It was the second day since returning from Isle Esme, and I sat on the overstuffed couch, nursing a cup of peppermint tea with Rosalie perched beside me, fussing over the number of blankets and the ambient temperature of the room.
"Are you comfortable, Bella?" she asked as she swatted my hand away when I reached for my dirty water glass, picking it up herself. "I can get you a footrest if you'd like to change positions - anything you need."
I smiled, thinking just how odd it was to have this sister in law be the one doting on me now.
"I'm OK, Rosalie, I promise. Thank you for everything."
"If you need anything at all, though, you must let me know! I'm happy to do anything I can to keep you and that precious baby happy and healthy," she replied, before speeding off to the kitchen with the dishes and trash she'd gathered from the living room. She was back before I could even react to her departure, and sat at the other end of the couch.
"I will, thanks," I told her with a sigh.
No matter how grateful I was for Rosalie's help and protection – and I was – I longed for it to be Edward by my side. He was who I really wanted to have, rubbing my back and feet and meticulously planning meals that satisfied my cravings. Still, there was no one better for a sick, tired pregnant lady to have around than Rosalie Hale. She may have missed her true calling as a doula or a baby nurse.
Almost as if he read my mind - though there was no way he had - Edward stepped lightly into the room.
I could almost feel Rosalie's icy glare as he entered and walked silently to the spot in front of me and placed a cold hand on my shoulder. His touch, no matter how innocent or mundane, would never stop doing crazy things to me. I felt my entire body relax and placed my own hand atop his.
"Yes, Rosalie, you are smelling that." His remark would have been cryptic, but I knew the only person the polite, refined Cullen siblings would speak about like that - Jacob!
Jacob's outburst at my wedding still grated at me, but I'd had time to reflect. Yes, he was jealous and possessive - and we would have words about that soon - but he saw my planned change as a death sentence. Could I blame him for acting out so desperately?
And I missed him even more intensely now that I was thinking about him again. I was in this cold place without my sun.
Edward's beautiful voice broke me out of my musings.
"Bella, my love," Edward said gently. "Would you like me to take you upstairs?"
"No!" I almost shouted. "I want to see Jake. It's been weeks."
"If I asked you to wait upstairs until I prepared him for the news-" he gestured toward my too-large belly, "would you agree to that?"
I shook my head vigorously and noticed Rosalie tense up as I did - she probably agreed with Edward this time.
"I trust him, Edward. He'd jump through a plate glass window before he would phase close to me. You know that."
Edward just pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed out an unnecessary breath in reply.
The doorbell rang.
Neither Edward nor Rosalie got up to answer, but I heard the door open, and Esme warmly invited Jacob to come inside.
Before he got to the living room, where we were, both members of my vampire protection detail had stood in front of me. I rolled my eyes and heard Jake's heavy boots on the wood floor.
"It's Jake, guys. This isn't necessary," I said, annoyed.
"Well, you sound like you, at least." I could hear the smile in Jacob's voice, though I still couldn't see past the marble pillars in front of me. "Maybe a little under the weather. Party too hard in Brazil, Bells?"
I couldn't help but chuckle, thinking back to the best moments of my honeymoon, when Edward and I came together so intimately – and gloriously.
"That's one way to put it," I joked.
Edward growled. "Could you refrain from being so crass with my wife?"
"Chill out, Eddie, it's a joke." Jacob answered with a defiant laugh.
He paused, and as I watched Edward's shoulders tense up, relax, and tense again, I got the sense he was talking to Edward in his mind, which I did not appreciate – I was right here in the room! I cleared my throat loudly.
"Human in the room, guys." I allowed my annoyance to come through in my tone. "No special powers or super-hearing here."
Edward turned his head to look down at me, and his eyes were wide, with a mixture of discomfort and…sympathy? Before I could ask, he stepped out of the way, and I saw Jacob.
"Geez, you really did party hard. You look like shit," he teased with a wicked smirk.
"Just what every girl wants to hear," I retorted, sticking out my tongue.
His chuckle over that was soft, but when I stuck my arms out for a hug, he shot me his old, sunny smile – the one just for me. I almost forgot about my bump as he leaned in and squeezed.
"Wait! Not so–" He jumped back before I could finish telling him to be gentle, his eyes bugging out, confused and concerned.
"How – I mean, what? I – what?" he sputtered.
"Yeah," I said softly, shifting the blanket to reveal my belly.
Jacob shook his head, his voice low. "The fuck?"
Edward spoke before I could say anything. "We don't know why it's progressing so quickly, either." His voice was surprisingly gentle, considering who he was speaking to. "Carlisle is monitoring her very closely. It's Bella's choice, not – well, anyway." His voice faltered as he trailed off.
Jacob looked at me, confusion changing to worry as he met my eyes.
"So, congratulations are in order?" he asked with a sad smile.
I sat up straighter, surprised. This was not the reaction I expected at all – jealousy, maybe, or yelling about my safety, as Edward had once when his anxiety won the battle.
I cocked my head to the side.
"Guess you're the dog now, Bells?" Jacob joked with a grin.
I couldn't help but beam back at him before bursting out laughing. Rosalie looked at me, concerned, but I waved her off.
"I was expecting–" I took another breath as I was more winded than I had expected. "Well, I was expecting a different reaction. Who's this new, chilled-out Jake, and what has he done with my best friend?"
I patted the spot beside me on the couch; after a nod from Edward that I knew they didn't think I noticed, he sat down. I placed a hand on his arm, but instead of taking it, he just patted it softly and set his hand on his lap. He turned his body toward me and let out a big breath.
"I actually came because I had my own news, too," he said.
In my periphery, I noticed Edward's eyes widening as he shook his head slightly.
"What is it, Jake?"
I tried to run through the possibilities in my head – I hated surprises. He didn't look exhausted, so it wasn't more rogue vampires. He wasn't sobbing, so I was pretty sure nobody had died; well, nobody else, I thought, remembering Harry Clearwater. Perhaps he had – no, he was sure that would never happen, and he was just stubborn enough that I believed him.
"I, uh – I imprinted."
Holy crow. It was that! I couldn't quite process it. Jacob imprinted, just like he never wanted to do. Would he still be himself? He seemed like himself so far, at least. Would he still be my best friend? Would he care about me and my life and protect me if my new husband and in-laws could not for some reason?
Why was I thinking about me right now?! This was my best friend, and whatever my thoughts on imprinting, it happened. He found her: the Emily to his Sam, the Edward to his Bella, even. And he didn't look upset about it.
I threw my arms around him before anyone could stop me and squeezed as hard as I could. I felt him embrace me lightly and carefully in return.
"Oh, Jacob! I am so happy for you!" I finally managed to get out. Maybe it wasn't the entire truth yet, but it would be once I could confirm his happiness. "Who is she?"
Jacob moved his big, warm hands to my shoulders. I was momentarily distracted by how good that felt on my tense muscles and wondered how opposed Edward would be to a werewolf massage therapist as my body swelled and changed. I shook the thought from my head as Jake gently pushed me back to look into my eyes. He looked…scared.
Then Edward cut in.
"Bella, you look famished. Perhaps we could get you something to eat before we continue." His tone was almost pleading.
I glared up at him.
"I'm perfectly fine, Edward," I said, furrowing my brow. I turned back to Jacob, "So – who is she? Is she from your reservation? How did you meet?"
Jacob gave me an awkward smile that was almost a grimace.
"No, she's not," he said slowly. "I, uh, I met her at your wedding."
"At my wedding?" I was genuinely surprised. He had only shown up for our dance, and then had to be pulled into the woods after our argument.
"I came back," he said, seeming to understand where my confusion came from. "To apologize to you and Edward, but you'd already left for your honeymoon."
"Oh," I replied, nodding. I was wracking my brain trying to think of who it could be. There weren't many human guests he hadn't already met, except perhaps Jessica and Angela – as much as I cared about Jess, I secretly hoped it was Angela. "So, it was someone I know."
He nodded, and I expected him to spit out who it was, but he hesitated.
"We can come back to this later," Edward interrupted. "You've had a lot today; you should rest, Bella."
This lack of manners was really out of character for him, and it was starting to get to me.
"Edward!" I scolded. "What's gotten into you today? I know you're anxious, but I'm perfectly fine. Could you please stop?"
He put his hands up in surrender.
"The pregnant lady always wins," Rosalie interjected with a sympathetic smile.
"Thank you, Rose." I nodded at her and turned back to face Jacob. "Now stop making me wait – I want to know who to threaten if she doesn't treat you right. Who is she, Jacob?"
His lips formed a straight line, and he looked past me to Edward, who was shaking his head and pleading with his eyes. Now I was pissed off.
"Goddamn it, you two! I might just be a pathetic human, but I am a big girl. Just tell me which of my friends you imprinted on!" I yelled at neither of them in particular.
"There's no need to–" Edward began, but he stopped when both Rosalie and I hit him with harsh glares.
I turned it back on Jake.
"You're not off the hook, wolf boy," I ground out. "You came here to tell me; you said so yourself."
"Well, it's – it's not one of your friends," he muttered. "She's someone's mom."
Someone's mom! I let out a hard breath. Now, it made sense that he was so hesitant to say – it was definitely an unexpected occurrence. I thought of Quil and his imprint on Emily's little niece, Claire; it was certainly a better situation than whatever that was. It couldn't be Sue Clearwater; he had seen her multiple times. Mrs. Newton was there, as were Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. Weber. I tried to recall all our guests, but the list had just kept growing and growing until I couldn't name them all.
I looked at Jacob, who looked at me like he was waiting for me to figure it out.
"Whose mom?" I asked.
He still had that stupid look on his face. Edward sighed and sat in the chair behind him.
"Whose mom was it, Jake?"
His eyes bored into mine, and he lifted his eyebrows.
Oh. Oh, no. No, it couldn't be what he seemed to be implying. There was no way in hell it was –
"MY MOM!?" I screeched.
From the rec room downstairs, I heard Emmet's booming laughter. The room spun a little as I saw Rosalie shoot off the couch and run toward the stairs at an impossible speed; a mere fraction of a second later, there was a crashing sound, like boulders running into each other.
"What the hell was that for, babe!?" I heard from below.
My head was still spinning. My mother – Jacob imprinted on my mother? How could this happen? He was even younger than me, and she was – well, my mom. He might as well have imprinted on Charlie.
"You know we can't help it, Bella," Jacob pleaded. "Remember? I told you it was beyond our control."
He was still beside me, but his eyes were wide, and his hands were up like he was scared of me. Of me!
I took a deep breath.
"I know, I know," I said, my voice shaking.
Another deep breath still didn't totally calm me, but I tried to remember all he'd said about imprinting. It was instantaneous, irrevocable, and, yes, uncontrollable. She would be the new center of his world like gravity holding him, and he would be whatever she needed: lover, friend, or brother.
Brother. That thought did calm me slightly. He would be like a friend or little brother to her, and his practical, detail-oriented, go-getter nature really could support Renee's flighty nature, like Phil's did. Except that, instead of focusing on his unlikely shot at fame, Jacob would focus on her well-being. She could be the fun aunt for his future children and keep Billy company while he was on patrols. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.
I must have been stuck in my thoughts longer than I assumed as I finally noticed that both Edward and Jacob were looking at me with intense concern in their eyes. Edward had even crouched down on the floor beside me and taken my hand, and I hadn't even noticed it. I squeezed his hand.
"I'm sorry, Jacob," I whispered. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
He shook his head. "S'Okay, Bells. I kind of anticipated a big reaction."
"This is really not what I expected, you know?" I managed to stutter out. I chewed on my lip. "I expected you to say it was Angela or something."
Jacob's eyebrows furrowed, likely trying to recall who Angela was.
"Your friend with the glasses?" he asked. I nodded. "Yeah, she was cool. Real quiet like, though."
I heard Edward let out a disgusted huff, and Jake just laughed.
"What?" I asked, annoyed again. "Let me in on the joke."
Jacob chuckled again, and opened his mouth, but Edward cut him off.
"He's had another extremely crude thought, not appropriate for mixed company."
Both Jacob and I rolled our eyes.
"What Tipper Gore here's trying to say is that I wondered, but didn't say out loud for a reason–" He shot Edward a pointed look. "If the stereotype was true."
"What stereotype?" I asked.
Jacob shook his head.
"That the quiet ones are the freakiest," he mumbled. My mouth popped open – how dare he?! "See? I wasn't planning on saying it out loud, and it just popped into my head, but this one won't stay out of my head for five seconds. Or keep his trap shut about it, at least."
That made sense. I knew that I was often glad that my mind was closed to Edward, and I didn't have to monitor or justify every stray thought that popped in there. And, of course, if Jacob were intrigued by the possibilities that Angela might open up for his love life, that would be pretty fantastic – as long as he kept their private activities private, of course. He wouldn't be able to hide it from the pack, but he didn't need to share it with me.
"Don't worry about it, Jacob; I understand," I said with a smile. "Besides, I think she and Ben recently split. You know, if you wanted to test your theory yourself. Just – just don't share the details, OK?"
He cocked an eyebrow and looked at me strangely.
"I just told you I imprinted on Renee, dude. Why are you trying to hook me up with your friend?"
Now, it was my turn to look at him strangely.
"Because it's my mom, so it's obviously not that kind of imprint, and you can't stay a bachelor forever." I had to stop myself from adding a very teenage 'duh!' to the end of my sentence.
Jacob squirmed in his spot and grimaced. Edward stood up quickly.
"You don't owe us the details of your…situation, Jacob," he said, sounding very uncomfortable.
"Thanks, Eddie," he replied, and Edward cringed at the nickname. Jacob stilled. "But I think I might have to, or she'll never figure it out at this rate."
I looked at Jacob. It began to dawn on me, but I couldn't accept it.
"What about Phil?" I asked too loudly.
"What about Phil?" came his reply. Again, my mouth gaped open, but he continued before I could say anything. "Bells, they've been on the outs for months; they separated like, over a month ago."
"But he came to my wedding!" I shrieked.
"Yeah, for you. You're still his stepkid; he still loves you." Jacob's face softened. "They didn't want your wedding to be about their split, so they weren't going to tell you until later."
"Oh, and you know all this because you're just so connected with Renee, right? You just know what's going on?" I sounded like a snot-nosed brat, and I knew it, but I couldn't stop. Jacob stood up quickly and crossed the room, taking visibly deep breaths. "So you're just going to drop that on me and run now?"
Edward's grip on my hand tightened slightly, and I tried to shake him off, but he wouldn't let go.
"Bella, the baby," Rosalie said softly from the entryway, "And your heart."
I hadn't noticed her return nor Emmett's presence behind her. She was right. I closed my eyes and tried the square breathing technique Carlisle had taught me to calm myself. The baby's rapid growth was beginning to strain my heart as my blood volume increased so abnormally fast. I heard her counting slowly, and when I finally opened my eyes, I felt more like myself.
Jacob looked calmer, too, like he had followed along.
"Bella?" he asked. I nodded and closed my eyes again. I still couldn't look at him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't running away. I wasn't even losing control; I just didn't want to risk anything. I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you…or your baby."
I felt a pang in my chest. Jacob was now only the second person behind Rosalie to express any concern for my baby. Everyone was worried about me, but not even Edward cared about our child. I couldn't push Jake away over this; he was still my most loyal friend and the one who knew me, inside and out, like nobody else. I opened my eyes to meet his.
"You won't hurt me, Jake. I trust you." He visibly relaxed. "Please come sit with me again."
Without looking at Edward for approval this time, he joined me on the couch again.
"So," he said.
"So," I replied.
"We're kind of…family now?" he asked.
I took his hand, intertwining my fingers with his and squeezing.
"We were always family, Jake." He squeezed back, and we both let go. My hand didn't feel empty this time like it had so many times before. "But I'm not calling you Dad."
Jacob looked like he was holding in gas for a moment and then started wheezing. I panicked as he doubled over and shook and shot my hand onto his back. He kept shaking and looked over at me with tears in his eyes.
He was laughing. So hard that he'd stopped making any sound at all.
I looked over at Edward, who was now stifling a grin. Rosalie was stone-faced as usual, and Emmett was in the same state as Jake. I sighed – this was going to be my life for a while.
Finally, Jacob started gasping for breath and making noise again, but the tears still flowed down his face.
"Oh, God, Bella, I needed that. Fuck."
"Glad to oblige." I rolled my eyes. "Just spare me the details when you finally – you know…and we'll be good."
His eyes went wider than I'd ever seen. Oh, dear God… My shoulders dropped, and I shot him the most judgmental look I think I've ever given.
I gagged a little. "Ugh, you're so gross."
"Nice!" Emmett called from his spot in the room. I saw him grin at Jacob and give him a thumbs up. "Renee keeps that shit tight!"
Rosalie smacked him in the chest.
"Jesus, woman! Why do you keep hitting me?"
"'Oh, Gaston, you are positively primeval,'" she answered him, shooting me another sympathetic look.
I snorted. Emmett looked confused.
"What does that even mean?"
"We'll have a movie night later, Emmett," Edward offered. He looked completely over this entire day.
Emmett shook his head, muttering something I couldn't make out as he turned to go back downstairs. Nobody stopped him.
Jacob cleared his throat.
"Well, Bells." He slapped his thighs. "I do have to get back home to set some things up. Renee is flying back Monday. I was going to invite you two out to dinner with us next week, but I didn't know about your…condition. Are you up to going out, or could we bring something here one night?"
I took a moment to think about it. I knew I couldn't handle a trip into Forks, let alone the drive to Port Angeles, where there were proper restaurants. But was I ready to hang out with my mom and Jacob as a couple? Just the thought of it felt so very wrong. And how would I explain how I looked like I was in my second trimester when I probably would have only just discovered a normal pregnancy?
"Uh, wait, Jake? What does she know about…" I waved my hand around the room, gesturing to all the supernatural creatures around me.
"She knows about the wolves, the imprint, and the Cold Ones," he said. "Not about the Cullens, though. Figured that's kinda your call."
"Thank you," Edward interjected. It didn't bother me this time – treaty matters were definitely more his business than even mine, and precisely what Renee is or isn't told falls under that.
I looked back up to Edward, who had remained standing since he got back up. He smiled at me and nodded as if he knew what I would have asked him already.
Turning back to Jacob, I decided to accept his offer of dinner.
"We would love to see you and Mom next week. You don't need to bring anything, though; I can't go out, and I don't want anything fancy. Please let us order some pizzas, OK?"
Jacob smiled and nodded, then stood up. He bent down for a parting hug, but I shook my head. I held my free hand out to him, and he and Edward helped me stand. When I pulled my hand from Edward's this time, he released it, and I wrapped my arms around Jacob's waist. He pulled me in close and rested his cheek on the top of my head.
As I hugged my best friend, I felt the little life inside me squirm around, then give a firm, swift kick right against Jake's stomach.
He jumped back, his eyes gleaming.
"Was that–" I smiled and nodded, so happy again to have someone else be excited about it. He looked from my face down to my stomach and back again. "Can I – can I feel it?"
"Of course!" I almost shouted – a happy shout this time – and glared at Edward before he could growl.
I felt the heat from Jake's hands as they settled on either side of my bump. The baby was moving more toward the front, so I gently moved his hands there, and my little Nudger complied, giving another kick that made Jacob gasp.
"This is so cool," he said, almost reverently. He kept his hands in place for a few more seconds, but when my breathing started to change from standing, he let go and helped me sit back down.
"Thanks," I said with a smile. "I guess he loves his Uncle Jakey."
"Yeah," he answered, then he ruffled my hair and stepped back, a wicked grin splitting his face. "He does love his Grandpa Jake."
Edward huffed and rolled his eyes, and I grabbed the pillow from behind me and chucked it at Jacob, missing him by…well, by a lot. He laughed as he left the room, but stopped near the front door, and looked back at me with a big, sunny smile.
"Love you, Bells. I'll text you about dinner, OK?"
I rolled my eyes again.
"Fine, Jake," I said in a monotone. "Love you, too."
He nodded and left.
When the door closed behind him, I took another deep breath, and Edward let me pull him down beside me. I cuddled into his side, and he adjusted the blanket between us and kissed my forehead.
"God, he can be infuriating," I muttered, shaking my head.
Edward chuckled. "I agree wholeheartedly, my love. But I must credit him for choosing not to say what he was thinking as he left."
"Oh, God," I groaned. "Do I even want to know?"
"He was planning to open the door, shout, and I quote, 'Becoming your new Daddy gives me at least another twenty-five years,' then slam it shut before you could answer."
Oh, that little… I couldn't decide whether to be annoyed or amused, so I just grit my teeth and nuzzled further into my husband. He ran his fingers through my hair, giving me a light scalp massage, and as I closed my eyes to relish the feeling, I felt a cold, familiar hand gently settle on my belly, low and to the side. Instead of a kick, the baby nuzzled his head toward Edward's hand. I hummed in contentment, just glad that something about today – as insane as it was – had changed us for the better.
I had my little family – messy, chaotic, and imperfect, but mine. I would keep my best friend, my mother, and my child. Whatever the future held for us, it was going to be OK. Maybe even better.