My due date was fast approaching, and Edward has been working in the shed on a special project, which he refused to give me even a small hint of. I did hear the wood saw going and the power sander, so I knew he had kept up with his woodworking skill while I had been away. JJ was constantly running from the shed to the house and back, retrieving glasses of water or daddy soda's -code for beer- for Edward and asking me to make them sandwiches. Edward was still Mister, but even without the father title, the feelings where there and mutual. I saw how Edward looked at JJ, it was the same way his daddy had looked at him and Jasper and later, me. The Cullen men were good at loving without needing the bond of blood.

I grabbed the mail out of the box and saw an envelope without a return address. Inside I found a short letter.

Bella,

I wanted to write and let you know I had the baby, or rather babies. Luke and Sebby are beautiful, healthy baby boys. Holding them, I wonder how I couldn't feel the same for JJ as I do them. God has his reasoning- if I had, JJ would never had had the chance for you as a mother, and that is the greatest gift I could have given him. Please, tell him that I love him and when he is ready I'll still be waiting. I will never replace you, but I want to know him, for him to know his brothers. I won't interrupt your lives again, find me when you are both ready.

All my love,

Leah

Three pictures were included, one of Leah and two babies, one of them and a man who must be Paul, and one of just the babies. I awed over the fact that they had the same eyes as JJ, both in shape and color.

"Bella." Edward spoke quietly from the doorway, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched me.

"We were hoping you would follow us into the nursery."

JJ peaked around Edwards legs, a front tooth missing from his otherwise toothy smile.

"I would be honored." Letting the excitement over a finished nursery I hadn't been allowed to see take over.

JJ whooped and ran up the stairs while Edward held out a hand and helped me to my feet. Ever vigilant, Edward stayed behind me with a steadying hand on my lower back as we made our way up the stairs.

"I can make it up the stairs without issue, you know." I grumped over my shoulder.

"Course you can. I'm just following you up." He tried to pacify me while I rolled my eyes to the heavens.

"Hold up." He murmured, gently wrapping an arm around my waist, stopping us before my old bedroom. "Right here."

"My Room?"

"Daddy gave you this room when you were added to our family. It only feels right to now pass it onto our child."

"Edward." I gasped for air… feeling overwhelmed, eyes stinging as I blinked back tears.

A mixture of fear over what was to come, hope, and wonder.

A baby, one from my womb that Edward had helped created, one that was thriving and ready to meet us. Neither of us were willing to say his name lately, our son lost to us, after so much progress, we were pretending for the last month or so… as if he weren't clouding our minds with thoughts of fear and what ifs.

JJ opened the door before either of us could speak again, soft colors of rose and cream taking over my senses as I stepped through the doorway in wonder. Rich colors of sage green wound their way around the walls, bursting into blooming roses, dotted with dragonflies and butterflies.

"You painted this?" I asked in wonder, unable to look away from the art.

"Alice helped with the outline and blending of colors." His cheeks tinting.

I continued my survey. Seeing a changing table that had been salvaged from our first preparation years ago, along with a rocking chair that had been used by Edwards mother.

"I see familiar items." I hummed, looking around the room, the diamond stained-glass window giving the room a feel of whimsical wonder, rainbows glittering across the oak floor that wasn't covered with mismatched throw rugs in creamy shades.

"Not everything."

I looked further, following Edwards line of view, gasping in amazement at what I saw. It was an oval shaped crib painted in a shade of cream that matched the rugs, a perfect companion to the dusky colors of the walls and painted flowers. The sheets were obviously custom made in forest green, a tiny patchwork quilt accompanying it.

"This is what you and JJ have been working on?"

"Mama McCarty made the bedding."

"Do you like it, Mama?" JJ asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

"I love it." Looking into Edward's eyes that were shinning with pure hope and love.

"I gave Rose and Em our original crib for Junior. They offered it back, but I thought we deserved a fresh start."

"The perfect mix of old and new." Smiling as I got to my tip toes and gave his lips a lingering peck, mindful of the little set of eyes watching our every move. "Thank you, my darling boys." Bending to give JJ's forehead a kiss.

~H.G~

"Is that…?" Rose asked, turning into the Shack Shed as I slurped at my empty milkshake cup.

"Rose, I gotta pee." I complained.

"Look! What the hell are our husbands doing?" She asked, pointing to the BBQ pit in the back.

Edward was squatted down, peaking around an old barn with Emmett behind him, watching the customers eat and chat.

"What in the world are they doing?" She wondered aloud.

"I don't know but I still have to pee, and now I want a smoked bratwurst." I grumbled, getting out of the van and waddling as fast as I could to the nearest porta-potty.

I was grateful for the elastic band of my maternity jeans as I tugged them up with one hand while the other plugged my nose, so I wouldn't gag, ready to have a fully functioning bladder back. Rose squirted a large amount of antibacterial gel into my open palm as I exited, and we made our way to the boys who hadn't noticed us yet.

We stood behind them, watching as they whispered back and forth, heads bobbing around crazily.

"Edward, what are we looking at?" I whispered into his ear.

I moved back just in time, almost getting my nose hit with his hard head as he whipped around and looked at me in shock.

"Where did you come from?" He asked squeakily, a true sign of guilt.

"The porta-potty." I pointed to the right narrowing my eyes at him.

"Is that Renee?" Rosalie squinted into the crowd, neck craned to look over her husbands' shoulder, who was acting like a linebacker, trying to block her view.

"Renee who?" Emmett responded to quickly to claim innocence.

"Really? That's your response?" Edward stood up straight, turning toward his friend in annoyed astonishment.

"Super sleuth over here." Rosalie winked at her husband, patting his cheek gently.

"Why are you spying on my mom and why is she even here? I thought she left…"

"How long have you known she was still in town and not let Bella know, Emmett McCarty?"

"Emmett wasn't holdin' nothin' back." Edward raised his hands in surrender. "Jimmy mentioned she was hangin' around and we was just checkin' up on the situation, is all."

"Check your hick, Edward. It comes out strong when you are in trouble." I glared at him, causing Emmett to snicker. "And you, why are you helping my husband out instead of coming to me about my own mother? Acting like I'm a child who's unable to handle life situations."

"Well, you did leave before." He mumbled.

"Low blow." Edward slugged his arm while my heart cracked a bit. "Look, we were just trying to feel out the situation before involving you. We didn't want to get you worked up if it ended up being nothing."

"When has it ever been nothing when it involves my mother?" I retorted.

"Bella?" A soft voice called out mere feet from us.

So focused on our own uproar, we had failed to sense the presence of others near us. There was a man standing close by, hands clinging onto the handles of braces wrapped around his forearms to help him walk on legs that bowed inward, yet outward at the same time. I looked up into his face and saw brown eyes inspecting me, taking in the sight of me as if he were drinking a glass of water after walking in the desert. He drew up an arm and unsteadily took off his cowboy hat.

"I'm Charlie, though I suspect you've never heard of me before." His eyes darted across the way.

I followed his brief gaze and saw my mother biting her bottom lip, eyeing us both nervously.

"Should I have?" I asked, taking a step forward, swatting away Edwards hand that failed to hold me at his side.

There was something about this man that drew in my curiosity. He seemed familiar, though I knew I had never seen him before in my life.

"Well, yes. You certainly should know who I am." His eyes again focusing in on Renee, the rich brown turning cold. "I may as well just say it… I've been told you may be my child."

"Wh-" I was unable to make out a word, let alone a response, my brief sound echoing between us.

The air was thick, my throat felt tight, unable to get enough air into me.

"Maybe we should all sit and talk this out?" Emmett stepped forward, chest displayed as proud as a peacock with his hands on his hips. He was Sherriff McCarty now, concern filling his eyes when he looked at me worriedly. "We have never seen you around these parts before, Mister. I don't think this is the right place to have such a discussion."

"Of course, where would be a better place to meet?" Charlie asked without hesitation to argue with Emmett.

"Well, there is the station-"

"We could all go to the diner." Edward interjected. "It's public enough, but we will have a table to have some sort of privacy."

I looked at him, wondering if he suggested such a place because he was afraid I would offer our ranch as a meeting place. I was annoyed he didn't let me respond for myself, but there were bigger issues to concern myself with. I could slacken my independent streak, calm it before I reacted without giving it the proper thought. We were both striving to correct past mistakes, which required both of us to think before reacting. It was something no one else noticed but myself, and I was proud of that fact. It was something I could improve on myself without anyone else knowing. Now, to put it to the test and allow this man to tell his story without my flying off the hinges.

Edward drove me to the diner without saying a word, just the slight squeeze of his hand holding mine, letting me know he was there.

"Are you ready?" He asked after parking the truck, Emmett and Rose pulling into the spot beside us.

"What do you know of him?"

"About as much as you do. Like I said, Jimmy mentioned him hanging around with Renee, wanted me to have a heads up. I didn't want to worry you till I found out more, so spoke with Em and we were kind of scoping him out. Even if we didn't find anything out, we were going to tell you. We just wanted to check it out for ourselves first.

"I understand, truly I do. Next time though, remember I m stronger than I was before. Each day I get a little tougher than I was the previous one."

"Forgive me for underestimating you." His voice was thick and gravely, just the way I liked it, meeting him halfway.

His lips were soft and warm, slightly parted so that our tongues could slip against one another ever so briefly. His teeth grabbed my bottom lip and tugged, creating a whimper deep in my chest.

"You owe me." I whined when we separated.

"You can count on it." He smirked and winked at me.

Charlie was already at the table by the time Edward and I made our way to join him. Rose and Em were there, but at a booth across the way so that we had a chance to hear him out for ourselves, yet giving us their concern and support.

"I was afraid you were going to stand me up." Charlie smiled nervously.

"What are you doing here? Hanging around with Renee, I mean." I asked, clasping my hands together, my thumbs twirling anxiously.

"Renee has been hounding at me for the last few years, saying I owed her thousands of dollars in child support." He responded, staring into my eyes so intently I couldn't look away even as I gasped. "In all these years, only the past three has she been claiming she had my baby. I didn't believe her and kept ignoring her calls till she threatened to get a lawyer and throw me into jail for not paying child support for eighteen years. Now I don't know the law well, but I figure that can't be true given she never told me about any baby, but I didn't want to risk it either. I got to thinkin' maybe she ain't bluffin' if she is willing to get a lawyer. Well, that just pissed me off something fierce. How dare she have my child and not tell me all these years?"

"So, you think you are my father?"

"When Renee first met me, I was on the top of my league, number two in the rodeo around these parts with a [promising look of going pro. She was there the night I fell. I made record time, but when I landed, the damn bull trampled all over me before they could drag me out. My back was a mess, my legs even worse. She showed up at the hospital, hovering over me. I felt so loved and taken care of, ready to propose marriage, thanking god for giving me such a loving woman. I asked my best friend to pick up the ring I had been looking at the previous month, deciding then that it was the right time. She was holding my hand when the doctor said I wouldn't walk again. She left to get a diet coke from the vending machine and never came back. I didn't see or hear from her again till a few years ago. She was demanding money from me, but I wasn't about to give her a dime till I met you and found out for sure if you were mine or not."

The more I looked, the more I saw. The same eyes, our hair the same color. I had his pointed chin and right dimple. His story didn't sound false, it would be awfully hard to make that up. He wasn't asking me for anything other than the truth. Exactly what I wanted from him.

"You have to promise not to have anything else to do with my mother." I demanded.

"Now that we have spoken, I can keep that promise. I am happily married with an almost grown daughter. I don't want to mess up a good thing. My wife was the one who insisted I check out Renee's story."

"We will get a DNA test and go from there."

"Bella, if I can speak blatantly, you are my child." He slid a picture face down across the table toward me. "This is my Daughter, Emily."

I picked up the picture, casting a nervous glance Edwards way, who had been sitting quietly with his hand on my thigh, giving me his support. He nodded slightly and rubbed gently against the denim of my jeans. Looking at the picture, my eyes widened slightly. Our eyes were the same, matching the man sitting across from me, as was the color of our hair, though hers was cut short and shaved on one side. She had a scar marring one side of her face, but the tilt of her lips on the unmarked side matched my own. I tilted it so Edward could see and his brows furrowed, flashing me a look I could read easily.

This man was my father.

This is unedited. My faithful readers will know how long it took me to get this chapter out and I feel badly for my beta, I don't think it right to ask her for her time when I have left not only you, my readers, but her also, hanging. She helps many other writers and at the moment, they are more deserving of her time. That being said, obviously all mistakes are my own. If you are reading this, you have no idea how much you all mean to me! I know I have kept you all waiting for quiet some time, but I am trying to get better about that, and I swear this WILL be finished.