Living with Monsters

I sat on the couch with my feet up and my hands lying on my pregnant belly. Jeff was curled up next to me, his head resting on my leg. He was a good dog, he kept me company. I patted his head and closed my eyes. I thought of everything I had experienced since moving here. I opened my eyes again and whipped away the wet tears that had gathered.

Jeff jumped up and began growling at the door. Raising an eyebrow I walked over to him. He didn’t glance at me, just kept growling. I reached for the door handle; Jeff inched closer, and swung it open. Edward and Emmett stood there talking below human hearing frequency. It looked like they were arguing. Jeff went crazy and barked at them like they were monsters. I smirked.

“Dahlia! Hey….” Edward said awkwardly. I simply turned and walked back into the house, I left Jeff barking at them. Jeff growled again and walked to me. He jumped on the couch and sat his fat head on my shoulder. Edward and Emmett soon followed.

“How are you doing?” Edward said. I looked at him. I remembered all the times he had asked me that before all this happened. I remembered life before they left. I made myself stop when I felt the familiar pain in my chest.

“I’m okay. I have the day off so I decided to be lazy. But I have a doctor’s appointment later. How are you guys doing?” I asked. I looked from Edward to Emmett. He wasn’t looking at me; no he was looking at the floor. I didn’t know what to say to him. What do you say to the person you are, no, were in love with. ‘hey, after you left me alone and hurt I found someone who made me whole again, and we were going to get married and I’m pregnant, but now he’s dead and I feel like I’m shattered again?’ no, I can’t tell him that.

“We came by to see if you wanted to go shopping with Alice, she want to buy baby clothes.” Edward said. I could hear in his voice that he wanted to say more. I looked down at my hands. Alice, why do you do this to me?

“Will you guys be going? I know it sounds silly, but I don’t want to go alone. I want my family to be there.” I said.

“We’re still your family? Even after we left you?” it was the first time Emmett had said anything since they sat down. I looked at him shocked.

“Well of course! You will always be my family! You can’t get rid of me just like that!” I said. I stood up a little too fast and swayed a little. Emmett was up using his vampire skills and caught me. I froze a little when I realized it was him. I can’t say why him being close affected me so, but it did. He let go off me and I rushed up the stairs.

~ EMMETT’S POV~

My skin felt electrifying when it touched hers. She looked even more beautiful than the last time I saw her. I stared after her. Why did I have to leave her? I know she’s still hurt over the things that happened. If I hadn’t left that could have been my child growing inside her. I felt my fist clenching.

“Emmett, we cannot have children” Edward said lowly. I looked at him and felt anger grow. He was peeking in my mind again!

“That is not the point.” I heard my voice say. I tilted my head so I can hear her walking around in her room. She was pacing, she was nervous. I smiled a little to myself. “What is she thinking about?” I looked expectantly at Edward.

“Go ask her yourself.” Was all he said. I looked at him for a long time. I bounded up the steps and walked the short distance to her room. I knocked lightly.

“Come in Emmett” if it was possible, my heart would have fluttered at her saying my name. She sounded soft and sweet. I knew she was battling herself with letting me back in. I could understand, she loved Gabriel and he died protecting her, she felt it was wrong having feelings for another man. But I’m not just another man.

“ What are you thinking about Leels?” I asked once I walked through the door. She was looking out the window. Her back was facing me but I knew she really wasn’t looking at anything.

“ Everything, can I tell you something Emmett?” she asked. Her voice was light and airy. She sounded tired. I walked to her and put my hand on her shoulder. She leaned her head on my chest.

“Anything”

“I’m afraid. I’m afraid that I’m not going to be a good mom to my son. He doesn’t have a father, he only has me. What if I’m not good enough? I love him so much and he’s not even born! I feel like I have to be the best for him. What if I’m not?” she said. She whispered it so quietly I was certain a human couldn’t hear it. I wrapped my arms around her and held her tightly.

“ Dahlia, you are the strongest person I know. If anyone can raise a child correctly it’s you! He will love you regardless of what you do. And you always have me, I will always be here for you to lean on. I promise. “ I told her. She leaned away from me, tears in her eyes.

“What if you leave?” The words stung my heart. “What if I trust you again, and you leave me here alone?” she was crying now. I looked into her eyes and I felt my face contort into a sob. Of course I could never shed tears.

“I will never leave, never again.” I told her. She nodded and buried her face in my chest. I hugged her tightly. She let go whipping her eyes she looked around.

“That’s good because he likes you.” She said rubbing her belly. For an odd reason I felt delight run through me, pure delight. I grinned at her and she grinned back. She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the steps.

“Come on, Alice is already in Seattle.” Edward said. He had a smile on his face as he said it. Yeah, yeah, brother I’m happy to.

I carried the sleeping Dahlia in my arms as we walked back to the car. We had been shopping all day with Alice, jasper, and Edward and now she’s asleep. They had loaded up the car and told me they would meet up and our home. Dahlia had to reschedule her doctor’s appoiment but she said she didn’t mind.

I made it to the car and set her gently in the passenger’s seat. She snuggled into the seat and snored lightly. I chuckled and did her seat belt up. Closing the door I used my vampire speed to get to the driver’s side. I got in and began driving home.

As I drove I thought of the day we spent together. It was like old times. We laughed and made fun of people we didn’t know. She ate her heart out and told everyone ‘I’m eating for two’. Each one of us bought something special for her child; Alice bought him an oak wardrobe, jasper bought him toy soldiers and a teddy bear dressed as a confederate soldier, Edward bought him dozens of CDs of Piano players that we had never heard of, and I bought him a wooden crib.

Dahlia had actually crawled into the crib when we were looking at it, she said it had to fit her in it two because she didn’t want her child to sleep alone when he got scared. I laughed at the memory, the sound bounced around the quite car and I realized I felt whole around her.

I made a pact with myself. I would do anything to get back into her arms. I would do anything, even if it meant just being the best fried. I had to keep her happy. I had to make her feel alive again. As I made this promise to myself I also made a promise to her unborn child. I rested my hand on her belly.

“I will treat you as my own child. Dahlia doesn’t want you to grow up without a dad, so I won’t let you. You aren’t alone little buddy. Neither is your momma.”