I'm really not all that great at sports. Even before the accident, I was clumsy, and then the broken bones didn't help that. But Emmett loves football, and tossing the ball around was something we always did, and then Seth joined us.
I'm not ready to give up something else I love, but it'll happen at some point. Standing alone will be hard one day. I know I'm going to get incredibly sick, and I know there's always a chance I won't get a heart. If this is the last of my life, I'm glad I'm here with my family. I'm glad I'm still giving Seth, Jacob, and Jared new memories, and giving Emmett more time together.
"Bella's kind of terrible at catching the ball, so go easy on her, Edward," Seth says, and my jaw drops.
"You've become a little jerk, kid," I say as Edward laughs.
"Sure will, Seth. Throw it here."
It goes well for a bit. I caught the ball twice from Edward and once from Seth. But then … the usual. I can't catch worth shit.
I thank God when Carlisle yells that the food is done.
Edward says that I wasn't bad as we head up to the deck, but he's quite obviously lying. It's kind of sweet.
"Whatever." I laugh, gripping the railing and walking up the steps. "I'm going to go wash up."
I head straight for the bathroom, almost gasping for air. That took a shit-ton of energy from me. Way more than it should. I sit down and take a few minutes to catch my breath before splashing water on my face and washing my hands. I look … fucking exhausted, honestly, but head back outside anyway.
We get our plates together and settle in around the large fire pit. Emmett's on one side of me and Edward on the other. I cut my steak in half, holding it out to my brother, who lights up.
"You sure you're going to get full?" he asks.
I nod. "If I eat all of this, I'll get sick. It looks amazing, you guys."
Carlisle grins. "Thanks, Bella. So, I heard you're getting a job. At the bakery?"
"Yep, I start Monday—just for a few hours in the morning. I'm looking forward to getting out of the house."
"I stop most mornings for her coffee," he says.
"And her muffins," Esme adds, laughing.
Carlisle shrugs. "Not every time. I'm happy for you, Bella. I think this'll be good for you."
Emmett butts in, shaking his head. "I still think it's a little much. What do you think, Edward? She'll be working eighteen hours a week at minimum."
Edward just smiles. "I think she should do whatever she feels she's capable of doing. We know our own bodies best, so as long as she listens to hers, I say it's fine."
I just grin and contemplate sticking my tongue out at my brother, but that's a bit childish. Instead, I say, "I told you it was fine."
Em rolls his eyes with a huff, knowing he's lost. I don't blame him for being worried, but I'll go crazy if I have to stay in the house all day, every day."
Jasper promises to stop by in the morning to see me for some bagels for his small department, and Alice and Esme say they'll come by too, which means I'm going to be a little embarrassed to have my whole family checking in on me.
We spend the evening just shooting the shit, talking about anything and everything. I try to stay engaged, but I'm still not breathing super great, and my fingers and lips tingle. I figure I just need some rest, which I'll get soon enough, and make sure to hide my discomfort.
But when I go inside for the fourth time for a few minutes of deep breathing, Edward follows me, finding me sitting in the living room.
"You're not feeling well, are you?" he asks, surprising me.
I whip my head up and shake it. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Just tired, I think. It's about time for my meds, so we should probably leave soon anyway."
He cocks a brow, seeing through me. "You need to tell your brother. Is it your chest?"
I sigh, rubbing the dull ache above my breast. "Just having a hard time catching my breath, but it happens. I just need to relax and focus on my breathing."
He sits beside me, taking my wrist and checking my pulse. He looks concerned, and I don't like it. I am so not going to the hospital tonight. "Emmett has oxygen for you at home, right? I wrote a script for it."
I nod. "Yeah, but I haven't needed to use it yet."
"I'm going to go get him and grab my bag from my truck. I just want to check you out before sending you home."
"Can you keep it quiet?" I ask, hating to be a downer after such a fun evening. "I don't want everyone to worry."
"I'll try my best."
He's going to fail. Emmett will probably explode out of his chair when he hears I'm not well, which will tell everyone something is wrong.
What a lovely ending to this day. Ugh.
Thanks to May, Nole, Fran, Brier, and Meg for prereading and Sally for Beta'ing.
