A/N: Many a thanks to my reviewers and readers.
Bella awoke the next morning to find herself tangled up in the bed sheets and draped across Paul.
She took a few minutes to look at him because it wasn't often she got to see him look so peaceful. Staring down at him, her mind flashed back to last night and she smiled at how sweet it had all been. She looked down at the hand that was resting on his chest and smiled at the sight of the ring that adorned her finger; she was engaged and she could hardly believe it.
Bella had spent most of her life telling herself that she would never get married; watching the way her parents' marriage had fallen apart and how much it had destroyed Charlie she told herself that that would never be her. She would never be her mother, a woman who was as flaky as anyone person could possibly be, and she would never be like her father who had given his all to the person he loved only to have his entire world ripped apart. Even when she had been with Edward and thought herself in love she couldn't stomach the idea of being married; sure she was willing to be turned and spend eternity with him so long as she didn't have to marry him.
The only thing she'd ever known about marriage was how destructive and dysfunctional it could be and even watching the mated pairs still hadn't been enough to convince her that marriage wasn't some sort of nightmare or a place that love went to die.
But lying here with Paul, with his grandmothers ring on her finger she couldn't be happier. Suddenly marriage didn't sound so bad. She was already tied to Paul in ways that no one outside of the pack and imprints would ever understand …. But to have this tangible evidence of their love and commitment to one another, she didn't know how to describe the way it made her feel. She realized that because of the imprint there was no real need for Paul to marry her; in the eyes of the pack and elders, the imprint was basically marriage without the paperwork and ring. The fact that he didn't have to marry her but still wanted to made her love him all the more. She realized that this was how it was supposed to be; you got married because you wanted to, because you loved that person so much the thought of not being married to them … not waking up next to them every day, was an absolute nightmare.
Paul awoke to find Bella sprawled on top of him, smiling down at him and looking happier than he had ever seen her look.
"Hey there." He whispered running his thumb along her jaw line and across her lip
Bella's smile grew wider and she leaned down to kiss him.
"I could get used to waking up like this." He sighed, wrapping his arms around her back and squeezing gently
"Me too."
"So how does it feel to be engaged?"
"Amazing!"
"When do you want to tell everyone?"
"Well I should tell my Dad first and then Mom."
"Your Dad probably already knows but go ahead and call him." He said grabbing his phone from the nightstand and handing it to her
"My Dad knew about this?" She asked
"Mmhmm; had to ask him for permission to marry his little girl."
"You're amazing." She sighed happily
Paul just smiled at her and shrugged.
"Hey Paul."
"Actually it's Bella, Dad."
"Oh, Morning Bells."
"So…. Umm ….. I said yes."
"You said yes?"
"Yea, I'm getting married."
"Congratulations Bells. I'm happy for you; I couldn't have asked for a better man for my daughter."
"Thanks Daddy."
They talked a bit more and then Charlie said he go pick up Harry so they could go fishing.
After Charlie hung up with Bella, he sat there at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. His little girl wasn't a little girl anymore and that was a hard pill to swallow. Hearing her call him 'Daddy' made him flashback to those years before the divorce when she'd been 'Daddy's little girl' and she'd thought he'd hung the moon and stars. He missed those days of having her crawl into his lap as he watched a game and beg him to read her a story. He'd missed out on so much of his daughter's life and he'd always wish he'd fought harder for her to stay with him; but she was here now and he'd gotten to witness some of the most important milestones in her life. He'd been there for her first heartbreak and wanted to rip that boy to pieces for hurting his daughter; he'd watched as she climbed out of the abyss the Cullen's had thrown her into when they left without so much as a goodbye. He'd watched as she fell in love with a man he hadn't been so sure about at first but had turned out to be a good man; he'd gotten to witness his little girl finding a man who loved her to the very depths of his soul and was willing to do anything and everything it took to make her happy.
With a sigh and a smile he gathered up his things and headed to Harry's with the thought that one day he might have a grandson to join him on these fishing trips.
"Hello?"
"Hi Mom."
"Bella? Is everything ok?"
"Everything is perfect; I'm getting married!"
"Married? What? To who?"
"Yea, Paul proposed."
"Paul? Is that the boy I met at your graduation?"
"Yes."
"And you guys are engaged already? Don't you think it's a little soon?"
"Not at all."
"So you're happy?"
"Unbelievably so."
"Well if you're happy then I'm happy."
"Thanks Mom."
"I love you baby."
"Love you too Mom."
After hanging up with her mother she settled back into Paul's embrace.
"So your Mom's cool with it?" Paul asked
"She thinks it's a little too soon but other than that I think she's ok with it."
"Good. So when do you want to tell the pack?"
"Don't you have patrol tonight?"
"Yea."
"Then we should probably tell them before then." She sighed
"Maybe we can have them all over for lunch?"
"Do you have enough food?"
"Uh…. Probably not."
"Well I guess we better head to the store then. And feed you." She said when she heard his stomach growl
