Story notes:

This is a sequel to my previous stories, Castaway (AU New Moon) and Straight On 'Til Morning (AU Eclipse). One small change at the beginning of New Moon led the story in a different direction; then even further away from the plot of Eclipse.

Now this one, Blue Moon, continues the story into an AU Breaking Dawn. But here's the thing: by now, the story has wandered so far from the original, that following the path of least resistance would result in a story with absolutely nothing in common with the original BD.

That would be okay, actually; and I may one day write that story. But I thought it was kind of cheating. An AU version should parallel the original to some extent. So I allowed my story to let in a few of the events from BD, the ones I think would logically occur in this alternate reality - including some of the paths that were suggested in BD, but never followed up.

I hope that's reasonably clear.

Breaking Dawn was written from Bella's POV. However, Bella's is not the only, or necessarily the most reliable, perspective. This story is from Alice's point of view.

"Somebody's got a favourite!" I was only teasing, but Esme looked concerned.

"Oh, Alice, no! Does it really seem that way?" she asked turning away from the furniture rearranging she was doing, trying to perfect Edward and Bella's new home before they moved in. "I'd hate to give the impression that I had favourites."

"I was joking, Esme."

She seemed relieved. "Well, that's good. I love all of you children, of course, but each in their own way."

Playing mother to a houseful of fully grown, decades-old 'children' might have seemed weird under most circumstances. With Esme, it was just sweet. She was irrepressibly maternal.

"And Bella's the youngest and the most in need of help right now," she went on.

"And will be for a while."

She sighed. "Yes. I hope she doesn't have too much of a struggle in the early months."

"She'll have us to look after her." I took a reassuring glance forward along Bella's timeline. Some of the images were shifting, unformed as yet, but in the clearest ones she was happy, carefree. I had a glimpse of her out hunting with Edward, running joyously through the woods, her eyes still red. She turned and embraced Edward, knocking them both to the ground, and I quickly stopped watching. "The impression I get is that she'll have an easy time."

"I hope that's true." Esme went back to fine-tuning the decor of the pretty little Cape Cod house. Edward had purchased it in preparation for the move to New Hampshire, and Esme had immediately taken charge of its decoration. She'd done the ground floor interior in modified Swedish Country, thinking it would appeal to Bella's aesthetic sensibilities.

I ran up the stairs with another armload of clothing, which I hung in the walk-in closet of the master bedroom. I was careful to place compatible items together, as a pre-emptive strike against Bella's fashion ineptitude. Dressing Bella had been a challenging project so far, and I looked forward to years of gradual development in that area.

The bedroom was already complete, and I took another look around. Not quite my cup of tea, at least for a boudoir, but lovely; and I had to admit, Esme had designed a room that Bella would be happy with. Primarily ivory and pale blue, set off with details of deeper blue and the dark wood of the big four poster bed, the large bedroom suggested comfort, even luxury, without being ostentatious. Bella hated being ostentatious. Not that she'd had enough experience with it to really know.

I jumped down the stairwell. "Esme, she's going to love the upstairs."

She smiled, her dimples showing. "I hope so!"

"Edward will like it too, of course. But you're not decorating for him so much, are you?"

"Well..."

"Playing favourites!" I said, wagging my finger at her. I laughed at her guilty look. "Esme, you don't have to worry about it! Bella's my favourite, my best friend, and I don't worry about who else knows it. Besides, you take such good care of us all, nobody could suspect any real preference."

She shook her head at me. "You know I don't really have favourites. It's just that I'm so grateful to Bella for making our Edward so happy. Especially after he was alone so long. Having her finally join the family is such a triumph for all of us."

I smiled at that, remembering the day Edward had brought Bella home to meet us. "We'd all given up hoping."

"And Bella's such a dear," she went on. "I would have been ready to love anyone Edward chose, of course; but it was very easy with Bella."

"That's true."

"And she's clever. Carlisle likes her inquisitive mind. He thinks she'll be quite formidable after she's had some higher education."

"I can imagine."

"And she's so kind and considerate with all of us, and so affectionate."

"I can't disagree." I arranged the last of the new wardrobe on hangers. "If she had better fashion sense, she'd be perfect."

"That can be your special mission," Esme said, smiling.

"It may be hopeless. Did you see the shoes she was wearing when they left Forks? I pointed them out to Edward, hoping he'd say something to her, but he didn't care."

Esme just chuckled. "She always looks perfect to him."

"I guess so. It's amazing, isn't it?"

She nodded, deftly arranging yellow roses on the coffee table. "I used to think he was alone because it was his nature. Now I realize I was very foolish. He must have been lonely, all those years. Seeing him with Bella made me realize there was something missing from his life."

I sighed. I'd noticed the difference myself, and Jasper had actually felt it. Edward was like a different man. It reminded me of something. "Esme, remember that stupid Frankie Avalon song, back in the Fifties? The singer is asking Venus to send him a girl of his own?" I started singing. "'Hey, Venus!'" I warbled, doing a fairly good imitation, although an octave or so above Frankie's range. "'Hey, Ve-nu-u-us!'"

Esme laughed. "Oh, yes. It was on the radio constantly. Carlisle said the young man couldn't expect much good to come of calling out 'hey' to a goddess." I grinned, remembering. "Hey!" Esme whined in a perfect Valley Girl accent. "Hey! Venus!"

"What now?" I snapped back in the same accent. We both laughed. "I was just remembering, Jasper used to pick up Edward's reaction whenever that song was played. Or any similar song, or a play or movie, when it was about a man who wants a woman of his own. Jazz said that it wasn't very pronounced, but Edward would always feel this little surge of…something like sadness, then guilt, then he'd quickly subdue his feelings."

"You never mentioned it before."

"There didn't seem to be any point. Why make you feel badly about something you couldn't help? But that's all over now."

She nodded, smiling slightly, as she scanned the room she'd perfected.

Rosalie came through the front door carrying several boxes of books. "In the shelves here, I assume?" she asked, setting the boxes down beside the built in bookcases covering one of the living room walls. Edward's books were already in place in the upper shelves. She placed the contents upright on the shelves in seconds. "I don't know what order Bella wants them in."

"I expect she'll enjoy organizing them herself," Esme said.

Rosalie looked around, then ran upstairs and back down, taking a tour of the house. "You're sure this is the way she'd want the bedroom?"

"I believe so, dear."

Rose looked skeptical. "She likes things kind of simple and homely," I said. The room was light years away from the Holly-Hobbie-Does-Italian-Baroque style Rosalie was addicted to. Not that I begrudged Rose her dream bedroom, if it made her happy. Still, meeting Rose's needs while staying within the bounds of good taste was probably Esme's biggest design challenge.

"I think she's also a little intimidated by anything too grand," Esme said. "I'm sure she'll get over that in time, but for now, I want her to feel at ease."

Rosalie nodded, scanning the living room. "It's certainly an improvement on her room back in Forks. But I suppose she didn't design that herself."

Esme grinned. "Probably not. I imagine her father was responsible for the room."

"Say no more," Rose said drily. "When are they getting here?" she asked me.

"Around ten o'clock." I scanned their near future, seeing them approach the house and Edward sweep Bella up into his arms to carry her over the threshold like a bride. But we're not married yet! she protested, laughing. Just want to stay in practice, he told her, bending his head to kiss her as he carried her through the doorway. I found myself smiling broadly. The vision split into two possibilities, like a fork in the road, and I added, "Closer to midnight if they stop at that second-hand bookshop in Buffalo."

Rosalie laughed. "If they pass a bookshop, Bella will want to stop at it, and Edward will let her. Good thing Esme put in a lot of shelves."

I agreed. Bookshops were the only places Bella really liked shopping. Another way we were different. It was strange that we'd become best friends so quickly, when on the surface we didn't have that much in common.

"I don't suppose we'll be able to work on the wedding tonight?" Rose said.

"I'm sure Bella will need to sleep," Esme told her. "We'll see her in the morning."

"Fair enough."

Esme was smiling now. "I can't wait! I never thought I'd see Edward marry."

"Even if it's a homely wedding," Rosalie added.

"I'm sure it'll be charming," Esme said. "Just simple."

"No criticism intended. I don't care if they get married in clown costumes, I'm behind them all the way. I said I'm done picking on Bella, and I'm going to keep that promise...eighty to ninety percent of the time."

"Rosalie!" Esme protested, laughing.

My phone chimed softly to indicate an incoming text message, and I took it out and glanced at it. It was from Bella, via the cell phone the family had pressed on her before leaving for our drive to Hanover. She'd refused at first, saying she could always use Edward's, but Emmett had pointed out that she could trip and break her leg somewhere, or fall down a well, or get cornered by an angry bull, and need to phone for help. I was rude enough to laugh, but Bella forgave me.

The message read, If U C anytng re wdng pls keep scrt. Xpln ltr. Bella wasn't yet at home with text abbreviations, but her directive was clear enough: keep any visions of Bella and Edward's wedding to myself for now. Intriguing. Did Bella have some wedding ideas up her sleeve? I quickly looked forward to the wedding day and saw a couple of very surprising things. Good thing she warned me in time! I texted back OK and a winking smilie face, deleted the texts and obediently zipped my lips. For now. I was looking forward to hearing her xpln ltr.

"I don't see why it takes them that much longer to drive here from Forks," Rosalie was complaining. "We've been here five days, and they're still on the road."

"Rosalie, you know Bella has to eat and take bathroom breaks, and stop to sleep for the night." Esme said.

"She could sleep in the car. Edward's doing all the driving, after all. She could eat there, too."

"Humans can't sit in a car for hours on end, dear. They don't sleep well there, either."

"Besides," I added, "Edward planned the route around this whole culinary expedition he'd worked out. He wanted to take Bella to some interesting restaurants they'd be passing on the way."

"So thoughtful of him," Esme remarked. "Especially since Bella won't be eating food much longer."

"Yes," Rosalie agreed. "I hope he's not burdening the girl with a lot of final-meal agonizing. 'You'll never eat oysters again, Bella!'" she whispered in an angsty parody of Edward's voice. "'This could be your very last chance to try tripe!'"

"I doubt it," I told her. "Edward's pretty much over all that. He's looking forward to Bella's change as much as any of us."

"About time," Rose said. "So, not until tomorrow morning."

"It's nice to know you're so anxious to see them again," Esme said mischievously.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I just want to get on with the wedding plans. And yes," she conceded, "I like having the whole family together."

"Even Edward and Bella?" I grinned at her.

"Honestly, Edward's a lot easier to take since he and Bella got together. At least since he stopped trying to set her free, like some beached porpoise." I laughed at the imagery. "And Bella's grown on me. I like the way she stands up to Edward. Well, to everybody, for that matter. Even the werewolves."

"Remember that the first time she stands up to you!"

She laughed. "I'll do my best."

Rosalie was obviously having a good day. Those seemed to be a little more frequent lately.

To be honest, I missed having Edward and Bella around, too. Edward was my favourite brother, and Bella my best friend. I understood that right now they had limited time together, what with Bella having to sleep and all; and that they wanted lots of time alone to bill and coo and tell each other they were the nimble tread of the feet of Fred Astaire; but I looked forward to the time when they were both part of the family, full time.

Esme finally declared the Love Shack complete in every detail, and we returned to the main house. We'd taken cars rather than running all the way, in order to transport the finishing touches more easily, and we raced each other down the darkening roads, away from Hanover and northeast, to the secluded parcel of land containing the huge, renovated farmhouse that was our current home. I beat them, of course, but Rosalie's M3 roared down the drive right behind me, and Esme's Jaguar pulled in a second or two later. We entered the house together, laughing.

Carlisle looked up from his book and smiled as Esme approached him. "Everything in order?" he asked, holding out his arms to her.

"Perfectly." Esme slipped into his embrace. "Alice says they'll arrive tonight, before midnight."

"Good," he said, kissing her. "I heard from the hospital while you were out. They may be able to give me a position with a permanent night shift, but not until late September at the earliest."

"Oh! You don't mind the delay, do you, under the circumstances?"

"It'll be all hands on deck once Bella makes the change," Emmett said. "No matter what Alice says, I think she's going to be the craziest newborn the family's seen."

"Then it's just as well I'm a man of leisure until fall," Carlisle concluded.

I wrapped my arms around Jasper's waist. "They'll come back here in the morning, and we can nail down the wedding details."

"Until morning, then," Carlisle said, leading Esme to the stairway. Rose and Emmett had already gone upstairs. We didn't usually disappear into couple-land this early in the evening, but there seemed to be something in the air. Maybe it was all the wedding talk.

"There are still a lot of last minute details to take care of," I told Jasper.

"Mm hm," he murmured, kissing my ear softly.

"Bella and I will have to go shopping again. Probably more than once." My excitement at the prospect began to lose focus as Jasper's lips moved down my neck. "But that can wait until tomorrow."

He smiled and held his hand out to me as he led the way to the stairs.

It was well past dawn and we could hear the others downstairs before Jasper and I finally separated and got ourselves dressed. I firmly took the shirt he'd chosen out of his hand and replaced it with my own selection. He grinned and obediently put on the substitute shirt. "It goes better with those pants," I explained. It was silk, pale yellow with a faint pattern running through it in gold, and cut snugly against his chest. I watched him fasten the buttons, suppressing the urge to rip it right back off him again, and he smirked as he picked up on the impulse. Firmly setting my mind in daytime mode, I put on a Betsey Johnson floral print halter dress and three inch heels - no school attendance meant I could dress to please myself - arranged my hair as best I could, and we dashed down the steps together.

"Well, well," Emmett remarked. "Not often you two are the last ones downstairs in the morning."

"It's Esme's room design," I told him. "I couldn't tear myself away from the delightful ambience." Everyone knew I was joking, but it wasn't completely untrue. I'd asked for a Moroccan motif, and Esme had, as usual, done a brilliant job. Being in there with Jasper was like making love inside a palace in Casablanca, as I know from personal experience.

"I'm so glad you like it, dear," Esme said.

Emmett snorted. "What's on for today?"

"I'm working on the garage," Rosalie said. The former barn was being renovated and turned into car storage, something we needed a lot of. "You could help with that," she told Emmett. Emmett saluted smartly, and Rose giggled.

"I'm finishing off the paperwork for our next move," Jasper said. "I want to have it ready to go if we need to leave on short notice." We all nodded soberly. Bella's change was coming up fast, and although I foresaw her as admirably under control, it was best to be prepared for anything. She could always snap unexpectedly and, as she liked to put it, massacre the unsuspecting townfolk. That sort of thing called for quick action and reliable fake ID.

"Well, I'm getting my car today," I said gleefully. "The minute the place opens." I hadn't officially owned a car back in Forks, in keeping with my juvenile cover story, but now I was taking on the role of college girl, and could reasonably expect a hot car as graduation present from my rich, doting parents. I'd put in an order for a shiny new BMW roadster four weeks ago, to be fitted out with custom details and picked up at a dealership in Hanover, and this was The Day.

I'd driven Rosalie's convertible here from Forks, so Rosalie could drive Bella's truck. She'd actually offered to drive the truck, weirdly enough. It was strange how much she'd softened up on the subject of Bella. I couldn't tell for sure if it would last, since Rosalie's emotions fluctuated too continually.

"I want to make sure the background is solid on Bella's scholarship," Carlisle said. "Her father might be inclined to investigate... afterward. Perhaps you could look it over for me later," he said to Jasper, who nodded. Obviously, Bella needed an explanation in place for being able to afford Dartmouth without using any of her father's money. The imaginary, but highly credible, Pacific Northwest Trust provided that explanation: a full scholarship plus living expenses to a deserving female student intending to study English Literature. Some eccentric millionaire had left the trust, which also supported the maintenance of wildlife habitat, in the care of the legal firm of Jason Scott and Associates of Seattle. Charlie could investigate all he wanted; Pacific Northwest Trust would check out.

I spent the next couple of hours helping Rose and Emmett with the garage, then followed Esme around assisting her in establishing her flower garden behind the house. At 8:45, I brushed my hands off. "Esme, can I borrow your car?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Off to pick up your new one?"

I grinned and nodded, dashed into the house and grabbed the car keys, seized Jasper by the hand, and ran back to the car barn. Jazz followed along without a murmur. "What if they don't have the car ready yet?" he asked as we drove. "Suppose they're late."

I glowered at him, and he grinned back. "They won't be, that's all." I scanned ahead quickly, just in case, and saw my car parked outside the showroom, as promised. I turned sharply into the parking lot at one minute before nine, just as car salesmen were entering the office, carrying cardboard coffee cups. "Just in time!" I hopped out of Esme's car, reminding myself to walk at human speed into the showroom. Jasper followed me in. I could hear him stop breathing as he walked through the door, my poor lamb. No open windows meant the scent became concentrated in places like these.

"May I help you?" A young woman in a horrible, horrible polyester print blouse smiled at me, her smile fading into a slightly stunned look for just a moment and Jasper came up behind me. Her hair was apparently touched up with some home highlight kit, one she should have practiced with first, maybe on her dog. Don't these people own mirrors?

"Cullen," I said. "Alice Cullen. You have my car?"

"Dave?" She waved to get the attention of a middle aged man leaning against a metal desk, one of the people who had entered just before me. He came toward us, still nursing his takeout coffee. His suit, I noted, was an ill fitting thing made out of yet more polyester. All the salesmen, in fact, were wearing polyester suits. The dwindling fossil fuel supply might be linked to car salesmen as much as to cars.

Dave smiled, shook my hand, blinked in surprise at the coldness of it, and spent the next ten minutes boring me to death with the official paperwork necessary to transfer the vehicle into my possession. Jasper wandered around the showroom, looking over the new models and studiously ignoring the plaintive gaze of the receptionist. Finished with the legalities at last, he escorted Jasper and me out the back exit, where he waved a hand at a nearby parking place. There she was, shiny and gorgeous, deep yellow with white leather interior. Zelda. I jumped, clapping my hands, and Dave grinned and held out the key. "It's all yours. Congratulations."

"Thank you!" I grabbed the key, bid Dave a quick farewell, and hurried over to claim my prize. "Isn't she beautiful, Jazz?"

"Nice set of wheels," he agreed.

"Zelda," I said, patting the fender.

He snorted. "That's what you're calling it?"

"After Zelda Fitzgerald. It's so good to have my own car again!" I sat down in the driver's seat. "Should we go for a ride? Maybe to the coast?"

"If you like. But didn't you want to be home when Edward and Bella came by?"

"Yes, I did." I sighed. "Okay, save the ride for later."

Jasper drove Esme's car, and we sped home, passing each other whenever the road was clear. We parked behind the house, a few yards from the barn where Emmett had finished replacing the roof tiles and Rosalie had poured a concrete floor. I picked up a glimpse, and called out, "They're coming!"

"When?" Emmett asked.

"Eleven minutes."

"Oh, fine." He went back to installing window glass, while Rosalie continued to apply wood stain to the exterior walls.

They both finished within six minutes, and came by to admire my new car, Rosalie pausing to take a good look under the hood.

After seven minutes, Esme set aside her gardening tools, stopped to pay homage to the roadster, and returned to the house along with Jazz and me. I heard the shower running upstairs, and Esme returned forty seconds later.

At ten minutes, everyone was gathered in the main room. When Edward came through the front door, I rushed him and caught him in a hug, then gave a much more cautious hug to Bella. She looked very happy, and I decided not to bring up what she was wearing, at least not for now. After being welcomed by all, she and Edward sat down together.

"Bella, have you had breakfast?" Esme asked.

"Yes, and thanks for stocking the kitchen before we got back."

Esme smiled at her. "It was fun, buying groceries that weren't just props. How was your trip?"

I suppressed my impatience while Bella and Edward described their journey, concluding with a fruitful visit to the book shop I'd seen earlier. Then the pair were taken around and shown the new house. I tagged along.

"I can't believe you did all this in just five days," Bella remarked. "The house looked like it was falling down, in the picture you showed me."

Esme smiled. "Well, we had some professional work done before we arrived; the rest was a group effort." She opened a doorway just off the dining room. "This is Carlisle's office. On the ground floor this time around."

"Just like I remember it."

"He likes it laid out the same way, wherever we go." She led Bella up the staircase. "This is Carlisle's and my room," she said, indicating the bedroom at the top of the stairs, decorated in a vaguely Japanese style, in the palest of blues and greens.

"Pretty," Bella said.

"Thank you, dear. Jasper's study," Esme pointed out, continuing down the hall, "and Alice's room."

"Wow!" Bella remarked as she peered through the door of my little Moroccan retreat. I grinned happily. It did make a statement.

"Rosalie and Emmett's is here." Bella just smiled and nodded at that one. They came to the last bedroom. "We set this one aside for you and Edward. Just...in case you should ever need it."

Bella bit her lip. I suppose she realized the obvious purpose of the room: to give her a place in which to transform, when the time came. It would have to take place here, at our very isolated house, rather than at Edward's place near Hanover, so that there would be no neighbours to hear her scream. I very much hoped that part didn't occur to her. Edward met my eyes, and I knew he'd heard my thoughts. We'll make it as easy for her as we can, I thought, and he nodded once and turned his attention back to Bella.

We took a quick tour of the grounds, including the nearly finished car barn, and I showed off my new roadster. Edward admired it for real, and Bella tried to show an interest. "You really should learn a little more about cars," Rosalie told her, "if only so you can appreciate Edward's wedding present." That Edward was giving her a new car was an open secret, although Bella still didn't know what kind of car to expect. I knew. In fact, I'd been part of the selection process. The metallic blue Porsche 911 was stored in an outbuilding, under dust sheets, until the big day. It was to be an alternate vehicle to her revamped pickup truck, Maxine, which she'd insisted on keeping, and which Edward had learned to accept.

We finally returned to the house and finished with the pleasantries: Bella thanking Esme for doing the house in Hanover, Emmett making fun of her, chatting about the drive here, about Dartmouth, about the local wildlife...blah, blah, blah. Finally, Esme said, "Perhaps we should discuss the wedding."

Bella looked nervous but willing. "Sure."

"You still prefer to be married here at home?" Esme went on.

"Yes. If that's okay with everybody." There was a general assent.

"But when?" I asked. "I guess it's going to be soon, and we need to know how much time we have to arrange things."

"There shouldn't be much to arrange," Bella said. Poor, naive girl. "How about in two weeks or so?"

"July?" Carlisle looked around the room. "Any objections?" We batted some possible dates back and forth, finally agreeing on a Monday afternoon.

"But who's going to actually perform the ceremony?" Rosalie asked. "Alice said you wanted a member of the family to do it, right?"

Edward nodded. "It's possible to obtain an online ordination with only two weeks notice. It allows the recipient to officiate at a wedding. It's perfectly legal."

"Does it really matter how legal it is?" Emmett asked, grinning. "You're not going to register your marriage, right? You couldn't use your true name and age, to name just one problem."

"It matters to me," Edward said. "I'd like it to be as official a wedding as possible."

"Legal or not, the wedding vows will be real," Bella said. "They'll be real to me, anyway."

Edward squeezed her hand. "And to me."

This led Carlisle and Edward into a rather abstruse discussion on the requirements of a valid marriage at different times throughout history. They finally came full circle by agreeing that the online pastor's certificate was satisfactory.

"So who's it going to be?" Emmett asked. "Carlisle?"

"That would be the logical choice," Edward told him, "except that I asked Carlisle, before we left Forks, to be my best man."

"Oh! And you kept that to yourself for over a week?" Rose exclaimed.

"I only told Esme," he said. "I thought I'd save the news until we were discussing the wedding in general." He looked more pleased than his calm statement suggested. I could imagine how much Edward's request had meant to him.

"So, if not Carlisle, then who?" Emmett asked. "Or should we make it a challenge? Winner gets to do the wedding?"

"We should let them decide," I said, nodding to Bella and Edward.

Edward shook his head. "I have no idea. Unless Bella has a preference?" He looked at her.

She bit her lip nervously. "I kind of do, actually. If it's okay..." She looked around at us. "I'd love it if Esme could do the ceremony."

Esme looked surprised, even a little shocked. "Oh! Sweetheart, I...I can't say I've ever thought of myself as a minister!"

"It's just a license to perform weddings," I told her. "You don't have to start giving sermons every Sunday or anything."

Edward was looking at Bella, a bemused smile on his face. "You always surprise me. Yes, I second that request. Will you, Esme?"

"If you're sure that's what you want." She turned to me. "Will I be able to get the paperwork in time, if I apply today?"

I looked. "Yes. It'll arrive in twelve days."

Emmett chuckled. "We have to get Esme a purple robe and a mitre before then."

Esme shook her head at him and turned back to Edward and Bella. "Can I ask about guests?"

Bella looked startled. "I thought it would be just the family."

"Yes, but we have something of an extended family as well. The people from Alaska we used to stay with. We consider them cousins, at the very least."

Bella looked up at Edward. "They'll be part of your life as well," he told her. "I think it would be fitting to include them, if you have no objection."

"Uh, no. That would be fine."

Jasper caught my eye. It was clear enough that she was uncomfortable with our cousins attending, and I had a fairly good idea why. I might have interceded on Bella's behalf, but I could see that it would all work out. Edward glanced at us, absorbing both our insights without comment.

"I'll contact them today," Carlisle said.

Rosalie smiled. "It'll be nice to see them all again."

"What about decorations and such? Bella, is there anything you'd prefer?"

"Not particularly."

I laughed at her un-bride-like indifference. "I think Bella should leave all that to us." She gave me a wary look. "We'll keep it restrained, don't worry."

"Okay, if you don't mind."

"Not in the least," Esme said. "There's nothing I'd enjoy more."

"What else?" Rosalie asked. "Rings?"

"We'll buy those together, I think," Edward said, looking down at Bella, and getting a shy smile in return.

"If that's all settled," I said, "Bella owes me a day's shopping."

"What? Today?" she asked.

"Why not today?"

She sighed. "No reason, I guess." She looked at Edward. "I did promise her."

"Go, then." He kissed her gently. "I'll see you soon."