Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight and The Avett Brothers own The Perfect Space title.

Thanks as always to my lovely beta SabLuvsLogan

Chapter 23

Edward and Bella sat in the car before first period Monday morning, preparing to face the rest of the students.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked.

Bella nodded. "Yeah."

"Nervous?"

She thought about it for a second before answering. "Nah. We don't have to like…flaunt it, you know? We're just not pretending anymore."

"Yeah," Edward replied with a nod. "Exactly. We'll just act…normal."

"Yeah…normal…"

"There'll probably be a lot of staring though," he added after a short pause.

"Yeah that's okay, though. At least we'll know why they're staring."

"Yeah," he answered. "Alright, let's go."

They both took a deep breath before opening their doors and stepping out of the car. Edward rounded the front to join Bella on her side and he slipped his hand in hers as they both headed toward their first class.

All morning he walked her to and from class, holding her hand, smiling and laughing, loving the fact they had nothing to hide.

As the day went by, they noticed the students not reacting how they had originally imagined. They had pictured everyone staring at them, whispering as they walked by, but none of that was happening. By the time they entered the cafeteria during lunch, Edward's arm was wrapped loosely around Bella's shoulder.

"It's really weird, guys. We were preparing ourselves for a rough day, but it's like no one's even noticed," Edward said after sitting down at their usual table.

"Are you really that surprised, Edward? You guys have been walking around holding hands since September," Emmett replied with a shrug.

Edward and Bella looked at each other and scrunched their eyebrows but they quickly realized Emmett was right – their fellow students had already been accustomed to their closeness and hadn't noticed the change.

"I guess you're right," Edward said before turning to look at Bella. "We really did have nothing to worry about."

The topic of conversation quickly changed but Edward found himself not being able to focus on what they were discussing. His mind was elsewhere and he was feeling almost discouraged. He had been excited about being able to walk into school freely holding Bella's hand, touching her whenever he wanted to, and the fact that no one seemed to care or notice was unsettling. He had wanted everyone to know that Bella was his. He was sick of the way some of the guys stared at her and had hoped that this was the day it would all change.

Noticing how quiet Edward was, Bella nudged her shoulder against his to gain his attention. He gave her a small smile before turning back to his half eaten sandwich. He had wanted things to be different but so far the day felt like any other. He contemplated the different things he could do to set the record straight, and when Mike Newton approached their lunch table his eyes set on a Bella, Edward knew what had to be done.

Edward watched as Mike leaned over slightly so he could talk to Bella; ignoring everyone else at the table.

"Hey, Bella! I was wondering if you wanted to go over the answers to the Spanish assignment with me."

"Oh, umm…" She paused as she stole a quick glance at Edward. "Well, we can go over them in class if you want."

She looked over at Edward again to see his reaction but he was merely smiling at her so she smiled back and looked toward Mike.

"Alright, yeah, that sounds good. How did you find it?" he asked.

Bella looked around the table to find the rest of them rolling their eyes. She sighed and answered him. "It was actually pretty easy. How did you find it?"

"Yeah, same. Well actually, you know, number 6b was pretty tough. I was confused between…"

He continued to talk and Bella listened, nodding along at the appropriate points. Mike didn't want to leave and the fact that Bella was answering him fuelled him further so he kept on going.

Mike was discussing his weekend out with Tyler and Eric but he was abruptly interrupted by the sound of Edward's chair screeching against the cafeteria floor. The noise was deafening and most of the students turned to look at where it came from.

Edward ignored everyone around him as he stood up and held his hand out in front of him for Bella to grab. She was beyond confused and had no idea what he was doing but she placed her hand in his and stood when he pulled her up.

Mike stopped talking and was grimacing at Edward for interrupting his conversation with Bella but Edward couldn't care less.

"Excuse us, Mike," Edward said.

"Edward, wha –"

In one swift movement he wrapped his arm around Bella's waist, bringing her body flush with his. He bent his head forward, quickly bringing his lips to hers, cutting off whatever she was about to ask him. She let out the most adorable set of noises and he smiled against her lips as he kissed her, even turning their bodies the slightest bit to the left so Mike could actually see the way his lips molded to hers.

The kiss was soft yet meaningful as Edward moved his other hand to rest on her cheek. When Bella was over the shock of his action, she lightly laced her fingers through his hair as they kissed sweetly and passionately.

A hush fell over the entire cafeteria as everyone turned in their seats to witness the kiss and declaration of relationship status.

The couple remained standing in the middle of the cafeteria with their arms around each other, kissing as though they were alone in Bella's bedroom, until Edward heard the sound of a throat being cleared behind them. Realizing he probably proved his point, he slowly pulled away from her, placing one final soft kiss on her lips before opening his eyes.

Bella's cheeks were bright red with a large smile spread across her face at the sight of him. He kept his arm around her waist as he kissed her forehead. Since the first day of school they tried to blend in, not wanting anyone looking at them differently, but today Edward needed to set the record straight and the stares coming from the students were now welcome.

Mike stared at the two of them, not sure if he imagined the exchange or not, but the silence of the cafeteria told him he hadn't. He coughed nervously before giving them a small smile and quickly leaving the table.

"Nice!" Emmett hollered as Jasper, Alice and Rosalie laughed.

"That wasn't very nice of you," Bella said with a smile.

He smirked and leaned over to place another long, soft kiss on her lips.

After the stunt in the cafeteria, the whole school reacted as they first expected, whispering in full force as they roamed the halls. Some students smiled at them while others glared but Edward simply wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close as they strutted down the hallway without a care in the world.

On Wednesday, Bella and Edward had their bi-weekly session with Dr Aro. Bella sat in the waiting room, casually reading a book while Edward finished his appointment. When she heard the door open, he greeted her with a smile before approaching her.

"Hey," he whispered.

He linked his index finger with hers for the briefest of seconds before giving her another smile and walking out the door.

"Dr Aro will see you now, Miss Swan," the reception said softly with a smile.

Bella nodded at her and stepped into Dr Aro's office.

"Good afternoon, Bella."

They shared their usual hello's but Dr Aro quickly jumped right into the topic.

"There's actually something I want to talk to you about today. I don't know if you've noticed but we just passed our three month date."

"No, I didn't realize," she replied.

"Well, the date is not really important but I wanted to let you know that I've officially diagnosed you with post-traumatic stress."

He spoke softly and slowly like he was trying to ease her into his diagnosis.

She paused as she contemplated what he said. "It wasn't official before?" she asked.

"Well, no, it wasn't an official diagnosis. I was fairly certain but you're quite unusual as a patient, so it was difficult for me to be certain."

"So… what does it mean?"

"You didn't look it up on the Internet when I first mentioned it?"

"No," she replied while shaking her head. "I didn't like the thought of googling myself."

Dr Aro smiled. "That's actually really good. Some people go online and are frightened by what they find. In the simplest of words, it's an anxiety disorder. You remember when you told me about the day you were locked in the closet at school?"

Bella nodded.

"That day you were reminded of your kidnapping and you essentially relived the event. That means the kidnapping was traumatic enough for you that the smallest of things triggered those memories. When you told me you believed James was there – you said you actually saw him coming toward you – that's a serious trigger. All the situations you informed me of, the time in Mike Newton's bedroom, the one in the gym at school, all of those are just the trauma of the kidnapping coming back to haunt you.

"Also, the fact that you used to never talk about the kidnapping was another sign. You used to avoid saying anything about it. You're a little better now though and that's great. In the past couple weeks I must admit you have truly shared a lot with me. But you're still very sceptical about sharing any details of the experience that has deeply affected you.

"I was originally expecting you to tell me about vivid dreams or nightmares but you've made a point of saying you don't have any which is what makes your case so peculiar. There are a few signs of post-traumatic stress that you don't show at all but over the past three months, everything you've shared with me about what you feel and what you experience all point toward that."

Bella nodded slowly. There was a long pause before she looked up at him shyly.

"Are you going to make me take pills?" she whispered nervously.

Dr Aro smiled at her. "No, my dear. If you're not yet aware, I'm a psychologist and not a psychiatrist. I don't give out any medication whatsoever."

"So...how do I get better?"

"We're going to start today with some exercises. In the end I want you to learn to control your memories and manage your anxiety. We're going to do a series of relaxation exercises. Muscle relaxation and deep breathing are going to be important so I want you to start coming to our appointments in comfortable clothing – you know, sweat pants, that sort of thing. You've already gotten improved, Bella. I don't know if you've realized it or not but I've seen a pretty significant difference between our first appointment and now."

Bella paused for a second before answering.

"I feel very…normal. I don't feel like I need any of this, you know? I feel okay. As long as I avoid getting locked in closets, I'm fine. And I mean, honestly, who gets locked in a closet? It was a fluke that it happened to me. I'm okay with avoiding."

Dr Aro nodded before taking a deep breath. "Can I tell you a story, Bella? I want you to really pay attention to what I'm about to say."

She looked at him and nodded her head slowly.

"When I was six years old, I stepped on a bee hive and was stung in fifteen different spots – my arms, my legs, my neck, even right above my left eye. Right here," he said as he pointed to his eyelid. "It hurt like you wouldn't believe. I was six years old and I thought I was dying – I thought that was the worse pain anyone would ever experience." He paused as he watched her reaction. "After that day, I believed all bees were bad. Those bees stung me, and it hurt, so I therefore made the association that all bees would sting me. In short, I developed a fear of bees. I spent my entire childhood and adolescence with this major fear and it was all based on that single day when I was six years old. Because of that anxiety, every time I stepped outdoors I was hyperaware of my surroundings. When the smallest of insects would fly by I would recoil and run inside. I was petrified by the thought of being stung again. As I grew up, I couldn't even remember what it felt like to be stung by a bee but it didn't matter. After a while it wasn't even about the pain, it was just about being away from that bad memory."

Bella was mesmerized by his story. He was merely talking about bees but his soothing voice and the way he talked about his own fears made her eager to hear more.

"I wasn't by any means a miserable young man, Bella. I didn't let that tiny fear govern my life – I was very happy avoiding it. I could have gone my whole life avoiding bees and I would still be sitting here with you today." He paused for a short moment. "The thing is, there comes a time when certain things are unavoidable. Sometimes you walk into your backyard and right above your head is a huge nest and there is nothing for you to do but to face that fear. And when you can't – when you freeze and allow the fear to take over – that's when it becomes dangerous. That's when you realize the perfect life you were living – with avoidance – is a lie. There comes a time where you just can't do it anymore."

He paused again, watching her sitting in front of him, captivated by his story.

"You can't live your life avoiding the things you associate to your kidnapping. Just like that day at school when you were locked in that closet, you will be reminded of it. And sometimes, it gets to a point where the mere thought brings that anxiety to life. When I would go to amusement parks for example, I would walk to a garbage can to throw away a wrapper and I would imagine myself lifting back the lid and having a bee fly out toward me. It didn't matter if I knew the bee was there or not, all that mattered was the thought. Our thoughts are unfortunately one of those things that we simply cannot avoid. Ever."

"What did you do?" she whispered.

"I spent a day with a beekeeper," he replied casually.

"And what happened?"

"I spent the day with a man who saw beauty in my fear. He asked me to describe what I was afraid of and I found myself not being able to answer him. I was afraid of bees because I was stung when I was six years old but it didn't make sense for me to have such an irrational fear over ten years later. I learned a lot about bees that day. He told me he'd been stung over forty times. The thought frightened me beyond belief and I watched from afar as he walked toward one of the hives in his suit and a minute later big bumblebees surrounded him and I thought I was going to have a heart attack for him. Ten minutes later, it was over and he was back at the barn with me as if nothing happened. It was a norm to him and the more he talked about bees, the more enthralled I was."

"That's all it took?"

"That was the beginning, Bella. I faced my fear head on, I learned all about bees and I eventually became comfortable with the notion of being stung. Then one day, I got stung. It hurt, sure, but it wasn't unbearable. If I had gotten stung in my teens I probably would have had some sort of freak out but I brought myself to a level where I was no longer afraid. And when I was stung, I reacted like anybody else would react in that same situation."

Bella bit her lip. "You look so…normal. I never would have thought you had any problems."

He smiled at her. "I am normal, Bella. And so are you." He paused before continuing. "I'm not saying my little fear of bees when I was growing up is in any way comparable to what happened to you, but I want to make it clear that avoidance is not the answer. You may think you're okay with avoiding those feelings but sooner or later they'll catch up to you. Most importantly Bella, you don't have to live your life in fear. Because once you take possession of your own thoughts, you'll feel empowered by it. You'll feel more like yourself and you'll be able to enjoy the little things in life. When I was able to step outside without a care in the world – when I was to able to spend an entire day by the pool without keeping my eyes wide open to the sight of bees flying around, that's when I truly started living."

"But I can't move on like that. I won't ever forget what happened to me."

"No, you won't. There will never come a day where the memory is hazy – where you won't remember exactly what happened. Truthfully though, I don't want you to forget. It's a part of who you are – it's an experience you were forced into that will shape you as a person. If you agree to my diagnosis, I will jump right into treatment. You opening up to me has been step one but I'm ready to move on to step two if you're willing."

She paused for a moment before looking up at him. "I'm willing."

"Good. I thought you would be." He got up from his chair and headed towards his desk. He opened his top drawer and pulled out a large brown envelope before returning to his seat in front of Bella. Once he was seated, he reached inside and pulled out a stack of what looked like large cards. "These here are pictures," he said as he removed the elastic from around the stack. "I want you to look at them. I don't want you to say anything, I just want you to take as much time as you need and just look through all of them."

He handed her the photos and she swallowed nervously before looking down at them. The first photo had a black background and right in the middle sat a thick piece of rope. The yellow hue of the rope clashed almost beautifully against the black but the frayed ends brought a sombre tone to the picture. The next photo held a picture of an old, dingy staircase. Only the lower half of the wooden stairs were photographed and they were covered in an unnerving layer of dust.

Bella quickly understood the point of the exercise as her heat beat quickened. She flipped to the next picture, which was of a small, dirty bathroom. The tiles were cracked, the sink was filthy, the toilet water brown. She quickly closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Dr Aro watched on, paying close attention to her reaction to the photos. She flipped the photo again and slowly opened her eyes, revealing a picture of a grimy basement. The floors were made out of cement, the walls unfinished, covered in gyprock as if someone had started and stopped the remodelling process. The more photos she saw, the more she was reminded of the kidnapping. Dr Aro had summarized everything she hated most into eight by ten sheets of cardboard and she sat on the couch, eyes clenched shut, willing herself to simply breathe.

Dr Aro deliberately didn't say a word. For purposes of the exercise, he needed her to get through all the pictures before speaking up.

When she felt ready, she opened her eyes again and flipped the picture. She braced herself for another dark photo of something that reminded her of that basement but she was instead met with the picture of a train – there was a platform similar to the one in Phoenix, and the way the sky was lightly covered in clouds made her feel like it was taken during late morning. There were people standing idly by, waiting for their train to arrive just like she had on that fateful morning. Her breathing hadn't gone back to normal but the picture of the train wasn't as bad as the others. It was still difficult for her to look at, and she knew she would probably have a hard time getting on a train if she needed to, but she knew it wasn't as bad as the ones that reminded her of the basement.

She flipped the picture again and was once again met with the photo of the rope. She took a deep breath and looked through all the pictures another time and when she was finished, she flipped through them again until she was able to look through all of them breathing calmly and without closing her eyes.

"How do you feel?" Dr Aro asked when she placed the cards face down on the table in front of her.

"Shitty," she replied.

"Are you upset?"

"No. Why would I be upset?"

"I'm just asking if you are. I'm not going to put words in your mouth."

"I'm not upset. I'm just…" she paused for a moment trying to find the right words. "You sort of made me realize how many different things I'm uncomfortable with."

They talked a little bit more and Dr Aro managed to reassure her. He told her that by the time he was through with her, she would definitely be able to look at each of those pictures without flinching. He had made her feel much better and by the time their session came to an end, she was smiling again.

"I'll see you on Sunday?" he asked as she gathered her jacket and bag.

She nodded and headed toward the door. Right before she was about to turn the handle however, she paused and turned back to him.

"Dr Aro?"

"Yes, my dear."

"That story about the bees…Do you tell that story to all your patients?" she asked quietly.

He smiled. "No, you're actually the only one who's heard it."

She smiled back. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For sharing," she whispered before turning the handle and leaving his office.

The following weeks were spent in bliss. The semester was winding down as the winter break was fast approaching and the excitement was evident in the students of Forks High. Alice in particular was overtly excited as she made plan after plan of how they would spend their break. She made plans of skiing, tobogganing, tubing, shopping, all of which she expected everyone to be fully committed to.

As November came to an end, December rolled in, bringing with it a light drizzle of snow. Bella had never seen snow in real life before and she was utterly fascinated by the white fluff that layered the ground. The first day it had snowed, she looked out her window and watched in amazement as it fell from the sky.

"Play in the snow? What are you five?" Edward had said with a laugh when she called him asking him to head over.

He had been out shopping with his mom so Bella waited patiently indoors since she didn't want to play in the snow all by herself. When Edward arrived, she smiled at how adorable he looked when he rang her doorbell wearing a black tuque that fit snugly over his head. His hair peaked out from all sides and she couldn't stop herself from telling him how cute he looked.

"I've never seen you in a hat before," she said with a smile.

He grinned. "I bought you something."

He brought the bag he was holding forward as he reached into it, pulling out a white hat, scarf, and glove set.

"I figured you wouldn't be equipped for winter so I went ahead and picked these up for you."

She grinned as he placed the hat over her head. He adjusted it until it was perfect before leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her cheek. She was so happy and excited that she quickly threw her arms around his neck, thanking him for being so sweet.

Ten minutes later, Bella was outside, enjoying her very first snowfall. Edward sat on her stoop and watched the smile as it grew on her face as she stood, letting the snow fall on and around her. She was grabbing it in her hands and smiling at the new sensation, not bothering to wear her gloves since she wanted to know what it really felt like.

No longer being able to feel her fingers, she re-entered the house as Edward shook his head at her but she caught the small smile playing on his lips.

"You are one of a kind," he had said.

Edward proceeded to make her a steaming cup of hot chocolate to warm her up. They spent the rest of the day cuddled in the living room, watching movies and talking, both revelling in the feeling of just being together. Everything had been going so well for the two of them and their happiness clearly shined through their smiles.

As the days went by, Bella noticed Charlie actually talking to Edward. He was asking questions and initiating conversations, one night even inviting Edward to stay over for dinner. They talked all throughout supper and Charlie even asked him to stay and watch whatever game was on that night with him. Edward had grinned and accepted, giving Bella a secret high five when Charlie wasn't looking. He had been completely ecstatic and Bella loved the way her father was accepting him into their home.

"Can you believe it? Think this means he likes me?" Edward asked when Charlie was in the other room.

Bella was making popcorn for them and she smiled when he came into the kitchen. "He never invites anyone to watch the game with him unless he actually enjoys their company."

Edward grinned before they stepped back into the living room. Bella placed the popcorn on the coffee table before handing Charlie a beer.

"Thanks, Bells," he said. "Hey, Edward, you want a beer?"

Edward stuttered as he looked between Charlie and Bella. Bella marginally shook her head no notifying him it was definitely a test.

"No thanks, Charlie. I'll just have a Coke or something."

Charlie nodded but Edward saw the small smile that played on his lips when he thought no one was looking. Edward looked back at Bella and she gave him a small thumb up so he relaxed into his seat and spent the next hour talking sports with Charlie.

Overall, things had been going so well that it seemed nothing could break their happy spell.

Even Bella's relationship with Esme had gone back to normal. They had gone through a little bit of a rocky turn after Thanksgiving but their weekly cooking lessons managed to bring them right back together. Esme had apologized to Bella for what they had done and they were able to fall right back into their usual conversations.

Dr Aro had started his treatment on both Edward and Bella and although she thought it would be particularly difficult, Bella found herself leaving his office feeling great. Knowing how great it felt to open up, she was no longer afraid of sharing any information with him and the more she talked about, the better she felt.

During a particularly good session with Dr Aro, Bella felt a newfound conviction she'd never had before. As she sat in front of him, she felt the urge to tell him about her daily shower routine with Edward. She had sort of just blurted it out and Dr Aro was caught extremely off guard so he politely asked her to explain further. She made it clear that they weren't showering together but that Edward merely had to be present in the room. She explained that he would close his eyes and turn toward the door but she told him she wanted to work past it. The truth however was that she didn't want to burden Edward any longer. It was always such a hassle waiting for the right time when no one was home and showering was simply one of those things that she didn't want to depend on him for.

After her lengthy explanation, Dr Aro remained silent as he pondered her confession.

"Alright, can I ask why you don't want to shower alone?" he asked finally. "Is it because you're afraid to shower alone? Do you think something will happen? Are you reminded of the basement? Or is it something else?"

Bella thought about it for a second before answering. "I'm not really sure actually. I remember the first day we got home, I went upstairs to shower and I sat in my bathroom and I just…couldn't. Edward eventually came over and found me crying in the bathroom and that's when the routine started."

"Are you afraid when you brush your teeth or go to the washroom? Is it the room itself or is it the act of showering?"

"It's just showering. And I wouldn't say I'm afraid. I just…I don't know. I can be in the bathroom with the door closed and I'm fine. I'm not reminded of the basement at all. It's just showering."

"So it's not fear?"

"No," she said while shaking her head.

"Then why not do it alone?"

She had contemplated the question all the way home. As she drove, she really thought about it and tried to come up with an answer but she couldn't. When she got back to her place, no one was home so she lay down on the couch, arms behind her head, and for the next hour, she let herself ponder the question.

Why not do it alone?

Of all the ways her life had been altered after the kidnapping, the showering thing now seemed almost…ridiculous. She thought about needing Edward in the bathroom with her and she shook her head at how absurd it was. The more she thought, the more she realized she didn't have an answer to Dr Aro's question. There was absolutely no reason for her to need Edward in the bathroom with her.

She wasn't afraid of the bathroom, the shower, or that anything bad would happen to her in there.

With a new sense of purpose, she found the will to challenge herself. She was home alone and the second the thought entered her mind, she got off the couch and headed upstairs toward the bathroom.

Once inside, she took a deep breath and turned the shower on. As she listened to the water splatter against the floor, she took another deep breath before removing her clothing. Standing naked in the middle of her tiny washroom, she stared at her shower door with defiance. Her heart was racing but in a good way. She allowed herself to smile at the feeling of being completely alone and realized she missed the solitude of showering – of standing under the spray for however long she wanted without worrying about bothering someone else since she was taking too long.

The sound of the water hitting the tiled floor surrounded her and she started getting a little nervous as she realized that for the first time in seven months she would be taking a shower all by herself.

Taking another deep breath, she pulled the shower door open. She immediately felt the heat of the water as it fogged the washroom and although she badly wanted to step inside, something suddenly felt off. Something felt…strange and uncomfortable. She was mentally talking herself into taking that single step into the shower and letting the water soak her but she couldn't. There was something preventing her from doing so but she had no idea what that something was.

She didn't know how long she stood there, desperately trying to talk herself into taking that step, until she finally realized she couldn't. She reached forward and shut off the water, closed the shower door and wrapped a towel firmly around her body. She sighed in defeat having come so close to making a fairly drastic change in her lifestyle since the return from her kidnapping.

She took one final look at the shower before unlocking the door and stepping out of the washroom.

That night, as Edward lay on his back with his hands behind his neck, Bella was slowly running her fingers through his hair, debating on how to tell him what she had tried to do.

"You can't imagine how amazing that feels," he said in a whisper with his eyes closed.

"I need to tell you something," she whispered back.

His eyes opened and he removed his hands from behind his head, placing them on either side of him and lifting up onto his elbows.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and nodded.

"Today, when I got home from my Dr Aro session, I….I tried something."

"Okay," he replied, waiting for her to continue.

"I…um…" She took a deep breath before exhaling.

"You're freaking me out, Bella, please tell me."

"No, no. It's nothing to freak out about. Sorry, I'm being…" she took another deep breath. "I tried…showering."

His eyebrows lifted. "Oh…"

"Yeah…I got home and no one was here and I went into the bathroom and I turned on the water but then…I couldn't go through with it."

"Why did you try?"

"Well, today he asked me to tell him why I couldn't shower alone. Like what was the reason, you know? But I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to answer and I realized that the showering thing was completely different from everything else that happened over there. I'm not afraid to shower alone…I just…I got used to you being there."

Edward nodded. "So, what happened when you tried today?"

"I don't know. I was completely fine. I went in, turned the water on and then I was standing in my bathroom completely naked and…"

She paused when she noticed the smirk on Edward's face.

"Edward," she said with a laugh.

"Sorry," he replied. "Inappropriate. Continue."

She shook her head but smiled to herself. "As I was saying. I was standing there and something just felt…off. I wasn't afraid though. It wasn't like one of my incidents. I didn't have any…flashbacks or anything, I just…I tried and then I couldn't so I just turned the water off, and came back in here." She paused for a second. "I was kind of disappointed."

Her smile had fallen so Edward lifted off his elbows to sit up in front of her before placing his hand on her cheek. He lifted her face upward so she could look at him as he smiled softly at her. "You know how huge of a step that is, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, but it just would have been so much better if I actually went through with it."

He shook his head. "Don't look at it like that. You're taking matters into your own hands now, Bella. That's like…amazing."

She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"And besides, you can always try again, right?" he added after a short pause. "Whenever you feel like you felt today you just go ahead and try again. And whether you succeed or not, at least you're trying. That's what's important."

"Yeah, you're right."

He smiled at her. "You know how proud I am of you, right?" he asked.

She blushed and bit her lip.

"Come here," he whispered as he placed his hand behind her neck and pulled her forward. Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss and Bella felt herself relax under his touch. His fingers slowly wove through her hair and she sighed as she breathed him in, loving the way he made her feel. He slowly pulled away and smiled before placing another small kiss on her nose. He lay down then, bringing her with him so she was lying on his chest. He continued to run his fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes, embracing the feeling and understanding just how big of a step toward her recovery she had taken.

So what did you think of Dr Aro's story? Or Bella almost showering on her own! Baby steps...baby steps!
Really hope you guys enjoyed this one. Things are progressing so bear with me!

I want to welcome all the new readers. Thanks to all who've been reading and reviewing and adding this to their alerts!

I have another rec this week. I found this lovely story called A Quiet Fire by Magnolia822. It's been a while since I've been hooked like this to a story. It's so good!
Summary: "But true love is a durable fire, In the mind ever burning, never sick, never old, never dead, From itself never turning." Ten years after a tragedy parted them, childhood friends Edward and Bella meet again. Can what was lost be recovered? E/B Some OOC

Reviews get teasers!