The Snowman.

The snow flurries that fell from the sky landed delicately on the heads and shoulders of mother and daughter who worked their hardest in the front yard, attempting to make a frozen family.

"Mom, Mom, Mom! This is what Uncle Emmett showed me." Skyler held her head back and stuck out a pink tongue to collect the flakes. "Ya hafta catch all the snow!" A happy giggle erupted from the little girl. "I got one!"

"Well done!" Bella praised her daughter, as she stuck a tree branch into the side of Snow Dad. "How many more can you get?"

"Uh..." Skyler replied still with an outstretched tongue. "then!"

"Ten? That's impressive, Sky."

"Momma..." Bella turned her head to see her other child, looking very unsure of the snow beneath his feet. "Ooooh." Caleb was decked out in the puffiest winter outfit, snow boots, a wooly hat that his Nana Esme made him, and a pair of red mittens.

"You'll be fine, baby. C'mon." Bella stood to her feet when she noticed that Caleb wasn't moving a muscle. With his hand placed in hers, they made their way back across the yard. "Do you want to help us make a snow family?"

"I'ya... I'ya do... a baby!" Caleb crouched and scooped a handful of snow which he proceeded to pat into a mound.

"Okay, you work on the baby, I'll do the mommy and daddy and Skyler can do the child, yeah?"

"Yes. Sky'er do a baby a'well." He was stern with that request. No-one was going to change his mind.

"We need to take pictures when they are done and send them to Daddy." Skyler had given up on catching snow flakes and returned to join her mom and brother. "Do you think he'll like them?"

Bella smiled at the memories of her husband and how excited he gets when the snow arrives. Edward loves nothing more than having a good snowball fight. "He'd love it."

The young girl giggled, "remember when Daddy made snow angels with me."

"Oh yes, that was funny. He makes us laugh a lot doesn't he."

"Mhmm. When he put Caleb on the turkey at Thanksgiving!" Bella thought back to the last Thanksgiving dinner they shared with Edward and the whole family. He made a comment about the size of the festive bird in comparison to their one-year-old son and continued to rest said son above the bird. Most of the things Edward does has Bella's heart jump into her mouth, like when he throws them up in the air and catches the poor children seconds before they hit the ground, but she knows he'd never hurt them, and thinking back now she can't help but laugh.

"And 'member when we made you breakfast in bed." Skyler smiled up at her mother. "Daddy would always wake me up super duper early!"

"He's an incredibly caring man, Sky."

As the tears formed once again, Bella realized that they were talking like Edward was never coming back. He was. He would be home in a couple months. And Bella can feel complete again. Every memory of hers, he is a part of. Of course it helped to have the children with her, but without her best friend by her side, she felt like the empty shell of herself.

"Momma! Olaf!" Bella wiped her tears and turned her attention to Caleb. He still was playing with the mound of snow. Bella couldn't see the resemblance between her son's creation and a Disney character, but both were made of snow, so she let him off.

"Well done, Baby. You're so clever."

She saw her husband in the gleam of her son's eyes and the way his lips turned up at one corner. It made her realize something that she always knew; Edward may not be there in person beside her, but he was there in their children and every memory they made together in that house. Bella's realization made her stronger. Stronger to survive.

She could get through the last three months. For herself, but also for him.

And mostly... for the children.

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Next update will be Thursday, we're getting close to the big day!
Thoughts?