A/N: 4-5 Chapters left. I'm trying to make it an even number, otherwise it's only 4 chapters left.

This one is a little heartbreaking, but we'll get through it.

No copyright infringement is intended. All recognizable characters are owned by Stephenie Meyer. I own the plot and the mistakes.

ENJOY!

7/09/2023

Cherry Pies and Backwards Baseball Hats

Chapter Twenty-Five

EPOV

Bella 22 weeks pregnant

"Everything is going to be fine," I assured my wife. We were sitting in the waiting room at the hospital to support Jake and Jose as Sabrina was rushed into emergency surgery.

After enduring 22 hours of labor and two hours of pushing, Jake's baby girl was finally born. She was perfectly healthy, except for Sabrina.

She started hemorrhaging so badly that they had to rush her into an operating room to perform an emergency hysterectomy. It was the only way they could stop the bleeding.

I knew Bella didn't care for Sabrina, but she'd never wish anything like this on her; shes not that cruel.

Jake and Jose sat close to each other holding hands as we all waited on any kind of news about the surgery. Jake had requested that the baby be taken to the nursery. They had named her Muna Tansy, and she'd have Jake's last name. Jake, Sabrina, and Jose agreed to stay within the tribes traditional girl names.

It was an hour later when the doctor finally came out. Bella and I stayed where we were as he talked to Jake and Jose. From the expression on their faces, the news wasn't good. Then Jake collapsed to the floor.

Bella's hands flew to her mouth to try and hide her sob. That only meant that Sabrina didn't survive the surgery.

Tears were flowing from my wife's eyes as I helped her stand and make her way to her best friend. She knelt on the floor in front of him and wrapped her arms around him. I knew Jose cared for Sabrina, but he didn't love her like Jake did.

It was amazing how much you can love someone in such a short amount of time; I'm proof of that.

I watched as my pregnant wife comforted her best friend who just became a new father and lose someone he loved all in one day.

My mind began to wonder, and it was starting to freak me out, so I told Bella I was going to the bathroom down the hall only to hightail it outside and across the street where I bummed a smoke off of the person next to me.

I had to stop thinking about this happening to Bella.

I reached up and scratched at my hot covered head. I had turned it around as soon as I stepped outside the hospital. I knew how much Bella loves to see me wearing it backwards, and I wear it that way out of habit. If it was facing forward, she would always turn it around for me.

I knew I'd smell like smoke when I went back in, and I'll make up an excuse as to why. Bella hates it and I didn't want to do anything she didn't like. I wasn't technically smoking when we met, and she didn't mind me vaping, but for me to smoke, she hated it with a passion.

"My daughter see's you doing that, I'll stand back and watch her make you eat it." I turned to see my father in-law walking up to me.

I huffed. "Yeah, well, if you knew what was going on in there, you'd light up, too."

"Why don't you catch me up? All I know is, Sabrina was in labor. Billy already went up without me when I saw you over here."

I flicked my ashes as I looked down at the small hole I had worn into the side of my Vans. "Sabrina had complications after she gave birth. They rushed her into emergency surgery, but she didn't make it."

I glanced up at Charlie as he looked up at the clear night sky. "The baby okay?"

"She's perfect," I replied. "Jake on the other hand..." I let my sentence trail off because I was sure Charlie was capable of knowing how Jake was doing.

"I'm hoping I never have to find out. We all know he loved her. All of us, as a family, need to be there for him. Jose, too. He loved her in his own way."

I gave one final pull on my cigarette before I stubbed it out then tossed the filter into the trash can by the bus stop. "We'll have to keep an eye on Bella, too."

"We will," he agreed. "Is she doing okay, otherwise?"

I nodded. "She's as good as she can be."

Charlie took a couple of steps to start across the street. "Let's go make sure your wife stays that way."

That was the first time Charlie ever referred to Bella as my wife. She's always been just his daughter.

Billy had his arms wrapped around his son when we walked into the private waiting room. Bella had her arms draped over Jose as he lay his head in her lap and cried. It was so sad to witness that it made me want to cry, too.

Charlie went straight to Jake and Billy as I took the seat next to my wife and wrapped my arm around her shoulders until she lay her head on me. "You've been smoking."

"I have; I'm sorry."

She turned her head to look up at me. "Don't be. I won't hold it against you."

"Thank you." I kissed her forehead. "We need to get home. Benny's going to be getting up soon, and Aunt Vicky needs to get home."

Bella nodded as she agreed, and Jose sat up. When he turned to face us, my heart broke for him. His eyes were puffy and red; you could tell that something devastating just happened to his life.

Bella and I hugged him tightly before all three of us made our way over to Jake. His appearance was the same, if not worse than Jose's.

Jake and Jose were Sabrina's only next of kin, so they had papers to sign before they left, but we knew they wouldn't leave the hospital until Muna could leave.

When we made it home, Ben was still sleeping, and Aunt Vicky was in the kitchen making coffee. We rarely used the Keurig anymore. That was until Bella got pregnant. I use it before I leave for work because my wife tries to stay away from caffeine as much as she can.

We told Vicky what happened, which led to her crying. Then she told us to go lay down and she'd watch Ben for a while so we could get some sleep. We normally would have turned her down, but we had been up most of the night, and I knew if we didn't sleep, we were bound to be short tempered with Ben, and we didn't want that to happen. We had the opportunity, so we took it.

Bella and I made love before we went to sleep. It was slow and sensual. I caressed every inch of her beautiful, naked body as she rode me. We needed the security of feeling each other; knowing that we're alive and so much in love with each other. We didn't even clean up after she eased off of me. We fell into a deep sleep with our hands laying, protectively over our unborn sons.

I wasn't sure how long I slept until I heard Ben screaming for his mother and banging on our bedroom door. Vicky was trying to console him as she walked away from our room. I had a dire need to piss, so I decided to get up for the remainder of the day and do my daddy duties with Ben.

I left Bella sleeping, hoping she'd get enough rest. At five months pregnant, I wondered if they would already know if she would have to have a c-section. With Sabrina passing away from complications of giving birth, it scared the crap out of me just thinking about something happening to Bella when the twins are ready to be born. I didn't want her to risk natural childbirth if she could help it. She had only talked about giving birth naturally, once. Her perception was that since she had a very easy experience with Ben, then she wanted to try a vaginal birth with the twins, but now I was entirely against it.

Aunt Vicky left about 30 minutes after I told her she could go and thanked her profusely for staying. I wasn't sure if Bella planned on doing anything when she woke up, but I was going to insist that she take it easy for the rest of the day. Uncle Al knew what was going on and insisted that I take as much time that I needed, so when Bella's phone rang, and I saw that it was Esme, I made sure to answer it. Bella had texted her to let her know that there was a family emergency and wouldn't be in.

When I explained to her what had happened, she was very saddened. She requested that Bella call as soon as she felt up to it, and there was no rush.

I was playing with Ben on the living room floor when I heard the water running from our bedroom. It was close to one in the afternoon and time for Ben's nap, but I wanted to wait until he saw his mother.

A few minutes later, Bella made her way into the kitchen. I heard the fridge door open where I knew she was probably getting herself some juice before she came into the living room. Ben went running to her as soon as she sat on the couch. He climbed up into her lap and wrapped his tiny arms around her neck. "Hi, baby." It was as if he sensed that Bella was sad.

When he released her neck, he placed his small hand on her cheek. "Mommy cry."

Bella had tears sliding down her face and our son wanted to make her feel better. "Yes, mommy's sad."

"Can I make you some lunch? You need to eat; you haven't eaten since yesterday." I climbed up on the couch next to her and slipped my arm around her shoulders. "I can make you a sandwich."

"I'm really not hungry, but I know I have to eat." She started running her fingers through Ben's dark hair as he played with the buttons on her shirt.

"How about a sandwich with chips the way you like it." She turned her face towards me and looked over my entire face as more tears rolled over her beautiful cheeks. I wiped them away just as I leaned in to press my lips to hers. "I love you," I said against her mouth.

"I love you, too."

The days that followed were a flurry of activity. Bella helped Jake and Jose make funeral arrangements. Even though they were listed as Sabrina's next of kin on any and all of her medical papers, her estranged mother came crawling out of the woodwork shortly before they released her body to the funeral home. Bella volunteered to call her, but Jake declined. He snapped at Bella a few times and threw it in her face that she didn't like Sabrina. He said he couldn't understand why she was even helping him. She told him, "It's plain and simple, Jake. You're my best friend, my brother and I love you. I'll always help you with anything you ask for."

Of course, he apologized for being a dick as they hugged and gave each other a friendly smooch. I knew it was innocent; I had seen it tons of times before.

Jose was helping as much as he could as he played mommy to Muna. She never had a chance to be held by her mother, so he took his parenting duties to heart. I wasn't sure when or how, but Muna was legally Jake and Jose's daughter. I feel like a real ass for not knowing anything much of their situation.

After Sabrina was laid to rest, that's when another war started. I had a feeling it was a situation where I wasn't going to have a choice but to step in. It was causing issues with my wife, and if she didn't take care of it, then I would.

Thank you!

RTB