Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are the property of Stephenie Meyer/Taylor Swift. Any other copyrighted or trademarked items mentioned herein belong to their respective owners, all other content belongs to me. No copyright infringement is intended. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without my express written authorization.
"She said, I was seven and you were nine,"
"Somebody...could you-...I need to find..." A young Bella let a deep huff out of her small lungs as kids ran all around her, racing to class as the bell had just rang.
It was her first day of the second grade here at this school and she hardly knew left from right. Well, technically she already knew left from right, but in this case she might as well not have. This school was very different than the school she'd transferred from. She was new to everything about Forks and could name a billion differences between it and Phoenix – where she'd just moved here from.
She watched all of the taller kids ran to their destinations. She'd always been slightly small for her age and now she was feeling smaller than ever. All of these kids just seemed so much bigger. Maybe it was something in the water. Maybe it was something in the rain water – it sure did rain a lot in the small town. That was only another big difference between her hometown and where she was now.
She decided to just wait it out and show up late. She felt a lot more comfortable being late, since it was only the first day, than getting trampled by some Forks kid. So, she did exactly that, backing up and against the white walls.
When she felt a tap on her shoulder, she quickly turned around to apologize for being in the way of somebody.
"I'm sorry! I don't know where to go!" She began to exclaim all of her reason for just standing in the middle of hallway-traffic.
"No, no, no," The boy laughed and she looked up at him.
He had messy hair. It was a strange color, unlike any she'd ever seen before. She couldn't get her brain to decide if it were a red or a brown. Can somebody's hair be both? That's when she decided that it looked like a penny. A copper penny! Only, on him, it was much pretty and definitely look much, much softer.
He was taller than her, much taller, and this made her wonder if he were older than her. If he weren't then, he definitely looked the part. If he were her age, then she'd like to know if he were kept back a year or two, or something. She knew some kids who did that before. Some of them started the school year too late, after moving. While others just didn't get school so easy.
That's when Bella realized that he was talking to her, "And you know, I was just wondering if I could help you."
"I'm sorry?" She squeaked, tugging her Barbie backpack straps tighter around her shoulders. She got fidgety when she was nervous. She usually played with her long brown hair, but her Step-Mom, Sue, had French-braided it back today. She even tied a little blue bow on the end of the pony-tail.
"You looked lost. I figured I could help." He puffed out his shoulders as if he were making himself look stronger. This made Bella giggle slightly. "Hey! What're you laughing at?"
"Oh! It's nothing. Sorry." Her cheeks burned familiarly as his green-eyes shined. They reminded her of the stars. Like pretty, emerald stars. She'd never seen anything like it before. They held her captivated, standing there, and just staring into them.
"Um, I don't know where to go."
"What grade are you in?" He asked her and she held up her pass, a small green slip of paper that stated where she needed to go. By then the halls had almost completely cleared out.
"Oh! Second," His eyes got squinty and he grinned cheekily. "You're in my Mommy's class! Mrs. Cullen is what you'll call her. Her friends call her Esme." He spoke almost proudly of his Mother and Bella merely nodded. "I can walk you."
"Are you sure?" She asked him and he nodded, showing off a toothless smile.
"Uh, duh. I go there almost every day after school!" He grabbed her small hand and led her through the hall, going the opposite way that she'd tried going earlier. Boy, she would have been lost without him. That's when he began telling Bella all about himself. "I'm Edward Cullen, by the way. Only, I'm not in the second grade. I'm in fourth grade, actually. Though I was in second grade only two years ago, so it's not that bigga' deal."
"Oh...okay." She nodded her head, already having figured that he was an older kid. "Were you in your Mom's class when you were in my grade?"
"No. They said that I couldn't because she might like me more than the other kids. Because I'm her kid." He told her honestly and she shrugged, nodding. "So, um, what's your name?"
"Me? I'm Isabella Swan, but I don't like being called Isabella. I like to be called Bella." She told him, shrugging her shoulders as their hands swung in-between them as they walked.
That's when they arrived in front of a large, oak door. Edward pushed it open, not even stopping for a second, and led Bella into the room of kids. They were already at their desks and working on something. The woman at the desk, she assumed was his Mom and the Teacher, was working on something quietly.
She noticed that the woman had pretty hair. It was a bit darker than Bella's and fell down to her shoulders. The woman looked up, glancing over the room of children, her green eyes curious. They matched Edward's exactly. Bella already felt comfortable with her and this was only their first time meeting each other. That's when her eyes caught Bella and Edward, as Edward strode towards her.
"Edward? What are you doing here? And who's this?" She pushed away from her desk and quickly approached the two children.
"Momma', this is Bella Swan. She got lost in the hallway. I showed her how to get here though, no worries." He brushed it off and Bella nodded, blushing again.
"Oh...thank you honey, but shouldn't you be in class?"
"It's okay – I'm older and I was helping somebody. Right, Mom?" He asked her and she sighed, not being able to ignore her son's chivalrous ways, and nodded.
"Oh...alright. But only this once. You really should get off to class though. Your Teacher's probably worried sick about you, you know. She knows that you're here because I am too." She told him and he sighed.
"Can I tell Bella bye, then?"
"Absolutely." She nodded.
"Thank you for helping me, Edward." Bella murmured and he grinned cheekily, showing off the single dimple he'd accumulated from his Father, Carlisle Cullen.
"I liked helping you!" He brushed it off and quickly hugged her around the neck. "Don't get lost again though – I will try, but I may not always be in the hallways."
"Oh...okay." Bella nodded slowly, shrugging her shoulders.
"Alright, honey, you should get going." Esme ushered him towards the door, keeping her hand on Bella's lower back.
"Oh, fine. Only if you insist." He teased as he walked out of her classroom door. "I'll be good for you, Mommy dearest. And Bella too!"
"Okay, quit stalling, babe. You need to be in class." Esme snickered at her son, trying to flirt with the young girl. It was so innocent that she almost didn't want to make him go to class. She knew that he needed to though, because it was merely the first day of school. No need to make a bad first impression on the new teacher, even if Esme already knew her.
Once Edward was gone Bella felt herself recoil back and into her shell. She looked over the room full of kids who seemed to already be best friends with each other. She looked up at the woman, Mrs. Cullen, and bit her lip. She wasn't ready for any of this – she wanted to go back and be with Edward today. He was nice to her.
"It's okay, sweetie. Just pick a seat. They're all very nice – I promise." Esme assured her and she sucked in a deep breath, walking away from her Teacher.
When she got up to a table, she sat down quickly, fearing that she'd be rejected by them if she gave them time to do it. She pulled her backpack off of her shoulders and pulled out her crayons. Her Dad made sure that she had the best-of-the-best when it came to crayons – a sixty-four Crayola package.
"I'm Jessica," The girl with curly, brown hair and light green eyes spoke up and Bella's cheeks burned again.
"I'm Bella." She whispered.
"I'm Mike, and this is Eric," Mike, the boy with the gelled, spikey blonde hair pointed to the oriental boy, the one with almond-shaped eyes and grinned at her. He then turned to a girl with darker hair, and dark eyes. She was sitting with a blonde boy who had brown eyes. "That's Angie and Ben. Are you gonna' be our friend?"
"Wait!" A blonde girl with blue eyes ran over. She pulled a chair up and sat beside the girl with the brown hair.
Bella couldn't remember her name. Jennifer, maybe?
"Jessica! We're all going to be such good friends!" Angela quickly spoke, breaking the weird silence that had taken over.
Bella nodded, smiling slightly as she looked over the group of kids. They may not have been Edward but they were being nice to her. That's the least she could ask of anybody at this new place. All she wanted to do was be accepted, actually.
"I looked at you like the stars that shined
in the sky, the pretty lights.
And our Daddy's used to joke about the two of us
growing up and falling in love; and our Momma's smiled
and rolled their eyes and said, 'Oh my, my, my.'"
"Daddy, I don't wanna' meet more people!" Bella stomped her foot and her big brother, Jacob, laughed. He was ten years older than her, falling at the age of seventeen, and often teased her for being littler than him. He was huge though! Like a giant piece of muscle, really.
"Bella, it won't be that bad, I promise." Charlie, Bella's Dad, sighed as he took her hand and led her out to the car.
"But it will! I won't know anybody there and nobody'll like me!" She whined, feeling her eyes burn with tears. She didn't want to cry about it but she didn't want to do it either. It was like the first day of school all over again.
"Bella, remember when you said that last time?" Jacob's girlfriend, Vanessa – or Nessie, as Bella called her – calmed her softly. "You said that you didn't know anybody and that they wouldn't like you. And then you went and you made a bunch of friends! Like Mike, Jessica, Lauren, Angie, Ben, Eric, Tyler, Connor – you have lots of them, Bella."
"I want to see Edward though!" Bella shot back.
Bella hadn't seen Edward at all since that first day of school and she missed him. She knew that it was silly, but she just wanted to see him. He was the nicest, and cutest person she'd met in all of her young life and she'll probably never see him again. It was a bit depressing for her too. None of her family understood how she felt.
Apparently, according to Jake and her Dad, and Sue, Bella spoke of Edward constantly. She didn't think that it was that much but she could have been wrong. Her Mom, when they talked on the phone at night, had assumed that he was Bella's boyfriend because of how much she'd told her about him. Of course, Bella stuck her tongue out at those words and told her Mom that boys were 'icky'.
Her Dad and Sue didn't think that she actually thought that though.
"Oh, Bells," Charlie shook his head, snickering. "How old was this boy?"
"He's a fourth-grader, Daddy. But he's so nice, I promise you!"
"A fourth-grader! Are you crazy?" Jacob teased and Bella shrugged, telling him off about how nice Edward really was that day. It didn't' matter how old he was. "Bella, he's way to old for you. I forbid this relationship to grow anymore. No more older boys."
"Daddy!" Bella wailed, not reacting the way that Jacob thought she would, as he'd been joking about all of this.
"Jeez, Bells, I was only kidding. Calm your horses!" Jacob covered his ears dramatically and Bella calmed a bit.
"Don't do that! It's mean to me!"
"Oh, calm down." He rolled his eyes playfully as they pulled into the driveway of the BBQ. Bella wasn't excited about tonight at all. She wanted no part of this little get-together, but was required to go, because Jacob's friend was hosting. Some kid named Emmett.
When her Daddy got out she followed him, clinging to her Step-Mom's leg. Sue sighed, patting her little head as she led her up the steps to the front door. Bella was feeling more overwhelmed by the big house by the second. Sue told her that everything would be fun once again as she rang the doorbell and waited for the host to open it.
Bella was a little more than shocked when her teacher, Mrs. Esme Cullen, pulled the big door away and let them in.
"Mrs. Cullen!"
"Bella! Sweetheart, I didn't know you'd be joining us tonight?"
"Yeah! Jacob's my brother." She was suddenly happier about being here. Not only was she comforted by Esme's presence, but she knew that Esme and her kids were a package deal. Her kids being Edward Cullen. She looked around the empty corridor before looking up at Mrs. Cullen and asking, "Is Edward here?"
"Why yes, I believe that he's out back if you want to go look for him!" She ushered Bella towards the sliding-glass door to the backyard. Bella didn't even stop to ask permission before opening it and running straight out and towards Edward – he was standing beside his Dad, who was cooking at the grill.
"Edward!" Bella called as she stumbled through the yard.
"Bella! What are you doing here?" Edward asked her as she ran towards him.
"Jacob is here to play with Emmett." I told him and he smiled.
"Great! Daddy, do you need more help? Or can I go play with Bella?" Edward asked as he tugged on his Dad's pant-leg.
"Feel free to play. I think we got through the hard part pretty well," Carlisle thanked Edward and then Edward ran off with Bella.
"How was school that day? I didn't want to just leave you there but Mom said that I had to go to fourth grade." Edward explained his day to her and she smiled, happy to hear him talking to her. Older kids never talked to her before – she liked it a lot.
She followed him all the way to the side of the woods. He stood there, and called out to his Dad that he was showing me 'his place'. She wasn't sure exactly what he meant but decided that she could trust him and followed anyway. She certainly didn't want to seem like some big baby around Edward. That would just be embarrassing on her part.
Edward took her hand, like he had that first day in the hallway, and led her through the wooded area. She stumbled a bit over twigs, and things like that, but Edward always kept a tight grip. He could tell that she wasn't the most balanced person in the world and decided that he'd make it his job to help her get around easier. He'd never admit it to anybody, though.
Bella watched silently as the sun set ahead of them. Edward didn't seem bothered by it though, as he kept on trekking forward. She couldn't help but watch him in awe as he made his way through the brush. He seemed to know his way around very well and had a reason for dragging her through this.
She knew exactly what he wanted from her when they arrived at his destination. Her eyes grew wide at the beautiful sight before her. It was a meadow, full of flowers and grass, and all sorts of beauty. But that wasn't what really caught her eyes. The first thing she saw was the clear sky full of stars. Living in Phoenix, she'd seen a lot of the stars, but here in Forks it was always way to cloudy.
It's like Edward knew exactly what her little heart needed.
"It's so pretty..." She breathed and walked into the opening, sitting down in the wet grass.
"I know, right? I always come here when I'm bored or wanna' be alone." He shrugged and laid down too.
"It's perfect. Can we come back sometime?"
"Of course we can. Nobody else really knows about it. Mom and Dad insisted that I tell them where it's at, but they don't come here. It's all mine – and now it's yours too." Edward whispered to Bella and she smiled. It was touching to think that he'd share his deepest secrets, and places, with her like this.
"Thank you for it...I really did miss the stars. You don't see 'em much in Forks." Bella whispered softly.
"Good. I mean, that I made you feel better. Forks can be really pretty, you just gotta' look at the right things." Edward explained to Bella and she nodded, sort-of understanding.
Edward and Bella just stayed there for a while. Bella was so happy to finally see the stars that she didn't want to stop. When she looked over to Edward, his eyes were shining as they watched her, and she mused about how his eyes still looked like stars in the sky. They really shined.
The sun had long set and eventually they both fell tired and decided that they should go back to the BBQ. Edward held Bella's hand all the way back just like he had when they first went to the meadow earlier. Only this time, Bella felt much closer to him, and wasn't afraid to talk to him about things.
When they exited the forest and came into his backyard they began to run together. There was a rather large clearing before it actually reached where everyone was cooking and you could see fireflies on-end. So, they chased them, giggling, laughing, and purely enjoying their time together.
"Ah, there they are," Charlie smiled as he lifted Bella onto his hip. "Have fun with Edward, Bella?"
"Yes, Daddy! Lots! We went to a meadow and I could see the stars!"
"Is that so?" He asked her and she nodded before hopping down and running back over to play with Edward at the picnik table.
"I'm telling you, it's love at first sight." Charlie shook his head as he watched his little girl interact with his friend's son.
Charlie was so happy to finally have Bella living with him again. Renee, when she left him, took Bella with her seven years ago. And now, Renee remarried, and left Bella to Charlie's custody. Bella thinks that it's just a job thing for Renee, but Charlie knows that she's just being selfish and wants time with her new husband.
Who is way to young for her, with her being twenty-six, and him being nineteen. Once again, she kept all of it from Bella and merely left Charlie to take care of her. The difference is that Charlie would have gladly kept Bella around when he married his wife, Sue Clearwater-Swan. Sue and Bella both had already bonded to the point of no return.
"You really think so? Edward only talked about her for days on end after he met her." Carlisle snickered. "It's just like Esme and I, only a lot younger than we were."
"You think they'll be together forever?"
"I see it already." Carlisle spoke almost smugly.
"Oh, hush boys." Esme came over and brushed their words off. "Leave the kids alone. They may well just be friends. Don't pressure them into thinking that they have to date or something, when they're older."
"Won't make a difference when they get married," Charlie joked and she glowered playfully at him.
"We should set up some play-dates for them," Sue added slowly and everyone agreed.
"Oh my, my, my..." Esme shook her head as they watched the kids keep playing together.
"Take me back to the house in the backyard tree
said you'd beat me up, you were bigger than me.
You never did, you never did.
Take me back when our world was one block wide
I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried.
Just two kids, you and I...
'Oh my, my, my, my...'"
"I'm gonna' kiss you!" A thirteen-year-old Edward taunted as he chased Bella through her backyard.
"Hey! Leave me alone!" She cried out as she ran back and to a tree. She knew that she'd never get her clumsy limbs to climb it, but at least it'd give her a few seconds to hide from him.
"Oh, Bella, you want me to kiss you though!" Edward laughed at her attempts to duck out of his way.
He'd finally ran around the tree and had her backed up against it. She knew it was an unfair fight though. Not only was he much taller and naturally an incredible runner, but he was also way too gorgeous. She'd never admit to wanting him to be her first kiss, even if he was merely teasing her because of the kids at school.
"Edward! Come on!" She yelled out and he laughed again.
"Oh, shush-it or I'll beat you up!" He winked and she tried hitting him in the chest. Now, if only she could hit worth crud or he were weak enough to not take her punches so gracefully. That was almost as unfair as the fight all over again.
"Come on, Edward, back off." She sneered almost playfully and he laughed again.
"Why? You don't wanna' kissy-me?"
"Ah, no, I don't really." Bella crossed her arms over her chest and he snickered again, daring her to argue with him. So, she did just that. "You know what, Edward? I triple-dog-dare you to kiss me! Go on, kiss me!"
"Oh, alright then!" He leaned in and she ducked right out of his grasp and ran away from him and all the way to her back-door. His face went straight into the scratchy bark of the tree before he'd caught on to her little prank. He called out after her, running to catch up. "So uncalled for, Bella! So uncalled for!"
"Bella? What are you two up to?" Sue asked as Bella came barreling into the house, Edward right on her tail by now.
"Gotta' go, Momma'-Sue!" She shot her Step-Mom 'double-guns' as Edward called them, doing the gun-hand-motion with both of her hands, before running away and out the front, screen door.
"Bella! Seriously!" Edward laughed.
"Oh my, my, my..." Sue shook her head, grinning at their games that they still played, four years after meeting each other. It really amazed her.
"Well, I was sixteen when suddenly
I wasn't that little girl you used to see,
but your eyes still shined like pretty lights.
And our daddies used to joke about the two of us;
they never believed we'd really fall in love
and our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes.
And said, 'Oh my, my, my, my...'"
"I'm not a little girl anymore, Daddy. Please, just let me go out with him!" Bella begged her Father one rainy night after she and Edward agreed to start dating. What she didn't tell him was that their agreement was based off of a kiss that had happened that night.
"Bella, I don't know that you're ready to date yet. You're only sixteen," Charlie shook his head at her. She felt her brown eyes begin to water.
"But it's Edward! You've known the guy for ten years, Dad, and all he's ever done is treat me right. Come on, please!" Tears were now flowing and that's when Sue chose to make her entrance, tired of watching Charlie ruin his relationship with his only Daughter. He didn't understand that he was pushing her away by being so strict about this entire dating thing.
"Charles, it's Edward Cullen, for God's sake. Just let the girl date him. They may as well be for how much time they spend together as it is. I mean, my God, you'd much rather have her spending her time with Edward than somebody like...Mike Newton or something." Sue referred to a kid from Bella's class, an old childhood friend, who he'd recently arrested for a DUI.
"Mike Newton is nasty..." Charlie grumbled and Sue merely threw her hands up in the air.
"And Edward's not. He's perfect for Bella and you know it!" She snapped her fingers at her husband.
"But she's so young!"
"You were the one who joked about them getting married at eighteen, Charles! She's only two years younger than that and all she's asking to do is go out with him. You can't be like this to her, it isn't fair. You know how in love they are." Sue told him in total honesty. She walked over and wrapped her arms around Bella, who she'd come to know as a Daughter.
"In love? They don't even know what love is." He gruffed and Bella's jaw dropped.
"I love him, Dad. I do know what love is! I know that I love you, and Mom, and Renee, and Jake, and his wife Leah, even though she's kind of cold," Bella waived her hands around frantically. Sue smiled, liking that Bella had came to calling her Mom after the way that Renee left her here in Forks when she was seven. She didn't understand at the time, but she'd figured it out when she was fourteen.
That was a long night of crying between her, Sue, Edward, and Charlie.
"I love baby Seth, and Same, and Emily." She referred to her nieces and nephews, Jacob's kids. He was now twenty-six and had the three of them within the last three years. "I know that I love Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, his girlfriend Rosalie, I know that I love Edward's sister Alice," She cried out thinking of her family. Alice was Edward's sister, and the Cullen's had her when Edward was ten, so eight years ago. Alice looks exactly like Esme only with shorter hair. "If I can love all of them, and be damn sure of it, then I know that I love Edward – because I love him the most!"
"It just worries me how attached you're getting to him."
"How attached I'm getting? Dad, jeez, we've only been best friends for ten years. I'm beyond attached to him! He's a part of me! I love him, Daddy – please don't do this. Don't try and take him from me because you and I both know who I'll chose in this argument...and it won't be you." Bella's sobs were beginning to cut into Charlie's exterior. He hated seeing her hurt and just didn't understand how she was old enough to date yet.
"Bells..."
"No! I've never complained about anything. I love everybody but you all know that I know who I really need out of this town. You and I both know why Renee met Phil, and it's not because they were meant to be married! Its' because I was meant to be here and with Edward Cullen. Please...Daddy..."
"Fine..." Charlie finally broke. He palmed his face nervously. "But the moment he makes one wrong move I will exercise my rights to use a gun."
"Thank you so much, Dad!" She cried, jumping down and hugging her Dad around the neck. "You don't know how much this means to me!"
"Oh, fine...you know I'm only looking out for you, Kiddo."
"I'm growing up. I'll always be your Bella, but you need to understand that my priorities are changing every second. But Edward's always been at the top, right with you. Don't turn it into a competition either."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Baby-girl." He sighed softly and Sue let out her own sigh of relief.
"And thank you, Sue! Thank you for understanding." Bella ran over and hugged Sue.
"Oh, don't worry about it, honey." She hugged her back and shook her head. Charlie caught her eyes and she knew that they were both thinking the same thing. Edward was it for Bella – there wouldn't be anything beyond him in this world. "Oh my, my, my..."
"Take me back to the creek beds we turned up.
Two A.M. riding in your truck and all I need is you next to me.
Take me back to the time we had our very first fight.
The slamming of doors instead of kissing goodnight.
You stayed outside till the morning light,
'Oh my, my, my, my...'"
"Ready to go home, love?" Edward breathed over Bella's face as they stood up and he helped her out of the bank where they'd set their picnic up under the moonlight. It was just a path away from the meadow that he'd shown her way back when they were little. He was careful of her clumsiness as he helped her up and around to his truck.
"Yes," She breathed, happy about the way their night had turned out. They'd sat down and had a picnic beside a creek they usually swam in. It was nearing fall though, and it was getting beyond way too cold. So, they settled for sitting beside it, all bundled up together.
"Here," He helped her up and into it after he'd put away their supplies. She smiled at how polite he always was with her. It'd only grown stronger when they'd began dating a few months ago.
"Thank you," She yawned as they pulled out of the area and he began driving on the pathway that lead back to the real roads.
"You're always welcome," A yawn overtook him just as he said this. He began to pull out and onto the road at the same time and lost control of the wheel. She screamed in terror as the car swerved off and back onto the road. Edward gained control of the wheel and she felt almost angry at what had almost happened.
So, she was stupid, and took it out on him.
"What, are you freaking insane? What was that? Were you trying to kill us?" She yelled at him, only making him driving through the rain, and at night, harder.
"No! Of course not! I just yawned and lost control, calm down, Jesus Christ!" He seemed a bit angry too as his nostrils flared and he glared at Bella.
"Well, you should have spent more time in driver's-ed, or something, because that was stupid!" She snapped at him, growing even more pissed at his own tone. He was the one who swerved off of the stinkin' road! He can't be angry at her for something stupid like that!
"Oh my God, really? How old are you, Bella? Way to be mature!"
"I'm being immature? You're such an idiot!" She shot back as they pulled up and onto her street. The moment that her car pulled into the driveway she hopped out. She paid no mind to the rain as she ran up the porch-steps, Edward running after her, and got into the house. "Get away from my house, Edward! I don't ever want to speak to you again!"
"Fine! You're the one who's being stupid anyway, I don't need your drama!" Edward shouted back over the screen door and Bella just slammed the actual, wooden-door in and on his face.
"Stupid imbicile!" Bella hissed as she stomped through the entire house. Sue and Charlie were already in bed and that's exactly where she went.
When Bella woke up the next morning she couldn't hold back the sob that ripped through her chest. What had happened last night? How could she ever say things like she did to Edward? It wasn't his fault that he was tired after setting up and going on their date together. It certainly wasn't his fault that he'd yawned and temporarily caught control of the wheel. Heck, she should have been happy that he'd caught control of it.
She immediately rolled out of bed, suddenly worried about whether or not he'd gotten home last night. If he almost got them into an accident just by driving tired, what would he have been like while driving tired and angry? What if he'd gotten in an accident on the way home and was still out there, and in the rain somewhere?
"Oh, oh my God!" She sobbed as she threw a jacket on and over her pajamas – sweats and a shirt that belonged to Edward – before running down the stairs and grabbing her keys and shoes. Sue was in the kitchen making breakfast. It ocudln't have been after seven, and she knew that Charlie was already up and at work.
"Bella? What's wrong?" Sue yawned and that only caused Bella to remember everything last night.
"I should have kissed him goodnight! I'm such a jerk! Oh God, I'm a horrible person!" She cried and ran out the front door.
When she got outside she almost ran straight past the sleeping form on her front porch. When she saw it in her peripheral vision she turned around and ran back up to it. Edward was dressed in the same clothing that he'd worn last night and his poor lips were bright blue as he slept.
"Edward! Oh, I'm so sorry!" She sobbed, dropping to her knees in front of him and wrapping her body around him in hopes to warm him up.
"B-Bella..." He whispered.
"I should have told you that I love you. I love you so much. I don't even know why I got so mad – I just freaked out. I'm so sorry! I love you so much Edward! Please, please open your eyes for me, baby!" She cried horribly, her entire body shaking as she tried to get a glimpse of his green eyes.
"I love you...B-Bella..." He breathed and opened his eyes, looking right at her.
"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so horribly sorry!"
"Just..."
She didn't let him finish talking as she bent down to kiss him. She couldn't hold it in anymore, needing to relieve every fear, worry, bit of anger, and love that she'd had in her after last night. She knew it was selfish, given his current condition, and yet nothing could have stopped her from doing it. She then proceeded to wrap her arms back around him in hopes to warm him.
The front door opened, them having worried Sue in their little escapade and she stepped out onto the porch. One glimpse at the pair and she was shaking her head. "Oh my, my, my, my..."
"A few years had gone and come around
we were sitting at our favorite spot in town
and you looked at me, got down on one knee..."
"Bella, I've waited a long eleven years for this to be legal..." Edward whispered as they were laying down in the meadow where they were once only eight-years-old and playing tag in. "I love you with all my heart and I know that you're it for me. You're the love of my life; you're my heart. Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"
Bella's eyes began to water and she nodded quickly, rolling over and into his arms, knowing that this was the best birthday ever – and it's no longer just because she's an adult.
"Take me back to the time when we walked down the aisle
Our whole town came and our Momma's cried
You said I do and I did too
Take me home where we met so many years before
We'll rock our babies on that very front porch
After all this time, you and I..."
"I feel like it's been forever..." Bella whispered, a smile overtaking her face as she looked over a picture from her wedding with Edward.
"It's only been three years, Bella." He chuckled as he kissed his wife's forehead and then his newborn daughter's.
"I know, and yet it feels like it's been a lifetime. So much has changed..."
"Momma'! Momma'!" Bella turned to the chiming of her name. Her babies, even though you could hardly consider twin three-year-olds babies these days, came running in to her.
They'd named their kids after Charlie and Sue, who were killed in a car accident a year after they got married. They'd only gotten to spend a year with little Charlotte and Samuel, Charlie and Sammy, before they'd lost their lives to a drunk-driver's stupid decision. They hadn't even gotten to meet Edward and Bella's newest little gift, Ella Sue Cullen.
Sammy was identical to Edward, having his messy bronze hair and green eyes whiel Charlotte, Charlie, looks a lot more like Bella. She has Charlie's perfect curls and pretty brown eyes. Bella hadn't realized how pretty that brown truly was until she'd seen it on this angel's face.
And then there was baby Ella. Ella has her Mom's brown eyes and her Dad's bronze waives. She's absolutely gorgeous and could definitely model for a baby's clothing ad. with her looks. This didn't help Edward's recent gray-hair-sprouting at all.
"Hey monkeys, ready to help Momma' and Daddy make dinner?" She asked as they walked out-back of their house to find the family BBQ'ing again. Bella sat down with the baby in the porch swing and Edward sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple, and then her cheek. She loved sitting out here like this, watching their little family. It made life seem just that much more perfect.
Edward sighed, turning to whisper in her ear, "You know...we really are forever."
"I know." Bella smiled softly, turning to kiss his stubbled-cheek.
"I love you so much, Bella Cullen. You're so perfect. I love thinking that we're going to grow old and watch our family raise from here, in our own house, with our own life, and true love." He sighed and she nodded, thinking about the rest of forever that she had with her husband.
"I'll be eighty-seven; you'll be eighty-nine.
I'll still look at you like the stars that shine
in the sky, 'Oh my, my, my...'"
A/N: Hey readers! I wrote this after school today – the entire thing. And I just had to post it. It was inspired by my nephew, Johnson, and his best friend for life, Allison. This song is THEIR song and I just suddenly felt inspired to do this. So, let me know what you think! This is my first posted one-shot/song-fic, so , I would love some reviews on it!
Love my readers to pieces if they review!
- Em