Thanks to you: if you're reading this, reviewing this, and/or chatting about this - THANKS!
Thank you to Sri, who gets first go at every chapter and tells me to add more meat and points out the bits that make no sense.
And a giant THANK YOU to Iris/MariahajilE who polishes my words into something worthwhile, and has posted a new story, "I Can't Outrun You" which you should check out.
It was just before her lunch the next day when Jacob called her. "It's a boy! William Robert Black. 7lbs 6oz. He's beautiful, Bella. He's so fucking perfect."
"Oh, Jacob! I'm so happy for you. How's Vanessa?"
"Amazing. Such a fucking trooper. Come at lunch. I want you to meet him right away."
She smiled at Jacob's enthusiasm and agreed to head over at lunchtime. Jacob's response was an excited whooooot! before hanging up the phone.
She hesitated before calling Mike. They'd resolved nothing the night before. He'd surprised her with how much he wanted to be a father. She'd surprised herself with her refusal to change her mind. After a while, their tears had turned to desperate kisses and then to frantic fucking on the countertop. He told her he wanted her more than he wanted anything and that they would work it out. She agreed, but she already felt the difference between them the morning after. There was a hesitation between them that hadn't existed the previous week.
It would've been strange if she'd gone to the hospital without him. It would've been awkward if she'd gone with him. She debated with herself for a few minutes before deciding to take a step that would hopefully return them to normal. She decided to text him.
Baby Black is here. Can you spare a break at 12:30 to go meet him?
He responded immediately.
Yeah! I'll pick u up. BRT.
She gathered her things, double-checked she had the small gift she'd made for the baby, and let her supervisor know she might be back a bit late. By the time she got to the parking lot, Mike was already there.
He held her hand the entire way to the hospital. Occasionally, he would pull it to his lips and kiss her fingers. After they'd parked and she moved to get out of the car, he still didn't let go of her hand. It was then she turned to look at him, and his eyes looked a little wetter than normal. "I love you," he whispered. "We'll work it out."
"Mike, this is a huge thing."
"We'll work it out." He kissed her hand once more before letting go.
They made their way through the maternity ward. They didn't need to stop at the nurse's station and ask for a room number. They could hear Jacob once they stepped off the elevator. He was pacing in the hall, still making phone calls.
"Oh, these poor mothers trying to get rest." Bella giggled as she made her way toward the excited dad.
"I've gotta go. I'll call you back." Jacob put his phone in his back pocket and embraced Bella with one arm, lifting her off the ground.
"Congratulations!" she managed to squeak out. He put her down and did the same to Mike, ignoring his outstretched hand.
Bella laughed as she watched Jacob twirl her husband around once before putting him down. "Wow! And I thought you were glowing before the baby was born."
"Come and meet him." He stepped between Bella and Mike, putting his arms over each of their shoulders. "You'll get it. You're going to fall in love so hard." He moved his arm from Mike's shoulder to pat him on the back. "She'll be begging you to take her home and put a baby in her belly."
"Always so classy." Bella shook her head and hoped her voice sounded light, though she was feeling anything but. They weren't going to get around another conversation about it tonight. She felt like everyone she loved was pushing against her.
Jacob let go of them as they moved into the room. Mike put his arm around Bella's waist so that his hand rested over her stomach. She stepped away and leaned down to kiss Vanessa on the top of her head.
"You look so beautiful," she whispered, looking at the little bundle in her arms.
"Would you like to hold him?"
"In a minute. Here." She handed the small gift bag to Jacob. "I made this myself."
He reached into the bag and laughed as he pulled out a knit brown hat with floppy ears. "Is it a puppy hat?"
"Yep."
"You're a brat."
"I thought it was appropriate. He'll look super cute."
Vanessa watched Mike observe the exchange between Bella and Jake, and made the decision to intervene. "Here, Bella. Have a cuddle. My arms could use the break." She quickly pushed the baby toward Bella.
"Oh... um..." Bella tried to replicate what she saw Ness do, but she felt incredibly awkward. "Is this okay?" Bella looked to her friend for reassurance.
"You're a Goddamn natural," Jake interrupted.
"Here. Just shift your arms a little. Hold him right against you," Vanessa explained, trying to help Bella out.
"Look at her. When are you guys going to start a family?"
"Jake, leave it alone," Bella cautioned.
"Oh, come on, Mike. I was reluctant at first. Trust me. It's so worth it."
"Okay, I need a coffee." Bella quickly handed William back to Vanessa. "I'll be back in a few." She bolted from the room. Mike followed her, turning to give an apologetic shrug as he walked away.
"Bella! Wait up." Mike called after her. She stopped but didn't turn around. He walked beside her in silence as they took the stairs down a floor toward the cafeteria. Just before Bella went to open the door, Mike pulled her back.
"You okay?"
"Not here." Bella was acutely aware they were within Cullen hearing range; Carlisle's office was just down the hall.
Mike brushed the hair from her face with his free hand. "You did look amazing holding William."
"Mike."
"I'm just saying. It suited you."
Bella turned from him and opened the door to leave the stairwell.
"I know you don't want to talk about it right now. I just wanted you to know how beautiful you looked holding a baby," Mike persisted, not taking the hint.
Bella stopped, a few feet away from the door marked 'Dr. Cullen.' It was closed, so she hoped he wasn't nearby. "Mike, I said not here. I said not ever. I don't care if you thought I looked beautiful. It was awkward as fuck, and you're not making it better right now." As if she was daring the universe to make things worse, the door to her left opened and out came Carlisle… followed by Edward.
Edward nodded at the couple as he walked by. Carlisle waved, returned to his office, and shut the door behind him.
"And that's why I said not here. I'm going back up to visit. Can you please grab me a coffee?" She was asking for time to cool off. Mike nodded and headed toward the cafeteria. Bella turned and headed back to the stairwell. She wasn't surprised when Carlisle appeared beside her.
"We weren't intentionally listening in. You know that, right?"
Bella just nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
"We came out, because we knew the two of you had stopped there to argue. I wanted you to know we were there and could hear you."
"Thank you. I'm still feeling a little humiliated, but I appreciate it." She tried to smile, but it cracked as she chocked on tears instead.
Carlisle didn't hesitate to put his arms around her.
"I feel like all you've done lately is hold me while I cry," Bella whispered through her tears.
Carlisle said nothing. He let her have her moment, and then he let her walk away.
Mike could see Edward ahead of him in the line. He took his time pouring the coffees, but Edward was still stirring his drink at the condiment stand. Mike contemplated walking past him, but that meant taking Bella a black coffee, and he'd pissed her off enough already.
As he poured two packs of sugar into Bella's drink, he could feel Edward watching him, so he looked up. "Hey." It was as friendly a greeting as he could manage before he went back to topping off her drink with milk.
"You should listen to her," Edward said, interrupting the tense silence.
Mike looked up again. "Excuse me?" He couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"Bella's a girl you can't push." Edward aimed to keep his tone casual. He could hear what Mike wanted to say to him. He had to suppress a chuckle at what Mike wanted to do to him. He decided to press. "She's pretty stubborn."
"Oh, really? Why don't you tell me more about the woman I've been married to for three years that you dated for what? Six months? A decade ago?" Mike walked away, shaking his head.
Edward wanted to feel a victory. Though he'd managed to rattle him, Mike wasn't jealous of Edward at all. His intention wasn't really to bother Mike, anyway. But it would've been a bonus. He'd wanted to stand up for his friend, but now, he was wondering if he'd overstepped. He thought speaking up would be the right thing to do and that he would feel good about it, but all he felt was heartbreak.
Bella thought about stopping to wash her face after her breakdown, but she had to talk to Jacob before Mike returned. When she entered the room, it was just Jake and his son.
"Where's Vanessa?" Bella inquired.
"The nurses told her she could take a shower. She was overjoyed. Do you want to hold him again?" Jacob stood up and moved toward Bella. "Take my seat." Once Bella was settled with little William in her arms, Jake sat on the edge of the bed across from her. "You ran out of here pretty fast. Did I hit a sore spot with you and Mike about babies?"
"You did..." Bella hesitated. "But not in the way that you think. I'm the one that doesn't want children, not Mike. And for some reason, this keeps coming up lately."
Jacob laughed. "Bella, I'm the one who had a baby. That's why it came up. It isn't all about you." He put his hand on her head and lightly ruffed up her hair to show he was joking.
"Trust me. It's not just you having a baby. It seems to be the only thing I've thought or talked about for the past seven days. Your joking around didn't help."
"I'm sorry."
"We've actually fought about it. Twice now."
"Whoa! You and Mike actually had a fight?" Jacob laughed. "I can't even imagine how that went. Was it all polite and full of gentle touching and him calling you 'babe'?"
"You're such an asshole." Bella looked at him, and this time, Jake took the time to actually look at her. Her eyes were red, and her face was still blotchy. He was an asshole.
"Shit. I'm really sorry. I'll lay off. Pass William this way and go wash your face before Mike comes back."
Bella met Mike in the hallway on her way back to the room. He passed her the coffee, and she quietly thanked him, but they said nothing more to each other. They passed the baby around and listened to Jacob's version of little William's arrival. By the time Vanessa came back, the mood in the room was much lighter.
"Pass me my son. My body tells me it's time for him to eat."
"I think he's ready, too." Bella passed the squirming bundle to his mother as he began to cry. "We should be getting back anyway. Call me when you're settled in, and we'll come by for a longer visit."
Bella and Mike walked out of the hospital together. He wanted to reach over and touch her, but he didn't know if that would make things worse.
Once they were in the car, the silence continued. Mike struggled to think of something to break the tension.
"Your ex is a douche" is what he settled on.
"Jake? I know. He had no idea. He thinks he's funny. I talked to him while you‒"
"Not Jake. That was just Jake being Jake. I meant Edward."
"Edward? We ran into him outside his father's office, which by the way, I told you we shouldn't have been having such a private conversation in a public place. He acknowledged our presence. How's that being a douche?"
"I ran into him getting coffee."
"Getting coffee?" Bella's tone conveyed her disbelief, as did her raised eyebrow.
"Yeah. Anyway, guy's a douche."
"What happened?" Bella was feeling uneasy. She knew Edward would've only gone to the cafeteria to meet up with Mike.
"Obviously he overheard us. He decided to give me advice. About you." Mike glanced at her, trying to read her expression.
"What did he say?" Bella shifted in her seat so that she could watch Mike.
"Not to push you. He said you were stubborn." They hit a red light, so he took the time to look her over. Her immediate expression gave him nothing.
"He's right..." Bella mumbled but pulled a face to show she was trying to lighten the mood. She wanted to ease Mike's anxiety. She wanted to ignore the bubble of joy she felt that someone had her back.
Mike looked at Bella, and his irritation vanished. He started to laugh. "Yeah, he's totally right. But it's not like that's a big secret." He grabbed her hand again.
"So," she took a deep breath. "I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you he started volunteering at the library."
"Are you fucking with me?" Mike internally cursed the light change that forced him to look away from his wife.
"No."
"What the fuck, Bella? Can't they leave you alone?"
"His mother's name is on the building. That's got nothing to do with me."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
"Mike." She sighed. "Don't make this a thing."
"He's your ex. It's weird." Edward had always irritated Mike. In high school, it'd been jealousy that fuelled his resentment. He wasn't sure why the feelings remained. He felt confident he had nothing to be worried about. Bella loved him.
"We're returning from visiting our friends. One of them is my ex who just had a baby. That's not weird, but this is?"
"Jacob's different. There's something about Edward that's just... off."
"Look, Mike. This is a tiny town. Our current lives are going to intersect with our past. Edward's a little part of my life. Yes, he was my first boyfriend; the first boy I fell in love with. That's all. Jake was the first boy I slept with, and you're fine with him. Hell, you're still friends with Jessica, and you were sleeping with her for years. I believe we're going to her wedding later this year. Don't be weird about Edward."
"Edward's weird." Mike pulled a face to let Bella know he was joking around. He wasn't, but he didn't want Edward to be a thing between them. The baby impasse was enough.
"That's your comeback? Real mature, Newton," Bella joked back. Mike smiled with relief.
"You're the one that brought up She Who Must Not Be Named."
Bella laughed. "It's not my fault you wasted five years riding that roller coaster."
"It kind of is. You know I would've dropped her in a heartbeat to be with you." He took a risk, hoping the light mood would remain.
Bella paused for a moment before reassuring her husband. "Mike, if things hadn't happened the way they had, we probably wouldn't be where we are today. Everything happens for a reason." It was the advice he often gave her when she felt down. This, however, felt loaded.
"Yes, but sometimes that reason is that you're stupid and make bad decisions."
"Hey, that's my line!" She gave him a light tap on the arm.
"Well, you stole mine," he said as he grabbed her hand, kissing it again. Then he turned to her. "This is good. I told you we'd work it out."
"Mike..." Bella sighed. "We haven't worked anything out."
"But this feels good. We're back to us." He kissed her again, but Bella's frustration returned. She said nothing for the rest of the ride back to the library, and Mike continued to hold her hand.
In the few minutes it took to get back to the library, Bella had an idea.
"I'll close the shop for you tonight. You go home and make us dinner."