DISCLAIMER- Stephanie Meyer owns the Twilight universe AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews so far. You guys are amazing. :-)Keep up with the reviews. I love to hear from you guys!!
-BPOV-
"What would you think of a joint bridal/baby shower?" Alice wondered aloud once we were inside a cute diner just inside of town.
I smiled. I was all for anything that would take even a percentage of the attention away from me.
"That sounds great." I said truthfully. I had long ago given up arguing the point that I didn't really need a bridal shower. "But would Rose be okay with that?"
Rosalie was not usually the type of person to share her spotlight willingly and being pregnant had done nothing, except maybe intensify, that aspect of her personality.
Alice chewed on her lip thoughtfully, her gaze on nothing in particular.
"I see your point." She sighed.
I was slightly disappointed by the disappearance of any chance I had of deflecting the attention away from me.
"Are you sure you're up to this Alice?" I asked.
She shot me a look for doubting her.
"Of course I am!" She reassured me readily. "I have been waiting for a chance to plan a party anyway. You know I never got the chance to host that masquerade last year."
I grinned down at my plate. Alice had been planning on holding a masquerade to get me and Edward together. That had eventually happened without the aid of her party which both pleased and disappointed her almost simultaneously.
"Is everything okay so far?" a waitress broke me out of my reverie and I looked up to see a stunning strawberry blond standing beside our table.
"Alice?" she screeched as Alice lifted her head up away from her own breakfast.
Alice bonded up from the table and wrapped her in a hug immediately.
"Oh my god! Tanya!" She screeched back.
I smiled at the sight but didn't say anything. I had always felt uncomfortable around strangers and this stranger obviously meant something to Alice, which meant she knew the rest of the Cullen's as well.
"I can't believe you're still here! How are Kate and Irina?" Alice asked.
The stranger, Tanya? Smiled warmly at her.
"Of course I'm still here!" She exclaimed. "You know I own the place now."
She motioned around the already bustling diner and Alice clapped her hands together enthusiastically.
"Kate and Irina are doing well." She continued, answering Alice previous question. "Kate is coming back at the end of the year. This is her last year of school you know. And Irina is still here with me. She helps me run the diner."
Alice nodded.
"You just have to tell them hello for me. I've missed everyone so much!"
Tanya smiled and assured her she would tell them. Then her eyes slid curiously over to me.
"Oh!" Alice started. "Where are my manors? Bella, this is Tanya; a dear friend of the family. Tanya, this is Bella."
Alice's eyes widened in excitement and she leaned closer to Tanya as if she was going to share a very important secret.
"...Edward's fiance!" She nearly shouted the last word and a few people looked at our table curiously.
Tanya raised her eyebrow at me and I felt my ever present blush make its way up my cheeks.
"When did this happen?" she asked.
Alice was about to answer, probably tell the whole story all the way from the first time she met me in the front office of Forks High, but I felt the need to answer her myself so I cleared my throat and stood up.
"He proposed five days ago but we've been together for six months." I said, my voice not giving away any of the nervousness I was feeling as I internally pondered how 'dear' of a friend she was to the Cullen family.
"You should see him Tanya!" Alice exclaimed. "He's never been happier!"
Tanya's eyebrows raised even higher up her forehead and she looked quickly to Alice before looking back at me.
"Really?"
Alice nodded enthusiastically.
"He doesn't even want to move back here anymore." She cheered.
"Well. That is quite a disappointment." Sighed Tanya and I felt a stab in my heart.
But then she set a gentle hand on my shoulder and smiled at me, just as warmly as she had to Alice a moment before.
"But it is a pleasure to meet the girl who has managed to steal Edward's heart."
She seemed to think for a moment and then she chuckled, almost to herself.
"God knows that is no easy task."
I frowned wondering how many others had tried.
"I didn't steal anything." I told her and she looked at me quizzically. "It seems we have traded. I took his but he already had mine in his possession."
Tanya and Alice shared a look.
"Well." Tanya said, amusement coloring her tone. "We can't very well argue with that can we Alice?"
Alice giggled.
"No. we sure can't."
Tanya gave me a hug, startling me with the gesture.
"Welcome to the family." She said. "Take care of Edward for us. We all miss him around here."
I nodded, a lump suddenly forming in my throat.
"Of course."
Tanya looked over her shoulder as the bell above the front door chimed, letting her know there was a new customer.
"I have to get back to work now. My cousin moved down here a while ago and she's usually here to help me but she's sick today."
She smiled and Alice gave her another big hug before taking her seat once again.
"I'll send Irina out to see you in a second. She'll be so excited."
After Tanya had gone to seat the group of men that had come in I looked to Alice who was frowning to herself.
"We didn't get to show her your engagement ring." Alice huffed. "I wanted to show her."
I looked down and spun the ring around my finger a few times.
"How do you know Tanya?" I asked after a moment of silence.
Alice set her fork down and looked at me.
"They've always lived here." She said. "For as long as I can remember anyway. Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle were close friends with Tanya's parents before they passed away."
I frowned, not looking at Alice as she told the story. I knew all too well what it felt like to lose someone so infinitely precious to you. I immediately felt a great sorrow for Tanya and her family.
"She has two sisters." She continued. "You heard her mention them; Kate and Irina. Tanya is the oldest and when their parents died she had just turned eighteen so she was able to stay in the house and her sisters were allowed to stay with her."
Alice sighed and I forced myself to look at her.
"It was hard for them all but I think it was hardest on Tanya. She felt like she needed to protect Kate and Irina, keep them all together. She did it. But sometimes they needed help. Whether it was a shoulder to cry on or help making the power bill Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle helped out. They are Tanya, Kate, and Irina's godparents."
"How long ago was that?" I asked.
"About three years ago." She responded. "When Uncle Carlisle and Aunt Esme moved to Forks to help with the hospital they tried to persuade the girls to move with them but Tanya insisted they were well enough on their feet by that time. It had been about a year then. Besides I think it was easier for Tanya to let go of Edward when he was so far away."
My eyes widened at what I had just heard and Alice cringed as if just realizing what she had given up.
"They were never together." She rushed to explain. "Tanya was in a very bad place and she was seeking solace. Edward felt bad for her but he knew she wasn't the one he was looking for."
I looked over to Tanya who was laughing at something one of the men had just said.
"Do you think she still likes him?" I asked quietly.
Alice scoffed.
"I don't think she ever really did in the first place to be completely honest Bella."
I looked at her skeptically. You had to be seriously mentally unsound not to like Edward. Come to think of it I was pretty sure even then mentally unsound would love Edward.
"Well, she liked him but they had been raised as siblings. She was just looking for comfort and got confused."
Alice cooked an eyebrow at me.
"You know what that's like."
I sighed and looked down at my hands. I did know what that was like. It felt like your entire world was tilting on its axes and you grab onto anything you can reach just to stabilize yourself. I couldn't really say anything against Tanya for doing the same thing I had done. ....Now if she still liked him I would definitely have something to say against her. And I was sure I would be very vocal about it.
But Alice assured me readily that she didn't believe there was anything real behind it and it had been long forgotten. Not that it had been reciprocated in the first place.
We were almost done with our breakfast when another woman came out from the kitchen, looking frazzled. She looked around the small diner and when she spotted Alice her eyes lit up and she rushed to our table.
"Alice!" She enthused as soon as she made it to us. "It's been too long."
"I've missed you too Irina!"
I smiled at the warm friendship evident between Alice and Irina.
Irina looked over to me with a ready smiled.
"Tanya was right." She said, a twinkle in her eyes. "are absolutely gorgeous. No wonder you captured Edward's heart."
I blushed and Alice giggled.
"Oh, but Irina, she TRADED him hearts." She corrected in a teasing tone, intensifying my blush.
I couldn't believe I had said that. I mean I had always thought it but I didn't actually mean to say it out loud. Irina didn't seem to mind though. She sat down gracefully in the chair across from me and winked.
"All the better."
I smiled back but I could still feel the heat lingering on my cheeks.
Alice reached across the table and grabbed my hand, shoving it in Irina's face.
"Look! "
Irina chuckled and took my hand from Alice for a better look at my engagement ring.
"It's beautiful Bella." She commented and I thanked her with feeling.
"Eddie always was one for the dramatics. It's huge! I am quite positive you could ice skate on just the middle diamond."
I rolled my eyes.
"I know." I sighed. "If I would have known what he was planning I would have told him to get something much smaller."
Alice snickered and I looked at her questioningly.
"Bella would have actually accepted the proposal and declined the ring if she had any choice in the matter."
I laughed lightly with them. It was true.
"But it meant a lot to Edward for Bella to have THIS ring." She continued and I wrinkled my brow in confusion. Edward and I hadn't talked about the ring itself. We had been too busy talking about what it implied.
"It was Aunt Esme's ring."
I looked across the table at her to see Alice was watching me with a satisfied smirk.
"And Edward's grandmother's and his great-grandmother's actually." She finished.
I felt the tears come to my eyes as I realized what she was saying. I had realized it was an antique but I hadn't realized it had gone through so many happy couples before it reached me. To know this ring probably meant something to Edward before he even met me was an overwhelming feeling.
Before I could say anything however Alice had turned to Irina with a conspiratorial look.
"So, my friend, I believe it is our right, nay! Our duty to share dear Eddie's embarrassing childhood stories with the future Mrs. Cullen." She said, rubbing her hands together like a villain in an old cartoon, making me and Irina laugh.
"It is indeed." Irina agreed enthusiastically.
I scooted my chair closer to Irina's, showing them they had my full attention.
-----
It turns out Edward has always been a very spirited person. Irina and Alice told me about the time that Esme had been having a formal dinner party with her friends from some charity foundation or another, they couldn't really remember the exact foundation.
Four years old Edward had been playing next door with Emmett, Tanya, Irina, and Kate. There was a small meadow that separated the homes and on the way home Emmett had been telling Edward about the 'circle of life.' He had been watching the Lion King on a regular basis back then, although I knew it to be a favorite of his now as well. Edward had asked what that meant and Emmett shrugged and said that everything had to be dinner at one point.
Edward asked if THEY were going to be dinner at some point and Emmett assured him they were on the top of the food chain, which meant that they got to eat whatever they wanted but nothing got to eat them... except for maybe an angry grizzly bear. Edward decided that wasn't really fair so on the way through that meadow on the way home he and Emmett had filled their pockets with frogs, crickets, and a snail that wasn't fast enough to escape the boys eager little hands.
Carlisle had been waiting for them outside on the front porch. The boys smiled excitedly at their father and told them they had brought some friends to the dinner party. Carlisle had been quite amused, thinking they meant an imaginary friend since he didn't see anyone with them, and told them to go show their mother before they went to go get cleaned up for the party.
Esme knelt down to hug her sons and a small crowd gathered around the boys as is the norm around adorable children. The boys bounced up and down in excitement at their good deed.
They then proceeded to empty their pockets of the bugs and amphibians they had managed to collect on the way home. Emmett had even managed to get a hold of some garden snakes, much to the horror of a few guests who had phobias.
On Edward's first day of kindergarten Esme and Carlisle had walked with him to the elementary school. They walked Emmett to his first grade class and then they proceeded to take Edward across the playground to his classroom.
Emmett had been teasing Edward all morning about how he got to be in the 'big boy class.' so when the bell rang and Carlisle had hugged him and Esme had given him a weepy eyed good bye he waited just inside of the classroom door. When they walked down the sidewalk and out of sight he had crept out of the baby class and proceeded to sneak into the big boy class. I can not even begin to imagine how he went unnoticed as he sat in the first grade classroom but he did... that is until one of the young kindergarten teachers had come into the classroom. She was frantic to have lost one of her very first students during her first year of teaching, very well on the verge of tears. Edward guiltily stepped forward. And that is how Edward had spent the first day of kindergarten in the 'discipline corner.'
There were several things evident in my mind after Irina, Alice, and even Tanya had shared a plethora of Edward's embarrassing childhood stories. (1) He was even more adorable than I had been able to imagine. (2) Emmett had been at the source of a great majority of the stories. (3) If we ever did have children I had every reason to be scared. Because between how Edward and Emmett had been as children there was a very large possibility that they would drive me completely nuts. I was as sure of this as I was sure I would love them with all of my heart.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Isn't kid Edward cute?! Lol. Sorry. Review! Review! Review! And tell me what you thought. Thanks guys!
