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〃Fine；〃 I panted。 〃It's just food poisoning。 You don't need to see this。 Go away。〃
〃Not likely；Bella。〃
〃Go away；〃 I moaned again； struggling to get up so I could rinse my mouth out。 He helped me gently；
ignoring the weak shoves I aimed at him。
After my mouth was clean； he carried me to the bed and sat me down carefully； supporting me with his
arms。
〃Food poisoning？〃
〃Yeah；〃 I croaked。 〃I made some chicken last night。 It tasted off； so I threw it out。 But I ate a few bites
first。〃
He put a cold hand on my forehead。 It felt nice。 〃How do you feel now？〃
I thought about that for a moment。 The nausea had passed as suddenly as it had e； and I felt like I
did any other morning。 〃Pretty normal。 A little hungry； actually。〃
He made me wait an hour and keep down a big glass of water before he fried me some eggs。 I felt
perfectly normal； just a little tired from being up in the middle of the night。 He put onN—we'd been
so out of touch； world war three could have broken out and we wouldn't have known—and I lounged
drowsily across his lap。
I got bored with the news and twisted around to kiss him。 Just like this morning； a sharp pain hit my
stomach when I moved。 I lurched away from him； my hand tight over my mouth。 I knew I'd never make it
to the bathroom this time； so I ran to the kitchen sink。
He held my hair again。
〃Maybe we should go back to Rio； see a doctor；〃 he suggested anxiously when I was rinsing my mouth
afterward。
I shook my head and edged toward the hallway。 Doctors meant needles。 〃I'll be fine right after I brush
my teeth。〃
When my mouth tasted better； I searched through my suitcase for the little firstaid kit Alice had packed
for me； full of human things like bandages and painkillers and—my object now—PeptoBismol。 Maybe I
could settle my stomach and calm Edward down。
But before I found the Pepto； I happened across something else that Alice had packed for me。 I picked
up the small blue box and stared at it in my hand for a long moment； forgetting everything else。
Then I started counting in my head。 Once。 Twice。 Again。
Theknock startled me； the little box fell back into the suitcase。
〃Are you well？〃 Edward asked through the door。 〃Did you get sick again？〃
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〃Yes and no；〃 I said； but my voice sounded strangled。
〃Bella？ Can I please e in？〃 Worriedly now。
〃O。。。 kay？〃
He came in and appraised my position； sitting crosslegged on the floor by the suitcase； and my
expression； blank and staring。 He sat next to me； his hand going to my forehead at once。
〃What's wrong？〃
〃How many days has it been since the wedding？〃 I whispered。
〃Seventeen；〃 he answered automatically。 〃Bella； what is it？〃
I was counting again。 I held up a finger； cautioning him to wait； and mouthed the numbers to myself。 I'd
been wrong about the days before。 We'd been here longer than I'd thought。 I started over again。
〃Bella！〃 he whispered urgently。 〃I'm losing my mind over here。〃
I tried to swallow。 It didn't work。 So I reached into the suitcase and fumbled around until I found the
little blue box of tampons again。 I held them up silently。
He stared at me in confusion。 〃What？ Are you trying to pass this illness off as PMS？〃
〃No；〃 I managed to choke out。 〃No； Edward。 I'm trying to tell you that my period is five days late。〃
His facial expression didn't change。 It was like I hadn't spoken。
〃I don't think I have food poisoning；〃 I added。
He didn't respond。 He had turned into a sculpture。
〃The dreams；〃 I mumbled to myself in a flat voice。 〃Sleeping so much。 The crying。 All that food。 Oh。
Oh。 Oh〃
Edward's stare seemed glassy； as if he couldn't see me anymore。
Reflexively； almost involuntarily； my hand dropped to my stomach。
〃Oh！〃 I squeaked again。
I lurched to my feet； slipping out of Edward's unmoving hands。 I'd never changed out of the little silk
shorts and camisole I'd worn to bed。 I yanked the blue fabric out of the way and stared at my stomach。
〃Impossible；〃 I whispered。
I had absolutely no experience with pregnancy or babies or any part of that world； but I wasn't an idiot。
I'd seen enough movies and TV shows to know that this wasn't how it worked。 I was only five days late。
If I was pregnant； my body wouldn't even have registered that fact。 I would not have morning sickness。 I
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would not have changed my eating or sleeping habits。
And I most definitely would not have a small but defined bump sticking out between my hips。
I twisted my torso back and forth； examining it from every angle； as if it would disappear in exactly the
right light。 I ran my fingers over the subtle bulge； surprised by how rock hard it felt under my skin。
〃Impossible；〃 I said again； because； bulge or no bulge； period or no period （and there was definitely no
period； though I'd never been late a day in my life）； there was no way I could be pregnant The only
person I'd ever had sex with was a vampire； for crying out loud。
A vampire who was still frozen on the floor with no sign of ever moving again。
So there had to be some other explanation； then。 Something wrong with me。 A strange South American
disease with all the signs of pregnancy； only accelerated。。。
And then I remembered something—a morning of inter research that seemed a lifetime ago now。
Sitting at the old desk in my room at Charlie's house with gray light glowing dully through the window；
staring at my ancient； wheezing puter； reading avidly through a website called 〃Vampires AZ。〃 It
had been less than twentyfour hours since Jacob Black； trying to entertain me with the Quileute legends
he didn't believe in yet； had told me that Edward was a vampire。 I'd scanned anxiously through the first
entries on the site； which was dedicated to vampire
myths around the world。 The Filipino Danag； the Hebrew Estrie； the Romanian Varacolaci； the Italian
Stregoni benefici （a legend actually based on my new fatherinlaw's early exploits with the Volturi； not
that I'd known anything about that at the time）。。。 I'd paid less and less attention as the stories had grown
more and more implausible。 I only remembered vague bits of the later entries。 They mostly seemed like
excuses dreamed up to explain things like infant mortality rates—and infidelity。 No； honey； I'm not
having an affair！ That sexy woman you saw sneaking out of the house was an evil succubus。 I'm
lucky I escaped with my life！ （Of course； with what I knew now about Tanya and her sisters； I
suspected that some of those excuses had been nothing but fact。） There had been one for the ladies； too。
How can you accuse me of cheating on you—just because you've e home from a twoyear sea
voyage and I'm pregnant？ It was the incubus。 He hypnotized me with his mystical vampire
powers。。。。
That had been part of the definition of the incubus—the ability to father children with his hapless prey。
I shook my head； dazed。 But。。。
I thought of Esme and especially Rosalie。 Vampires couldn't have children。 If it were possible； Rosalie
would have found a way by now。 The incubus myth was nothing but a fable。
Except that。。。 well； there was a difference。 Of course Rosalie could not conceive a child； because she
was frozen in the state in which she passed from human to inhuman。 Totally unchanging。 And human
women's bodies had to change to bear children。 The constant change of a monthly cycle for one thing；
and then the bigger changes needed to acmodate a growing child。 Rosalie's body couldn't change。
But mine could。 Mine did。 I touched the bump on my stomach that had not been there yesterday。
And human men—well； they pretty much stayed the same from puberty to death。 I remembered a
random bit of trivia； gleaned from who knows where： Charlie Chaplin was in his seventies when he
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fathered his youngest child。 Men had no such thing as childbearing years or