I want to thank Charmie for all her help. Without it, I doubt that I would be posting this chapter at all.
Have a Little Faith
Chapter 7
"Hey!" I said quickly into the phone.
"Oh, hi. I was going to hang up," Bella said. I heard her clear her throat before she continued. "How was Suzy? Did she survive the night all alone?"
"Oh, yeah, she was... is fine. She's actually stopped growling at me when I put her leash on her to take her out for a walk.
"Well... that's good."
I smiled as I heard the hesitation in her voice. I could have made it easier on her and asked her why she was calling me, but I was kind of enjoying the fact that 'Miss Confidence' was a little nervous for a change.
"Did I tell you that I had a good time last night?" she asked.
"You did," I replied as I tried to suppress my laughter. I shouldn't have been enjoying her nervousness as much as I was, but, damn it; she intimidated the hell out of me most of the time. It was kind of nice for the shoe to be on the other foot.
"Um, okay. Have you talked to your mother today?"
"I was on the phone with Daddy when you called."
"Oh... do you need to get back to him?"
"No, he hung up." I couldn't stand it anymore. It was cute and all, but I seriously wanted to know why she was calling me. "I thought you were working today. I was going to call you tomorrow."
"I went in for a while... checked on a few patients."
"Okay," I prompted her.
"Oh, for God's sake," she muttered. "Do you like Chinese food?"
"Most of the time. I'm not a big fan of the all-you-can-eat buffet. I take it as a personal challenge and eat more than I should. Why do you ask?"
"I found this place on Greensprings Avenue that has a really good Mongolian combination dinner." She paused and I waited for her to continue. "Anyway... it's always way more than I can eat."
"Okay," I prompted her again.
I heard her sigh before she said, "I was wondering if you wanted to share it with me."
I looked over to the forgotten sandwich on the kitchen counter and then I looked down at my attire. I had changed into pajama pants and a sweatshirt after Suzy's last walk. It didn't take me long to make a decision about dinner. "Sure! Just tell me where it is. I'll put on some clothes and meet you there." She didn't say anything for several moments. I thought I might have lost the call. I looked at the phone; nope, no lost call. "Bella?"
"You don't have on any clothes?" she hesitantly asked.
"Maybe... maybe not. Why? What does it make you think about?"
"Well, it makes me wonder why you were talking to your dad in the buff. I also wonder if it's a common thing for you to walk around your house naked. I guess it would be your prerogative if you wanted to walk around your home without any clothes on; but still... Aren't you a little cold? Doesn't the cold usually adversely affect... certain parts?"
It was becoming increasingly difficult to not laugh at this point. "Why are you thinking about my... certain parts?" I teased.
"Never mind. I'm going home. I'll talk to you later."
"No, no, wait. I seriously want Chinese food now. Where are you?"
"I'm sitting in the parking lot of the Publix shopping center on Greensprings, but I don't want you to come here. I got the food to go. I thought that I could maybe bring it over to your house. Is that okay?"
I looked around and then sniffed the air. I couldn't really smell shit anymore and the house was clean. I glared at Suzy and tried to telepathically tell her to not shit anywhere before Bella got here. She glared back and let out a low growl.
"Sure, that'll be fine. I still need to put some clothes on though."
"Are you seriously naked?"
"You're a very literal person, aren't you?"
"Most of the time. Answer the question."
I laughed and then said, "No, I am not actually naked. I have on my pajamas. I thought that I would at least put on a pair of jeans and try to do something with my hair before you get here. Is that okay or would you prefer that I be, in fact, naked when you arrive?"
She didn't say anything, but then I thought I might have heard her mumble something to herself.
"Are you still there?"
"I'm still here and you're a tease. I don't think we're ready for you to be meeting me at the door sans clothes. Give me directions and I'll be there in a few," she said.
I gave her directions from the shopping center to my house. I actually shopped at that Publix, so I knew that I had about fifteen minutes before Bella would be at my house. I changed into a pair of faded jeans and ran my hands through my hair a few times. I rubbed the stubble on my face and decided that I really didn't have the time or the desire to shave.
I went back to the kitchen and put away my sandwich fixings. I wiped down the counters and then cleaned off the breakfast nook table. I thought that music might be a good idea, so I got my ipod from the docking station in my bedroom and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. I turned it on and Pearl Jam radiated through the room. I shrugged. I liked Pearl Jam and "Jeremy" was one of my favorite songs. It would probably switch to something else by the time she got to the house.
I looked down at the dog. "Do you need to go out again?" I asked as if she could answer me. "Please don't shit anywhere after Bella gets here. I don't want to be forced to kill you." She responded by narrowing her eyes and growling. I sometimes thought that she could understand me. I also thought that if she could talk, she'd tell me to go fuck myself.
I had one scented candle in the whole house. It was supposed to smell like vanilla. Momma bought it for me a few years before. I had put it under the sink in the kitchen. I found it earlier in the day when I also found the Lysol. I got it out and lit it before placing it on the breakfast table.
I surveyed the area and decided that it didn't look too bad... for a bachelor pad. I tended to be a neat freak. The house was always tidy and, for the most part, clean. The only wild card on this night was the dog. I walked to the half bath one last time to check the piddle pad. It was clean, but then I thought about where Bella would use the bathroom while she was here. I looked down at the dog.
"If I move this to my bathroom, can you remember where it is and use it?" She stared back at me blankly. "I'm losing my mind," I muttered.
I picked up the pad, showed it to Suzy, and walked with it to my bathroom. She followed me. When I put it on the floor, she walked over to it and sniffed it. She looked up at me approvingly. I took that as a good sign.
The doorbell sounded through the house and Suzy went nuts. She was barking her head off as she ran to the front door.
"Would you just shut-up," I yelled at her as I ran for the door. "Jesus Christ, you'd think that someone was trying to break down the door the way you're acting. Shut-up!" I slipped on the hardwood in the foyer and nearly faceplanted into the front staircase. "Fuck," I said under my breath.
I grabbed for Suzy and she scooted out of my grasp... barking incessantly. "Shut-up," I said to her again. I managed to push her back from the door with my foot without losing a toe. I opened the door to a very amused looking Bella. "Hi," I greeted her. "Ignore Satan's spawn. She likes you and I don't think she'll attack."
Bella laughed and handed me the bag of food. "Come here, precious," she said as she bent down with her arms outstretched. Suzy quieted immediately and rushed into Bella's arms. That reaction from the Hellhound still baffled the shit out of me.
Bella scooped up Suzy and walked through the door. I was shaking my head and looking at the two of them when Bella finally said something to me.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's just so surreal. Honestly, she hates everyone, but you." I took the food into the kitchen and began laying it out on the counter. "This smells really good. I've never had Mongolian combination before. I've had Mongolian beef... it was spicy."
Bella put Suzy down and went to the sink to wash her hands. "Usually Mongolian anything is spicy, but this isn't. It has more of a sweet flavor. It has chicken, beef, and shrimp in it. I think you'll like it."
"I'm sure I will." I took two plates and two glasses out of the cabinet. "I have tea, Diet Coke, water, and I may have a few Sierra Mist left over from the last time Momma was here. What's your poison?"
"I've had the tea around here... too much for me. I like to keep my sugar levels below the diabetes range, thank you. I'll take a Sierra Mist, if you have any... if not, then water will be fine."
I went to the pantry and found a Sierra Mist for Bella. I retrieved a Diet Coke from the refrigerator for myself. I put the cans on the table and then took the glasses to the refrigerator and filled them with ice before placing them both on the table as well. Bella had dished up the food when I returned to the counter. I took both plates from her and put them on the table. She followed behind me with two pair of chopsticks.
I shook my head and said, "I don't think so. I'd like to actually get some of the food into my mouth tonight."
"You can't use chopsticks?" she asked. I shook my head. "Really? Have you ever tried?"
"Once... in lawschool. Alice tried to teach me. More of the food ended up on the floor than in my mouth. I'm way too hungry at this point tonight to suffer through that again. I'm getting a fork."
She laughed at me and said, "You cannot eat Chinese food with a fork."
"Actually, you can. I've done it on numerous occasions."
"It's just wrong on many levels," she replied.
"What's wrong is the Devil dog getting more of my meal than I do. She's like a tiny, fur covered vacuum cleaner when it comes to food hitting the floor."
"Let me teach you," Bella said as she took my hand. At that point, I would have done anything that she asked. The feel of her skin against mine made my brain shut completely off. It suddenly got very warm in the room and I thought that I might have seen stars or something like that. I don't know what was happening to me, but I was light headed and wanted more than anything to take her in my arms and kiss her until neither one of us could breathe. I nodded like an idiot and let her lead me to the table.
She showed me how to hold the chopsticks. Her hands were on mine the whole time and think that I might have forgotten to breathe. She smelled like strawberries again and I wanted to hold that scent in my head for as long as possible. I licked my lips and nodded as I think she instructed me on how to use those damned sticks. I have no real idea what she said. I was too focused on watching her lips move and imagining how it would feel to have my tongue in her mouth. Or vice versa... I wasn't really picky about whose tongue went where.
Bella helped me pick up a piece of beef. I slowly tried to get it into my mouth. I almost had it to my lips when it flew out of the chopsticks and landed on the floor. Suzy sucked it up like a Hoover vacuum. I don't even think that she chewed it up. Bella doubled over laughing.
I frowned at her and said, "Are we done with this little experiment?" She continued to laugh. "Can I please have a fork now?"
"No," she said as she gasped for air. "You have to try again."
"Bella, come on. I'm starving. Please let me have a fork."
"You are not 'starving.' Try again." She took my hand and repositioned the chopsticks. I picked up a shrimp this time and actually got it in my mouth. She looked at me with a very satisfied expression. She continued to stand beside me as I managed to get a piece of chicken and a few onions into my mouth.
"See," she said as she sat in the chair next to mine, "you can use chopsticks."
"For the meat and the onions... sure, but what about the rice. That's going to be dang near impossible," I said as I continued to slowly manipulate the food into my mouth. "And this is going to take forever to eat. I could take much larger bites with a fork." I don't know what went wrong, but another piece of meat landed on the floor at Suzy's feet. She gobbled it up. I gave Bella a look that I hoped said, 'see.'
"Quit complaining and eat your food," she said with a smile.
"I know that the Chinese people are supposed to be smart and all, but really... eating with sticks? You'd think that one of them would have looked at a shovel or a pitchfork at some point and thought 'aha!' or something."
Bella threw her chopsticks down on the table and began to laugh hysterically. I looked at her for a long time; wondering what was so funny about what I had said.
She wiped her eyes and said, "You're insane."
"I was serious," I muttered.
She started laughing again. "That just makes it funnier."
Bella finally regained her composure and we were able to finish the meal. She showed me how to eat the rice with the chopsticks. I was right... it took forever. Suzy got as much of my food as I did. Bella helped me clean up and we retired to the living room.
"So, do you want to watch a movie... maybe some TV? It's up to you." I didn't want her to leave. I would do whatever she wanted to keep her at my house for as long as possible.
"This house is crazy huge. I was driving up to it and thought that you might have another family living in the upstairs. Is it just you here?"
"Yep, it's just me. Would you like a tour?"
"Yeah," she said enthusiastically.
"Well, you've seen the kitchen and the breakfast nook." I walked across the living room to the double doors at the opposite side. "This, of course, is the living room. You saw the foyer when you came in. The room to the right of the front door is my home office and the room to the left is the formal dining room." Bella followed me back out into the hallway. I walked down the hall. "This is the half bathroom... if you need to go... or anything." I said it and then felt like a complete moron. I cleared my throat and walked on down the hall.
I gestured to the right. "This is a spare room. I put the piano and my guitars in here."
"You're a musician?" she asked.
"Uh, well, that might be a stretch. I can play the piano and the guitar, but I don't think I'm that good."
"Would you play something for me sometime?" she asked.
"Okay," I said before I was truly aware of what I was agreeing to do. I hadn't played for an audience since high school. "Um, my bedroom is through here." Bella walked through the door before me and looked around. She went to the floor to ceiling windows that faced the back of my property. It was that view that had sold me on the house.
"This is a beautiful view," she said. I nodded even though she couldn't see me. I couldn't speak at that moment. My inner teenage boy was screaming that I had Bella in my room. I was having a very difficult and serious internal fight with myself. One part of me wanted to grab her up and throw her on the bed. The other more grown up and sane part knew that this wasn't really the right time for this. My inner teenage boy began to pout.
She turned and I cleared my throat. "Um, yeah, uh, the bathroom is there," I said as I pointed to my right. She walked into the bathroom and laughed.
"Is that a bidet?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said with a laugh. "It was here when I moved in. I've never used it. I don't even know how to use it or if it even works."
"That's hysterical."
"Yeah, I know. Do you want to see the upstairs?" I asked as I started out of the master suite.
"What's upstairs?" she asked as she followed me back to the double doors that separated the living room from the hall and the foyer.
"Three more bedrooms and three more bathrooms," I replied.
"This place a frigging huge," she said. "Why do you need so much house?"
"Do you always say the first thing that pops into your head?"
"Usually, yes. Answer the question."
"I don't need this much house. It was a foreclosure. I came out with Jasper to look at it before it went to auction. I fell in love with the view from the bedroom. I put in a bid and won it. I can't help it. I love the house. It's in a great neighborhood. It's built on three lots. It has a pool. What's not to love? I couldn't resist it. Plus, they accepted my ridiculously low bid."
"That makes sense," she said as she walked into the living room and sat on the couch. "So, you've lived here all by yourself since you bought it?"
I smiled. I knew what she was asking. "I haven't had a roommate since Jasper and that was in lawschool. Momma and Daddy moved in for a few weeks when she was going through chemo... the breast cancer, you know. It's just me and, at the moment, the dog from Hell."
"Hmm,"she said as she bent down to scratch Suzy behind the ear. I walked into the room and sat on the opposite end of the couch, turning so that I could face her. She looked up at me and asked, "Do you ever get lonely?"
"Sometimes," I answered truthfully. "I miss having someone to talk to, especially if I've had a bad day. I've started talking to her," I said as I pointed at Suzy. "That kind of worries me. I think I may be losing my mind. You live alone too. Do you get lonely?"
She furrowed her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side before she said anything. "I didn't used to, but lately I have. I want someone to talk about my day with me. I want someone to watch television with me. I want someone to help me prepare dinner. That sounds kind of needy, doesn't it?"
"I don't think so. I know what you mean. If you hadn't called, then I would have had a turkey sandwich for dinner. I'd have probably watched TV alone, walked the dog a couple of times and then gone to bed. Boring, huh?"
"So, my bringing you a hot meal made your night?"
"The food had nothing to do with it, Bella. Just being in the same room with you makes my night. I'd gladly never eat again if it meant I could spend every night in your presence."
The expression on Bella's face made me want to retract everything I had just said. "I'm so sorry. I have no idea why I said all that. Just forget it, okay?"
"That was the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me," she whispered as she leaned toward me.
"Oh," I said as I leaned toward her.
"Did you mean it?" she asked. She scooted across the couch until her knee touched mine.
The butterflies that were always in my stomach when I was around Bella took flight at that moment. "Every word," I answered again with complete honesty.
"If you don't kiss me soon, I may explode."
She didn't have to tell me twice. I took her face in my hands and kissed her. I kissed her hard and deep. I shifted to get closer to her and the next thing I knew, she was straddling my lap. I wasn't complaining. Our new position on the couch meant that I could hold her closer to me. But it still wasn't close enough.
I slid down the back of the couch, pulling Bella with me, until we were laying there; making out like a couple of teenagers. Bella ran her fingers through my hair causing chills to course through my entire body. Her shirt had ridden up in the back. My fingers found her bare flesh and I couldn't resist touching her soft, smooth skin.
She moaned into my mouth and I groaned. She was killing me slowly and I was loving it. I was suddenly grateful that I was wearing loose fitting jeans, because I was hard as a rock. Bella ground into me and I broke our kiss as my head fell back in equal parts ecstasy and agony.
She kissed my chin and then my jaw. She moved down to my neck before settling on the skin just behind my ear. My hands slid up her back until my fingers grazed the clasp of her bra.
"Jesus, Bella, you're killing me," I moaned. "I want you so much right now."
She leaned up and looked into my eyes. "I want you too... so much. I haven't wanted anyone like this in a long time. It scares me, Edward."
"I would never hurt you," I told her. I knew it was the truth. To hurt her would mean hurting myself. "I don't want just one night with you, Bella. I want so much more."
She bit her lip as her eyes welled with tears. I touched her cheek and said, "Don't cry. I didn't say it to make you sad."
"I'm not sad, Edward. I'm the opposite of sad. You make me feel things that I never thought I'd ever feel again. I want more than just tonight too."
Bella stayed with me that night.
I awoke to the sounds of an alarm clock, but when I reached out to hit the 'snooze' button, the alarm sounded again. My sleep addled brain finally registered that it was my cellphone and not the alarm clock. My mind also registered the fact that there was a slight weight on my chest and the delightful aroma of strawberries in my nose. I inhaled the wonderful fragrance… Bella.
The phone rang again. I fumbled around on the bedside table with one hand until I located first my glasses and then the phone.
I held it up and silenced it. I saw the name 'Momma' on the screen.
"Hello?" I whispered into the phone as I slowly and carefully removed myself from underneath Bella. She stirred slightly and then snuggled into the pillow where my head had been.
"Hey, baby, why are we whispering?"
I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. "Um, I kind of have company," I confessed as I entered the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee.
"Company?" she asked.
"Yeah… I mean, yes ma'am."
"Edward Anthony Cullen, remembering your manners will not get you out of this one. I thought you had a good time with Bella just two days ago. Your daddy said that ya'll went to that party and that it went well. I thought that you both might have come to your senses. I can't believe that you would bring someone else to your house and… do things with them."
I sat down at the breakfast table as the coffee started dripping into the pot. "Are you finished?" I asked.
"I swear if I were there, I'd bend you over my knee. I raised you better than this, Edward."
"Can I say something now?"
"What? What could you possibly say that would fix this? You do realize that this will ruin any chance you might have had with Bella, right?"
I looked up as Bella walked into the room. She was wearing one of my old U of A Lawschool t-shirts, her panties, and no shoes. Damn those red toenails!
"Who's on the phone?" she asked. She ran her fingers through my bedhead hair as she walked past me to the coffee pot.
"Momma," I answered her.
"Tell her 'hi' for me," she said as she poured two mugs of coffee.
"Bella says 'hi,' Momma." I smirked as Momma stayed silent for a longer than normal amount of time. "Are you still there?"
"Bella is your 'company?'"
"Yes, ma'am." Bella sat next to me, placing a mug of coffee at me free hand. I smiled thanks and took a sip of my coffee as I waited for Momma to finally speak again.
"Atta, boy!" she exclaimed.
"So, you approve?" I asked as I placed my mug on the table and put my hand on Bella's thigh.
"Wholeheartedly! And may I add that it's about time."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ HaLF ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I guess that's when Bella and I started dating. I use the word loosely. Bella wasn't kidding when she told me that she worked all the time. Finding time to see each other was challenging. I had gotten spoiled by the holidays. After New Year's, Bella went back to her normal schedule of practically living at the hospital.
I almost got the feeling that she didn't want to see me sometimes, but then I had to remember that she was trying to save lives. There were many times that Alice and Jasper had to verbally slap some sense into me and give me some perspective on the situation. I had an eight to five job. Bella had a twenty-four hour calling. It wasn't just a job for her… it was her life's work.
The last verbal lashing Alice gave me about the whole thing made me realize that I was being a selfish prick. Whining about never seeing my girlfriend… my DOCTOR girlfriend who was trying to cure cancer, one patient at a time… was petty. I started making more of an effort to work around her schedule instead of belly-aching about her working around mine.
Bella would usually stay late at the hospital, and sometimes even stay the night, if she had a patient that was not doing well. She told me that she couldn't bear to not be there if something went wrong. On those nights, I would bring dinner for us to eat in her office.
It was on one of these 'dates' that Bella started the Question Game.
"What's your favorite color?" she asked me between bites of Mongolian combination.
"I don't have one," I answered as I managed to get a piece of chicken into my mouth using two sticks. Yes, I was eating with the chopsticks. No, I wasn't particularly good at it and I didn't like it. It made Bella smile and that is the only reason I wasn't demanding a fork.
"Oh, come on. Everyone has a favorite color."
I looked up at her and smiled. "Brown."
"That's sweet, but I'm serious," she said.
"So am I. I like brown... and red," I added in a whisper.
"What was that?" she asked with a smirk.
The shrimp I was trying to eat fell back onto the plate. I sighed and put down my chopsticks. "I said that I like red too. Damn it, Bella. You drive me crazy with those red toenails. Your feet are just about the sexiest thing I've ever seen."
"Do you have a foot fetish?" she asked as she tried to suppress her giggles.
"No, I do not have a foot fetish. I do not want to suck on your toes or do obscene things with your feet. I just think that red nail polish is sexy. You have sexy feet." I picked up my sticks and tried to get that shrimp up to my mouth again. It fell back onto the plate and I sighed. I stabbed it with one of the sticks and put it in my mouth.
"That's cheating," Bella said.
"I'm starving. Cut me some slack, okay? At least I'm trying."
"You are and I think that's sweet too. Who's your favorite band?"
"I don't have just one."
"Do you always have to make this complicated? How many do you have?"
"There are three that come to mind and I'm not making anything complicated. You're asking ambiguous questions."
"Okay, fine. If you were stranded in your house and could never leave it ever again, what CD could you absolutely not live without?"
"Why would I never be able to leave?"
She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Are you purposely trying to be difficult?"
"No, it's a silly question."
"Fine. What are your three favorite bands?"
"In no particular order, except maybe chronological because you know I have OCD, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam, and Dave Matthews Band. Jimmy Page is a genius, Eddie Vedder is a poet, and Dave... well, Dave is just the man."
"You know that makes no sense."
"What? Dave is the man. Have you heard Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King? He's an artist in every sense of the word."
"So Dave is your favorite?"
I shake my head and roll my eyes. She hasn't heard a word I've said. "Sure, Dave is my favorite."
"What's your favorite type of food?"
"You're all over the board tonight! Colors, music, food... where are we going next?"
"I have no idea. I guess my ADD is kicking in. Food?"
"Italian. I could eat it for every meal. I love pasta. A good veal parmesan is paradise for my taste buds. What about you?"
"Truthfully?" I nod. "Your mother's Christmas dinner menu. I've never had food that good in my life. I can't wait for December this year."
"Momma's Christmas menu really isn't a food type," I said. I fist pumped as I finally got a shrimp into my mouth with the chopsticks... and not by stabbing it.
Bella laughed at my antics and then replied, "Well, it should be."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ HaLF ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bella actually took the night off for Valentine's Day. To say that I was a bit excited would have been an extreme understatement. I had booked us a table at Satterfield's. It's usually a two month wait to even get on the list, but Prof. Theibert pulled some strings for me and got us in.
I didn't tell Bella anything about the night other than to dress like she was going to the Club. She asked if I was taking her to the Club again with a slightly pained expression. I laughed as I told her that I wasn't, but that the place I was taking her was about as old and almost as exclusive. She then proceeded to lecture me on not trying to impress her.
I think her exact words may have been, "You've already convinced me to give you a shot, Edward. You've obviously already impressed me in some way. Don't go overboard."
I ignored her. Bella was special. I had never felt the way I felt with her. She deserved the best and I intended to give it to her.
I picked her up for our eight o'clock reservation at seven. I took the stairs to her apartment two at a time and knocked on the door. I was struck speechless when she opened it. She had on a strapless red dress that fell just below her knees. Her hair was up causing her neck to look longer than it usually did. Her shoulders were exposed and I was suddenly no longer hungry... at least not for food. All I wanted to do at that moment, and for the rest of the night, was worship at the altar of Bella.
I completely forgot about the rose I had in my hand. It was white with red tips on the petals. I was standing there gaping at the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen when Bella said, "Is that for me?"
"What?" I managed to mumble.
"That," she said as she pointed at the flower. "Is it for me?"
"Uh huh," I nodded and held it out to her."
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"No," I replied. "You... you're... wow... I... no words..." I knew that I was stuttering and stammering like an idiot, but, seriously, you should have seen her.
"It's just a dress, Edward." She stepped back into the apartment and I followed, shutting the door behind me. She walked into the kitchen and retrieved a vase from the cabinet.
"Not on you. On you, that is a work of art. My God, you're gorgeous." I stepped behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. I kissed her shoulder and felt her shiver.
"You're cheesy," she said as she turned in my arms.
"I'm honest," I said before I captured her lips with mine.
She broke our kiss and asked, "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," I said as I leaned in to kiss her again.
She leaned away from me and said, "You know that I hate surprises."
I kissed her neck and said, "You'll like this one."
She gasped and her head fell back. I kissed a trail from her neck down to her shoulder. "If you keep that up, we won't be going anywhere," she moaned.
"Um, promise?" I said as I continued to kiss and tease her neck and shoulder.
"Okay... you have to stop," she said, pushing on my chest. I pulled her tighter to me and ignored her. "Seriously, Edward... stop."
"No," I growled between kisses. "Don't wanna."
"I spent two hours getting my hair to do this. And this dress wasn't exactly cheap. I'd like someone besides you to see it before it ends up on the floor of one of our bedrooms."
This stopped me. I pulled back and looked into her eyes. "Seriously, that's where you see the night going?"
She smirked and said, "If you play your cards right, big boy."
I cocked one eyebrow and said, "Well, what are we waiting for, Dr. Swan? Let's get you seen and back here as quickly as possible!"
We walked into the restaurant and I heard Bella gasp. Satterfield's is beautiful on a normal night, but they had gone all out for Valentine's Day. There was hardly a surface not covered in red roses or red rose petals. The lights were dimmed more than normal and each table looked as if it had been placed to optimize the intimacy of the area.
Bella and I were seated next to each other. I took her hand in mine as we waited for the waiter to take our orders.
"You look beautiful tonight," I told her. "You always look beautiful, but tonight... that dress. I didn't think anything could top New Year's, but I think maybe this dress did."
"I'm glad you like it. You did say that red is one of your favorite colors." She smiled mischievously. "The toenails match the dress, by the way."
I smiled and placed her hand on my upper thigh. She slid it up and her eyes widened as she felt my obvious arousal. "Let's eat quickly and get out of here."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ HaLF ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bella was the first girlfriend I had ever taken with me to my birthday dinner with the family. My actual birthday fell on a Thursday in 2009, so my dinner was planned for that Friday... the tenth. Bella worked the ninth and was off the entire day on the tenth. We went to Gadsden. Momma and Daddy were in town, although they were scheduled to leave again the next week.
I had no idea what the sleeping arrangements would be at Momma's house. I didn't say anything to Bella on the drive up and she didn't ask. We pulled into the driveway and Daddy came out to greet us with Suzy following not far behind him.
Bella scooped up the dog and began to nuzzle her with her cheek. I shook my head at the display of affection. "That still baffles me," I said as Daddy came around the car to help with the bags.
"It is a mystery," he said with a chuckle. "Go on up to the house, Bella. Esme is finishing Edward's cake. I'm sure she'd love some company." He turned back to me and said, "Apparently, I hover and make her nervous. I've been banned from the kitchen."
"How's she feeling?" I asked as I placed Bella's bag on the driveway and reached into the trunk for my own.
Daddy picked up Bella's bag and said, "She's tired and she's weak. She's pushing herself too much. I can't get her to slow down. She keeps saying how she's not going to let it beat her. I get it... I do... but she needs to know that she has limitations now."
We started for the house and I said, "She didn't have to make me a cake. I've had the ones from Publix... they're really good."
Daddy stopped just outside of the garage. "Don't let her hear you say that. All she's talked about for the last week was making you a cake. I think she's unhappy about us all going out to eat tonight instead of having her cook. The cake was something that she wasn't willing to concede."
"I just meant..."
"I know what you meant, but she may take it the wrong way. Just smile and say 'thank you.' And for Pete's sake, tell her that the food tonight isn't as good as her cooking. I don't want to have to deal with the aftermath if you actually like The Fish Market better than her stuffed halibut."
We walked into the house and I was a little taken aback by what I saw. Momma was sitting on a barstool as she frosted my cake. Bella was leaning against the counter talking to her. She looked up when I walked through the door. If I hadn't know Bella so well, I would have thought that she was smiling and having a good time, but I could see the worry in her eyes even though she had a smile on her lips.
Momma turned and I had to make myself not run to her and pull her into my arms. She was pale to the point that she was gray. Her eyes were sunken in with deep purple circles underneath. I could see every bone in her face. Her bald head was covered with a scarf, but a few stubborn strands remained and were coming out of the sides. I turned and looked at Daddy. He had a smile plastered on his face as well, but his eyes glared at me. I mentally kicked myself and pulled it together.
"So," I started with fake enthusiasm that I hoped sounded more sincere than I thought it actually did, "where do you want us?"
Momma smiled and the effect was frightening. I tried hard to not shudder. I saw Bella's eyes widen, but she quickly recovered. Momma looked between the two of us and finally said, "You can both take Edward's old room." She turned back around and picked up the frosting knife. That's when I noticed the slight shake of her hand.
"Esme," Bella said as she placed a hand on my momma's arm, "I can sleep in the guest room... like at Christmas. I think that it would be more appropriate."
"Nonsense," Momma said. Her voice was too gravelly and it made me wince. "We're all adults here and I'm not naïve. Anyway, I don't want to have to clean two rooms when you're gone."
"That makes sense," I said with pseudo-cheerfulness." I turned and started through the house to the bedrooms. Daddy followed.
We got into my old bedroom before I turned on him. "Jesus Christ! What happened to her? She didn't look this bad when ya'll got back last week. What the fuck?"
Daddy glared at my last outburst, but said nothing. "We were told that this could happen. They're basically killing her. She'd actually been doing too well." He sighed and placed Bella's bag on the bed. "She can't keep anything down. She's living on Similac and Ensure. She sleeps in one or two hour increments. She tries to not show it and she never complains, but I know that she's in pain. I don't know how much longer she can keep it up. I'm hoping to get Bella alone this weekend and pick her brain."
"Back up. What do you mean by 'too well'?"
"Apparently, most patients in the study are permanent residents of the hospital by this stage in the treatment. Your mother's stubborn body, not to mention her stubborn attitude, refused to get to that point. She was too determined to be here for your birthday."
I groaned and sat down hard on the bed. "She should be in the hospital where they can take care of her. I'm not as important as her health."
Daddy sat next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "You don't get it. You are the most important thing in your momma's life. You're the most important thing in my life. Everything else is secondary. You are our greatest accomplishment."
The weekend continued as planned with everyone smiling and acting like nothing was wrong, but none of our smiles ever really reached our eyes. I was really proud of Rosalie. She kept her opinions to herself, which is highly unusual for her, and maintained an upbeat appearance throughout dinner Friday night. I would have thought that she hadn't noticed Momma's condition if I hadn't seen her breakdown into sobs the second Emmett got her into their car for the trip back to their house.
Daddy got Bella alone Saturday night and asked his questions, many of which Bella couldn't answer. She'd never seen anyone able to get out of bed at this stage, much less bake a cake or go out to dinner. She promised to make some calls. She also suggested that they get back to Texas as soon as possible.
Bella and I were laying in the bed Saturday night, trying to find sleep, when she said, "Your mother is a fighter. If anyone can beat this, I think that it's her. She's... remarkable."
I pulled her closer to me and kissed the top of her head. "Thanks. I needed to hear that. Watching her move her fish around her plate last night and seeing her trying to function normally today has had me scared to death."
Bella rose up on her elbow so that she could see me and said, "I'm not saying that she will beat it, Edward. I don't want to give you false hope. I'm saying that the fighter in her gives her a better than average chance. She won't give up. That's exactly the attitude she needs."
"I know. I'm under no misapprehension about the severity of the situation. I know that her chances aren't great, but you're right... she won't give up."
Bella laid down and snuggled into my side. "She says that she has to stick around to see her grandchildren born."
I didn't say anything for a long time. I didn't' really know what to say. Bella and I had only been officially dating for four months. I wasn't sure if Momma saying that to Bella freaked her out, like it did me, or not. "Um, okay, uh, not sure what to do with that one."
Bella giggled and I could feel her shake her head. "Don't worry, Edward. My biological clock isn't ticking yet. Your momma just likes to drop hints. Just because she's putting the cart before the horse doesn't mean that I'm following suit."
I sighed and thought, Oh, thank God!
We packed up the following day for the trip back to Birmingham. I had expected to take Suzy back with us, so when Daddy didn't have her bag ready to go, I was curious. "Where's the dog's sh- stuff?"
Daddy smirked and shook his head. "Nice save. You don't have to take her with you."
"I don't mind keeping her. I think we have a tentative truce. If nothing else, we don't hate each other anymore. It's more of an intense dislike now. I think that I've proven that I won't kill her."
"It's not that. Esme doesn't think that she can make the flight. She wants to take the RV. Actually, I think that she's just tired of the flying. You know how she hates it. I don't think that she wants the stress of it. We can take Suzy in the RV."
"That makes absolutely no sense. It will take forever to drive all the way to Houston, Texas from here. Tell her that flying makes more sense. We can wait for you to get the dog ready to go."
"Yeah. Why don't you go and do that. Explain it to her. See how far you get, because I got nowhere when I tried. She's made up her mind and there's no changing it. You aren't new to this family. You should know this by now."
"Does she realize how long of a drive it is?" I asked.
"She googled it. It will take about twelve hours. We have to be there by Thursday morning. We're leaving Tuesday morning. She wants to drive half way Tuesday and finish the trip on Wednesday. She already has it all planned. She even talked with the hospital. They're letting us park in one of the off-site parking areas."
"Ever the planner," I mumbled. "They didn't try to change her mind?"
"I have no idea. All I know is that she's made all the arrangements and I'm expected to follow orders. I've been doing the same dance for almost forty years. I'm good at it."
"Your whipped," I teased.
"I am and I love every minute of it. And anyway, you have no room to talk."
The women came out of the house before I could respond. Bella helped Momma down the steps and held her hand as they walked out of the garage and down the driveway to the car.
"Momma," I admonish her, "you didn't have to come out here. I was going to come back in to you to say goodbye."
"I am not an invalid. This is all temporary. I'll be back to myself in no time," she said adamantly.
That wasn't the case. They made it back to Houston by Thursday morning; not Wednesday afternoon. Momma was immediately admitted to the hospital. She was in such bad shape, the treatments had to be postponed for two weeks while she regained some strength. Bella flew out when the treatments resumed to observe.
Momma was an anomaly; no real newsflash to those of us who had known her our whole lives. She didn't respond as they expected. It was as if her body was fighting not only the lymphoma, but also the treatment. The doctors, including Bella, had never seen anything like it. The research team was working non-stop to find a different formulation just for my mother.
I called Momma on Mother's Day. Daddy gave her the phone and I told her that I loved her and wished her a happy day. She tried to laugh and began coughing. I winced at the sound. She told me that she got my flowers. I tried to make small talk with her, but I could hear her labored breathing through the phone.
Finally, she apologized and told me that she just couldn't hold the phone any longer. She thanked me for calling and told me that she loved me before handing the phone back to Daddy. He mumbled something about her tiring easily, told me that he'd talk to me later, and abruptly hung up the phone.
It was the last week in May when they tried the new formulation. Within a week the lump on her neck disappeared and the other lumps that had started to form in her other lymph-bearing areas began to shrink. It was the first good news we'd heard in over a month.
Bella called me daily with updates. I missed her terribly, but I was glad that she was there with Momma. I trusted her more than I trusted any other doctor to take care of my mother. Who am I kidding? I trusted her more than I trusted any other person period; whether it was Momma's life, Daddy's life, or my own.
I called Daddy on June 21st, Father's Day, to let him know that even with all the focus on Momma, he was still the greatest father in the world. I know I'm biased. Anyway, I was more than thrilled when Momma answered his phone.
"Hey, baby!" she said cheerfully. Gone was the disturbing gravel sound I'd been hearing for the last several weeks. She also didn't sound like talking to me was making her more exhausted than if she was running the New York City Marathon.
"Well, hello, there. How do you feel?"
"I wish that wasn't the first question that everyone asks me," she complained.
"Sorry. Um, what's shakin', bacon?"
"Ha ha," she deadpanned. "If you must know, I feel great. I can eat most anything I want as long as I stay away from really spicy things and my hair is coming back. I have peach fuzz, Edward! Peach fuzz!"
"Well, that's good, I guess. Is that normal?"
"Oh, who knows. Apparently, I'm not normal. They're writing papers about me. I'm going to be famous!"
I laughed. "You are in a really good mood."
"Life is good, Edward. You should enjoy life more. It's precious and you never know when you may run out of it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ HaLF ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bella flew back home on August 1st. I picked her up at the Birmingham airport. I was waiting for her at the luggage carousels when I saw her descending on the escalator. Before I could sweep her off the steps and into my arms, she flew at me and wrapped her arms and her legs around my body. I kissed her like I hadn't seen her in months. Wait, I hadn't seen her in months. God, how I missed her!
She slid down my body and found her footing, but didn't removed her arms from around my neck. "I have missed you so much," she said breathlessly.
"I know. Me, too. I didn't think this day would ever get here." She finally removed her arms and took my hand in hers. We walked to baggage claim to wait on her luggage.
Momma and Daddy came home the week after Bella. The good news was that Bella now had the formulation for Momma's protocol and could administer it in Birmingham. Momma and Daddy would have to go to Texas for one week a month instead of three. Momma was feeling much better. She had about a half inch of hair on her head and her color was back to normal.
I asked Bella about the improvements. It didn't seem normal to me, but I'm not a medical doctor.
"It's normal," she explained. "The goal of the protocol is to eventually administer it one time a month for the rest of the patient's life... or until the body stops responding to it. I'm happy to say that your momma is responding better than anyone we've ever had in the study. The prognosis for her is good."
The entire family was overjoyed at the possibility that we would have Momma around for a long, long time. Rosalie and Alice resumed the bi-monthly girl's day out with Momma, but now they included Bella. I watched as Bella was assimilated more and more into my family. She and Alice went for pedicures every other week. We had dinner with Jasper and Alice at least once per week.
It seemed that the fates were smiling down on us. Momma was doing far better than could have been predicted. Bella's other cases were also doing quite well. She had to spend less and less time at the hospital. We spent more time together. We learned more about each other. I fell more in love with her than I thought was possible.
Her birthday was coming up and I wanted to do something really special for her. I knew that she hadn't seen her dad in a long time. I decided that I would fly him to Birmingham for her birthday, but I had no idea how to get in touch with him to plan this. I started trying to drop hints to Bella.
"Your dad's name is Charlie, right?" I asked one night as we cooked dinner at my house.
"Yep," she replied.
"That's short for Charles? Charles Swan?"
"Yeah," she said slowly as she turned to look at me with a confused expression.
"He's the only Charles Swan in Phoenix, right?"
"As far as I know," she replied. She placed the knife she had been using to chop carrots on the counter and turned to me. "Why do you ask?"
I shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant. "Just wondering."
"What are you planning?" she asked.
"Nothing," I replied. "I'm just curious."
"Uh huh," she said as picked up the knife again. "You're a horrible liar. Not really a good trait for an attorney."
"You're not funny," I said as I moved the chicken around in the skillet.
I googled 'Charles Swan Police Chief Phoenix, Arizona' at work the next day. The search gave me the number of the Phoenix, Arizona police department and a home telephone number. I was nervous as hell, but my time was running out. Bella's birthday was September 13th. It was already August 27th. This left me with two weeks to get this all planned.
I was hesitant as I dialed the Phoenix Police Department's number. My mouth was dry as a bone as I asked for Charlie Swan.
I was placed on hold, but less than a minute later a gruff voice said, "This is Chief Swan."
"Um, hi, you, uh, don't know me, but I'm a friend of your daughter's." Wow, what a way to start a conversation with your girlfriend's father. I felt and sounded like a seventeen year old asshole.
"Is she okay? Is Bella okay?" he asked frantically. "Who is this?"
"Oh, no, sir, she's fine. I don't know if she's mentioned me. My name is Edward Cullen."
"Edward Cullen, huh?" I swear that I heard him chuckle. "She may have mentioned you once or twice. What can I do for you, son?"
"Well, her birthday is coming up..."
"I'm well aware of when my only daughter... my only child... was born. Cut to the chase, kid."
"Yes, sir, of course. Anyway, I want to do something special for her and I know that you two haven't seen each other in a while, so I was thinking of maybe having you come visit for maybe a week... or for however long you can visit. I don't want to presume to know your schedule. You may have plans. I don't know. I just thought that you'd like to see her and I know she'd like to see you. It's just an idea." I was rambling and I knew it, but I couldn't seem to stop.
I could hear him laughing when I finally stopped to take a breath. I chuckled too at my absurdity. "I'm sorry. I'm a little nervous."
"Completely understandable. Bella's Grandfather Higginbotham scared my pants off when I first met him. I hope that I'm not that scary. If it's any consolation, Bella has told me a lot about you."
"All good, I hope."
"Good enough for me to like you already. You don't have to impress me, Edward. From everything my daughter has told me, you are exactly the type of man I would have handpicked for her, if given the chance."
"Oh, well, thank you, sir."
"Please, call me 'Charlie.' I would love to come for that visit, but I can pay my own way. I guess I was just waiting for an invitation."
"No need to wait for an invitation, sir. You're always welcome."
"Um, maybe you should clear that with Bella before you go making those kinds of promises."
"Okay," I replied in confusion. I shrugged it off and continued, "I thought that we could surprise her... on her birthday."
"You do realize how much she literally hates surprises, right?"
"She may have mentioned it. It doesn't stop me from surprising her as often as I can. I take it as a good sign that she hasn't dumped me yet."
He laughed again and then said, "You are exactly what she needs. Give me your telephone number. I'll call you as soon as I have a flight and hotel booked. We can coordinate from there."
Charlie Swan flew into the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport at two o'clock on September 11, 2009. I was waiting for him at baggage claim. I had never laid eyes on the man before in my life, but I would have known him anywhere. I watched a man with Bella's eyes walk off the escalator, look around, shrug, and head toward the baggage carousels.
I walked up behind him and said, "Chief Swan?"
He turned slowly and looked me up and down. "You Edward?"
"Yes, sir," I said as I extended my hand.
He shook my hand and said, "Good to finally meet you. Bella talks about you and your family a lot. Thank you for taking care of her."
"Well," I said as I ducked my head to hide my embarrassment, "I think it's more her taking care of us, sir. Thank you for coming in like this. She's going to be really surprised."
"Probably. Probably won't like it either. Are you sure about this? She may kill both of us?"
"She can kill me a thousand times. Just as long as she doesn't dump me, I'm okay."
He laughed. "Being dumped by my daughter... a fate worse than death."
After he had turned down my invitation to stay at my house, I had suggested that he stay in Homewood, close to the Brookwood Mall, since it would be close to Bella's apartment. I dropped him at the Courtyard so he could check in and let him know when I'd be back to get him for dinner. Bella was on call that night and had decided to stay at the hospital. She had a patient on a ventilator in the last stages of terminal lung cancer. The family had made the decision to honor his last requests and turn off the vent. I knew that she wouldn't leave him until he was gone... which would probably be later that night.
I called her office to see if she wanted me to bring her anything for dinner. She didn't answer and I didn't bother to leave a message. I knew where she was... she was with the family. I pulled into my garage and killed the engine. I took out my phone again and texted Bella before I walked into the house.
I had just stepped out of the shower when my phone beeped. I read Bella's text. It was short and simple.
With fam. No to Dinner. Call u ltr.
I smiled and nodded. If I planned on being with Bella, I knew that I would have to get used to being in a close second behind her career. Since I planned on being with her forever, I beat back my pride and hurt feelings with a large mental stick. I needed her, but the grieving family needed her more tonight. I'd have her all to myself for the next few days anyway.
I changed into jeans and a t-shirt and left to pick up Charlie for dinner. I parked in the lot at the Courtyard and rode the elevator to his room. I knocked on the door.
He opened it and when he saw me said, "Hi, come on in. I'm just putting on my shoes."
I walked into the room and looked around. It was nice enough. "I really wish that you would have taken my offer to stay with me," I said as I continued to look around.
He stopped what he was doing and looked up at me. "No offense, but I just met you. I like you and all, but I don't know you well enough to stay at your house." He bent down to continue tying his shoe before he said, "Plus, there's no guarantee that I won't be dead and you won't be dumped by this time tomorrow."
"Hmm," I responded as I thought about what he was implying. I had just assumed when I started planning all of it that Bella would be thrilled to see her dad. Charlie wasn't making me feel very optimistic about my plan. "Any particular reason that you think she'll be that angry?"
He stood and turned to look at me. "Not angry; unprepared. Bella is nothing if not a planner. Surprises make her feel out of control and she hates to feel out of control." He shrugged. "It really doesn't matter now anyway; I'm already here. Let's eat."
I didn't know Charlie Swan at all. The most I had gotten from Bella was that he loved the Seattle Mariners and to fish. I took that as he was the sporting kind. I had decided that I would take him to On Tap Sports Café. I wasn't entirely sure how he really felt about me. He said that he liked me, but we really didn't know each other. If nothing else, he could watch whatever sporting event was on their numerous televisions and completely ignore me if he wanted.
As we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Charlie turned to me and said, "You've been talking to Bella." I smiled and nodded. "I have other interests besides baseball you know."
"Well, maybe tonight I can learn what they are."
We entered the restaurant and were seated at a table with an excellent view of at least three televisions. Each one was showing a different type of sporting event. One even had a rugby game from somewhere in Europe on it.
We picked up the menus and Charlie immediately flipped his over to the beer list. "Hmm, just what I thought. So what's the local beer and is it any good?"
"I don't know how local it is, but I usually get a Sweet Water 420. It's a pale ale." I shrugged. "I like it."
"Well, order two then." When the waitress came to our table, I ordered two 420s. She quickly brought them back to us. Charlie took a long sip and said, "Not bad. Where's it made?"
"Atlanta. That's about as local as I think that we get. There are a couple of microbreweries in Hoover, but there isn't anything around here that I know of anyway. Um, thought about what you want to eat yet?"
Charlie laughed and shook his head. "Kid, I'm not going to bite you. I don't think that I'll hit you. I seriously doubt that I will even raise my voice to you. Calm down. I know from the way that Bella talks about you that you're important to her. I'm willing to give you a chance just on that recommendation alone. Breathe."
I chuckled and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I am extremely nervous. Bella means a lot to me and don't want to screw this up."
"You act like you haven't met the parents before." He turned the page in the menu and smiled as if he had found what he was going to order.
I stared at his lowered head until he looked up and met my eyes. "I haven't. The last serious relationship I had ended my freshman year of college. Bella is... different. She's special."
Charlie's eyes narrowed and he bit his lower lip in much the same way as Bella did. "Why am I here, Edward?"
"It's not what you're thinking. I'm not going to propose this weekend. I guess I wanted to meet you and let you know that this relationship isn't short-term for me. I'm in it for the long haul. I don't know if Bella feels the same, but I think that she might. I want you to know... I want you to see it in my eyes... that I'm not going to hurt her. I care about her... my entire family cares about her.
"I also wanted to do something nice for her. I know that she missed you at Christmas. Family is important to me. A person should be with their family for certain occasions; birthdays are one of those. Please know that you are welcome any time. My door is always open to you... no matter what Bella has to say about it. Bella is family now... and so are you."
Charlie took a longer than normal drink of his beer and looked at me again. He rubbed his mustache with his right thumb and forefinger before he said, "So, I'm not here because you're planning on proposing?" I shook my head. "After that speech, you'd have my blessing, you know?"
"That's not why I said those things. I meant every word I said."
"That's why you'd have it."
As we ate and drank 420, Charlie and I got to know one another... I also learned more about Bella. She was a curious child. Charlie said that he thought that she would have gone into medicine even if her mother hadn't gotten sick. He had many stories from her childhood, but not too many from her teenage years. I remembered what Bella had told me at Christmas. I wondered if Daddy would react the same way when Momma died. I hoped not.
"I was wondering about something," I said. Charlie motioned for me to continue as he chewed a bite of his steak. "Bella's told me a little bit about Jacob and all that, but I was wondering if she had dated anyone seriously after… you know."
Charlie swallowed and took a drink of his beer. "What's she told you?"
"I know that they were very close and that they were planning on going off to college together. I know that she wanted to marry him, but that he died in a car accident."
"Drunk driver… he was hit by a drunk driver. That's not an accident… it's vehicular manslaughter."
I cleared my throat and nodded. "Yeah, it is. I didn't mean to imply... anything. Anyway, she says that there were some difficult years after that, but she hasn't really elaborated."
"Listen, I'm more than willing to answer you initial question. The answer is no. She would got out of dates, but she never kept anyone around long enough for it to become a relationship… until you that is. But I'm not telling you anything about her 'bad years.' That's Bella's story and she'll have to be the one to tell you about it."
I looked into his eyes and knew that I wasn't going to get anything out of him that he wasn't willing or felt comfortable to share. "You're right. Bella will tell me when she's ready, I guess. I'm sorry if you thought that I was pushing."
Charlie smiled at said, "It's okay. You'll learn, if you haven't already, that she's a private person, but if she trusts you, she'll let you in. You just have to let her do it in her time and when she's ready."
"Yeah, I know," I said. I took another drink of my beer.
"So, what's the plan for tomorrow night?" Charlie asked as he pushed his empty plate toward the center of the table.
"I thought that we'd go to Brio. It's a really nice Italian restaurant. You do like Italian food, right?" He nodded and I sighed with relief. "I thought that I could drop you off at the place and you could get us a table while I go to pick up Bella."
"So, you're going to spring me on her in a public place?"
"Yeah. Is that a bad idea?"
He chuckled and shrugged. "She won't commit murder with that many witnesses. It's a good idea."
I dropped Charlie off at Brio a little before seven the next night. He wished me luck, and I think I heard him mumble that I would need it, before I left to pick up Bella. Charlie and I had both gone with casual but nice in our attire. I had told Bella to do the same. When she opened the door of her apartment she was wearing grey slacks and a blue blouse that dipped low in the front. She had on a long strand of pearls and pearl earrings in her ears.
"You look stunning," I said as I leaned in and kissed her. "Happy Birthday." I handed her the gift I had purchased.
"You didn't have to get me anything," she said as she took the box. "Taking me out to dinner is enough. I really wish you wouldn't make such a fuss. It's just another day."
"It is not just another day. It is the greatest day on the calendar. It should be a national holiday."
"You're silly," she said with a smile.
"You're beautiful. Open your gift."
She sighed and tore the paper from the small box. She took the top off the outer box and looked up at me with a raised eyebrow. "You better not have spent a fortune." She removed the velvet box and opened the hinged lid. I heard her gasp as her hand flew to her throat. "Oh, Edward, it's beautiful."
"It pales in comparison to you. Do you want me to help you put it on?" She nodded. I removed the pearl and sapphire bracelet from the box and affixed it to her right wrist. I turned her hand over and placed a kiss on her palm. "Do you like it?"
"I love it," she replied. She wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a long, deep kiss. "You spent too much."
"Totally worth it."
I drove us down Lakeshore Drive to the restaurant in the Brookwood Village. Bella held my hand the entire drive. I glanced at her a few times and caught her smiling as she admired the bracelet on her arm.
When we arrived, I helped her from the car so that the valet could park it and escorted her inside the building. I heard her gasp as she looked around. Brio isn't as nice as Satterfield's but it's still something to see. I had asked to be seated in my favorite waiter's section. I had left Charlie at the table about twenty minutes earlier and given John instructions to take extra special care of him. John had told me that he would… the twenty dollar bill I slipped him kind of guaranteed it.
The hostess approached us and said, "Good evening, Mr. Cullen. I have your table ready. Right this way."
Bella leaned into me and said, "How many times have I told you to not go overboard? This is too much, Edward. You could have taken me to Sonic for a chili dog. This is…."
She suddenly stopped talking and I followed her eyes to where they were staring at her father. Her mouth fell open as Charlie rose from the table, a sheepish smile on his face.
"Dad?" she whispered.
I leaned down and whispered in her ear, "Happy birthday… again."
"Dad!" she exclaimed and rushed to him. She hugged him and began gushing. "I can't believe you're here. Oh my gosh. This is… perfect." Then she turned to me. "Did you do this?" I nodded and she punched me.
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked as I rubbed my bicep.
"I hate surprises," she said before she threw her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek, "but I love that you did this. Thank you!"
John came to the table and took our drink orders. When he returned several minutes later, we had to ask him to come back. Bella and Charlie had yet to look at the menu. They were too busy talking and laughing and just in general enjoying being with each other again.
I had finally gotten them to look at the menu and make a decision by John's third trip to the table. As we waited for our food, I started asking questions.
"So, what do ya'll usually do to celebrate Bella's birthday? What did ya'll do when she was living in Phoenix?"
They exchanged a look and Bella bit her bottom lip. Charlie finally said, "There were a few years when we did nothing. That was my fault. I'm still so sorry. But before Bella's mother died we would have a party and invite her friends and our family. Renee always liked to throw a big affair."
"She loved an excuse to decorate," Bella said in agreement.
"Since Bella has been away from home, we usually just try to talk on the phone. I send her something… a gift."
"I should have known something was up when I didn't get anything today," Bella said as she shoved my shoulder. "I thought that you might have forgotten."
"I'd never forget the greatest day of my life," Charlie said as he squeezed Bella's hand.
The food arrived and the conversation ceased as we all savored the cuisine. I know that my eyes rolled back in my head when I took the first bite of my veal parmesan. Bella laughed at me and shook her head.
"Are you sure this meal is for me?" she teased.
We were eating and chatting when my phone began to vibrate. I looked at the screen and saw 'Daddy'. He knew that I was out with Bella and her father. I hadn't expected him to call. I was just answering it when Bella's phone paged her. I saw her look at the screen and cock her head to one side.
"Hey, Daddy, what's up?" I asked, trying to hide my irritation. I noticed that Bella had her phone up to her ear with an intense look on her face. Suddenly, her mouth dropped open and her eyes locked with mine.
"Edward," Daddy started, "it's your momma. I've had to bring her to the emergency room."
"What? Where? What's wrong?" I asked.
I saw Bella close her phone and look at her dad. "Is everything okay?" Charlie asked.
"No, it's…."
"Momma."
PLEASE REVIEW!
Chapter 7 Recommendations:
Queen of the Goths by Michellebelle
Atlantic City by PhoenixRN
EAC: The Journal of Edward Cullen by katmom
The Morphing Games by Orrington_Rose