known how utterly empty I had been for such a long time.

But now, seeing the miracle with my own eyes, I was starting to believe again.

If there truly was a God, HE had not been punishing me like it had been my stubborn belief after I had lost Tanya. HE had taken from me so HE could give back to me tenfold. HE had taken a life so he could give one.

And I realized that I had always taken things for granted when in fact everything came with a price. The price I'd had to pay was steep, but the joy I felt by looking at that plain hospital monitor, made it all worth it.

Isabella tightened her hold on my hand as she wiped a stray tear with her thumb and gave the doctor a watery smile. "How far along am I?"

"By the measurements and size of the fetus, I would estimate about six or seven weeks, which means you're due somewhere around the end of January."

"How soon can we find out the baby's sex?" I inquired eagerly. My voice broke under the pressure of my emotions that were all over the place, and I had to clear my throat a couple of times.

"This is one of the most common questions I receive from my patients-to-be," the doctor began to explain patiently. "Most future moms undergo an ultrasound at around eighteen to twenty weeks which means about four and a half to five months. Normally, at this stage of pregnancy we can determine the baby's sex, but not always. The position of the baby during the ultrasound is the most important aspect in our ability to tell the baby's sex, and there's no way to influence that."

"How often do I have to come for check ups?" Isabella addressed the doctor, but her eyes were on me, and I could read fear but also excitement in them.

She started wiping Isabella's stomach off the gel she had applied for the ultrasound. "Well, regular check ups are done every four to six weeks since your first appointment. However, near the end of your pregnancy you'll be seen every week or so."

When she was done, she pulled Isabella's tank top back down and launched into a longer explanation.

"Now, since this is your first consultation, it's going to take a while. I need to ask you questions about your health and medical history as well as the medical history of your family that could affect your pregnancy. You will also have your weight, height and blood pressure measured. Several blood tests will be taken so we can check your blood type and Rh factor, your rubella or German measles status and your iron levels. You will also be screened for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B, unless you specifically opt not to."

It was a lot to take in for a first appointment. By the time we were done, Isabella was famished, and I was tired from waiting so long. We decided to have dinner at the Italian restaurant we both liked so much, and since she said that she felt like driving, I had passed her the keys to the BMW.

I had to admit that being in the passenger seat of my own car wasn't something I liked, but for Isabella I would've sat in the backseat if she asked it of me. As I shifted my gaze from the window to her profile, I saw that there was a small smile playing on her lips. Glancing down, I noticed that her left hand was holding the wheel while her right one was resting on her stomach.

And then I just knew. Despite all her fears and my family issues, we were going to be alright.

A/N Thanks for reading!

~ Andreea ~