"The Indies First Time Writer Challenge" One-Shot Contest
Title: "Every year, on September 18th…"
Pen Name: Nony mouse
Primary Players: Edward and Bella
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 3,257
Disclaimer: Twilight and all characters belong to Stephanie Meyer ((sigh)).
"Dr. Cullen?" My nurse's voice caught me off guard, so entrenched in charting, I had forgotten all about her earlier request.
"Oh, yes, DeeDee, you may leave early today. I'm sorry I forgot to tell you earlier, but I got so behind in my charts, it slipped my mind." I flashed a smile at her, "dazzling" her, as Bella would say.
"Thank you, Dr. Are you sure your ok here, by yourself?" DeeDee didn't like the quietness of the clinic once all the hustle and bustle of the patients died down. The peacefulness left her uneasy and nervous, having the opposite effect one would think the silence would have on an overworked pediatric nurse. DeeDee thrived on pressure, doing some of her best work during the worst of conditions, like the time the electricity cut off unexpectedly during a thunderstorm. DeeDee single-handedly ran the office with only the help of a flashlight and one scented candle with which to see by. She was indispensable to me.
"Thanks, I'm fine. I won't be here much longer, anyway. I have a special date with Bella at 6 o'clock sharp," I looked at my watch, it was already 2:30, "and by the looks of it, I had better get a move on!"
"Oh, I forgot, I'm sorry," she cleared her throat and looked at the floor, "Happy Anniversary Dr. Cullen." DeeDee looked even more nervous, fidgeting her fingers and avoiding my eyes.
"Thank you DeeDee. Have a great weekend." She nodded her head and quickly left.
I gathered up a stack charts and put them into my bag. I could finish them at home thru our electronic medical records service and be all caught up by the time Monday rolled around. I stretched up my arms, and flexed my fingers before shutting off my computer. I looked at the picture of Bella on my desk, holding our infant daughter in her arms, just minutes old, and swiped a tear from the corner of my eye.
"I'll see you soon, my love" I said to her as pushed my chair away from my desk, noting the squeaky wheel, yet again. One day, I would fix that wheel.
"Hey, Bro. Do I still have baby sitting duty tonight?" Jasper sauntered over to me, swinging his stethoscope around by the earpieces, nearly smacking the doorway with the chest piece. Jasper, my brother, was Renesme's favorite "sitter". She loved beating him at boxing on her newly acquired Wii.
"If you don't have any other pressing plans to attend to?" I asked. Jasper snorted and rolled his eyes. He loved taking care of Renesme almost as much as she loved going over to his and Aunt Alice's house. My sister-in-law was the quintessential fashion plate, and would spend hours playing dress up with Renesme when she was a little girl, while Jazz played the part of "photographer". I know time with my daughter was special to the both of them. "Nessie has been practicing her right hook, and she's ready to kick your ass, old man" I added with a wink.
"Is that a threat? Because, if memory serves me right, I beat her skinny butt the last 3 times we played, even though she cheated" Jasper nodded, reveling in beating a 13 year old girl at a video game.
"If memory serves me," I replied, cocking an eyebrow, "you cheated by tickling her right before she landed the knock-out punch"
Jasper raised his eyebrows at me, "So, she's a liar AND a cheater, hmmm? Well, we'll see about that!" His wide eyes mocked my assertion that my daughter had indeed been practicing, and beating the crap out of me on an almost daily basis since last week when she and Jasper had their last showdown.
"Ok, little brother, just take it easy on her, she's only a kid." I looked at my watch, 2:55 already. "Shit, I better get a move on." Nothing was going to make me late for my date with Bella.
"No problem, man. Have a good time tonight" he said, and patted me on the back.
"Thanks, Jazz. This really means a lot to me." My voice betrayed me, cracking on the last word.
Jasper opened his mouth, and then thought better of it, closing it quickly with a snap. "Anytime, man, anytime," he added with a nod.
I ran down the hall to the elevator, desperate to be alone with my thoughts before I gathered together the few things I would need for our date tonight. As the elevator doors closed, I tried to calm down my racing heart. It was our wedding anniversary, for one, and I needed to be in total control of my emotions before our date started. Today was a very special day for us.
Today marked our 18th anniversary.
As I stepped outside, the gloomy Forks sky spoke of rain. A light breeze rustled the pine trees, sending a few stray needles flitting down to the sidewalk as I watched with fascination. The dark green juxtaposed against the grey concrete was striking, and gave me an idea.
I quickly walked to the florist by my office. A wave of warm air greeted me as I opened the door. "Hi Jessica, how are you today?"
"I'm doing well, Dr. Cullen, and you?" Jessica leaned over the counter, allowing her full bosom to swell out of her top. She liked to lean over the counter, and look me straight in the eye, daring me to appreciate her ample cleavage. Her flirtatious manner made me smile, not because I found her attractive, but because Bella would have a fit if she knew the florist hit on me every time I bought her flowers.
"I have a special request this year. I would like to change up my usual order just a bit, if you have time, that is." Jessica's eyes lit up, and her smile wound its way across her face, causing her eyes to crinkle up at the edges. "I would like to add in some Evergreen sprigs for Bella's bouquet this year."
"Absolutely, I'll add the sprigs right now. It'll only take a minute." She stood up and sauntered into the back to get my order ready. I smiled to myself, shaking my head, and called the bistro to order our favorite dinner; roasted chicken with rosemary and basil, new potatoes with cheddar cheese sauce, steamed asparagus, and black forest cake. They assured me it would be ready by 5:30, giving me plenty of time to shower and change clothes before it was to be ready.
"Here you go Doc, Two dozen long-stemmed red roses with baby's breath and evergreen sprigs. She'll love them." Jessica's eyes started to mist over as she looked over the bouquet. "Happy Anniversary."
"Thank you, Jessica, and thank you for remembering." She waved me off after I paid, warning me of the impending rain storm. September 18th. This date held so many memories for us, so many milestones. It was our special day to be together, no matter what, each and every year. I made it a priority by blocking my schedule a year in advance, just so I could spend time with her on our day.
As I drove home, memories began to cloud my vision. My first, and only, blind date with Bella was on September 18th. My brother and his friend, Emmett, set me up with Bella after meeting her in English class. She was new to town, and a little bit shy. Emmett teased her for two weeks before she would even talk to him.
"You've got to meet this girl, Edward, she's perfect for you." Jasper had to agree with him. I was adverse to the idea. The last year of medical school was easy enough, but step 3 was no walk in the park, and I still had residency programs to apply too. They finally got me to agree to a date after I saw a picture of her. They were both right, of course, she was perfect for me. The first time our eyes met, my heart literally stopped beating. She was absolutely stunning, her picture has not done her justice, and I knew she would want nothing to do with me.
"Hi," she said quietly while her face turned a bright shade of pink.
"I'm Edward. It's nice to meet you" I managed to choke out, sounding like a total ass. Of course she knew my name, what an idiotic thing to say to her.
Emmett started laughing, and Rosalie, his girlfriend, just rolled her eyes at us. "All right, now that everyone knows who everyone is, let's go watch the movie." We were on a group date, along with Jasper and Alice, to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," it was the last time the theatre was going to show it for the year, and it was packed with rowdy teenagers. I sat next to Bella and we started talking, and we didn't stop until I dropped her off at her house.
One year later, I proposed to her on September 18th, at the same movie theatre, on bended knee.
The next year, we married, on September 18th at my parent's mansion.
A horn honked, and startled me out of my memories. I pressed on the gas, and sped home. I checked the answering machine for messages, and there were only a few for Nessie. We were celebrating her birthday tomorrow, always a day late, so I could have this time with her mom.
I explained it to Nessie once, when she was 9. She had been asking for weeks, why couldn't she have her birthday party on her actual birthday. "Why is your date with mom so much more important than my birthday? I am your only daughter, you know." I took her into the den, and told her the story of our lives, start to finish. She had only heard bits and pieces throughout the years, but now, after hearing it in its entirety, sitting on my lap, tears streaming down her face, she understood the depth of my conviction to keep this day for her mom and me.
She never asked again to have her birthday party on her actual birthday of September 18th.
I looked at my watch, 4:15. It took me longer to get home than normal, I would have to hurry so as not to be late. Bella would be laughing at me now, if she were here. I was always so worried about being late, and she only worried about getting there, wherever "there" may be. I hopped in the shower and let the steaming hot water soothe my tension filled shoulders. I looked forward to, and dreaded, this day every year. There was too much to take care of in the three short hours I had before we were to meet. I should've marked the entire day off for this, but alas, sick kids need to be taken care of, no matter what the day is. Next year, our date would be on Saturday, and I would have the whole day to get ready.
Bella called me a "hopeless romantic" once, and she was right. I pondered where to go and what to eat for weeks before our anniversary. Our second wedding anniversary found us lost in Canada, despite months of planning and preparing in secret.
"Where are we going again, sweetie?" Bella asked.
"We are going to a cabin in the mountains to celebrate two years of wedded bliss." I waggled my eyes suggestively, and she rolled hers. I had it all planned out. A one bedroom cabin, no television, one hundred candles, a claw-foot tub, and an iced down bottle of champagne. What I didn't count on was getting lost. The GPS in the Hummer I rented went out, and with no signal for my cell, we parked on a deserted road, with the moon as our only source of light. We spent the first night of our trip huddled in the back of the Hummer, eating smooshed protein bars Bella had stashed in her purse for emergencies.
I do believe that was our best anniversary date ever. We cuddled and talked about the future, about babies, about buying a house, about our lives. We made love and woke to the sound of an officer banging his flashlight on our window in the wee hours of the morning.
I turned off the water, and toweled myself off, quickly getting dressed in my wedding tuxedo, Bella's favorite. My bronze hair, now interspersed with flecks of silver, cooperated and fell into place. I picked up my wedding ring, and slipped it back on. It had taken Bella 3 months to find the perfect ring for me; it has rarely been off my finger since she gave it to me 18 years ago. I hurried to the linen closet; a picnic in the rain, if indeed it was going to rain, would not be fun without a something to sit on. I picked the quilt Bella's grandmother made for her when she had chickenpox as a child, and put it into the picnic basket. I went to the butler's pantry and grabbed two place settings of china and silverware and two linen napkins. In the kitchen I found two wine glasses to round out the spread.
5:15. Time to go. I took one last look around the living room. The memories it held were many. The corner of the fireplace where Nessie chipped her tooth when she was a toddler. The recliner, where Bella would sleep in a semi-reclining position, the only way she could sleep without getting heartburn during her last month of pregnancy. The back door where Jake, our dog, would howl and whine to get in at night so he could sleep at Bella's feet.
So many fantastic memories, it was almost too much for one heart to bear. I wiped away a tear, took a deep breath and headed out to the bistro. I thought of Bella's smile, the day she found out she was pregnant, and I smiled too, at the sweet memory. I would, no doubt, tell her of my silly tears and how her smile was the only thing that kept me from blubbering like a fool. Every time I think of our life together, my heart swells with happiness, and my eyes fill with tears. She is my world and my very being is only because she is part of me. I only exist because she made me whole.
I was an empty shell of a man before I met Bella. I had been in love only once before, with Tanya, and she had crushed me. It was two years before I could even look at girls with anything other than contempt. Bella was the first girl I agreed to go out with after Tanya. She was an angel sent from above to rescue me. She was the light in my otherwise dark world.
I made it to the bistro just before 5:30, and the manager greeted me at the door, "Good evening, Dr. Cullen, your dinner is being packaged as we speak. It will be ready momentarily."
"Thank you, Demetri" A few minutes later, he arrived with a bag full of steaming hot food.
"Happy Anniversary to you both." He said with a quick nod of his head.
"Thank you for remembering, Demetri. I know Bella would appreciate it."
"My pleasure, sir." He took a breath, as if to say something else, but, for one reason or another, changed his mind, and nodded his head, a half smile on his lips.
I hurried along to my car, anxious to meet my Bella for our annual picnic. I arrived at my destination at 6:03 pm, and parked next to Charlie's cruiser. Charlie Swan, the Chief of Police, and Bella's dad, walked towards me, hand stretched out, as I retrieved the picnic basket and bag of food from my trunk.
Charlie and I had sort of a rough start. He wasn't too sure of us getting married after having known each other for only a year. He didn't want Bella to go through a divorce like he had. I assured him, that as long as I was living, Bella would always be my wife, and I have stayed true to that promise.
"Hey, Edward. Running behind, are we?" He smiled at me and grabbed my hand in his, squeezing tightly.
"Hi, Charlie," I said rolling my eyes, "Can't a doctor catch a break in this town?" I laughed a little bit before turning more serious. "Jazz has Nessie for the night, but you'll be by tomorrow for the party, right?"
"I wouldn't miss it for the world! It's not every day my only granddaughter turns 14. Time sure does fly, doesn't it?" He looked away quickly, focusing on the grass and fumbling for a tissue as he sniffed his nose. "Damn allergies."
"Thank you for keeping her company. I appreciate it." I smiled crookedly at him, and he smiled back, a knowing look in his eyes.
"Yes, well, um, I had better get going. I heard your car pull up, and figured you two would like your privacy." Charlie cleared his throat loudly and patted me on my back. "I do hope you brought an umbrella," he craned his head up towards the sky, as if to prove a point; "Looks like it might rain."
"It always looks like it's going to rain, Charlie, and yes, I did."
"Good, well, uh….I'll see you tomorrow then." Charlie patted my back again, and sighed deeply, wiping his nose as he walked to his car.
I watched him climb into his car and then started down the well worn path to the meadow for our date. It's funny, how after all these years of meeting her here, I never tire of coming to the meadow. We stumbled upon it one day while hiking.
"Look Edward," Bella gasped as she walked into the clearing just before I did. It was a small, round meadow full of wildflowers, surrounded by thick ancient trees. "Isn't it beautiful?" She asked.
"I think you're beautiful" I replied, watching the red creep up her neck and onto her cheeks. She crossed over to me, took my hands and led me to the middle where we lay in the sunshine as cool breezes rustled through the soft grass. The peace and beauty of the meadow was why I choose this place for her.
I reached into the bag holding our dinner and produced the bouquet of roses. I walked over to her headstone, and lay them on the ground.
"Happy Anniversary, my love."
A/N: Bella died the day she gave birth to Renesme due to a placental abruption. Bella held her daughter for only a few moments before she died, just long enough for a nurse to snap a picture of them together. It's a bittersweet day for Edward, but he always goes out of his way to make his daughter's birthday a celebration of life and not of death, that is part of the reason why he has her birthday one day late. Jazz and Alice have a special place in their hearts for Nessie because they help raise her (hence the spending hours dressing her up).
Thank you for reading!