Once More

BPov – Chapter One: Day Zero

I sighed. The day had finally come. My wedding day. How bizarre. Edward and I have been engaged for almost an entire year now but I was still holding out for him to change his mind. He almost did last month; "Deals off." He said. Once he believed that I was serious and I did want to spend eternity with him, he agreed. Edward had been afraid that I was going through with the wedding in an effort to appease him and Alice, who as we speak is ferociously trying to straighten my gown.

I had apparently sat down without thinking and made a wrinkled mess of the flowing silk chiffon princess skirt. The bodice of the dress was left intact from what Alice perceived to be a deliberate attack on the dress. It was ivory and made of the most intricate Victorian lace I'd ever seen. Taken from Edward's mother's wedding dress, more than one hundred years ago I felt honored to be wearing a piece of his history. In Alice's excitement and frustration, I managed to remind her that if it was indeed a premeditated attack, she would have seen it coming. I just wasn't thinking and in a split second decision, sat down out of pure exhaustion and carelessness.

Edward had had a small box with him while he lay dieing in the Chicago hospital where Carlisle found him. When Carlisle had made the decision to change him, he took the box along. Inside were various trinkets and belongings that were important to Edward's mother; her wedding ring, a lock of Edward's baby hair, a postcard from her family on the east coast, several other pieces of jewelry, and a silver hand mirror slightly tarnished from many decades of existence. Edward had given several of the pieces of priceless antique jewelry to Alice and Esme, but he had given me his mother's ring as well as a several karat diamond heart for my bracelet. Although I hated receiving gifts, especially from him, he managed to persuade me since he technically hadn't bought them. Whatever made him happy.

The moment I thought of the bracelet I instinctively went to touch my wrist. It was not there. Alice had taken it off my wrist while she helped my get ready. When I had arrived earlier this morning to have Alice prepare me, she had suggested I not wear the charms. She was going for the simple bride look that was apparently very "in" right now.

"We have to something old from the lace, the something new with the dress' silhouette, the something borrowed are my shoes, flats of course, can't have you falling down the isle after all… the something blue is the ribbon in the bouquet and Carlisle gave you a sixpence for your shoe. That completes the rhyme! We're all set!"

Apparently, the old rhyme had its origins around the time Carlisle had been changed and became a wedding tradition ever since.

"Each item in the poem represents a good-luck token for the bride…" began Carlisle one afternoon, "if she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be a long and joyous experience. The "something old" represents the link with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" symbolizes hope and optimism for the bride's new life as part of a new family." He paused and smiled his beautiful smile at me while moving on to the next explanation.

"Something borrowed" is usually a trinket lent from a happily married friend whose good fortune in marriage supposedly carries over." As Carlisle spoke, I realized that I was leaning in towards him like a daughter leaning in during a father's bedtime story. I usually was not one for history lessons outside of school, but Carlisle's voice made every detail seem alive and extremely important.

"As for the colorful item," he continued, unaware of the intensity of my concentration, "…blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color as well. Just before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, if I remember correctly." smiling at my slightly shocked face. It was easy, just my looking at Carlisle, to forget just how my centuries old he really was.

"And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security." It was that afternoon in his quiet study that he handed me a small leathery pouch. Pulling the drawstrings open, the pouch revealed seven or eight old coins. I pulled one out and smiled at Carlisle.

With my hand on my wrist, I suddenly jogged my memory back to the present day; my wedding day. When I remembered the two charms dangling innocently from the silver chain, I felt the tears instantly close my throat. "This is not the time." I scolded myself.

Before the diamond heart, there was only one charm; a small carved wooden wolf of immaculate technique. Jacob. Jacob Black. My best friend. My own personal werewolf protector. My…my something. My soul mate? He was all of those things to me but it now hurt to think about Jacob. He had been "missing" now for months. When I made my decision to stay with Edward, Jacob phased and ran off. He hadn't been back since. I had broken the heart of a man I realized, I truly loved. However, I loved the man standing just downstairs from me as well. As I had known then, just as I know now, Edward is the man I am going to spend my life, in whatever form of legendary-mythical creature he wanted.

Two small tears in quick succession escaped from my right tear duct. I slowly lifted my hand to brush them away without Alice seeing and so I wouldn't smear the layers of makeup that had been shellacked on me. She did however; a vampire hardly ever misses anything. Looking up at me, she stopped talking. I had been so lost in my thoughts of… "Do not think about him!" I told myself, I hadn't even heard Alice speaking to me. She gave me a weak smile. She probably thought I was nervous or scared. Good. Better she thinks that, than know what I was really thinking about; another man on my wedding day.

"Don't fret Bella. I'm sorry I'm jumpy today. You have no idea how excited I am for you!" She squeaked.

I couldn't speak. The lump in my throat made sure of that. I looked down at her as she ruffled with the hem of my dress. I managed to blink away the last remaining tears and give her a reassuring smile. She seemed to be pacified for a moment and took that as a sign of nervous pre-wedding jitters. She stood and I thought she was going to hug me so I opened my arms in anticipation and moved in for the hug. She growled in frustration and held me at arms length, "Are you insane? I'm only asking because you seem intent on wrinkling your ENTIRE dress. No hugs!"

I laughed. That felt good. It was my wedding day after all. I should be happy. I was marrying the man I loved. At least one of them.

There was a knock on the door. I looked over but Alice was already at the door with her head poked out. She nodded to whoever was behind it and closed the door quietly. She turned to face me with a devilishly excited smile…it must be time. "Here we go." I thought. "Let's get married."

AN: Ok, this is legit, my first story...ever. I think the last time I wrote a full-on story was second grade. So please please, please, please, give me feedback, comments, criticism, etc. I need it :) -- Yes, you too Paige.