I woke up as early as I always did, earlier than most people my age. I'm not like most people and that feeling intensified as I watched him watching me from the rocking chair in the corner of my room. It was my own personal miracle, Edward Cullen. My breath seized for a split second as I caught his golden eyes in mine. I marveled once again how this godlike creature was as much mine as I was his. Perhaps I was still asleep. All the better really, considering what was ahead during the day. I had almost convinced myself of my slumber until he spoke.

"Good morning, love. Did you sleep well?" he asked in his silky, musical tones.

"As well as you can sleep when you are dreading planning a wedding that no one will ever let me live down," I answered grumpily.

"You aren't planning it, Bella, only helping Alice. I am surprised she wants your input at all," He responded with a chuckle. "And, you will live it down," he continued. "People will look past our age and only see our love. They all think we have a lifetime to be together but they cannot comprehend how long I will love you." My stomach lurched at his words and those damn butterflies made an appearance.

His gaze lingered longer as he reinforced his words as further proof of how important it was to him that we be married before he initiated my immortal existence. Marrying Edward was slowly becoming more important to me, too. I was probably overreacting about what other people were thinking and maybe I was wrong about how negative peoples thoughts truly were. "You're probably right, look at how Charlie turned around." I admitted, smiling at the memory.

"Yes, exactly," he rose from the chair and walked toward me. Faster than I used to believe possible he was standing agonizingly close with his arms around my waist. He gave me a short but passionate kiss. My barely awake thoughts became fuzzy again as he traced his tongue across my bottom lip. He broke away and held me up for a minute to let me recover and said, "I'll be back for you later, Bella love." Then he whisked out the window.

I went into the bathroom to get ready for the day. As I did so I allowed myself to remember the beautiful things that were said the night Edward and I told Charlie we were getting married.

In my usual fashion, though I couldn't help but find something to worry about. In addition to Jacob running off my impending vampirism, and leaving my parents and friends forever, Edward had been talking so seriously about everything lately... too serious. This happened every time he talked to me or when the wedding or anything related to me being a vampire came up. All I wanted was for him to loosen up a little and smile more. I honestly didn't think it would happen until we said "I do" maybe not even then. It all started the night we told Charlie and showed him the ring. It's as though Edward felt as though he has something to prove...

Edward held the door open for me and reached for my hand. "It is going to be fine," he said smiling reassuringly after seeing my dubious expression. I raised my eyebrows at him. He seemed strangely at ease. He laughed his musical laugh at me. "Relax, Bella. This isn't torture. No one will burn you at the stake or cast you out because you are getting married at eighteen."

I finally gave him my hand. "Maybe, maybe not." I grunted in response. He walked more slowly than usual for my sake. I didn't want to do this... per se. I would elope with him tomorrow if it hadn't occurred to me to do this the right way. I wanted to say goodbye to everyone before I had to leave them all for good. And... I wanted to be as honest as I possibly could about what I was going to go through and what the rest of my life would be like. I would have Edward... and that's all I needed, really, and everyone else would know that, too. In the back of my mind I knew I could never regret Edward and I getting married. Time could only increase that feeling. This would just have to tide me over until that day came.

When we walked through the front door we found Charlie parked in front of a football game in the living room. He seemed really absorbed but looked up to say hello to me and grunted a "greeting" at Edward. When he saw my nervous face, though, he automatically clicked off the TV. "What's going on, you two?" he asked with a bewildered look.

Edward wasn't one to mince words tonight. "Charlie, we have something important we'd like to discuss with you." Charlie frowned and sat up straighter on the couch. He blatantly ignored Edward and cast his eyes on me, obviously wanting me to say something.

"Dad, Edward has asked me to marry him and I said yes." I smiled softly and held up my hand so Charlie could see Elizabeth Masen's ring glitter on my ring finger. His eyes narrowed as he looked it over and turned beet red. It appeared that Charlie took the ring as seriously as I did but probably more from what it represented and not from whom it had once belonged to. "It was my mother's," he said gently. "The ring is one of her few possessions that I inherited."

"You're not pregnant are you?" my father asked me quickly as though it would make it easier for me hear to his question.

"No! Of course not! I don't plan to have a baby for a long, long time if ever." I stated firmly. Even before I had finished speaking Charlie was already shaking his head. Now in his mind we had absolutely no reason to be married.

Charlie and his bright red face stood up. "No, Bella," he said firmly. He repeated it loudly over and over until I thought he would pass out from lack of oxygen. "NO, Bella, NO!"