I awoke to find the most beautiful man sitting on the edge of the bed. His topaz eyes gleamed with what little light drifted in from the street. For the smallest moment I was surprised, but then my breath caught and a tear ran down my cheek.

The man gave a slight nod at the dawning realization and inevitable grief. Quietly, so not to wake my husband, I managed to speak, "Not now. Not now of all times." My voice threatened to rise. The understanding one silently and swiftly picked me up as though I were a mere child and walked into the cool night air.

A dirty plastic chair sat under a walnut tree in the back yard. Disregarding his pressed suit he lowered himself into the seat, cradling me in his arms. By now my tears flowed freely, "I waited for so long. I knew you would come. And of all…. I have a husband now. A new daughter."

He made no move to answer. His hand gently kneaded my neck.

"Did I not have enough faith? Was I to wait past all endurance? To pass up every opportunity in hope of you? Isn't this what you left me for?" I felt like I was going to start screaming. I wanted to pierce his heart dead.

"All the nights I cried myself to sleep, begging you to come! I hate you!"

Still he made no move to explain himself and I broke down completely, burying my face into his suit, holding onto is granite body too scared he would leave again.

In the morning when I woke, I did not want to open my eyes. They were too swollen and the sun was beginning to peek through the curtains, taunting the pounding in my head. But at the same moment my daughter's high pitched morning blabbering shattered what little of my sanity was left.


I woke to someone holding me, sobs racking my body, "NO! I hate you!" I screamed at him, pounding my clenched fist into his chest, "How could you leave me?!"

"Bella? Bella, I'm right here," Edward's soothing and confused voice whispered in my ear.

Still sobbing, I pulled back slowly looking around. The daylight was streaming through the glass wall of his bedroom. There were no stars, no walnut tree. No waking child. I cried again now at the loss of a daughter who had seemed so real only moments before. I collapsed against Edward, my tears wetting his shirt.

He rubbed my back, gently massaged my neck, whispering words of comfort unintelligible to me at the time.

After what felt like hours, when the crying had subsided and all I could do was sigh against his chest, he murmured my name again, "Bella?"

"Edward, I'm so sorry. It was horrible. Did you hear any of it?"

"I heard you ask me why I'd left," Edward's voice sounded strained. "You wanted to know why I took so long to come back. And what were you to do now that you….Now that you had a husband and a daughter."

I felt him take a deep breath; I knew he was trying to smother his own pain, "You called out for Aurora."

I stiffened at the mention of her name, "She felt so real. In my dream, as you held me, just like now," I looked up into his eyes again, "I could remember feeling her grow in me and what it was going to feel like having to leave her to be with you again."

Edward stiffened, "Bella –"

"No, Edward. It was a dream! I don't want children. And you aren't going to leave me again, ever!" Bella's voice was so hard and her throat constricted again at the thought. "Please, Edward. We are going to be married and I am going to become yours. There is never really a choice. Even in my dream I knew I had to leave everything behind to be with you."

"Bella, why don't you take a bath? Maybe that will help relax you."

My fingers clawed at his chest in panic as he started to rise, "But…"

"I'm not going to leave, Bella! I promised I would never do that again. I'm going to make you some breakfast and let you wake up a bit more. And then we're going to talk to Alice about how plans for the wedding are coming." Edward smiled at me, kissing my forehead.

I felt slightly calm, again, and nodded, "Of course. I love you, Edward."