DISCLAIMER: The characters do not belong to me…they are all the creations of the wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Bella finally hears from her parents.

A Postcard and a Picture

Esme and I were on the back porch having our gardening day. This area of the house was enclosed so that it made a perfect little green house.

"What type of flower is this one?" I asked Esme, gently touching the beautiful purple petal.

She looked up from the fern she was working on repotting. She pointed her trowel at me and said, "That's a tricky one, dear. It looks purple, but it's actually called a Blue Iris."

I chuckled. "Sure fooled me." Esme smiled and turned back to her fern. I let go of the petal and gently sprayed water at the base of the flower.

I liked gardening with my mother. We didn't always talk during our time together. Sometimes I would ask her random questions about these flowers and her garden back home in Forks. But mostly, we just enjoyed the silence. There usually wasn't much of it living in a house of eight.

I thought about Renee and wondered if she'd ever had a garden. It always made me a little sad each time I realized I didn't remember her well. I was learning to accept it, though. Maybe it was better this way, with her and Charlie ignoring me. At least this way, I didn't have to worry about faking my death. I knew I wouldn't be able to put it on hold forever, but I wasn't ready to give them more grief just yet. Besides, if I followed Edward's plan, I would just be giving them another reason to hate the man I loved.

Edward felt a car accident would be safe and clean. I didn't know about that, but I knew it would be the end to his shiny silver Volvo. I had a love-hate relationship with that car. I loved all the times I had spent with Edward in it, but loathed the speeds we traveled at. I wondered if I would still feel that way now. I hadn't ridden in the car since before my change. When we came up here, Edward and I had sat in the back of Carlisle's car. Jasper had driven the Volvo. Alice followed in her Porsche, her most prized possession. Rose and Emmett had followed in his jeep. Rose's M3 was left back home due to the climate of Alaska. She was dropping hints to Emmett that she wanted the new BMW X5 SAV in Imola Red.

I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of Esme gently humming. It was the song that Edward had written for her. "It suits you well," I said.

"Thank you, dear," Esme replied. She started humming again and I stayed silent, enjoying the lilt of her voice as it filled the small area. When she finished, she asked, "How are you coming along in your piano lessons?"

I ran to her side and sat cross-legged in front of her. I gripped my knees, rocking with my enthusiasm. "Really great! I didn't miss a single note the other day! I'm still not able to stop staring at the keys, but I'll get there some day. Edward says I'll be ready for him to start teaching me my lullaby any day now."

"I am so very glad that Edward can share his music with you, Bella. He has such a gift for it."

"I love to watch him play," I sighed happily. "He's so free when he does it."

"His music has always been a comfort to him. Even when he refused comfort from others, his music would soothe him."

"When he was gone, the only thing I missed more than him was my lullaby. It's soft and gentle and feels like his hugs."

Esme chuckled. "I remember the day he finished writing it. We were just starting to see the changes in him. Alice, Carlisle and I were really the only ones who understand what was happening. Edward wouldn't talk to us about it though. He was being stubborn. He wanted to figure it out on his own."

"It's still hard for me to imagine him in that way."

"My beautiful son had never known love in his human life so he did not know he missed it in this one. He was content in his routines and with himself. But when he fell in love with you, Bella … it was as if he had been asleep for a very long time and was finally waking up."

"It was so strange the way everything happened. He had seemed so mad that first day and then he was gone for that week. But the moment he spoke to me when he came back, I think that was really the point of no return for me. I was already too concerned with why he had been absent from school. His interest in me was my undoing," I chuckled. "It's hard for me to believe sometimes that this isn't one of my dreams."

"Edward has told me that your dreams tended to be … vivid," Esme said.

I giggled. "That's probably putting it mildly. But, yes, they were quite convincing."

"Do you miss them?"

I thought about it briefly then shook my head. "No. But I do miss the way Edward's eyes would light up in the morning when he would tell me how many times he'd heard his name."

Esme chuckled. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Bella. You seem to be able to affect him in that way on a regular basis."

"Really?" I asked, happy at the thought.

"Yes, my lovely daughter. You bring joy and happiness to our Edward."

"I'm just returning the favor!" I ran my fingers along the edge of the pot Esme had just taken her fern from. "Mom, do you think Renee and Charlie will ever get to know how happy I am?"

"If they have read your letters, then they already know."

"I just wish I knew if they had read them. What if they just tossed them in the garbage? If they did that, then when Edward … when I'm no longer alive for them … I just don't like the idea of being lost to them permanently without them knowing that I have been happy. I want them to have something to comfort them."

"Bella, they will be okay. They will miss you and grieve for you, but when the shock wears away, they will remember you fondly." Esme stood and held a hand out to me. "Come and help me with the roses."

I grabbed my mother's hand and she pulled me up. We walked over to the far corner of the porch where she kept her beautiful roses. They were miniature and pale pink. These too reminded me of Esme. They were delicate and sweet and feminine.

We worked in silence for a while, trimming away vines that were barren. We removed some of the thicker thorns as well. I was working on watering the entire box when I heard the sound of Edward's Volvo.

I looked up at my mother, practically dancing in place. She smiled and nodded. I quickly kissed her cheek as I put down the watering canister. I ran through the house and out the front door. He was just getting out of the car. I jumped into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. Our siblings laughed as I kissed every inch of my husband's face.

"So you missed me then?" Edward chuckled.

I smiled brightly as he carried me toward the house. "Absolutely!"

"Did you enjoy your time with Esme?" he asked.

"Very much," I replied. "But I still missed you."

Edward put me down near the sofa. He kissed the top of my head. "I'll be right back, love. I need to ask Esme a question."

"Okay!" I said happily. "I'll see if the others need help." I kissed Edward quickly then made my way back outside again. "Hey, guys! Need any help?"

"Now she notices us!" Jasper teased.

I poked my tongue at my brother as I came around to the trunk of Edward's car. "Wow!" I never stopped being surprised by their ability to shop without restraint.

"Bella, I have a couple of things for you," Alice sang.

"A couple of things or a couple of overloaded bags?" I asked.

"Whichever way you prefer to view it," Alice replied, winking.

Jasper and Alice were both loaded down with bags so I closed the trunk for them. "Where are Emmett and Rose?"

"They went for a little stroll through the woods," Jasper said.

"Rose made us stop at the BMW dealership again," Alice remarked. "She's attempting to give Emmett more reasons to buy her that car she wants."

"Oh!" I chuckled. "Well! Better the woods than the house, right?"

My siblings laughed as we entered the house. Edward was sitting on the loveseat holding something. He opened his arms and smiled my favorite crooked smile. I happily ran to him and climbed onto his lap.

I hugged him tightly around the neck. "I really missed you."

Edward rubbed my back gently and held me against him. "I missed you too." We sat quietly for a moment, glad to be together again. I felt him tapping my shoulder and looked up to see him holding a postcard. "You have mail, Bella."

I looked warily at the postcard. "Who?"

"Charlie," he answered.

"Is he?" I couldn't finish my own sentence. My throat was dry and if were possible, my hands would have been sweating.

"You should read it, Bella," Edward said softly.

His calm voice soothed me and I gingerly took the postcard from him. The picture was the front of the Newton's store. I figured that he'd probably bought it there while picking up some new fishing gear. I turned the card over and stared at my father's scrawling handwriting. I traced the curves of the letters with my little finger. I wasn't ready to read it just yet. I pulled the postcard against me and leaned into Edward's chest, resting my head against his shoulder.

"Did you read it?" he asked, stroking my hair.

"Not yet. Give me a moment."

He hugged me tightly. "Take all the time you need, love."

"Is this what you wanted to talk to Esme about?" I asked.

"Yes. I wanted to be sure she was available if you needed to speak with her."

I had only been nervous before. Now I was terrified. "Is it that bad?"

"No, Bella," Edward cooed. "Relax, love." He rubbed circles into my back and hummed my lullaby until he felt my tension release. "I thought perhaps you might want the perspective of a parent after you read his note. I no longer have the benefit of his thoughts to help you decipher his mood."

I sat up slowly and looked down at the postcard again. It was time to get this over with. I would just have to accept whatever he said. I couldn't force him to forgive me or to like Edward. I flipped it over and read the back of the card. "Bella. Hope you are doing well in school. Miss you, kid. Dad." I smiled happily. It was perfect and so very Charlie. He missed me and he loved me. He had read my letter and he didn't hate me. I threw my arms around Edward's neck and hugged him tightly. "He doesn't hate me, Edward! He misses me!"

Edward chuckled. "As if anyone could ever hate you, My Bella!"

Alice and Jasper appeared in front of me, standing behind the loveseat. "Alice!" I squealed, thrusting the postcard at her. "Charlie wrote me! He doesn't hate me!"

"Silly Bella! Charlie's your father. He could never hate you," Alice said. She looked briefly at the postcard before handing it to Jasper.

"Charlie's a man of few words," Jasper teased.

I nodded my head in agreement. "He's not the 'show your love' type."

"He must have really enjoyed watching you two make-out," Jasper chuckled.

"Are you crazy!" I cried. "We hardly even held hands in front of Charlie. He would have gone ballistic!"

"I've always wondered if our proper behavior is what made him give you that sex talk," Edward teased. "Maybe if you had let me kiss you in front of him he wouldn't have been so worried."

I playfully slapped Edward's chest. "You just be glad he never tried to shoot you! Besides, with the way you were always dazzling me, he probably would have worried something was wrong with me."

"Bella, you have more mail," Alice said cheerily. She handed me my laptop. "This one is from Renee."

I took my laptop and turned in Edward's lap so that we could all see the screen together. I turned on the machine and waited impatiently for it to boot up and find the internet connection. My laptop was fast, but not quick enough for an anxious teenager.

Edward took my hands into his and unrolled my fingers. "Bella, if you don't relax, you won't be able to focus. You'll break your laptop."

I nodded my head and forced myself to relax against him. The computer was finally ready. I clicked on my email account icon. It opened right up to my inbox. I saw an email from 'LuvTheSun0913'. Renee. I clicked on the email and opened it.

Bella,

Hope you are paying attention in class and making good grades. Don't let anyone take away your focus. Write soon. Here are some pictures of my newest hobby. Phil has high hopes for this one.

Renee

I scrolled down the page to see a picture of Renee in a bright blue scuba outfit. Phil was trying desperately to get her tank on, but my mother was too busy trying to fix her flipper. The second picture showed her standing next to Phil, both of them completely dressed in their scuba gear. The final picture was of my mother being pushed off the side of the boat. I scrolled back up and reread her email. She was still furious, that much was obvious by her focus comment. But she wanted me to write her. That had to be a good sign.

"Bella, what are you thinking?" Edward asked.

I put the laptop aside and turned so that I could look at him and my siblings. "I'm thinking that Renee is still mad, but it's good she wants me to write her. I was also wondering if Renee even likes to swim."

"I don't know if she likes swimming," Edward said, grinning. "But I know that she hates fish from her time with Charlie. I doubt she realized scuba diving meant swimming with fish."

I giggled as I pictured my mother's brown eyes growing wide with shock at the sight of a fish. I pictured her trying to walk in flippers and imagined it would look something like me crossing a flat surface when I was human. I started laughing for real. I looked up to see Edward, Alice and Jasper looking totally clueless. Of course they were! They didn't have access to the brain of Silly Bella. They couldn't see Renee trying to move forward without her tank pulling her backward. They couldn't hear the empty silence that had marked our last conversation with each other. My laughter turned to sobs and I clutched Edward's shirt, pulling myself into his chest.

Edward rubbed my back and I felt a wave of calm flow through me. "Thank you, Jazz," I whispered.

"No problem," he said, patting my shoulder. "You're really running the emotional gambit today."

"Sorry," I sighed. "I had almost given up hope that I would ever hear from them. And then I thought maybe it was better that way so that I didn't have to be in a rush to fake my death. But a really selfish part of me wanted them to write me so that I could feel better and know that they didn't hate me."

"Bella, they never hated you," Edward said, taking my face into his hands. "They were disappointed in your choices and they were afraid for you after what happened when I was away. They were angry with me, fearing I was taking you away from them. But you, Bella, you they love with all their hearts."

"I wish they could love you too, Edward," I replied, smiling for him.

"So do I, love." Edward kissed the tip of my nose. "Do you want to be alone to write them back?"

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Besides, I need you to make sure I don't slip and say something I shouldn't."

"We'll be upstairs, Bella," Alice said, rubbing my shoulder. "Do you want to watch a movie together after?"

I smiled and nodded. "I really would like that."

"Just call us when you're ready," Jasper said, kissing my forehead.

"Thank you," I replied, smiling for them. I turned around in Edward's lap again and he handed me my laptop. "This would be a lot easier if Charlie had email too."

Edward chuckled. "Alice tried to show him, but it didn't turn out well."

"When did she do that?" I asked. I certainly had never heard this story before. He didn't answer me. I figured it must have been pretty recent then. "It's okay, Edward. You can tell me. I won't be upset."

He kissed my head and hugged me around the waist. "It was a few days before your change. Alice wanted to make sure Charlie had an easy way to contact you since it would be a while before you could even talk on the phone with him. She tried to show him on your old computer. He was not in the mood to learn though."

"Well, it was very nice of Alice to try. I know just how stubborn Charlie can be," I replied.

"Bella, I'm …"

"Don't, Edward. Please don't make any more apologies for my parents or about them. I love my life with you and our family. I don't have any regrets. I would do it all again. Just help me write them back. Okay?"

"As you wish, Wife." He put his hands over the keys of the laptop. "How shall we start off our reply?"

"Let me see … Oh, I know. Type this. Thanks for writing, Mom. Sex with Edward is great."

"Um … Bella?" Edward said in a shaky voice.

"Yes, Edward?" I fought hard to keep the giggle inside that wanted to come bursting out.

"Are you sure you want to start your reply that way? You are talking to Renee, you know."

"Silly Vampire!" I chuckled. "I'm only teasing."

Edward let out a very relieved sigh. "You scare me, Bella. You're getting as devious as Emmett."

"I'll be serious this time," I promised. "Dear Renee. Your new hobby looks like fun. College is great. Edward and I are doing well. He's tutoring me in all my subjects and my grades show it."

"Tutoring you?" Edward asked. "Why would you need a tutor?"

"I remember enough to know that I was horrible in math. Besides, if she thinks you're the reason for my good grades, maybe she'll lighten up a little."

"Point taken. Continue."

"Life with the Cullens is great. I never thought I would enjoy having sisters and brothers, but I really do. Esme and Carlisle have been wonderful to me and treat me like I've always been one of the family. I'm sorry I don't have time to write more, but I've got a paper due and a big test tomorrow. Say hi to Phil for me."

Edward hit the return key a few times and put my name. I ran my finger over the mouse pad and clicked the send button. One parent down, one to go. Edward closed the cover on the laptop with one hand. In the other, he held a postcard and a pen. I lifted an eyebrow at him. He shrugged. "Alice thought it fitting."

I put the postcard on my laptop and pulled the cover off the pen. I was just about to bite the end of the pen, a very human habit for me, when I felt Edward pull my hand away. He shook his head at me and I smiled shyly. "Thanks. I don't think I'd look very good covered in ink," I told him.

"That's debatable," Edward said, grinning at me. "But let's leave it for another day."

I nodded my head in agreement as I turned my attention back to the postcard.

Dear Dad,

Thanks for the postcard. College is great. Miss you too. Don't worry, Edward is taking excellent care of me. Alice says hello.

Love, Bella.

I held the card up for Edward's inspection. He smiled and nodded. "I will have Carlisle mail it for you from the hospital tomorrow."

"Thank you," I said. Edward moved away the laptop, card and pen. He turned us so that we were snuggling together across the loveseat. "Alice," he called at a normal volume.

"All done!" Alice asked as she and Jasper sat on the sofa.

"Yep," I replied. What movie are we going to watch?"

"The Devil Wears Prada!" Alice replied gleefully.

I smiled at my sister's exuberance. Today was shaping up to be a very good day! I had heard from my parents and they didn't hate me. I was wrapped up in the loving arms of my husband and I was spending time with my sister and brother. Definitely no regrets!