We're every color of the rainbow, and we're beautiful. Rose dons a gorgeous pale pink dress in shimmery satin. Alice is radiant in a yellow dress that drapes from a halter style around her neck. Char glows in a strapless orange. Lillian is absolutely astonishing in red with on sleeve hanging seductively off one shoulder. Liz looks radiant in emerald, billowy fabric falling off her shoulders in waves. Mama Esme looks striking in teal, fitted and shining satin. And Cynthia has on a baby blue that makes her eyes pop.
"Let's go see if the boys are ready." Cynthia says with a wicked grin.
I steel myself for the walk down the stairs, and down the street in these heels.
It proves treacherous and Rose and Alice spend the whole trip catching me before I fall.
"Good thing you have Edward." Rose mutters when I stumble into her.
"I'll be better on flat ground." I grouse. Alice snorts derisively.
"Yeah right." We make it to the Hale house where the men are all sitting around the TV in tuxes, a bottle of beer at hand. The boys are standing in the back playing on their phones.
Huh.
Ed Sr. is the first to look up. His eyes widen and brighten and he jumps up with a large smile.
"Liz you look absolutely beautiful, you know how much I love that color on you." He takes her hand and offers a tender kiss to her hand and she preens under the attention with a giggle.
Not to be outdone, Dale marches up and grabs Lillian roughly, planting a big passionate kiss on her.
"You look amazing babe!" And that's why Lillian has to buy smudge proof lipstick.
Peter's got this abashed awe about him as he approaches Char. You can tell she doesn't dress up often and he's stunned.
"Jesus Char…" He breathes. She smiles in delight.
Carlisle takes Esme's hand and pulls her to his side gazing down at her tenderly. It's so overwhelmingly full of emotion.
Dad comes over and gives me a look over, his eyes slightly misty.
"You look so much like you Mom." He says giving me a quick hug. That's his best compliment for me, he thought the world of Mom's beauty.
Emmett is very much like Dale, pulling Rose in for a big hug and a nearly indecent wander of his hands on her hips.
Rose pulls away and gives Emmett a whack on the back of the head.
Jasper takes Alice's hands and they do the cute thing where she stands on his toes while they kiss tenderly.
Edward approaches me and takes my hand placing a kiss on the palm with such reverence it makes me breathless.
"Bella." He breathes, and his voice catches with such powerful emotion that my chest feels tight. His gaze is so appraising, so loving.
I warm under it.
"Words will never be able to tell you how beautiful you look tonight, stunning and radiant seem too dull in comparison to your magnificence." My breath catches in my throat and I gaze up at him.
"Oh Edward." I breath and lean up to kiss him softly.
"He gets it from his Father." Liz says quietly when all the women 'aaw' Edward's beautiful words. Ed Sr. pats Edward on the back with pride and we leave the house for the limos waiting outside.
Edward guides me carefully to the car, then sits beside my holding my hand and softly running his thumb over my knuckles.
Impulsively I pull his hand clasped with mine up to my lips and deliver a row of soft kisses to his knuckles, I can see the stars dancing in his eyes, they're beautiful.
"I love you." He breaths. I blink up at him, a large smile covering my face. It's as easy as breathing to reply.
"I love you too."
A flash makes me blink my eyes in confusion and I look over to Alice who's holding her phone and squealing.
"I captured the moment! Oh I got to forward this to everyone!"
I look back up into Edward's eyes, so soft, so happy, he mouths I love you and I mouth it back.
I love him.
It's the greatest feeling to know he loves me back.
Lillian reserved a gorgeous dining room in a swanky hotel in Port Angeles. The floor is gleaming marble,an enormous crystal chandelier illuminates the room brilliantly.
Everyone we see are dressed in shades of black, white, and gray, while we make our entrance awash in color.
Slowly everyone spreads out to socialize and chat, Edward holds my hand as we make our rounds looking for anyone we might know. A lot of the older members who know me stop to give me their condolences for Mom.
Then of course, they make themselves known.
Tanya, Irena, and Kate. Who are all wearing white. The jealousy swarms in Tanya's eyes as she takes in my dress and Edward with his hand on my waist.
"Wow, throw an event and make it black and white and then show up wearing color. The need for attention is shocking." I refuse to let her ruin my perfect night.
"Tanya there's significance to the whole thing, just wait for the speeches they should be starting soon." Then I move to walk away, but of course she can't have that.
"You look like a whore with your boobs like that." A sophisticated lady nearby gasps at Tanya's rude behavior. I don't spare Tanya a glance, but Edward seems ready to make a show, he stop us and gives me a tender kiss.
"I love you Bella, in this dress or in sweats you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."
For once Tanya doesn't have anything to say and she walks towards her Dad looking she's swallowed a lemon.
"Should we tell your Dad she violated the protective order?" I shake my head and lean into his side.
"No, I just want to enjoy the night," Edward places a kiss to my forehead and gives me a twirl, pulling me in so my back is to him as we sway and to the music.
"I love you Edward."
We sway tenderly for a moment until Lillian clinks her glass announcing the speeches.
Edward's hand stays at my waist as he walks us to our seats near the stage.
"Welcome everyone, I am so very happy to announce this cause. Happy because truly, we will be able to help so many.
But I'm heartbroken, grieving even, for the reason this cause came to mind was due to a recent tragedy." I grip Edward's hand tightly.
"Many of you know that we lost the light of a beautiful soul not too long ago." A picture of Mom is displayed, the same beautiful picture I always thought she looked most beautiful in. Tears begin to pool in my eyes and Edward pulls my seat closer so I can burrow into his side.
"She was a victim of a home invasion." Lillian's voice breaks and she gives a small sniffle, unable to go further.
"At this time I'd like to invite Bella Swan to the stage, to speak on behalf of her Mother, and the need for this cause." Edward helps me onto the stage and I grip his hand tightly as I stare out at the sea of black and white.
I glance down at the cards on in front of me, but I've reviewed them, and now, in this moment, I know what I want to say.
"My father once told me when I was just a little girl and wondering what a woman a woman, that a woman is someone who loves so fully that it cannot fit in her body. It pours out of her very soul and touches the very earth around her making her beautiful and full of life." Dad smiles up at me and I smile in return.
"Elizabeth Masen once told me a lady is someone who has the grace and patience to look into the eyes of someone who wishes you harm whether bodily or with their words, and has the ability to turn away and refuse to speak ill of that person because it did not do well to dwell and wrinkle over someone so insignificant." My eyes connect briefly with Tanya's, then flicker to Liz who has tears swimming in her eyes.
"Esme Cullen once told me a Mother is someone who loves every aspect of a child, the very best, the absolute worst, and the oddest to ever extreme. Someone who loves that child to their fullest, even if they aren't biologically their child." Esme has tears streaming down her face.
"My mother was a woman who loved and lived and graced everyone with a bright smile. She was a lady who walked away from conflict without the weight of it upon her heart. She was a mother- my mother." My throat catches and the tears begin to fall.
"And she was taken from this world, from her friends, from my brother, and from me, by a man and woman who wished my family harm. They entered our home late at night, something we never in a million years thought would ever happen to us, and they tortured, and they killed my family."
A sob bursts from within my chest, echoing harshly into the mic. Edward puts his arms around me and holds me close. As I cry and struggle to catch my breath.
"I managed to escape and carry on my Mother's memory." I manage weakly.
"Because my Dad taught me self-defense, because my brother looked me in the eye and said "I won't always be there Bella, and neither will Dad, I hope you never have to use it, but damn it you're going to be able to throw a right hook." Emmett laughs through his tears.
"I'm no expert, but knowing how to throw a punch, and how to get out of a hold, saved my life. If my Mother had taken that training seriously…" I pause shuddering a deep breath.
"Maybe she could have survived too."
Edward walks me off the stage as I sob into his chest. Esme steps up to the mic her face sad, eyes dancing with tears.
"Bella spoke of a mother loving a child even though that child was not hers biologically. That's what my Bella is to me, the daughter I was never blessed to have." Esme steels herself and takes a deep breath.
"My Father was not a kind man, he'd beat my Mother fierce over the smallest occurrences." Tears begin to drip down Esme's face.
"Beat her so bad that she died a painful death from complications due to internal injuries." Liz is sobbing into Ed's chest, and Edward looks pained, watching the women he loved so broken.
"And then his ire turned to us, and I stepped up to protect my sister." Esme places her hand tenderly on her stomach.
"And I too suffered internal complications. I will never know the miracle of carrying a child." Esme gazes at us with a soft smile through her tears.
"But I found love for six children, not my own, but my children just the same." Esme allows her eyes to fall on the crowd once more.
"Violence against women doesn't just come from strangers in the night. It can occur in broad daylight in the home you once felt safe. That stranger could be someone who betrays your love for them by hurting you." Esme pauses letting the statement settle.
"I wish I could go back and tell myself to leave, to give that little girl the knowledge I have now. There are so many shelters and programs for women in dangerous situations, and even more for children." Esme shakes her head sadly.
"It's too late for me, but not for the next woman or child."
Esme steps down where Carlisle immediately pulls her into a warm hug.
Char walks up to the mic, she smiles brightly and wipes at her tears.
"Jesus I'm going to cry through this whole things." She says southern twang strong and enchanting.
"I met that beautiful girl there after that night." Char says pointing to me with a grin.
"She was beaten and bloodied to hell, and Lord only knows what she saw in there." I shudder and duck into Edward.
"But I knew she was a fighter." Char says with a grin. "I took one look at her bruised hand, the one she used to deliver a damn good right hook." The crowd chuckles lightly.
"I'm serious. Did you know Bella, that the man you hit had a broken jaw?" My eyes go wide and I shake my head, Edward pecks my temple and Emmett lets out a roar.
"Yeah Bella!"
"He did, and that's because of that slip of a girl there that trips on air." My eyes narrow at Char.
"She fought, and I just wish I had known about how powerful that is. We always refuse to fight out of fear or lack of know-how, but did you know that in the case of rape, a woman who fights back is half as likely to be violated? The rapist- the kind of man that could attack a woman because she is weaker- is such a coward most can't face a woman who fights." Char shakes her head sadly and her breath hitches.
"I was kidnapped when I was young. Taken about thirty feet from my house in what was a very nice and safe neighborhood. I was sold and transported to Mexico where I worked as a sex slave for several years." Char's eyes become pained.
"I laid down and took it because all the men were bigger than me, then one day- this girl- Maria, she just transformed from this broken girl to a raging Amazon ready for battle. She hit and kicked, and she didn't have any technical skills she took them so by surprise they got sucker punched. And suddenly I found my courage and I fought too, and Maria and I- we got out." Char cries earnestly.
"We got out because we fought for our lives." She croaks. "And I wish I'd known how powerful that was earlier in life." She steps back on the stage and all of us come to stand, holding each other's hands. Lillian stands before the mic tears running down her cheeks.
"Violence against women isn't black and white." She begins. "It's bright and colorful, and incredibly painful." She looks to me.
"From the darkest blue of despair of watching the death of your whole family." She gazes at Esme and Elizabeth. "To the nastiest shade of betrayal of a trusted family member." Finally her gaze falls to Char.
"To even the brightest most painful flame of the loss of your self so completely."
Lillian wipes at her cheek and offers a small smile.
"We women will no longer stand for it." She says with a strong voice.
"We will not passively watch on as other women suffer, we will stand and unite." All of us raise our clasped hands.
"This charity will fund the women's shelters, the free clinics, the self defense classes, the educational speakers in high schools, the ads on our TVs, the billboards along the highway. This charity will ensure that women everywhere know that they can fight, they can win, and they can and deserve- to be happy!"
Loud applause echoes fiercely from the patrons who are all standing wiping at their tears.
All of us hug and embrace on stage as Martina McBride's This One's for the Girls plays overhead.
This one is for all of you.
I can tell you that a man who chooses to attack women is truly a coward. My husband came at me and when I stopped taking it and fought back… he got scared and backed off, choosing to hurt me with words instead.
None of you EVER deserve to be hurt.
Spread the LOVE.
Now Taking Numbers.