Even though the last thing Bella wanted at that moment was for her husband to stop massaging her tired and swollen feet, at the sound of her pleas, he did precisely that.
Her eyes shot open to find him staring at her with that look on his face, the one that usually preceded a round of passionate love-making.
She continued to stare at him, confused.
He smirked. "Angel, you are killing me. If you keep up with the moans, I swear I will leave the children to their own devices and carry you off to our bedroom."
Bella, decided to tease him then, "And what exactly would you do once we got there?"
Edward bit his lip. "If I tell you, I would then feel the need to show you, and we'd never make it to the Easter egg hunt. I, for one, don't want to deal with the two very disappointed youngsters we would have on our hands, were that to occur." He leaned forward and kissed her lips.
"Are you certain you don't want me to come?" Bella asked.
"Oh Angel, I always want you to come. Haven't I proven that time and again?" He kissed her lips once more as Bella tried to contain her laughter. "But I think you need to rest today, and elevate your feet. We have a big day ahead tomorrow."
Bella nodded. The next day was Easter Sunday, and with two young children and family coming for dinner, it promised to be nothing short of hectic.
She turned her head toward the stairs, stopping to listen for a moment. When she was satisfied that the children were still happily playing upstairs and not about to intrude on their parents' private moment, she spoke, "I'm roughly the size of a beached whale, and somehow you still make me feel wanted. How do you do that?"
"Angel, you're beautiful; and I love you. I will always want you, and you're not the size of a beached whale for Christ's sake," he whispered in exasperation as his hand moved until it rested on Bella's protruding belly. "This is the biggest fucking turn-on because it says to the rest of the world that you're mine. You're carrying my child. And the rest of the jerks in this town who thought they had a chance with you can go suck their own dicks because you belong to me."
Bella laughed loudly then. "Charming."
Edward smiled cheekily. "I try," he said before kissing her again. "We'd better get going," he whispered against her lips, before rising from the spot where he'd been kneeling beside her chair.
Edward glanced around the room, before grabbing a small throw pillow and placing it under his wife's feet where they rested on the ottoman. He disappeared into the kitchen, reemerging a moment later with a large ice-cold glass of lemonade which he placed on the table next to Bella.
"Maybe I should call your Mom, I'm sure she'd come sit with you while we're gone?" In the span of a few minutes, Edward's mood had morphed from playful to apprehensive.
"Go Edward, I'll be fine, besides I wouldn't dream of dragging her away from the egg hunt."
He knelt beside her again and kissed her lips once more. "You sure?"
She nodded.
Edward then turned his attention to Bella's stomach. "Lottie, don't give Mommy any trouble while I'm gone." He kissed her stomach and flashed Bella a loving smile before calling up to Anthony and Marie that it was time to leave.
Bella laughed loudly as the children bounded down the stairs, sounding more like a herd of elephants then the two well-mannered youngsters who usually resided under that roof.
They got as far as the front porch before the sound of Edward's voice stopped them in their tracks, and they were suddenly back in the house, hurrying over to where their mother was resting.
"Sorry Mommy, we almost forgot to say goodbye," Anthony told her with a sheepish grin as he hugged her. Bella kissed his cheek while Marie kissed her mother's belly.
"Lottie Kate, be good," Marie scolded as she waggled a small finger at Bella's very large baby bump.
Bella bit back a laugh before kissing her daughter goodbye. One more kiss from her husband, and they were gone. As the door closed behind them, the soulful sounds of Stevie Wonder began to filter through the room.
Edward
If Bella had been paying attention, she would have seen her husband fiddling with the Ihome just before his departure.
She settled back in her chair and closed her eyes.
My Cherie Amour, lovely as a summer's day
My Cherie Amour, distant as the Milky Way
My Cherie Amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine
In a cafe or sometimes on a crowded street
I've been near you, but you never notice me
My Cherie Amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore
That behind that little smile I wore
How I wish that you were mine
Soon she became aware of a warm furry body resting against her feet. She opened her eyes to see Hermione curled up on the ottoman watching her.
Before long, not wanting to be left out, Sam came over and sat beside her on the rug before resting his head on her lap.
Bella giggled. "I feel so loved," she said before patting Sam's head.
A short time later, she heard a key turn in the lock and assumed that Edward had forgotten something. Imagine her surprise when it wasn't Edward who came through the door, but her father.
"Hey Dad, what are you doing here?"
Her Dad grinned. "Thought you might need some company," he said as he petted Sam who'd come to greet him.
That was nice
"I'm surprised Mom didn't come with you."
"She wanted to, but I told her to stay put, I don't think she'd survive the day if she wasn't able to take five thousand pictures of Marie and Anthony hunting for eggs." He informed with a chuckle.
Bella sighed sadly. "I wish I could be there."
"Bella sometimes, whether you like it or not, you need to put your health first." He said with a serious face. "This isn't your first time at the rodeo, little girl. I thought you would have learned your lesson after Marie."
It was true. She'd worried herself into such a state before giving birth to Marie that her blood pressure had shot up and she'd been forced to go on bed rest for the last month of her pregnancy. It didn't help that Will was less concerned with her health and more concerned with the fact that they couldn't have sex. Bella shuddered at the thought of her ex-husband and wondered why it took so long for her to wise up and leave him.
Whereas Bella's mother was chatty and exuberant, her father was the exact opposite, and precisely what Bella needed at that moment. She lay back, feeling exhausted, and wondered how she'd make it through the next day, much less an entire month before Lottie arrived.
She sighed.
"Can I get you anything Bells?" Her Dad asked from his seat on the sofa.
Bella smiled appreciatively. "No thanks, Dad. I'm good."
"What time do Edward's parents arrive?"
"The flight actually arrives around two, but they are doing a little sightseeing, and told Edward to take his time coming to get them."
Charlie nodded thoughtfully. "Well, the egg hunt shouldn't last much longer."
Since the children were on spring break for the next week, Edward's parents had decided that it would be the perfect opportunity to visit. It would be the first time either of them had seen the Cullens in months. Even though Edward's parents had been nothing but polite and respectful during their last visit, Bella had never quite gotten over the awkwardness of their first meeting, and doubted that she'd ever warm up to them the way Edward had to her parents.
Just as Charlie finished speaking, there was a sharp knock on the door. He signaled for Bella to stay where she was as he stood to answer it. From where she sat, she couldn't see whoever it was standing on her porch, but she heard them clearly enough.
"What can I do for you?" Charlie asked. Bella smiled, realizing that it was obviously someone he didn't know because he was using his cop voice.
Surely it wasn't someone inquiring about the cottages?
"I'm looking for Edward Cullen; who the hell are you?" Responded a shrill female voice.
Now most people in Winter Harbor would tell you that making the decision to be disrespectful to Police Chief Charlie Swan wasn't a wise one. Most days of the week, he carried a set of handcuffs and the keys to Winter Harbor's jail in his pocket, and he wasn't timid about using either.
But Charlie happened to be in an exceptionally good mood on this particular day, and decided that since he wasn't in uniform, there was no way for this rude young woman to know that he was an officer of the law, so he decided to give her a chance to redeem herself.
"Well, let's see. Since you're obviously not from around here, and are standing on the porch of a home that isn't yours, I'm thinking that I should be asking you that question."
As Bella listened to their exchange, she slowly stood from her chair before making her way across the room. As soon as she reached the banister to the staircase, she stopped. From that vantage point, she was able to see the person her father was conversing with, without interrupting them.
The first thing that struck Bella about the woman was that she was beautiful, in fact she was striking.
She looked a few years older than Bella, probably nearing thirty, and had short blonde hair cut in an attractive bob. It made Bella groan internally, because she was feeling anything but attractive these days.
She watched as the woman huffed out a breath and glared at Chief Swan. "I need to speak with Edward Cullen; I was told he lives here."
"Yes, that's correct," Charlie answered. "What exactly do you need with Edward?"
"He's my husband, is that reason enough for you?" She sneered.
Charlie was startled by the gasp that came from behind him at the woman's words. He turned and immediately rushed over to assist his daughter who was clinging to the banister as if it was a lifeline.
"Bells honey, are you okay?"
She looked at her father, her eyes filled with dread. "Husband?" was the only word she was able to utter in her shock.
"Well, I suppose ex-husband would be the more correct term. Now, can I ask who you people are?"
Bella glared at the woman before answering. "Yes, I'm Bella Cullen, Edward's wife."
Bella happily registered the look of surprise on the woman's face as she continued while gesturing toward her dad, "and this is my father, Police Chief Charlie Swan."
If it was possible, the woman's eyes grew even wider in surprise at Bella's second statement.
"And I don't know what it is that you want with Edward, but you need to…. Oh God," Bella exclaimed before glancing worriedly at her father and then down to the floor beneath her feet where a puddle was beginning to form.
Charlie looked down, "Oh!" he exclaimed as his daughter clutched his arm.
Edward's ex, after gazing down at the floor to see what had captured their attention, groaned in disgust. "Ew," she blurted out rudely.
Bella's glare returned. "Seeing that my water just broke, and I'll be heading to the hospital directly, I think it best that you leave. Under the circumstances, my husband is going to be rather busy for the rest of the day, and won't be available to speak with you."
"Bells, what can I do, what do you need?" Charlie interrupted.
She turned to her father, ignoring the disgruntled woman still loitering on the porch. "Call Edward and… can you and Mom take the kids?"
"Sure, honey. But, we're coming to the hospital," her Dad informed as he pulled out his cell phone.
Bella nodded. "Okay."
Edward's ex breathed out an exasperated sigh. "Look, just have Edward contact me. I'm staying at the Fairfield Inn in Bar Harbor." She began to leave, and then turned back, sneering. "Oh, and you can also remind him that I'm not a patient person. If I don't hear from him soon, I will find him."
"Go!" Bella exclaimed. Whatever this woman's issue, Bella didn't have time to think about it now.
Of all the days for this bitch to darken our doorstep…
"Here's Edward, honey, he wants to speak with you."
Bella graced her Dad with a watery smile before taking the phone from his hand. "Hey."
"Angel, we're on our way. How are you feeling? Any contractions?"
"No, nothing. Oh Edward, it's too early. She's not supposed to come for another month." Hit with the full force of what was happening,Bella began to outright sob.
"Bella, calm down. Everything will be fine. Our girl's just a little anxious." Edward chuckled to mask his worry.
"I love you," she sniffled.
"I love you too. I'm almost home."
Less than five minutes later, the house was abuzz with activity as suitcases were packed and bodies piled into cars. Shortly thereafter, Chief Swan and Renee, with the children in their vehicle, pulled onto the road close behind Edward and Bella, and began the more than one hour journey to Bar Harbor hospital.
***S*C***
"That bag has medicine that's helping Mommy and Lottie." Edward answered before Bella had a chance, as he gently lifted Marie onto his lap. There was no denying the fact that both children were visibly upset at seeing their mother in a hospital bed attached to tubes and wires.
Bella was beginning to regret asking to see them.
"Does that hurt Mommy?" Anthony asked with a worried expression as he looked at Bella's arm.
He looks so much like Edward…
"What, the tube?" Bella asked.
Anthony nodded.
"Oh no, honey, not a bit." She answered as she put her arm around him and pulled him against the side of the bed.
"Bells, maybe we should take the kids," her dad nodded in the direction of the door.
Bella agreed, knowing that she didn't want the children in the room when things began to get more 'intense'. She kissed them and her father goodbye before Charlie ushered them out. Renee lingered behind a moment longer. "I love you baby," She whispered before kissing her daughter; both of them with tears in their eyes.
"Love you too Mom."
The labor pains has started coming at regular intervals by the time Edward's parents arrived at the hospital. "Bella, is it okay if my parents come back?" Edward asked hesitantly.
Bella was shocked that they wanted to see her, but she could tell that Edward wanted it.
"Of course," she answered in a small voice, knowing she'd made the right decision when she saw the smile that lit up Edward's face as he left to find them.
"Hello Bella," Esme said as she slowly approached the bed, a hopeful smile on her face. "We just wanted to let you know that we're here." She patted Bella's arm reassuringly, while Carlisle beamed at her.
"Thank you." Bella didn't really know what else to say. There was an awkward silence before she spoke again. "Did you see Anthony before he left?"
Esme and Carlisle both smiled brightly. "Yes, we did and Marie as well. She's quite a doll, Bella. I'm sure this little one will be every bit as sweet as her big sister."
Bella's mouth fell open in shock. It was such a wonderful, maternal thing to say, and Bella was grateful for it.
"Thank you." She whispered.
Esme then leaned down to kiss Bella's cheek. "Don't worry my dear, everything will be fine, more than fine." She said before patting Bella's arm again.
Carlisle then took Bella's hand in his and gave it a little squeeze.
Before leaving the room, they both hugged their son, and Bella watched as the mask he'd managed to hide behind that entire day cracked, and for a brief moment the fear and worry he was feeling inside became evident on his handsome face.
It was a truth that he was only comfortable revealing in front of his parents, and Bella understood. He felt the need to be brave and strong in front of his wife, and she loved him even more for it.
When Esme placed her hand on his cheek and spoke soft soothing words, Bella turned away and pretended not to notice.
She would let him have his illusion.
By the time he returned to her side, the mask was back in place.
***S*C***
"Uh, I don't know, Angel. More ice chips?" He offered weakly.
Bella stubbornly shook her head. "I'm thirsty." But she knew that it would be a long time until she could quench her thirst. At the moment, she was in a holding pattern until she dilated enough to receive the coveted epidural which would take away her pain.
Suddenly Bella's eyes grew wide in panic. "The Easter baskets! Edward, what will we do about Easter!"
"Relax Bella; your parents have everything in hand. They took the kids back to our house and they'll set everything up."
At Edward's words she did relax, but only for a moment, before her eyes filled with tears. "It's our first Easter as a family, and we won't be spending it together."
"Oh Bella, please don't cry," Edward leaned over and kissed her forehead. "We can celebrate, all of us together, when we take our new daughter home."
Bella smiled and wiped away the tear just as another contraction seized her, and she held tightly to Edward's hand. She waited for it to pass before speaking again. "Distract me," she asked Edward, her voice hoarse.
"How Angel?"
"Tell me a story, a happy memory."
He leaned down to kiss her hand before he spoke. "All my happiest memories are tied up in my life with you, Anthony and Marie." He paused and brushed his lips across her hand again as he thought.
"Earlier today I was thinking about last Easter."
Bella smiled as she thought back to that day almost a year before. "Tell me, Edward."
He smiled and brushed a loose tendril of hair back behind Bella's ear. It was now almost midnight, and she looked exhausted.
Edward began in a quiet voice and told the story. He would stop during each contraction, which now seemed to be coming at closer intervals.
"I think I must have known from the moment we met, that I wanted you forever," he told her in a low voice. "I made plans to propose as soon as we returned from New York in March. I even went out that week and purchased the ring."
Bella smiled as she listened.
"I wracked my brain, though, over how to do it. I knew I wanted the children involved, and then I was hit with sudden inspiration as it got close to Easter…"
***Flashback*** One year earlier***
"This is different, that's for sure," Bella told Edward as they sat on sand chairs, watching Anthony and Marie run up and down the beach, collecting stones. "But I'm not complaining."
Edward had insisted that, after Easter dinner, they take a thermos of hot chocolate down to the shore.
He said it would be relaxing. Bella gazed over at him in amusement. Edward looked anything but relaxed, in fact he had been nervous all day. Now, wrapped in his hoodie while cradling his mug of cocoa in his hands, he looked nervous and cold.
Every now and then, he would check his phone or look behind where they sat as if watching for someone or something to appear. His behavior was confusing, but Bella was easily distracted as she watched Anthony and Marie play and laugh.
Suddenly Bella felt a small hand touch her arm. She looked up to find one of Marie's classmates smiling at her. "Hi, Marie's Mommy."
Bella chuckled, "Hi, Bea." Bella returned the little girl's smile as Bea handed her a pink plastic Easter egg.
"This is for you," she whispered before running away to join Marie and Anthony.
Bella furrowed her brow as she looked at the egg in her hand.
"Open it," Edward whispered from beside her. When she glanced at him, she was surprised to find his expression tense.
Bella did as he said and inside found a slip of paper with writing on it. "What's this? Instead of a fortune cookie, is it a fortune egg?" She asked in her bemusement.
"Read it," Edward instructed.
Bella took a breath and read the slip of paper, before turning to Edward and giggling over the cheesy note he'd written.
B- "You had me at 'hello'" – E
Edward grinned at her reaction, but Bella didn't have a chance to say anything more, before she felt another touch on her arm, and another egg being placed into her hand.
This time it was a friend of Anthony's named Dustin, and the egg was purple. She opened it and read the note inside, giggling even louder.
B- "You complete me" – E
And so it continued as friends of Anthony and Marie would appear and hand Bella eggs, each containing notes to her from her silly, romantic boyfriend. Bella's reactions varied from quiet snickers to loud cackles as she read…
B- "You're like my own personal brand of heroin" - E
B- "Promise me, you'll never let go…" - E
B- "Me love you loonngg time" - E
B- "Come with me if you want to live" - E
B- "I want all of you. Forever. Every day." –E
After reading the last one, Bella looked up to find Marie and Anthony standing in front of her, each holding an egg. The other children, along with their parents, stood a short distance away, and watched them with interest. This only added to Bella's confusion, but Edward, Anthony and Marie were all smiles, so she made an attempt to shrug it off.
"Here, Mommy," Marie said with a giggle as she handed Bella an orange egg. Bella opened it with a smile.
Isabella, "I never wish to be parted from you from this day on." – E
Bella drew in a breath and looked at Edward, resisting the urge to throw herself at him in front of the children and a fair chunk of the entire town of Winter Harbor. She glanced up at Anthony, expecting him to be the next one to hand her an egg, but Edward surprised her by speaking.
"Open mine next, Angel." He said before handing her a large blue plastic egg. This one felt heavier than the others, and when she opened it she was surprised to find a small velvet box inside, along with another slip of paper.
She read the note with a shaking hand.
Bella, I love you with all my heart, please do me the honor of becoming my wife – Edward
As she read the words and tears began to fill her eyes, she was aware of movement beside her. Edward was out of his chair and dropping to one knee in front of where she sat as he reached over to open the small velvet box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring inside. He removed the ring from the box and took her hand in his, just as Anthony tried to hand her his egg.
Someone, obviously realizing that Bella wouldn't be able to open this last egg unless she were to let go of Edward's hand, spoke then, "Open it for her Anthony." Bella smiled when she recognized the sound of her mother's voice, and turned to glance over her shoulder, only to find both her parents standing there smiling.
Anthony opened his egg, and held the note so Bella could see…
Say yes…
This time, Bella couldn't hold back as she launched herself at the man she loved. "Say the words out
loud, Edward," she whispered in his ear.
He held her tight, and took a breath. "Will you marry me, Angel?"
With her arms around his neck, she finally told him what he wanted so desperately to hear. "Yes, Edward. Oh, yes."
They ignored the hoots and applause sounding from all around them as Edward captured his now fiancée's lips in a searing kiss.
****************end flashback****************
"That was a perfect day," Bella whispered, "thanks for not hiring a flash mob," she said with a giggle before wincing in pain once again.
Edward didn't smile, as he placed a cool washcloth on Bella's head and held her hand through the contraction.
It wasn't long before Bella was finally able to receive her long-awaited epidural, and in the wee hours of Easter morning, Bella and Edward welcomed little Charlotte Katherine Cullen into the world.
Being a month early, she was rather small, weighing in at only six pounds, two ounces, but as her father liked to point out to everyone they knew, she was perfect.
Little Lottie was also the perfect mix of both Cullen and Swan, having the brown hair of her mother and sister, and eyes that Bella suspected would eventually be the color of her father's and brother's.
Soon after sunrise, the quiet solitude of the little hospital room was disturbed by two sets of ecstatic grandparents and two young children, who could barely contain their squeals of delight upon meeting their new sister for the first time.
"Can I hold her Daddy?" both children asked repeatedly before Edward finally acquiesced, seating each child in a chair as they took a turn. Bella noticed in quiet amusement that her husband never actually relinquished his hold on the baby while she was in the arms of her brother or sister.
As Marie and Anthony chattered on about their morning, and how generous the Easter bunny had been, Bella studied their innocent faces with a contented smile. When Anthony began to tell Edward's parents all about the Easter egg hunt the day before, Bella gasped, remembering what had transpired while the children had been off hunting for eggs.
"Oh, Edward," she turned to her husband with worried eyes, "in all the confusion, I forgot to tell you," her eyes darted to where Anthony was still in conversation with his grandfather, not looking in her direction, "we had a visitor yesterday."
Edward frowned and spoke to her in a low whisper. "Don't worry love, I know all about it." He then chuckled before continuing. "As luck would have it, Jackie happened to be staying in the same hotel as my parents last night, which actually turned out to be rather unlucky for her."
"Hey Edward and Bella, Charlie and I are going to take the kids down to the cafeteria. We'll see you in a bit," Carlisle informed with a wink as he and Charlie ushered Marie and Anthony from the room.
All of a sudden, Esme and Renee were at Bella's side; Esme bursting to tell her story. "On our way to our hotel room, we ran into that sorry creature, Jackie, and I demanded to know why she was here." Esme began. "It would appear that she's engaged. This new man is big on family and wants her to establish a relationship with Anthony." Esme chuckled without humor. "I made sure to remind her that she was referring to the child she never wanted. She countered with the argument that she'd fought in court for custody, which is a laughable defense considering she offered to sign away her rights if Edward was willing to make it worth her while. She walked out of that courtroom a much wealthier woman than when she entered."
Edward had never shared those details with Bella, and her heart broke all over again for the little boy whose own birth mother could place a monetary value on his worth.
"Don't worry," Esme continued, "She won't be bothering you any time soon. The threat of taking her to court seemed to resonate, at least for now. Her parting shot was to accuse Edward of cruelty for keeping Anthony from his mother." Esme gave Bella a kind smile. "I informed her, in no uncertain terms, that Anthony has a mother, a fine one who loves him, and who he loves in return."
Bella's mouth fell open in shock as Esme winked at her before turning to face Bella's mother.
"Come on, Renee, let's go find our husbands and grandchildren, and let Bella get some rest." Esme and Renee kissed the baby, Bella and Edward goodbye before sweeping from the room.
It took several minutes for Bella to wipe the look of surprise from her face. "Wow," she whispered.
Edward laughed. "I told you she was on our side. My mother is nothing if not fiercely protective. Unfortunately, sometimes she can seem very abrupt."
It dawned on Edward at that moment that he was finally beginning to understand his parents. He thought back over all the times during his youth, when he had assumed they were merely trying to control him. He realized now that all they had been attempting to do was to keep him from making mistakes.
Protecting him the only way they knew how…
"I think I finally get it," he whispered as he leaned his head against Bella's and gazed down at his new daughter.
"What?" Bella asked with a yawn.
"I would do anything to protect you and the children. This family is my whole world."
Bella smiled before yawning again. Edward reached, taking the baby in his arms before kissing Bella's forehead. "Sleep, Angel."
******************A/N**************
A/N Song Rec: Ma Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder
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