Ok...here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Song credit- "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. I own nothing.
EPOV:
She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I'm sittin' here wearin' the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It's been a long day and there's still work to do,
She's pulling at me saying "Dad I need you!
There's a ball at the castle and I've been invited and I need to practice my dancin'"
"Oh please, daddy, please!"
I pulled my Volvo into the driveway at 8:49pm. I sighed, shutting off the ignition and running my fingers through my hair. It had been a long day at the hospital...I had been there since about 7:00am and still had dozens of patient files to complete before bed tonight.
I grabbed my briefcase, getting out of the car and walking up the driveway to the door. I opened the back door, walking in and laying my bag and doctor's coat on the kitchen table. I grabbed a container of yogurt and a banana off the counter, eating as I walked.
"Baby! I'm home!" I called to my wife, who emerged down the stairs and I grinned from ear-to-ear, setting my food down and kissing her, holding her in my arms. "I'm so sorry it's so late...we had some emergencies..."
She nodded. "It's ok. How was your day, babe?"
I sighed. "Long. Just....long." She wrapped her arms around my neck, playing with my hair. "I know what'll make you feel better." She said suggestively, placing both of her hands on my chest and I groaned.
"I have paperwork."
"Dang it."
"Tell me about it."
"Would you like some company?"
I smiled. "Always."
She grabbed my briefcase for me, and I grabbed my food, and we walked to the couch, sitting down as I continued to eat.
"What do you have to do?"
"Patient files...all that useless crap."
"Your patients will appreciate you." She pointed out, kissing me gently. I wrapped my arms around Bella, pulling her into me.
"How's Renesmee?" I asked, stroking her hair.
She smiled, looking up at me. "Beautiful. She misses her daddy."
Tears filled my eyes automatically. "You have no idea how much I hate this, Bella. I love my job, but I hate being away all the time. I need to cut my hours. We can afford this. We can afford for me to cut my hours. I miss my baby. I need to be home. We can do this, right?"
She nodded. "Yes, we can. And I thought about running a babysitting service here...you know...watch a few kids during the day..make some extra cash."
I shook my head. "Bella, you don't have to..."
She shrugged. "I want you home more. I'll do it. I'll do whatever I can."
I kissed her. "I'll talk to my dad about lessening my hours."
"How long has she been asleep?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know...like a typical 3-year-old, she does NOT want to stay in bed. It's frustrating. She wanted you so bad, Edward."
"I'm so sorry, Bella."
"Mommy?" We heard a small voice, and we turned to see our daughter standing in the doorway.
"Hi honey. What are you doing up?" She asked.
"I heard daddy."
Daddy. After three years of her being here, hearing her call me 'daddy' still made me smile. "Hi sweetheart."
She grinned, running into my open arms. I kissed her forehead, and she leaned her head in to my shoulder. "I missed you so much." I whispered.
"I miss you daddy."
"What did you do today?" I looked at Bella out of the corner of my eye, knowing full well that she shouldn't be out of bed, but also knowing that I really didn't care at the moment. She smiled, and I knew she didn't care either.
"I danced with mommy!"
I smiled. "You did, huh? I love dancing with mommy." I smiled at my daughter, and she looked up at me, her eyes wide.
"What is it, Renesmee?"
"Will YOU dance with me, daddy?" she asked, and I sighed.
"Renesmee...daddy has a lot of work to do still...we can dance tomorrow."
"But I'm going to the ball tomorrow, daddy! Please?"" she asked, getting off of my lap, pulling on my finger with her tiny hands in an attempt to get me off of the couch. "Please daddy?" I looked at Bella and smiled. "Screw paperwork." I whispered. "Oh Renesmee...you're so strong! You got me up all by yourself!" I said, and she laughed.
I lifted her in my arms, spinning around the room while humming her lullaby that I had composed while Bella was pregnant with her. She smiled, leaning her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms around my neck.
"I love you daddy." She whispered.
"I love you too, sweet girl." I whispered back, hugging her closer to me.
Bella watched on, tears streaming down her cheeks.
And I continued to dance with my daughter. And at that point, it didn't matter that I still had hours of work ahead of me. It didn't matter that I was so exhausted that I could fall asleep standing up. All that mattered was that right now, my precious baby girl was in my arms, and I wouldn't trade that for anything in the entire world.
We danced until she fell asleep and I sat back on the couch, still holding Renesmee.
"I'm taking the day off tomorrow. I'm tired of missing this. I need a day with just my wife and my daughter."
Bella smiled. "We would love that." She kissed me and I grinned. "I'm gonna take her up to bed."
I nodded, kissing my daughter's forehead. "I'm gonna call my dad." She took Renesmee from my arms, taking her upstairs.
I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, calling my father.
"Hey Edward." he answered.
"Dad. I'm staying home tomorrow."
"Are you ok? Is Bella? How's Renesmee?"
I chuckled. "We're all fine. I just need some time with my girls."
"You do need it," he agreed.
"And I really need to cut my hours, dad. I miss them. I never see them."
"Finally...you are such a workaholic, Edward. You have time to work insane amounts of hours after Bella goes back to work and the kids go back to school."
"The kids?"
"Well...if you have more..."
I paused. "Do you know something I don't know."
He said nothing.
"Carlisle..." I warned.
"I'm your father, Edward. Not Carlisle"
I chuckled. "I'm going to go talk to Bella...I have some patient files to work on too."
"I'll pick them up tomorrow."
"Thanks, dad. See ya."
I hung up the phone, grabbing my stack of papers and going up to the bedroom. I change out of my dress shirt, tie, and dress pants, pulling on a pair of green boxers and a grey t-shirt. Bella walked into the room as I was pulling my shirt on.
"I'm too late. Darn it." She sighed, and I chuckled.
I crawled into bed, setting the files on the night stand, and I sat up, opening the one on top.
"Sorry, sweetheart. I have to get these done."
"It's ok babe." She kissed my cheek, laying her head on my shoulder as I wrote.
"I called Carlisle. I told him I wanted to work fewer hours. He told me I had plenty of time to work after you go back to work and the kids go back to school."
She smiled. "That you do."
I paused, setting my work down, looking into her eyes.
"Bella..."
"Edward."
"Let's talk. I just got off the phone with my dad, Bella."
She sighed. "I didn't want to tell you yet. I wanted you to enjoy some time off work with just me and Renesmee..."
"But?"
"I went to see Carlisle today...I have been feeling funny lately..."
"Mrs. Cullen. Tell me what's going on?"
"After being married to you for 5 years, that still doesn't get old."
"Bella." I warned, looking out of the corner of my eye.
"We're pregnant, Edward." she whispered.
I grinned, kissing my wife passionately.
"You're..happy?" she asked and I laughed.
"Of course! I love our daughter, Bella...I'm ecstatic."
"But what if we miss out on Renesmee's life because of the baby?"
I shook my head and laughed. "Silly, Bella. We'll do this together. Till death do us part, remember."
"I love you." She whispered.
"I love you back." I said, kissing her, then lifting her shirt, exposing her bare stomach. I kissed it gently, then placed my hand on it. "Daddy loves you too, little one."
I looked up at Bella, tears in both of our eyes. I laid back down beside her, kissing her gently. "I'm so in love with you, Bella...you have no idea."
She laughed. "I never get tired of hearing that."
"I"m serious. I love you."
"I love you too, my prince charming..." she sighed, quickly drifting off to sleep.
I heard the door crack open a few minutes later, and saw my daughter standing in the doorway.
"Renesmee..." I warned her.
"Sorry, Daddy. I can't sleep." she said in her cute 3-year-old voice.
"Come here, baby..." I said, and she walked over to me, holding up her arms, and I picked her up.
"Mommy's sleeping...shhh." I whispered.
"Shhh..." she repeated, and I chuckled.
"Dance, Daddy?"
"Again?" I asked, and she nodded.
"I love to dance with daddy."
"You should really get to bed." I tried my best to be stern with her.
"Please?" and she gave me the puppy dog eyes, just like her mother.
And then I realized...she was three years old. We had another baby on the way, and she was growing up so quickly that it scared me. I could handle one night of her being up late...even if Bella was mad, I really didn't care, to be honest. I was getting some one-on-one time with my baby girl, and that was worth Bella being angry for five minutes.
And with that, I smiled, dancing once again with my daughter...nothing else mattered...I had her, her mother, and her brother or sister, and that was enough for me for the rest of my life.
So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
'Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don't want to miss even one song
'Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she'll be gone...
Please review! I worked hard on this one!