Disclaimer- I don't own twilight. I just wish I did.
Edward~
I opened my mouth to speak but the words wouldn't come. Before I knew it my mother and father entered the scene and soon any conversation I would have started was gone in the moment.
"Bella! Oh my goodness dear. It's been ages!" My mother cooed with delight. Bella had always had a special place in my mom's heart. A place I wasn't sure any other woman would fill. She wrapped her arms around Bella tightly. Bella did the same with a huge smile on her lovely face.
They made conversation until my father cut in and demanded his hug as well, then the chattering continued. I was grateful for a moment because as long as they were talking I could stare at her unnoticed.
She wasn't so different from the last time I saw her. Still the same big brown eyes, now it looked as if she had taken to wearing light eye make-up. Our summer she rarely wore any. Her hair was more styled now and longer. She had it braided over one shoulder with a bit in the front framing her face. Her skin was still pale as fresh cream. Outwardly she was still my Bella. My mother said something that made her smile. My heart melted a little against my will.
"Edward, wouldn't that be lovely?" Mom commented.
"huh?" I said lamely.
Mom smiled, "I was just saying how nice it would be for Bella to attend the garden party." she was urging me to do something with her eyes. The kind of look a mother gives you when she wants you do say the right thing. My upbringing should have told me what the right thing was. Instead she got,
"Party?" I realized what she was talking about a moment later. My parents were hosting a small garden party for the founder's celebration committee. Of course I knew. I mentally kicked myself for being an idiot.
"Since Bella will still be here on vacation, wouldn't it be nice if she joined us?" my mother urged me again with her eyes. Still looking at Bella all I could muster was,
"Uh huh." My poor mother looked like she had given up on me completely.
"I'd love too. Count me in." she smiled again. I wanted to clutch my chest and tell my heart to get a grip.
"Ruth I can't believe you didn't mention Bella's visit. I would have demanded you take some time off." My father said to her in mock irritation.
"I was surprised as well. Although it was a happy coincidence that Bella's visit fell the same time as the celebration and the dance." Ruth said lightly. When the dance was mentioned Bella blushed brightly. She remembered.
"I thought the dance was in the summer months." Bella added to the conversation. She appeared to be a lot more confident then she was when we met. It suited her.
"It is honey but sadly we had to move it. Heavier rain prediction this year." Mom said.
"So now it's just one big event?" she wondered. The blush was fading from her cheeks and she was trying not to stare at me like I was openly staring at her.
"Yes, the fish fry followed the next morning by the pancake breakfast then the carnival and the next night the closing dance. Led by none other than your Grams and Quil Sr." Mom was so good at planning. She had the whole thing in her head with no notes. She probably could of ran the whole thing single handily.
"Wow well if there's anything I can do to be of help just let me know." Bella offered, Still so sweet, so kind, So incredibly gorgeous.
"I am sure we can find something for you to do dear." Mom said. Bella smiled sweetly at my parents. The office phone began to ring. My father cleared his throat once, then again and a then a third time. I wanted to move, I wanted to answer that phone but I couldn't stop staring. Staring and not speaking. This was going wonderfully. Every fantasy I had ever had about seeing her again went just like this, not really. I was so much cooler then this in my own little world. I could talk and articulate and not stand here with my mouth open like a damn idiot! Briefly I heard my father making arrangement's to go out to the reservation for a house call. The ladies were laughing and making plans to meet up at the founder's day meeting.
"Well my darling it looks like I am going to have to rain check that lunch. Edward and I are needed at the reservation." My father looked apologetically at my mother. She was used to this and never complained. Helen went sheet white briefly.
"Is everything alright Carlisle?" Helen asked. Bella's expression turned to one of confusion.
"Fine, just fine, Old Quil is just a little tired today. I offered to come to him instead." Dad said. Helen looked disappointed and Bella noticed.
"Helen we insist you take the rest of the afternoon off. Take this beautiful girl out to lunch." Mom offered.
"Come on Gram's, I'll make us some lunch. We can talk before the meeting…." Bella said. They said goodbye to my parents and as she was almost out the door she turned to me.
"It was nice to see you Edward." Bella smiled slightly and was out the door behind her grams. The door shut softly.
"Bye Bella." I said finally. My father laughed. My mother touched my shoulder gently
"You will do better next time Son." She said. The next time I would be prepared. I would be cool, calm, a grown man with a medical degree and not the doofus she just encountered. I would absolutely have to do better.
Bella~
He was everything I imagined he would be but also he seemed angry.
"He wasn't angry baby. He was probably caught off guard. He didn't know you were coming." Grams said on our walk to the meeting later that day. I supposed she was right. Maybe I would see him again and we could talk then. Maybe I could apologize for whatever I did to make him angry if he was. More than anything I just wanted to talk to him.
"You can't avoid the subject forever Gram's." I told her. She was avoiding my questioning about Old Quil and her concern for him.
"He's been my friend since I was just a girl and a good friend of your grandfathers." Her face softened slightly, "A very sweet man."
"Do you like him?" I questioned jokingly.
"I am far too old for a crush if that's what you are getting at." Grams turned on to a perfectly manicured brick path. The front door opened before we could knock. My gram's introduced me to Carmen and when we were inside she introduced me to the other ten or so members of the committee. The two youngest members were Tanya Denali and Alice Cullen, Who greeted me with a big hug then she pulled me down next to her.
"How are you? My mom said you were here. I was really hoping I would see you. Are you joining the committee? You should totally join my committee we are proposing a lot of cool retro booths for the carnival. The theme is an old fashioned fair! It will be so fun! I am so glad you're here!" she hugged me again. I only caught part of what she said. I looked for Gram's at the other end of the sofa. She shrugged.
"Uh sure Alice. I'll join your committee. I'm really glad to see you too." I looked down at my lap briefly and smiled. If Edward and I had worked out she would have been my sister in law. I always liked Alice. She was different then most of the girls around town. She was free spirited, from the way she dressed to her still short spiky black hair. What she lacked in height she made up for in personality and wits. She was a sweet girl and different from my friends in Washington. I was glad to see her. I was pulled my thoughts when I began to pay attention to Grams leading the meeting. Alice was called up in front of the group to endorse her idea. She explained she wanted to get back to the way the old carnivals used to be. I briefly looked at the girl next to me, Tanya. Strawberry blonde hair, pale skin, make up beautifully applied. She was flawless. The kind of girl I always wished I was. She passed around pictures and sign-up sheets to work each booth. I signed a few lines without looking at what I was signing up for. I think Tanya was doing the same. She didn't seem very interested.
"I think this is going to be a lot of fun." I was attempting to make conversation with Tanya as I handed back the clip board to Alice.
"Not as fun as having her brother in my bed." Tanya said slyly.
"Oh? Emmett?" I wondered softly to her, momentarily enjoying the girl talk. Emmett was nice looking from what I remembered. He was a big, big guy with short dark hair and brown eyes. All muscle, football player in high school and college. He was hot, I suppose if you like that sort of thing. Tanya signed a few more papers and I did the same. She clicked her tongue gently and whispered,
"No honey, no. Emmett's long gone. I've had him anyway. I'm going for the pair." She winked at me. I didn't understand.
"The pair?" I looked up to see Alice had collected most of the sign-up sheets and were waiting for the last two from Tanya and myself. I signed the last line and handed it back. Then it hit me. she meant Edward.
"Oh Bella and Tanya, thank you both so much. I promise it won't be all old geezer's and cheeks are totally appropriate if you get uncomfortable." Alice said reassuringly.
"Huh?" I said not getting it fully.
"We signed up for the kissing booth silly." Tanya informed me. I blushed wildly as the room applauded us and our selflessness. Edward was angry with me. Tanya wanted to sleep with Edward and I apparently was going to kiss every old guy in Forks. Today was shaping up to be great.