I sincerely apologize for the delay in this chapter. I had all of the chapters pre-written for this story but, unfortunately, there was a little incident with my laptop and, um, those files are gone. I've been rewriting.

Also, my sister and her family were right in the path of Sandy. Luckily they evacuated, but their home is not inhabitable at the moment. So my sister, her husband, and their five children have been staying with us. It is…hectic, to say the least.

And one more thing- my husband and I are expecting our third child in April so it will definitely be getting a little more busy and crazy here on my end!

…

Bella Swan:

Edward held my hand in his, absentmindedly running his thumb over my. His brow was furrowed as he looked off into the distance.

"Don't tell me you're nervous, too," I teased, squeezing his hand gently.

We were sitting the administration office at the University of Washington, waiting for my name to be called. The only way I could even think about being able to afford this school would be if I got the full ride scholarship. I wrote the essay and made it through the first couple of rounds, and now I need to get through the interview process. I'm very nervous to say the least- this interview determines whether or not I will be able to go to school here.

"I'm sure you'll be great," Edward assured me. "Nothing to be nervous about, really." He kissed the back of my hand and smiled peacefully. Beneath the little smile, I detected a grimace on his face.

"Is your leg hurting?" I asked, concerned.

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. But I'll be fine, don't worry. Focus on yourself right now, Bella. I know how important this is to you."

"You're important to me, too," I reminded him.

He just smiled and squeezed my hand again, and we fell back into a comfortable silence.

I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that things between Edward and me will never go back to what they once were. Things have changed, and it's as simple as that. Due to some things that have happened in both of our lives, neither of us are ever going to be the same, and therefore our relationship isn't ever going to be the same, either. But as much as I loved the "old us", I love the "new us" just as much. When you get down to it, we are still Edward and Bella, no matter how different things are.

Edward and I are redefining our relationship, and we're still adjusting. Things get tough and sometimes it is extremely stressful, but we both push through. We're young, but we want to make things work.

…

"What is something that has changed you significantly over the past several years?"

I took a deep breath, looking my interviewer straight in the eye.

And I told her our story. I told her about how I had become a better person thanks to Edward, my best and first friend, and how even his accident changed me for the better. When I left Forks, I was a like a selfish little girl with a broken heart. But when I came back, everything was different. Not just me, either.

I left the interview with a big smile on my face.

Even if I didn't get the scholarship, I knew that I had done the best I could during that interview. I answered each question with honestly and tact, and I tried to communicate to my interviewer who I really was. Hopefully, I did get the scholarship. Edward had already be accepted into UDub for next fall as well, but his grandparents would be covering the full cost of his tuition and room/board. And unless I got this scholarship, I wouldn't be joining him here.

Both of us had worked extremely hard, and we want to get on with our life together. That means marriage and kids and whatever else comes along with all of that, but right now we're just living in the moment.

We are so thankful for every single day that we have together, because all of this was almost taken away from us.

…

"I was so angry for a long time," Edward said quietly. "I'm sorry if that hurt you. I just realized that I've never apologized…for all of that anger I had towards you and towards everyone else."

We were sitting alone in the Cullen's living room a couple of days after my interview, wasting our afternoon away by being lazy and waiting for his parents to come home so we could have dinner together. Edward was typically pretty quiet, especially after the accident and everything following, but today was a little different. He had been brooding about something, and now I knew what.

"It's not your fault, baby." I cupped his cheek in my hand, feeling the scratchy stubble along his jaw. "You were scared and hurt…it's a normal reaction to be angry."

"It wasn't your fault, either," Edward retorted. "And I'm going to spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you'll let me."

My breath caught slightly, and my eyes widened as Edward reached into his pocket.

"I know we're young, and I know I'm not the man you fell in love with anymore, but Isabella Marie Swan, you are everything to me. I love you more than life itself, and I'm the luckiest man in the world because you love me, too. Despite everything I have had to deal with lately, and all the stress it's put on your shoulders and on mine, you have stood by my side. And that means everything to me. Bella, will you marry me?"

I felt like I was frozen as I stared down at the ring that the man I love held out to me. It was beautiful and simple, just what I would have picked out for myself.

Finally, I snapped out of it. "On two conditions, Mr. Cullen," I said, unable to stop smiling. "One, never act like you are or have ever been a burden to me. Because you're not, and you never have been. Two…you have to promise to love me forever."

"Done." Edward quickly pushed the ring onto my finger, his hands shaky slightly as he did so. That made me love him even more, if that was even possible. He admired the ring on my finger for a moment, and then grabbed my face and kissed me like he had never kissed me before.

Edward poured everything he had and everything he was into the kiss, and there were tears of happiness in my eyes by the time he pulled away.

"Thank you, Bella. For saying yes."

I shook my head, wiping the tears out of my eyes. "No, thank you for asking."

"You were surprised, then?" He asked curiously.

"Completely! I had no idea…"

"Good. That was the plan. I wanted to surprise you. And now, we need to meet our parents for a celebratory meal."

I gaped at Edward in shock. "Our parents? You mean…" I trailed off, flabbergasted, as Edward nodded. "My parents are here? Really?!"

"Well, technically they're not here, they're in Seattle. But we're having dinner with them and my parents tonight to celebrate, so we should probably get a move on."

"Wait, wait," Edward started to get up with help from his cane, but I stopped him. "Explain, please! My parents are here, in Washington, and they know that you proposed? How long have you been planning this?"

Edward grinned, planting another kiss on my lips. "Since the day I met you, Bella Swan."

…

"Edward called us months ago, telling us that he wanted to marry you and asking your father for permission…it was so sweet, Bella. He was so nervous…"

My mother continued to prattle on as Edward blushed, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "I wouldn't have been surprised if Charlie had said no!"

Charlie rolled his eyes, reaching around me and clapping Edward on the shoulder. "Edward, would you have really taken no for an answer, given how much you love my little girl over there? Besides, I couldn't think of a better man for my little girl."

My heart swelled up with Charlie's words, because that meant the world to me. Everyone, even my gruff, emotionally challenged father, could see the love between Edward and I and recognize how special this was.

"Now I really need to get that scholarship!" I exclaimed. "We can't be married and not be at UDub together, that just wouldn't do." Edward exchanged a look with his parents, and I narrowed my eyes at him. "What? What have you done now, Edward?"

"Bella, if you're going to be family, which you practically already are, my parents are more than willing to cover the cost of your education as well as Edward's," Carlisle explained smoothly. "Edward told them about his plans for the future, and they were both very pleased to hear it."

I shook my head, tears welling up in my eyes for the millionth time that night. "That's too much…you're already welcoming me into your family, I can't let them do that…"

Esme reached across the table and took her hand in mine, shaking her head. "They know how much you've done for Edward, and what you mean to him. They want to do this, Bella. And trust me, Carlisle's parents can afford this. They would not make the offer if they weren't good for it."

"You're going to be my wife, Bella. What's mine is yours…my money, my family, and especially my heart."

…

Hopefully the next chapter will be faster. Everyone has been cooperating lately, so keep your fingers crossed.

Please review!

Xoxo- Mel.