Edward cleared his throat. "Bella." He sad.
"Mm?" Bella replied.
She was busy kneeling in front of the huge pine tree that vacated the corner of her small living room. In her arms were boxes wrapped in brightly coloured wrapping paper. Bella placed them carefully underneath the tree, tingling with excitement as she imagined the faces of her husband and daughter when they opened their gifts. It was Christmas Eve, and the cottage was feeling particularly cosy. The fire was crackling, tinsel hanging over the mantel piece. It glimmered every time it caught light. Flakes of snow were dancing past the window, and a chilling mist had smothered the forest.
"How does that look?" Bella asked, patting the presents happily.
"Yes. Lovely." Edward said, but he wasn't really looking at the tree. He stood up from where he had been sat on the couch, and walked over to Bella. She stared at him with her golden eyes, a look of love and confusement on her face. Edward sighed, "Bella, I'm afraid I haven't always been honest with you." He began.
"What?" Bella said nervously, "I don't understand."
"There's no easy way to say this, Bella. But... you weren't my first love." Edward sighed.
Bella stumbled backwards, unable to believe his words. Why was he confessing this now, on Christmas Eve? Why did he feel it was relevant to bring it up at all? Why hadn't he told her before? Was there more she didn't know about him? Edward, her husband, her soul mate. Somebody she thought she knew completely. Shaking, Bella sat down. "What do you mean?" She whispered.
"Let me tell you my story. It all began, and ended, on this very night, twenty five years ago." Edward wandered towards the window, staring out at the winters night. "Her name was Lilliana Armitage."
Edward cleared his throat again.
"And she was the first person I ever turned into a vampire."