For those of you who read the Get Your Southern On contest entries, this is my contribution. I am tickled at the results ... first place in public vote and third place for the judge's choice. I've decided to break this up into smaller, drabblish chapters and it will be continued. The contest contribution is the first six or so chapters, roughly. I don't know how long it will be, but I do have it planned. Thank you to Bridget for betaing this for me and for Clo, who created the banner.
Thank you for those of you who have read this! I hope you continue to do so! Without further ado ...
This is the beginning of the extension of the original contest entry. ALL NEW! Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this!
Edward spent most of the night taking care of his two sick twins. Around six, both of them finally settled down and crashed from being so sick. Edward sucked down coffee, exhausted from cleaning the never-ending stream of vomit. The combination of that scent, plus the burnt chicken piccata made his stomach turn.
Shortly after eight, Esme came over with some plain toast for the twins. She found her son drooling on the kitchen peninsula, holding a coffee cup. Brushing his hair back, she gently roused him. "Ma?" he croaked, sitting up and stretching. Every bone in his spine cracked. "Sorry. I must have drifted off."
"Did you get any sleep?" she asked as she refreshed his coffee.
"No. Liam just loved to projectile vomit," he said, looking down at his scrubs. He gave up on clothes and found some scrubs figuring it would be to change those. "Lucy was a bit more delicate. What did you feed my children?"
"It was just too much," Esme said. "And it's all your father's fault. He was the one shoveling down unhealthy food down their throats."
"Remind me to kick his ass," Edward said, rubbing his eyes.
"I'm sorry about ruining your date with Bella," she muttered. "I know that you've put everyone ahead of your needs and this one weekend, I wanted to give you some freedom ..."
"Ma, it's okay," he replied. "Bella understands. In fact, she might come over if the twins are feeling up to it."
"I don't think that's a wise decision," Carlisle said from the doorway.
"You have no say in this, old man," Edward snapped. "If it weren't for you stuffing junk food down my kid's throats ..."
"Carlisle, it's Edward's decision if he wants to introduce the twins to Bella. I've always liked her. She's sweet and will be a better mother than Tanya," Esme sneered.
"Stop, both of you," Edward hissed, dragging them into the office. "I'm not shopping for a new mother for my children. I love Bella. I always have. I just wanted her to meet them. So, Ma, stop with the better mother comments. Bella and I are trying to get to know each other as adults, not horny teenagers."
"Though, it does smell like sex in your room," Carlisle huffed.
"Grown adult, Carlisle," Edward growled. "And in case you haven't figured it out, I'm not a virgin. I lost that when I was fifteen. I have two kids. You can stop passing judgment."
"Behave, Carlisle. Edward has done nothing but live and breathe for his children," Esme argued. "But has he been happy?"
"Not really. No," Carlisle said, giving his son a sheepish grin. "I'm sorry, Edward. You lost your virginity at fifteen?"
"Ugh, Dad," Edward sighed, stomping to his desk and sitting down heavily. "I'm going on next to no sleep. Can you just skip the lecture and tell me why it's not a good idea for Bella to not meet the twins?"
"I don't want them to get too attached," Carlisle said. "You say that you want forever with this girl. You said that about Tanya, too."
"No, I didn't," Edward argued.
"He never did. What have you been smoking, Carlisle?" Esme asked. "Edward married her because she was pregnant."
"Not my finest moment, that's for sure," Edward muttered under his breath. "I made a ton of mistakes in my life, but there are three things that I'm sure of: Liam, Lucy and Bella. Liam and Lucy were the best thing that came from my relationship with Tanya. Bella has always been my dream girl and now that I have her, I don't want to lose her. I also want her to know me, the real me and that includes my role as a father. I would never knowingly hurt my kids or Bella."
"I just think that it's too soon," Carlisle said stalwartly. "I know that Bella was only in town for the reunion and that your time with her was cut short due to the twins' illness, but now is not the most opportune time for them to meet her. Talk about trial by fire. Liam might just douse her with his rain of vomit."
"Yeah, no. That would be gross," Edward shuddered. "I gave up on wearing clothes and Anna is going to have to work hard to get rid of the smell of puke." He leaned his head back, knowing that his father was right. "Damn it." He looked at his parents. "Can you watch over them while I call Bella?"
"Sure, sweetheart," Esme said, dragging her husband out of Edward's office.
Edward found Bella's number and dialed it. He wrinkled his nose, afraid that she was still sleeping. However, she picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hey, sweetness," he murmured.
"How are the twins?" she asked. "How are you?"
"Finally asleep," he chuckled. "And me? I'm fucking bushed. I got maybe an hour's worth of sleep?"
"I'm so sorry, baby," she cooed. "You need to take care of yourself. Don't you have to go to work tomorrow?"
"Yeah. I don't want to go to work. I'd rather hide in your luggage," he snickered.
"Tempting, but I think I'd have to pay an extra fee because of the weight in my suitcases," Bella giggled.
"You calling me fat?" Edward laughed.
"No, but there would be a distinct difference between my luggage from Seattle. Anyway, I'm assuming that you probably need your rest and that you need to take care of Liam and Lucy, right?"
"I do, sweetness. I really wanted you to meet them, but with them being sick and me battling exhaustion ..." he trailed off. "I'd rather be with you. Believe me. I love you, Bella. I want nothing more than to ..."
"Edward, you don't have to apologize or make excuses. You're a father and your children, your babies need you," she said firmly. "I'll meet them when the time is right. Now, is not that time. Besides, Angela called me about fifteen minutes ago. She's in labor and she kicked Ben out of the maternity ward, blaming him and his super sperm."
"Labor?" Edward asked. "I thought that she wasn't due for another couple of weeks."
"Apparently not," Bella said. "I'm off to the hospital to sit with Angela while she's waiting for her body to push out her baby out of her hoo-ha. And that's a direct quote from Ang."
"Good luck, sweetness," Edward chuckled.
"Any words of wisdom?" Bella asked.
"I wouldn't know. Tanya didn't want me in the delivery room," Edward sighed. "It was just the doctor, nurses and Lauren."
"Lauren Mallory was in the delivery room for your babies and not you?" Bella scoffed. "That's fucked up."
"What's even more fucked up is that Lauren is Lucy's godmother," Edward grumbled. "Every so often Lauren got a bug up her ass to be all maternal and she wanted to hang out with the kids, but when she smacked Liam for dropping her phone in the pool, I put the kibosh on that."
"Daddy, my tummy hurts," said Liam, walking toward Edward.
"I've got to go, Bella. I'm sorry about ..." Edward rushed out.
"No apologies. I love you and you take care of your little ones," Bella cooed.
"I love you more," Edward whispered before hanging up the phone and picking up his snuggly, but sick son. Being an adult sucked sometimes.
xx TOTGA xx
"Angela, why am I here?" Bella asked as she patted down her friend's forehead with a damp cloth. "Ben should be in here."
"He should, but if I heard him do the fucking Lamaze breathing one more time, I was going to cut off his balls," Angela groaned, shifting in the bed. "He told me that he knew how much pain I was in, but he doesn't fucking know. This is torture. Even with the damn epidural, I can feel everything. Besides, I wanted to hear about your reunion with Dr. Cullen."
"You're getting ready to have a baby and you want to hear about that?" Bella snorted.
"I haven't had sex in almost two months and probably won't have sex for a long time after this watermelon comes out of my cooter," Angela snickered. "I want to live vicariously through you. So, did you?"
"Did I what?" Bella asked.
"Have sex?" Angela wailed as a contraction ripped through her. "Mother fucker!"
"Mrs. Cheney, I know that you're in pain but please refrain from using such language," chided an older nurse as she strode into the room.
"Have you had kids?" Angela spat. The nurse arched a brow. "I will swear all I want because this hurts! Get me the doctor for another epidural because this is hell." The nurse left and Angela collapsed on the bed, panting heavily. "This is the only kid we're having. Never again."
"How long have you been having contractions?" Bella asked as she wiped down Angela's brow.
"Braxton-Hicks contractions for about a week, but labor pains? Since the reunion," Angela said. "Seeing all of those mean girls sent me into labor."
"Angela," Bella frowned. "I'm sorry." Angela gave her a grin, but it quickly turned to a grimace. Some alarms went off and she gripped her belly. Bella ran out into the hallway, shouting for a nurse. Ben, who was sitting in the waiting area ran into the room. A doctor came in and he started yelling that Angela needed to have emergency C-section since the baby's heart rate was falling quickly. Angela was rolled out of the room. Ben wanted to go with them, but it was too risky.
Bella and Ben waited in the surgical waiting room to hear word about Angela and the baby. An hour later, the doctor came out smiling. Both Angela and their daughter were fine. The umbilical cord was pressed against the uterine wall that caused the drop in heart rate. However, the baby was spending the night in the NICU for observation. Angela was in recovery and sleeping off the sedative they'd given her in the operating room.
Bella left once Angela was wheeled back to her maternity suite, congratulating her. Even half-asleep, Angela groggily mumbled, "You still owe me details on your reunion, Swan."
"I promise I'll tell you all about it," Bella smiled, kissing her friend's cheek. "For now, you just sleep and enjoy your baby."
"I have a baby," Angela cooed. "I'm a mama. Breelynn Cheney."
"You are, Angela. Congratulations," Bella said. Turning to Ben, she hugged him, too. "And to you, too, Daddy."
Taking out her cell phone in the parking garage of the hospital, Bella sent a text to Edward. Angela and Ben are the proud parents of a baby girl ~ Breelynn Cheney. TTYL! Love you, Bella
A/N: I hope you're still with me. We got to spend some time with Daddyward. Plus, Angela and Ben had their baby girl. Up next will be Bella's departure from Tampa. Leave me some lovin! ;-)