Summary: AU. He looked at his future with a one track mind, not noticing the possibilities that were open to him. She blamed herself for a tragedy and cut herself off from her passion. Neither was living live to its fullest. A story of expectations, loss, self-discovery, and the kind of love that changes a person for eternity.

Author's Note: Yeah. I know. It's taken me long enough. I'm fully aware. But here it is, revised and better than before (in my humble opinion). More later.... I think you've waited long enough, right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I could never claim the world and characters she has created. I am just having a little bit of fun with them. However, should she like to hand over Edward, I would certainly not object.

I would also like to note that I am not entirely up on 1900s etiquette. Please bear with me. If you find something that is so off that it bothers you to no end, please let me know about it. I will gladly change it. I also am not entirely sure on what Naperville would have looked like in the early 1900s. I am just kind of making it up as I go along. All I know is that is a wealthy neighborhood now so I am going with that.

Enjoy.

Notes of a Romance

The Last Day

When I was seventeen, all I could think of was World War I, known then as the Great War. I imagined myself in the thick of battle with a rifle in hand, a crisp uniform with badges and sashes, and a filthy but triumphant face. I could see a grand ceremony with honored and distinguished guests mixed with my proud family as I received a medal for serving my country with outstanding bravery. In short, I saw all the glory and nothing of the gore.

My mother used to tell me that I was wishing my life away, that I had so much more to offer the world than a number to add to the ever growing count of the young men lost overseas. But, of course, I did not hear a word of her preaching. It was no secret what she thought of the war and she could not bear the thought of losing her one and only son. I thought I was invincible.

It seemed to me as though I was on a logical and clear lit path. In the darkness that surrounded me, I could not see the other paths that stretched to wonderful and unknown places that were waiting. I thought there was only my mother's path: a world renowned pianist; my father's: law school; and my own: war. There was also the ever popular matrimony path but I was not looking for a companion of that sort and that particular turn off on my path seemed too far down the road to even contemplate. I felt complete within myself and where I was headed.

But all you need is a little light in the darkness to brighten your perspective.

And that's how my world changed. It brightened. It shifted. It transformed. It sang.

I met her.

But before you meet her, you have to meet me; the me that existed before she came into my life and turned it around. Only then can you truly understand the impact that she had on me….

"I placed a few applications on your desk. You should be able to complete them by the end of the week."

That was how mornings always begun in the Masen household. Not with a "hello" or a "good morning" in sight. No, just the never-ending talk of his future. This future consisted of places like Harvard, New York, Cornell, Yale, and Dartmouth. These were places he could not possibly see himself at. His father, yes. But he was not of the same make of his father. He never had been. They were as different as summer and winter, day and night. But that did not stop Edward Masen Senior from trying to make his son a little version of himself.

He worked as a lawyer. He was the founder of the Law Offices of Edward Masen. Everyone in Naperville knew him by name, even though it was not a great feat in the small, ridiculously wealthy town. He was even sought out by clients from Chicago. The man knew his stuff. It was not a secret, however, what he felt when it came to Edward's future plans. He so desperately wanted to tack the words "& Son" on to his practice. Nothing would give him a greater joy.

"And if I prefer not to fill them out?" Edward asked as he roughly buttered a piece of toast until he had managed to rip a hole through it.

At this, his father slammed his papers down on the table with enough force to shake the glassware. His eyes remained neutral but Edward could tell that they were narrowed slightly in his anger.

"Now, you listen here, Edward. You will fill those applications out. I refuse to let you waste your life. If you weren't able to get into college, then that would be one thing. But I didn't raise a child that does not excel in academia. You could do great things, Edward. Why won't you let yourself try?"

"Because that isn't the life I want, father!" Edward said, shoving his plate away from him. "It has been the perfect path for you. However, it isn't for me. I've chosen where I want to go. I don't see why you can't accept that choice. I could make a difference overseas!"

His father breathed in deeply through his nose in an attempt to calm himself. "I refuse to accept that choice because no father should have to bury their son. Is that all you want to leave us with, Edward? Photographs, memories, a medal, and a flag that will all surely fade as time goes on? Is that what you want?"

"Edward!" his mother gasped, her face in her hands. She shook her head a few times before she allowed it to resurface. She sighed. "Now is certainly not the time for this discussion, Ed." She turned to her son, sadness strewn through her beautiful eyes. "Edward, you will fill out those papers to the best of your ability. You will see the options open to you before you make a decision. And while you're at it, you might as well fill one out for the Institute." With that final remark, she picked up her glass and took a dainty sip with a smug smirk present on her flawless features.

Unlike her husband, Edward's mother was rooting for the Institute of Musical Art, an up-in-coming university in New York. At the age of four, Elizabeth gave her son the best music lessons money could buy. In her opinion, Edward was a master at the keys. He played with the skill and precession that many could only dream of. Edward, however, found no great pleasure in it. He played to placate his mother and only when forced.

Edward sighed. He knew that there was no way out of the situation they had put him into. He was backed into a corner and the only way out was to sign on the dotted line. If he really thought about it, which he did not want to do, he would find that they were only pushing him because they cared and they wanted what was best for him. It was really what any decent parent would do. But Edward, being a teenager that was told he could not do what he wanted, preferred to believe that they were doing it out of spite and go on in his silent rage.

The rest of breakfast passed in silence, minus an occasional sigh from Mrs. Masen and a sniff for Mr. Masen. When Edward was finished, he pushed his chair back, purposely dragging it across the beautiful floor that was newly polished, mainly to break the silence. His father paused in his readings to glare at his son and his mother gave him a pitying sort of smile. He had almost made it to the door when his mother called him back.

"Where are you going?" she asked, curiosity in her stunning emerald eyes.

"Johnston's Music Store," he replied. There was a look of clear annoyance on his face. "Mary Alice's birthday was last week and I still owe her a present."

"Oh, yes," Mrs. Masen said affectionately. "I do love her for being so clever."

"That's funny," Edward said with a smirk on his face. "I rather despise her for it."

"Oh, no you don't!"

"Well, you're right. But I wish I did." He turned from them again to walk into the foyer. However, his mother was not finished with him yet.

"Oh! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed but Edward knew that she really had not. His mother never forgot anything. Edward turned back to her only to be faced with a smile. Not the pitying smile from a moment ago. Nor was it a 'have a good day' smile. No. It was a 'I want something' smile. And she usually got it, hence the existence of the smile. "There is this…welcoming party tonight."

"Welcoming party?" Edward asked, his voice dull. Great. He would be wasting hours with senseless people tonight when he could be putting that time to greater use. He could read a book, get those pointless applications out of the way, come up with a better argument that would persuade his parents to see his point of view. Lying on his bed in a comatose state would even be more useful than socializing with the society of Naperville.

"Mr. Swan's daughter arrived last night and he's throwing a little party for her return," his mother explained, giving him a pleading look. "Most of your classmates will probably be there."

"That's reassuring."

"Mary Alice will go, I'm sure. You know that girl can't be excluded from anything," his father said, laughing from behind a folder of documents.

"Yes, and it is that precise illness that has caused me avoid her on days such as these like the plague," Edward replied, rolling his gorgeous eyes.

Mary Alice Brandon was impossibly eccentric. She needed to be in the center of everything and usually was. Her careless nature was infectious. Even when he was in a horrendous mood, Mary Alice could just make him laugh. Which is precisely how they met. They were in first grade and he was upset about someone taking his crayon or something equally trivial and in comes Mary Alice with her own little jar of clay. She wore a bright smile and Edward was immediately drawn to her. They had been friends ever since. She was the only person at Bram Stoker Academy that he could relate to or even talk to for that matter.

"Oh, it would mean so much to Mr. Swan if you were there," his mother insisted. He doubted it, however. Mr. Swan was actually the Police Chief of Naperville. He had more money than he knew what to do with and yet he still worked. Last summer, he caught him and Mary Alice in a 'no trespassing' part of the woods on the outskirts of town. Edward was just showing something to Mary Alice. However, ever since that harmless incident, he preferred to give Edward the cold shoulder which Edward was all too happy to reciprocate.

"What do you mean his daughter is 'returning'? I didn't even realize he had children," Edward stated. He was thrown to be honest. Mr. Charles Swan did not seem the type of man to have children or even a wife. Or even be intimate with someone for that matter. He was a rather unforgiving and unapproachable sort of man.

"Only the one. Her name is Isabella Swan. She's been living with her mother in Pennsylvania. For some reason, she's decided to reunite with her father." His mother picked up her cup and took a sip of tea.

"Hmm. Well, I suppose there is no way of getting out of this, is there?" he asked, heading towards the door.

"No," his father said. "I am being forced to go so you have been condemned to the same fate."

Edward chuckled darkly. "Yes, well, Mr. Swan actually likes you. Me, however, he is a little uncertain about."

"You are going. That is final." His father returned to the documents. That was a sure sign of the conversation being over.

"I'll see you later," he replied to the silent room and walked into the foyer thoroughly annoyed. He wrenched his coat off the rack, threw it on, and walked out into the rigid air of an Illinois morning in January.

He walked down the snow covered walkway and out the classic white picket fence that encircled their pristine yard. He turned left onto the sidewalk, his loafers crunching the salt under his feet as he walked. He passed by other large houses on his left with their shutters open to the sunlight. To his left was Forks Road with houses on the other side as well. The street was lined with the alternating pattern of tree, black iron street light, tree, black iron street light. As the monotony of the scene stretched on, his mind wandered.

If there was one thing that Edward did not understand, it was why this girl needed a party. It was certainly not that difficult to meet people in Naperville. Especially if you are Mr. Swan's daughter. Especially if you are a daughter that will inherit a rather large fortune. Especially if you are a girl at all. Most of the young women by this time have realized what a waste most of the single men are and have decided that it just simply is not worth the time. Needless to say, the men find themselves getting a little bored with the same old girls.

He was soon standing out in front Johnston's Music Store in the middle of the town. The lights were on but the sign in the door was still turned to 'Closed'. He paid no attention to it however and walked right in, a small bell tinkling above him to signal his arrival.

Edward looked around the shop. Truthfully, it was downright mess. The small room was filled with shelves of instruments, music, batons, rosin, reeds, and various other items. The other half of the room contained a long counter of glass that ran the entire length. Inside were the more expensive instruments and valuable items that Johnston himself had collected. The white cinderblock walls were draped in articles, posters, sheet music, and Polaroid's of semi-famous musicians that had once placed a toe in the shop.

An older gentleman came through the doorway behind the counter at the sound of the bell. He was wizened beyond his years. His hair was completely white as was the beard. His blue eyes were magnified behind thick glasses. He supported his weak frame on a black cane that clunked with every other step. He squinted at Edward before his wrinkled face broke out into a crooked smile.

"Well, if it isn't Edward Masen, protégé extraordinaire," Mr. Johnston said as he moved closer to Edward. "Is it January already?"

Edward laughed lightly. "Yes, sir."

"Where is the little pixie, I wonder?"

Edward laughed brightly. Ever since Mr. Johnston met the bouncy Mary Alice years ago, he had taken to affectionately calling her a little pixie. She adored it. "She should be here soon. You know she wouldn't miss out."

"Of course." Mr. Johnston finally reached Edward. He leaned his cane against the counter before he took Edward's hands in his. He touched his fingertips, frowning after a few minutes of his inspection. "Edward."

"Yes, yes, I know." Edward said, gently pulling his hands away from the man. He grabbed the cane and placed it back in his hands. He then started to walk toward the back of the shop. "I know you are disappointed in me. Trust me, I know. I do live with my mother after all."

Mr. Johnston laughed, slowly following him as they weaved their way through his organized clutter. "Yes, of course. But truly, Edward, you are wasting it."

"I'm here, aren't I?" Edward asked as he took a seat behind the grand piano in the back of the store behind the shelves. He lifted the cover off the keys and ran his fingers over them. He turned back to Mr. Johnston.

"Yes, but it takes a request." He sounded so defeated, so upset.

Edward bowed his head in shame. "This isn't me, Mr. Johnston. This isn't my life."

"One day you shall wake up and realize, protégé." With that, he limped away towards the counter where he spent his days.

Edward sighed as he looked down at the piano. He understood what everyone was saying. Really, he did. His mother, Mr. Johnston, Mary Alice. They thought he had this amazing skill. They thought that he should use it to the best of his abilities. But he just did not understand it.

There was no way for him to really explain it. He did not understand it himself. All he knew was that sitting in front of a piano held nothing for him. It was like staring at a blank wall. He could play every single note that any composer had written on paper and he still would find nothing in it. He could not deny the ease and precision with which he played. However, he also could not deny that it was boring beyond belief.

"Junior!"

He heard her before he heard the tinkling of the bells. Her small feet barely made a sound as she ran toward the back of the store, waving at Mr. Johnston as she passed his spot by the counter. She rounded the last shelf full of horse hair bows and smiled brilliantly at Edward when she came to stop in front of him.

"Mary Alice," he said, trying his best to keep the smirk off his face.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Junior?" she asked with all the innocence in the world. Her bright green dress shined in the artificial light of the store while her long black hair danced around her as she bounced on the balls of her feet. A slight smile was on her face, the epitome of impatience.

Edward sighed loudly for show. He hit a few notes on the piano which took the form of "Happy Birthday". He finished quickly and looked over at her. "Happy Birthday, Mary Alice."

She laughed brightly and came to sit beside him on the bench. "Thank you, Edward." With that, he launched into a mini concert for Mary Alice with all of her favorites.

It had been this way ever since they were ten and Edward had grown to despise the piano. When he stopped playing regularly, Mary Alice was the first one to complain. However, try as she might, he would not budge on his platform. So, knowing that he simply could not resist on her day, she asked for him to play as a birthday present. It was the one day Edward did without complaining. If that was what Mary Alice wanted, then he could give it to her for one day. It was also at her request that they engaged in their ritual at Mr. Johnston's. She said there was something oddly poetic about the incredibly misshapen store.

When Edward finished up "Moonlight Sonata", he noticed that Mary Alice had a smirk on her face. She was staring through a gap in the shelves. He could hear Mr. Johnston bidding good day to someone from his place at the counter then the soft tinkle of the bells above the door.

"Mary Alice," he said, pretending to sound upset. "I'm not doing this for my health."

She laughed at him and rolled her eyes. "So…about tonight." She began and Edward could immediately see where the conversation was heading.

"No. No. I refuse." He shook his head and stared down at the keys.

"Oh, please Edward? Indulge me this once!" She was pleading with him. Her bright eyes were round and there was a pout on her lips.

"I will not! You know very well that I have no desire to even put a toe in the Swan household. I'm surprised that you are so desperate to go. He doesn't exactly care for you either." He paused. "And I indulge you enough!"

"Yes, all of that is true. However," a mischievous glint appeared in her eye. "I have that simply divine gown hanging in my closet just begging to be worn!" She laughed at Edward's annoyed look. "Oh, you know you want to go!"

"Why would that be, Mary Alice? Please, do enlighten me." He stared down at her with challenging eyes.

"To see Miss Swan, of course," she answered as though the idea of obvious and anyone with half a brain would have picked up on it.

"Please. If she's a Swan, I have no interest." He started to play once again to see if he could possibly tune her out. "I'm certain nothing about her could tempt me to want to put up with her father."

"You may find yourself surprised, Edward Masen. Stranger things have happened."

Edward laughed. "Very true. However, I highly doubt it."

"Oh, come on. Those simpletons will need some musical talent to fill up the background, after all!" She put on an excited smile.

"Oh, yes. Just what I want to do. Play for the lot of them. I'm sure they'd appreciate it…if I agreed that is."

Mary Alice rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why you are so adamant about not playing."

"Are you keen on playing the violin?" he counted, raising an eyebrow at her.

"It's not the same. I don't play the violin with the skill that you play the piano."

"Doesn't matter. You still don't enjoy it."

"You enjoy it!" Mary Alice said, placing her hands on her hips as if challenging him. "You just get bored by it too quickly. There's a difference, Junior."

"You're neurotic," Edward said as he stopped playing all together to turn towards her.

"And you're an idiot."

"Thank you, darling."

"My pleasure, dear. Now keep playing."

That was the end of it. He knew that he could not, under any circumstances, get out of that torture that was sure to ensue that evening. How he loathed Mary Alice.

Well, there you have it. There is the first chapter of the revised For Eternity which has now become Notes of a Romance. For those of you have returned after this obnoxious break I took, welcome back and thank you for keeping up with me. I don't deserve it. Please let me know what you think of the revision. For those of you who are just joining, welcome. I promise that I will do my best to never let the story go that long again. College has just taken a lot of time and the characters in my head took a break. But, alas, now that finals are here, they're out in full force. Chapter 2 is already written and should be out by next week!

Now…review!