And without further adieu I give you Bella.
SM owns all things Twilight, but I get the joy of bending them to my will for this story.
Chapter Two
"You called me Essie." My sweet Aunt said as she pulled back from our hug and looked up at me. I could see tears of love and joy spilling down her cheeks.
"Just felt right." I answered her shrugging my shoulders. It amazed me that this sweet petite woman could still make me feel like a shy little boy sometimes. I had called her Essie from the time I started speaking until I was eleven when it just didn't seem cool to call her that anymore.
As we pulled apart from our hug she took my hand in hers and walked me over to one of the bar stools by the island she was doing her prep work on.
"Did you have a good trip in?" She asked me as she resumed her task of cutting the basil in a chiffonde.
"I did, traffic wasn't bad until I hit North Myrtle."
She paused her knife skills for a moment to look up at me with the sweetest smile on her face. "You came across the bridge didn't you?" Her tone of voice was not condescending like Katie's always was when it came to the bridge, no my sweet second mothers voice was full of understanding and love.
How did I allow myself to stay away from her, from my home for six long years?
I just smiled at her, affirming her question and she went back to her herbs.
"Esme it smells so wonderful in here, what are you cooking?"
"Well my sweet boy, in honor of you coming home, I am fixing all of your favorites. We have basil tomato soup; roasted pork loin with apple dressing and fried green tomatoes with a chevre and bacon sauce and dessert is a surprise."
I could feel my mouth watering instantly. Esme Cullen was one of the best cooks in the world. She never went to Culinary school, never cooked professionally but she could run circles around the likes of Cat Cora and Bobby Flay any day.
"Esme you didn't have to go to all of that trouble for me."
"It's no trouble at all darling, you know I love to indulge you every now and again and considering I am sure it has been years since your last decently cooked home cooked meal it gives me even more pleasure." She answered me while raising her eyebrows at me daring me to say anything else.
I couldn't help but chuckle at her not so subtle dig at Katie's lack of passion for cooking. To Katie a home cooked meal was one that someone else cooked, boxed and was picked up on the way home. Esme was not one to think all women had to be domestic goddess but she got so much pleasure out of cooking for her loved ones she somehow had a hard time understanding why others would not as well, especially others who supposedly loved one of her children.
"Soup though Esme? Don't get me wrong you know I love your basil tomato soup, but it is Charleston in early August, it is like a hundred degrees outside."
"Soup can be eaten anytime of the year silly goose, just like ice cream can. Besides I have a ton of tomatoes from our garden this year and needed to do something with the ones I didn't can already."
"You're canning now?" I asked a little surprised. Esme had a decent sized garden in the back of the house but I never knew it to be enough for her to can the items at the end of the summer. She usually used the stuff growing in there as soon as she harvested the goods.
"Actually I have been for a couple of years now. The little garden you remembered is about three times as big as it once was and I have added a few more items to it. Bella helps me with the garden and she actually is the one who got me into canning."
"Bella?" I asked her.
"Yeah Bella, you know Alice's best friend?" I thought about it for a minute and then remembered Alice talking about her on several occasions.
"Yeah I think I remember Alice mentioning her."
"Mentioning her? I am sure Alice has mentioned her on more than one occasion." I could tell the disappointment in me in Esme's tone with her reply. "Those two have been inseparable since the day the met. She is like my second daughter."
"How long have they known each other?"
"For about five years now, they met shortly after you left for school."
"Really, how have I not met her?" I asked not really thinking about what I just asked.
"Well if you had been home more than three times in the last six years you would have had a chance to meet our sweet wonderful Bella." Esme's tone was that of a disappointed and slightly pissed off mother. She and Carlisle both had been so good about not interfering in my life or my decisions but I always knew they were disappointed in me. The tone in her voice just now proved that.
"Oh Edward I shouldn't have said that. I'm so sorry." She quickly added. I could tell she was upset with herself for voicing an opinion she had every right to voice.
I got up from my stool and walked over to where she was standing. I turned her towards me, gently taking her arms in my hands. "Yes you should have Essie. You are right. I'm the one who needs to apologize, not you. I shouldn't have stayed away for so long. I shouldn't have allowed her to dictate every part of my life. I'm so sorry I haven't been around. After everything you and Carlisle have done for me, I should have treated you both with more respect and love."
"Edward we never doubted you loved us. Yes it disappointed us that you where gone so long, but we didn't want to interfere with your life."
"I know and that is one of the reasons I love you both so much. Thank you for letting me make my own mistakes and for still loving me enough to welcome me home with all of my favorite foods." I wiped the tears away from Esme's face and kissed her cheek before walking back over to the stool I was previously sitting on.
"Edward how are you doing with the whole Katie situation?" Esme asked hesitantly.
"I'm ok." She looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Seriously I'm ok. I'm more upset about the way I have acted over the past six years than I am about losing her. I'm not sure why I put up with so much crap, not sure why I allowed her to run me and that's what makes me more upset than anything else."
She was about to say something when the sound of the front door opening stopped her.
"I can only assume the car out front means that our boy Edward has indeed come home?" My uncle Carlisle's voice rang in through the hall. I could hear the excitement in his voice although I knew he would try to hide it. I also knew the good hearted words were his way of warning me that he was coming in. If I was around Carlisle for a while the fact that he was my father's identical twin was not as shocking, but I had not seen him since they came up for my graduation from Graduate school three months ago. I knew he was giving me time to brace myself which I was very grateful for.
"Hey Carlisle." I answered him more or less doing the same thing for him. I knew that the older I got and the more I look like my dad it was hard on Carlisle as well.
He walked around the corner, both of us pausing for a moment to clear our minds and then we met each other half way in an embrace.
"I'm so glad your home son." Carlisle whispered in my ear as he tightened our embrace.
The sound of Esme's sniffles broke our reunion. We both looked over at her wiping her tears from her face smiling at our moment together and chuckled at each other.
"So what were you two talking about?" Carlisle asked as he walked over to the fridge getting out a bottle of water.
"I was just starting to tell Edward about Bella." Esme answered him.
"Ah yes, our sweet Bella." Carlisle said with a big smile on his face. What was it about this girl that caused my aunt and uncle to look so giddy?
"I was telling him about her helping me with the garden and about her teaching me how to and helping me with canning."
"Esme thinks a lot of her; she must be a really sweet girl."
"She really is." Carlisle said with a warm look in his eyes. "We cannot wait for you to meet her. I'm sure you will just love her. I know you will just adore her, everyone who meets her does." He continued.
"Carlisle why don't you help Edward bring in his stuff while I finish working on dinner." Esme said shooing the two of us out of her kitchen.
There was a guest house behind the Victorian that Esme and Carlisle lived in that I was going to be staying in for awhile. I know I could afford to get a place on my own outside of the historic riverfront area, but I really loved this area and wanted to be here. Plus it wasn't that far from the school.
"The movers finished up a few hours ago with your big stuff so that should only leave the things you brought yourself Edward." She called out to us as we walked to my car. We grabbed a few boxes and walked over to the house. I walked in to find all of my furniture in place. I should have known Esme would make sure the movers had everything in place and waiting for me once I got here.
"Thank you Essie." I whispered to myself.
"Did you really expect anything less?" Carlisle asked.
"No not really." I laughed.
"So you came down 17 didn't you?" Carlisle asked as we headed back out to my car for more boxes.
With a grin on my face I shook my head yes. Once again another member of my family understood and got me.
It only took us a few more trips to get all of the boxes I brought in my car with me into the house. Carlisle headed back to the house to let me get settled in a bit. I worked for about two hours hooking up my electrical equipment and emptying boxes. I was nowhere near completed with my task when I decided to take a break and headed back to the main house to see if Alice was home yet.
I could hear Esme in the kitchen and Carlisle upstairs as I walked into the living room. I began to look at all of the pictures that were on the walls and around the room. Most of them were older pictures, us growing up, my mom and dad, Alice and my graduations. As I looked around more I found many new pictures, mostly of Alice over the past few years. The ones of my family at Christmas without me was a sad reminder that I had been away far too long. I came across a picture of Alice and beautiful girl standing on walking path of my bridge. I could see the steel girders rising above them. I noticed that were more pictures, mostly with Alice but a few with Carlisle and Esme, that the same girl was in. She looked as much as part of this family as I did in the earlier family photos. I wondered if this was Bella.
"Esme, who is the girl in all of these pictures?" I asked but got no reply. I could hear the processor whirring away in the kitchen and was sure that Esme could not hear me. I started to speak again when I felt two tiny arms wrap around my waist.
"That my sweet Edward is my Bella." Alice's voice filled me instantly as she laid her head on my back, barely reaching the bottom of my shoulder blades.
I turned around and took Alice into my arms, the feeling of love overtaking me. This was one of the things I missed the most about my home. The love and friendship of my sweet little sister Alice.
"Welcome home big brother." Alice said as she began to bounce with excitement. I was really surprised she had managed to last this long quietly.
"Glad to be home little sister." I answered her laughing at her enthusiasm.
She pulled away from our hug, looked up at me with a smile and then proceeded to smack me on the arm with a great deal of force.
"Damn it Alice that hurt." I winced, letting her go and rubbing the upper part of my arm that she hit.
"Good!" she said with triumph. "Serves you right. What the hell were you thinking leaving us for all those years for that idiot of all people? " She stood there with her hands on her hips, a very fierce looking four foot eight anger ball.
What Alice was saying was nothing new, nothing I hadn't heard before but something that I needed to hear again, many times over.
"Sorry?" I replied hoping she would eventually take pity on me.
She stood there a bit longer before a devilish grin began to creep up her face, eventually meeting her eyes.
"There will be consequences and you will pay. You do understand that right?" She said.
"I am you humble servant my lady. Anything you want I will give you."
"Damn straight!" She said as she launched herself back onto me almost knocking us over. "I'm so glad you are home Edward." She hummed as she planted a kiss on my cheek.
"Alice leave that poor boy alone." Esme said as she walked into the room. "Alice how about you go and pick up dessert for me. Take Edward with you but do not allow him to see what it is, do you understand me?"
"Yes ma'am." She answered her as she grabbed my hand and headed out the door.
"Where are we going Alice?" I asked as she drug me along.
"Dolce Amore of course." She answered me with a big grin on her face.
The bakery was a block away from the house and as the familiar sign came into view, I was flooded with tons of memories. In addition to the day of renewal as I like to think of it at this sweet little bakery with my Alice this place held a great deal of love in my heart. When we were little, our parents would bring us here to get cookies and all of my birthday cakes came from here since I was twelve.
Walking through the door expecting to be swept up in the great Italian home feel I always had before, I was blown away at how different the place looked now. It was now filled with bright, vibrant colors. The walls were covered with song lyrics, quotes from poems, culinary terms and just wildly random words. There was a mural painted of a setting sun and beautiful black and white photos of different parts of Charleston.
"Alice, does Francesca not own this anymore?"
"Ah no she sold it about a year ago." She answered me with a sly look on her face.
"Hey Angela, is she back there?" Alice asked the girl working behind the counter.
"Yeah, she is in her zone." She grinned. Alice returned the same smile seemingly knowing what she was talking about.
We walked towards the back of the bakery to where the kitchen portion was. There was a large open space between the kitchen and the front that allowed one to look into the back or front and to pass items through without going through the door. Alice stopped in front of the opening and looked back as if she knew what she was going to see. I stopped for a minute looking at her and then started to walk through the door when Alice grabbed my arm.
"Wait" she said, "can you see her?" I peered around Alice's finger to where she was pointing and found the object of Alice's gaze. It was Bella. She was wearing a blue t- shirt, her auburn hair was up in a disheveled looking ponytail and her apron was covered in something dark brown. She had buds sticking out of one ear and was listening to music on an iPod. She seemed to be speaking to herself but I gathered from the bud she was singing, but without making a sound.
"Yes" was all I could say. Something about her would not allow my eyes to look away. Even in this messy state, she was more beautiful than the pictures at home gave her credit for.
"That's Bella." Alice beamed. "I was hoping she would be making mousse." Looking down at the mixing bowl for a moment I could now see what she was mixing was some kind of chocolate. She held another bowl over the mix and out poured something white that was as creamy as her skin. She placed the now empty bowl down and began to slowly fold the two mixtures together, all the while still silently singing. As she folded the mixtures together, I could not help but be struck by the way she watched what she was doing in the bowl. It was love in her eyes, pure love and amazement. It was the same look I had seen my parents give each other, the same look I had seen Carlisle and Esme give each other. Bella was looking at what she was mixing with a love that was so pure that it felt wrong to look at her, but I could not pull myself away. What or who was she thinking about? Everything was so quiet as I watched her, like there was nothing else in this place, in this world, but the two of us.
Our beautiful silence was broken by a shrill telephone ring; Bella looked up and grinned, seeing Alice standing there.
"Alice!" She called out and I was struck by the beauty of her voice. It was so sweet yet strong, so full of happiness with the most amazing southern drawl I have ever heard. She pulled the bud out of her ear and motioned for us to come back into the kitchen. "What are you doing out there?"
Alice grabbed my arm and moved us through the door, embracing Bella once she was on the other side.
"I could not help myself. I just love watching you make chocolate mousse." Bella just shook her head and laughed at Alice. "Bella, why are you covered in cocoa powder and your arm, oh my goodness, are you bleeding?" Alice asked pulling her arm up to show her something red there as if it was something she had not already seen.
Still smiling, Bella dusted herself and Alice off with a hand towel. "No it's red food coloring, red velvet cake mishap with a mixer." She smirked while looking beyond us. We looked back to see Angela looking back at us.
"Bella, care to elaborate?" Alice asked looking from Angela back to Bella.
"Well it turns out our lovely Angela here is afraid of spiders. As I was getting the ingredients together in the mixing bowl she walked by, saw a spider run across the floor by her foot, jumped, hitting the speed button on the mixer to three as I turned it on and well as you can see the rest is history." She laughed and I was struck by just how heavenly it sounded.
"You know I hate spiders Bella, it couldn't be helped." Angela said with a huff and turned around back to the front of the shop.
She than looked at me our eyes holding each others in a gaze, and for the first time I was really able to see them. They were the most amazing color of brown, almost the same color of the chocolate mousse that she was mixing. I have never seen eyes, that brown and that beautiful.
"Edward!" she beamed as if she had known me a hundred years. "It is so good to have you home." she moved over to me and pulled me into a loving embrace. I was stunned. I just stood there, my arms at my side. I wanted to put my arms around her, wanted to hold her like she was holding me, but I wasn't sure if I could not knowing why I was feeling this pull towards her. Sensing my hesitancy, Bella dropped her embrace and looked at me with such apology on her face that it almost broke my heart.
"I am so sorry. It's just that I have heard so much about you from Alice and the others that I feel like I know you." She was still smiling as she walked back to the mousse. "Your coming home is all that they have talked about for the past three weeks, they have all missed you so much."
"I have been away from home for far too long. I realize it more now that I am back here." Why did I just say that? "It is nice to meet you as well Bella. Esme, Carlisle and Alice have all spoken very highly of you as well." I still could not take my eyes off of hers, the pull I was feeling for her stronger now than before.
"They think of me as their family as I do them so they are just a wee bit biased." She said as she scrunched her thumb and forefinger together to indicate wee.
"Can we have a taste?" Alice's voice broke my trance. She was standing beside me with two plastic spoons, handing one of them to me.
"Of course you can, you know you do not have to ask." Bella chuckled. Alice took a scoop of the mousse and placed it in her mouth. A look of total euphoria washed over her, like happiness had just been drizzled down from her head to her feet. She looked calm, happy and filled with love.
"Just as I know it would be" she seemed to sing out the words. "Edward you have to try this, it is just amazing."
I walked over to the bowl and took my own scoop and placed it in my mouth. The texture of the mousse was so smooth and light. The taste of chocolate was so pure it was almost overwhelming. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before in my life, decadent, lush and mouth watering. It was like sin and redemption all at once. Sinful how wonderful it tasted and yet tasting like heaven all at once. Without thinking I let a small moan of pleasure escape my lips. But what happened next just about floored me. Some instinct to close my eyes took over and I was taken by a wave of love, of happiness and just pure bliss. It was like nothing I had ever felt before in my life. I couldn't understand what the feeling was, what had caused this to happen? I could not help myself; I let out another moan of pleasure. Alice's small laugh brought me out of my trance yet again and when I looked over at her, the smile on her face made me think she knew exactly what I was thinking and feeling. But how could that be?
"That may have been the best tasting thing I have ever put in my mouth." I said not thinking. I heard Alice giggle behind me and I could feel the heat radiating from my ears at what I had just said.
There was a look of great pride on Bella's face and I knew she was pleased with my reaction. We looked at each other for a moment, locked into our gaze the love from the mousse radiating back and forth between us.
"Bella, is everything ready?"Alice asked turning her attention back to Bella.
"Of course it is. Do you think I would really let Esme down like that? Ok let's see, we have a loaf of Italian, a loaf of white and a loaf of honey wheat bread. We also have crackers to go with Esme's basil parm spread, cream cheese cookies and of course a very special surprise." She said as she began to gather items together to put into a bag. As she walked towards a large cooler I noticed the back of her shirt said Peace, Love, Carolina. I couldn't help the smile on my face knowing she must have been a Tarheel fan just like me. When she came back out from the walk in she was carrying what looked like a cake box. She handed the box over to Alice and gave me the bag with all of the other items in it.
Taking the box, Alice kissed Bella on the cheek and turned to leave. "We need to get this home to Esme before she sends out the Calvary and accuses me of eating sweets before dinner."
I knew we needed to leave but I didn't want to. The thought of being away from her was suddenly heart breaking and I could not for the life of me figure out why.
"Goodbye Edward. It's good to have you home." Bella called out to me as I turned to leave.
"Bye Bella. It was really nice to meet you and I look forward to see you again." I answered her, feeling the heat rise to my ears all over again.
"Speaking of seeing you again Bella, you are still coming tonight aren't you?" Alice paused before she walked through the door leading out to the front of the bakery.
"Of course I am" she smiled "And yes before you ask, Em, Rose and Charlie will be there as well."
Alice stopped to pay for the goods but Angela refused to take her money.
"Bella!" Alice yelled back at the angel.
"What?" Bella innocently answered her.
" Angela, please take this money, it will be our little secret." Alice said quietly trying to get Angela to take the money. "Esme insists on paying, you don't want to disappoint her do you?"
"Alice as much as I love Esme, I kind of owe Bella for the mixer/spider debacle and let's face it she pays my salary." Angela answered her back, pushing her money away.
Alice huffed a little and then headed towards the door. I could hear the faint sound of Bella's laugh behind me.
I walked out into the warm Charleston air, still in a trance partly from the mousse and partly from the mere presence of Bella.
Alice put her hand on my arm, bringing me from my trance like state. "You felt it didn't you?" she asked practically jumping up and down.
"Did I feel what?" My goodness she did know.
"The love."
"What was that?" I blurted out, all hope of hiding something had happened thrown out the window.
"The love, the overwhelming feeling of love and joy from just one bite."
I nodded my head yes.
"I call it Bella love. It is something that happens when you take a bite of anything she has made but it is even more powerful in her chocolate mousse. It's like everything that she is feeling, all of the love that she pours into her baking flows into the food and over takes you when you eat it."
"But how is that possible?" I asked her as we started to walk back to the house.
"Not sure, haven't figured it out yet, but it is real. Daddy and I have had many discussions about it, but have never been able to figure it out. I say it is magic, daddy says it is just Bella!"
"What does he mean 'just Bella'?"
"Daddy says Bella's personality is so strong and so bright that is infects those around her. You just cannot help but feel love and joy radiate out from her and he seems to think that it is even stronger when she bakes and that it radiates into the food." Alice was almost skipping now as we rounding the block approaching the house.
Lost in thought, something suddenly hit me. "Alice, why is Bella coming over for dinner tonight and who are the other people that she mentioned."
"Welcome home party for you." She said so matter of factly. "And Em is Emmett, Bella's older brother, Rosalie is his wife and Charlie is their son." She said as I froze in my tracks."You know Esme loves a chance to throw and party and what better reason than a welcome home party for you." She grinned as she bounded up the stairs to the house.
"How big a party?' I asked dreading the idea of having to be around a lot of people reminding of just how long I have been gone.
"Oh just a small one, family only." She grinned as she walked through the door.
Family only huh? So Bella and her brother's family were considered to be part of our family. I couldn't help but smile at the idea of that, of her being a bigger part of my life. And I really liked the idea of seeing her again in just a few short hours.
A/N: As I am sure you can guess one of the passions and love in this story will be the love of food. I know it is a topic I have explored before but it is something that I feel strongly about and gives the culinary student that I am a chance to shine. Hopefully it doesn't feel redundant from my other stories and that you will enjoy it.
Reviews are always welcomed and appreciated.
I bid you all chocolate mousse love!