Edward was quiet as we paid our respects and I placed the flowers I'd chosen on the grave of Tolkien and his wife. "He didn't last long after her death did he?" he asked in a somber tone.
I shook my head. "Less than two years. From what I've read, he was lost without her." I sighed heavily. "They loved each other very much, and were married for over fifty years."
"Not long enough," He muttered quietly before wrapping his arm around me, pulling me flush against his side as we stood there. "Sweetheart, this may be the most selfish desire I've ever had but, I fervently hope that I go before you."
I gasped in surprise at not just the statement, but at the sudden thought of being without him. Even the idea of it caused me physical pain. It took a moment to draw in a forced breath in order to answer.
"Edward… we've talked about this before." I said as I faced him and placed a hand on his cheek. "We can't control what will happen, we can only live each day as it comes. In the end, maybe God will be merciful to us. I mean, Professor Tolkien only had to endure a relatively short span of time until he was reunited with his beloved."
He leaned into my hand. "I'd rather go like that couple in The Notebook, on the same night, in the same bed."
"You've seen The Notebook?" I asked as I tried unsuccessfully to hide my amusement.
He rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Alice forced me. Sometimes it's just easier to give in. She can be very annoying."
I laughed out loud then.
"Don't feel bad, Rose made Emmett watch it as well." I grinned.
He smiled back. "Are you ready to go?"
I nodded. He smiled and took my hand as we walked toward the car. "On a lighter note, did you know that the Tolkiens lived in the house next door to ours before moving into the one we own?"
I felt my eyes widen in shock. He grinned, no doubt at the realization that he knew something about my favorite author that I did not.
"It's true. They lived at number 22 for five years."
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to purchase that house as well?" I teased.
He laughed. "No. First of all, it's not for sale, and second, they lived in ours much longer, and that's where he wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings." He chuckled. "So, no. Besides, I think we own enough houses, don't you?"
I nodded and smiled.
Back at our house, Mrs. Griffin had prepared brunch. "Mrs. Griffin, you know we don't expect you to cook for us," I chided.
"Please call me Edith," she reminded with a sweet smile, "and I know you don't expect me to cook for you Bella, but I wanted to. You can't go on holiday with an empty stomach."
My eyes lit up at her words. "Do you know where Edward's taking me?"
She smiled. "Yes I do love, but I'm not breathing a word of it. Now sit down and eat."
I was growing to love the Griffins. They were such a comfortable old couple. Spending time with them was like spending time with your Grandparents.
While we ate, I noticed Edith eyeing me carefully. I finally set down my fork and gave her my full attention. "Edith, please tell me what's on your mind."
She cleared her throat and looked at me. I noticed that her husband kept his eyes fixed on his plate, suddenly finding something of great interest in the ivy pattern. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Edward had stopped eating as well, and was watching our exchange with interest.
"Bella dear, I've never been one to mince words, so I'll just say it. Mrs. Harrison, a lady at our church, stopped me in order to have a word this morning." Edith got a sour expression on her face. "She's a well-known busybody and I should have given her no notice," She sighed as she shook her head. "Evidently, word is all over town that you were out drinking last night. Don't be alarmed, no one cares about that, except for the fact that a lot of people are under the misapprehension that you're expecting." She patted my hand with hers. "I told Mrs. Harrison that you were not expecting and that the baby clothes you purchased were for your brother's child. I also told her to mind her own business." She ended in a huff.
"Thank you," I replied in a small voice as I tried to digest this new information.
"I shouldn't worry Bella. It wasn't my intention to upset you. I merely wanted to prepare you for whatever may be facing you today."
I nodded.
"Thank you Edith," Edward spoke then. "I'm glad you let us know."
I tried to push this new information to the back of my mind, refusing to let it ruin the day.
-V&V—
Edward had surprised me, not only with our destination, which happened to be the coast of Wales, but also because he drove us there.
After brunch, we'd grabbed our overnight bags and headed out to the car. It was sitting in the driveway, but Lou was nowhere to be seen.
Edward, noticing the confused look on my face, merely informed that we were 'escaping alone' for the next twenty-four hours. I giggled excitedly, and climbed into the car.
"I wasn't even aware that you had an international driver's license." I admitted.
"Well, I've only used it a couple of times, but I intend to use the hell out of it when we return to Europe this winter." He winked as he said those words.
That's right...A Tale of Two Cities starts filming at the end of February.
My stomach did a little flip of excitement at the thought.
I tried to stay awake during the drive, wanting to keep Edward company, but couldn't stop myself from dozing off more than once during the four hours it took to arrive at our destination.
Because the steering wheel was on the opposite side from what I was used to, I woke with a start from one of my naps, fearful that I'd fallen asleep behind the wheel. I may have shouted something like: 'Holy fuck I'm on the wrong side of the road!'
Once Edward got over the fact that I'd startled the shit out of him, he laughed at me for five full minutes.
Barmouth Wales was a picturesque seaside town situated on the side of a mountain, all stone structures and quaint little streets. With the mountains on one side, and the water on the other, it truly was a sight worthy of a picture postcard.
"Oh Edward, this is lovely!" I said excitedly, my head bobbing around as I tried to take it all in.
He drove around the town a bit, glancing back and forth between the GPS and his surroundings before turning down a small side street and parking the car. I wasn't sure if we were merely stopping there for dinner, or if we were staying the night.
Edward turned to face me. "The arrangements I made for tonight are very different from what I would normally choose."
"We're staying here? In Barmouth?"
He nodded.
I smiled as I looked out of the window. It suddenly dawned on me what Edward meant by it not being what he'd normally choose. I was fairly certain that there weren't many luxury five star hotels in the vicinity.
He gazed out of the window at the stone buildings before speaking again. "I looked at a lot of rental properties and bed and breakfasts on line." He sighed. "In the end, I decided on one that I thought you would choose yourself."
Now I was really curious.
He exited the car, before coming around to my door. We grabbed our bags and he took my hand. Just around the corner from where we'd parked on a cobblestone street, was a white cottage. It was small, especially when compared to the grey stone structure next to it.
Inside it was smaller than my apartment. "This used to be a fisherman's cottage." Edward said as he gauged my reaction.
The main room downstairs consisted of a sitting area and tiny kitchen. Behind a closed door was a small bathroom with shower. To reach the sleeping loft, there wasn't a proper stairway; it was actually a wide ladder. I tentatively took a few steps up the ladder and beheld a small space with a sloped roof and dormer windows. Most of the entire room was taken up by the full sized bed, enclosed on three sides by walls. It was partially sunken into the floor so that only the top mattress was visible, and that was covered by a thick white comforter.
I stepped back down and smiled at Edward. "It's perfect." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him and looked up into his face.
"Not too small?" he asked with a serious expression.
I shook my head. "It's cozy, and it's exactly what I would have chosen. Don't get me wrong, I loved the house in Barbados Edward, but I wasn't raised in the lap of luxury you know."
Unlike Edward and Alice
"This is wonderful. It feels like a cottage from a fairy tale."
He smiled in relief. "I'm glad," he answered before capturing my lips in a soft kiss.
After the kiss, I grabbed his hand. "Since we only have a day, let's go explore."
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the town, shopping and then taking a stroll, hand in hand, along the beach.
It was the busy tourist season, people were spending time with their families and, aside from a few merchants, I was certain no one had recognized us yet.
The beach was enormous, but it was a little too chilly for us to even consider stepping into the water. Instead, we sat in the sand and talked about what the next few months held in store.
"Do you have to start filming as soon as we get back?"
He laughed without humor. "I have exactly one day to rest up before I have to appear on set. The first couple of days will be spent in rehearsal, and working with makeup and wardrobe. Boring stuff." He grinned.
I intended to spend the next couple of weeks, while Edward worked, packing up my apartment. The lease didn't run out until the end of the year, but I was in a hurry to really move into the house. Edward's belongings from L.A. had already been delivered there. For the time being, we would be staying at the apartment until everything was boxed, and then we'd be spending more weeks unpacking at the house.
"I'll leave a copy of my schedule with you." Edward continued. "Once we actually start filming, it will be pretty grueling."
I wonder what that means.
I frowned. "Maybe we should have gone home sooner. I mean we could have skipped England…."
He smirked. "Bella, there's no chance I would allow you to celebrate your birthday on an airplane, or dragging around as you suffered from jet lag."
I rolled my eyes and shook my head.
His eyebrows shot up. "What? You honestly didn't think I'd forget your birthday did you? That's the entire reason for this little getaway."
Neither of us had mentioned it. A little part of me thought maybe he didn't remember.
I should have known better.
I shrugged. "It's just a day." I muttered. A day that was usually sad for me because my Mom always made a big deal about it, and she was gone.
"Isabella," he said in a scolding tone. "I beg to differ. The day you came into this world was not just a day. It happens to have been the most important day of my life." He whispered as he pulled me onto his lap in full view of the other vacationers.
I swallowed back the lump in my throat before wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning my head against him.
"I wish you would stop berating yourself, even if it's only implied." He said sincerely.
Once again, I felt the need to explain. I didn't like upsetting him. "I'm sorry. I don't mean it really. It's just that I never let my family make a big deal out of the day." I said before adding in a whisper, "not since my Mom died."
His arms tightened around me and he kissed the top of my head. We sat silently for a few minutes before he spoke again, "Tell me about your birthdays... before…" he whispered the request.
I let out a breath as I forced myself to remember. Suddenly my mind was filled with images of my Mother's smiles, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, the memory of her sweet voice as she woke me every year by singing 'Happy Birthday'.
"She'd bring a waffle or a pancake with a lit candle in it to my room and wake me up by singing to me. She always said I needed to make my wish and blow out the candle early because it was the most important thing."
"Because I was born early in the morning, she said my birthday morning was her time with me. If it wasn't a school day, we'd spend the entire morning together." I was finding that the subject was surprisingly easy to talk about. "Before she and Dad divorced, the whole family would go out to dinner and afterward we would watch the home movies from when I was a baby. We watched Emmett's on his birthday."
"My Mom would cry when she'd see Grandma and Grandpa Swan in the films, and Charlie would get misty-eyed. Mom's parents had died before she married Charlie, so we never knew them. Grandpa Swan died right after I was born, but Emmett remembers him. Grandma Swan however didn't pass away until I was six. My mother loved her very much."
Sort of the way I feel about Esme…
I sighed. "I was always glad that she wasn't here when we lost Mom. Having to live through that would have killed her." I said wistfully. "Instead, she died peacefully in her sleep. They said it was a heart attack…." I trailed off.
"I'd like to see those videos someday." Edward said hopefully.
I smiled. "That would be nice."
-V&V—
Despite our efforts at keeping a low profile, by the time we sat down to dinner, it was obvious that we were being noticed. Edward's fans were very sweet, and every one of them congratulated us on our marriage before asking for a photo.
"Bella, I thought we were ignoring rumors in an effort to let them die." Edward asked with a smirk.
"Well darling," I began as I took a sip of my wine. "I know that's what I normally do but, it's hard to explain." I sighed as I gathered my thoughts. "I felt like all eyes were on me, judging me, when I was drinking that first glass of wine. I had to do something."
"So you felt the need to tell each and every one of my fans that you weren't pregnant?" He remarked with a chuckle.
I frowned. "Don't underestimate the power of the twitter." I answered solemnly.
He laughed. "Bella, I am quite certain that the waiter doesn't 'twitter'."
I joined him in laughter over the amusing exchange I'd had with our waiter Ronald, who looked to be about sixty. "Do you think I freaked him out?"
"Maybe a little."
He was referring to the fact that as I'd ordered my wine, I had told Ronald quite forcefully that I wasn't pregnant. The poor man looked very confused as he stumbled over his words before finally saying that he'd 'keep that in mind'.
Yeah, he didn't know what the hell I was talking about.
He obviously doesn't surf the gossip sites…
Every time he'd approached the table after that, he wore a wary expression.
By the time we'd finished our meal, I realized that someone in the kitchen must have enlightened him as to who we were and about the pregnancy rumor. His mood had turned almost jovial by the time he brought us the check.
"Here you are Sir." He said before turning to me. "Still not pregnant Miss?" he teased before winking at me. We laughed.
"Nope." I grinned.
He chuckled. "Well alright then, I hope you have a lovely evening."
"Thank you."
After he'd left us I turned to Edward. "Please give him a big tip."
"I intend to," he answered with a crooked smile as he signed the receipt with a flourish. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to return to the cottage now and spend some quality time with my beautiful wife."
I think that's code for sex…
-V&V—
It was dark when we left the restaurant, and a chill wind had begun to blow. By the time we reached the cottage, I was shivering.
We brushed our teeth and took a shower, not lingering for long under the warm spray. Wrapped in towels, we raced up the ladder and crawled under the duvet.
"Why's it so cold in here?" I asked.
"I forgot to turn on the heater before we left." Edward admitted as he wrapped himself around me. He pulled off our damp towels and tossed them to the floor before rubbing his hands over my body creating friction in an effort to warm me.
After a few moments in our little cocoon of warmth, I began to relax and the shivering stopped.
Edward's lips found mine in the dark. "Better?"
"Much." I sighed happily. "But I'm never getting out of this bed."
He chuckled as he pulled me closer. "Sounds like a plan," he whispered as his hands rubbed lightly across back. "I love your skin. So soft..."
In turn, I ran my fingers along his upper arm, loving the feel of the muscles as they tensed.
Edward began to kiss me softly, first my lips, then my cheeks, my chin. He returned to my mouth before venturing lower and grazing his lips against my neck. I tilted my head back to grant him better access.
I suddenly felt very warm, where but a moment before I had been shivering.
His lips…
His touch…
His skin against mine… these were all enough to ignite my passion and desire.
It wasn't long before my breaths grew uneven.
His whispered words and his eyes shining in the dark with love for me were enough to overwhelm my senses.
He kissed my lips again, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, "I love you" I whispered.
"As I love you," he said in answer, and I knew that even though I would always miss my Mom; tomorrow I would spend my birthday in Edward's arms, with Edward's lips on mine, and Edward's soft words in my ear.
I also knew that this was how I would spend not only every birthday to follow, but every day for the rest of our lives together. My heart was filled to capacity with love for this man, my husband, my lover, my dearest friend. It was also filled with no small measure of gratitude, whether to Divine Providence or to a simple twist of fate which had brought him to me.
I hadn't even realized that tears were trailing down my cheeks until I felt Edward's fingers wipe them away. "Bella, sweetheart what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," I answered in a choked whisper. "Happy tears Edward. I realized that I'm not dreading my birthday tomorrow; I'm looking forward to spending it with you."
I could see him smile at me in the dark. We made love slowly as Edward whispered softly in my ear. Each movement brought my body closer to that moment of ultimate euphoria, just as affected by his words as by his tender kisses and soft caresses.
As he moved inside me, slowly and deeply, I realized how truly we were two parts to one whole. What better expression of that than to be joined, to be one, in this way.
I moaned softly as my fingers ran through his hair, before trailing down his neck and shoulders until I was clutching his upper arms and gasping as the sensation of my climax overtook me. Edward stilled and his stuttered breaths told me that he was also close.
We came together silently, in the darkness of our little cottage, and held tight to each other afterward as we drifted off to sleep.
-V&V—
It was the middle of the night when I was awoken by a strong urge to relieve my bladder.
The problem was that I didn't want to move. I was warm and comfortable under the covers with Edward wrapped around me.
Finally, after a few moments of arguing with myself, I decided that I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep until I dealt with it. I extricated myself from the bed and crawled to the ladder.
I felt weird walking around the tiny cottage naked, so on my way down, I grabbed Edward's t-shirt which was lying on the suitcase and slipped it over my head.
When I crawled back in bed, my cold feet inadvertently touched my husband's legs causing him to jerk back.
"Sorry," I mumbled as I shivered back under the covers.
He automatically wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. "Too many clothes," he breathed as he pulled at the material of the t-shirt I wore.
"I had to pee and felt too naked walking around well, um, naked." I ended with a giggle.
"You're silly," I could hear the smile in his voice. "No one will see you except me."
I thought about that. "I don't know Edward. This place is pretty freaking old. Suppose it's haunted." I whispered the thought, almost afraid to express it out loud.
I felt his chest vibrate with laughter. "Bella, you're afraid of being naked in front of a ghost?"
"No, I mean yes. I mean suppose the ghost is some kind of pervert." I answered; the thought alone was giving me the creeps.
He laughed out loud then. "You really are nuts. You know that right?"
I shrugged.
"And why suddenly are you so afraid? The Tolkien house is quite old, but I've never heard you mention your fear of ghosts there?"
I frowned. "Well, now that you've said that, I'll probably be freaking out there as well. Thanks a lot Edward." I added with no little sarcasm, drawing forth more chuckles.
"Now that I think about it, if I saw Professor Tolkien's ghost I'd probably scream like a fangirl before I'd remember to be frightened." He continued to laugh as I voiced my thoughts. "Although, I still wouldn't want him to see me naked... Therefore, as long as I confine my nudity to the bedroom of that house, I probably won't feel too weird." I looked at him worriedly, not able to make out his face in the dark. "You don't think he'd haunt our bedroom do you? That would be kind of rude."
Edward answered through his laughter. "No, I feel certain that Professor Tolkien's ghost would be the height of decorum and good manners. He'd never haunt the bedroom or bathroom either, for that matter."
"Are you making fun of me?" I asked him, suddenly feeling too sleepy to defend myself as I settled into his warm embrace.
"Never," He said before kissing my forehead. "May we go back to sleep now?"
"Okay," I answered with a sigh; the word 'sleep' automatically causing me to yawn and relax into his chest.
It was like Edward uttering that word was magic.
As I thought about that, I felt my eyelids close and a little while later I heard what sounded like my voice mumbling, "Are you some kinda hypnotissss Ewar?"
His chest rumbling with quiet laughter was the last thing I heard.
-V&V—
"Wake up beautiful girl." Edward whispered as his fingers ghosted under the t-shirt and along my bare back.
"Mmm." I didn't want to wake up. I turned until I was lying fully on my stomach.
Edward pushed my hair to one side. "Happy birthday," he whispered in my ear just before I felt the blankets move. Cool air was suddenly wafting across my bare bottom and lower back where he'd pulled up the shirt. His lips started to press kisses on the exposed skin of my back as he worked the shirt up higher. "Come on Sleeping Beauty."
I opened one eye and peeked at him where he sat beside me sporting a wicked grin. The light outside the window was grey. I had a feeling that it was still quite early. "What time is it, and if I'm Sleeping Beauty, I get to sleep for at least another hour."
Edward chuckled. "It's seven-thirty, and you were the one who said this reminded you of a fairytale cottage. My knowledge of fairytales is somewhat limited but I believe Alice made me sit through Disney's Sleeping Beauty, and I seem to recall a cottage."
I grinned. "My favorite is Beauty and the Beast. But I'll settle for Sleeping Beauty and another hour of sleep."
I grabbed the blanket and tried to pull it over my head. Edward's hand was there first, stopping me. "Uh, uh, uh," he said in a scolding tone. "Get dressed; we have a full day ahead."
I frowned.
"If you won't let me sleep, you could at least make it worth my while to be awake." I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at him as I said the last part.
"Is that an official birthday wish?" he asked, smirking.
I narrowed my eyes. "Maybe."
Edward fulfilled my wish, and even allowed another half hour of sleep before demanding I get out of bed. In his words, I was 'wasting precious minutes by sleeping'.
V&V
Harlech Castle
I stared up at the massive stone structure in amazement.
After breakfast and another stroll along the beach, we'd bid our little stone cottage goodbye and driven the few miles up the coast to the castle.
We walked arm in arm through the interior of it as a chill wind, accompanied by intermittent rain, whipped around us.
"If it's this cold in September, I can only imagine what it's like in winter." I said with chattering teeth. I was still having trouble acclimating to the difference in temperature from Barbados. Edward pulled me closer and rubbed my upper arms briskly in an effort to warm me. I seized the opportunity and leaned up to kiss him.
He hummed against my lips. "Despite the cold, are you enjoying your birthday so far?"
"Oh yes." I answered as I thought back to making love that morning and to the gift Edward had presented me with before leaving the cottage. I squealed like a child on Christmas morning when I had unwrapped the first edition copy of The Hobbit, signed and inscribed by the author.
I didn't want to think how much he'd spent on it.
"Oh Edward," I'd said through happy tears. "This will be a perfect start to our library."
My intention was that the next time we were in England; I would begin my search for books to fill the shelves in the Professor's study. It was a chore I eagerly looked forward to.
During the ride back to Oxford, I had a lot of time to think.
Twenty-three
There was nothing special about being twenty-three. It was not a 'milestone' as was eighteen or twenty-one, or even Edward's quarter-of-a-century. I smiled to myself. But, at age twenty-three, I was happier and more content than I'd ever been in my life.
I looked over at Edward as he drove and studied his profile. Even though we were only two years apart, in so many ways he was much more mature than I was. He'd basically been on his own for almost seven years, had his own career, owned his own home. I silently wondered if he'd ever tire of my sometimes juvenile behavior. I also knew there was nothing for it; I was Renee Swan's daughter, my silliness was an inherited trait.
Thank God for Charlie's genes which diluted the crazy; at least in my case.
Emmett on the other hand…
Thinking about Charlie and Renee brought on an unexpected bout of melancholia as I realized that this was the first birthday that I'd spend without at least one of my parents. Suddenly I was glad to be flying to Seattle tomorrow.
I missed my Dad.
And even though I probably wouldn't see him for a few days after we arrived, I was ready to go home.
During the ride, I'd received birthday phone calls and texts from Rose, Emmett, Chris, Alice, Jasper, Tara and Joanna. I'd heard nothing from my Dad, but assumed he was probably working and would call me when he could. Esme had said that she and Carlisle would speak with me that night.
At some point I dozed off, but managed not to freak out this time when I woke up in what felt like it should be the driver's seat.
It was late afternoon when we arrived at the house. "Relax for a while," Edward said as we walked to the door. "We don't need to leave for a couple of hours."
I'd been able to phone Lianne soon after we'd arrived in England, and had been thrilled to discover that she would be available to dine with us on my birthday, so in two hours' time; we would be driving into London and meeting her at one of Gordon's restaurants.
I entered the foyer and almost bypassed the front parlor on my way upstairs when a sudden movement in my peripheral caught my attention. I turned to see three people standing in the room with broad smiles on their faces.
"Happy birthday Bella," Esme's sweet voice sounded from where she stood next to Carlisle and my Dad.
I clasped my hand over my mouth as my eyes filled with tears, and threw myself into the familiar warmth of my father's waiting arms. "Daddy" I whispered as I hugged him while breathing in the scent of home.
"Happy birthday Bells," he answered in a broken whisper. "Hope you didn't think I forgot." When I pulled back to look at him, I noticed the tears pooling in his eyes.
I hugged him again before turning to my in-laws who proceeded to pull me into their arms as the tears streamed down my cheeks.
"How are you here?" I sputtered out when I regained the ability to speak.
"Edward had this arranged for quite a while." Esme admitted through her tears.
We were quite a mess.
It was at that precise moment that I caught a glimpse of my husband as he stood in the doorway eyeing our exchange with a loving smile.
I closed the short distance between us and wrapped my arms around his waist before resting my head on his shoulder and whispering into his neck. "Oh Edward, somehow you knew exactly what I'd need today. Thank you. I love you so much."
It turned out that the three of them had arrived the day before, and had spent the night at a hotel in London. Tonight they would be staying with us.
-V&V—
"There she is, the birthday girl," Gordon exclaimed as soon as we were seated. "Happy birthday Isabella." He gave me a hug and a kiss before shaking Edward's hand.
"Esme my darling, so good to see you," he said as he gave my mother-in-law a hug. "I adore this woman Carlisle." He announced to my father-in-law while looking at him over Esme's shoulder.
"From what I've heard, the feeling is mutual." Carlisle answered with a laugh as he shook Gordon's hand.
Hellos and introductions were exchanged before we drank champagne and our parents shared stories of our childhood. While we ate, Lianne and I were able to bring to light a few Emmett escapades which even Charlie hadn't heard before.
We laughed until we cried.
"So Dad, Suzanne didn't come with you?" I asked.
He shook his head, but I noticed a twinkle in his eye as he answered. "The school year just started, so she didn't feel right about taking the time off just now."
I nodded in understanding. It was so weird to see my father in love.
Well, with anyone other than my Mom…
After the meal, Gordon presented me with a birthday cake complete with lit candles while everyone sang which, in turn, caused the tears to make a reappearance.
As the cake was served Edward turned to me; I noticed he held a large envelope in his hand. "Sweetheart, I have one more gift for you." He looked nervous.
Edward rarely looked nervous.
"I've had my financial advisor and our attorneys working on this for over a month." He handed the envelope to me; inside I pulled out a stack of papers the top one read Renee Swan Foundation.
I looked at Edward, hoping for more information.
He covered my hand with his. "I know we spoke about this when we met Kayla, so I hope it's still what you want. The foundation would be specifically aimed at helping children who have lost one or both parents to violence. It will help in two areas, providing them with therapy and helping with their education, to hopefully prevent these children from becoming another statistic. I've contributed the start-up money, but mother can speak with you about helping it to grow. She and Dad are experts at fundraising in the Seattle area." He smiled crookedly. "And I know a lot of people in Hollywood."
Edward went on to explain how the seed money was enough to open a small branch office in Seattle and another in L.A., our two hometowns. He also explained that aside from being a contributor, his name would not be associated with the foundation in any way. All decisions would rest with Emmett, Charlie, and me, and with anyone we chose to hire.
I sat still in my chair as I listened. Amazed at what Edward had done, and incredibly touched that he had thought to name this project after my mother.
When he finished explaining, there was dead silence at the table as I looked through the papers, not able to speak due to the lump which had formed in my throat.
"Bella, say something." He finally whispered, and I realized that he'd been waiting for my reaction.
"I honestly don't know what to say," I admitted. "I can't believe you did this… This is amazing Edward. I can't thank you enough for making this happen." I placed my hand on his cheek as my eyes brimmed with tears once again.
Gah, all I've done today is cry…
"And that you thought to name this after my Mom…" I swallowed. "Thank you." I whispered before kissing him sweetly, well aware of the several pairs of eyes watching us.
-V&V—
Jetlag
We'd been home from our honeymoon for two days, and I swore that the jetlag was worse the second day. The first twenty-four hours after we'd arrived home had been spent sleeping, unpacking, fooling around, and sorting laundry.
I wanted the night before Edward's return to work to be special, so I surprised him by coming to bed wearing only my Little Mermaid underwear and a smile.
His smile was bigger.
As I emptied the kitchen cupboards, carefully wrapping my dishes and placing them into boxes, I thought back to the night before…
"Baby, you are trying to give me a heart attack?" he whined as he drank in the sight of me, his eyes darting back and forth between my tits and my cartoon underwear. I giggled at his reaction as I moved closer to him.
"Definitely not. I don't want you incapacitated in any way." I said as I climbed onto the bed and straddled him. I paused and tapped my lips with my finger as I thought. "Although, if that were to happen, I could always sneak into your hospital room to visit…maybe play Naughty Nurse?" I made sure to grind against him as I spoke.
He groaned as his hands moved up the bare skin of my sides until they were high enough for him to be able to reach his thumbs around to graze my nipples.
Edward had admitted on the way home from England that, as eager as he was to fully move into the new house, he was thrilled to get a chance to make love in my apartment.
He said it would give 'closure' to all those months of sexual frustration we'd endured while staying there.
I told him he was just a horndog.
Leaving on the Mermaid underwear, I slithered down his body and tugged at the waistband of his sleep pants freeing his erection, as Edward lifted his hips in order to assist my efforts. I turned back to him after tossing the sleep pants to the floor and grasped him fully in my hand.
As I began to stroke him, Edward's fingers found my face, leaving feather light touches across my cheeks. When he traced my bottom lip with his thumb, I captured it with my lips and swirled my tongue around the tip, earning an appreciative groan from my husband.
Wanting to show him how much I loved him, I leaned down until my face was close to his erection. I swiped my tongue up the entire length before wrapping my lips around the top, and drawing him into my mouth. I heard a low murmured 'fuck' as I pulled him in a little further and sucked gently. I was aware that Edward's entire body had tensed.
Suddenly his hands were grabbing at my waist and pulling me. I had no choice but to release him, and the next thing I knew, my face was level with his.
"Oh Bella," he moaned before kissing my lips.
After the kiss, I pulled back and gave him a confused look. "Edward, why won't you let me, you know…"
Pleasure you with my mouth….
He sighed. "You don't have to do that Bella," he frowned.
"Edward, I'm confused. I thought all guys wanted that."
Maybe Cosmo is wrong…
"I mean well yeah, I do want it, but…oh fuck."
I was at a loss as I continued to frown. "What are you afraid of? I know I probably wouldn't be very good at it, but with practice I'm sure…"
"No Baby please don't feel hurt by my reaction," he said in a rush. "This is about me, not you my love," he insisted before pulling me down into a desperate kiss.
After the kiss, I looked into his eyes, "Edward please, tell me what's going on."
He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "It's just that everything's been going so well, it's amazing how far we've come. Sex has been…well I think you know, it's been nothing short of phenomenal, and I know there was a time you were afraid of it…" he sighed again, "That being said, after everything you've been through, I didn't want to put you in that position Bella… I don't want you to do something that will inevitably make you feel uncomfortable.."
What is he talking about, putting me in that position?
"I love you too much, please know that I'd never expect.."
And then it hit me.
Oh my God
Edward was thinking about my mother's death and what I'd had to witness that day.
No!
I grasped his face firmly between my hands. "Oh Edward," I exclaimed. "What I lived through has no bearing on my life with you… at least not in the way you're thinking. What I witnessed that day wasn't an act between two people who loved each other. It was violence, it was assault and murder." I felt as if I'd been punched in the stomach as I forced out the words. "Please never compare what we have to that." I dropped my face to his chest as I clung to him.
"Bella, I'm so sorry," he exclaimed in a panic. "I've made things worse." he said as he frantically rubbed his hands up and down my back. "I would never compare our relationship to that. Fuck. I'm so stupid. In an effort to avoid dredging up those memories, I've done precisely that. I'm so, so sorry…"
I spent the next few moments mulling over what he had said as he continued to hold me. Eventually I pulled back to look at his face. He looked so sad. "Edward, please don't do this to yourself. I'm okay, really."
He gave me a wary look.
"And I can see that you were only trying to protect me. You're right, there was a time when the thought of sex terrified me, but that was before I met you. In those days, any unfamiliar human contact could send me into a panic attack. That has changed; I've changed, thanks to you." I let out a breath. "May I ask you to do me a favor?"
"Anything," he whispered.
I smiled at him. "From now on can you please try not to overthink everything?"
He nodded and let out a breath before giving me a sad smile. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"
"To the brink of insanity?" I asked with a grin.
He laughed before pulling me down for a kiss. One kiss turned into several, and before long we were making love. We took our time, and I made sure only to kiss his lips and his chest, for now.
I smiled as I thought about how he'd fretted over leaving me when the car arrived to take him to work in the morning. I'd forced back the tears at the thought of being separated from him for the first time in over a month, and plastered a smile on my face as I kissed him goodbye.
I had just finished packing the last of my mother's china when my phone buzzed with a text message.
Miss you, beautiful
I smiled.
I miss you too, can't wait until tonight
I knew that Edward wouldn't be home until about seven. My plan was to cook dinner so that we could spend a relaxing evening in the apartment. The next text was unexpected.
What are you wearing?
I laughed out loud at the fact that, no matter how much he tried to hide it, Edward was a typical guy at heart. I looked down at my baggy sweats and ratty t-shirt before making the spur of the moment decision to tease him.
I ran into the bedroom, stripping off my clothes as I did, and pulled one of the sexy lingerie sets from the suitcase, one which I'd never worn. I mussed my hair before snapping a quick photo of myself in the silky little number and sending it to him.
I giggled as I anticipated his reaction.
A full five minutes passed before my phone rang.
"Jesus baby, I can't believe you did that. Luckily I was walking to my trailer when I opened that photo. Needless to say, I'll be hiding in here until I, er, calm down."
I couldn't stop laughing. "Edward, you are such a boost for my ego."
Edward chuckled, "As are you for my libido."
Touché
"Are you still arriving home around seven tonight?"
"Yes, hopefully sooner," I could hear the smile in his answer.
"I'll be counting the minutes." I breathed, not wanting to end the call.
"Me too baby." He paused before speaking again. "I'd better go," he said sadly. "Oh and Bella?"
"Yes?"
"Be wearing that when I arrive..."
-V&V—
I was so excited that I was practically bouncing in my seat. We were on our way to Emmett and Rose's new home for dinner. It was Friday evening, and tonight was the night they would tell everyone the sex of the baby.
Edward had to work until almost seven again; therefore we would be the last to arrive. I'd seen Rose and Emmett since our return, and had been amazed at how big Rose's baby bump had grown in the month Edward and I were away.
I fell in love with Baby Swan a little more when I'd had my hand on Rose's belly and was rewarded with a kick.
Edward laughed at me. "Bella, if you're this excited now, I can only imagine what you'll be like when the baby arrives."
"I can't help it Edward. It seems like only yesterday that Rose found out she was pregnant, and now we've only got three more months until we get to see Baby Swan in the flesh."
Their new home was beautiful, open and spacious, just the way they liked. Even though it wasn't fully furnished yet, all the furnishings they'd moved from the apartment made it quite comfortable.
As soon as we pulled into the driveway, our loved ones poured through the front door to greet us. Alice and Chris, whom we hadn't seen since the wedding, were the first to reach us, immediately pulling Edward and me into a tight embrace, while Jasper stood by watching with an amused expression.
"Okay so, I want to hear everything about the honeymoon," Chris began excitedly, "well, of course not everything," he paused, "Oh hell yes, you know I want to hear about that too but I won't be tacky enough to ask." He admitted with a loud laugh. "Of course that doesn't mean I won't be open to a little detail sharing on your part Bella Mia." He grinned as Alice shook with laughter.
Edward and I laughed too. "We missed all of you so much." I exclaimed.
I was hugged by everyone, so much so that I was certain I'd have bruises come morning. Even Mrs. Whitlock embraced first me, and then Edward.
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
As a matter of fact, she was very well behaved during the entire evening. Aside from the snarky remarks she made about a couple of Hale cousins, she didn't act like the same woman I'd grown to know and loathe all these years.
I'll have to ask Rose about that later…
Finally, as we sat down to dinner, the moment arrived that we'd been anxiously waiting for. Out of deference to Rose, our champagne flutes were filled with ginger ale. My brother stood up, glass in hand, and a very happy smile on his face. "First of all, thank you for coming tonight. It means a lot to Rosie and me to have you here to share our news." He raised the glass. "Actually, Rose and I would like to toast all of you, because we can't imagine a better family to greet our son when he arrives."
A son….
A son!
Emmett stood there grinning as he watched his words register with the others in the room before everyone started speaking at once.
"A boy! You're having a boy!" Alice exclaimed as she jumped from her seat to hug Rose. Mrs. Whitlock began to cry before hugging my brother.
I was, surprisingly, able to hold back my tears, at least for the moment as I pictured a little boy, the perfect mix of Rose and Emmett.
Would he have my brother's brown curls or would he be blonde like Rose? I couldn't wait to find out.
Emmett was laughing when he grabbed his glass again. "I still need to finish the toast."
We all smiled and raised our glasses.
"To all of you gathered here, whether related by blood or not, you are our family. Rose and I cannot wait until we are able to introduce our son, Charles Whitlock Swan, to each and every one of you."
I gasped.
Charles…..a little Charlie
With those words, the tears I'd been holding back began to trickle down my cheeks.
By the time Emmett pulled our Dad into a bear hug and I noticed the tears that both of them tried to hide as they wiped their eyes, I was a blubbering mess.
I wasn't the only one.
***A/N***
A/N Aww Baby Swan finally has a name. The dinner party will continue in the next chapter.
Still not sure how many chapters we're looking at before the end….but does it really matter when the sequel looms?
If you're following me on Facebook, you know that aside from the V&V page there is now a group entitled 'Emmamama's Stories'. Please join, we'd love to have you!
Lots of photos from this chapter, including Bella's little lingerie ensemble, will post on the V&V facebook page in the album titled 'Honeymoon', and on the blog photo page.
When V&V is complete, not only will I be continuing with a sequel, but I will also be starting a new story called 'Popsicle Sticks'. Keep me on Author alert if you're interested. I will be posting a teaser soon on the Facebook page (link will be posted on Emmamama's Stories).
Obviously, I didn't post the next LRM as I'd promised. It will be up next and will have to cover 3 chapters of V&V. Until then, take care, and thank you all for your love, support, encouragement and reviews! They mean more than you will ever know!
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