The final chapter, dedicated to all my readers.

The Path We Chose

Chapter 25: A Room of Our Own

We slept together all night long. We could touch and tug at each other whenever we wanted, and we did. In the morning, I held on tight. It was early and the sun was brightening the room too much through Edward's uncovered windows. If Edward hadn't been next to me, his chest under my head, I would have pulled a pillow over my face in search of darkness. Since Edward was here, I turned and kissed his chest. But one kiss was not enough. I kept kissing and I hadn't meant to wake him but I did. He moaned, his arms engulfing me and pulling me on top of him.

"You're here," he said as if he needed to say it for it to be true. "Bella, please wake me up like this every day."

I smiled and kissed his chest again. "Your room is so bright in the morning."

He covered us with his sheet and comforter all the way over our heads. "Not anymore." Content with the shut-out sun, I returned my head to his chest.

"No," he said, "lips."

I kissed his chest again, moving my lips up along his throat to his chin and lingering at the edge of his mouth until he turned his head and took my lips with his. We kissed and touched, and then because we were both there and we could, we made love in the darkness under the covers, just him and me; the world was gone.

It was still early on Saturday morning when we emerged, showered and dressed, from Edward's room… together. We moved slowly and cautiously, holding hands, not knowing where anybody was or what we had left in our irresponsible wake for Carlisle and Esme to find. None of our friends were around, nor were any empty bottles, dirty glasses or any other disorder whatsoever. Another kind of mess, however, was waiting for us in the kitchen. Carlisle and Esme sat stiffly at the table staring at Edward and me as we entered - as if they'd been waiting for us for a long time and we had finally arrived, so now they could move again.

"Edward," Carlisle said, "Bella, have a seat."

We exchanged glances like guilty seven-year-olds about to get a lashing.

"We hate for anything to overshadow your engagement," Esme said, "but this must be addressed."

We took seats, continuing to hold hands under the table.

"Rose and Emmett have gone home and your mother and I have been debating whether or not we should call their parents." Carlisle's voice was much firmer than Esme's. I had never heard him speak like this. It made me uncomfortable and I shifted in my seat unable to be as still as he was.

"Why would you call their parents?" Edward asked.

"Because they spent the night together in Bella's room."

"That's their choice," Edward said. "How is that any of our business?"

"Edward, they are minors and so are you two. It is not up to you to make that kind of decision for your friends, or to invite them to sleep together in our house. Haven't you learned anything from your situation, here?"

"But Emmett and Rosalie are not Bella and me."

"I'm aware of that, Edward; however, I will not allow the repetition of history again in this house. We are the parents, responsible for what goes on under our roof, and we will, and should be, held accountable for any consequences that transpire. You need to be respectful of that."

"Okay," Edward said. "I apologize. It won't happen again. Anything else?"

"Yes," Esme said. "The other matter is you and Bella."

I felt Edward's hold on my hand tighten. He understood something in his mother's tone that I could not.

"We may have been hasty in our decision to allow the two of you to share a room," she continued. Edward's hand let go of mine and appeared on top of the table. I wanted to grab hold of it again. I looked at him hoping to catch his eye, but he was focused on his parents.

"We were hasty in that respect, Esme. No sugar coating it. Bella," Carlisle turned to me, "engaged or not, you're not married and like I said you are both still minors. You will need your father's permission to continue to share a room with Edward."

"I don't get this," Edward said. "She's having my baby! We're engaged! What can you possibly be trying to protect us from?"

"Do not take that tone with your mother and me. This has nothing to do with protection. It has to do with respect. Bella is not out daughter. We are obligated to honor Charlie's wishes as her father."

"They're right, Edward," I said and I hled his hand on top of the table because I had the excuse to do so now. His fingers linked mine. "We'll talk to my dad about it." I said it even though I had no intention of doing it. I wanted to keep the argument between Edward and his family from escalating. I could feel Edward's temper growing - the heat radiated off of him through his hand and into me. I caught his eyes. "We'll talk to my dad, tell him about our engagement."

"All right," Edward said. "Anything else?" The bitter tone had not left his voice as he addressed his parents again.

"Yes." Carlisle's face was still stern . "We're proud of you, son, for not giving up on Stanford." He gave Edward a smile. Esme's smile was warm, her green eyes twinkling with pride in her son.

That was the first time I actually felt the sacrifice I was making in not going to college. All that work I had done in school, the ambition I had, I'd let it all go without a real thought, because I had to. I looked down at my lonely hand in my lap and then at my stomach, a little rounder but still fitting snugly in my jeans. Nobody, least of all my mother, would be looking at me the way Esme and Carlisle were looking at their son now - full of pride in his accomplishments. And he was something to be proud of. What was I but a seventeen-year-old mother who no longer went to school.

"It was Bella," Edward said. "Bella was the one who didn't give up. Who wouldn't let me give up."

"And Emmett," I said, still looking down at my lap.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, but I couldn't look at him because I could feel tears threatening my eyes and if I looked at him they might show themselves.

"Nothing."

"Something's wrong, Bella. What is it?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

Edward asked his parents if we could be excused, who both agreed. Edward pulled me by my hand to the front door, and outside he held my face, forcing me to look at him.

"Bella. Bella, tell me what's bothering you."

And there they were, the tears I knew would come as soon as I saw the concern in his eyes. But I couldn't tell him this. No way. The possibility of him giving up on Stanford would loom as long as he hadn't made the commitment.

"I think," I sobbed out. "I think… I just need to cry, okay?"

"Okay," He held me against his chest and let me cry, and I mourned my childhood and what would have been my slow entrance into adulthood through college and teenage accomplishments. I let my tears wash away the disappointment, the unfulfilled dreams of college after high school, until I could allow my motherhood and instant adulthood to take hold again. Finally the sobs slowed and my breathing steadied. I wiped at my tears and Edward helped, and I loved the feel of his tender touch on my face.

"Are you all right, now?"

I nodded.

"They shouldn't have included you in that. They should have talked to me alone, I'm s-"

"Don't apologize to me, Edward. What they did; it's fine." He kissed me and I felt his apology on his lips. Just as planned, he would go to college, and I would postpone college and that was the way it would be and I accepted it in kisses.

"Should we go talk to Charlie?"

"We should tell him we're engaged."

"And ask his permission to share a room?"

I shook my head. "One thing at a time is better. Let's see how he accepts our engagement, first."

He nodded and then pulled me into a hug again. "But I loved waking up with you this morning. It was the first time we were able to wake up happy together."

"I know. I loved it, too. It felt right."

"Natural."

"Edward, will your parents be going out at all today?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Because, now it's my sheets that need sterilizing and Emmett isn't here to do it."

He laughed. "I'll do it."

I held on tight around his waist and kissed his chest through his T-shirt.

"Come on, my beautiful fiancée. Time for round two. Let's go see your dad."

My dad was packing up his truck with fishing gear when we arrived, and he told us that if we wanted to talk to him now we had to come with him because this was his one day off and he was spending it fishing. So we rode with him to the river, climbed off the dock into his fishing boat, and drifted through the calm, seemingly abandoned water. There were no other boats around and the water, though pushing us along, barely rippled. It was so smooth it seemed I could stand on it without sinking. The air around us was quiet. Not even the airplane that flew overhead was close enough to be heard. Edward and I shared a bench facing my dad, and watched in silence as he added bait to his hook. Edward was the first to speak once my dad's fishing rod was cast.

"Chief Swan. Charlie," Edward said. "I want to thank you for the letter of recommendation you wrote for me."

"Ah, Bella told you about that, did she?"

"I appreciate it. I'm convinced it had a lot to do with why they offered me the opportunity to apply for the scholarship."

"Well, you're welcome and I hope it works out for you."

"Dad? Edward and I are engaged now." I had to say it. I was never any good at drawing things out, nor was I good at building up to the point. Just say it, my brain always told me. "He asked me last night and I said yes. We're going to wait, you know, until he's through with college, but it's official."

"Engaged?" He shook his head. "Engaged at seventeen, a baby on the way. If anyone would've told me this would happen when you moved here, I never would've believed it. I'd have been convinced they were speaking of someone else, or outright decked 'em."

All I could do was look at him. I couldn't come up with a response. What do you say? Sorry to disappoint you? I'd already said that.

Edward was the one who spoke. "We love each other and we want to spend the rest of our lives together. We would appreciate your blessing."

"So, you're asking for my blessing, not my permission?"

Edward leaned back against the side of the boat. Apparently he didn't have a response, now.

"Well," my dad said after quite an uncomfortable silence, "no part of this has been traditional, but I suppose if you two are in love, and from what I've witnessed, you do appear to be, then you have my blessing. Take good care of my daughter."

"I will."

"Dad, he doesn't have to take care of me. I'm not a doll, and I have a brain."

"Bella. Let me ask this of him." He looked Edward in the eyes for the first time. Throughout the entire former part of our trip, he had busied himself and his eyesight with fishing tasks. But now he held Edward's gaze. "You take good care of my daughter."

"I will."

"What does her happiness mean to you?"

"It means everything to me. Bella's happiness means my happiness."

My dad nodded. "Good. Same goes for me. Don't mess with her happiness and we'll all get along fine."

Edward put a relaxed arm around me for about a minute before my dad handed him a fishing pole. "Hook the line, let's double our chances here."

Edward did as he was told, neither of us surprised when my dad didn't hand me a fishing pole. I leaned against Edward as he fished with my dad. It felt good to just be calm and relaxed with him and my dad on a river shadowed with trees. Edward kissed my forehead and I closed my eyes.

"Bella," my dad said, "did you call your mother?"

"No. Why?"

"To tell her about your engagement."

"Dad, I'm not going to call her. She doesn't care. She wants nothing to do with me anymore. She made that more than clear."

"I think you should call her. She is your mother and, angry or not, she deserves to know what is going on in your life."

"I'll think about calling her. But if I do decide to call, I'll be hoping for voice mail."

This made him laugh. "There's one thing we have in common."

He reached over to hug me with one arm, the other holding his fishing rod. "I guess Congratulations are in order."

Nobody caught any fish that day, but we did take one step closer to becoming a real family; a real family accepted by my father.

Independent study, aside from being apart from Edward, had been way better than school at Forks High. On nicer days, I sat out on the patio and read. I was able to eat whenever I felt hungry. And I didn't have to get dressed all day if I didn't want to. I always did, but the fact that I didn't have to made me happy. The only thing missing was Edward. Of course, if he were here, we wouldn't really get any school work done.

Today was one of those nicer days. I was lying on a lounge chair, book in hand, wearing my comfy sweat pants and a T-shirt. I also had a light blanket for when the wind picked up or when the clouds hid the sun. I watched two birds flying together. They landed on a branch high in the fir tree, then flitted together from branch to branch. They looked like they were playing, flirting maybe? I wondered if birds flirted. Then I wanted to know what kind they were so I searched Carlisle's study for a bird book. It wasn't exactly homework, but I decided if bird watching took up too much of my time I could just write an essay on it for credit.

The more time that passed, the down side to independent study became clear: it doesn't really take up as much time as going to school, so I started getting bored by myself all day. I cooked sometimes and asked permission to plant vegetables and strawberries out back. I liked gardening. It got me outside, and relaxed me. Plus, I could keep an eye on the birds of Forks. I planted tomatoes in late May after the dangers of frost had passed. When they started growing, I'd make a good tomato sauce for Esme's pasta. Unfortunately, it takes two months for tomatoes to grow once they're planted and I, being impatient, kept searching for little buds hoping this tomato plant was faster than the rest. I kept them well watered, and fertilized regularly, hoping that might speed up the process, but I didn't want to kill them so I eased up and grew some patience.

A few weeks after our Non-Prom/Engagement Night, I received a letter from Jessica. I found it one afternoon waiting for me on the kitchen table. She wrote that I didn't have to worry about her anymore, that if we ever ran into each other, she wouldn't talk to me unless I talked to her first. She wrote she would never touch me. At the end she wished me the best and offered her congratulations. "I know he or she will be just beautiful," she'd added. I sat on the sofa and read it again just to make sure that I understood it correctly the first time, and that there were no hidden messages.

I found Edward in his bedroom studying for finals. I was supposed to stay away from him when he studied because he couldn't concentrate with me around, but I had to know about this.

"Edward, did you tell Jessica to write to me?"

He turned toward me. "I told her never to talk to you or touch you again. Did she write to you?"

I handed him the letter. I noticed he read it twice, too.

"Wow, I must have really gotten through to her." He stood up, facing me. "I never would have thought she had this in her."

"Well, who knows. She could've been laughing the whole time she wrote it. What did you say to her, anyway?"

"I just said that even if you weren't showing yet, there was a real, delicate, fragile baby growing inside of you." He walked around behind me and slid his arms under mine and around my waist, holding me close. "I told her she put that tiny life in danger, not only by physically touching you but also by causing you emotional stress." He rested his chin on my shoulder and rubbed gentle circles on my stomach, "I told her our baby's life was more important than mine or hers." He kissed my cheek and neck, before I turned around to kiss him, too.

"You really love our baby."

"Yes, I do. It's strange loving someone you've never met, but I do."

"Me too."

My strawberries started producing in June. I was squatting down, freeing some from their vines and eating them right there in the small garden. Some made it into my basket, too. I forced myself not to eat those. They were for everybody. I'd been expecting Edward home an hour ago and was just wondering-for the hundredth time, what was keeping him when he announced his arrival behind me.

"I have something for you."

I stood up to face him and he took my left hand, placing the engagement ring on my finger for the second time. I had been postponing getting it sized because I didn't want to remove it from my finger where it belonged. But fear of losing it finally overtook my ring separation anxiety. He slipped it over my knuckle and it fit perfectly. He kissed my hand and then my lips.

"Taste this," I said, feeding him a strawberry.

"Mmm, it almost tastes as good as you. Let me taste you again." He shared his strawberry-flavored tongue with me. His hands came to the small of my back and pulled me close against him and it didn't matter that my belly bulge got in the way. My arms encircled his neck, my fingers making their way into his hair. His lips moved to my cheek and my jaw, then my throat. Down my throat he kissed and then up again to just behind my ear. How he could make me want him so badly within a matter of seconds was beyond my comprehension. But I did. I wanted him naked and me naked and I had to remind myself that his mother was just inside, in the kitchen right through those sliding glass doors. Those clear, see-through, sliding glass doors.

"Edward," I said and tried to pull away but his tongue was on my neck and the last thing I wanted was to pull away. "Edward, have another strawberry." I said it but I still made no effort to get away from his lips. In fact I tilted my head to give his lips better access and I held his head right where it was.

"Strawberries," he said against my skin. "I want to make love to you on a bed of strawberries."

That got a moan from me. "Edward…" his lips were on mine before I could get more words out. Whimpers from my throat were the only sounds I could make. Then he moved his lips down my neck again and over my chest. I felt his hands pushing their way up my rib cage, making their way to my breasts. "Edward…not here."

He stopped and pulled away, his breathing heavy and his eyes unfocused. He closed them. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."

He opened his eyes and I laughed at him. "So, the strawberries? Good, then?"

He nodded.

"Just think, if we move to Palo Alto, we can grow grapes!"

"Ah, the fruit that make wishes come true." He moved forward to kiss me again but stopped himself. He put his hand on my stomach instead and brought his face down there, kneeling in the soil. "Hi baby. I see you're growing. That's good. Listen, your mother is the most amazing person, so you treat her nicely and don't cause her too much pain, okay? Deal?" His fingers ran down my stomach as though actually touching the baby. Then he kissed my stomach and rested his cheek against me. I held him there.

"I'm afraid you're not human," I said.

"No? What am I." He stood up straight and looked down at me, his green eyes intense on mine, still capable of taking my breath away.

"I don't think you are Carlisle's and Esme's son. I think you were born of a romance novel, and were so well read that you actually manifested yourself into human form."

"Are you calling me cheesy?"

"I'm calling you better than fiction."

He kissed me then draped an arm over my shoulder, guiding me back into the house, up the stairs and toward his room. "If I'm better than fiction, so are you."

I hope you enjoyed The Path We Chose, and that it lived up to your expectations.

Next is the sequel. I will post a teaser here as soon as it's ready to remind you it's coming. :)