FYH Chapter 10

Beer Gardens and Icy Mountains

As we progressed in our drive to Cheyenne things the atmosphere in the car became lighter and more jovial. He felt guilty and I knew it. I mean I know that I would have been pissed if he had ran out of our wedding like he did with Tanya, not that she deserved any courtesy at all or that staying and dealing with it himself would have solved anything at all. His mother had had too much control over him. There was no way that she would have listened or let him go if he had stayed and confronted them. I told him that it was better this way. His mother is getting help and working through her issues. And he is getting stronger and learning find the real Edward that was buried deep down beneath the Edward that his parents had created out of their selfishness.

I don't want to hate my mother in law but from what I have heard about her from Edward; it's not too easy for me to like her. But I am will to keep an open mind; after all I know that Edward's views are biased by his pain and resentment. The picture I got of Esme from Rose was slightly different. But it all stemmed down to guilt and grief. I know those feelings well. That being said I really am actually looking forward to the day that I can actually talk to her and form my own opinion of her.

As I pulled into Cheyenne I was grateful for being in a car rather than on the bike for once. Don't get me wrong, I loved the bike a lot but riding in a car was much easier on the back and legs. And it was much easier to hold a conversation, too. And it was a lot less dusty.

We were only going to be in Cheyenne for two nights. We were going to check out the beer-fest and then move on. Our next stop was going to be Vale, Colorado to try our hands at skiing. We were going to have to take lessons as neither of us has ever been skiing before but it would be fun anyway.

It was almost dinner time when we finally got settled into our room so we decided to venture out and find someplace to eat and scout out where the beer-fest was going to be. Since we both planned to drink tomorrow we chose a hotel that would be within walking distance of the festival and we were going to stay over that night to sober up before heading out again.

We ended up at a little burger joint not far from the hotel and enjoyed a nice leisurely walk together. It was a nice evening and we enjoyed just being together without the family drama and issues. Not that I didn't absolutely love Emmett and Rose. They were a blast and by meeting them I got to see first hand that they really were sorry and remorseful over the way that they treated Edward.

The next morning we slept in until almost eleven. We had stayed up until nearly two in the morning thoroughly enjoying still being on our honeymoon. After showering and dressing for the day we made our way to the festival grounds. The admission fee covered not only all the beer that we could drink but food as well. Which really was a smart idea as alcohol and an empty stomach can cause a whole slew of problems.

After eating some lunch with a first round of beer we grabbed a second round and wandered over to the stage where they were having entertainment. We watched the entertainment and drank some more for the next few hours. Around supper time we made our way back to the food tent to eat again and then walked back to watch the night time entertainment.

While we weren't completely wasted we were pretty sloshed by the time that we ventured back to the hotel. Sleeping in again we both woke up with nasty headaches and unfortunately we were out of aspirin. So we made stopping at the drug store a priority before leaving town.

Edward decided that it was his turn to drive the Journey. I loved that name; I mean it was so fitting, like it was meant to be or something. So after finally getting back on the road to head to Vail, I took the opportunity to snuggle with my husband as we drove down the highway.

The scenery as we drove up into and through the Rocky Mountains was absolutely breath taking. Even if the sight did make me homesick for sight of the mountains of Washington that I grew up looking at. That is what really gave me my resolve that help Edward resolve his issues with his mother and help to mend their relationship in any way that I could.

I couldn't force him to forgive his mother and want to be close to her but I did know what it was like to lose your parents. I wish more than anything I could tell them that I loved them one more time. I know that they knew that I did but know that they are gone I don't think that I said it to them near enough. I hate that they will never meet Edward or know the happiness that I found with him unless what they everyone always said was right and that your loved ones watch you from heaven.

EPOV:

Skiing! What the ever living hell possessed us to decide to go skiing? I just know that one of us is going to end up severely injured and possibly laid out in a hospital bed for attempting to do this. Neither of us is particularly athletic, at all. Not to mention the cold and snow. I went from living in Los Angeles to living in Phoenix, Arizona. I've never spent time in the cold weather, ever.

The main reason that I agreed to this was that I have never once in my eighteen years seen one flake of snow. I know it is a bit hypocritical of me to want to see snow but not have to deal with cold weather. But when you're used to the desert heat the prospect of freezing your ass off flying down a mountain with two pieces of metal strapped to your feet is a little daunting.

Ok. I will admit it. I am only doing this for Bella. She wanted to learn to ski and I am not going to deny her that because of my hang ups on cold weather. Of course Bella had to promise to make it up to me. She did point out that cold weather does equal more snuggling in bed to keep warm. That I'd definitely go for. I loved making love to my wife and would use any excuse to do so. I'll never tire of calling her that either. My wife.

We were staying at the Vail Cascade Resort in one of their condos. We chose the Liftside Condos because it had a full kitchen and Bella and I both were dying for some home cooked food for a change. Eating out every meal can get tiresome after a while. And second, they had washers and dryers in the units which were a real blessing as we were both running out of clean clothes and this would be easier than spending the whole day at a Laundromat.

We had stopped at the store on our way up to the resort to pick up some food to stock the kitchen with and Bella was really excited to get back into a kitchen. Apparently she loved to cook and missed it terribly. We also had to stop and buy some new winter clothes. We specifically bought things that would appropriate for skiing and a winter coat for me. I had never had a need to own one in my life.

That night after a wonderful supper, because Bella really was an amazing cook, we settled in on a blanket by the fireplace to enjoy a quiet evening. It was just us, the cake that Bella baked this afternoon and a movie. I noticed that she was being awfully quiet this evening, not that Bella a big talker or anything, it was just obvious that there was something on her mind.

"Bella, love, what's on your mind?" stroking her cheek with the back of my hand.

"I don't know if you really want to know." She was not even making eye contact with me now. Now she had me worried. Had I done something to upset her? Perhaps we were spending too much time together and not enough time apart getting space from one another. I know that we each had habits that irritated each other. I tended to leave clothes on the floor and she always left her cups lying all over the place. I know that we argued about it a little this morning. But I did apologize for her finding my dirty underwear under the bed. I really didn't think that any of the little squabbles that we had had over those issues were that big. But if there something that was bothering and upsetting her then it was bothering and upsetting me.

"If it bothering you then I want to know so that I can fix it. I want you to be happy, sweetie."

"I want to meet your mother." Ok. I was totally not expecting that. Meeting my mother meant actually being in the same city as her. I was really not ready to go there yet.

"You want to meet my mother, like be in the same state, city, and room as her?"

"Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be face to face Edward. A phone call will do."

"Can I ask what brought this on Bella? I thought that you really didn't like her?"

"That's just it, Edward. I have a bad impression of someone that I never met before. And really, she can't be all that bad. I was just thinking, Rose said that she wasn't really a bad person, just a person that made mistakes, and she is my mother-in-law and I've have never even spoken to her, and being in the mountains made think about…." She trailed off at the end looking like she was ready to cry.

"It made you think about what?"

"My parents and how much I miss them. Edward, I know that they wronged you terribly and there is a long way that all of you have to go before you fully forgive them, but I know what its like to open the door only hear that you've lost your parents and will never get them back. I don't want either of us to regret not making an effort where you're family is concerned. And I think I want to give your mom a chance to change the impression I have of her, herself."

"I understand that, Bella, I do. But, I don't know if I am ready to go there yet, to be face to face with her. I will eventually, but not yet."

"What about just a phone call then? You called her once before. You gave Emmett permission to give her your new number. I think that the fact that she still hasn't called is a major indication that she is trying."

"You're right. She is trying. I'd be willing to do a phone call sometime. I'd like to talk to Dad as well. I can't hide from this forever. But not tonight, Ok?"

"That's fine; it doesn't have to be tonight. I just…thank you, Edward. I love you so much."

"I love you, too, Bella. More than words can say." Then we moved to the bedroom where I held my beautiful wife as we shared stories of our childhoods until she fell asleep. As soon I was sure that she was asleep I grabbed my journal and continued my writing like I did most nights. I wasn't keeping it from Bella; she knew that I was writing. She just understood that I liked to write when it was completely quiet and I could be alone with my thoughts and there would be no distractions. And she was a distraction, albeit a good one, I proved to her three times that afternoon I told her about my night time writing just how distracting she could be.

But tonight the words just weren't coming as easily as they usually did. I had a lot on my mind. First, Bella wanted to have to chance to meet her mother in law. I understood that completely. I really wished that I could have a chance to meet her parents. They sounded like completely amazing people and their death was not just a huge loss for their daughter but their whole town.

The second thing that was weighing on my mind was the impending holiday season. This would be the first Thanksgiving and Christmas that Bella and I would spend together and also the first that I would spend away from my family. It would be her second without her parents but her first without the Webbers. The conflicting joy and sadness that was surging through me was confusing and extremely frustrating.

I did miss my family. It wasn't quite fair to keep them away so much and there was the fact that they had no idea where I was at, and that wasn't quite fair to them either. I knew my parents were worried that something could happen to us and they wouldn't know. Any parent would freak if their kid ran off like I did. And if I am being honest a big part of my silence regarding our destinations was a little bit of vindictiveness on my part. I don't think that my mother knew that I knew that she was planning to have a room in the apartment that Tanya and I were supposed to live in, in New Hampshire. Tanya blurted it out while we were discussing how many rooms the apartment needed. Apparently my mother was going to be visiting us weekly and staying with us. I really should have known that she wasn't going to let me get that far from her. She wouldn't even let Emmett and Alice go to school in California where we still had some family. I just wondered if Dad knew about mom's plans to split her time between Arizona and New Hampshire or if he was kept in the dark just as much as I had been.

I put the journal away as writing tonight was a definite lost cause and concentrated my thoughts on my mother and Bella's request to at least get to meet her over the phone. It was then that I decided that maybe a phone call was a good idea. I really think that I that I needed to confront her about her plans to take up part time residence with Tanya and me and hear for myself what she has to say about that.

The decision to make the call later today finally made, I was ready to settle in a get some sleep. We were going to take our first skiing lessons in the morning and I really didn't want my wife to laugh at me for falling asleep on the lift. Or worse falling off the lift and ending up in the hospital. Though, come to think of it, a broken leg equals bed rest and sponge baths by my gorgeous and sexy wife and suddenly broken bones didn't sound like a bad idea after all.

A/N:

I am back, kind of. I am still amazingly busy with school. An outtake is coming I just need to get time to write it. Actually the list of outtakes is growing. I flubbed a little bit about the skiing season in Colorado. It actually starts in mid November and right now it is mid October in the story. There may also be a couple of minor time jumps coming up. I am talking just weeks here. Nothing major. As always, I am on twitter as branson101 and check out the stories' blog at BlogSpot at branson101stories. I am going to take time every chapter to recommend two authors that I feel deserve it. This week I am choosing Ebalways and Jenny0719. They are both amazing writers and instead of choosing one thing that they wrote I am just going to rec them as authors on the whole.