A/N: I don't own this, we all know who does. What I do own is a package of gummi worms that I do not intend to share with my children. Come on, I gotta keep something for myself! And I have a bad feeling that once I get Robert Pattinson, I'm not gonna be able to hide him for long. Unless he's tied up in my bedroom… :D
Thanks go to my uberbeta coldplaywhore. She really is a beta-ing machine and whipped this baby out for me today while she was supposed to be working. I won't tell if you won't…
Thanks to My Constants - MissyV (MeowVemulapalli), Baby G (Risbee), and La V (missveritys). I thought of them all last night as I watched Lost, drooling over Dr. Jack, and was glad that I have them for more than five more episodes. I also may need their support after that final episode. Jack with that longer hair and the gray at his temples…I think he may soon be back on the list of my top three pretend boyfriends. Look out Jason Behr…your days may be numbered.
Thanks to Twilight44 & Unchanged Affections for prereading this. You girls make me happy. UA says that this is her favorite chapter so far, so that's pretty exciting, right? I love you girls!
It's time for some father/son bonding time. Hope you enjoy it. :)
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Chapter 10 – With Arms Wide Open
Well I just heard the news today
It seems my life is going to change
I closed my eyes, begin to pray
Then tears of joy stream down my face
With arms wide open
Under the sunlight
Welcome to this place
I'll show you everything
With arms wide open
Well I don't know if I'm ready
To be the man I have to be
I'll take a breath, I'll take her by my side
We stand in awe, we've created life
"With Arms Wide Open" by Creed
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I didn't sleep well, tossing and turning all night. A lot of things kept running through my mind and when I finally did fall asleep, the nightmares came. In my dreams, Bella and I were together and happy, our lives picking up right where they had left off four years ago.
We were on a beach, playing with E.C. and when I turned to toss the football to him, I saw a set of bleachers in the distance. The crowd was cheering and as I started to listen to their chants, I realized they were cheering for me. Shock flowed through me when I heard them moaning, saying things that had only ever been said to me while in the throws of passion. I raced toward E.C. to cover his ears, but caught Bella's eyes, seeing tears on her face as she listened. The crowd consisted of women, all of whom were dressed in revealing clothing, and Bella shook her head in disbelief. I picked up E.C. and ran in her direction, but she stepped away.
No matter how hard and fast I ran, I couldn't catch up with her as she slowly backed away from me. I looked down to see my son's face, and stopped dead in my tracks as his features blurred together, erasing the brown eyes I loved so much. As his face reshaped, I gasped at the bright blue eyes there, the thin pink lips, the blonde color that was seeping into the bronze hair already there.
I felt a hand on my arm and when I looked up, I saw a woman. I didn't recognize her, but she was shaking me, repeating over and over again that this was our child; I was the father of her baby. When I looked up, I was surrounded by countless women holding children, all claiming the same thing—I was the father of their children. I searched for Bella, but she was gone. I called out her name, but there was no way to hear me over the screaming women in the bleachers and the crying babies all around me. As the child in my arms started to squirm, I dropped it. Instead of falling to the ground, it evaporated into smoke, blowing away in the breeze. That's when the laughter started. People were pointing at me, laughing and heckling. I turned to run, but there was no where to go. I was alone, yet surrounded.
My eyes flew open, my heart beating faster than if I had just played a full four quarters of football. I was lying in my darkened room, trying to gather my composure while processing what, exactly, my dream meant. I knew it was about all the things I was keeping from Bella. I had to find a way to tell her about my past, about seeing her in Miami and about talking to Charlie. I knew I couldn't do it today, but I needed to do it soon. She would most likely be angry with me, but I hoped that she would be able to forgive me. I thought that maybe if I proved myself to her, showed her that I was serious about our future together, she would be able to move past it all and still love me.
More importantly, I needed to have a relationship with my son.
Now that I knew he existed, I would never be the same. I wanted to be his father and I wanted to have an active role in his life, regardless of what happened between Bella and me. The image of him quickly flooded my mind and I remembered that I was going to see him today. I was going to be able to talk to him, to hold him, to really be a father for the very first time. Excitement built within me and I rushed to get dressed, not wanting to miss any time I had with him.
Entering the kitchen a little after eight, I saw my mother happily moving about the room. She was humming softly and piling ingredients on the counter. I hadn't seen anyone else in the house yet, and there was no noise, which was strange. I pulled out a bar stool and sat down, smiling when she looked over to me.
"Hey Mom, whatcha doin'?"
She sighed, "Well, I thought I'd make breakfast for my family today. You hungry?" I nodded, asking if I could help out.
"Sure, why don't you get the eggs out? You can beat them together for the omelets. Then you can slice up some of these vegetables for me. What do you think Bella and E.C. will want? I was hoping they'd eat with us."
"Mom, they won't even be here for like two hours. The food will be cold by then," I said. My mother continued to fidget, piling more food on the counter than even Emmett would be able to eat. She looked nervous and I wondered about Bella's mood that morning, knowing what was ahead for her and E.C. later in the day.
She laughed, "Oh don't worry, I'll be cooking all morning. Emmett is here, remember? And Rosalie might look like a supermodel, but she's eating for two. I think she almost ate as much as Emmett did for lunch yesterday. I don't know where she puts it. That baby must be taking more than its fair share."
"Well, she is Emmett's daughter."
My mother rolled her eyes. "Oh honey, don't talk like that in front of Rose. She seems to think their little angel is going to be a ballerina or gymnast or something. I hate to spoil her dreams and tell her that's probably never going to happen. Sweet, delusional girl."
We laughed as we continued to move around the kitchen, preparing the meal. "Wouldn't it be funny if they had one of those roly poly babies with the chubby rolls all over her?" I joked.
"Edward! How could you say such a thing? That's not a very nice thing to think for your niece."
I looked at her, my mouth open in pretend astonishment. "What? I think those babies are cute. And come on Mom, you know it could totally happen. I've seen Emmett's baby pictures, and he was not thin, I'll say that much."
She slowed her stirring and looked up at me, a smirk growing on her face. "Well, that's true. Besides, maybe she could be the first female tackle in the NFL. You never know."
I burst into laughter at the thought of that, imagining a proud Emmett screaming in the stands as Rosalie cried from embarrassment, clinging to a tutu and tiara that would never be worn by their daughter. I knew that Rose would love that little girl no matter what, but I secretly loved the idea of her little plan for the baby being completely destroyed.
A little before nine, I kissed my mom goodbye, telling her that we'd be back soon, and headed to Charlie's house.
Pulling into the driveway, I tensed up, butterflies taking over my stomach. The house was quiet, but I knew they were there and waiting for me. After knocking on the door, I listened closely for footsteps. When they did finally come, they were soft and light—Bella. She opened the door, looking more beautiful than the last time I'd seen her. Her hair was damp and she didn't have any make up on, and yet I couldn't take my eyes off of her.
"Hi," she said quietly.
"Hi. You look great."
She blushed, looking down to the ground. "I look horrible. Alice said I couldn't do anything as far as make up or hair went. She wants a clean palette to work with. Sorry."
"Well, I like seeing you this way. You look beautiful." I watched her as her eyes traveled up my body, finally meeting mine. She smiled, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip, as she stepped back and held the door open so that I could enter the house.
"My mom was hoping you and E.C. would want to have breakfast with us. Have you eaten yet?" I asked.
"Um, no we didn't eat. Alice called earlier and said she thought that might be the plan. I'm also supposed to bring my dress and everything else so we can just get ready at your parents' house and then not have to come back here before the wedding." She started walking toward the kitchen, and I followed, glancing into the living room as we passed. Suddenly Bella paused and turned around to face me. The look on her face was one of worry and hesitation, yet she seemed relieved too.
"He knows about you. I mean, he's seen your pictures and all, and he knows you're coming today, but I don't know how he'll react. So, if it's not good, if he's quiet or shy or something, just give him some time, okay? He loves you, he wants to see you." She reached out and took my hand as I nodded in response to her. She let out a deep breath, "Okay, come on."
She pulled me into the kitchen. Stepping through the doorway, I looked to my right and saw, sitting at the kitchen table, my son. He was seated on a wooden chair with a booster seat underneath him, hunched over as he concentrated on something. He had a coloring book and crayons spread out on the table in front of him, and the tip of his little tongue stuck out of his mouth, pressed firmly against his upper lip and he concentrated on his picture.
My breath caught in my throat. He was beautiful and I fought the urge to grab him, to hug him until my arms ached. I stood watching him for a few moments, taking in the sight of him, as he continued to color his book. His little fingers were wrapped around a red crayon and I could see his legs swinging back and forth under the table. A quiet laugh broke from my throat and he looked up, his eyes catching mine as he slowed his crayon strokes.
"Baby," Bella said softly, "remember I told you someone was coming to see you today?"
E.C. looked over to Bella, nodding to her.
"Well, this is Edward, he's my friend and he wants to meet you." She reached over, laying her hand on my arm as E.C. shifted his gaze back to me.
"Hi," I said. All the things I had planned to say to him quickly left my head. I wanted to tell him that I loved him. I wanted to tell him that I'd dreamt of him. I wanted to tell him I had dreams for him. Mostly, I wanted to tell him who I was and that I'd been waiting for him, that until I had fallen in love with his mother—until we'd created him—my life hadn't truly begun. I had no purpose in the world without them, and I wanted him to know that. As I watched him, there was nothing but awe and wonder. I was speechless. The only other person who had ever left me that way was Bella, and I took comfort in that fact.
"Hello." E.C. lay down his crayon and sat back in the chair.
"What are you coloring?" I asked. His eyes fell to the table as his hands reached out to pick up his book. He looked happy, content, and completely caught up in his picture. I wondered if he was coloring it for someone in particular, and I hoped that maybe Bella would let me take a page or two to keep, so that I could have something of his.
"It's Mickey Mouse. See? He has a dog, but I don't have a dog." The corners of my mouth turned up in a smile as his sweet voice floated through the room.
"Wow, he's pretty lucky. You know, I don't even have a dog. Maybe some day I will."
"You like dogs?" he asked.
"Yeah, who doesn't?" I laughed.
Bella stood quietly by as I spoke with my son for the first time. She moved her hand from my arm to my back, urging me forward. "Why don't you sit down? I'll go get my things ready and then we can go."
"You sure?" I asked, not knowing if she really trusted me enough to leave me alone with E.C.
"Of course I'm sure, sit down. Talk to him." I reached out and grabbed the back of the chair, pulling it out before stepping around it to take a seat. Bella stood behind me, her hands on my shoulders as E.C. went back to coloring.
"E.C., I'm gonna go upstairs for a few minutes. Can you sit here and talk to Edward while I get ready to go?" she asked him.
He stared intently at his paper and nodded, "Okay Momma." Feeling her grip on my shoulders loosen, I raised my hand and placed it on top of hers, keeping her with me as I turned to look at her.
"What do I say?" I whispered, unsure of what to talk to E.C. about. I didn't know his likes or dislikes and I really didn't want to start off on the wrong foot. She smiled a sweet smile back at me, her eyes glistening as tears formed in them.
"Anything. Just say anything to him. He'll love it, I promise." She bent her head, running her nose along my hairline before kissing me on the temple. Her breath hitched and she spun around, rushing from the kitchen. I sat stunned for a moment, wondering what kind of emotions were running through her. I wondered if she was scared, never having had to share him with someone in this way before. When I looked back at E.C., I saw him looking at me.
"Was Momma crying?" he asked, his little brow furrowed in concern. I wasn't sure what to say to him, especially seeing that he was so worried about Bella.
"Well, just a little bit. I think she was just happy. Some moms cry when they're happy."
"Oh," he said quietly, clearly not convinced by my words.
"My mom cries sometimes when she's really happy. Sometimes girls are kinda funny that way."
"My momma only cries at night time or sometimes when I watch my football games." He began coloring again, picking up a green crayon and working on the grass in the picture. My mind wandered to thoughts of why Bella would be crying at night or during football games. I would have to make sure and dig a little deeper on that later, but for the moment, I wanted to bond with my son.
"Do you like to watch football?" I asked.
"Yeah. I have a football shirt, but Gramma Sue took it. She said it's dirty, she gotta wash it."
I smiled at that. "Yeah, we gotta keep our jerseys clean, don't we?"
He raised his eyes to meet mine. "You gotta football shirt too?"
"Yeah, I do. I have a couple of them, and they even have my name on the back."
"Wow, me too!" he said, excitement shining in his eyes.
"It does huh? That's pretty cool."
"Yeah, it's my daddy's name, but it's my name too." My heart stuttered—had Bella given him my name? I knew his name was Edward, but jerseys only carried last names. Had she given him the last name Cullen? It was something I hadn't really thought about before, but now that he'd mentioned it, I was dying to know.
"So, what does your jersey say?" I asked, hoping he would offer up more information.
"Cullen. My name is E.C. Cullen." My eyes began to prick and I gasped for air, trying to maintain my composure so that I wouldn't startle him. I was overjoyed, wanting to shout to the world that I had a son, that he had my name. Pride began to grow from deep within me and it was all I could do to stay seated and not run to find Bella—profess my undying love and gratitude to her for giving me a son. She had given me the greatest gift possible and I couldn't imagine ever feeling anything but devotion to, and love for, her.
"You're name is E.C. Cullen? Wow, I really like that name." I grinned at him as he smiled widely back to me.
"Yeah, Momma says that Daddy has to be on the TV right now, but when he's done, I'm gonna go see him. You think he has a dog?" he asked as my heart began to swell with even more love both for the little boy in front of me and for the girl upstairs who really had told him about me.
I shook my head, "I don't know, not everyone is lucky enough to have a dog."
"How come you came to see me today?" he asked, surprising me and leaving me unsure of how to reply.
"Well," I said, "your mom told me what a good boy you were, and I wanted to talk to you. Is that okay?"
He nodded, "Yeah, that's okay. I'm a good boy, I help Momma." He picked up a blue crayon once he was done coloring the grass and began coloring the sky in the picture.
"That's good, I'm sure she appreciates that you help her so much."
"Yeah, I help Grappa Charlie too. We went to the store and I helped buy groceries."
"Wow, that's great."
"He got me a treat. I got worms, you like worms?" he asked, looking back up at me again.
"Well, knowing your grandpa, I hope he didn't buy you real worms 'cause those would taste yucky. Did you get gummy worms?"
He started to laugh, his head falling back. "That's gross, silly! No one eats real worms!" I started to laugh along with him, and before I knew it, all the tension I'd felt earlier was gone and a quiet, ease settled over me. This was how it was supposed to be, just me and my son spending time together. I wanted to read him a story, play catch with him or even take him fishing, but in that moment I couldn't be bothered to do anything other than sit and watch my son laugh. His little lips curled up into a breathtaking smile as his hands rose to cover his mouth in an effort to hide his giggling.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Real worms are only for fish to eat, huh?" I asked.
His laughter began to calm a bit as he answered. "And birds. Birds like worms, too."
"Hmm, yep, and birds." I nodded in agreement, excited at how smart he was.
"Hey, you wanna see something?" he asked before he scooted off of his seat and scurried past me and into the hallway. I heard his little footsteps on the floor as he ran away from me. Just as I thought about going to follow him, he came running back into the room, a very familiar picture clutched in his hand.
"Look, here's my daddy," he said as he thrust his picture of me toward my face. I reached out with my hand and took hold of it, again marveling at the fact that a little picture of me could mean so much to him. I looked closer at the picture, realizing that it was one from my sophomore year in college, when I had started the season as backup quarterback. I looked so different in the picture, my hair shorter and my face so much more tan after being outside practicing all summer. I had wondered how E.C. didn't recognize me immediately, but after looking closer at the man that he knew as his father, it was no wonder. The empty look in my eyes combined with my youthful face at the time told me all I needed to know—I had changed, I was different now.
"Wow, your dad's a football player?"
"Yep, he's a quarterback. He throws the ball. See, he has hair like me." He reached across to the picture, jabbing a pudgy finger toward my image and the hair on my head.
"Yeah, he sure does." I sighed, happy that he seemed so interested in me.
"Hey, you got hair like me too," he said, looking up at my hair, the scowl from earlier returning to his face. I swallowed roughly, nodding as no words were able to come from my mouth. His big brown eyes scrutinized me for a moment, taking in my features and everything about me.
"Momma gots a green ring like your eyes."
I nodded.
"Momma said I got a face like my daddy."
I nodded.
"Momma said my hair's like my daddy's." His words were growing quieter with each statement.
I nodded.
"Momma said I was gonna see my daddy today."
I nodded, my eyes misting up.
"You're my daddy, huh?" he asked, as he stood watching me closely.
I nodded.
"Are you done being on the TV now, Daddy?"
I nodded, still unable to speak.
"Are you comin' to see me now?"
I nodded.
"Can we play ball?"
I smiled and nodded, finally managing one simple word. "Yes."
He stood still for a minute, still looking me over. He stepped closer to me, his voice growing quieter still. "Do you love Momma?"
I nodded, "Yes, I do."
"She loves you. Do you love me, too?"
Firmness rang through my voice as I spoke. "Yes, I do." A tear slid down my cheek, and I reached up to wipe it away.
"Are you crying 'cause you're happy?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm very happy."
He took another step closer to me, "Good, me too."
I set the picture down on the table, scooting my chair back a bit. "Would it be okay if I hugged you?" I asked, the urge to pull him to me so overwhelming that I couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Okay," he whispered. I reached out and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him up and to my chest. I buried my face in his little neck, breathing him in, as his arms tightened around my neck. I felt hot, wet tears falling from my eyes onto his clothes and I didn't care. Finally, I had my son with me and in that moment, there was nothing more that I had ever wanted.
"I love you E.C." I said in a muffled voice. Though his face was tucked into my neck, I heard his beautiful voice more clearly than I'd ever heard anything else before.
"I love you too, Daddy."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
BPOV
Watching Edward load our son into the car was surreal. For so long I had dreamed of being like this, a family, and now here it was right in front of me and I couldn't quite believe it. I had stood in the kitchen doorway listening to them talk, Edward professing his love for both me and our son. My heart swelled at his words and I wondered if everything could really be this easy, if I had worried for nothing.
We drove quietly to his parent's house, E.C. sitting in the back seat, commenting on everything we passed. I saw a smile dance across Edward's lips multiple times and wondered if he would still be smiling like that after 3 or 4 hours trapped in the car with E.C.'s non stop chattering. I knew what my little boy was capable of.
I had never felt the type of anxious feelings I'd been holding back all day. I'd never had to share my son with anyone else like this before. I was nervous, scared of what Edward might do. In the back of my mind I wondered if this was all just a game, a ruse that he had concocted to get back at me for leaving him. I didn't regret my decision, though it had been the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. I knew it was the best thing for Edward, and for me, even if it hurt us both. We had a lot of time to make up for and I was excited at the thought of doing that.
Edward's house looked a lot like it had four years before, the circular driveway still welcoming me, drawing me in toward the large front doors. It was a beautiful home and I remembered the first time I'd ever been there, the day I met Edward. It had been the best day of my life, smack dab in the middle of the worst week of my life. Being new was never good, but when I looked at Edward and saw the life and energy in his eyes, all the crap from the week before just vanished; I was home. I knew at that moment that this was a house I would come back to again and again. Little did I know that soon I would say goodbye to it and the people that lived within its walls, forcing myself to accept the fact that I would most likely never see it, or them, again.
My heart was broken as I walked away from Edward that day, or more like crawled away from him. I managed to drive my truck down the street and around the corner, out of view of his house, before I had to pull over, the sobs shaking my body so badly that I couldn't see straight. I cried for an hour, wanting desperately to turn around and go back, to tell him I lied and that I was pregnant, but when I looked at my finger, at his ring, I knew I couldn't deny him everything that he had worked for. I loved him too much.
He looked at me as he turned off the car, eagerness clear in his eyes. I prayed the fear that had seized me didn't show on my face, as I tried to smile at him and reassure him that I was okay with things. I'd wondered about this day for four years—wondered if Edward's family would accept me back into their fold. Wondered if they would accept E.C. and love him the same way I did. I prayed they would because I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with it if they didn't. The unknown was somewhat comforting because in it, I could dream. I could hope for things I wanted and pretend that life was wonderful.
Reality was a very different thing, and even though it could all turn out perfectly, I was smart enough to know that it could also, just as easily, become my worst nightmare. As I sat in the seat looking at Edward, I came to terms with the fact that within the next few minutes, I would know one way or another what reality held for me and for my son.
Edward was out his door and around to mine in a flash, holding out his hand for me to take, as he helped me stand. He placed a kiss on my forehead and then closed the door, reaching toward the back door. E.C. started talking again about something to do with flowers. He must have seen the flowers in the planters along the front of the house. He loved flowers, always enthralled by our neighbor in Miami, Mrs. Cope, who worked in her flower gardens every day. He was entranced by her bright pink gloves and giggled every time he saw her wearing them. He knew that meant she would be digging in the dirt, which was something he loved to do.
I stood next to the car with E.C. as Edward got my bags out of the trunk. Just as we started for the house, E.C. turned around and ran back to the car. He started pulling on the door handle furiously, yelling that he needed something. I looked to Edward, knowing the doors were locked, wondering if he'd let me have his keys. His hands were full as he looked back at me, clearly thinking the same thing I was.
"You can open the door with the code, just push it in on the keypad," he said.
"Okay, what is it?" I asked.
He looked at me and smiled, embarrassed about something. E.C. squealed again and Edward spoke quietly. "It's Bella, B-E-L-L-A."
I smiled at that, feeling the blush creep up on my face as I turned toward the car and opened the doors. E.C. pulled the door open and then clambered into the backseat, clearly looking for something. He jumped back out with his little picture book clutched in his hand. I smiled at it, not realizing that he had brought it with him.
"What's that?" Edward asked him.
"My family," E.C. said as he ran for the front porch. I closed up the car and hurried back to Edward's side as we made our way up the walk. E.C. waited at the door and when we reached it, Edward smiled down at our son.
"You wanna open the door, E.C.?"
"Okay." He reached up and turned the handle, pushing on the door as it fell open a little. He cautiously poked his head in, looking around, before pulling it back out.
"I smell something," he said, his little nose wrinkling up. "It smells good."
Edward laughed. "Well, my mom made us breakfast. Are you hungry?"
E.C.'s eyes lit up. "Yeah, what'd she make?"
"Well, probably a little bit of everything, but my brother Emmett is here and he eats a lot, so we'd better hurry." With that, E.C. shoved the door open and ran inside, intent on finding the food he so clearly wanted.
I followed Edward into the house, closing the door behind me. He moved to hang my garment bag on the hall tree, and set my duffle bag on the floor next to it. E.C. was standing in the middle of the room, looking in awe as his new surroundings. There were family portraits along one wall, and I was shocked to see a few of E.C. included amongst them. I looked to Edward, confusion clear on my face, hoping he could offer me an answer.
His eyes traveled to the pictures just as E.C. pointed them out and proclaimed that it was him on the wall. "Oh, that. Well, my mom is fast, what can I say?" He looked a little nervous, but I couldn't figure out why. The pictures were obviously copies of ones that I had given my dad, but I hadn't realized that Esme had time to make copies so quickly. She couldn't have known about E.C. for more than twenty-four hours, but as I thought about it more, I realized that Edward was right—she was fast when she wanted something.
We could hear laughter floating through the air, obviously coming from the kitchen, and as I felt my breathing pick up, Edward stepped closer to me, taking my face in his hands gently as he lowered his forehead to mine.
"It's okay, I promise. Please, trust me?" he asked, the tone of his voice begging for me to believe him, but I couldn't do it. I wanted to so badly, but there were just so many things lately that didn't make sense, things that left me with more questions than answers.
I nodded lightly as he moved to press his lips against mine, softly and repeatedly. The way it felt to have him kiss me was incredible. It was something that I had never fully been able to describe, not that words worthy of it even existed. Feeling his breath on my face and his fingers pressing into my skin made me crazy. Each time he did it, I thought for sure I had died and gone to heaven, but then I'd open my eyes and see him. I could never get enough of what he offered so freely to me.
E.C. soon pushed in between our legs, grunting as Edward hesitantly stepped back. "I'm hungry Momma," he said, looking up at us. Edward and I both glanced down, laughing at his angelic little face, his brown eyes wide with curiosity. "Hey Daddy, what are you doin' to Momma?" Edward laughed harder, pulling away from me before bending down and scooping E.C. up into his arms. The look in Edward's eyes almost knocked me off my feet. There was so much joy there, and what E.C. had said slowly sunk in—he called Edward Daddy.
"Come on, let's feed you, buddy." He turned toward the kitchen, reaching his hand out and tangling his fingers with mine. Pulling me along behind him, I caught our reflection in a mirror hanging on the wall, and suddenly my eyes were filled with tears—we were a family. It was something I'd dreamed of, but never believed could happen. I sniffled as I lowered my head. I felt Edward's arm twist and wrap behind me, our fingers still laced together. His lips pressed into my hair as I felt him kiss the top of my head, mumbling quietly, "I love you."
I was happy. I was at peace. I was finally, after all that time…complete.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: Hope it was all you were dreaming of. :) I think we needed some Bella POV on this. She's seeing things…keep that in mind.
Now for rec's. First of all, remember to go and read the entries for the Public Lovin' Contest that I'm co-hosting with the simply ravishing JandMsmommy. Then, VOTE!! There are some really amazing stories entered, so make sure and check them out.
http://www().()fanfiction().()net/~publiclovincontest
Now for the in-progress stories…
The Ghosts of My Past by TwilightMommyof4girls
Summary - Bella has it all, a loving father, a great boyfriend and a promising future. But is all as it seems? Does love make everything right or wrong?
I love this story. The first chapter will have you screaming at Edward like never before, but just wait for the second chapter… It's so good.
http://www().()fanfiction().()net/s/5858907/1/The_Ghosts_of_My_Past
River Dam by jennyfly
Summary - Edward bides his time in Forks counting the days til he can leave the sleepy town forever. But fate halts his departure, and he must learn to see Forks as a home instead of a prison.
This story is located over on A Different Forest, so if you're not already registered there, GET REGISTERED and read this. Think of it as WHTM if Bella had told Edward she was pregnant. It's so real and honest…I am in love with it.
When you get into the site, look up the storytelling link, find jennyfly in the authors, and then find her story. You won't be sorry.
http://www().()differentforest().()com/
Now for something complete.
All Cried Out by Hannah81
Summary - Bella and Edward are happily married, or so Bella thought. What will happen when Bella discovers that Edward is cheating on her?
This story is another one that will have you screaming at Edward, but soon enough your heart will be breaking. It's not long, only 12 chapters, but you will be so taken in by it. The last few chapters will have you crying, they are so heartbreaking. Trust me, you don't want to miss this.
http://www().()fanfiction().()net/s/5439719/1/All_Cried_Out
As always, take out the ()'s before you look these up. They really are worth a read. :)
I'm on Twitter, so come and play. Some of the girls get a bit smutty, just so you know. :D
This story has a thread on Twilighted. It's fun, and I post teasers. :P
There are links to both of those on my profile, so that makes it easy to find me. :D
I'm probably going to be whoring myself out for the Fandom Gives Back auction in a few months, and I'll probably offer up some outtakes from either this story or any of my other stuff, so you might want to start thinking about what you'd want to see. I might even offer an o/s or two. I'm still thinking that one over. :D
As always, thanks for reading and leave me some love. :)