Happy Valentine's day!

EPOV

Chelsea brought us to a room nearby. Four more people were seated around a round table. Very cliché if you asked me.

"I found her, and he brought one more guest." Chelsea said with a sneer.

Chelsea wasn't happy when Bella told her she needed me by her side. But seeing that Chelsea had some friends here, when she promised only her mother would witness the séance... she had to let me stay here.

One of the more annoying guests at the party was seated in front of Bella. He was eyeing her like she was a steak.

"So where is the Ouija board to start with this party?"

Bella just rolled her eyes, and pushed her chair behind. She wanted to get out of the annoying man's reach.

"Chelsea, please close the curtains. Edward, the door."

I did it carefully, noticing that once it was closed, you couldn't hear the noise from the outside.

Annoying prick asked "Do I need to turn off the light? Light some candles?"

Bella smiled and asked to just seat and relax. Honestly I was glad he asked, because that was the kind of shit you see they do in a séance in movies; and I didn't want to look like a fool in front of Bella.

"OK, there are some rules. To guarantee the complete success of this session, I need you to keep your hands on the table at all times." Bella said looking very serious. Annoying prick winked at Chelsea. "But what if I want to check if you're using some kind of trick? Maybe there are some wires hiding in..."

Bella lifted her hand. "Stop. Chelsea proposed the place of this session, it's the first time I'm here. I'm sure you didn't even know where we were going to be. Besides, I'm doing it for your safety. The more relaxed we're while I'm in trance, the easier we get Jared to come and talk. Now, please put your hands on the table. If you have any doubt, I'm sure by now, Chelsea had become an expert and could answer your questions."

"Why won't you answer to us?" This time an old woman was the one who asked.

"You'll see." Bella said with a mysterious smile.

We all seated and put our hands at the table. Annoying prick tried to make us join hands but Bella told him it wasn't necessary.

She straightened her back and closed her eyes.

For one minute we remained in utter silence, waiting for something to happen. My eyes scanned the room, waiting for a sign of contact with the other side.

Chelsea noted that annoying prick was about to do something stupid, so she just hushed him.

Bella hummed softly. She repeated the tune again and again. Her hands went to her head, and she tied her hair. All without opening her eyes or stopping her tune.

I was getting a bit anxious, and I wasn't the only one. The eyes of every person were on her, then on Chelsea who was at the edge of her seat.

I felt something passing by my back. I turned back but there was nothing there, not even wind moving the curtains.

Now Bella was swaying from side to side, not excessively, just a soft cadence in time with her tune.

Then she stopped.

She opened her mouth slowly.

But it wasn't words what came out, it was a blueish gas that somehow formed a strip.

Annoying prick gasped. He extended his hand to touch it, but I remembered what Bella told me so I pushed his hand back to the table. Hoping the glare I shot to him would be enough to deter any other funny business.

The gas flowed and flowed, until it formed the silhouette of a man. Jared Brenner.

"Chels, hun. You have to let me go."

Chelsea was in tears. "But I need you."

The gas kept flowing from her mouth, but Bella's form was blurry probably because the gas covered her petite frame.

"No Chels, you have to move on. I'll go to rest happy knowing that you loved me, but you have a life to live."

Chelsea was shaking her head, telling him no.

"Please Chels, do it for me."

This time the gas changed and the silhouette was getting more solid. Now it wasn't only his head, but his torso with two strong arms. He extended his hand and touched Chelsea's cheek. While everybody was marveled at the expression of his undying love, I noticed Bella was almost disappearing. I looked to her hands on the table... her left hand vanished!

Jared whispered a desperate plea "Please promise me to live for me."

Chelsea nodded and tried to touch his hand, but the hand she longed to reach turned into gas and flowed to Bella.

I watched with rapt attention how slowly her hands appeared slowly, how her body was turning tangible again.

Chelsea's cries had the others looking out for her, but I couldn't take my eyes of Bella.

Very slowly she was recovering her wits.

Her breathing was steady.

She opened her eyes.

She was with us again.

"Did it go well?" She asked very concerned to Chelsea.

But I answered "I'm sure Chelsea got what she was looking for, but how are you?"

She looked very pale, and I remembered she mentioned she didn't eat. I got closer to her and took her hand in mine. She was too cold for my liking.

"I'm fine, I just need a snack and sleep the whole night through."

"Well, then let me take you out for dinner. What are you in the mood for?" I didn't give her the chance to reject my invitation. What this woman did astonished me. She was so selfless to risk her life like this just to help others to get closure. She deserved whatever she wanted in this world.

She gave me a timid smile and thanked all the presents for supporting Chelsea. She stood up and told me "A burger and fries. Uh and a chocolate milkshake."

In that moment I realized I wanted Bella to be a part of my life.

xxxxxx

Esme POV (Six months later)

"Mooom! I can't find my left shoe!" My sweet daughter yelled from her room upstairs. She was really nervous because today she was going to meet Buffy, her father's girlfriend.

"Have you look under the bed?"

"Thanks Mom, you're the best!"

To be honest, I didn't know what to feel. A part of me wanted Charles to suffer the same way he made me suffer, but somehow he redeemed himself in my eyes with the way he doted on Bree. He was a jerk but he was an excellent father.

Bree's seventh birthday was last Tuesday, but because of his work schedule he decided to celebrate until this weekend. He was taking her to the beach to make the introductions less awkward. But Bree was excited, somehow she thought Buffy was a princess. Yeah, right.

The doorbell rang just in time to stop my inner ramblings. Every time I thought about Buffy, I got angry. It wasn't that I had feelings for Charles; I had zero problems with they being together. It was the possibility that she replaced me in Bree's eyes. I couldn't fathom my life without Bree...

Right, the door.

I opened the door, and there he was.

"I hope Bree is ready. It's a long way to the beach and..."

"Good morning Charles. Her things are over that sofa. I'll go to get her."

He dared to put his hand on my arm, but my murderous glare made him drop it.

"You don't have to be so rude. I'm just nervous. It's the first time she's going to stay at the beach house with Buffy, and, well, she doesn't have any experience with kids."

I didn't want to let him know how grateful I was for Buffy's lack of experience; so I just huffed and walked to the stairs.

"Breee! Your father is here."

She came running from her room and jumped right into his arms. "Daddyyyy!"

He hugged and kissed her. Like I said, he was a wonderful father.

She turned to me. "Mommy, I don't want you to be sad."

Shit! I had to smile.

"No baby, it's just that I'm missing you already."

She pushed her father aside and walked to me.

"Oh Mommy! I'm going to miss you too."

"Promise me you're going to listen to your Father and you'll do everything he asks you to."

She was nodding fiercely.

"Yes Mommy. And you promise me you won't be sad."

I hugged her and kissed her head.

"Of course not baby. Be good and have fun."

"Ok Mommy."

"Why don't we call your Momma the moment we get to the beach house, just so she won't miss you too much?" Charles offered.

Bree nodded and kissed me again.

"Bye Mommy! Have fun!"

xxx

Six hours had passed and they hadn't called. Probably Charles forgot he promised me, or maybe the place they went didn't have signal for the phones...

He told they weren't going too far, but maybe they stopped on the way to eat something...

Yeah, probably they went to eat and they'll call as soon as they get into the beach house.

I watched a couple of movies, but I was so tense, that I decided to turn off the TV. Now I was pacing in my room. Why was taking them so long to call?

The phone rang.

Finally.

"Good afternoon. Are you Mrs. Everson?" A male unknown voice asked.

"Yes, well, I was. I'm Esme Platt now."

"Hmm, sorry, but you're listed as the emergency contact of Charles Everson."

"Emergency? Did something happen?"

"Mrs. E... Miss Platt, I want you to come to Saint Joseph. Is the hospital out of the 101."

"Yeah, I know where it is located, but please tell me. What happened?"

"There was an accident on the highway. The driver of a tanker truck lost control of his vehicle and..."

"And?"

"He crushed three cars on his way. Miss Platt we have your husband, a woman and a kid between the injured. We need you to come to the hospital immediately."

Oh God! What the hell happened to my poor baby!