Chapter 36
Those who feel the breath of sadness
Sit down next to me
Those who find they're touched by madness
Sit down next to me
~Sit Down- James
"Where is Renesmee?" Bella screamed at her husband at the same time lightning seared through the sky and a resounding thunderous boom shook the house. The lights flickered and dimmed in the hallway. "Explain yourself!" Bella took a step back as Jacob reached for her and her foot crumpled the ultrasound.
"Bella calm down. Charlie must've picked her up." Jacob took his cellphone and quickly dialed his father in-law. "There's no need to panic." His words did little to soothe his worried wife, and he resisted the urge to embrace her. Jacob brought the phone to his ear and made a face. "Huh. It's not dialing out." Lightning flashed outside once more and the house went dark for three seconds before turning back on. "Must be the storm."
Bella pounded her fists against Jacob's chest angrily. "How can you be so calm? Our daughter is missing!" She screamed and shoved past him towards the door. "We have to find her!"
Jacob wrapped his arms around his wife from behind and rocked her side to side soothingly. "Look, I know we've been really stressed. But let's be real. We live in a small town. Renesmee isn't missing. Charlie must've picked her up. You wait here. I'm going to go down to the station and bring her home from Charlie, ok?" He kissed Bella on the forehead then headed for the door. "You wait here just in case they show up while I'm on my way down there. Call me if you can. This storm…" Jacob opened the door and grimaced at the darkened sky and the onslaught of rain that pelted the earth relentlessly. "I'll be back soon. I promise."
After Jacob had gone, Bella collapsed to her knees and couldn't help but sob helplessly into the palms of her hands. She was trying to hold it together but the thought of her daughter being missing sent her into a panicked frenzy. Too much was happening all at once. She felt as though her world were ending and it caused her breathing to become ragged. Bella knew she was starting to have a panic attack, so she put her head between her knees and tried to steady her breathing.
"You have to pace your breathing." The nurse told her. "Remember from the classes? 'Hee hee hoo, hee hee hoo'. Do it with me or I'll look crazy." The nurse smiled at Bella and imitated the breathing once more.
Pain wracked her body as another contraction ran through her. Bella looked at the nurse in agony, but imitated the breathing with her. "Hee hee hoo. Hee hee hoo." Her grip on the sheets nearly ripped them from the bed, but she managed to survive another wave of the intense pain. "Is it time yet?" Bella gasped and breathed properly as another contraction hit her. "They're not stopping anymore!"
The nurse checked under the thin sheet blocking Bella's lower half from the rest of the room. Her legs were in stirrups and spread open for the arrival of the baby. "Oh! She's crowning!" The nurse clasped her hands together in excitement. Let me grab the doctor. Your baby is almost here!"
Bella looked up at her husband who was standing beside the bed, looking down at the sheet that covered her. "I can't believe this is real. I'm about to be a father." Jacob locked eyes with Bella and the happiest grin she had ever seen adorned his face. "You're about to be a mother. We're a family!"
"Yes." Bella reached out and grabbed Jacob's hand. "And there's no one I would rather start a family with." She returned Jacob's smile for half a second before more pain engulfed her, causing her to squeeze her husband's hand with such force a cracking noise resounded.
Jacob howled in pain himself and ripped his hand from his wife's grip just as the doctor entered the room.
"Ah, did you make the mistake of holding her hand?" The doctor chuckled when Jacob nodded and massaged his right hand tenderly. "Many husbands do. I wouldn't recommend it as she can break it during this time." The look Jacob gave the doctor caused him to bark a laugh. "Alright Isabella. I see that you are crowning which is an excellent sign that the baby is ready to be delivered. Are you ready to meet your daughter?"
Bella nodded and winced. "Yes! But right now I just want her out of me!"
"As you wish." The doctor moved into place and looked above the sheet at Bella. "Push!"
Fifteen minutes later, Bella held her daughter in her arms with tears of joy raining down her cheeks. "You are so beautiful." Her baby cooed at her with her cherub cheeks. "Seven pounds, four ounces. Twenty inches long. I can't believe you're finally here."
Jacob scooted closer to her on the bed and wrapped his arm around his wife. "She looks like you."
"No Jake, she looks like you."
"I think she looks like a raisin." Charlie grunted from the doorway. "Her skin is all wrinkly and pruny like she just got out of a five hour bath."
"Excuse me?" Bella scoffed at her father but couldn't take her eyes off her newborn. "She looks as beautiful as the morning sun." Bella shifted in her spot and allowed her husband to hold his daughter for the first time. "Make sure you support her head. Yes, like that."
Jacob held his daughter close and sniffed her head. "She really does have the baby smell!" He cheesed at his wife and looked at Charlie. "I wonder how long it's going to last. She's so soft. Baby soft."
Bella groaned externally and crossed her arms. "You've been a father for less than an hour and you're already cracking dad jokes?"
"Welcome to the club." Charlie cheered.
The nurse returned to the room with a clipboard and birth certificate. "Everything has been filled out. Aside for the name. So what have you decided to name your child?"
Jacob groaned beside Bella who smiled up at the nurse joyfully. "Don't judge me, but I was obsessed with this vampire novel when I was a teen. I want to name her Renesmee Sarah Black. I got the name Renesmee from the novel I read, and it only seemed fair to give her Jacob's mother's name as her middle name."
The nurse asked for the spelling then passed it to Bella. "People don't normally give me the back history of why they're naming their child. She's your baby you know? You don't have to explain it to me." The nurse laughed awkwardly when Bella flushed with embarrassment. "I'll let you all have some time with the new edition to your family. Let me know if you need anything."
After the nurse had departed, Bella looked from her child, to her husband to her father. "What more could I possibly need?"
It took around fifteen minutes but eventually Bella felt everything shift back into focus. Maybe she was overreacting. Jacob was right, they did live in a small town. Not just anyone could pick up her daughter. She laughed out loud when she realized that thought. There were rules and regulations with children being picked up. Only she her husband and father had the authorization to obtain her child from school. She already knew this as she was a teacher and understood the laws and regulations that surrounded the safety of children.
"I must be losing my mind." Bella murmured to herself. But for good reason in her opinion. Her job had been lost which put her in a terrible mindset. She had been extremely worried, anxious and stressed these last few weeks. "Renesmee is fine." Bella heard a soft knock at the door and hurried to it in the blink of an eye. "Renesmee?" Bella smile fell immediately upon locking eyes with the person in the doorway. She took an involuntarily step back and tripped over the ultrasound, causing her to land smack on her butt. "Get out!" She screamed as lightning briefly illuminated the man in her doorway.
"But Isabella, is that any way to treat guest?" Edward's tsked and took a step into the home. "Are you just going to let me get rained on? You have become so rude."
Bella glanced around the small hallway quickly, looking for anything to help her get out of this situation. Alas, there was nowhere to run or to fight an intruder that was in arms reach. She cursed silently before locking eyes with Edward again. "What do you want?" She asked pitfully from the floor. "Just take what you want and get out."
A dark chuckle resounded from Edward's lips. "Whatever I want, Isabella?" Edward lowered his body so that he hovered over Bella menacingly. "You."
"What?"
"I want you." Edward bared his teeth and held out something to her. "And I doubt you'll fight back unless you never want to see her again."
Bella found her eyes glued to the golden locket dangling between Edward's fingers. On her birthday, Demetri had given her the necklace and she hadn't taken it off since. Words could not describe the feelings that surged her body. "Where is my baby?"
A/N: Moving is no joke. You never really know how much you have until you move...Anywho I have officially settled into my new apartment so of course I kept my promise and hope you all enjoyed the update! Next update will be by October 2nd! Stay tuned!