Epilogue

Six Months Later…

I'm nervous. Mostly because this is the first time I'm seeing Alice since our weekend at the cabin and there are still a lot of things that need to be said. Rose wanted to come, but she's so close to her due date that we'll have to just Skype her in. Can't have her going into labor on the wrong side of the country.

"I got you ice cream, Bella," Edward says into the intercom of my apartment. You'd be surprised to know that I have my very own place now. I stayed with Edward for a few weeks while I figured out what I was doing, and even though I want to work this out with him and see where it goes, I didn't move here for him. I moved here for me.

My boss was less than thrilled when my sick day turned into an "I moved to New York City" day, but it was for the best. I started working a few months ago as a receptionist at a non-profit foundation, and they're already asking me if I'm looking to move up in the company. Not the best pay, but I enjoy it and it pays my bills.

Life with Edward has been interesting. It's a battle between loving the people we used to be and learning about the people we are now, and that included some serious resentment I had toward him. We fight sometimes, and that ugly monster rears its head, but it happens less and less. And it hurts less and less, even though when I think about all of the time we lost, it feels like such a waste.

My friends, Alice in particular, has been another story. We talk on the phone, a lot more than we used to, but for some reason I feel betrayed by them more than I do Edward and it's been hard to get back to how we used to be. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever get there.

My front door opens and Edward steps in, groceries in each arm. "As requested," he says, setting everything down on the counter. "Cookie dough ice cream, actual cookie dough, Pizza Rolls, Bagel Bites, mozzarella sticks, several, and I do mean several bottles of wine…" He looks up at me. "You still nervous?"

"Yeah," I admit, glancing at the clock. "She'll be here soon."

"Well I better head out then, I have to meet the guys at the office."

"Have fun at the game."

He leans down to kiss me on the cheek and leaves.

I count down the minutes until 2:00 hits. Then I watch the clock for another hour, to account for baggage claim and taxi. Just when I start to relax a little, my intercom beeps.

"Hello?" I say, pushing the button.

"It's me!" Her voice comes through the speaker and with a shaky finger, I buzz her up.

I open the door and wait, watching the elevator stop at the main floor, then light up each number until it gets to me. When the doors open, she's there, smiling and her arms full of things. Alice things.

"Hi, B," she says.

"Hi, Ali." I open the door for her. "Come on in."

"Thanks." She steps inside and takes a good look around.

"It's a little small."

"It's so cute!" She sets her things down and walks to the window. "Decent view."

"Yeah."

I show her around the neighborhood, exchanging nothing more than small talk the entire time. Something feels off. I'm pretty sure it's the big elephant in the room known as Edward Cullen.

I'm starving by the time we get back to my place.

"So, uh, Edward got us some food, are you hungry?" I ask.

"Always."

We retreat to the kitchen area and go through the usuals. How Rose is doing. Jasper's job. Emmett. Just Emmett in general.

We make every kind of food that Edward got us and then we're just sitting in my living room, stuffed and feeling like crap because we ate too much. But neither of us have anything to say.

"Can we just get to it then?" She asks.

"What?"

"You telling me how awful I was. You think I haven't noticed that you've been pretty quiet. And that's saying a lot considering I barely heard from you for ten years."

"What do you want me to say?"

"That you're mad at me. And I should have told you about Edward."

"I'm not...mad. I'm hurt, Alice."

She moves from her seat on the couch to join me in my chair, one that's not meant for two people.

"I know. And I'm sorry. I was wrong. We were all wrong." She pulls my blanket over her knees.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She's quiet for a long time before she speaks again. "A year after you moved to Chicago...we hadn't spoken much. But I sent you a birthday card. With little kittens on it. Saying I'd like to come visit and to let me know when you had time." She shakes her head. "You didn't call. Or email. Or text. Then I tried to call you for Christmas and got your voicemail. I left you a message, and you never called me back."

I remember that card. And that voicemail. And telling myself, I need to call Alice. Then I never did because I got too busy and had to go to that meeting, or finish that project, or call Mom and Dad.

"Edward called me back, Bella. I thought maybe you just weren't interested anymore." She shrugs, a few stray tears coming down her cheeks. "I can't tell you something if you don't answer your phone, and after awhile I stopped trying. It wasn't about choosing him over you, or loving him more than I love you. I just couldn't keep talking to a voicemail message."

"I'm awful." I bury my head in my hands.

"I should have kept trying."

"I shouldn't have made you keep trying."

We cry. For a long time. Then we sit in the chair hugging each other for even longer. And even though it doesn't erase the past ten years, the crater between us just got a little smaller.

"So," she says, taking a chunk of cookie dough. "How are things with Edward?"

"They're good. We're taking it slow, actually. He still has his own place. I have my place. Just one day at a time. How are things with Jasper?"

"Amazing. He's worried you're going to hate him forever and he's scared to talk to you."

"He's not still upset about that time I tackled him when we were playing football is he?"

"You scared the shit out of him." She giggles.

"And gave him a concussion. I felt so bad."

"Ah well. He needs to get knocked on his ass every now and then."

We watch a movie, drink all the bottles of wine, and it feels little like it used to. I pass out on the couch, Alice on the floor, and wake to Edward in the kitchen.

I squint one eye open. "Your key was revoked after the water balloon incident."

"I convinced your doorman I thought you might be dead so he let me in." He surveys the area. "And judging by the scene in front of me, I don't know that I was wrong."

"Wine." I sigh.

"You drank it all. But I did bring bagels."

"Edward?" Alice pops her head up.

"Good morning, dearest," he teases. "I come bearing gifts."

He toasts two bagels and brings us each one on a plate.

After we eat, and I get a good five glasses of water in me, I start to feel a little better.

Edward joins us for a day out in the city. We show Alice where we both work and stop by some of the touristy sites.

The rest of the long weekend goes too quickly. Alice and I talk some more. We Skype in Rose, who is glowing and looking like she's ready to give birth at any minute. I call Jasper and have a private conversation in the park across the street. Emmett sends me a Snap Chat of him doing a duck face with a heart.

Every day I feel like things are falling into place more and more. I'm getting back to where I want to be, and Edward is supportive and wonderful. Even in the moments of doubt, the holy shit how did I do this? The what if this doesn't work out? The this is crazy and you need to go back to Chicago. I stay because I believe in me and I believe someday, Edward and I will be better than we were before.

We visit my family at Christmas, the first Christmas I've been back home in a long time. The lights of the city dot the ground, just tiny pinpricks from the airplane window. I remember the last time coming home, the feeling of dread and sadness that overwhelmed me about losing Jacob. This time, I feel hope.

"Ladies and Gentleman, as we prepare for landing, please return your seats and tray tables to their upright and locked position, and make sure that your seatbelt is securely fastened. We should be landing in Seattle momentarily..."


A/N: Hi, all! So the original plan had the last chapter as the actual last chapter. I had written this epilogue just as an exercise for me, to expand on and explain Alice's story a little, and maybe come a little more full circle with the beginning of the story. I was debating whether I was going to post it or continue with the original plan, but since I've had a few "That's it?!" messages, so I've decided to go ahead and post this for you.

Also, I know a lot of readers didn't agree with Bella's decision to go on the path of forgiveness. That's okay! It's not the choice I would have made either, but it's part of her story and her path. She wants to be happy and move on, and that's the route she decided was best for her.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you for the next one. Not sure what kind of timeline I'm looking at, but I'm really excited for it. Imagine teen romance movie meets deadly virus, literally. I'm looking forward to sharing it with you!