There Goes My Life
Chapter Nine
...
"Drive safe," Carlisle instructed, shutting the hood of the SUV after checking the Escalade's fluids, oil, coolant, brake fluid and windscreen wash levels.
Edward gave him an automatic nod of agreement, one he had perfected over years of following his father's guidance, "of course."
Carlisle gave him a look that said more than his mouth ever would need to.
Edward's lips quirked upwards. "I've got Bella and the kids to think about, Dad. I'll be safe." He promised, this time, his words bringing about more reassurance.
He didn't stiffen as Carlisle pulled him in for another quick hug, "I mean it. If you get tired, rest, overwhelmed ... rest. I'll handle the office until you're ready to come back."
"Thank you, and Dad," He paused, catching his eye, " I appreciate everything," Edward declared, pulling back, giving him a small, almost embarrassed grin. "I'll see you when we get home," he reassured, walking him over to the yellow cab.
"Love you, kid, be safe," Carlisle squeezed his shoulder.
"We will be," he chuckled, shutting the door. He waved as he watched him depart; he felt calmer, grounded as he turned and headed back to the SUV.
"Everyone ready?" He asked Bella, placing his bottle of water in the cup holder.
She grinned, her brown eyes seemed to shimmer with happiness, "pottied, changed, all buckled," she assured him, taking a sip of her vanilla latte.
"Alrighty then," he smirked at her, drawing out his words slowly as if he was Ace Ventura. She quirked an eyebrow, as she shot him an odd look. He snorted quietly to himself as he realized she didn't understand his impression.
He started the Escalade, "let's hit the road, who's ready?"
"Me," Asher called up to him.
He grinned as he cracked open his water and took a large gulp. He glanced over his shoulder to check on his sibling before putting the SUV in reserve and pulling out of the parking space.
In his rearview mirror, he watched as Ithaca, New York faded off into the distance. He gave the city one big mental middle fingers. A small piece of the heaviness that had been smothering him for days, lifted.
He observed Bella out of his peripheral vision for a second as she settled in as they rolled down the highway. She turned the radio on low, humming along as she pulled her e-reader out of her purse.
"Are we there yet?" Asher called from the backseat, breaking the quiet that had settled over the vehicle most of the morning.
Edward peeked a quick glance at Bella, his own lips curled upwards as she smirked at him, "No, sorry Bud, it's going to take us a few days to reach your new home."
He let out a loud huff, folding his arms over the buckles of his seatbelt, "I'm hungry," he announced grumpily.
"And sleepy," Bella murmured under her breath, so only Edward could hear her. He gave her a slight nod, but he kept his focus on the road.
"We'll stop for lunch soon, Kid. We just have to find a place." Edward explained, "look," he pointed out the window to the state sign, "we're in Pennsylvania now."
"Bleh ble-bleh!" Mia spoke around her sippy cup excitedly. "Bleh ble-bleh!"
Asher rolled his eyes, giving his baby sister a look of great annoyance as he muttered, "Yeah Mia, Dracula lives here in his hotel."
"Ash!" She demanded, "Bleh ble-bleh!"
He let out a long drawn out sigh, rolled his eyes once more, "Ash!" She pouted.
"Fine," he grumbled, then smiled a little bit and dropped his voice, obviously imitating something as he said dramatically, "I don't say, "Bleh ble-bleh!"
Edward's fingers tightened around the steering wheel as the twins screamed while he looked for a turn-off into Erie, Pennsylvania.
Bella shushed the twins as best she could, reaching over her seat and trying to give them back their pacifiers. They continued to shriek and fuss until Edward pulled into a Chick-Fil-A parking lot.
Bella shot Edward a surprised look, he shrugged and motioned to the building, "it has a play place." He lifted Braxton out of his seat and rubbed his back as Bella shook up their bottles. "Ash, help your sister out of her seat, mate, please."
"Ugh. I have to do everything," he groaned, but he moved over and unclasped his sister's buckles.
Bella handed Edward one of the bottles, before scooping up Holden and calming him, smiling a little as he happily latched onto his bottle.
"Bathroom breaks first," Bella announced, taking Mia's hand. She helped Mia into a stall, then changed Holden.
"But I want a pop." Asher protested, folding his arms over his chest.
"And I said no, would you like milk, chocolate milk or a juice box?" Edward repeated firmly.
Asher glared at him, scoffing his new sneaker against the floor, "root beer," he spat.
"Not a choice. Now decide, or I'll decide for you," Edward warned coolly, looking unfazed by his younger brother's attitude.
"No," he folded his arms, his face going an angry shade of red.
"Milk," Mia murmured with wide eyes, stepping closer to Bella.
"I need two kids, chicken nuggets meals, with fruit cups and milk, please," Edward ordered, glancing over at Bella who put in her order for a chicken sandwich with a water. He shot her a grateful smile.
"Once you cool off, Bud, you can go play," Edward murmured, helping Mia out of her shoes, once they were settled at their table.
"We're in Ohio," Edward announced softly, so as not to wake the twins and Mia who had dozed off shortly after they left the fast food restaurant.
Bella smiled, glancing up from her book, "the Buckeye State."
"I'm bored," Asher complained, followed by a yawn.
"Let's play, I spy," Bella suggested, "I spy something, purple."
"That car. This is easy," Asher grinned in triumph.
The game continued until Edward and Bella realized they were playing against each other as Asher snores had joined his siblings.
They made it past Cleveland with little trouble. The twins woke as Mia and Asher got into a heated argument over who owned the board book in Asher's hand.
"Enough, take turns," Bella turned in her seat, to look at them, "Asher give it to your sister. Go back to your coloring, please."
Long, multiple pitstops, for snacks, feeding, diapering, restroom breaks, many, many angry, bored outbursts between Mia and Asher later, Edward could feel his blood pressure rising as the dinner hour approached.
"Are we there yet?" Asher yelled over a shrieking Braxton, who Bella was managing to quiet as she blindly put his pacifier in his mouth.
"No," Edward said tightly.
"This sucks!" He snapped, kicking the back of Holden's seat.
Edward frowned deeply, his voice coming out deeper and harsher than he intended as he scolded the young boy in the back row, "Asher! Don't kick the seats."
Bella sighed as Holden woke with a jolt and let out a startled cry, "Edward, I swear if you don't stop in the next town, I'm going to scream myself," Bella hissed under her breath, for the first time looking as if she was about to have her own meltdown.
He nodded sharply, "find us a place," he agreed, taking another deep breath and counting, over and over again in his head.
She pulled out her phone and opened TripAdvisor, searching until she found a hotel. "Hampton Inn, there's one right off the interstate that has a suite with double beds and a pullout sofa."
"Book it," he rubbed the back of his neck, his temples throbbing as the twins fussed and Mia had a meltdown because Asher stuck his tongue out at her, hurting her feelings.
Bella wiped puffy faces and cleaned Mia and Asher up as Edward all but bolted into the hotel to check in. "Stay right here," she instructed, "whoever takes their hand off the car first losses," she explained the simple game, holding up a fruit snack in bribery.
"Game on," Asher accepted the challenge as Mia echoed his words, "Game on!"
Bella unbuckled the Braxton, lifting him out of his seat and cuddling him close, "I know, you need new pants," she soothed. "Give me just a few more moments, and we'll get you all sorted, yes we will," she cooed softly.
She followed Edward up to their room, as he pushed a cart full of their stuff. "What first?" He asked, unlocking the door.
"I get to pee first," Asher announced racing for the bathroom, Mia behind him, "no fairs!" She cried as he smirked at her and shut the door.
"Set up the bassinet," Bella suggested, rubbing Braxton's back as she carried him to one of the beds to change him.
"Asher come here," she requested, "hold Brax's bottle while I change Holden please."
"I do it," Mia offered.
"No, she said me," Asher cut her off, his chest puffing up proudly.
"Thank you, Ash. Mia, you can help me," she said, giving Asher a wink. She chuckled as he tried to wink back at her.
"What are we going to do for dinner?" Edward asked, dropping down on the bed next to Asher with a small grunt.
"I'll see what our pickup or delivery options are," Bella murmured, placing Holden on Edward's chest and heading for the bathroom with his tablet. When she emerged, she carried on with their conversation, "Panera Bread delivers to the hotel," she said.
"Sounds good," he agreed, she handed him back his iPad.
She helped Mia and Asher into their bathing suits and floaties after they settled on what to order. "Enjoy your swim," she smiled at Edward. "Dinner will be here in an hour, have fun."
"You think we have time?" He asked.
She nodded, "they'll be ready. They're tired, this will help them sleep. Go. I've got the twins," Edward glanced over at the sleeping twins then eyed her, wondering if she had gotten the better end of the deal.
She waved cheekily as she watched him depart before flopping back on the bed for a short nap until the soft knock on the door woke her. She tipped the delivery boy and placed the food on the small corner table.
Edward scooped up the Elsa bottle of shampoo, conditioner and body wash as he led Mia and Asher into the room and to the bathroom.
"Bella, pajamas, please," Edward called out a few minutes later.
She stepped into the bathroom and laughed, as Edward stepped out of the shower stall in his black swimming trunks. She forced herself to swallow as a light blush stained her cheeks as she glanced away from his six-pack.
He gave her a cocky smirk, and Bella rolled her eyes. She was well aware he knew how good looking he was. But her heart fluttered as he draped a towel over his shoulders and gently wrapped Mia in a fluffy towel before passing her over to Bella.
Bella peeled the wet, and now 'clean,' peach-smelling bathing suit from Mia and hung it up to dry before dressing her in her pj's and braiding her damp, long brown hair.
"C'mon pumpkin, dinner's ready," she carried her out to the small table where her peanut butter and jelly sandwich waited.
"This is going to be a long trip," Edward murmured quietly as he started turning down the lights around the room as all the children were tucked away in their beds.
"Mhm," Bella agreed, slipping on her jacket and shoes.
"Where are you going?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow.
She picked up the keys and gave him a look, "across the road to Target. Tomorrow, we're going to be more prepared. I'll be back."
He nodded, wrinkling his brow, unsure what she was up to.
She shot him a smile that went straight to his chest, "trust me."
"I do," he confessed as he handed her his debit card. "Whatever you think we need, get it."
She took the card and slipped it into her purse, "you'll be fine. Mia and Ash, they're out for the night. The twins just went down, they should be good for another hour or two. I won't be gone too long. Sleep, I'll be back."
She entered the twenty-four-hour store and bought herself a caramel macchiato in the in-store Starbucks before pushing the cart around the store, enjoying the quiet.
She wandered the baby department, purchasing another diaper bag, more bottles, water, a few more formula dispensers, and a couple more packages of pacifiers. How they had managed to lose three of them, already, she wasn't sure.
She put a small laundry basket in the cart and filled it with a couple toys, board books, and a few Crayola Color Wonder, coloring books.
She strolled the electronic department, eyeing the tablets but she had a feeling Edward would flip, so instead, she settled on two, portable DVD players and picked out a small variety of movies suitable for the ages of the children. A collection she knew would grow as they added more miles to the Escalade on their journey, west.
She lazily roamed the snack aisles, putting together an assortment of goodies. After she finished her drink, she made her way through checkout.
She installed the DVD players in the back row of the SUV, buckled the small laundry basket between Mia and Asher's car seats, placing the movies, toys, and coloring books in the basket where they could easily reach them before returning to the room.
She gently covered Edward, finding him fast asleep next to Asher. She moved to the bathroom to sanitize the new bottles and wash the dirty ones. She filled them with the water and placed them in the new diaper bag that she now dubbed the 'bottle' bag. She filled the dispensers with formula.
She fell asleep after the late night feeding of the twins.
Edward shook her awake at four-thirty in the morning, "get dressed," he whispered.
"What?" She groaned, blinking at him owlishly.
He grinned at her, "we're going to hit the road."
"The sun isn't even up," she complained as she sat up with a tired stretch.
"You can go back to sleep once we're on the road," he handed her a cup of coffee. She was surprised to find the twins fed, changed, and in their car seats sleeping peacefully.
"Holden woke me, by the time they started to drift off, I was wide awake." He shrugged, taking down the pack n' play and loading it onto the cart, along with their luggage after Bella pulled out some clothes for the day.
Bella hugged her pillow as they left Toledo, Ohio.
"Indiana," Edward announced to his sleeping passengers as the sun started to rise over the horizon.
"Where are we?" Bella asked as she woke a few hours later.
"Almost to Gary, Indiana," Edward said, "need to stop for gas, breakfast, stretch. Want to find us a truck stop?"
"There's a Love's, it has a Denny's," she said, entering the address into the GPS, then pulling the bottle bag from the back and preparing them.
After a long rest and breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and hot chocolate, they loaded up. Once the twins were back to sleep, Bella started a movie for Mia and Asher, handing them fresh sippy cups, filled with flavored water.
A stop for a late lunch, gas and to play was in order by the time they reached Iowa City, four hours later, they carried on into Des Moines, Iowa.
"It's only four, Edward?" Bella lifted an eyebrow as he pulled into a large hotel.
"I'm going to crash, you guys can relax, and then, tonight, after we have them ready for bed, we'll get back on the road." He explained, "we cover more ground when they're sleeping. This place has a pool and an indoor playground, they can run and swim, burn off a bunch of energy."
"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, knowing they were all growing restless.
Bella pushed the double stroller into the hotel, as Asher and Mia trailed after Edward. "Rest, I've got them," Bella nudged him towards their suite.
He smiled, "be good for Bella," he warned Asher and Mia. He watched them head for the indoor playground. He didn't move into their room until they disappeared around the corner.
Bella clicked the infant car seats into the Escalade, "just go to back to sleep Ash," she murmured, covering him with his Power Ranger blanket.
"Kay," he murmured, closing his eyes as Bella buckled him in, then Mia.
She managed to drift back off, sleeping until the twins needed a bottle and a change around four when they pulled over to refill the tank. She slept through Nebraska; Edward woke Bella as they entered Wyoming. "Next gas station, your turn to drive," he yawned.
"Sure," she agreed, with a yawn of her own followed by a shake of her head. She glanced back over her seat to check on the kids. Asher was chewing on a soft granola bar and drinking from his insulated cup as he watched Hotel Transylvania, for the third time.
Edward grunted, "I hate to say it, but those DVD players, they're a godsend."
Bella laughed softly, reaching for her cold coffee.
"How'd you think of all that?" He asked, referring to the kid's basket of activities and movies.
She held up her tablet, "Pinterest." She grinned and rolled her eyes fondly as he muttered something about her internet addiction to himself. "Mia's still asleep?"
"She woke an hour after we stopped for gas the last time; she watched a few episodes while she chattered quietly with her doll, dozed back off as the sun came up."
She nodded, "and when did Asher wake up?"
"Asher's awake?" He glanced over his shoulder, "Oh, I had no idea," he chuckled tiredly.
He turned off the highway, pulling into a small cafe for breakfast. "Can I just say I am so over the cold," he groused, his feet crunching through the melting snow.
"Whoa, why are we stopping?" Edward asked, jerking awake as the car came to a complete stop, outside a hotel in Rock Springs, Wyoming.
Bella shot him a dirty look, waiting for him to pull off his headphones, "because Mia vomited ten miles back, Holden is about to go from fussing to full-blown meltdown, and it's snowing, Edward ... snowing."
"Fuucckk," he mumbled, finally noting the heavy flakes falling on the SUV.
"Mhm," she agreed, for once not even attempting to correct his swearing, "now go get us a room, please," she stressed out the word. Her eyes promised murder if he didn't fall in line and comply.
Bella was not entirely sure how they managed to finally get in the room as she washed Mia's hair, "I don't think we're going anywhere for a while," Edward murmured, leaning against the bathroom doorframe with Braxton in his arms.
"Oh?" She asked, glancing over at him.
"Snowing heavily out there and the wind has picked up," he explained, moving to sit on the toilet. "Maybe we should have flown."
She laughed softly, "you don't think?"
He shrugged and gave her a sheepish grin, "learning curve," he passed her a towel for Mia.
She lifted Mia out of the tub, drying and dressing the queasy girl. Mia raised her arms at Edward, who passed off Braxton to Bella and scooped up the little girl, cradling her close and pressing a kiss to her warm forehead.
He shot Bella a worried look, "it's not as high as she feels, she's probably car sick; we'll keep an eye on it." She murmured, putting the thermometer back in the little kit.
She followed them back to the bedroom, watching as he sprawled out on the king size bed with Mia across his chest. It didn't take Asher long to shuffle over and lounge next to them, "you should have seen it, Ward. She went all, like, like, Bell ... and then, blah.. everywhere. It was soo, so gross."
Edward chuckled, rubbing Mia's back gently. "Straight out of a horror flick," Bella agreed, "I'll go down to the laundry room and wash her car seat cover ... tonight."
"The roads will be clear and open later," Bella announced, coming back to their room with a basketful of clean clothes, Holden sleeping peacefully against her chest in a wrap.
They had spent three days cooped up in the small hotel. Three days of puzzles, coloring, movies and any activity Bella could think up to keep Asher and Mia from tearing down the walls.
"I'll pack up the car," Edward said, putting Asher back on his feet. "We'll leave after dinner," he ruffled Mia's curls on his way out with a suitcase.
"Eat guys, so we can go. You'll sleep in the car and sometime tomorrow we'll be home." She said, packing up the basket of toys and putting it by the door.
"Goodbye, Wyoming, Hello Utah," Edward announced with a grin.
"Only, eight hundred more miles to go," Bella laughed, "we're almost practically there." She muttered, feeling rather proud of herself as Edward snorted quietly in amusement. She adjusted her pillow, letting the quiet drift back over them.
"Milk, peanut butter crackers, and string cheese," Edward passed out the bedtime snacks while Bella was inside the gas station with the twins.
"Are we almost there, now?" Asher asked around a mouthful of cracker.
"Nearly," Edward lied. "Go to sleep, and when you wake up ... when the sun is up," he clarified, knowing Asher would probably wake in the middle of the night, when they stopped to gas up and feed the twins, "we'll stop for breakfast, drive just a bit more and then, hopefully, be there by lunchtime."
"Cool," Asher said, handing Edward his trash. Mia grinned around her sippy cup, her eyes already heavy.
"Night guys," he murmured, checking their buckles before climbing out to stretch.
The miles seemed to pass quickly as the car hummed down the highway, only the soft lyrics of the children's movie playing on a loop occasionally drifted to the front of the vehicle.
"The stars," Bella broke their silence, as they pulled over in the early morning hours about an hour from Reno Nevada to switch drivers and feed the twins on the side of the road. "They're beautiful out here."
Edward hummed quietly in agreement, rocking Holden as he hungrily ate.
"So, about Alice," she broached the subject he had been avoiding, since the start of their trip, west. He shrugged, "you're really not going to say anything?" She asked, giving him a long side glance.
Her words were met with a brooding silence.
"All right," she agreed, putting Braxton back in his seat. She stretched her arms over her head before she climbed into the driver seat.
Edward sank into the passenger seat, "I can't believe Alice married that ... that punk," he grunted, shaking his head with a deep frown, pulling his glare away from the window to look at Bella.
"I wouldn't exactly call a professional baseball player, a punk," Bella replied smoothly, reaching for her coffee. His green eyes caught hers for a second. She was fascinated with the emotions they displayed.
"She's a child. She's too young to be married," he stated firmly, "she's nine ... teen," he stressed out the word, "what the hell is she thinking?" He asked, agitated.
"I imagine she's in love," Bella murmured, keeping her eyes on the road.
He scoffed at the thought, "what does she know of, love? She's barely even lived."
"Edward," Bella said his name with a frown, making him pause, "there's nothing you can do but accept it and support it, even if you believe she's making the worst mistake of her life. It's her life. Like it or not, she's an adult."
He grunted once more, but a stiff nod followed as her words settled in his mind, "I just don't understand."
Bella rolled her eyes upwards, "then try talking to her."
He sighed, going quiet. It was clear his mind was whirling with unanswered questions and concerns. For a long minute, he didn't speak. "Do you think she's pregnant?"
"I have no idea, but I wouldn't recommend asking. Nor should you demand answers, or scold her." She paused, choosing her words carefully before continuing, "let your parents carry those worries. Just be her big brother. Don't drive a wedge between you that doesn't need to be there."
Edward smiled a little, "fine, but, that doesn't mean I have to Like, that Facebook post," he stated stubbornly with a yawn.
Bella chuckled softly, rolling her eyes once more, "go to sleep, Edward." She turned the radio on low as he placed on his Bose headphones and adjusted the pillow, before laying his head back and closing his eyes.
She nudged him awake a few hours later, grinning as he tugged off his headphone and looked around a bit dazed.
"Welcome to San Francisco."
Author Note…
I pray everyone is doing well. School is back in full swing, but I swear they're never there, how is that even possible?! My pregnancy has entered the last trimester as I bounce back from a cold. 65'ish Days and yes I'm counting. This girl is killing my ribs.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please leave a Review!
Hugs and Lots of Love
Emily
Oh. Also. A big Thank you to Sunflower Fran for beta'ing. Please check out her Facebook group, Pay It Forward and the new blog they have put together. They will be featuring fics in four different categories on their new blog. Rookie Fic ... A new, first-time writer showcasing their first fic on PIF blog. Number two will be our Encore ... A new fic from a seasoned author giving us a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classix ... one from the vault, a time-tested oldie. And four is an Overlooked fic that needs some love. If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran on the PIF page. And if you have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic showcased. Also, anyone interested in writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in for our Classix section.