Thursday, March 13, 2008

Epilogue

Epilogue-

(Five years after last chapter)

Bella

"Bella, come on the car is here!" Edward called from the bottom of the stairs.

I really didn't see the need for me to go with him, this kind of shit made me nervous and he knew it. I think to be honest this time he was just as nervous as I was. Otherwise I really don't think he would ask me to go. I mean he has taken Alice and Jasper twice, Esme and Carlisle flew out with him as well. Emmett and Rosalie were going with us this time. We were all packed, our dresses picked out and we just simply had to get out the door in time to catch the plane.

I worried about Makenna again. I knew she was with Charlie and Sue but I still worried. I mean we had left her alone in her five years but not often. Neither Edward nor I could take it for long so we always ended up going back and getting her or just giving in and taking her with us when we left. She had so eloquently told me as we were saying our goodbyes, "Mommy, I am big now and you can go with Daddy. I will take good care of G'pa and SueSue." I wiped the tears away from my eyes and told her how proud I was of her, kissed her goodbye and left holding a tight grip on Edward's hand.

Thankfully when we reached the airport I was too busy to worry yet again if I was doing the right thing by leaving her. We checked our bags, checked in and waited to be called to board.

Rose and I made small talk while we waited. Emmett and Edward played some racing game that Emmett had downloaded on his phone. Emmett and Rosalie had moved back to Forks after they graduated from college. Rosalie opened her own business. She restored and sold cars. Emmett helped out at the shop with her but his real love was his after school coaching job. He adored those kids and it was so fun to watch the football games every Friday night. I don't know who gets more involved Em, Jasper or Edward. Alice and Jasper live in Seattle. Jasper went on to be a History Professor and Alice works for a small design firm. She's working her way up at a rapid pace. We all were so proud of all of them.

Carlisle and Esme are beside themselves to have all of us so close. I knew that they were secretly hoping that Alice and Jasper would add to the one grandchild and one on the way that they currently have. Rose and Emmett are expecting their first child; she's about five months along. Just pregnant enough to be beautiful and not so much that she looks like a whale. Her words, not mine.

We arrived to the already blistering heat that was LA at a little after ten in the morning. After checking into the hotel Rose and I went our separate ways, only to then rush down to the spa to make our appointments. This was to be a day of beauty for us, after all the spa treatments we would be met in our suite for hair and make-up. Rose loved the whole day, me…yeah not so much. It just wasn't me, I preferred a quiet evening at home with Edward and Makenna.

As if he could read my mind he sent me a text.

Somebody wants you, somebody needs you

Somebody dreams about you every single night

Somebody can't breathe, without you it's lonely

Somebody hopes that one day you will see

That's somebody's me

It certainly wasn't easy to keep up with a songwriter in the sweet department. I mean the man had lines like this all damn day long. How did he honestly expect me to come back from something like that? I closed out the text and called him.

"Hey baby, I got your text." I purred into the phone.

"You did, I didn't text you?" He joked, I could hear the laughter below the surface as he spoke.

"Well then Mister someone is really hung up on me and you had better watch your back." Two could play this game.

"Oh is that so, Mrs. Cullen?" Even after five years he still loved to call me that, and I have to confess that after all this time I still loved to hear it. My heart still raced every time he said it.

"Did you get the text from my Dad? He sent us a picture of Mak in the car with the lights going and his hat on." That little girl was certainly not going to doubt her worth to the family, she was spoiled by every single one of us, entirely too much.

"I got it and called to tell her that she should consider being the next Chief, she looked great in the hat." We both knew without a doubt that Edward would never consider that career for his girl. Not that he doubted that she could do it but it would break his heart each and every shift she walked out the door and he had to worry if she was ever coming home. He was indeed a softy at heart.

"Yeah well I couldn't call the technician decided that it was time to stick a hot wax strip to my body at that moment and let's just say that with the words coming out of my mouth after that you would not have wanted me to call and talk with our daughter. I will call her later though just before we go, she made me promise that Rose and I would send her a picture of us in our dresses." I guess Edward really wasn't the only one that was wrapped around that little girl's finger.

I would like to say that going back to school with Mak in tow was a struggle, but really it wasn't. Thanks to the money that was left to both Edward and I we were able to buy a large house not too far from campus. We worked our class schedules around each other and tried to be at home with her as much as possible. It was fairly simple. I know that the money really made things possible. We never had to worry about working to live, or in fact about money at all. That was a fact that I couldn't be more thankful for at all. In fact one of the first things we did after we established our careers was start a scholarship fund for students with children. We wanted to take the chance to pay it forward. Would either of us trade that money for our parents, hell yes, but we recognize the opportunity they gave us. Besides with Mrs. Turner's help we had it made. She cooked most days that we were in class, kept up with the housework and took excellent care of Makenna. She moved back to Forks with us and she trades off her days between our house, Rose's, Sue's and Esme's to help us all keep up with things. We are certainly spoiled. Makenna loves her; she thinks of her as part of the family.

"Wait, Bella, what did you get waxed?" Edward was suddenly very interested in what I was saying. His voice lifted in excitement and anticipation.

"I have to go Edward, they're calling me in to get my nails done. Love you." I snapped the phone closed. I didn't mean to reveal that little piece of information. Edward certainly loved it when I waxed but with Makenna that wasn't possible all the times. I pulled it out for special occasions and this was certainly a special occasion. We would be here in LA till Monday evening and I was going to make good use of it. This was going to be Mommy and Daddy's special time, if you know what I mean.

The next few hours were a serious blur. We were primped and dressed. Edward and Emmett met us in the lobby as we made our way to the car that would take us out for the evening. I was so glad to have that car in fact, there was no telling exactly how late or how much we would be dealing with tonight and it was a great comfort to have the car at our disposal.

Edward's eyes slid over the contours of my body several times while we were in the car. I could feel the heat radiating off of him and it seemed to increase with each pass of his eyes. I certainly would be riding his lap right now if we were alone. But…we weren't so I was trying to hold it together. Besides I was smoking hot if I do say so myself and there is no way I could fix the hair or make up it took a team to put together for me tonight. And there was no way I was going to show up looking like I was taking a walk of shame instead of arriving in style.

Emmett lightened the mood by grapping Edward's phone and took several pictures of us all and texted them to Makenna. Then we called her to make sure she got the photos and say good night. Charlie and Sue agreed that she could stay up just a little longer before they would put her in bed. "Momma but I won't see Daddy that way." She begged. I almost gave in and Edward was already whispering to me that she could stay up. Sue, thankfully, saved the day and promised the Grandpa and Grandma was recording it on the DVR for her to watch tomorrow when they picked her up so she could stay with them. Carlisle and Esme would keep her for the rest of the weekend so she could swim and watch her Daddy on the TV tomorrow with them. She settled down and blew us all a kiss before she scampered off to eat her popcorn with G'pa and watch some baseball.

Before I knew it, we had arrived. Emmett and Rose decided earlier this afternoon that they didn't want to enter through the front doors with us since she was pregnant. Emmett didn't want her jostled or rushed around, besides this would take us a long time to make the short walk into the venue. We let them off around at the back entrance and once Edward made sure they got inside, he made his way back to the car with me. As soon as the door closed he pulled me into his arms and onto his lap. His lips assaulted mine as I tried to pull away. "Don't do that, baby, I need to kiss you. Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" He murmured against my lips as his ghosted across mine and his hand trailing along my thigh and moving towards the feathers that adorned my skirt.

"Edward, we can't make out in this car, first of all the driver will see. Secondly I can't fix the hair and make-up that you paid a fortune for a team of people to put on me." He chuckled and pulled back but only far enough to kiss my bare shoulder as his hand slid under the strap that covered the other shoulder.

"You will be mine after this whole damn thing is over, say you will." The look in his eyes was almost feral. I knew that he played it cool on the outside but deep inside these events worked his nerves just like they did for me. We both enjoyed our quiet, peaceful life in Forks. Everyone in town knew what Edward and I did for a living but no one made a big deal about it, and for that we were thankful. That reason alone made it simple for Edward and I both to do our jobs and still maintain a normal life. No one really cared that I had written two books and that Edward had several songs on the charts right now. We lived our lives and no one cared. We were just Edward and Bella to them.

"I am always yours. Every day of forever, remember?" I used his words on him. I knew he would remember them and why he used them himself. Obviously I was right because a smile graced his face, not the tightlipped smile he put on when ever there was a camera, it was the smile he used when we were alone. It was my smile, the one that pulled up on one corner of his mouth farther than the other corner, it made his eyes slightly wrinkle at the corners and it made my heart sing every time he used it.

Edward and I made our way down the red carpet. He answered the same questions at each stop we made. I tried to hang back and stay out of the spotlight but that never happened. Edward's tight grip on my hand never let me further than an arm's length away from him, usually much closer. He smiled and answered all the questions politely, he was such a charmer. I could see the trail of melted hearts in our wake. I couldn't blame any of them; he won me over the same way.

I stepped into the cafeteria for the first time. I reached around and pulled my book bag to the front of my body and unzipped it. I reached inside for my lunch and realized that it wasn't there. No lunch. I sighed in defeat and made my way to the salad line. Surely they couldn't screw up salad, right? When I slid my hand into my jeans pocket to pull out the cash that Charlie gave me I realized there was no cash either. I guess in my haste to be out of the Chief of Police's car I left both my lunch and lunch money. I made my way to the empty table in the back and tried to blend in. I pulled out my book and tried to look engrossed, hoping that no one would want to sit with me and disturb my intense reading session. I was wrong. I was assaulted from all sides, literally.

Alice and her boyfriend approached from my right. Another couple approached from my left and converged on the table all at once. I had made the mistake of sitting at Alice Cullen's table. She was nice enough and shared her World History book with me during the last period until the teacher could get one for me. She was sweet, but very talkative. Very talkative.

"Bella, how did you know this was our table? Never mind, I'm glad you sat with me. I'll introduce you to my family. This is Jasper, my boyfriend. This is Emmett, my brother and Rosalie, my sister who is also Emmett's girlfriend. And this good for nothing is Edward, also my brother." Alice said all of this with one breath and lots of waving of the hands. I felt lightheaded just listening to her talk. When she waved her hands behind me I turned to see Edward had arrived with a full lunch tray.

"Dude, how much are you eating?" Emmett asked swiping a banana off of his tray. Edward reached over and smacked his upside the head but never took back the banana. I could see that the gesture was just that a gesture and not really meant to hurt him.

"Well, this must be our already famous new girl."Edward asked taking up the available seat between Emmett and me. I started sputtering. And Edward threw up a hand to stop me. "Relax, Bella, I'm joking. Alice told me who you were on the way to lunch." I did relax with his words. I had no desire to be famous because that involved lots of attention and I did not like attention. "Hey, where's your lunch?" Edward asked around a bite of his pizza.

"Well, I guess in my haste to get out of the most embarrassing ride in town I left it on the front seat of the cruiser." I offered.

"Dude, I disagree. The most embarrassing ride has to be hands down," Emmett took a huge bite of his hamburger before finishing, "the Hurst. The cruiser will never ever touch the Hurst." Rosalie smacked him on the back of the head, I assume for talking with his mouth full at the same time Jasper threw a fry at him. I on the other hand agreed with his wholeheartedly. The cruiser was not as bad as a hurst.

Edward turned back to me and scooted his tray towards me slightly. "Here eat some of this stuff, surely there's something on here that you like. We can't have the prettiest girl in school starving in the midst of all this food." I blushed and grabbed an apple. He pushed the extra slice of pizza at me as well. Throughout lunch the entire table kept me entertained. I realized as the bell sounded that I enjoyed myself and really looked forward to being friends with this crazy group of people. Some more than others.

A question snapped me back into reality. I pretended like I had a hard time hearing over the noise and she politely asked again. "Who are you wearing?" I answered like I was coached to do and listen to her fawn over wedding ring. She made a comment about how lucky I was. I had to bite my tongue to tell her that I knew without a doubt about the exact amount of my luck, but I figured that was for another time.

We eventually made it to the end of the carpet and was ushered inside and shown our seats. Emmett and Rosalie were like two kids in a candy store, with so many celebrities to meet in one place. Emmett shook hands with Elton John and Rosalie was bragging about meeting Prince. I only wanted one thing, to get this over with and get back to our hotel.

The night was actually enjoyable as we watched the performances and listened to celebrities thank God for their awards. Most of them were sincere but a few made me snicker. We were down to the last three categories. This was when the nerves kicked in. Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year, those were the last three remaining Grammy's to give away. Edward was part of the first two. The song he wrote for Makenna and I the day she was born was up for Song of the Year and his most recent project was co-producer for a new act that was up for Album of the Year.

This wasn't his first award for his songwriting talents but this was his first Grammy nomination. He said somehow this was different than all the others. There's just something about a Grammy he said. Either way I was proud of him.

We watched as the winners of last year's Song of the Year made their way to the stage and joked through the monologue that preceded the nominees. I listened as each song clip was played. I liked them all but none compared to Edward's song. It held so much meaning for us and to us. And while I loved the performance of that song, none held a candle to when Edward sang it to me. Nothing would ever be better than that.

Finally, they announced Edward's name as the winner. He stood and hugged me to him, tighter than he has ever held me before. As he pulled away he said to me, "You, it's all because of you. You know that right?" I nodded, too emotional to actually say words right now. His long legs carried him to the podium and he took his Grammy.

I held my breath as he spoke; he simply looked breath taking up there. "Wow, thanks so much for this. This has been such a long journey and I feel like now I can look back on it and say it was a good journey. I wrote this song on one of the happiest days of my life and to know that it touches you all in the same way is overwhelming." He ran a hand through his hair. I could tell he was struggling with holding his emotions together. When he had them in control he looked back up and our eyes connected. "Bella, the journey was worth it. Every single step, every single word, not because of this award but because in the end I have you and Mak and that is enough for me." I tried to hold my emotions in, I was afraid that the camera would be shining on my face and putting our personal moment on display for the whole world. "Thanks to everyone who has helped make this song possible. Oh yeah and thanks to God." I giggled as he, in his own way, made fun of the night and those who were so caught up in it.

Edward was once again called up to accept a Grammy for Album of the year with his co-producer and the artist. This time he kept his speech of thanks to those that helped his career.

When the ceremony was over we made our way to the after party. We partied like rock stars and while it was fun to see all the celebrities and talk with them, I really only had one place I wanted to be…in bed with Edward, alone.

We used Emmett and Rosalie as our excuse to get out of there and were more than happy to do so. Once we dropped them off at their room two floors below ours we quickly made our way back to the elevator.

As soon as we hit the door, the clothes started to come off. The dress was left on the floor with one swift tug of the zipper and the shoes ended up who knows where. The jewelry I left on the dresser and I dropped to the bed in just my panties. I turned over on my stomach to give Edward a full view of the cheeks that were hanging out of the bottom of those panties, that man had a thing for cheeky panties. I heard him groan from the doorway as he finished removing his clothes.

The bed dipped from his weight and I sighed when he laid his body down over mine. His hard cock pressing into my ass, I could feel the soft skin against the bare parts. Edward pushed up on his forearms and slid his cock into the back of my underwear, the lace held him against me as he pushed himself back and forth across me. I know how sexy the lacy felt when I moved certain ways as it strained against me so I am sure he was in heaven feeling it slide along his shaft.

"Have I told you what a beautiful ass you have?" He murmured against the back of my neck.

"No."

"Well you do, it makes me want to lick it, bite it and do all sorts of nasty things to it." Edward's dirty talk always made me soaked but tonight especially. Tonight we were no longer Mommy and Daddy, we were full grown adults who were getting the chance to have a night alone. And boy what I had planned for that night alone.

"Then bite it." I sassed.

His groan grew softer as he pushed down the bed until he was at his desired location. He leaned down and bit the soft flesh where my thighs joined my legs and then began to suck the skin. Unable to keep still, I shimmed up on my knees a little and pushed against his face. I wanted him to pull the underwear off and push right into me, nothing slow tonight, I wanted a hard fast fucking. Edward had other plans. He pushed down on my ass so that my hips rested back against the bed and proceeded to kiss and suck on every inch of my skin on the back side of my body.

By the time he got to the point where he was pulling my knees back up and removing my panties I was certain that I would come at his first touch. His single finger slowly pushed into me and immediately pulled right back out. He spread all of my wetness around, making sure to touch all of the sensitive spots.

Women have orgasms for many reasons with many different stimuli. I can have an orgasm with clit stimulation and let me tell you that Edward's mouth is perfect at that. Or I can have an orgasm with penetration; however the most powerful ones are when I get both stimulated at the same time.

Edward's fingers slipped back into me and I raised my hips a little further when he shifted into position under me. His talented mouth began to suck on my clit while his fingers worked their way in and out of my pussy. I rocked back and forth across his face, while words slipped out of my mouth at random.

"Fuck yes, oh God, please don't stop." My rocking increased along with the pressure he applied to my clit. I felt one of his fingers pull out of me and spread the moisture around, then he slid three fingers back into me and curled them forward. Just when I felt the familiar tingling begin to engulf my body, Edward began to slowly work his finger around on my ass. He applied gentle pressure as he slowly worked his finger in. I never really thought that this would be an act that I would enjoy but right at this moment all I could think about was having his finger all the way in working me from that side as well. I pushed back against his hand as hard as I could, forcing his finger all the way in.

Words were lost at this point, I could only make sounds. Gasping and moaning at the most. My knees gave out and I slide down harder onto Edward's face but he kept up his assault with his tongue.

"Fuck yes, please." I panted as I pulled my hands off of the bed and sat down fully on Edward's face. This forced his hand further inside me. His fingers curled again towards the front of my body and worked my G-spot.

Stars and spots began to form in front of my eyes as I gave into the sensation of his actions. The fire ripped through my body and replaced the strain with an intense pleasure. No words, no sounds were possible when the orgasm engulfed me. Just feelings.

I dropped my hands back down onto the bed and attempted to maneuver off of Edward's face. My body didn't seem to be in the mood to cooperate with my brain. Edward moved me off of him and turned us both onto our sides to face each other. I could see his face glisten in the lamplight; I have covered him with my pleasure. I wanted to lick his face and kiss his mouth, to taste what he tasted but my body was too weak to carry out my plan. So I lay still with him.

I searched his face and watched him searching mine. He was right every single step, no matter how painful or hard, was worth it to be where we were right this moment. I decided that this was the moment that I would share my secret with him; the secret that I have been keeping for two weeks. No one else knew, this time I would do it right, I would tell the man who deserved to know first. I had planned to tell him tomorrow at lunch. I had made reservations for a seaside restaurant that had an incredible patio for us. I thought the setting would be perfect but this that we shared between us was the perfect setting.

"Edward, I need to tell you something." I whispered.

"Shh, baby, no talking now. We can talk later, right now I want to just hold you." He whispered back.

"I think this is something that you are going to want to hear." He pulled back and looked deep in my eyes. He nodded at me to continue. "Well, our lives are sort of settled again and we agreed that after we got settled we would start trying to have another baby, right?" He nodded again. "Well, it looks like we don't have to worry about that." His arms tightened around me. "I'm pregnant." I whispered again, the words seemed too important to shout them. They seemed like they needed to be kept between us before we told others.

"Bella?" His voice sounded confused, maybe a little angry.

I rushed to explain. "I don't know what happened, I didn't plan this, it just sort of popped up on me. Really, please don't be angry. We were going to start trying soon anyway." He put his finger over my lips and stopped my rambling.

"When did you find out?" He asked.

"I went to the doctor about two weeks ago. I wanted to tell you tomorrow at lunch, that's the reason that I planned the lunch was so we would be in the perfect place for the news but now just seemed right." I was praying that he understood why I held onto this news till now.

"What did the doctor say?" He asked, I was still unable to decipher the tone of his voice.

"Well, actually I just did the pregnancy test and took the vitamins. I wanted you to be with me from the start on this one and I just couldn't stand the thought of seeing Dr. Jones without you, so I didn't see her." I shrugged, not really having anything else to offer him except my simple explanation.

We stared at each other for the longest time. I was too afraid to speak, too afraid of his response and he just didn't offer one right away. I closed my eyes as I felt the first tear break free.

"Oh Bella, why are you crying?" He asked.
"I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear, I just wanted to do it right this time." I sobbed into his shirt.

"Oh, baby, you do everything right. Don't cry." He kissed my temple and soothed my hair. I was so confused now for sure. His sweet words and the stoniness of his face didn't seem to match.

"I don't understand, how did I do this right? I screwed up again." I said.

"Never, this is our baby, how can that be a screw up?" He asked as the joy cracked through the stone and lit up his face.

"You're not mad?" I blinked back the tears to be able to see him clearly.

"About you being pregnant? No, about you wanting to tell me the right way and planning this big lunch, never. I love you and want this with you." He kissed me and showed me exactly how not mad he was. "In fact, I was planning to ask you to stop taking the pills tonight. I was laying here working up the courage to ask you when you delivered your news." He chuckled. "I guess my shock was misunderstood, huh?"

"Yeah, to say the least." I smacked his arm but pulled him right back into me to hold on to him.

"We're going to have another baby." He murmured. Then he pulled his body over mine and made sweet love to me.

The next afternoon, we talked Emmett and Rosalie into heading home. We were so excited to share our news but we wanted Makenna to be the next to hear. She had been asking for a baby brother for so long now. Every since she found out that Emmett and Rosalie was having a girl in fact.

The plane ride home was spent time reflecting. The only conclusion at the end was simply this…I loved my husband, I loved my daughter and this new baby in my belly, I loved my life. I would never doubt him again. I would never make decisions for him; and I certainly would ask from now on instead of listening to the believable lies.

The End

Friday, March 7, 2008

Chapter 29- In My Daughter's Eyes

Chapter 29- In My Daughter's Eyes

Edward

Holding Bella's hand and watching her pain as she pushed with all of her might was indescribable. She was a fighter; fighting against nature, against the naysayers, against the forces that were trying to keep happiness just out of our reach. I have never seen determination like I saw in her eyes. She was willing to work as hard as she needed to in order to get our sweet baby girl here as quickly as she could. Bella was making sure that Makenna got here quick enough so that she didn't have to be subjected to any more dips in her heart rate. So that the danger was over and our girl was in our arms, right where she belonged. It was also Bella's way of fighting for us, showing me that the most important people in her life were in this room and she was now strong enough to fight for us as a family. Our happiness meant more than anything else. I finally felt the last piece of the wall that stood between Bella and I fall and shatter at our feet.

Tears stood at the edge of Bella's eyes. I didn't know the exact cause of them, whether they were emotions or pain, but I gripped her hand tighter and followed the doctor's instructions. I counted with her, I breathed with her and prayed that what we were doing was enough. After just a few pushes, I lost exact count, I could see Makenna's head crowning. Bella seemed so tired and almost ready to give up. Before I knew what I was doing I took her hand and lead it down to where Makenna's head was just barely poking out. "That's our girl, right there. She is almost here with us. Push, Bella, get her here." Dr. Jones' mouth stood open in shock but it was the encouragement that Bella needed. She pulled her legs back just a little further, sat up and dropped her chin to her chest. When that next contraction hit Bella pushed with inhuman strength. My eyes shifted back and forth between Bella's exhausted face and Makenna's head making its entrance. Inch by inch, Makenna eased out. I whispered to Bella, "I can see her ears and forehead." Bella pushed harder.

Before I could give the update Dr. Jones called out to Bella. "Hold on the head's out, rest for a few seconds, we need to clean her up." I could see Dr. Jones moving around and the nurses begin to move in closer in preparation. I stood staring down at Bella, she was enthralled at what the doctor was doing but I was enthralled at her. She was sweaty; her hair was wild and splayed all around her. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone with unshed tears. She was simply breathtaking. I have never been more in love with her than I was at this exact moment. Bella must have felt my gaze roaming over her because she looked back towards me and mouthed 'I love you'. I leaned down to kiss her, my silent return of her sentiment. Dr. Jones called out to Bella. "Okay, dear on the next contraction, let's push her out." Esme and I each gripped Bella's hand and Bella sat forward in preparation to push.

Sure enough with the next push at 11:52 pm Makenna Grace was born. Dr. Jones looked up at me and asked the age old question. "Daddy, would you like to cut the cord?" I nodded my acceptance as I looked at Bella. She was staring at our baby girl. So I stepped down and took the scissors and cut in the area where Dr. Jones indicated.

Once the cord was cut the nurses rushed Makenna over to the bassinet and cleaned her up. I felt drawn to her as if by cutting the cord that detached her from Bella actually created a cord between her and I. I stepped over and took in every single inch of her tiny little body. She was so beautiful. She had a combination of mine and Bella's hair coloring. It was most the dark coffee colored that Bella had given her with the crazy mix of bronze that she inherited from me. Her eye color was all mine but the shape was definitely Bella's, as were her eyebrows. Makenna also had Bella's skin tone and nose, but her jaw and lips were exact copies of mine. The nurse called out her weight, six pounds nine ounces. It looks like she will be closer to Bella's frame than mine. I had to give thanks for that, I didn't want my little girl to be a giant freak of nature taller than all the boys so that they were afraid to ask her out. Wait, on second thought that might not be such a bad thing.

Esme drifted over and held Makenna's little hand. Her cries could be heard from all over the room. She was definitely not happy with the treatment the nurses were giving her. Once she was all cleaned up and her footprints were done, the nurse showed me how to put a diaper on her. I left the clothes to the experts though, I wasn't sure I was ready to put clothes on her when she seemed to have little control over her tiny body. The more I talked to her the calmer she became and she almost settled completely when the nurse laid her in my shaking arms. I gazed down at her in wonder; she was as breathtaking as her mother was. I knew without a doubt that she would hold my heart in the palm of her hand; I was completely taken with her.

I glanced over at Bella. She was lying perfectly still in bed, just watching Makenna and I. I moved towards her, I wanted to present Bella with our daughter. "Look at her, Bella, she's so beautiful. She looks like both of us." Tears formed at the corner of my eyes. I was overcome with gratitude that all the tiny decisions that ended up taking us down the path that led us to this moment had happened. As hard as they were to live through at the time I was thankful for them at this moment. And I certainly wouldn't trade a single moment of it away.

I snapped out of my mental gratitude when Bella reached out her arms for Makenna. The second Bella's arms wrapped around Makenna all noise ceased. Bella spoke softly to her and Makenna just stared at her mommy. It was beyond words.

Soon all the activity of the birth ceased and nurses were now all gone from the room. It left a nice quiet void. Esme had also stepped out to retrieve Charlie and Carlisle. I watched Bella talk to our daughter.

I drifted back over to the bedside and joined Bella while she talked about Makenna's features. We talked about each feature that she had contributed to her. Bella was thankful that she had my green eyes. I however, was sad about this fact. I wanted her to have Bella's warm rich brown eyes. Bella was also thankful for the combination of our hair coloring, she did comment that it looked like Makenna's would be somewhat unruly like mine. It was curlier than Bella's so that must have come from me as well. Bella echoed my sentiments that we were just glad she was here and perfectly healthy.

All at once Charlie, Carlisle and Esme rushed back into the room. They brought flowers, balloons and stuffed animals. I handed Makenna over to Esme who supervised the grandfathers and I made my way to Bella's bed. I scooted as close to her as I could and wrapped my arms around her. She began to doze off as I spoke softly to her. I told her how magnificent she was, how proud I was of her and how beautiful our baby girl was. I kissed her temple and really just wanted to get closer. I wanted to climb inside and just be with her if that were possible. Since I knew it wasn't possible I settled with just laying next to her, holding her while she slept.

I watched as Esme, Charlie and Carlisle fawned over Makenna. Esme helped change a diaper and then the three reluctantly left us in order to go and get some dinner. Each face was lit with joy when they left and I was sure that Bella would be thrilled to see that joy written on Charlie's face again. In fact it was written on all of our faces again. It was nice to share this moment with the ones that stood with us during the hard times.

I couldn't put Makenna down. I knew that so many people said to let them get used to sleeping by themselves and that you should put them down before they fall asleep. But friggen' sue me, my daughter was here in my arms and I was not putting her down for any reason! I held her and talked to her. I sang to her. I changed her. It was only a slightly wet diaper but still I did it by myself and that part made my proud. The satisfaction of taking care of my daughter caught me by surprise. I knew that I would love her but to feel this sense of satisfaction at the simple act of changing her diaper was a huge surprise.

I settled down on the window seat. I alternated between watching her sleep and taking in the lights of the city. I thought back to all that lay ahead of us and marveled that my life had turned around in such a short amount of time. In a few months I had everything I had ever wanted. I closed my eyes as a few tears slipped from my eyes and came to rest on Makenna's face. As a quiet chuckle escaped my lips I reached up to wipe the evidence away from her face. Glancing over at Bella again, I said a small prayer of thanks to God for allowing all of this to work out. I was blessed beyond measure that was for sure. I wondered silently if this was what heaven would be like, because really this was all I needed in heaven to be perfectly happy with it.

Makenna stirred in my arms and I began to gently rock and sing to her. I sang words that came straight from my brain, no though, no particular song really. Just my feelings to her.

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

She settled down but continued to make small noises whenever I stopped singing. So I sang to her every single song I knew, well the ones that were soft enough to calm her down.

I stuttered for a few seconds when the nurse came in. I have never sung in front of someone else before, just my family and Bella.

"Oh, don't stop. She loves it." The nurse nodded her head indicating the perfect baby girl lying in my arms.

"Yeah, she does. I think I have sung every single song I know." I laughed. "But if I stop she starts to fuss and Bella is so tired. I was trying to let her sleep for a few more hours or so." I shrugged, not knowing if what I was saying was even possible.

Just then Makenna began to fuss a little and mouth around on her fist. I wasn't positive but she looked hungry. "See how she's doing that?" The nurse's hand came up and pulled the blanket back so that Makenna's entire face was on display. "That means she's hungry. She will do that or else she will turn towards any skin contact that she feels; they call it rooting. She might need to eat soon no matter what you do." I blanched at this thought. I could change a little wet diaper but feeding, well that was too scary to even think about me doing. I had no idea how to do that, at all. "Do you know how your wife plans to feed her? Breast or bottle?"

I just shook my head no. "Bella was still up in the air about this, I heard her tell Esme that she wanted to try but just wasn't sure. She knew very little about breastfeeding."

"It's okay. We have a Lactation Consultant on staff, she can come around and help you guys figure things out. You call me when Bella wakes up if she wants to and I will get Charlotte up here to help you out. Okay?" I nodded.

After a few minutes of her checking Makenna over, she left. She said she would be back a little later to check Bella out. For now she would let her sleep. So, I went back to holding and singing to my girl again.

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

I heard a sob rip through the room and looked over to see Bella crying. I rushed to her side and found her to be in the throws of a hormonal cry as she called it. Bella smiled and wiped away the tears as she gazed down at Makenna. The blush of embarrassment quickly took over my face as I tried to find a way to ask my wife if she was interested in breastfeeding. Not gonna lie, I wanted to see her hold Makenna up to her bare breast and feed her. Not just for the obvious reason but it just felt like Bella would be providing so much more to her by being everything she needed. By being Makenna's complete source of life.

I rushed through explaining and was overjoyed to hear Bella say that she was still interested in it. In fact she seemed to be enthusiastic about it. Responding with, "Go and get the nurse so we can get our feed on." I dashed out of the room and down to pull our nurse aside. Within no time Charlotte was in our room and showing Bella and I all the tips to make breastfeeding go easily. Makenna was obviously a very hungry girl because with just a few tries she latched on and began to nosily eat. Charlotte left us with her number to call in case we had any questions and left us alone to enjoy our bonding time.

I couldn't help myself I slid into the bed as best I could and wrapped my arms around both Bella and Makenna. I was content to enjoy this silence but I could tell that Bella was thinking about something. The way her forehead dipped down and her teeth worked her lip around between them. I waited for her to bring it up, for her to get her thoughts in order before I she spoke about it.

When she finally did speak it was about the exact subject that I thought she would need to talk about; her mom and Phil. She talked about how proud they would be of Makenna, I mentally added that they would be so proud of her as well. I knew without a doubt that her mom would be happy for Bella. Renee's free spirit ensured that she never put boundaries or restrictions on Bella growing up. She allowed Bella to make her own choices and it has worked out for the best for Bella. Renee was never one held down by convention and what society thought you should do, she was more of an 'if it feels good do it' kind of philosopher. She wouldn't be bothered by our age or what order we did things. If at the end of the day things were okay then she was okay as well. I agreed with her and pulled her close again.

After she burped, change and repositioned Makenna, I began to sing again. The next time I looked down both of my girls were sound asleep. I drifted off after the long day myself, perfectly content to lay in this small hospital bed with them.

By about five o'clock the next afternoon, Bella was going stir crazy. She wanted to be at home, with all of her stuff and away from the constant noise and activity of the hospital. And she made sure to tell Carlisle this when he and Esme stopped by to see her.

And Carlisle being the great doctor that he, not to mention father, pulled some strings and got Dr. Jones to allow Bella and Makenna to go home. We packed up all of the balloons and flower arrangements and made a hasty retreat to the house. Carlisle and Esme followed. They stopped to pick up some dinner, so that Bella and I would have a few minutes of quiet to get settled in.

Bella buckled Makenna in and snapped her seatbelt in place as well. I checked my mirrors again, and cautiously drove off from the hospital. Makenna was ours, only ours now. No one else checking up on us, making sure we were doing things the right way. Making sure that no harm would come to our daughter through our stupidity. I began to feel a panic creep up. What if we did fuck her up? What if we made a rookie mistake that we didn't know about? The fear and panic was clawing its way up my throat and causing some rapid breathing to begin. I took a deep breath and glanced back at Bella in the rear view mirror. She was looking down into the car seat. One of Makenna's tiny hands was wrapped around Bella's finger. The gaze on Bella's face held indescribable love and joy. I watched for a few seconds as Bella talked with our daughter. And I realized that we would make some mistakes, but nothing that would be big; nothing worthy of the panic attack that I was heading for. We loved that precious child more than words and that alone would keep us from harming her. By the time the light had turned green, my breathing had returned to normal and I drove off without comment about the slight glitch in my feelings.

Life with Bella and Makenna was absolutely fucking perfect. Makenna was a great baby, she ate, slept and in between she played with us. Bella teased me that I was too attached to her and wouldn't be able to return to class and the crazy schedule that it required when it was time. I made light of her jokes but deep inside I felt like she might be right.

Bella and I spent time looking at houses near Dartmouth. We spoke to a realtor on the phone and she agreed to go and take more pictures of several houses for us. We narrowed it down to three houses, after looking at the pictures Irina sent us it was plain to see that Bella and I both only had one favorite now. We called Irina back and told her about our interest in the house. She asked us to fly out for the weekend and look at it in person. I talked it over with Bella, she agreed but refused to leave Makenna. So I booked three seats on a flight out of Seattle. We would stay for five days, for no other reason than we could. I wanted to see where Bella spent her time without me and get a feel for the school myself. Besides I could meet with the advisor that I had made contact with. I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. Everything had worked in my favor and too many doors opened up for it to be by chance. Peter, my peer advisor, gave me plenty of helpful tips in each and every email he sent to me. I couldn't wait to get started. Music had been such a large part of my life for so long and now to finally commit to making it my life felt so liberating.

Bella was so afraid that Carlisle and Esme would be so angry with my decision, but they took it in stride and admitted that they knew some changes would need to be made now that my situation had changed.

I pulled Bella into the study where I knew that Carlisle and Esme had retreated to. Alice and Rose were downstairs doting on Makenna so this was our chance to talk to them about everything. I knocked softly, not wanting to disturb them if they wanted to be alone. That idea was cast aside as soon as Carlisle called for us to come in. Bella still hesitated as I shifted forward through the door. Esme was snuggled up against Carlisle's side on the couch, each of them reading a book. They both cast them aside when Bella and I entered the room.

"Edward, Bella, what's going on?"

"Bella and I would like to talk with you two. We have made some plans that we want to let you in on."

Esme sat up a little as she waved for us to take the love seat across from the two of them.

"We kind of expected this, I actually expected it sooner. Let's hear what you have in mind." Esme seemed to radiate sadness but a sliver of happiness was mixed in, letting me know that she understood the need for us to move away again and continue on with our lives.

I sat down and dropped my forearms down onto my knees. It would be a lot harder to tell them this news now that I was looking at them face to face. Bella's hand slid down my arms and rested against the bare skin that my rolled up shirts sleeve left. It comforted me beyond measure. I took in a deep breath and began to explain our plans.

"A few months ago I sent in an application to Dartmouth. I applied to their music program." I heard a sharp intake of breath. I dropped my head to steel myself to continue on. "I got a letter about a week after Makenna was born, I was accepted. They will transfer over several of my courses and I can take two summer courses and be finished at the same time Bella is." I turned to glance at her sweet face, anything to reassure me that we were making the right moves. This was a pretty scary move to not only take ourselves but our daughter across the country from both of our families.

"Edward, that is fantastic." Carlisle moved to the front of his seat and his face showed the approval he felt.

"I just figured that it would be easier for me to go back with Bella. She can't do this alone and I can't be away from her or our daughter." I held up my hands mimicking my thoughts. "It was the only option. It won't be easy but we can do it together." I glanced at Bella again before I finished. "I know we can."

"Oh, you two." Esme said as she stood up and began her move towards us both. When she wrapped her arms around me she was crying softly into my shoulder. She pulled away wiping her tears off and tried to smile. "I knew this was coming and even as much as I prepared for it, it is so hard." She smiled a little larger this time. "Please don't mistake my tears, I am so proud of you two. You will do so well at school and be home in no time, right?" She chuckled as she pulled Bella into a hug; both had tears in their eyes now.

Carlisle clapped me on the back and we stood back and watched our women comfort each other.

"So, have you looked at housing?" Carlisle asked after a few minutes of watching them.

"Well, actually we are going to fly out there and look at this house we are interested in." At this comment Esme pulled away from Bella and I could already see the glint in her eyes. There is nothing she loved more than a new project to work on.

Bella and I boarded the plane, with Makenna strapped to the front of me in her Baby Bjorn sling. It kept both of our hands free and kept her close and safe. She slept the whole time and only woke up in the cab on the way to the hotel. Bella fed her, changed her and put her back in her sling attached to my chest. We took another cab to meet Irina and look at what we hoped would be our new home.

Two steps in the door and I knew it was the one. Bella's eyes told me that she knew it was the one as well. We followed Irina throughout the house but there really was no need. All the pictures that she sent us told us what we needed to know. She drove us back to her office and we wrote up an offer on the house. Bella and I had planned for this and after we were married we went to the bank and moved around some of our finances to be ready to buy a house. We knew it would work best for us with Makenna. It would make us feel settled and at home even if this wasn't where we would spend the rest of our lives. We wanted Makenna to have a home, not an apartment to live in. Besides we were thinking of hiring someone to help us take care of Makenna and the house while we were at school so the extra room would be nice for that as well.

After all of the paperwork was done, I called Peter and let him know I was in town. He wanted to show me around a few places and asked if we could meet with him. Bella made a quick call to Angela and she agreed to watch Makenna for us so we dropped Makenna off at Angela and Ben's apartment and made our way to meet Peter. He showed me around the campus and a few of the hangouts the music kids frequented. I met a few of the other students and we stayed to hear them play. They were good, I was a little intimidated by them, I won't lie. A few asked me to play and that just amped up the nervousness. I played the song I wrote the night Makenna was born; it must have been fine because they all complimented me on it. I decided that it was time to get Makenna and head back to the hotel so Bella and I said our good bye. I exchanged numbers with a few of them since we would be back within two months and we agreed to hang out when Bella and I got back. It was liberating to know that we were accepted, I, again felt like this was definitely meant to be.

The next two months were a whirlwind of packing and getting ready to go back to Dartmouth. We shipped the stuff we were taking with us from the house for us and Makenna. We packed a small suitcase and boarded a plane. Esme came with us to help out for two weeks. She thought that she could help unpack and get the house decorated and in order, as well as watch Makenna until we found someone who could do that for us. She was right we needed all the help we could get.

Soon enough our house was unpacked and set up, we had hired someone to take care of Makenna and Bella and I both started classes.

None of it was easy; there was definitely a learning curve for dealing with Bella and Makenna. But life was as close to perfect as I could hope for. I had my love, my daughter and my music.

Chapter 28- Heaven

Chapter 28- Heaven

Bella

The month after our wedding seemed to settle into a nice routine. Most days we would wake up, eat, Edward would play his music, and I would read. Then we'd eat lunch, usually with Carlisle and Esme since the rest of the gang has drifted off to college again. I would putter around the house; we'd eat dinner and then bed. It would seem like a routine that would get so boring after a few days of it but I felt so far from bored. I loved it, all of it! I couldn't wait to add Makenna into our life.

Each day I seemed to get bigger and bigger and my patience began to wear thin waiting for her to get here. Esme and even Sue tried to keep me busy but it was hard to take this one event off my mind for long. I had signed up for pregnancy yoga at the gym. That did help fill a few hours each week and then I would walk the track while Edward worked out. When we both were done he would meet me at the swimming pool and we would swim for a while together. It felt so good to be in the water, to feel so light again. Don't get me wrong, I loved being pregnant, I just hated the waiting. I wanted my daughter here with me, so I could hold her in my arms and watch her experience everything for the first time. Edward seemed just as excited and anxious as I was, it helped to know he felt the same.

My weekly doctor appointments helped as well. I got to hear her heartbeat each week, and several times I got to actually see her again. Neither filled the longing that actually holding her would solve, but it was nice to be able to see and hear her just the same.

I was home alone on a cold February morning. Edward had gone to meet Carlisle for lunch. I was supposed to meet Sue and do a little last minute shopping for Makenna, however she cancelled at the last minute, as she needed to go and help take care of Quil's grandmother. Mrs. Atera was getting up in age and she was frequently sick. Sue said it was an honor to help take care of the elder's in the tribe just as the younger generation would do for her. I didn't blame her one bit, and encouraged her to stay in La Push to help out. After all I wasn't a baby and could take care of myself for a few hours alone.

I made a light lunch since I didn't feel like eating much after my busy morning. I ate and then went to lie down. I was tired because the nesting instinct had hit me big time. I went through Makenna's entire room again. I washed every single item she had, re-folded it, and put it away. Then I started on the plastic bowls and lids cabinet in the kitchen. I had sorted, organized and put them all back away. Then I moved on to the laundry room. I had no idea how we had lived in this house for such a short amount of time and yet I still needed to do such actions as I had spent today doing. I knew that with all the activity I had over done things but I couldn't help it. I was a simple slave to the hormones; they were the ones that were in actual control of my body. I decided to take a quick nap before Edward got home.

I awoke to the cell phone ringing. I rubbed my eyes and reached to answer it. "Hello." I yawned in greeting.

"Bella? Are you okay, I have been trying for about a half an hour to reach you." Edward sounded frantic.

"I'm fine, I took a nap upstairs. I guess I left the house phone downstairs, sorry. Where are you?" I asked suddenly confused as to why he wasn't home with me by now.

"We're waiting on a tow truck. Carlisle's Mercedes had a blow out and he hit the guardrail when he was trying to control it. No big deal, we aren't hurt at all it just messed up the front end and he can't drive it. Charlie's on his way to come and pick us up and take us back to my car." Edward's voice seemed calm and in control so I guess that he was telling me the truth but I just had a funny feeling in my gut about it all. "Why don't you go and rest some more and I will see you when I get home. Keep this phone with you though so I can get to you if I need to. Okay?" I answered Edward's suggestion with a loud yawn.

"Sounds good to me, pick up dinner on your way home if you don't mind. I had a light lunch and now I am getting hungry." I asked and before he could answer I blurted out. "Why don't you get some chicken fried steak from the diner? And bring me a piece of their apple pie too, please." Again pregnancy is in control, not me obviously.

Edward's deep chuckle alerted me that he was perfectly fine with the choice I made for dinner. "Sure, baby, anything for my girls. I'll be home soon."

"Okay, love you." I rubbed my back as I answered. Sitting on the floor was too much for me at this stage in my pregnancy, obviously.

"Love you too."

I flipped the phone closed and drifted off immediately. When I woke up my back was killing me and my phone was ringing in my ear again. It was black outside.

"Hello?"

"Hey, we ended up waiting here at the hospital for Esme. Charlie picked us up and then had to drop us off here when he got called out the help Port Angeles guys for a multiple car pile-up. So we called Esme and she is coming to pick us up. I'm so sorry to leave you alone like this. As soon as I get back to their house and get my car I swear I am coming right home. I will pick you up and we can go and eat together, okay?" He sounded rushed and scared.

"Edward, it's fine. I'm fine, I have slept the whole time anyway. Wow, I guess I needed that nap." I sat up and stretched when a sharp pain hit me. "Holy shit."

"What? What was that for? Bella?" Edward almost shouted in the phone. It was hard to hold the phone away and suffer through the sharp pain I felt in my side.

The pain subsided and I stood to try to stretch my body out and ease the ache it left behind. "It was nothing Edward, just a muscle spasm in my back. I think I tried to do too much today that's all." My attempts at easing his worry didn't work at all, in fact he seemed even more worked up at the thought that I had done too much.

"Bella? What have I told you, you need to slow down and not do too much now, your body is not ready to do that much no matter how much it tells you that it is. You need to go and take a warm bath. Not hot, warm. Please, I'm on my way, promise me that you won't do anything else tonight, okay?"

"Okay, I'm going to run a bath now and I will wait for you to get home I promise."

"Okay, we're hurrying. Love you!" He called out as I heard him relaying the info to Carlisle.

"Love you too." My response to him was cut short as he disconnected the call in his haste to get back to me.

I ran a warm bath and dipped down in the deep tub. I was so thankful Mrs. Cope was apparently a soaker because she had a nice deep tub. I was never one for a bath but this one felt like it was straight from heaven. My back immediately began to feel better as soon as the warm water soaked into my skin. I grabbed my phone and pulled up the book I was reading. It couldn't get much better than this, bubble bath with fragrant bubbles to relax me, a book and some peace and quiet. My feet looked pruney so I stood to get out of the bathtub before the water got cold. I dried off, and slipped into my jammies, warm fuzzy ones and threw on some socks too.

I checked the phone to make sure I hadn't missed a call from Edward and made sure to bring it with me as I descended the steps to grab a bite to eat. I couldn't wait on Edward anymore, I was officially starving. I pulled out a granola bar to stave off the worst of the hunger and I opened the phone to call Edward to tell him not to worry about me anymore. Just as I heard his hello, I felt the pop and water run down my legs. Immediately I felt the sharp stab of pain again. I was in labor, my water had just broke. Frantically yelling into the phone for Edward, "Edward my water just broke, it's too soon. My due date isn't for two weeks." I didn't know if this was as big of a problem as I thought it was or not.

"Bella, where are you?" I heard him relaying to Carlisle that my water had broke.

"In the kitchen, I came to get something to eat because I was starving."

"Okay, Carlisle says to go and sit down, carefully. Don't slip in the water." Edward advised.

"Gross, Edward, I am not sitting on my couch! I am soaking wet, I will ruin the couch!"

"Bella, I will buy you a new couch, you need to sit down, now. Just in case." The pleading tone to his voice cause my body to move without any further worries about the furniture. As soon as my bottom hit the seat I immediately felt like I needed to be doing something else. Something to get ready to go to the hospital. "Edward, my bag isn't packed and neither is Makenna's. I need to go and pack."

"No, Bella, just stay seated. We're only about fifteen minutes from you and Esme will help me pack you a bag, okay?" He sounded frantic. "Just stay on the phone with me love, please. I need to hear you and know that you are okay until I can get there."

"Okay." I relaxed knowing that he was almost to me, I would be with him in a few minutes, I just had to hold on until then. I heard Carlisle asking a bunch of questions and Edward answering them for him. I just sat and listened to Edward's soothing voice.

Only one thought struck me as important at this moment. "Edward, Makenna is going to be here soon."

"I know, baby, I know. Are you excited?"

"I can't believe the wait is over." I was dumbstruck with awe that I was finally going to get to hold my baby when another pain shot through me. "Holy shit, Edward!"

"What, Bella, what is it? Is that a contraction?" I could only nod my head knowing that it would not give me any answers at this point. "Bella, are you alright?" I could practically see Edward pulling his hair out at the entire situation. I began to pant in the phone through the contraction so he would hear me. It was the best I could do with the amount of pain the contraction brought to my body. Edward was calling out to Carlisle about the contraction and my panting. I heard Carlisle answer that it was a natural response and that he would call Dr. Jones for us. "Bella, do you know how far apart they are now?" Edward tender voice asked.

"I don't know, I had one when I got out of the bathtub, then one when I got down here and then just now. Maybe about ten minutes apart or so?"

"Dr. Jones, told us to get you and bring you into the hospital. We are pulling into the driveway now, is the door locked?"

"Yes, I locked it when I went up for a nap."

"Good girl, okay I have my key." I flipped the phone closed and rushed, well rushed as fast as a pregnant girl could, to the front door to meet Edward. Right now, he was the only person I needed. Not even Carlisle's medical knowledge would ease my fears, just Edward and his presence.

I stopped far enough away from the door to not get hit by it when he swung it open and it was a good thing I had some foresight. Because Edward swung the door open and charged in like the place was on fire. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry I left you and you were alone." He pulled me into his arms and I resisted.

"Edward, I'm soaked. You don't want to get wet." He pulled me back into him and kissed me.

"I don't care if I have to wear wet clothes for a week, I'm so glad to be home with you. How do you feel?"

"Uhm, well wet." Esme giggled at me and pulled my hand towards the stairs.

"Let's go pack us some bags so we can get to the hospital and have us a baby." I followed Esme as did Edward. Carlisle hung back and said he would clean up in the kitchen.

Esme, Edward and I worked together to get me cleaned up and change, and a bag packed for both Makenna and I. We were out the door and on the way to the hospital in about thirty minutes and about four contractions. Edward had set his phone to time them and we now knew that they were about eight minutes apart. Carlisle assured us that we had plenty of time and if not then he had delivered plenty of babies. This caused a riot from Esme.

"Carlisle, you are not delivering my grandchild in the back seat of a car. Bella will get to the hospital and have this baby in a bed, like she is supposed to. Besides, she doesn't want you all up in her lady business anyways. That's gross!" She wrinkled her nose and made a face.

"Es, I will do what I have to do. If that baby wants to be born before we get there I can do it! Do I want to? No, for the same reason that Bella doesn't want me to, I don't want to be all up in her lady business but I will."

Edward took control of the situation as a giggle escaped me. "No one is getting in her lady business, we are about five minutes from the hospital and I can deliver the baby if I need to, so stop, both of you."

I was so overcome with emotion at the simple thought of Edward delivering our baby that tears ran down my face. Of course he took that moment to look over at me.

"Bella are you okay, does it hurt?" His hands ghosted over me as if he was unsure where to allow them to land on me.

I shook my head and pulled him into a kiss. "You would deliver our baby?" I asked and the three remaining people in the car let go of a breath simultaneously.

"Bella, you scared the hell out of me. Are you hurting?" He asked again. I shook my head again just as a contraction began its evil climb across my abdomen. I grabbed Edwards hand and held on.

"Carlisle that's only been six minutes. Hurry." I began to pant and Edward watched me closely. He stroked my hair and told me what a great job I was doing and rubbed my back. Between the freaking hormones and his sweet actions I was a blubbering mess. I would be so glad to have everything back on an even level again.

Just as my contraction ended we pulled up to the hospital, a nurse rushed out with a wheelchair and I sat down in it. There was no way I was walking anywhere, my legs felt too weak.

Edward and Esme walked down the hall behind me in my wheelchair and the nurse. We looked like a panicked, strange parade here in the hospital. I glanced over my shoulder to see Edward's face. It was a mixture of panic and happiness. When he caught my eyes, he rushed forward and took my hand. It made such a difference to know that Edward was with me in this. No matter what he was not going to leave me, nor would he ever leave Makenna.

Tears at the thought of doing this alone sprung to my eyes just as we stopped at the nurse's desk. The nurse left me to go and find out the room number I would need to settle into. Edward dropped down to look into my eyes, I felt his gaze search my face. Satisfaction was quickly replaced by fear when he noticed the tears. "Baby, you okay?" I nodded and smiled at him.

"I'm just emotional, that's all." I laughed weakly through the tears. I didn't want to tell Edward the real reason for the tears and make him worry that I wasn't in the right place to bring our baby into the world. All of those doubts and fears were behind me. I knew that Edward loved me and our baby and he was happy, I knew that my mom and Phil loved me and would be happy-therefore I would be happy.

Another contraction ripped through my body and I leaned over to hold my stomach. Edward grabbed my hand and held on to me, rubbing small circles on my skin. Carlisle caught up with us at that moment and knelt beside Edward and me. "Bella, breath. When you hold your breath you're fighting against your body." Carlisle began to imitate the breathing pattern I should be following. I matched his and the contraction began to subside. As my face returned to normal, his did as well. "That's a girl. Good job." He smoothed my hair and I saw the excitement glint in his eyes as we sat inches apart.

"This is going to drive you crazy not to be there, isn't it?" I asked, as I could see the ever-present doctor in Carlisle coming out.

"No, I'll be just fine in the waiting room with all the other Grandpa's. Besides who is gonna keep Charlie company if I'm in the room with you?"

I realized that in the haste to get to the hospital I forgot to call Charlie. Carlisle patted my knee as he spoke. "Don't worry I called him as I parked the car. He's on his way. He's on duty but he will be off in about two hours."

"Thanks, I forgot him." I said sheepishly.

"It's a lot to worry about at that moment, it's okay."

The nurse returned and we began our exodus to the room. Carlisle and Esme left our bags with Edward and I in the room and made their way to wait for Charlie. Edward helped me out of my now wet clothes and into a hospital gown. We had to stop twice for a contraction but I was able to breathe right through them. I did have to admit that it was getting harder to do so, though.

When I was settled into the bed, all hooked up to the monitors and such, Dr. Jones came in and checked to see how far I was dilated. "Wow, Bella. You must have been having lots of cramps today because you are at about 6 inches dilated now. How long have you been hurting?" She asked as she removed a glove and tossed it in the trash.

"Well all day now but for the most part it just felt like a backache or slight cramps. Only the last hour or so have I been having contractions." She made several notations in the chart and Edward began to give her the run down about the exact time and length of my contractions that I had while he was with me. I wasn't even aware that he was timing the things so this surprised me. For a split second I doubted his decision to change his career decision. I squashed it and decided that Edward was free to choose for himself. He didn't need me second guessing things for him.

Another contraction hit me and I doubled over, well as much as a pregnant woman can, with the pain. Edward held my hand and breathed with me through it but this one was so intense. Dr. Jones offered an epidural and I immediately took her up on the offer.

After the painful process of sitting still during the contractions and a doctor shoving a needle the size of a ruler in your back (at least that's what it felt like) for my epidural, I was able to sit back and rest. By the time the epidural had taken over the contractions were hard and fast. I really hated to complain because it did take all of the pain away. I would sit in any crazy contortionist position I needed to in order to get a break from the pain.

Edward's eyes never left my monitor now that I was out of pain and semi sleeping. I could hear his breathing speed up with each contraction that came across my numb body. I was just thankful that I really couldn't feel them any longer. I was almost asleep when the nurse came in to check the monitor and I heard Edward whisper to her. "The heart rate keeps going down when her contractions hit the peak, is that normal?" I was instantly awake. There was no way this was happening! I had carried this baby, felt her move, loved her, and cherished her all this time and I would not give up on her. The nurse quietly murmured back to Edward as I strained to listen.

A few moments later Dr. Jones as well as Carlisle came into the room. My eyes darted from person to person waiting for the one to crack and tell me what was going to happen now. Dr. Jones must have drawn the short straw because she stepped closer to me as she watched the heart monitor. "Bella, we have been watching Makenna's heart rate for a little while now. After your epidural, her heart seems to slow when you have a contraction." My eyes misted over, I couldn't lose her. Not now, not after all Edward and I had to struggle through to get back to where we are. She needed to be with us. I angrily wiped away the tears that slid down my cheek and forced myself to listen to her. "It may be nothing, let's check you and see how you're progressing. You may be fully dilated and ready to push." Her gentle smile let me know that she understood and was willing to do all in her power to get our baby here safely. "Just keep in mind that if I feel it is necessary I will take you to a surgery suite and do a C-Section right away. I won't let this wait and see, you got me." She patted my leg and pulled the sheet back. After she lifted my leg and adjusted my foot she crammed her hand all up in mu business. There was no pain but it certainly felt like there should have been. Any worries about where her hand was wiped away when a large smile came across her face. "Okay, looks like it's time for us to have a baby."

The room erupted into chaos. Every single person in the room began to move and make plans. The nurses got the bed ready, Dr. Jones pulled on a gown and mask, Carlisle made a bee line for the door and Esme flew in to take my hand. When everyone was in place and the pushing instructions were given I looked up at Edward. His face wore a readable expression of love, excitement and a small amount of fear. I was determined to do this for him, to have our baby without any more complications. We deserved this much.

At Dr. Jones queue I began to push. I pushed with all of my might, feeling Edward's strong arms around me and his voice in my ear coaching me through it all helped me more than I can say. I begged, pleaded and prayed through each push.

Please let her be okay and let her get here. I need her, we need her. I love her.

At 11:52 pm and after several of the most intense pushes, Makenna Grace Masen-Cullen made her entrance into the world. Screaming her head off. Edward's expression was indescribable as he cut the cord and helped carry her over to be cleaned up. I lay watching the two of them, as soon as Edward's finger touched Makenna's she quieted right down. Her screams became grunts and low protests. She was beautiful. When the nurse was done with her she bundled her up and gave her to Edward. He brought her to me. The three of us lay in bed just looking at each other. My heart exploded with love and joy. Everything I could ever want right here in my arms.

As soon as Dr. Jones was finished with me and the bed was returned to normal, both Grandpas' were escorted into the room. Esme called Alice, Jasper, Em and Rosalie. I talked to them while the Charlie and Carlisle fawned over Makenna. I dozed contentedly as my family moved around me, my body was exhausted but my heart was full.

I startled awake at Makenna's crying. The lights were dimmed and it was empty of people except for me, Edward and Makenna. I felt terrible for sleeping through the visit. Edward's body rocked our baby girl and sang sweetly to her. She would quiet when his voice carried down the small distance to her but when he got to a part that he hummed she would stir again.

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

My precarious hormones clicked into overdrive to hear my husband singing something so sweet to our new daughter. I broke down and sobbed. Edward turned at the sound and rushed to the bedside.

"Are you alright?" He sat beside me and placed Makenna down between us. Her little eyes opened and she looked all around the room. She stopped moving when she landed on me. I smiled and wiped away the tears.

"I'm perfectly fine, you were too sweet there singing to her. Damn hormones." He chuckled as I said it.

"Well, I'm sorry we woke you up but I do think she's hungry. I have been playing with her and singing for about a half an hour now but she is getting restless." He suddenly ran his hand across the back of his neck and a blush broke out across his face. "The nurse said if you wanted to breast feed she would be happy to come in and help or she would bring us a bottle if we needed it." Now the blush made sense.

"Well, I have talked about it with Dr. Jones and I think I'm going to breastfeed. They say it's better for the baby, at least until they are six months or so. I figured that I could until we get back to school. Then we will see how things go."

"If that's what you want, far be it for me to tell you that you can't sit with your breasts out half the day, that will never happen."

"Okay, so then let's get the nurse and get our feed on."

After a few pointers, Makenna latched right on and was nursing away quietly. Edward sat with us, precariously perched on the edge of the bed. I shifted slightly to make room for him and he snuggled closer to us both. One of his arms wrapped around me and one wrapped around Makenna. He hummed and sang the song to me that he was singing earlier when I woke up. Again it made tears flow.

I burped, changed and positioned Makenna back on the other side to finish feeding. I enjoyed the silence with her, listening to her swallow, and her small sighs of contentment.

"She's perfect, my mom would love her. Phil too, he was sucker for kids." Edward simply nodded at my statement. Nothing more needed to be said. I tucked into Edward's side and fell asleep with him singing to us.

Oh, thinking about all our younger years, there was only you and me

We were young and wild and free

Now nothing can take you away from me

We've been down that road before but that's over now

You keep me coming back for more

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

And is all that I need and I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven

Oh, once in your life you find someone

Who will turn your world around, bring you up when you're feeling down

Yeah, nothing could change what you mean to me

Oh, there's lots that I could say but just hold me now

Cause our love with light the way

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

And is all that I need and I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven

I've been waiting for so long, for something to arrive

For love to come along, now our dreams are coming true

Through the good time and the bad, yeah, I'll be standing right there by you

Baby, you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms

I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven

And is all that I need and I found it there in your heart

It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven.

"I love you Bella, I mean every single word of that song." I fell asleep knowing that he did and for once without a doubt in my heart.

Chapter 27-From This Day Forward

Chapter 27- From This Day Forward

Edward

I have to admit listening to Bella open her gifts was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I wanted to see her face as she opened the bracelet from me; I wanted to be able to hold her as the tears flowed when she saw the hair combs that her mother and grandmother wore.

Bella never said much about it but I knew that she missed her mother deeply. She had to miss her; she was going through two of the most important times in a woman's life, getting married and having a baby are times when a woman needs their mother to help guide them through and to understand. Unfortunately, she was going through these important milestones at the same time and right after losing her mother. I was amazed at her strength and her ability to hold it all together every day. For weeks, months and even years after my parents passed away I had trouble with their loss. It was so hard to hear Bella degrade herself and her accomplishments when in fact she was so much stronger than I ever was about this situation.

I glanced at my watch again and counted down the minutes until I would see her walk down the aisle. Nothing felt more right. All the concerns and worries about our age, being in college, the baby-none of that mattered. We were meant to be together and raise our family together.

Emmett burst through the door swinging a bottle in his hand and cheering loudly. I glanced over at the Chief but he seemed lost in thought and paid no attention to Emmett. Jasper and Carlisle also filed into the room behind Emmett albeit they were much, much quieter about it.

"Okay, Eddie boy, bring your dumb ass over here and take a shot with us!" Emmett boomed into the room.

I paled, and glanced at the Chief again. I had no idea what the hell ran through Emmett's mind sometimes. We were standing in the room with the Chief of Police who in a matter of minutes would be my father in law, and he was asking me to take a drink. And illegal drink!

"Em…what the hell?" I sputtered.

"Aw, come on. Chief will drink with us and then he can't arrest you for underage drinking without hauling his own self in for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. So let's drink." Emmett had lined up enough shot glasses for each of us in the room, including me. Charlie just stepped up and stood in front of his glass, still not really focusing on any of us, just his glass.

Carlisle must have noticed his obvious discomfort because he spoke up. "Charlie, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. It's just hard to know that no matter how much I want to stop time and never let her go, I have to. You know?" Carlisle was the only one that could answer that question with honesty. He stepped over and clapped Charlie on the shoulder as he spoke.

"Yeah, they never stop growing up. And eventually they don't need you anymore. But the good thing is that you have done your job right when they don't need you anymore. You know?" Carlisle's logic made sense to me; I just prayed that it did to Charlie. I couldn't get this close and have her dad call this all off. My heart stood still waiting for Charlie to acknowledge Carlisle's words.

"I guess you're right about that. She is more than ready to be a grown up. Hell at times she's a better grown up than I am." He chuckled and took the shot glass full of amber liquid. "Here's to Edward and Bella. May they live a long, happy life together!" He held up his glass to me in salute. Carlisle, Emmett and even Jasper had grabbed their glasses and repeated the gesture. I was the lone stand out. My eyes met Charlie's again waiting for his approval. "Drink up boy, you are gonna need something to settle those nerves." Without haste I grabbed the glass as well, clinked it against the others and threw back the shot. Charlie turned towards Emmett and handed off his glass. "Now, you get that out of here. That shot was a freebie, the next one will get you thrown in the slammer boy." The look on Charlie's face told Emmett that he meant business and it was Emmett's turn to pale as he grabbed the glasses and bottle.

When Emmett was done scurrying from the room Charlie burst out with a large laugh. I realized that he was taking his chance to get one over on Emmett. He clapped me on the back and said, "Let's go and get you two married, shall we?" I knew that I was in good with my almost father in law, I appreciated Charlie for his show of alliance between the two of us. And it was funny as hell to get one over on Emmett who normally was sticking it to me.

Charlie left to find Bella to escort her down the aisle and Carlisle left to meet up with Esme. That left Emmett, Jasper and me waiting to move to the front of the alter to wait on our ladies.

"Edward, you both are perfect together. Love her for the rest of your life and treat her with respect." Jasper offered.

"Never go to bed angry, always let her win the argument and put the seat down. That's my advice for you." Emmett beamed, so proud of his stellar advice. Jasper and I both shook our heads at him. He is in a category all on his own.

We made our way to the front of the church and waited. The situation should have scared the shit out of me. I should have been scared to make this big step at this point in my life. But I wasn't, in fact I wasn't nervous at all. This felt so right to me. I knew without a doubt that I was at the right place at the right time.

The music started and I watched as Rosalie and Alice both made their way down the aisle. They both looked beautiful and very happy. Then the doors opened and Bella stepped into view. And my whole opinion changed, Rosalie and Alice paled in comparison to Bella's beauty. She looked radiant, her skin glowed and her face was lit up from within. The dress fit her perfectly and absolutely suited her personality. Alice was a master at her craft that much was obvious. Her hair and makeup was subtle and allowed Bella's inner beauty show through instead of the artificial front that so many women rely on.

I guess that we should be embarrassed that we were getting married with Bella pregnant, obviously pregnant. Mr. Webber said that while God would have preferred us go about the steps in the right order he is happy that we are doing the right thing now. And I would never ever be embarrassed about my daughter in any way or fashion. Besides we had close friends and family here with us today, so we knew without a doubt that all involved supported us fully. I understood Bella's decision to make this part of our wedding a small affair. I knew that I would look back on this day and always remember it as one of the best days of my life. It certainly made it easier to know that no one would be condemning us on this day for our mistakes or decisions.

When Bella got close enough to me I could tell her eyes were misted over. It almost made me chuckle because I knew that Alice was itching to get to her with a Kleenex and clean her up before anyone saw her that way. I, on the other hand, wanted to see the tears. The emotion that she felt for the day, it showed her love in a way that words never could. Just seeing her so close to the edge made tears spring up in my eyes as well.

The Wagner's March had to be the longest and slowest damn song in the history of weddings themselves, because it felt like Bella was never going to get to me. I needed to take her hand in mine, I needed to feel her skin, to touch her and know she was really here with me.

When she finally reached the alter where I stood, Charlie stood between us. We turned and listened as Mr. Webber spoke about the bonds that a family makes with each other and how those bonds are broken when two people enter into marriage with each other. That a husband and wife break the bonds of family when they take each other in marriage, and that other than our bonds with God, our marriage bond would be the most important in our lives. I knew that this would never be an issue with either of our families but it was nice to hear that guideline for our marriage. Mr. Webber finally asked of Charlie, "Who gives this woman away?"

Charlie's response gave me a moment of hesitation, I was afraid for his answer. I was fearful that it might upset Bella and remind her of her mother's absence on this day. When Charlie's clear, strong voice spoke, "Her family and I do." I noticed that Bella reached up and touched the hair combs that held her hair back off of her face and secured her veil in place. She was reminding herself that even though her mother wasn't here in a physical being, she was certainly here in spirit. Charlie moved Bella's veil and kissed her cheek. He took her hand and placed it in mine and clasped both hands in his. "I love you both, and wish you all of the happiness in the world." His words stunned me at the depth of emotions as he gave his daughter away to me. I was beaming with pride to know that I was good enough in his eyes.

I finally felt her skin touching mine, her eyes searching mine, our souls talking to each other as we stood motionless, together. Mr. Webber began to speak again. He quoted Bible verses and talked about marriage. I wouldn't remember anything he said. I just remember the look in Bella's eyes and the joy that showed from her soul. We held hands as he talked; I rubbed my thumb along the inside of her wrist. I waited for my chance to tell her all that was in my heart.

"Edward and Bella have decided to write their own vows. Edward." Mr. Webber nodded at me.

I cleared my throat and spoke to Bella. "Words seem so inadequate when I tried to decide what I wanted to say to you. I wished for some sort of supernatural power that would allow you into my heart, so you would know the depth of my love for you." I took a deep breath and relaxed when I saw her laughing eyes. "Our love was so easy and simple from the start and we certainly had a few bumps along the way. But nothing could keep us apart." I felt her hands tighten against mine. I rushed forward to hopefully convey to her that I had more to say. "Your kind spirit and the strength you display to me each and every day amaze me. Your ability to love and show love makes me want to be a better man. I want to work each and every day to live up to the title of your husband, to be the man you deserve." All traces of her hesitation were gone and were replaced by joy and happiness. "I promise to always take care of you, to always look out for your needs first and protect you to the best of my ability. I thank you for our child and for giving me the opportunity to go through this with you by my side. I loved you the first time I saw you and I love you more each day we spend together. I'm proud to call you my wife." I knew that I couldn't kiss her yet so I lifted her hands to place a kiss on her knuckles.

Mr. Webber turned to Bella when he spoke. He quoted another Bible verse and I stood mesmerized by Bella. She turned to face me again when it was her turn to relay her vows to me. After softly clearing her throat she began. "Edward, I have had several examples of great men in my life. Each has taught me over the years, they showed me the kind of man I wanted to have in my life as my husband. Charlie, Carlisle, and even Phil made sure that I looked for the best; and that man is you, I found my soul mate in you." She took a moment to wipe away a tear from the corner of her eye. I gently squeezed the one hand that I still held. "I know that this road will not be without bumps, as we both have already seen, but I do know that it is worth the journey with you. You have the ability to know what I need when I need it. Some say that is great intuition but I say that is love. I hope I can return that to you. I want to be there for you, knowing what you need, taking care of those needs and helping you to be a better man. Just like you do for me. I promise to always stop to think before I speak, to put your feelings first and to raise our family with the love and devotion. I'm proud to call you my husband." I reached down and rubbed the side of her stomach when she spoke about our family.

In many ways I wished we could have waited until Makenna was born so that she could be a part of this but I wanted my name attached to both of my girls, so I guess I was too impatient to wait for that to happen.

"The rings that are placed on each other's hand have special meanings. As a ring has no end, it symbolizes a couples love and devotion to each other without end. The precious metal that is used to make the rings also symbolizes the unique bond the two have and how precious it is to them. Edward please take the ring and place it on Bella's hand and repeat after me…I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. The most precious metal symbolizes that your love is the most precious element in my life. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the vows which have made us husband and wife."

I gladly repeated each of those words as the weight of them began to settle down on my shoulders. I realized that instead of feeling oppressed by the task, I felt invigorated by them. I felt ready to take care of Bella and Makenna. And as many children she would give me.

Mr. Webber turned to Bella and asked her to do the same thing. She placed the ring on my finger that we picked out together and spoke with a clear strong voice. Her tone saying she was feeling the same wave of joy that I felt. It made my heart sing to know that she didn't have any hesitation or doubt at all when she spoke the sentiment to me.

When we were both done with the rings Mr. Webber paused for a slight moment, an extremely torturous moment since I knew what came after his pause. "What has taken place in the sight of God is sanctioned by God. Let no man divide what God has placed together. Edward…you may kiss your bride."

I'm sure the smile that split my face could have lit up the entire city of Seattle without any help what so ever. I let go of her hands. Bella slid her small hands up to grip my forearms and I wrapped my hands around her, one darting up to cup her sweet face and the other gently resting in the middle of her back. When we were close enough that only she would hear, I whispered to her, "I promise to love you every moment of forever, Mrs. Isabella Masen-Cullen." I leaned in and kissed her, a kiss that spoke of my love, my devotion, and my happiness in that moment but still chaste enough to take place in a church. Bella returned every single emotion that I put into that kiss, I felt them all. When I released her lips I simple dropped my forehead to hers.

"Yours, forever." She whispered.

"Yours, forever." I whispered back.

Bella turned us to face the small crowd as Mr. Webber made the announcement that I wanted to hear almost as much as 'you may kiss your bride', "It gives me great pleasure to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Edward Anthony Masen-Cullen." Bella and I linked hands and made our way to the back of the church, for the first time truly together.

I'm sure we did all the normal things that people do at a reception, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, but all I remember was holding Bella in my arms and dancing with her.

After what seemed like half a year, in actuality it had only been a few hours, it was late enough for Bella and I to take our leave. I wanted to drive Bella to a fancy hotel in Seattle, but the drive would be too much for her at this late stage in her pregnancy. Besides I knew we would not get out of here at a reasonable time anyway to make the drive all the way to Seattle. I did find a great B&B outside of Port Angeles that would work for us. It offered plenty of lazy activities to do and lots of time for Bella to rest and relax. I knew she had done too much this past week but she looked so happy the whole time so how could I tell her no.

Bella grabbed my hand and led me upstairs, we agreed that we wanted to change before we left to drive out to the B&B. She had no idea how hard it would be for me to leave my hands off of her knowing that she was now my wife. I had a hard enough time not assaulting her in public much less when we would be in our room getting undressed by ourselves. I turned my back on Bella and heard her dress drift off of her body and whisper as it fell to the floor. I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door, praying that when I stepped out she would be dressed in something. She was. I helped her hang her dress up and grabbed our bags off of the floor.

"I wish we had just stayed here instead." She bite her lip in between her teeth, a sure sign of her nervousness. "I love being in our home." I smiled, knowing that she couldn't read my mind but I swear that the exact same thought was running through my mind at the same time.

"Me too, but we will be home in a few days and we have lots of time to be here before Makenna is born. You will be so sick of this house by the time we head back to New Hampshire, I swear you will." I lightly tickled her ribs trying to get her to smile back at me. She didn't deny me. "Let's get on the road before it gets too late, come on." I grabbed both bags and pulled her hand towards the stairs.

We talked and ate the whole way to Port Angeles. The food that the catering company packed for us was wonderful. Bella and I both confessed to being too nervous or too busy to eat much at all that day. I will have to thank Esme for knowing to tell the catering company to do this for us. Besides I didn't want Bella to go without food for her and our sweet little baby either. The atmosphere in the car was light and flirty, I relished the time alone with Bella. I could talk with her for hours on end and never tire of her. But all too soon the B&B came across our horizon. Check in was quick since I did most of it online and paid already with my credit card. I didn't want Bella to know how much it was or she would feel guilty about staying.

Bella and I worked in silence as we unpacked our stuff and she went off to take a shower. I slipped on some pajama pants and closed my eyes to relive every single moment of the day. I will never forget how beautiful Bella looked walking towards me in her dress. She took my breath away, especially at that moment in time. I hoped that the photographer got a shot of her; I would gladly pay any price to buy that photo.

Bella emerged from the bathroom in a simple nightgown. It was rather plain and unassuming in any way but damned if it didn't turn me upon first glance at it. I think it was Bella's warm, sweet smelling body rather than the nightgown anyway. She approached the bed with surety in her steps and desire in her eyes. I was taken aback by this, for some reason I expected us both to be hesitant and unsure about this particular night. I guess it is drilled into your brain that all couples are unsure and scared on their honeymoon night and therefore we would be as well. This, however, was not the case. Bella showed no signs of nervousness and when I searched myself I was excited certainly but not nervousness in any way.

I was reclined back against the headboard and pulled her towards me to semi cover my upper body. With her face so close to mine I could smell the Freesia body wash she had used for the last few months. She said something about the strawberry being too strong for her sensitive nose now. I had no problem with the change, she still smelled edible.

I nuzzled my nose down the side of her face, inhaling deeply. Taking her in and holding a part of her inside of me. Words simply couldn't express the magnitude of feelings running through my body at this time. I felt inadequate to not be able to explain it or even express it to her but I was at a loss. I slid the nightgown off of her and pulled her close to me again, pulling us both into the center of the bed. Bella worked my pants off of me as I kissed her and tried to show her how much she meant to me. Somehow as much desire as I had running through my body yet I still couldn't rush things with her. This was a night for slow, sweet lovemaking with her. Nothing about tonight would be rushed; I needed her to know how much I worshipped her.

When we were both naked I pulled Bella onto her side with my back flush against hers. This position seemed to be the best in her condition and trust me we had tried them all. I held her close as I pushed into her warm center. Her gasp told me she was as lost in the sensation as I was. I rocked against her body climbing the ladder of ecstasy with her.

Bella turned her head and ran her hand through my hair. "Edward, let me turn to face you, I need to see you." I wouldn't resist her but I was afraid for her to be lying on her back for too long. The doctor warned that this is neither comfortable nor safe for a woman in Bella's stage of pregnancy.

"Baby, that's not safe." I expressed hesitantly. I didn't want her to think that I didn't want her close to me, but my concern for her safety won on every account.

"I don't care about our position, find one that will allow me to look into your eyes, okay?"

I pulled away from her and moved to sit against the headboard of the bed. Bella's eyes lit up with recognition of what I wanted. She immediately climbed into my lap and she positioned her body above mine. I had to admit that this was certainly my favorite position while she was pregnant. It allowed my access to her face, neck, collar bones, and breasts all at the same time. I loved the extra curves that my wife had now thanks to our baby. I secretly hoped that she kept many of them. I know that Bella couldn't wait to lose weight but I had my own ideas of perfection for her. I ran my hand along those curves and pushed up into her. She threw her head back in ecstasy. I loved making love to her. She was so expressive with me and allowed me to see parts of her no one else ever has. No one else will ever see, this was something we shared, only with each other.

Just as quickly as her head dropped backwards it snapped back up again. She took her hands and held them on either side of my face. Forcing my eyes to meet hers, I knew she was close I could feel her body's signs. Her eyes locked with mine as she fell apart in my arms. Watching her submit to her pleasure pushed me over the edge as I dove head long into my own pleasure.

When our breathing was normal again, I scooted down on the bed and pulled the blankets over us. She snuggled against me and we talked for hours on end. I touched and caressed her body as she seemed to need to do the same to mine. We just couldn't get enough of each other. We were husband and wife now, somehow those words and the ceremony made all the difference to us. They made the difference in how we felt about each other.

I woke Bella up at almost ten. "Sweetheart, if we don't go down to breakfast we will miss it. And they don't serve lunch for almost three hours. I don't want you to miss out on food." I touched her face and swept my thumb along the pulse point in her neck. She stretched and reached to pull me into a kiss.

"Okay, give me a few and I'll be ready." She slowly got out of bed and made her way to the closet where our clothes were hung up. I was worried about how tired she looked. I know we stayed up way too late last night together. I knew that after lunch we would come back and take a nap so she could rest some more.

We left the room and made our way to the dining room. Bella was starving and I was glad that I made her get up so she could eat. I was pretty hungry myself. Guess it was all the great sex with my wife. I snickered to myself at my cocky comment.

"So, do you think we can go shopping since we are so close to Port Angeles? I have a few more items to get for Makenna." Bella asked as she delivered another forkful of food.

"I guess we can but what if we do it on the way home because I want you to take a nap when we get back to the room. You look exhausted." I tried to give her a say in the conversation but really I was prepared to put my foot down in this matter.

"It's cause that bed was so damn lumpy. I just couldn't get comfortable." She pouted.

"Yeah, it wasn't the most comfortable thing was it?" I nodded; I did wake up quite a few times myself.

"Nothing like the mattress in our room, at our house." She added.

This gave me a great idea. "What if we pack up, shop and then head home. Everyone thinks we are away so no one will look for us at our house. We can have peace and quiet and a great bed all at once." Her eyes lit up the second I said the word home. She began to cram food into her mouth at a faster pace.

"Hurry up." She called out around the food in her mouth.

Within twenty minutes we were packed up, loaded up and checked out of the B&B. I had to delicately explain to the owner but his wife understood completely since she had five kids. We stopped in Port Angeles and shopped until I was worried that Bella would fall over with exhaustion. We were able to cross off everything on the list though so it was a successful trip after all.

Bella dozed off and on while I drove us as fast as humanly possible towards our house. I pulled the car in the garage to keep it hidden and made my way into the house with the shopping bags and our luggage. I went back to get Bella from the front seat. I hated to wake her so I was praying that she would sleep right through me moving her.

The rest of our weekend went just as quietly and smoothly as our drive home. We didn't hear from anyone, except for one text from Carlisle asking when we had to get the tux's back to the rental place. I was pretty proud of us. We had managed to thwart Emmett and Alice the whole weekend. In fact it was almost noon on Monday and still no sign of any of them.

Bella was in the kitchen and I was sitting at the piano when we heard a car pull into the driveway. We both froze. It was obvious that we had spent the weekend here and there was no way to explain that to the family without hurting any of their feelings. I had nothing prepared for an explanation. I had actually planned to call them a little later today and tell them we were now home. So much for that idea! I simply shrugged at Bella and prayed for the best as the front door lock turned. Esme marched in with a large watering can in her hands. She halted when she stepped into the hallway that lead to the back of the house. She could see Bella and I both from her vantage point.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry. I didn't know you were home. I was worried about your plants Bella, I came to water them. I'm so sorry." Esme began to back out of the hallway and towards the front door. Bella rushed over to stop her.

"No wait, don't go, it's okay." Esme stopped and Bella pulled her into the music room to sit. "We uh… well we came home Saturday morning. The bed in the B&B was terrible and I couldn't get comfortable." Esme's face registered the fact that we had been home all weekend long.

"Well, aren't you two clever? Who would have thought to look for you here? Did you have a nice weekend then?"

"It was perfect, so quiet and restful. I feel great, but hungry do want some lunch with us?" Bella asked as she returned to the kitchen to continue making the sandwiches. "I have a weird appetite but you are welcome to stay with us. We're having some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pineapple chunks and chips. Oh wait I think I will add some pickles as well." I started laughing at Bella. I don't know if she realized it but all of her foods technically started with a P.

Esme shook her head at us. "No thanks I'm going to meet Carlisle after this for lunch. Why don't you two come for dinner tonight though, everyone else would like to see you both, okay?" I nodded at her as she rose to leave.

"Hey, if you don't mind… can you keep it a secret that we were here all weekend?" Esme just nodded at us and left.

"Guess we dodged a bullet there didn't we?" Bella just laughed and moved back towards the kitchen. "You ready with my P lunch yet?" I asked as I followed behind her. She simply broke out laughing at me.

"I hadn't thought about it that way but yeah I guess your P lunch is ready silly."

"Then by all means, wife of mine, let's eat." I motioned towards the table and took our plates to sit and eat lunch with her. I wasn't certain that life could get any better than this moment right now.