The sun had just begun to set, causing the surrounding sky to appear a devastating shade of blood-red, when Edward expertly pulled his Volvo into the driveway, right behind Charlie's cruiser. He put the car in park and reached for the door handle with his left hand.
"Wait," I said, taking firm hold on his right.
Dread had taken an unyeilding hold on me and seemed to be slowly progressing from the pit of my stomach into my throat. Why had I refused Edward in the meadow? Why did I insist on not only not continuing what we had started earlier, laying in the medow, but also that we get married before ever doing so? If I had just kept my mouth shut and gone along with his most recent plan, Edward and I would still be laying on the floor in the meadoow,-
"Tell me what your thinking," Edward pleaded quietly, interrupting my train of thought. His eyes burning me, seeking enlightenment.
I was not about to admit to him what I had been pondering, so instead I offered up something not too far from the truth, for I had been thinking about it prior to my internal scolding.
"I was just wondering if Charlie had put his gun away yet, or if he still had it in his holster," I said, in an attempt to make the air around us a little less thick.
Edward gave me an amused smile and lifted my hand to lightly brush his lips across my knuckles. "You know he loves you," he reminded me.
"Yes," I breathed, enjoying the feel of his lips against my skin. "I know."
With that, Edward placed my hand in my lap and gracefully climbed out of the car. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then climbed out too.
Edward met me at the edge of the porch where he pulled me to him and gently pressed a kiss to my forehead, sending a shiver down my spine.
"It won't be so bad," he assured me, before taking a solid hold of my hand and leading me up the steps and into the house.
The t.v. was on in the living room, announcing the number of turnovers some player had managd to wrack up at a deftening volume. My eyes automatically went to the recliner, where I usually found Charlie, half awake and hungry after getting home from work, but only the remote occupied the worn piece of furniture. I swept my gaze over the rest of the room.
"In the kitchen," Edward whispered, answering my unspoken question.
My breaths were coming in short, sporadic spurts. My heart beat was accelerating. This was really happening. I am really getting married. And I'm really about to tell Charlie.
"Lets get this over with," I sighed before entering the kitchen. Edward's thumb was rubbing cool circles on the back of my hand. It gave me courage.
Charlie was leaning against the counter when we walked in. He had his arms crossed across his chest, his eyes closed. The microwave was groaning behind him as it defrosted one of the Hungry Man dinners he bought last time I let him do the grocery shopping. He still had his uniform on, but his shirt was untucked, and he wore only a pair of dingy socks on his feet. His gun holster, thankfully, was empty.
An involuntary smile spread across my face at the sight of him. As it did, he opened his eyes and returned my smile with a sleepy one of his own.
"Hey Bells. Edward." His greeting was kind enough, and his smile seemed genuine. "I wasn't expecting you home so soon."
Had my throat been this dry all along? And where did this lump in my throat come from? My arms suddenly felt heavy, like lead. The only comfort was Edward's hand in mine. This was it, no more stalling. Just tell him. You'll feel better once you get it out.
"We actually cut our day a little short, so that we could catch you before you went to bed. I remember you saying you had to leave early tomorrow."
That's it. Deep breaths. Ease him into this. Break it to him gently.
"Well, you caught me," he said, stealing a quick glance at Edward and then returning his gaze back to me. "What is it? Is everything okay?" His voice was a little more anxious this time.
"Every thing's fine, Dad," I reassured him quickly, wanting him to be as calm as possible for what I was about to tell him. "I didn't even fall down once today."
"A feat in itself," Edward added, speaking for the first time since we entered Charlie's presence, making us all laugh, and causing a light blush to tint my face.
Just then, the buzzer sounded, alerting us all that Charlie's dinner was ready.
"Here, Dad, sit down. I'll get that for you. You look exhausted," I offered.
"Thanks, Bells," Charlie sighed with a smile as he lowered himself into one of the chairs placed around the table. While he grumbled to no one in particular about his day at work, I fished his dinner out of the microwave. I peeled the plastic film off the top and frowned at its contents. Each section of the flimsy blue plastic contained something different, each one looking more disgusting than the ones before it. One held what appeared to be a soggy piece of chicken fried steak, another mashed potatoes and gravy, the one opposite it a mixture of plastic looking steamed vegetables, and the worst of which appeared to be chocolate pudding, or maybe it was supposed to be a brownie.
"Do you want me to whip you something else up really quick?" I asked as I set the tray on the table in front of him.
"This is just fine Bella. You're spoiling me with your cooking, ya know? Nothing is ever gonna taste good compared to it when you're gone."
What is he talking about 'when I'm gone'? Does he know? And why is my throat suddenly dry again.
"At least let me get you something to wash it down with," I chided, walking to the cabinet to get a glass. When I opened the cabinet, there were no glasses on the bottom shelf. Had it really been that long since I had done the dishes?
I spotted a glass on the very edge of the top shelf. Standing up on my tip tiptoes and stretching my arm up as far as I could, I managed to just graze the very bottom of it with the tips of my fingers. Then I felt something snake around my waist and something cold and hard press against my back.
"Bella," Edward chuckled into my hair as he reached up and easily retrieved the glass and placed it in my hand. His arm was still wrapped around my waist and my pack was pressed to his chest. I smiled and shivered from our closeness. Then I remembered Charlie. I turned to face him, expecting to see a scowl on his face that said, 'get your hands off my daughter before I arrest you, you punk,' but instead I was shocked to see a small smile on his face.
Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as I thought. He seemed to be in an especially good mood tonight.
I scooped some ice out of the freezer and filled the glass up with coke before handing it to Charlie.
"Thanks," he mumbled with a mouth full of plastic vegetables. God, that man would eat anything!
Edward pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to his side, giving me a look that said, 'stop stalling already."
I sighed. "Dad, there's something I need to tell you." I waited till he looked up and swallowed the food in his mouth. His eyes were concerned. "Edward and I are getting married." I gushed, barely managing to make my words decipherable.
Charlie's eyes flashed with, what was that? relief? He exhaled loudly and slumped against the back of his chair. He swallowed visibly and then raised his eyes to meet mine.
" I've been expecting you to tell me this for a while now," he admitted quietly, and with a sad smile. "I knew this conversation was bound to come up soon. I was hoping it wouldn't be quit this soon, but I'm not surprised."
"We'd really like you blessing, Charlie," Edward interjected.
Charlie smiled a real smile now. "I knew you would. And even though I really do think you two should wait before making this kind of commitment, I'll give you my blessing." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "I remember when your mother and I asked you grandfather for his blessing." He paused again. "And I remember how upset she was when he refused to give it to us." He looked at Edward now. "I hope you don't make me regret giving it to you."
"Never," Edward vowed, smiling up at me and wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me onto his lap and lightly brush my lips with his.
I blushed a deep shade of red at Edward's small display of intimacy in front of my father. He placed his forehead on mine and smiled, causing my heart to still for a few short seconds, which only made his smile broaden.
The sound of Charlie chuckling behind us brought me back to the present. I pulled myself from Edward's grasp and walk/skipped to Charlie's side of the table. He stood up when I reached him and pulled me to him for a brief hug.
"Thanks Dad," I mumbled against his shoulder.
"Whatever make you happy, Bells," he sighed. Then he chuckled again.
"What is it?" I asked, unable to keep from laughing along with him.
"I was just thinking of the phone call I'm sure to get from Renee when she hears about this," he shook his head.
I knew what he meant. "I'm more worried about the phone call where she finds out about it," I admitted, taking Edward's hand and, with his help, pulling him to his feet. He wrapped his right arm around my waist and reached for Charlie's hand with the other.
"Thank you Charlie," he said, sincerity ringing out in his voice.
Charlie merely nodded and shook his hand. "Have you told your family yet?" he asked.
"Alice knows," Edward beamed. "Which probably means they all know by now."
Charlie laughed with him knowingly. "Well, you'd better go tell them the news if they haven't already heard," he said before trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "I'm gonna take a shower and then hit the sack. Try to get home at a reasonable hour, okay?"
"Okay," I agreed stepping forward to give him one last hug. "Thanks Dad. Really, thank you," I whispered to him before I pulled away. He smiled at me lovingly, then threw the remains of his dinner into the trash can, and disappeared up the stairs.
I turned to Edward. "Did you know that was how he felt?" I asked, sighing in contentment as he wrapped his arms around me an pulled me close to him.
His face gave away nothing. "I told you it wouldn't be so bad" he laughed before crushing his lips to mine and leading me to his Volvo and driving me to his home to share the news of our engagement with his family