I Got You
Chapter 1
Losing my husband was the hardest thing I've ever done.
He was on an assignment and was killed. Of course I'll never know the real reasons why, he was an intelligence agent and often went on dangerous assignments for weeks, months sometimes. So when the knock came to my door, I really wasn't surprised. I thought it would have come when he was in the military.
Riley was a wonderful man, he was 25 when we started dating and I was 18.
He'd already been in the military for 7 years when we met. He was home visiting his family in St. Augustine, Florida where I was attending Flagler college to Major in Graphic Design.
You ask why I would go to Florida when I'm from Washington. It's because I was offered a full ride scholarship for a photography essay I'd done. I was scared to leave my family, but knew this is truly where I wanted to be.
Riley and I had a whirlwind romance for the three weeks he was in town. At the end of the three weeks he introduced me to his entire family and proposed, I couldn't say no. We made wedding plans for his leave the following year. It was a simple beach wedding with our family and closest friends.
I stayed in college while he finished his last three years in the military.
We stayed in Florida when he came home, but he'd travel all over for his job with the CIA.
I was pregnant with a month of him coming home. When we found out we were having twins we were so happy and with twins running in both our families it was pretty much a given. Both of our moms were twins. His mom had a twin sister and my mom a brother, Carlisle.
So here I am now a widow at 23 with toddlers who will never remember their father.
"Mom, thank you for driving with me to Washington. I just can't see taking these two on a plane. Jason would probably be fine, but Jaden, no!" we both laughed.
"Bella, we're going to miss you and the boys so much. I'm glad you've got a place already that will make it so much easier on you." Riley's mom hugged me.
"Just remember that y'all are free to visit anytime you want! I'll make sure the guestroom is always ready." I hugged her back.
"It was nice of your mom to fix the house up for you and the boys." She smiled as we loaded the car.
"Well, I'm sure my brother and his friends did the fixing or paid someone to and she just decorated it. Although I told her to leave my father's things there and I'd go through them myself. I did agree to update of the kitchen and bathrooms and a play set in the backyard, and small things like paint and flooring, my dad was a simple man, had lots of money, but never spent it unless something broke. My brother has been keeping up the house when he's in town and he said that the plumbing and electric dad must have had done a few years ago." I shrugged.
"I know Riley always loved going back to Forks with you, said it was cozy and that your dad's house was the perfect family home." She sighed.
"Yeah, we talked about him retiring in a few years to raise the boys there. He wanted to be a police chief like my dad and raise the boys in an old fashioned hometown." I laughed.
"Old fashioned? You can't get more old fashioned than St. Augustine." She laughed with me.
"I guess it was too busy for him with all the tourists and such." I said.
"I guess that's true." She agreed.
"Well, I know your mom will be happy to have you back." She said wistfully.
"My mom and her husband travel a lot. She sees my brother more than me because he's on the team. She'll only see me when they have a long weekend or the game is somewhere she doesn't want to go." I shook my head.
I was never happier to see the 'Welcome to Forks' sign in my life.
"This is beautiful Bella. The boys are going to love it here." Sara smiled.
The boys were in the backseat, jabbering away. Jason was saying the names of everything we passed and Jaden kept saying 'green, rain' over and over causing Sara and I to laugh.
We turn the corner to the house and I see cars everywhere, along with balloons and decorations everywhere.
"Ugh! This has my sister in law written all over it." I groaned.
"Alice, right?" Sara asked.
"Yes! She's a party planner/caterer and doesn't do anything small." I laughed.
The boys were bouncing once they saw the balloons and clapping.
We pulled up in the empty driveway, obviously reserved for us and everyone poured out of the house.
"Bella!" My brother Jasper pulled me out of the car swinging me around, making me cry. I was so happy to be back with him, we were extremely close, even though we were 10 years apart.
"Jazz, I've missed you!" I cried into his shoulder.
"Hey, you're home now, we'll all help you and the boys, now unless you want Alice dressing them, you better go say hi." He laughed and nodded towards Alice talking with the boys.
I groaned and walked towards my crazy sister in law.
"Alice!" I hugged her and she whispered the same thing Jasper did.
My mom and Sara were talking quietly to the side as others came out to welcome me back.
"Bells!" My childhood friends Jake and Paul yelled and took turns giving me hugs.
"How in the hell can you look this good and still be so tiny with those two?" Paul asked.
"Well, they are built like their dad, so they'll be big boys. They're the spitting image of him too." I smiled.
"We're here for whatever you need. We did most of the renovations ourselves." Jake smiled proudly.
"This didn't keep you away from Wendy too much did it?" I asked.
"No, she is actually helping out now. She's become a tile pro." He laughed.
"Only because she has to be near you all the time." Paul rolled his eyes.
"Because who can't resist this?" Jake smiled and did a little dance.
"Ugh! You two haven't changed." I groaned and walked away.
The party was nice, everyone helped carry our stuff inside and to the proper rooms. They'd done a wonderful job on the renovations. Expanding the downstairs and making that the guest room. A full bath with access from the living room and bedroom, a dream kitchen and a master suite to rival any spa.
The boy's rooms were all sports and vehicles and the Jack and Jill bathroom they shared was done with a world map shower curtain and framed postcards from their dad. I cried when I saw that special touch.
I walked back downstairs to join the party.
The boys were playing with their cousins J.J. who was 8 and Abigail who was 6. There was also another cute blond boy playing with them who looked around 8 as well. My little munchkins were running and trying to climb alongside the bigger kids.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turn around to see Edward Cullen, the best cousin in the world.
"Bel! You look great! How long has it been?" he asked.
"Since graduation, so almost 6 years." I smiled.
"What are you doing with yourself?" I asked.
"Being an accountant. I live in Seattle with my partner, he's a surgeon and we just came back about three months ago from working with the Doctors without Borders program, that's why I fell out of touch and missed everything, I'm so sorry." He hugged me tightly.
"It's OK, Esme told me where you were. Your partner looks a little stiff." I laughed.
"Shhh… He's a very well respected surgeon Bella, almost as good as dad. He's not good in crowded places like this, not a very social guy. We enjoy our quiet time." He raised his eyebrows and I laughed out loud.
Edward grabbed me in hug to silence my giggles.
"Come on, I'll introduce you to James." He had a twinkle in his eye as he said his name.
"James, this is my favorite cousin in the world." Edward introduced me to his lover.
"Nice to meet the elusive Bella. Edward talks about you all the time. We're sorry for your loss." He took me in a hug and Edward smiled.
"Thank you so much. I hope to spend time with you two. I'm looking forward to Edward's cooking, he's so good! I always told him he should've been a chef." I smile.
"I know! He's so good and his baking is out of this world now since I gave him a culinary gift last Christmas." James went on and just like that he was a little looser and we were friends.
The crowd slowly died down. Most everyone had left. My brother and his family were still here and Jake and Paul. My mom took the boys with her when she left to give me some time with my brother and friends, I hadn't been alone since Riley's death and I needed this.
"Jasper, who's the little guy playing with your munchkins?" I asked.
"Oh, my buddy. He's going through a rough time, his longtime girlfriend walking away and saying she didn't want to be a mother anymore, handed him papers from her lawyer signing over her rights and walked out." Jasper shook his head. "Atticus is 8, just a couple months younger than JJ." He smiled.
"He's adorable. He played so well with the twins." I smiled and I saw Jasper's smile grow wider, he loved kids and I'm surprised he and Alice didn't have more.
"Yeah, Peter has had it rough she walked out about a year ago. His son stays with his parents when we travel and Peter has him in between. In the summer he'll travel with us, and he'll stay with the nanny Alice and I hired. Alice flies back and forth to wherever she has to be." Jasper shrugged.
"Well, I'm here. I am going to go look at store fronts for my photography studio, so I can help out if needed to. They'd all help with the monsters." I laughed.
We all talked and caught up a few hugs and well wishes before everyone left and I was alone, truly alone for the first time in almost a year.
I grabbed the picture of my dad, mom and Rylie and I on our wedding day.
My dad died two months after I was married.
Now my husband has died, the two strongest, most protective men I knew are gone.
I cried myself to sleep, knowing everything would be OK, one day. Maybe not soon, but one day I'll find happiness again and I'm open to that. Rylie and I had talked extensively about that should something happen to either of us, but specifically him that I move on and find happiness again. The only stipulation was that whoever we ended up with, they MUST love the boys as much as we do and rise them to be great men.
Tall order, but I was determined to make it happen, when the time was right.
Now, it's time for me to heal.
AN:
Welcome to my newest story…
This one popped into my head and won't be too much angst (shocking I know)… Just your usual relationship ups and downs…
Enjoy!
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