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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　internet　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　computer；　reading　avidly　through　a　web…site　called　〃Vampires　A…Z。〃　It
  had　been　less　than　twenty…four　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　father…in…law'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　come　home　from　a　two…year　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　accommodate　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　child…bearing　years　or　cycles　of　fertility。
  Of　course；　how　would　anyone　know　if　vampire　men　could　father　children；　when　their　partners　were　not
  able？　What　vampire　on　earth　would　have　the　restraint　necessary　to　test　the　theory　with　a　human　woman？
  Or　the　inclination？
  I　could　think　of　only　one。
  Part　of　my　head　was　sorting　through　fact　and　memory　and　speculation；　while　the　other　half—the　part
  that　controlled　the　ability　to　move　even　the　smallest　muscles—was　stunned　beyond　the　capacity　for
  normal　operations。　I　couldn't　move　my　lips　to　speak；　though　I　wanted　to　ask　Edward　to　please　explain　to
  me　what　was　going　on。　I　needed　to　go　back　to　where　he　sat；　to　touch　him；　but　my　body　wouldn't　follow
  instructions。　I　could　only　stare　at　my　shocked　eyes　in　the　mirror；　my　fingers　gingerly　pressed　against　the
  swelling　on　my　torso。
  And　then；　like　in　my　vivid　nightmare　last　night；　the　scene　abruptly　transformed。　Everything　I　saw　in　the
  mirror　looked　completely　different；　though　nothing　actually　was　different。
  What　happened　to　change　everything　was　that　a　soft　little　nudge　bumped　my　hand—from　inside　my
  body。
  In　the　same　moment；　Edward's　phone　rang；　shrill　and　demanding。　Neither　of　us　moved。　It　rang　again　and
  again。　I　tried　to　tune　it　out　while　I　pressed　my　fingers　to　my　stomach；　waiting。　In　the　mirror　my　expression
  was　no　longer
  bewildered—it　was　wondering　now。　I　barely　noticed　when　the　strange；　silent　tears　started　streaming
  down　my　cheeks。
  The　phone　kept　ringing。　I　wished　Edward　would　answer　it—I　was　having　a　moment。　Possibly　the
  biggest　of　my　life。
  Ring！　Ring！　Ring！
  Finally；　the　annoyance　broke　through　everything　else。　I　got　down　on　my　knees　next　to　Edward—I　found
  myself　moving　more　carefully；　a　thousand　times　more　aware　of　the　way　each　motion　felt—and　patted　his
  pockets　until　I　found　the　phone。　I　half…expected　him　to　thaw　out　and　answer　it　himself；　but　he　was
  perfectly　still。
  I　recognized　the　number；　and　I　could　easily　guess　why　she　was　calling。
  〃Hi；　Alice；〃　I　said。　My　voice　wasn't　much　better　than　before。　I　cleared　my　throat。
  〃Bella？　Bella；　areyou　okay？〃
  〃Yeah。　Urn。　Is　Carlisle　there？〃
  〃He　is。　What's　the　problem？〃
  〃I'm　not。。。　one　hundred　percent。。。　sure___〃
  〃Is　Edward　all　right？〃　she　asked　warily。　She　called　Carlisle's　name　away　from　the　phone　and　then
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  demanded；　〃Why　didn't　he　pick　up　the　phone？〃　before　I　could　answer　her　first　question。
  〃I'm　not　sure。〃
  〃Bella；what's　going　on？　I　just　saw—〃
  〃What　did　you　see？〃
  There　was　a　silence。　〃Here's　Carlisle；〃　she　finally　said。
  It　felt　like　ice　water　had　been　injected　in　my　veins。　If　Alice　had　seen　a　vision　of　me　with　a　green…eyed；
  angel…faced　child　in　my　arms；　she　would　have　answered　me；　wouldn't　she？
  While　I　waited　through　the　split　second　it　took　for　Carlisle　to　speak；　the　vision　I'd　imagined　for　Alice
  danced　behind　my　lids。　A　tiny；　beautiful　little　baby；　even　more　beautiful　than　the　boy　in　my　dream—a　tiny
  Edward　in　my　arms。　Warmth　shot　through　my　veins；　chasing　the　ice　away。
  〃Bella；　it's　Carlisle。　What's　going　on？〃
  〃I—〃　I　wasn't　sure　how　to　answer。　Would　he　laugh　at　my　conclusions；　tell　me　I　was　crazy？　Was　I　just
  having　another　colorful　dream？　〃I'm　a　little　worried　about　Edward。。。。　Can　vampires　go　into　shock？〃
  〃Has　he　been　harmed？〃　Carlisle's　voice　was　suddenly　urgent。
  〃No；　no；〃　I　assured　him。　〃Just。。。　taken　by　surprise。〃
  〃I　don't　understand；　Bella。〃
  〃I　think。。。　well；　I　think　that。。。　maybe。。。　I　might　be　。。。〃　I　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Pregnant。〃
  As　if　to　back　me　up；　there　was　another　tiny　nudge　in　my　abdomen。　My　hand　flew　to　my　stomach。
  After　a　long　pause；　Carlisle's　medical　training　kicked　in。
  〃When　was　the　first　day　of　your　last　menstrual　cycle？〃
  〃Sixteen　days　before　the　wedding。〃　I'd　done　the　mental　math　thoroughly　enough　just　before　to　be　able　to
  answer　with　certainty。
  〃How　do　you　feel？〃
  〃Weird；〃　I　told　him；　and　my　voice　broke。　Another　trickle　of　tears　dribbled　down　my　cheeks。　〃This　is
  going　to　sound　crazy—look；　I　know　it's　way　too　early　for　any　of　this。　Maybe　I　am　crazy。　But　I'm　having
  bizarre　dreams　and　eating　all　the　time　and　crying　and　throwing　up　and。。。　and。。。　I　swear　something　moved
  inside　me　just　now。〃
  Edward's　head　snapped　up。
  I　sighed　in　relief。
  Edward　held　his　hand　out　for　the　phone；　his　face　white　and　hard。
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  〃Urn；　I　think　Edward　wants　to　talk　to　you。〃
  〃Put　him　on；〃　Carlisle　said　in　a　strained　voice。
  Not　entirely　sure　that　Edward　could　talk；　I　put　the　phone　in　his　outstretched　hand。
  He　pressed　it　to　his　ear。　〃Is　it　possible？〃　he　whispered。
  He　listened　for　a　long　time；　staring　blankly　at　nothing。
  〃And　Bella？〃　he　asked。　His　arm　wrapped　around　me　as　he　spoke；　pulling　me　close　into　his　side。
  He　listened　for　what　seemed　like　a　long　time　an