Disclaimer: I don't own anything Twilight related…
Chapter 13: A Very Sober Thanksgiving…
After that auspicious start to Thanksgiving the fun continued. Edward and I didn't reach any compromise that evening. The only thing we did accomplish was a massive fight that lasted into until 1:00 am. The need to sleep was the only thing that keeping us from going a couple of more rounds.
Sullenly we left Manhattan at 8:00 to get to my parents' place. The traffic was awful especially with a resentful husband and two toddlers in the back. The twins did me a favor and fell asleep in the Lincoln Tunnel after I turned on the Sesame Street DVD. On the drive to Jersey, I started to think about how my life changed since marrying Edward. It was a change moving to Manhattan having lived in New Jersey most of my life.
I wouldn't say that money changed me per se but I after marrying Edward that I could buy could certain things and not break out in hives. For instance we had bought this car, a fully loaded Volvo SUV, when I found I was pregnant and that we were having twins. Previously Edward had driven an Aston Martin Vanquish which got us from A to B but I never cared for it either. Unlike my dad, Jasper and Jake who spazzed when they first saw it.
When realized that I had two babies instead of one growing in me, we knew we needed a car that could accommodate 4 people. At first I thought we would get a Corolla or a Jetta. Edward had gone out that weekend and bought a new Volvo SUV for us, moving his Vanquish into a garage. He didn't even comparison shop, he just bought it fully loaded.
At the time I had admonished at the time I was a little peeved but let it go since we could afford it and I really loved the car. Edward had gotten me the car I wanted not the one I needed. He gave the Vanquish to his mom and we relied solely on the Volvo – not really needing a car everyday. But it was pretty indicative of what my lifestyle had become when I had married Edward.
I wouldn't say that I had become more materialistic but I had become more lax in my budget then I used to be. For instance I still did my research when I bought things but I wasn't blinking at an eye at the cash register when I bought a sweater or pair of shoes. In some ways I had encouraged Edward's spending habits by not saying anything sooner.
But on the other hand we were now in this situation and I needed him to be on board with me. Thoughts like plagued me all the way down my parents' house. Edward was equally as silence as we pulled in my parents' drive. My sister Alice came bounding down the stairs to greet us.
"Bella – Edward you're here," she squealed giving us both hugs in her 7 month pregnant glory.
"Yes and how do you that when you're 7 months pregnant," I asked thinking about how I waddled with the twins.
"Energy Bella – remember I deal with kindergartners all day – you have a desk job," Alice answered as she walked over to say hi to the twins.
"I'm going to put our bags up in your old room," Edward told me quietly.
I nodded. My mom came out next with the same energy as Alice. It wasn't a big mystery to see which daughter favored which parent. My mother and sister had the same big personalities and boundless energy. My dad and I were more reserved. Currently my dad was standing at the doorway, shaking hands with Edward as he went into the house. He came down to help me with the twins as my mom dragged me into the house. Jasper was there in the living room.
"Bella," he said coming up and hugging me.
"Hey Jazz – how is going," I asked hugging him back.
"Great – we're just getting the final details on the ironed out before the baby is here," he replied.
That's right – another reason why Edward was so sensitive about this trip and most likely my suggestion to move to Staten Island. Jasper had gotten a promotion to full partner in his psychology practice and an appointment at Rutgers. He was doing so well that he and Alice had decided to move out of basement apartment in my parents' house that they had been renting since college and buy their own house. They had found an old Victorian that Alice loved and had renovated.
I took a deep breath and realized this was going to be an awkward Thanksgiving. For a moment I wished we had stayed in the city. "Glad to hear – we should see it this weekend," I replied.
"I can't wait to show you the baby's room," Alice gushed, "It's so beautiful."
"Well if it's anything like the job you did for the twins I can't wait to see it," I told her. That had been a bone of contention between me and Esme. Alice had seen something I wanted for the babies when I was pregnant and had come over with it one weekend. One thing led to another and we had decorated the nursery. Esme had been planning a designer nursery with a friend of hers and had been horribly disappointed when Alice had stolen her thunder.
Edward just smiled at her and grabbed a beer from the kitchen and went to join my dad for the Army/Navy game.
"What's with him," Alice asked quietly, "Still no bites?"
I nodded. "The stress is getting to both of us," I admitted, "I got some news from the Staten Island tenants."
"Anything bad," she asked.
"They're buying a house and moving out in February," I told her.
"Oh Bella," Alice said patting her belly, "I know you were depending on that money. When are you putting it up on the market?"
"Well this was what I was thinking," I explained, "The mortgage is about quarter of rent. The commute is going to suck but it would be a huge relief financially if we moved to the Staten Island House."
Alice's eyes lit up. "That would be great," she exclaimed, "You would be a lot closer to us."
"Yeah – that would be great." I admitted, "But Edward isn't up for it. In fact you could say he was dragging his feet in cement. Alice he isn't taking this seriously."
"Oh Bella," she said quietly, putting her arm on my shoulder.
I continued to tell her how stressed I was with all the bills I had and how I wasn't sure how were going to make ends meet and how out of touch of reality I thought Edward was. Then I told her about Jessica and the amount of crap I was dealing with at work.
"Bella – you need a break," Alice said stroking my shoulder.
"How do you propose that I do that Alice," I laughed sardonically, "If I'm not working I'm watching the kids."
"You're here till Sunday – you and I can get massages on Saturday. My treat since I'm dragging you to Black Friday," she replied.
I knew Alice met well but I didn't like the idea of her treating me. It felt like charity. "That's a nice thought," I told her noncommittally.
"You'll come," Alice said happily. Note to self – never bet against Alice.
My mom joined us a couple of minutes later and Jasper went back to the living room. We spent the rest of the afternoon getting the meal ready. We sent down for the meal around 5. Edward had been in and out of the kitchen all afternoon, grabbing a beer – taking appetizers out to my dad and Jasper. He kept giving me the strangest looks. Like he was trying to analyze me and find my weak points. Whatever he was doing it was starting to annoy the hell out of me.
Around 5:00 we set down for dinner. My dad started to carve the bird after we said grace. "I'm so glad to have everyone this year," he said, "Bella, I'm so proud of you honey. Even if your boss is a bit of a twit."
Everyone around the table snickered a little, reliving the tale Edward had told them about my boss's multiple identities. I just smiled weakly because even through she was a twit Jessica was my boss. This was not what I wanted to think about given the entry on Jessica's calendar I saw before I left. My headache was starting again. While I was plotting on how to get Alice to Costco tomorrow to get more painkillers, Jasper spoke up.
"Edward you have a master's degree right," he asked.
"Yeah – an MBA," Edward answered, "Why do you ask?"
"A buddy of my mine at the university was mentioning the other day that friend of his needs a teacher for some ad-hoc classes they're adding to the business department at NYU. If you're interested, I can give you his contact information," Jasper said.
"You mean work as a teacher," Edward said with his eyebrows up to his hairline.
"Yeah – kind of what I do in addition to my practice. It would mostly part time work," Jasper explained, "You've worked as a lecturer right?"
"It's how we met," I replied quietly thinking of that night long ago when I had first met Edward. I felt really old all the sudden thinking about how alive we had felt at the time and that nothing could break us up.
"Yes it was," Edward confirmed with the same look I'm sure I sporting.
Then he said something that nearly made me choke. "Thanks Jasper but I'm not a teacher," Edward said quietly, "If your friend looking for an investment banker, I'm your man."
Jasper and Charlie both raised their eyebrows. I couldn't blame them, here we were in a crap economy with no prospects and Edward was turning down work. I really was in the fucking Twilight Zone.
After dinner my parents carried on the tradition with the guys putting away the dishes and the ladies relaxing in the living room. Well my mom and Alice were relaxing and playing with the twins – I was fuming. I wanted to kill Edward and I couldn't even begin to yell with him until we went to bed. And the big cherry on my sundae was the fact that he wouldn't even considering moving.
These thoughts went flying through my head until it was time to go to bed. This year my parents were putting us in the basement apartment instead of my old bed room. It had enough room for us instead of trying to put the twins in my old my room. The place was slightly bigger then our current apartment.
Once I got the kids settled, again why did I always have to do that – Edward seemed to think his only job in child rearing was getting me knocked up, I went to the our bed.
"You're not going to even entertain this job offer," I asked quietly.
"Jesus – I knew you were going to bitch about this," Edward said shaking his head, "Bella – I'm a banker – not a teacher. I wouldn't know where to start and I definitely wouldn't get the same paid as I pulled before."
"Edward – it would be a huge relief," I told him, ignoring the bitch comment, "It's in NYU – think about it – if you took this job and we moved then things would get a lot easier."
"For the last time – I'm not moving to Staten Island – get that out of your fucking head right now," he snapped.
I looked him in disbelief at his tone. "You know what Edward fuck you," I told him and grabbed a pillow off the bed and tossed it at him, "Go sleep on the couch!"
He just shook his and turned his back on me. Good, I thought, deal with it. I was tired of him living with his head in the sand, especially with the stress I was under with Jessica.
The next morning I was waiting for Alice in the kitchen. She wanted to pick up some things for her new baby and I wanted to take advantage of the retailers' fear of the recession for toys. "Hey – ready," Alice asked as she saw me nursing a cup of coffee.
"Yeah – let's go – you driving or me," I told her.
"Let me drive – you don't like you got any sleep last night," she said.
"I had a fight with Edward," I explained grabbing my bag.
"Over him not taking the job," she asked
"Over him being an ass," I told her as we walked to her SUV.
"Why he isn't taking the job," Alice asked as we drove into the house, "Jasper pulled in a lot of favors for that."
"I don't know but I don't know how much stress I can take Alice," I said, "We were arguing about the Staten Island House all night again."
"Well you know what – this could be a good thing – why don't you move to Staten Island," she said, "Your commute is going to suck but it would take a lot of the financial stress off. Have you explained to Edward that way?"
"Ah all clairvoyant one," I replied, "I thought of that. That was what we were fighting about last night. Alice he is completely out of touch, trying to live the life we used to have instead of the one we have one."
"Bella – he may not be ready to give up that life," Alice told me gently, "It had to be hard blow to have you become the bread winner."
"I get that Alice I truly do but he's driving me crazy," I said as we pulled into the mall.
Getting out something struck me as odd. It was 4:00 am in the morning on Black Friday. Usually at this time there was a line around the store, waiting for the doors to open. There was hardly anyone there. There were people, but not the crowd you were expect for the holiday sales.
"Wow," Alice said, "I was worried that we were going to miss out on some of the sales. This is going to be a breeze."
"Yeah a breeze," I echoed, the enormity hitting me in the face. Nobody was here because everyone was worried about money. We were in a recession.
Alice and I walked around the mammoth store picking up what we needed Edward and Jasper surprised. Edward wore the same sheepish look he had all those years ago with that first Thanksgiving and was again carrying a coffee tray.
"Hey," he said cautiously.
"Hey," I replied, feeling defeated.
"What's the matter – Jasper's job offer," he asked.
"No look around Edward – no one is here," I babbled, "It's the day after Thanksgiving and this store is empty. You're an economist, you know what this means."
We stood together in that semi store, Edward finally on the same page as me. I could see it in his eyes – he was out of denial.
AN: So do you think that Bella should have vented to Alice like that about her martial problems? Do you think that Edward should be more open to the idea? I actually lived on Staten Island for a year and commuted to the city for work. I loved Staten Island – it really is a nice borough and completely underrated. But commuting to Manhattan took at a least honor and I lived in the St. George, which is right by the ferry. So I could understand Edward's reluctance about the commute. But when times are hard, as many of us do, you do what you have to do.
That bit about the mall mirrored the holiday shopping trip I did on Christmas Eve 2008. The mall was completely empty that year. The only people there were me and the sales team. Very spooky.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read/review/favorite/follow this story!