It took her about a month after returning from Chicago to concede to Edward's determination that she just move in and be done with.
She had been staying with him most nights anyway, quickly transitioning from their weekend living arrangements, to include more and more nights throughout the week, with barely a single night here and there as a pause.
Until eventually she realised that it didn't make any matter whether her apartment was left empty for a few weeks before her lease was up, because the rent was all paid up anyway. So she wasn't going to be fined or blacklisted for breaking her agreement just by not staying there in that time.
So long as she left nothing behind and made sure it was clean when she handed the keys in, her landlord couldn't complain.
It had been two weeks since she had let Edward take her to collect the last of her stuff.
And for the most part, it had been an easy transition. For the most part they were as happy as they had always been, even with them both occasionally becoming frustrated with those annoying little habits that they each had, that hadn't been an issue before they lived together.
For the most part, the novelty and excitement over getting to be together all the time, far outweighed any minor complaints either of them had really.
The only real downside at all, was that Bella was thoroughly exhausted.
A point that she could only attribute to now permanently living further from her work, and needing to either spend long periods of time commuting with the inadequate public transport to their neighbourhood. Or using Uber every single day.
Of course there was also the fact that she and Edward were wearing each other out most nights too, but she was sleeping so solidly when she fell asleep, in the comfort of their amazingly comfortable bed, and with Edward's warm body wrapped around her, that she didn't really consider that to be the issue.
She hadn't told him how tired she had been feeling because she knew he'd worry. And she didn't complain about the added travel time either, because she knew he'd go out of his way to find a solution for her, when she really needed to figure this one out for herself.
But when she had thrown up twice that morning already, once thankfully after Edward had headed out for work, and once more after she gave in and stripped back out of her work clothes, and called in sick, so she could crawl back into bed instead.
It was one thing to hide it from Edward if she was just a bit warn out and just needed to adjust to the longer days. It was another to hide that she was possibly coming down sick.
--
"This is Edward Cullen?"
"Edward hi, it's Angela." The voice on the other end of the phone line explained.
Edward blinked in surprise and leaned back into his chair lazily. Curious about what Bella's friend would be calling him at work for.
"Hello Ang, what can I do for you?" He asked.
"I'm calling to check on Bella, she hasn't answered mine or Jessica's texts and we just wanted to make sure she was alright?"
Edward frowned in confusion and checked his phone again to see if he had somehow missed a call or a text from his girlfriend, only to come up empty.
He had assumed she was at work, being that she was dressed and eating breakfast when he had left himself.
"Sorry, she's not at work?" He asked, genuinely starting to become concerned.
"No, she called in sick. Which really I wouldn't find concerning for anyone else, but Bella never calls in sick. She even came to work the Monday after you got back from Chicago and she was almost asleep on her feet." Angela said.
Edward silently agreed.
That morning he had even suggested she go back to bed because she looked completely exhausted. - In no small part thanks to him keeping her awake half the night. But she had determinedly gotten herself ready, and pointed out, with no small amount of irritation, that he was also going to work, despite being tired. So he had given up and let her go, shaking his head at her for being a stubborn bloody American.
But unlike that day, she had seemed fine just that morning. She had been a bit tired in recent days, and he was fairly sure she didn't want him to know it, for some ridiculous reason. But she was all smiles when he kissed her goodbye and headed out.
So he couldn't figure out how she had all of sudden come down too sick to go to work.
"Right, well? I'm at work, and when I left she was dressed and heading to work herself. So, I honestly couldn't tell you how she is... But-" Edward paused and clicked his calendar open on his computer quickly, making sure he could either blow the day completely, or at least move enough about to be able to work from home if she was sick and needed him. "I'll move my day around and go home and check, if she doesn't pick up when I call. I'll let you know how she is when I find out."
"I can blow an hour or so to go check on her if you are busy? I'll just say I've an appointment I can't miss." Angela offered.
Edward snorted a laugh at the crazy woman and shook his head.
He truly did appreciate his girlfriends friends, both Angela and Jessica were like protective sisters where Bella was concerned. They genuinely loved her, and he genuinely appreciated them for it.
"It's alright. My boss will both excuse me to look after her, and personally book a call out from a doctor for her if needs be. I'll let you know when I check on her."
"Alright, thank you Edward. Kiss her for me."
Edward snorted again at the last, but agreed before he hung up.
He wasted no time, calling Bella immediately, and then logging out of his computer and packing up when she failed to answer.
Edward didn't know what was wrong with his girlfriend, but he was now genuinely concerned. She never called in sick, and it was a rare time when she missed his calls if she wasn't at work.
He found Bella curled up in a ball, sound asleep in the bed.
Her phone muted and on the floor beside the bed so even the vibration it would make on top of the bedside table didn't disturb her.
He sat down beside her slowly, and just took her in for a moment.
It was obvious that she wasn't feeling well, by how she had cocooned herself in the bedding. And it was obvious that she had been crying at some point, by how puffy her face was, where it peaked out from her nest.
Edward swallowed the lump of emotion lodged hard in his throat down, and fingered the stray hairs off her clamming face and tested her temperature with a gentle hand. Relieved instantly to discover that she was only clammy because she was buried so completely in blankets, and not because she had any sort of fever.
She had actually been sick at some point too, because stale and sour smell of vomit lingered a little in the air.
"Baby?" He shook her gently, and smiled when she frowned in her sleep and wiggled in a bid to make his hand go away. "Bella." He tried again.
Edward smiled softly in greeting as her eyes fluttered open slowly.
Bella smiled sleepily and poked a hand out of her blanket cocoon to steal the one he had resting on her shoulder, and pulled it in to cuddle to her chest.
"Hi Honey." She mumbled.
"Hi. How you feeling?" He asked, brushing at her hair again gently as she snuggled a little closer to where he was sitting.
"I was sick, so I went back to bed, and then I was sick again. I feel good now though, just sleepy because someone disturbed my nap." She explained.
She was utterly adorable in her childish sleepiness.
"Do you want me to call a doctor? You might be coming down with something, you've been tired the last few days."
Edward was genuinely worried. She looked fine, and she claimed to be fine now that she hadn't been physically sick for a while. But she was in bed, and she had willingly taken the day off. And he hadn't even known her to complain about cramps at all in their time together. So for her to be sick and in bed, he assumed she had to be really feeling terrible.
Bella hummed softly in the negative and tugged at him until he gave in and stool to kick his shoes, jacket, tie and belt off. So he could climb onto the bed properly like she wanted, and let her curl up with her head in his lap.
"I thought I was just tired from the long days with the extra time it takes me to get to work and back here. But I've changed my mind since being sick... I think it's just a bit of a bug, and I'll be fine once it passes." She explained. "I really feel quite good now. Like I wasn't even sick at all, which is pretty crazy! Maybe I just needed a bit more sleep?"
Edward grunted a noncommittal noise in his throat and studied her as she lazed happily in his lap with her eyes still very much closed.
She was utterly content where she was, and with him gently patting her and playing with her hair. If it wasn't for the sick smell, and the fact that he knew Bella far better than to believe it, he might have thought she was just feigning sickness to have a lazy day at home.
"You have been tired. - I know you didn't want me to notice, but you have been Sweetheart?" It wasn't a question, but he wanted her to answer him anyway.
"I have. And I'm sorry, I just didn't want you thinking you had to fix it somehow for me, that it takes longer to get to work from here."
Edward snorted rudely, taking offence at the fact that she thought so little of his faith in her independence.
She was a big girl, and if it was wearing on her that it took longer to get to and from work, it was up to her to either adjust or find a way to work around it, so she wasn't wearing herself out to go to work every day.
He might have made suggestions, but he wouldn't have tried to fix or control the situation for her unless she asked.
It made no sense anyway, because although she had technically only lived with him for the last couple of weeks, she was staying most nights before that anyway, and the travel never bothered her before, let alone exhausting so thoroughly.
There had even been nights where they got only a few hours sleep in that time, because they were taking advantage of her staying over, to enjoy each other half the night. And she wasn't as tired on those days as she had been the last few.
"What happened between me leaving and you ending up with your head in the toilet Bella? Did your breakfast just not agree with you?"
Edward's stomach was beginning to churn suspiciously.
She was exhausted for no apparent reason, and throwing up randomly for no apparent reason, and then feeling completely fine hours later.
And there was another thing that he wasn't entirely sure about, because he was no expert, but thinking back on how active their sex life had been since they first slept together, and more obviously, since she started staying more, and then moved in?
He couldn't remember a single instance of her denying him because she had her period. He couldn't remember a single time she complained about having it. Nor could he remember a time where she wore anything more than one of his shirts to bed. - And underwear seemed a bit of a requirement for that time, at least in his admittedly less than knowledgeable mind.
"Breakfast just didn't agree with me Edward, I'm fine. - Grateful that you come home to look after me, that was very sweet. But I really am alright now." She explained sleepily and snuggled into his lap affectionately, like she wanted nothing more than to go right back to sleep with him as her pillow.
Edward cleared his throat uncomfortably, and winced at what he had to ask now.
He didn't want to freak her out, but his suspicions were mounting.
"Love, when was the last time you had your period?" Straight to the heart of it.
He cleared his throat uncomfortably again as she froze in his lap, her eyes shooting open and blinking rapidly while she chewed at her lip. Clearly thinking. Her eyes widened further. Clearly beginning to panic.
"Wha-" He started.
Edward's eyebrows shot almost into his hair as she dived out of bed and raced for the en-suite.
He stood slowly and followed at the sound of her throwing up again.
Edward hunched down behind her and rubbed her back gently, as he took hold of her hair so she could hang on to the toilet bowl with both hands, and steady herself a little more.
He wasn't really one to bet on anything, but if he was, he'd almost bet that his suspicions were just confirmed for him.
Bella rested her hot face on the cool toilet seat for a moment.
Foregoing all pride and dignity.
There really wasn't a place for either after she just threw up her stomach contents in front of him anyway.
And after she had panicked herself sick because he so brazenly asked about her period, of all things.
In her experience boys and men didn't want to acknowledge or talk about that particular bodily function. And in her limited experience, they didn't tend to notice the regularity or in this present case, complete absence of it either.
She was embarrassed, beyond belief that her boyfriend had noticed that she hadn't had her period, when she hadn't. It didn't even click when she got to the different pills in the sheets of her contraception. She was taking contraception! - And those specific pills were supposed to encourage her body into allowing her period to come.
But it hadn't.
And she was reeling. Her stomach swirling angrily at her, as she tried to work it out again, without panicking.
"Here, My Love." He held a washer out before her face. "Let's get you cleaned up hmm?"
Bella nodded dumbly and lifted her head enough to let him wipe her off, as tears built in her eyes unbidden while she stared at his oddly serious face.
Edward smiled sadly at her and tossed the washer over into the vanity sink before scooping her up into his arms, and tipping her awkwardly with a nod.
"Flush that for me, and I'll carry you back to bed." He instructed.
Bella did as he asked automatically.
And then she broke, completely overcome and overwhelmed by it all. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed.
"I'm sorry." It was muffled in his neck, but she was sure he heard it anyway.
He hadn't put her down at all, he had climbed into their bed holding her, and he had leaned back against the headboard, in the pillows, and tucked her up tighter in his arms.
He had even pulled the blankets up over her, and just let her hide and cry in his neck, while pressing his lips over and over to her temple, and stroking and patting at her gently, without removing his arms from around her at all.
"What are you sorry for?" He asked. His voice cracking with emotion.
"I haven't had my period since about a week, or maybe two before we went to Chicago... I remember because it came during the week and I was happy because I knew it would be gone again by the weekend, so I wouldn't have to deal with it and risk missing out on staying over." She explained quietly.
She pressed a needy kiss to his neck, and sobbed softly as he returned it with one to her temple.
"I still don't understand why you should be sorry Bab- My Love." He stumbled, avoiding calling her something rather awkward and telling.
"Because I should have noticed. And because I am the one who is responsible for my pill and the one who suggested we not worry about condoms too." She broke down and clung to Edward's shirt, desperately needing him to understand that she didn't mean to risk something they weren't ready for.
"Don't be sorry Bella, I only just realised that I hadn't noticed you having your period either, and yes, alright - you maybe should have noticed before I did. But I am as responsible for ensuring we are protected as you are Sweetheart." His lips were so close that they brushed the shell of her ear. "I have a drawer full of condoms Bella, one that I filled specifically with the idea of sleeping with you in my mind, and I have never used a single one with you."
He sighed heavily and pressed a desperate and drawn out kiss to her jaw, and she could tell that he was struggling to contain his own emotions by how he swallowed repeatedly and panted each breath.
He was overwhelmed too.
"We don't know that there's anything to talk about yet Love... That's... It is possible, given everything, it's reasonable to suspect that... That you are pregnant." He blew out a ragged breath after stumbling his way through to just - saying it. "And if you are, we will talk about what it means for us... I don't... I don't want you to be upset about it if you are, but I will understand if you just aren't ready."
"I've always wanted to be a Mama, and I do want... With you... I just wasn't expecting... I'm scared and overwhelmed and a bit embarrassed about not even noticing anything... And not adding it all up and suspecting it like you did." She mumbled pathetically.
Edward's hand slipped slowly over her, tentatively tracing down her arm to squeeze her hand gently, and then almost awkwardly pushing into her lap where she was curled up, to come to rest on her belly.
He cleared his throat again.
"Well, either my baby is in here, Our Baby... Or they aren't, and you genuinely do just have a bit of a bug or something... I don't want to scare you, or push you into thinking any particular thing about it... But if it is our baby, then Baby, I'm alright with it... It would be very fast, I get that... But I want you to be the Mother of my children one day... If that's sooner rather than later, I'll adjust." He kissed her temple again as she sobbed anew, falling in love with him all over again for just being so... Edward. So perfect. "As for not noticing? We've had a bit going on, adjusting to living together Bella. Don't beat yourself up for it, we both assumed your pill was taking care of things. Let's just worry about finding out for sure hmm?"
Bella let her hand fall from where she had been all but tearing at his shirt, into her lap, and over the back of his where it pressed gently to her belly.
He was right.
Now that she had calmed herself somewhat, and could focus. The next logical step was to find out if the reason she had been so tired and why she had randomly thrown up more than once that day, was because of a possible baby that they had made with their love for each other.
If the quick calculations she had done in her head were correct, then she had likely already missed her second period too.
She'd take a test just to be sure, but it felt very much like the both of them had come to the same likely positive conclusion.
She was pregnant with his child.
