Chapter 32: Finally Friday

Jesus Christ, it was finally Friday.

I honestly believed a week had never passed so slowly before. A week without Bella fucking sucked, but I'd have to do it again and again until we found a house and moved to Forks. Or until she could leave Charlie alone and trust him not to have some minion of his bring him a damn cheeseburger.

"Heading out early?" Jasper asked as I passed him the last chart I needed to look over.

I nodded. "Yeah, Dad said it was fine as long as I got my shit done, which I did. I'm going to check on Bree and then get out of here. I packed everything Little One and I would need in the car this morning, so we're heading down to Forks once I pick her up."

"Cool. So, this means you won't be mopey Monday, right?" He smirked.

"Fuck you, and stealing shit from my dad is lame."

He laughed. "But he's right. And a heads up, Bree's in a shittier mood than usual. Dr. Philips stopped by today."

I sighed, guessing her orthopedic surgeon didn't bring good news. "How bad is it?"

"Another surgery as soon as she's well enough." He grimaced.

"Yeah, I'm sure she's been bitchy. I'll see you later. Drinks one night soon? I'm sure Mom wants Sofia."

He nodded. "Sounds good."

I put my bag over my shoulder before walking down the hall to Bree's room. When I opened the door and stepped in, I found her with headphones in and tears on her cheeks. Shit, did she have to be crying?

I reached up, pulling one of the headphones out as she snapped her head up. "Oh," she said, taking the other one out before wiping her tears. "I thought you had left already."

I shook my head, sitting down. "I'm heading out soon. What's, uh . . . with the crying?"

"Sad song," she said, obviously lying.

"Bullshit. What did Dr. Philips say?"

Her breathing grew quicker as she started to cry again. Well, fuck. I reached out, taking her hand. "Just breathe," I said softly. "In through your nose and out through your mouth."

Hyperventilating while having pneumonia wasn't good. Her O2 sats were already pretty shitty, and I didn't want them to get worse. So . . . I comforted. Well, my brand of awkward comfort.

"It's all right," I said. "Just . . . calm down."

"I-I-I . . . won't be . . . I can't run . . . this fall," she sobbed, gasping. "He said . . . a year of th-therapy, at least!"

I nodded, running my thumb over the top of her hand. "I'm sorry, but with physical therapy, there's a good chance you will run again."

"It's more . . . more than the s-scholarship."

"In through your nose and out through your mouth," I reminded as she nodded.

"T-trying."

She followed my instruction — well, somewhat — and tried to calm down. I just . . . told her it was okay. I mean, what else could I say? Once her breathing as back to normal, I asked, "What's more than the scholarship?"

"I was really good," she sniffled. "I may not be the s-smartest girl in the world, but I'm fast, and when I'm running, I just feel . . . good. It helps me forget about all the other stuff, you know?"

"Yeah, I run to clear my head sometimes, too."

"What am I supposed to do if I can't? Everything is just . . . falling apart. I can't even go home because of stupid fucking pneumonia. I'm stuck in this horrible place, and I hate it. I hate everything," she said harshly as she wiped her tears.

"I'm sorry."

"Part of me just wishes . . . I just wish . . . why did you save me?"

My brow lifted, trying to figure out what to say. "Because it's my job."

"Look at me. Really, just look at me. How is it fair that I have to live looking like some disgusting freak?"

I sighed, running my hand over my face. "You don't like look a freak."

"My friend Riley came to see me before I got pneumonia. I love him. Like, actually love him, but he doesn't know. I might have had a chance before because I was pretty, but now I'm not. He could barely look at me, Edward."

"Then he's a fucking idiot," I said. This was so far out of my league. Teenage boys, really? "Because you are beautiful, and if he can't see that because of a few scars that'll fade, he doesn't deserve to be loved by you. You're still you, Bree. You're funny, sweet, and just . . . cool. Kids say that still, right? Cool, I mean?"

Her lip curled up slightly. "Sometimes."

I nodded. "Then cool . . . you're a cool person, and when you go home, I'll miss seeing you. But I'll be happier that you're well enough to go home. You're alive, and though you may not see it now, it is the most important thing. Honestly, I can't help with all of this stuff. I fucking suck at serious conversations, and I should apologize to my daughter for it now. But just because I can't help, doesn't mean no one can. You're going through a lot. And though it's been a while, I know being a teenager doesn't exactly help anything. There are people who can help, though."

"I'm not—"

"Yeah, yeah, you won't talk to anyone," I said, cutting her off. "But like I've said, that's stupid because they can help. You have to be able to let all of this out or you'll just wind up miserable. Do you really want to be miserable for the rest of your life?"

She sniffled, shaking her head. "I'm not crazy, though."

"No one said you were. You went through a traumatic experience and almost died. That's pretty heavy shit and would mess with anybody. No, you can't run right now, but you can talk."

"I don't want another surgery."

"I wish you didn't have to have one either, but you do. It's all a part of getting better — physically and emotionally. You're angry, scared, confused, and God knows what else, but nothing will get better until you do something about it. Please, Bree, talk to someone who can help."

"It's just . . . I don't even know what."

"It's a lot," I said, standing up. "I'm not really a hugging type of person, so I apologize in advanced."

I leaned down and put my arm around her as she did the same to me. Jesus, this was so . . . strange, but I thought she needed it. Bella once said something about kids hugging, thinking it made things better. It didn't fix anything, but maybe it'd make her feel a little better, which was all I wanted.

I really did like Bree, and I wanted her to be okay — more than just physically, which was all I used to really care about. Once my job was done, I used to walk away with a smile, but there was more than just repairing organs and stitching someone up. Bree made me see that. Well, to be honest, I think it was Little One and Bella who really opened my eyes so I could see it.

"Okay, it's getting awkward now," Bree said, laughing softly as I pulled away.

"Yeah, I felt it, too." I smirked. "So, I'll be back Monday to check on you. I'm sure you'll be here for a few more days anyway, right?"

She nodded. "Looks like it. Dr. Philips wants to do the surgery once he gets the okay that I'm healthy enough."

"Great, I'll stop in. I want to hear something good, okay?"

"I'll ask my parents to set up seeing someone."

I smiled, picking my bag up. "I think it'll help. I'll see you later."

"Thanks for . . . you know."

"You're welcome," I said simply.

. . . . .

Even after spending so long with Bree, I still managed to get to Little One by six-thirty. Once again, I was told she had been fussy all day. "We're going to see Mommy now, baby," I said, kissing her cheek as we walked to the SUV. She seemed to cheer up at that, smiling as I got her buckled in.

She babbled as I drove, and we seemed to be having a conversation — just one neither of us could actually understand. I called Bella, putting her on through the car so she could hear Little One's excitement.

"Oh, yeah?" Bella asked, laughing a little. "Tell me more."

And Sofia did, squealing and clapping her hands. It was kind of fucking hard not looking back to see it. She was probably adorable.

"We'll be there in about fifteen minutes," I said. "Sofia's probably going to shit herself when she actually sees you."

Thankfully, Little One didn't repeat shit. When I told Bella about her basically saying fuck in front of Mom, she busted out laughing, saying she knew Sofia would repeat something bad at some point. I didn't find it funny, probably because Mom laid into me massively. Yeah, I felt like a kid getting caught with my hand in the damn cookie jar. I had been trying a lot harder to not say fuck in front of her since then, let's just say.

"I'm so ready to see you two," she said. "I love you."

I smiled. "I love you, too. Bye."

"Bye."

I hit the button on my steering wheel, hanging up the phone before glancing back to Little One in the mirrors. She seemed content, just playing with one of her small toys for the rest of the drive. When I pulled into Charlie's driveway, Bella was on the front porch, waiting for us.

She rushed to the backdoor as I got out. Little One would get her turn, but I was first. I pulled her against my chest, caressing my thumb over her cheek as I kissed her. It wasn't quick and simple. I took my time, memorizing her taste again. I fucking missed her. I missed everything, and not just this. Her scent, her touch, her beautiful smile and flushed cheeks as I pulled away.

"I feel like it's been forever," she said, tilting her head up to kiss me again. "I missed you."

I smiled. "I missed you, too. Oh, and so did she, so you might want to get her," I laughed, hearing Little One's squeals from inside the car.

Bella quickly opened the door, unbuckling Little One and pulling her out. I couldn't keep count of how many times she kissed her cheek as Sofia said, "Momma!" over and over. As they went inside, I grabbed the portable crib and Little One's bag from the back, making a trip inside before getting the other two bags. When I came back downstairs, I found everyone in the living room.

Charlie looked pretty good, actually. He was recovering well from his heart attack, but I could tell he was tired. He smiled, watching Bella and Sofia reconnect.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, sitting down beside Bella on the couch.

He nodded. "Pretty good. She's been taking good care of me, but I'm glad she's got Pumpkin Head back for now. She's been missing you two."

I smiled, putting my hand on Bella's waist as I ignored the god-awful nickname. "We've missed her, too."

As we talked about his health and what had been going on, Bella went to get Little One's dinner and checked on ours. Fuck, I missed her cooking. I'd even take the bland shit that Charlie despised at this point as long as it was made by her.

Luckily, she made two dinners and mine certainly wasn't bland. It was her amazing spaghetti. I ate that shit up, making sure she knew how good it was. I couldn't help but notice Charlie's glare from his plate of chicken as I ate a meatball.

This was payback for the fishing trip.

"Have you learned any new words, sweet girl?" Bella asked, holding Little One in her lap as she ate. She had stayed true to her word, not letting Sofia go since they got her.

"Momma, bee nah eee!" she squealed.

Bella laughed, nodding. "I'm not sure what 'bee nah eee' means, but all right, then."

"Tell Mommy that dinner was yummy," I said. "Yummy, yummy, yummy."

"Mmm eee!" she repeated, looking up at Bella.

"I'm glad." She smiled, kissing her cheek.

. . . . .

After dinner and a bath for Little One — since I had let her have spaghetti sauce — we all settled into the living room. Shockingly, Bella relinquished Sofia to her dad, letting him hold her for a little while.

She went straight for the pornstache, making Daddy proud with a good yank.

"Yep, you're getting stronger," Charlie laughed, pulling her hand away. "Seems like you've gotten bigger, too. Hard to believe with how small you were just a few months ago that you're this big now."

"I can't believe she'll be a year old in two weeks," Bella said. "If Dad's up to it, he wants to come to the party at your parents' house, Edward."

"I promise not to have a heart attack in their kitchen this time," Charlie said, smirking a little. "I'm behaving, right, Bells?"

She rolled her eyes. "Try to get someone else to sneak a cheeseburger in here, and I'll make you eat tofu."

I laughed, leaning down to kiss Bella's cheek. "Or you could just punish him by making me one and letting me eat it in front of him."

"I still have guns, son, so don't test me," Charlie said, leaning down to put Little One on the floor.

She crawled over to Bella, gripping her leg and pulling herself up. Before Bella could pick her up, she shocked the hell out of us by taking a step, and then another and another before winding up on her bottom not far away.

Holy shit.

"She just . . ." I said, looking at Bella. "She walked, right? I didn't imagine that."

"Oh my god!" Bella said, grinning. "She did! She walked!"

We hurried off the couch, and I picked Little One up, lifting her above my head. My kid fucking walked. Sure, pulling herself up wasn't new and I had kind of been expecting it, but not tonight. Not with Bella here, too. It was perfect timing.

"That's my girl," I said, kissing her cheek. "Did you walk tonight, just so Mommy could see?"

Bella laughed, holding her arms out for Little One. I passed her over, and Bella held her close to her chest. "Oh, thank you, sweet girl!" she said. "You don't know how terrified I was of missing that."

I leaned down, pressing my lips to Bella's as Sofia squirmed and giggled. "Think she can do it again?"

She nodded. "Let's try."

We spent the next hour on the floor, letting Little One walk between us in exchange for toys. She certainly wasn't very good and wound up on her bottom after a step or two, but she was still walking. I couldn't believe my eyes, to be honest. Memories of her on our first night together flashed before my eyes. That little red-faced kid who couldn't do anything was now walking and talking.

I was so damn proud.

"He's going to cry," Charlie said from his recliner.

I looked up, rolling my eyes. "No, I'm not." Okay, maybe I could have, but I wasn't going to. "I just can't believe she's almost a year old."

"They grow up pretty fast." He smiled and looked down at Bella as she played with Little One. "Before you know it, they'll be the ones taking care of you."

"Oh, hush," she said. "You'll be back on your feet in no time."

"I hope so," he sighed. "So, are you two going to look at houses tomorrow?"

She nodded. "I have three to show him and Mrs. Newton said she'd be around, so I'll give her a call in the afternoon. Are you sure you'll be okay for a few hours?"

"Positive."

Little One yawned, blinking tiredly as she discarded her current toy. "Someone's ready for bed," Bella said. "I'll take her up, if that's okay? I've missed putting her to bed."

"Yeah, go ahead," I said.

She picked her up and handed her to me, so I could kiss her goodnight. "Sleep well, Sofia. Love you."

"Luff," she said before I passed her back to Bella.

Once they had gone upstairs, I started putting all the toys back in the bag. Charlie turned the television off, so I figured he was going up to bed too, but he didn't move.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, of course," I said, zipping the bag up and going to sit back down on the couch. "What's up?"

"I just want to thank you for all you've done for me . . . and for bringing Bella back here. I know Forks probably isn't your ideal place to live, but it's a good town. The people are kind and I know you'll be appreciated at the hospital."

I smiled. "I honestly never saw myself in an even smaller town than Port Angeles, but I think it'll be good. What Dr. James is offering has me excited. It's certainly going to be different, but I know this is where we belong. Bella loves it here, so I'm sure I will, too. Plus, I kind of want Sofia to grow up somewhere like this."

"And that's another thing . . . You're going to marry my daughter, right?"

I nodded. "I hope to."

"So . . . Sofia will be my granddaughter?"

"I . . . I'd like her to be. I understand that she's not Bella's biological daughter, but in every other way she is. They love each other. This past week has proven that. I mean, Sofia refused to eat without seeing Bella."

"I heard."

"So, it'd mean a lot to me if you could one day consider her your family. I can't ask for that, so it's up to you."

He smiled a little. "She's my daughter's daughter, so of course I consider her family. I just . . . wanted to know what you thought of that, I guess."

"Thank you, Charlie," I said, reaching my hand out to him.

He shook it. "Thank you for making my daughter happy."

. . . . .

After a dull morning, Bella, Little One, and I got out around noon to meet with the realtor and look at houses. They all fucking sucked, let's just say. The small town didn't have much to offer, so I didn't know what we were going to do. After finishing up with the realtor, we stopped at some diner for lunch to go over what we saw.

"They weren't that bad," Bella said, feeding Little One as we waited for our food. "I mean, they might need some work, but they're livable."

I cocked my brow. "We're going for livable?"

"You know what I mean," she huffed. "I liked this one."

She pushed me over one of the listing for an older four bedroom home. It was the biggest we had seen, but fuck, it needed a lot of work.

"It has a big backyard," I said. "And a two car garage, so room for Tanya."

She laughed softly. "See? It could work. And it's not that much, so putting work into it wouldn't be that big of a deal."

"But we need to move soon."

"Like I said, livable."

I dropped the paper and ran my hand over my face as I sighed. "Do you want it?"

She shrugged. "It's the best we've seen. I think it could be nice, actually. Remodel the kitchen and bathrooms, paint inside and out, put in new floors, and then go from there. It's plenty big enough, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah, bigger than what we need."

She smiled. "Let's just think about it, okay? It's only a few blocks from my dad's and the hospital. Well . . . I guess everything kind of is."

I laughed. "True. And you know, my mom's good at house shit. She did everything for their house, so she could help."

"Perfect! We're not going to find a house exactly how you want, so this is really the best option. It's pretty on the outside, don't you think?"

"Uh . . . sure." I smirked.

Over lunch, we continued to talk about the house and what we could do. Bella told me about what she could "see", and I was pretty much sold. There was talk of Little One in the backyard, her helping Bella cook, and just little scenes she could imagine in our house. By the time we headed back to Charlie's, it was decided that we'd put an offer in first thing Monday.

The only thing I had left to do now was speak with Dr. James at Forks Community, and then we'd be set. I was actually a little nervous for our meeting tomorrow, which was set at nine in the morning. I wanted this job, and when I told Bella about what I'd be doing, she said I lit up — whatever the fuck that meant.

I never envisioned this kind of life for myself, but I loved the idea of it. When I had decided to be a doctor, it was to help people. I could do that anywhere, but being in Forks would actually make a difference. No surgeon fresh out of residency was jumping at the chance to take a job in a small town, but this was the type of place that actually needed them.

"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked, resting against me with Little One in her arms as we watched the television on low.

Charlie had already gone to bed, so it was just us. Little One would probably be on her way soon, though. When we got home, we didn't do much except talk about the house and possibilities. It was a quiet evening, which was nice for a change.

"Forks Community," I said, running my hand over Sofia's back. "I can't wait to hear what all Dr. James has to say. You know, how I'll be utilized and what changes we can make."

"It's nice to see you excited about this. I've been worried that we'd move here and you'd be miserable because it's not what you truly want."

I kissed her temple. "I'm not going to be miserable, Bella. It's not even close to the plan I had for my life, but let's be honest here, that plan sucked."

She laughed softly. "What? The different girl every night until you did them all plan?"

"I kind of hate myself for being that way, you know? I don't miss it at all."

"You better not."

"Pssh, I have you, so why the fuck would I miss them?"

"Good answer." She smirked. "And I certainly didn't see myself being a mom already, but it's all I could ever want. I wish I had given birth to her, but I'm just thankful I have her and you."

Little One was passed out cold as we looked down at her. "Remind me to thank her one day, okay?" I asked.

"Oh, I think we'll both have to do that." She smiled up at me. "I love you."

"I love you, too."