AN: I want to dedicate this chapter to my grandpa who passed away in his sleep last Sunday morning. I was reached by the news about his passing while I was writing on this very chapter. RIP, I know you're up there now, driving your bus and watching daytime soaps with grandma.
Edited 2011-09-19. Just changed pb to marshmallow fluff. Scary how fast I frogot about that allergy I gave Anthony! Good thing I don't have kids of my own!
Chapter 21 – breakfast musings and grandparents
"Anthony," Edward sighed and put on his best stern, adult voice. "Stop rubbing! The chair will topple over you if you keep going like that!"
"Owie," the little boy complained with a pout as he continued to rub his backside against the side of the chair.
"I know it itches, but you'll have to hang in there a little while longer."
The doctor had advised him to put an ice pack or a cool moist washcloth on the affected area to help with the itching. Only Edward didn't have any ice. The only thing cold enough he had available was what was left of the ice cream they had feasted on the previous night. It was a safe bet that the kid would go nuts if he saw the ice cream, but was told he wasn't allowed to eat it. That was one tantrum he wasn't going to subject himself to.
Using a washcloth seemed like a better option. It would have to wait until Bella was out of the bathroom though, because that's where all the towels were and Bella had pretty much barricaded herself in there the minute they got back from the clinic. Presumably she was grabbing a quick shower, but seeing as he hadn't heard the water running yet, it was beginning to look like it might take a while.
Of course Anthony being an impatient little guy, didn't quite grasp the concept of 'patience' and 'self control'. His whining quickly escalated into full blown crying, sending Edward into a mad search for something… anything… he could use instead of a towel.
He ended up sacrificing his very last clean sweater. Anthony was, as expected, less than thrilled with the prospect of getting wet, but eventually stilled long enough to let Edward brush the wet fabric against his back a few times.
The line of red dots on the boy's skin would be gone within 24 hours. The itching he was experiencing was an inconvenience, but as far as kiddie diseases went, it was no worse than a minor rash and definitely nothing to get worked up over. There was no telling that to the toddler though. The little guy moaned and moped like the world was ending… and he was good at it too.
It took Edward a good 45 minutes to get Anthony down for his nap. This particular afternoon the boys definition of unwinding involved snacks and cartoons and his fathers undivided attention.
When Bella finally emerged from the bathroom, Anthony was drooling on his fathers arm, not quite asleep but getting close. His eyes were drooping every few seconds but he stubbornly held on to consciousness until the very end of the episode of the Simpson's they were watching. Turns out it was the one where Maggie shot Mr. Burns….Way to give the kid ideas…
Bella declined the offer to join in on the nap, but agreed to give a progress report once the kid was asleep. She glossed over most of the technical details, but Edward got the gist of it all the same.
"So, nothing new then," he sighed deeply in frustration, causing Anthony, who was resting against his chest, to almost roll off the seat.
"Not really, no," she agreed watching Edward tuck Anthony's head into the crock of his arm. "These things take time, though. Seth's on a plane back to NY as we speak. He'll work his way through all the files on that disc. He'll let us know if he finds anything."
"But if he comes up empty, we'll have to do this all over again with that other clinic?"
"Well, sort of. We're going to need a different game plan when dealing with the Health South Parkway clinic, seeing as it has way more advanced security routines than what we encountered today."
"Because they are funded by UW Medicine? You do know that Carlisle used to work at the University of Washington Medical Center, right? I bet he has all sorts of connections that could come in handy."
Bella nodded. "I know that. I also know Dr. Cullen was forced to leave his position at the hospital after having been sued for malpractice cover-up. I figured he might not like being reminded of that whole ordeal."
"We usually avoid the subject, yes, but he was exonerated from all charges and besides it was over 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure Carlisle would be more then willing to get involved, if we tell him what exactly, we're looking for."
"Okay, it's your call. You decide how involved you want him to be. Remember our 'gray zone discussion'? I wouldn't want anyone getting into trouble over this, alright? " She fixed him with a determined gaze.
"I trust Carlisle, he's my dad, he's my ally," Edward nodded, smiling a little. "He sent me a text about an hour ago, warning me that he and Esme are on their way home. They'll be landing at SeaTac around seven this evening. Apparently mom is insisting that they stay the night at some hotel so that they can swing by here and meet their grandson before heading back to Forks."
"Oh, they are coming here? Tonight?" Bella asked feeling her stomach lurch. Not from nausea for once, but from nerves. She was so not ready for dealing with his parents.
Apparently Edward felt the same way because he was shaking his head firmly. "No, not tonight. Definitely not tonight. I told dad that Anthony is way too worked up after his doctor's visit. I'm going to have to meet up with them in the morning though, but I think I'll leave Anthony here with you, if that's alright?"
"Okay, that's fine, I guess… Your mom will be disappointed. Sounds like she's really eager to meet him."
"My mom is going to have a bunch of questions which will lead to a conversation that I'm not looking forward to. It wont be kiddy-friendly, if you know what I mean… Yes mom, I had unprotected sex with a random stranger. No mom, I didn't get her number… or her name. Why? Oh, I don't know, could be because I was drunk off my ass."
"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Bella agreed with a hint of a smile. "Better get it over with now, though, rather than waiting until the whole family is gathered for Christmas dinner."
"Yeah, that's what I figured."
"Oh, and Edward can you please swing by a Laundromat? Or a dry cleaner? There are only so many times you can turn your undies inside out."
His eyebrows immediately shot up and he smiled a bit crookedly. "I'm going commando today. Wanna see?"
"With the kid in the room. I think not!"
"Spoil sport," he called after her, as she hurried to leave the room.
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"He really do look just like you, honey," Esme declared over breakfast the following morning. "He doesn't share your colors, but the facial resemblance is uncanny," she added after having studied the photo displayed on the screen of her son's cell phone a second time.
Edward rolled his eyes. "Next you're going to say I was a fool for not knowing straight away what the DNA test would show. I've heard this from Alice already."
"You see it too, don't you Carlisle?" Esme asked turning to her husband, who immediately nodded.
"Yeah, I can sort of see it," he agreed, swallowing down what was left of his bagel with a giant gulp of coffee. "I think we have a photo just like this one at home, don't we? One with all the kids, eating ice cream in just their undies."
"I know exactly witch one you mean, " Esme smiled. "You had it in a frame on the wall in your office for a while, but had to take it down because there were people who found it provocative because of the nudity."
Carlisle chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, that and also because little Eddie had a black eye similar to the one Anthony is sporting."
"Cute story," Edward grumbled, pushing his plate away. "But seriously, not even Alice was as tiny and skinny looking as Anthony is. Put this picture in your office and people will think I'm starving him."
"First of all, Alice was five when we first got her," Carlisle pointed out. "And secondly, just because the boy is a bit on the small side right now, doesn't mean he won't be developing just fine."
"Carlisle will monitor his health and make sure he gets the help and support he needs to flourish."
Esme stated it like it was a done deal… and apparently it was because Carlisle simply nodded in agreement.
"Of course. This reminds me Edward, you never did tell me how the scratch test went," he added, immediately slipping into doctor mode.
"He tested positive for peanuts and tree nuts for sure and also grass, tree, and weed pollens. No reaction on strawberries or any other food allergens, though."
"The strawberry allergen is very similar to the birch pollen allergens Therefore if you are allergic to birch pollen, you should also avoid strawberries because chances are you will also have allergic reactions to them as well."
"Oh, poor thing. You need to be careful," Esme said, patted Edwards arm. "Nut allergies can be potentially fatal. Isn't that right?"
"In some severe cases, yes." Carlisle nodded in agreement. "You should start carrying epinephrine with you, just to be on the safe side."
"I've got it covered. The doc we saw yesterday was pretty thorough."
"Good! Parenthood can be overwhelming, even in the best of circumstances. If you have any questions, medical or otherwise, don't hesitate ask me, alright!"
"I know… Actually…. Mom, do you think it would be alright if I could speak with dad alone for a few minutes?" Edward asked, signaling for the waitress, who was circling the table, to give them privacy rather than another refill. "We have a few… eh guy things we need to discuss."
"Is this about that night you spent in the ER getting your stomach pumped?" Esme asked raising one well sculptured eyebrow. "…because if it is, you should know Carlisle told me about it years ago."
"Gee, thanks a lot dad," Edward muttered, rubbing his forehead.
Across the table his father was mouthing 'sorry kid' in an apologetic manner.
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"Eat your sandwich Anthony!"
"No!"
"One more bite, please! For me!"
His head moved from side to side. "Uh-uh."
Bella blew her hair out of her face and steeled herself for what was no doubt going to be another round of coaxing and pleading
"What do you think your daddy will say when he comes back and sees that you haven't finished your breakfast, Anthony?"
"Eda?"
"Yeah, that's right! Edward is your daddy and he loooves his breakfast!"
The boy threw his head back and laughed like it was the funniest thing he's ever heard.
Bella took advantage of his open mouth to stuff it with a spoonful of scrambled eggs from her own plate. He seemed to tolerate that better than the bread, because even though he quickly turned his face away, he didn't spit anything out and he didn't protest too loudly.
"You liked those eggs didn't you? We can trade. I'll eat your food, if you eat my mine!" She raised the sandwich again, but rather than offering it to Anthony, she took a bite of it herself, a really big one and then she chewed with exaggerated enthusiasm, knowing the boy was watching her every move with big, saucer eyes.
She moved to take another bite, but a small, unhappy sound from Anthony stopped her.
"You want it? You can't have it," she teased, moving the sandwich further away as he reached for it. She repeated the same stunt three times before she finally let him grab on to it. Anthony wasted no time sinking his teeth into the sandwich, obviously worried he'd loose his right to it if he didn't eat it quickly enough.
It was just a piece of bread, a minor food victory, but a victory none the less. Bella smugly patted herself on the back for a job well done and then went about finishing her own breakfast… or tried to finish her breakfast. She only managed two more bites of the scrambled eggs before the nausea hit full force and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth and dash for the bathroom.
When she came back Anthony had lost interest in his breakfast in favor of the milk container, which he had emptied all over the table.
Bella felt frustration fill her body, but refrained from raising her voice and eventually just sighed,"Can't leave you alone for two seconds huh? What is all of this?"
"Ups?" Anthony shrugged, splashing with his hands in whatever puddles he could reach.
"Yeah, oops!" Bella agreed, shaking her head. "Tell you what, I won't tell your dad about the milk if you promise not to say anything about where the eggs went, alright?" she suggested, scraping the remains of her plate into the trash.
"Kay," the boy nodded seriously, like he understood exactly what she meant.
Not for the first time she wondered how she had ever thought she could raise a child all on her own. Edward had only been gone half an hour and she was already utterly exhausted.
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"Your brother is right, it was Peter. He drove you there himself and then made sure the hospital had my contact information before he left."
"So he didn't stick around, then?" Edward concluded, scratching the back of his head.
Carlisle shook his head 'no'. "You know Peter. Always on the move, never staying long in any one place. I only spoke with him in passing. He said he'd done a gig at some club and that you had showed up to see him. The two of you made plans to meet up afterwards, but you never got that far."
"Did he mention if our plans included other people?
"No, but I didn't ask and he wasn't volunteering much of anything."
"You were there with HER that night?" Esme cut in. "Anthony's mother?" she clarified, as if it actually needed to be said.
"I… I was drunk," Edward started, looking at his father for help. "When I first learned about Anthony existence, I was so sure he wasn't mine. I was beyond shocked when the DNA test came back, because I had no recollection of being intimate with anyone during those weeks I spent up here that year. I've retraced my every step and that night, the one when I ended up in the ER, is the only night I don't have full conscious memory of."
Esme shook her head, pursing her lips slightly. "I hope you realize how lucky you are to still be alive and in good health. Alcohol kills hundreds of people every year... as does unprotected sex."
"Mom… I know I-…"
"No, let me handle this," Carlisle intervened "Esme, remember how I told you they ran a tox screen on him when he was first admitted?"
"It came back negative for everything, except alcohol."
"Yes, the result pointed to a certain degree of intoxication, but was well under the level for alcohol poisoning. While it's true that he was in fact drunk that night, the reason he needed medical attention was because his body had an acute allergic reaction to something he ingested, which in combination with the alcohol caused him to have a panic attack on top of everything else."
"I know I was reckless." Edward hung his head. "I'll be paying the price for it for the next eighteen, something, years… That thought alone is enough to warrant shit loads of panic attacks."
Carlisle cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere more private. Esme, I was thinking maybe you could …"
"…take a walk around the block," she finished for him as she rose from the table. "Don't worry about me. I believe I have some additional Christmas shopping to do now that I have learned I have a new grandchild to spoil."
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"I've got you now!" Bella smiled wickedly as she cornered the little boy between the bed and night table. She slung an arm around the child's slim shoulders and blew a raspberry on his stomach. The boy squealed with delight, flashed a big toothy smile.
"Come over here kiddo and step into your big boy pants."
At the suggestion of Emmett, who actually seemed to know what he was talking about, they were experimenting with pull-ups during daytime. This way they didn't have to pin Anthony down flat on his back for every single diaper change. Thank Heaven for small miracles. Even with a very wiggly child, getting the pull-ups off was quick - there were bits of tape on the sides to pull at, and the whole thing undone.
However getting Anthony to stay still long enough to get him cleaned up and into a new pair wasn't always an easy feat. He loved running around naked as apparently, according to Emmett, most kids did. Bella herself couldn't remember one single time in her childhood when she had set foot outside her bedroom anything but fully clothed, but hey each to their own. Maybe it was different with little boys?
Making sure she had a good grip on the little guy, she settled herself on the floor and began the tiring task of getting him dressed. She guided the child to stand in front of her as she, one leg at a time, threaded his feet through the leg holes of first his pull ups and then a pair of sweatpants.
"Good boy!" she praised once both feet were back on the floor. "We should talk to your dad about getting you potty trained. This shit isfor babies and you're a big boy, aren't you?"
Anthony gave her the DUH look and then proceeded to bring his hands up to her face, patting her cheeks a little too enthusiastically.
Bella laughed and scooped him into her arms to give him a noisy kiss. "Oh, my little prince, I'm gonna miss you when I go back to work." She tickled him under the chin like she had seen Alice do countless of times. The reaction was immediate.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch!" Bella half-shrieked, half-yelled, as Anthony arched his back in her arms, kicking his little legs against her ribs and upper torso. She got to her feet rather abruptly, pushing the boy away from her body by pressing her hand against his chest.
"No, Anthony! We don't kick or hit people!" she scolded with what she hoped was a calm, but firm voice. She half expected him to break into tears, but the boy surprised her.
"Uh, uh… inda nuts," he told her with a serious expression that looked so much like Edward that it was almost creepy.
"Sorry, sweetheart? What did you just say?"
"Eda say no kick inda nuts."
"Ah, yeah your daddy is right!" She smiled when she realized that he was referring to something that Edward obviously must have told him. "Kicking someone in the nuts is not nice!… Or the stomach," she added, pointing to her own midsection. "Bella has a sensitive belly. That's why she couldn't eat her eggs this morning and that's why you have to be careful with your feet, okay! "
"Trash Eggo," Anthony nodded wisely.
"Yeah, the eggs went into the trash. You're such a bright kid! Nothing goes past you, eh, eagle eye?"
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"Given what I've found out about his allergies, there must be medical records out there somewhere with Anthony's name on them," Edward told his father, turning to the window to take in the view of the street below.
"Small children do tend to need medical attention a few times a year," Carlisle agreed, nodding slowly. "So the favor you mentioned… The Health South Parkway… You want me to ask around and see what I can come up with? Is that correct?"
"Yeah, something like that," Edward sighed. "I've been told it's a bit of a gray zone; time-consuming, resource-intensive and just plain unethical."
"Sounds to me, you haven't found the right person to approach... or offered the right reward. Money can serve as a powerful motivator"
"Oh, I'm sure you're right, but please, NO bribes! I don't want you doing anything that could reflect poorly on your character or reputation."
"I was thinking more in the line of a sizable donation," his father suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. "Nothing wrong in asking politely."
"That could actually work," Edward agreed reluctantly. "…but it's still not completely 'PC', is it?"
"No, seeing as those records you are hoping to gain access to, are still very much confidential. To follow appropriate protocol I'd say you'd have to get the police involved … or special agent Swan, perhaps?"
That last part was said with equal parts of curiosity and amusement.
Edward rolled his eyes. "You've spoken with Alice, I see!"
"Emmett actually," Carlisle admitted with a smirk.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Edward grumbled, as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes a second time. "If you must know, the police more or less told me that they didn't have the resources to help me. They advised me to hire a P.I…. And since Alice had already gotten Bella involved… "
"Alright then, but why aren't you taking this through the proper FBI channels?"
"Her involvement is on a voluntary basis, as a friend, not an agent… "
"I see…" his father said slowly. "So it's true then that the authorities think she's your live-in-fiancée? How is that working out for you?"
"Another one of Alice's little fibs. She thought a two-parent-household would upper my chances to get custody of Anthony. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"But not anymore?"
"It's complicated… When together, our energy is like electricity; like neon lights on a dark rainy night… the problem is, more often then not, we find ourselves with a short circuit on our hands."
"In other words, you fight a lot?" his father guessed.
"She's like a drug, a toxic substance that I can't get out of my system."
"Emmett seams to think you still have feeling for her."
"Emmett talks too much."
"So… he's wrong?" Carlisle prompted.
"It's painful to be near her, knowing that I can't get as close to her as I want to; but the mere idea of letting her go hurts too. I've got to break this terrible cycle that I'm in, of pining and hoping, for someone that I probably shouldn't have been in love with to begin with. We're toxic to each other, it's as simple as that."
"Does Isabella know how you feel? Maybe you should try and talk to her."
"What good will it do? We're doomed to repeat the same mistakes of the past. Neither one trusting the other wholly. I know I was lied to and manipulated, yet, it seems I've never really gotten over her. I know it's petty and childish, it was high school for crying out loud, but I'll probably always think of her as the one that crushed my heart. Just like I'm always wondering, in the back of my mind, why HIM? What did he have that I didn't?"
He avoided his fathers questioning gaze, but before he could stop himself his lips were moving again, uttering words he'd thought he'd never say out loud to anyone, especially not his father.
"Jacob freaking Black, that's what's been brewing inside me. The feeling that I was looked over, tossed aside. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It hurt… a lot. And that, right there is what would poison any relationship that I enter into. So maybe in the end the toxic one is me."
The room was suddenly quiet, deathly quiet around him. Had he said all that out loud? No wonder the great Dr. Cullen was speechless, his son was acting like a loon, like someone that needed to be locked up in a padded room with a straight jacket.
"Edward," his father said his name with a gentle firmness that broke through his inner monologue. "Maybe this is the cycle you need to break. We've talked about it before. Many adopted children go through phases of feeling unworthy and undeserving."
"Don't give me that crap! I don't even remember my bio parents. The fact that I'm adopted has very little bearing on the life I am living right now."
"Maybe so... What I'm trying to say is that I think both you and Isabella carry around a lot of baggage. Yours more tangible and upfront, while hers perhaps more subtle," he paused, like he was still deciding on how to proceed, and then lowered his voice a bit and said, "has she mention her father to you lately?"
"Only in passing." Edward answered, feeling his forehead furrow in confusion. "I know that he's living in a nursing home in Florida. I know he's suffering from Alzheimer. I know you're the one that diagnosed him. I don't understand what this has to do with anything….You count him as her 'baggage'?"
"I obviously can't tell you much about it, because of the whole doctor-patient confidentiality thing, but let me ask you one question. Who do you think was left with all the bills when Charlie Swan couldn't cope with living at home any more? "
"Surely, he must have some sort of medical insurance. I know Chief Swan sold his house a few years back… They weren't exactly well off, but they weren't hurting for money either."
"The house was on the market for nearly two years before it sold. Think about it… Isabella was barely out of high school when Charlie's health started deteriorating. Who do you think helped her foot the bills and secure a spot for Charlie at that overly expensive out-of-state nursing home?"
"The Dwyer's?" Edward suggested, but then shook his head at the absurdity of that thought. "What exactly are you trying to tell me?"
"Esme wanted us to help the girl, but someone else beat us to it. I believe a certain Jacob Black signed his very first endorsement deal right around that time."
"F*ck! I knew it!" Edward cursed loudly, slamming his fist into the window sill. "She's told me he was a shoulder to cry on, that he was there when she needed someone. I even asked her once if the reason she dated him was because she felt she owed him something for the times he stood by her, but she swore that was not the case. I knew I was a fool for taking her word for it, when my every instinct was telling me otherwise."
His father grabbed his shoulder in a consoling gesture.
"To be fair, young Isabella had her financial situation sorted out rather quickly. She's always had a great head on her shoulder. She's has been her father's court-appointed conservator for many years now. I know for a fact that she paid her way through police academy on her own. I also know that by the time she became Mrs. Jacob Black, the sale of the house had been completed, leaving both her and her father debt free."
"But you think good ol Jake was manipulating the situation to his advantage, otherwise you wouldn't have brought it up."
"I think she did what she had to do to get through the day. She needed a shoulder, a listening ear, a helping hand…"
"…and I was a spoiled, immature, fucker that beat the crap out of her best friend."
"Your words not mine, but I think you might be on to something."
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Edward stared in awe at the scene before him.
He had found them in the kitchenette area, dancing in spastic accordance to the music blaring out from the radio. They obviously hadn't heard him come in, giving him this rare opportunity to watch them interact from his spot in the doorway.
Anthony was bopping and grooving in that way that only small children can, bouncing on bent knees, gracefully stepping to the beat as a huge grin split his face from ear to ear.
Bella was laughing and making silly faces at the boy, while her body was swaying and moving to the beat of the song.
Edward knew that Bella, much like himself, had little to no experience with children, but he also knew that the toddler took to her like a cat to milk. It was plain obvious that Bella would make a great mother someday, an unconventional one perhaps seeing as she herself didn't exactly have healthy parental role models growing up, but a fun, loving and caring one none the less.
If anything, he sort of, kind of, wished that it had been Bella that had birthed this child and not some random drunken one night stand. Even as the thought was crossing his mind he shoved it right back out, though not without great effort. It was counterproductive, not to mention hazardous to his heart, to be thinking of Bella in terms of a potential mom for Anthony. He was setting himself up for a serious heartbreak just imagining things could be different. Frankly he was better off not entertaining any romantic thoughts about her at all, PERIOD.
But oh' how beautiful she was when dancing. She was stunning, radiant even, it was something he couldn't help but notice in spite of everything.
Was it possible for a person to glow?
Her haunting chestnut brown eyes were twinkling with laughter and her luscious, dark hair was shining and curling around her head like a halo of dark flames.
He was secretly trilled she was finally letting it grow long again. Her hair had been almost waist length when he'd first met her in high school. He would have never admitted it at the time, but at eighteen he'd taken great pleasure in braiding and unbraiding those mahogany curls of hers. She'd cut it short once she got with Jacob Black, who according to the Forks high gossip mill, liked the sporty and tomboyish look on his girl. Funny, Edward could have sworn that Jake preferred busty, blondes…but whatever…. He'd always suspected the real reason Bella had chopped off her glorious curls was to give the knife in his back another twist. Either way she'd kept it shoulder length ever since.
Now, her hair hung free…as did her breasts apparently. She had a way of dancing, swaying her hips fluidly from side… swish, swish, swish… that made her tits bounce up and down in the most spectacular way. She raised her arms over her head, causing the fabric of her sweater to tighten… along with the fabric of his jeans. Great… Way to ruin a perfectly sweet, innocent moment!
Just then Bella swirled around and caught sight of him and in an instant, her movements halted and her smile died on her lips.
Edward frowned, suddenly feeling like an intruder. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your fun."
Anthony jumped at the sound of his father's voice, accidentally bumping into Bella's legs and falling on his rear end in the process. His bottom lip quivered dangerously, but Bella was quick to lift him back on his feet before he had a chance to turn on the water works.
"You're forgiven," she spoke without looking at him. "...but only if you bust out some disco moves and join us."
Edward recognized the olive branch and ran with it. "Did you say disco? I can do disco!"
He strutted over to the middle of their makeshift dance floor and did his best his best John Travolta impersonation, complete with Staying-alive-esque footwork, hip thrusts and boogie hand rolls.
"Eda!" Anthony exclaimed, clapping his hands approvingly and then did his own toddler version of the dance move.
Bella countered by making the pulp fiction two-fingers-over-the-eyes move, adding a few extra steps of her own at the end to go with it.
…and then they were dancing.
Hardly any of the moves they made went with the music, but Anthony was having a blast, loving the attention they were giving him.
About two songs in Bella gestured that she had to make a break for the bathroom, leaving Edward alone to entertain the kid. They kept it going for another few songs until the next segment of commercials started and Anthony indicated that he though it was high time to raid the fridge for snacks.
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Bella caught them with two spoons and a jar of marshmallow fluff.
Both boy and man seemed to be in excellent mood and she contemplated briefly to fake a headache in order to give them more kiddy-daddy quality bonding time together. It was tempting, oh so tempting. After a frenzied morning of chasing after an unusual active toddler, a good nap seemed like a good idea. She decided against taking that route though, not wanting to give Edward more reason to be concerned about her health.
"What is this I see?" she asked, keeping her voice light and teasing. "Tired already, Travolta?"
"We're just taking a pause. Growing boys need to eat, you know..."
"Sure… I suppose marshmallow fluff is a decent source of energy, if you're a carb junkie, but at least put it on a slice of bread and throw in an apple for desert."
"Ai, Ai captain," Edward saluted and swept her up in a waltz like move, planting a sloppy kiss on her forehead.
She tried to draw back, but she was too slow and he wouldn't let her go. She had to settle for frowning disapprovingly. "You're in an awfully cheery mood. Your mother wasn't too upset, I take it?"
"Bringing pictures of the little monster turned out to be a good idea, thank you! And also, thank you for watching him this morning," he told her planting another kiss, this time on her cheek.
"Yeah well, nothing says 'thank you' like chocolate and… er, actually chocolate will do just fine," she informed him wiping her cheek with the back of her hand.
"One of these days we're going to talk, like REALLY talk and get everything out in the open. I'll get my mom, or Alice, to watch Anthony and we'll go away over the weekend or something."
"You just got him, you can't just hand him over to people he hardly knows."
"I didn't necessarily mean tomorrow, or next week… but if you're that antsy to get it over I could try and work something out. My mom did actually tell me to make sure to invite you to the annual Cullen Christmas shebang."
She shook her head. "Tell your mother thanks, but the Dwyer's are already counting on me to make an appearance."
"How about New Years?"
"Uh uh, no can do. That's when I go see Charlie."
"…and the week after that you have work to get back to. You really weren't kidding when you said you needed this wrapped up before Christmas."
"Uh, Edward, where is Anthony? He's being awfully quiet… "
She threw the question out there to distract him, but it was also true. It was never a good thing when the boy went quiet or when he wandered off on his own.
"He was right here two seconds ago, with that white stuff…" Edward commented, poking his head into the adjoining room. "Oh crap!"
"What?"
"How fond are you of your grey Nikes?"
"I like them, they are comfortable. Why do you ask?" she questioned, ducking under his arm to see what he was talking about.
"Looks like I'll be buying you a new pair for Christmas."
.
v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v^v
Diary Dearest,
I decided it was about time I made an effort with my writing. It's been a while…
So what's new in my life you might wonder… Well not much, really. My kid is still driving me nuts, although, some days are worse than others. Money is tight, I've picked up a second job, but I think I can handle it. Sleep is overrated anyway.
Now on to something a little more uplifting…I think it's time I write about the best night of my life… the night I FINALLY got my guy.
Nearly two years had passed since I'd last seen him. I was still stuck in rainy ole Seattle and not at college in NY like I'd hoped to be. I was still working on it though, knowing that one day I'd get the opportunity to look him up again. In the meanwhile I kept track on everything he did career wise. He'd become quite a composer, registering new songs with the BMI every other month, under the name of Eddie Masen. That's right; my baby had a stage name now.
The only remotely positive thing about still being stuck under my mother's roof was the fact that Edward's adoptive parents lived within a few hours drive from me. I took it as yet another sign that we were meant to be part of each others' lives. The Cullen mansion was huge and well guarded with gates, fences, cameras, the whole nine yards. I made quite a few excursions to the Podunk town that was Forks, WA over the years, but I only ever caught brief glimpses of his the Cullens.
In the beginning I'd managed to convince Maria to tag along with me, making each drive seem like mini road trips with satellite radio, pit stops and junk food. She grew tired after the third or forth drive though, telling me she wanted no part in my twisted Cullen-watching hobby.
We still keep in touch sporadically after that, but it wasn't the same. She kept busy with school and work and stuff and she definitely wasn't as in to the music scene as she used to be. She swore the music still moved her, but, I dunno, I think she was just humouring me….
It wasn't a secret that Maria didn't much like my stalker tendencies, she sought it fitting to tell me so every time I went over to her flarkin' hole in the wall java joint.
Still, when Maria spotted the familiar face of one certain Edward Cullen… in the flesh… in Seattle(!)… at her coffee shop of all places… she didn't hesitate to pick up the phone and call me. See, Cullen-watching can be pretty darn exciting at times!
Turns out my Eddie wasn't just passing through, turns out he was actually staying at a hotel across the street from Maria's workplace. She had photos of him on her cell phone and everything.
This, of course, called for further investigation… I staked out the lobby for three whole nights, but much like with my many trips to Forks, my efforts were futile. I didn't manage to catch one single glimpse of him. I remember thinking, at the time, that either the man was keeping really strange hours or Maria was pulling my leg. If I hadn't seen actual photo proof of her Edward sighting, I would have been inclined to believe that she was lying about which hotel it was that she'd seen him enter. Some misguided attempt to keep me from stalking him, no doubt.
Naturally faith was on my side though. I was just about ready to call it a day after yet another uneventful evening, when my luck suddenly changed. It started with something as innocent as a muddy flyer in the gutter. It was an invitation of sorts to a birthday bash; only the birthday kid wasn't actually a kid, but a local radio station celebrating five years of broadcasting. This is where it gets interesting, because headlining the event was none other than DJ Roaming Nomad or Roamad if you like. Ridiculous name, but the man was a legend; a local kid, a high school dropout that had to hit it big in the Tech-house scene. Incidentally he was also a Whitlock, and a cousin of Edward's long time pal Jasper Whitlock.
Apparently the three of them, Jasper, Peter and Edward, used to be real tight, band mates from what I've gathered, but that was before Peter had set out to 'do his thing', leaving his friends behind. I couldn't be sure they still kept in touch, but I felt convinced that Edward would not miss out on an opportunity to hang out with good ole Pete.
I knew in my heart that Edward would be there. He had to be there. Damn it! I just had to make sure he got the memo… er.. the flyer.
So I spent a fortune on having new and improved flyers printed; classy ones with glossy paper, full colour and professional layout. Then I went to town handing them out, making sure everyone and their grandma knew about this gig. If Edward did in fact stay at that hotel or anywhere within half a mile of Maria's Coffee shop there was no way he could have missed hearing about it.
Maria even let me put a giant poster in the window display, because apparently she found this new approach of mine way more acceptable than my previous one. I don't get that really, seeing as I had made it crystal clear that both intent and motive were still the same; to jump Edward unsuspecting bones first chance I got…. but whatever…
Less than three hours after the poster went up, Maria phoned me to let me know that she had seen Cullen check it out in person. See, I knew she was holding back on me. I'd obviously been staking out the wrong establishment.
Speaking of establishment; the club hosting the event turned out to be quite a fancy place, not at all what I had expected, when I first laid eyes of that wrinkled, cheap ass flyer. While the DJ and artistic line-up was free for all to enjoy, the vip celebration was invitation only, complete with the red-velvet rope and black-suited doormen and the whole enchilada. Not that that posed much of a challenge. 48 hours after I first learned about this 'birthday bash', I had managed to land myself a job with the caterer, serving finger food and appetisers at said event. One of their regular girls came down with stomach flu after receiving a chocolate-box-delivery from a secret admirer. So… yeah, not much of a challenge there…
Ironic isn't it? The very first time I meet Edward, all those years ago, was when I snuck into my brother's photo studio under the pretence of delivering refreshments. History has a tendency to repeat itself. Only this time I was older, smarter... and a hell of a lot more determined to take my rightful place in this world, shrinking back for no one.
OK, 'nuff for now. Sleep is beckoning me with cake and promises of lurid or at least quite interesting dreams.
Love always,
Angela Cullen