We're in the third and final installment in the Renovations trilogy. I'm happy for those of you who stuck with me throughout all of this. This was a challenge to write, but it helped me grow as an author. I hope you see that, too. Now, the story will update on Wednesdays and Sundays, with teasers on Mondays and Fridays. It's pre-written and complete. Thank you to Christina Downs for her help with this – guiding me with suggestions for the story, editing and just being a sounding board for this journey – you rock, girlie! MWAH!
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Epilogue
Seven Months Later ...
"Why am I out with you buying Kate's wedding ring? I though you two weren't getting married until next summer," Bella grumbled, waddling in the jewelry store. She was massaging her back. It had been hurting since she woke up this morning. "Garrett, talk to me."
"Shit," Garrett grumbled, turning to look at his best friend's heavily pregnant wife. "Pretty girl, you should probably sit down."
"If I sit down, I won't be able to get up. Spill it, mister," Bella griped, glaring at Garrett.
"So, Kate got sick about two months ago. She had to go on antibiotics. And well, um, antibiotics made her birth control not work," Garrett said, his ears turning a bright red. "She's six weeks pregnant. We're getting married in Lake Tahoe on New Year's Eve. I wanted to fly to Vegas, but Kate still wanted a ceremony and her family there. She hasn't told them about the baby since her dad would probably castrate me with a rusty spork, but she'll be small enough to hide her baby bump. You know? Kind of like you and Edward."
"You could tell I was pregnant, you moron," Bella snorted.
"Now, you can," Garrett snickered, putting his hand on her very swollen belly. "At your wedding, it was barely noticeable." She harrumphed. "Seriously, pretty girl. I need your help. You know what I got Kate for her engagement ring. I have to find a perfect wedding band! She's freaking out that everything has to be perfect since it's coming together so quickly!"
"Come on, you dork," Bella said, moving toward the diamond bands. "And congratulations on becoming a dad."
"It's scaring the shit out of me," Garrett gulped. "I never thought I'd be someone's dad. You know? Now, here I am, getting married and going to be a father. Fuck."
"That's what got you into trouble in the first place," Bella deadpanned, smiling at the sales woman. "He needs to see wedding bands for his fiancée. White gold or platinum, please?" Bella gripped the glass display, whimpering quietly. "Do you have a chair or a stool I can sit on? My back is killing me."
"Of course," said the sales woman. "How far along are you?"
"I'm about ready to pop," Bella grumbled. "My actual due date is next week, but I think I'm going to go sooner. I was happily enjoying spending time on my couch when this one needed to get a wedding ring for his fiancée." She grimaced as another twinge spread throughout her back. "Let's get this done so I can go back to my couch and sit on my heating pad."
"You heard the lady," Garrett snickered, helping Bella onto the proffered stool. It didn't take long after Garrett described the engagement ring. After a half hour, the ring was ordered but Bella's back pain was getting worse. She couldn't get up from her seat. "Bella, do you want me to call Edward?"
"I don't know," she whimpered, shifting uncomfortably on the stool.
"You could be experiencing back labor. With my second baby, I had the worst backache," the sales woman explained. Bella moaned when another wave of pain settled over her back. "I'm going to call an ambulance. You look like you're in a great deal of pain."
"No, just give me a minute," Bella said, gripping Garrett's arm. Using him, she forced herself to stand, but there was a gush of amniotic fluid that spilled onto the carpet of the jewelry store. "Oh, shit!"
"You're right!" Garrett screamed, seeing the puddle between Bella's legs. "Call that ambulance. I'm so sorry!"
"Lay her down," the sales woman ordered. Garrett helped Bella onto the floor and called Edward. Bella was in a lot of pain and very, very scared. Garrett held Bella's hand while they waited for the ambulance to arrive. Bella spoke to Edward on Garrett's Bluetooth headset. He was at a site in Bellevue and was driving to the hospital. They hung up with the paramedics arrived. Loading Bella up into the ambulance, she and Garrett were driven to Virginia Mason Medical Center.
"Crap!" Garrett grumbled. "I left Kate's ring at the store!"
"I'm certain the sales lady will keep it for you," Bella panted. "Oh, FUCK! Is labor supposed to hurt this much? As soon as I get to the damn hospital, I want drugs!"
"You may not have time for that, Mrs. Masen," said the female paramedic by Bella's feet. "You're about nine centimeters dilated and fully effaced."
"WHAT?!"
"We're pulling in!" barked the driver of the ambulance.
With a halt, the doors were opened and the gurney was pushed into the emergency room. Edward was already there, speaking with Dr. Myers who was waiting for them. The paramedics prattled off the information as they pushed the gurney into a trauma room. Garrett was forced outside while Edward went into the trauma room with Dr. Myers and the medical staff. With a cursory examination, Dr. Myers pulled on a gown. "Bella, your baby is well on the way. On the next contraction, you're going to have to push!"
"But, I wanted drugs!" Bella wailed as they removed her clothing from the waist down and covering her with a blanket. They put Edward in a surgical gown. He was dazed, but trying to be strong for his wife. "Edward, please?! I need something."
"Bella, you are so strong. You can do this," he whispered, taking her hand.
"Dr. Myers, there's another contraction coming," barked a nurse.
"Okay, Bella. PUSH!" Dr. Myers ordered. Bella gripped Edward's hand, bearing down and pushing with everything in her. They did that a few more times before Bella passed the head of their baby. Dr. Myers cleaned out the mouth and nose. With the next contraction, she pushed again and soon the sounds of a screaming infant filled the room. "It's a boy!"
"A boy!" Edward smiled, looking over at his wife. However, her eyes were closed and her face was pale. "Dr. Myers! Something's wrong!" Dr. Myers quickly cut the umbilical cord, checking Bella's vitals. She was crashing.
"Edward, go with your son," Dr. Myers ordered.
"No! I want to stay with her," Edward growled.
"Edward, your wife is crashing," Dr. Myers explained. "The damage from her endometriosis is causing her to hemorrhage. Take care of your son. I'll take care of your wife." Edward was torn. What should have the happiest moment of his life was now quickly turning into the saddest. "Your son needs you."
Edward blinked back tears, walking over to Bella. He kissed her temple. "I love you, Mrs. Masen. You fucking fight for me. For us!" he growled against her head. With a broken sob, he turned and went into an adjacent room where they were cleaning up their baby boy. Bella's gurney was wheeled out of the trauma room and to the surgery suites on the second floor. The nurses explained that he was perfectly healthy. Sitting him down on a rocker brought down from the labor and delivery ward, the squirming bundle was placed in Edward's arms. He looked at the perfect face of his son, seeing the Bella almost immediately. Knowing that she was fighting for her life in the next room made him cry like a baby, clinging to his son like he was going to disappear.
The nurses let in Garrett who was waiting in the lounge. He saw his best friend crying as he rocked his child and his heart shattered. "Bella? Is she alright?" Garrett asked. Edward couldn't respond. He just shook his head. "She's not ..."
"No," Edward whispered brokenly. "She's in surgery. She was crashing, Gar. She could ..."
"She won't. She has too much to fight for. Too much to live for," Garrett encouraged. "Why don't you introduce me to my godchild?"
"He doesn't have a name yet," Edward said, showing Garrett his baby.
"It's Garrett! Duh," Garrett snickered.
"Don't hold your breath, Gar," Edward quipped back, running his finger down his son's soft cheek. "Do you want to hold him?"
"You keep him. I don't want to fumble him like a football," Garrett said, sitting down on a stool. "You need him as much as he needs you. Do you want me to call your dad?"
"Yeah. And all of Bella's bosses. Essie, too," Edward said, settling back in the rocker.
"I will, Ed." He got up, kissing Edward's temple. "I love you, brother. She'll get through this."
"I love you, too, Garrett," Edward said, smiling up at his friend, but it wasn't his usual Edwardian smile. Garrett left and he made all of the necessary calls. Edward stayed in the other trauma room until they needed it for a house fire. Loading up the baby into a crib, they went up to the maternity ward. Once Bella was out of recovery, they'd set her up in one of the private suites in the ward.
Dr. Myers found Edward in the nursery, holding his son. He hadn't let him go except when they carried him up to the ward. He was clinging to the last bit of Bella he could if she had died. "Edward?" called Dr. Myers. He looked up, seeing the bedraggled doctor. "Why don't you put him down?"
"No. He's the only thing keeping me from losing my shit," Edward said, feeding his son. "Did she make it?"
"She did," Dr. Myers said, sitting down across from him. "She lost a lot of blood and had to have several transfusions. However, the scarring to her uterus from the endometriosis caused the bleeding and we did everything we could."
"What are you saying, Dr. Myers?" Edward asked.
"If we didn't act quickly, your wife could have died. We removed her uterus to stop her from bleeding out. She had a hysterectomy," Dr. Myers explained. "She will never be able to have children, naturally, again."
"He was a miracle. We were lucky to have him in the first place," Edward murmured, moving his baby onto his shoulder and burping him. "Will she be okay? I mean, there's no other damage?"
"She may need another blood transfusion, but she will make a complete recovery," Dr. Myers said. "We'll bring her down to room 702 in about an hour. She's still sedated from the surgery. We're going to keep her and your little one for a couple of days, okay?"
A few hours later, Bella was rolled into her suite. She was still deathly pale, but she was alive. The monitor above her head indicated that her heart was pumping and that she was okay. Their son stayed in the nursery while Edward waited for Bella to wake up. He clutched her cold hand, praying for her to open her eyes. Garrett sent a text, explaining that Essie and Carlisle were down in Seattle and would check on them tomorrow. Marcus sent his love and would also come by at some point. He also explained that Aro and Caius would be flying out in a day or two to see Bella and their newest addition. The biggest shocker was the news from Edward's father. He was waiting in the waiting room. After talking to the nurse, asking her to watch over Bella, Edward went out into the waiting room to see his father.
"Dad?"
"Edward," Edward Masen Senior smiled. "Garrett called me and told me about the scare you had with your Bella. She's alright?"
"She will be. I'm surprised you're here," Edward said, arching a brow. "What happened with Regina?"
"We didn't work out. She was a gold digger," he growled. "I'm done with all of that. I wanted to see my son and my grandchild. I took the first flight I could. I came here once I landed." He gestured to his luggage in the corner. "I figured I could help out."
Edward looked at his father dubiously. "Dad, since Mom died, you've kept me at arm's length. Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.
"Edward, I know I screwed up. I love you very much and I've done a piss-poor job of showing it," Edward Sr. said. "To be honest, I'm moving out here to be closer to you. I'm not getting any younger and I want to enjoy my time with my son, his wife and my grandchild. I want to make it up to you. I know I have a lot of ass-kissing to do, but let me start by being here for you when you bring home your son."
"We'll see," Edward said. "Do you have a place to stay?"
"I was going to go to a hotel."
"Nonsense. Why don't you take my truck and go back to our house? It's late and I won't be home until my wife and son are going home. The code for the alarm is 1918. There's a guest bedroom in the basement with an adjoining bathroom. Help yourself to whatever you want in the fridge." Edward handed his father his car keys.
"Okay. I will. Thank you, Edward," Edward Senior smiled. "And congratulations, Dad."
"Thank you," Edward blushed. In a shocking display of affection, Edward Senior hugged his son, kissing his cheek. Without a word, he scuttled out of the waiting room and into the elevator.
Walking back to the suite, Edward went back to his vigil of watching over his sleeping wife only to drift off a few moments later. When he did wake up, he felt the soft caresses of Bella's fingers in his hair and her sleepy eyes looking down at him. He gently kissed her, murmuring that he loved her so much. Bella, confused, asked what had happened after she gave birth. Edward gave her the brief run-down, trying to keep his emotions at bay. A few tears spilled onto his cheeks, but it was understandable. When Bella asked to their baby, he eagerly went to the nursery and got their son.
Nothing prepared Edward for seeing the love of his life hold his son. She cried quietly, checking every inch of his little body and then holding him close to her chest. The bond between the two of them was palpable and their love was undeniable. As the sun rose and filled the room with its warming rays, the new family drifted off to sleep.
The next couple of days was spent with people coming in and out of the maternity ward. Andrew Charles Masen was definitely going to be spoiled, but in the best way possible. Bella did keep her word about naming him after Garrett, but instead of his first name, she adopted his middle name of Andrew. Charles was for Bella's father, whom she missed very much.
Upon their return to the house, Edward's father proved to be a great deal of help. Bella couldn't do much due to her healing incision from her surgery. Edward Masen Senior doted on his new grandson and loved up on his daughter-in-law. Bella found another surrogate father in Edward's dad and when he announced that he purchased a home in the same neighborhood, she was thrilled for both her son and for her husband.
The week before Christmas, Bella and Edward had the christening for little Andrew. Neither of them was overly religious, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Garrett was Andrew's godfather and Essie was his godmother. Edward and Bella held each other's hands as their miracle was christened by the priest in the eyes of God and their families.
"I never truly believed in all of this stuff, but I prayed when you had Andrew," Edward whispered, his fingers weaving in hers. "I was so scared that I had lost you."
"I think you did. I felt disconnected to my body," Bella murmured. "I couldn't give up. I refused to give up. I wanted to meet my baby. I wanted to share everything with you and him. I love you both so much. I'm sorry that I can't give you any more babies, though."
"Andrew is more than enough, my sparrow," Edward said, cupping her chin and staring into her eyes. "You are more than enough. I love you so much and nothing will ever change that." He kissed her tenderly before turning back to Garrett and Essie. The priest finished his ceremony and they went to a nearby Italian restaurant for the celebration of Andrew's christening.
Two weeks later, another miracle occurred. Garrett and Kate got married in beautiful Lake Tahoe as the fireworks went off on New Year's Eve. Edward and Bella, as they held the little ring-bearer, watched as Mr. and Mrs. Keyes shared their first kiss. Their relationships had now come full circle. After being under construction, their relationship had been completely renovated from top to bottom, restoring their love and giving them all a happily ever after.
Fin
/cse.ϴQUF