Chapter 35: Final Words

There really wasn't a single moment when I looked at Bella and thought, "this is the woman I'm going to marry." It was every moment of every day. When I watched her feed, play, and rock Little One, held her in my arms, kissed her lips, made love to her . . . I knew because of those moments, not a single defining one. I couldn't picture not sharing my life with her or raising my daughter alone.

She was always a part of it.

When I look back to a year ago, I see all the things I did wrong and how fucked up my life choices were — different girl every night, walking into work hung over as I clung to coffee, thinking life couldn't get any better. I was a fucking idiot. That wasn't who I was meant to be. That wasn't happiness, even though I fooled myself into believing it was.

Happiness was right in front of me, sitting in the kitchen and eating breakfast. Happiness was the moments I shared with them. It was Little One throwing her food at me as she giggled, her calling me daddy and saying "love" in her fucking adorable way, and her smile when I came home at night. It was Bella laying her head against my chest as we talked about our day, her saying the simplest words that made me smile, watching her read to our daughter, and being there at the end of a hard day.

It was love.

I wasn't the same person I had been a year before. Sure, I still said "fuck" way too much and admired Bella's boobs just because I could, but I wasn't selfish anymore. It wasn't about me. It was about them, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"I guess I should go, huh?" I asked, looking at my watch.

Bella smiled, nodding. "Are you ready for your last day?"

Honestly, I was. I'd miss working under my father with my best friend and brother-in-law, but it was time to start my career. "Yeah, I'm ready. I wonder if cupcake nurse will have cupcakes for me." I smirked.

She narrowed her eyes. "Take her cupcakes and you won't be getting mine."

I chuckled as I stood from my seat, dropping my plate into the sink. I walked back over to her and Sofia, leaning down to kiss Bella first. "Yours are much better."

"That's what I thought," she laughed. "Have a good day. I love you."

I kissed her softly once more. "I love you, too," I said before picking up a napkin to wipe Little One's cheek off. "Be good for Mommy, baby girl."

"Luff, Dada!" she giggled as I kissed her cheek over and over.

"Love you too, Little One. Bye-bye."

She waved her hand before pressing it to her lips, pushing it away quickly. "Bye-bye!"

Shit, she was just too fucking cute.

. . . . .

Even though this was the last time I'd be working at Olympic Medical Center, there was nothing different about my last day. Spare a few pats on the back and wishes of good luck, it was a normal day. I still had a job to do, just like everyone else. I really wasn't expecting much, considering I'd only been here for a year and a half, so I wasn't surprised.

After scrubbing out of my last scheduled surgery around one, I headed up to ortho to see Bree one last time. She had an appointment today with her surgeon. After her second surgery on her leg, she was finally released. I had kind of missed seeing her every day, but I was thankful she had finally been able to go home. Six weeks in the hospital was hell, especially considering she'd spent most of that time in the ICU.

"You're late," Bree said, coming out of Dr. Philips' office in front of her parents as she hobbled along with crutches under her arms. "You missed some great news."

"Oh yeah?" I smiled.

She nodded. "No more surgery! The bone's finally healing right."

I lifted my hand for hers and she slapped it. "Hell yes! This calls for lunch. My treat, of course."

"You don't need to do that, Dr. Cullen," Mrs. Tanner said, smiling.

"Yes, he does," Bree said. "He's leaving and I'll never see him again. He owes me."

Once her parents agreed, I took Bree down the street as they ran their errands. Her recovery was going well, but since she still had a hard time getting around, her mom — a teacher, actually — had been homeschooling her. She fucking hated it and thanked me for giving her time away from her mom.

"They're really overbearing," Bree said, picking at her fries. "Any chance you can tell them to back the hell off?"

I laughed, shaking my head. "No, they get to be overbearing for now. If you were my kid, you wouldn't leave my side after what happened."

She huffed, rolling her eyes. "I didn't die! I swear, Edward, this is the first time I've been away from my mom since I came home from the hospital. Well, except therapy sessions, but those don't count."

"How's that going?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess. It's certainly not fun, you know? She, uh . . . diagnosed me with PTSD. I still have really bad nightmares and if I hear a car horn, I kind of flip my shit."

Unfortunately, this didn't surprise me. She had nightmares at the hospital, as well as other symptoms. She went through a traumatic experience, and it had fucked her up. But she was getting the help she needed, which was what mattered. It'd take time, but Bree was working on it.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I can only imagine how hard it is, but is it getting any better?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I think so. It's because of you, you know."

"Me?"

She smiled. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead. So, way to go on doing your job, doc."

I chuckled, putting my burger down. "Thanks."

We talked a little more about her and the progress she was making before she turned the conversation on me. Bree was more than a patient. She was important to me. Honestly, she made me a better doctor by showing me there was more to a patient than just fixing their injuries. She was a person — all of my patients were.

"So, this is the last time I'll see you?" Bree asked as I signed my name on the receipt.

"You have my email, right?" I asked. "We'll talk and when you do run again, I better fucking be invited."

She smiled. "Of course. You really think I will?"

I stood up, grabbing her crutches for her. "Yeah, I do. If you do the therapy and work like you need to, I have no doubt. You're strong, and I know you'll get through this."

"Thank you, Edward," she said as I hugged her quickly. "I'm glad you were my doctor."

"I'm glad I could help. Let's go see if you're parents are back."

After Bree left, I headed back to the hospital. To my surprise, there was cake and a small goodbye party for me in the doctor's lounge. Mom had actually made the cake, so it was fucking delicious and I made sure to bring some home to Bella and Little One. After signing out of the computer for the last time, I said goodbye to Emmett and Jasper, and then headed to Dad's office.

He told me he was proud of me, and that I'd do great things at Forks. It wasn't a big gesture, but it meant a lot to me. Dad gave me this job, which brought me home where I found Bella. I may not have worked here long, but I'd always be thankful for the opportunity he gave me. And even more thankful he didn't just hand me my dream job. Someday, I'd earn it at Forks.

"Goodbye, son," Dad said, shaking my hand. "We'll see you next Sunday and I expect to see a ring on Bella's finger."

I laughed, nodding. "There will be, as long as she says yes."

. . . . .

Since I had a few days off, I took full advantage of spending as much time as possible with Bella and Little One. We spent the weekend together and went to the park one day since it wasn't freezing outside. It was just walking distance from our house and I had run the trail by it a few times already. Little One loved the swings, squealing in delight as I pushed her a little.

"Dada, Dada!" she said, smiling at me as I picked her up. "Yay!"

I chuckled, kissing her cheek. "Was that fun, baby?"

"No!"

"Do you mean yes?"

She giggled. "No!"

Little One's love for the word no was getting to be annoying, but it was expected. Ask her anything, and she'd tell you no. My kid was now a toddler, and she seemed to be right on target with her age group — sometimes a little more advanced, actually. Between Bella and me, we made sure to teach her like we were supposed to. I wanted her to have a strong foundation to build on, and she seemed to pick up things quickly, which I loved.

"Is it lunch time, sweet girl?" Bella asked as we sat down on the blanket.

Little One just grinned, reaching out for the container Bella had in her hands.

"I think that's a yes," I said, taking it and putting it in front of Sofia.

She put her hand right into the container, eating the cut-up bites of grilled chicken with no problem. We had switched her over to normal foods a while ago, and the transition had been easy for the most part. Chicken was her favorite, by far. She was a little picky about certain vegetables, but if they were on her plate with the chicken, she'd usually eat them, too — like she was currently doing.

"So, what's Daddy making us for dinner, Sofia?" Bella asked, smirking a little.

"You think I'd tell her?" I laughed. "I know she'd blab."

Bella pretended to pout as I just continued to laugh. Tonight was the night. A year ago today, Kate left Sofia with me, which was the start of my relationship with Bella. It was an important day, so I felt like it was the perfect time to ask Bella to be my wife. I had planned it all out with Mom's help. From picking out the ring, deciding what to cook, and figuring out how to include Sofia, Mom was the biggest help. We had gone to Seattle a few weeks ago together, telling Bella she needed my help with some piece of antique furniture she had bought. She helped me find what I thought was the perfect ring. It wasn't big or extravagant, just a decent size diamond on a gold band. It was Bella, and I knew it the second I saw it.

After having it sized by swiping a ring that Bella already had, the jeweler sent it to the hospital a few days ago. While Bella was in the shower one night, I showed it to Little One — who, of course, wanted to eat it. It was sparkly, so she wanted it. I had to pry it out of her chubby little fingers before she could put it in her mouth. I took that as a sign she liked it.

"Do you promise not to burn our new house down?" Bella asked, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"Ha," I said, rolling my eyes. "I learned from the best, right?"

She laughed softly, nodding. "I like to think so."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. By the time you get back from your Dad's doctor's appointment, dinner will be on the table — fucking delicious and not at all burnt."

She leaned over, pressing her lips to mine. "I've loved having you home for the past few days."

"Me too." I smiled.

After lunch at the park, we'd headed back home so Little One could take her nap. Around three, Bella left to take Charlie to his cardiologist's appointment, giving me plenty of time to run to the store and start dinner. Little One sat in the cart, happily saying whatever she could as I grabbed the ingredients.

I planned to make the first thing Bella had taught me to cook — baked parmesan crusted chicken. I honestly didn't remember exactly how she made it because her boobs were much more interesting, but I found the recipe she used in her little box and figured it wouldn't be that hard.

That night was important. I sure as hell couldn't be pegged as the most romantic guy in the world, but it seemed like a romantic thing to do. She agreed to go out with me for the first time that night. Yeah, it wasn't technically a date, but it was the start of our relationship. Mom thought it was sweet that I remembered it, so I figured Bella would, too.

"I think we have everything, Little One," I said, looking over the list. "Mommy's going to say yes tonight, right?"

"No!" she said, smiling.

I sighed. "Way to boost Daddy's confidence, baby."

. . . . .

When we got home, I set Little One up on the floor in the kitchen with some pots and spoons as I started dinner. Out of all the toys that kid had, these were her favorite — and they weren't even toys. She had her fun as I followed the recipe exactly, not wanting to fuck it up.

"Yeah, see?" I asked, looking down at Sofia after I put the chicken in the oven. "Daddy can cook too."

She banged the pot, laughing loudly at the sound it made.

"Is that fun?" I set the timer and then got down on the floor in front of her, picking up one of the wooden spoons. I hit the pot and she clapped. "Yeah, kind of fun. It goes bang. Can you say bang?"

"Baa-g, Dada!" She hit another pot with her bare hand. "Baa-g."

I did it again a few times. "Bang, bang, bang!"

"Baa-g!" she giggled, putting her hands on the floor and standing up. She picked up one the spoons, hitting the cabinet before I could stop her.

"Shit, no," I said, picking her up. "No hitting things, okay? Just the pots."

"Pa baa-g."

I lifted up her shirt, blowing a raspberry on her belly as she squealed. I kept doing it as she tried to wiggle away from me, giggling and saying my name. I had a good hand on her, of course, so she wasn't going anywhere. Once she stopped being happy and shrieked like she was getting annoyed, I took her upstairs to get her dressed.

When I told Mom I had wanted to involve Sofia in my proposal, she found a place that did custom made onesies and had a pink one printed for her. It said, "Will you marry my daddy?" I didn't have any other ideas, so I took Mom's suggestion and put Little One in it under a pair of pants and a little zip up jacket.

Yeah, it was probably corny as hell, but it involved Sofia, which was important to me. I thought about trying to get Little One to give Bella the ring, but she'd probably wind up eating it and I didn't like the idea of rushing our kid to the ER on the night I wanted to ask Bella to marry me.

Once she was bathed and dressed, I checked the timer on my phone to find the chicken would be done soon, and Bella would be home anytime. I put Little One back on the floor as I finished everything up, making the tomato sauce and green beans while the chicken finished.

"It doesn't smell burnt, so that's good," I said, opening the oven as Sofia watched me. "Fuck yes!"

Amazingly, I didn't burn it. After checking one breast's temperature to make sure it was done, I put mine and Bella's on a plate before cutting Little One's up and putting it in the fridge to cool off. I heard the garage open, so I rushed to get everything on the table and Sofia into her high chair.

"Oh, it smells amazing," Bella said, walking into the dining room. Her mouth fell open as she looked at the table and flowers I had put in the center. "You made baked parmesan chicken."

I nodded, closing the distance between us and lowering my lips to hers. "And I didn't burn the house down." I smirked.

She laughed, lifting up to kiss me once more. "Way to go."

"It just came out of the oven, so why don't you put your stuff away then we'll eat?"

She smiled, nodding. "Sounds perfect. You did great, Edward. I love you."

"I love you too, Nibbles," I teased as she blushed.

. . . . .

After Bella changed and came back down, I made sure Little One's chicken had cooled off enough before putting it in front of her. She ate the chicken and green beans, not throwing any of it, thankfully.

"This is amazing, Edward," Bella said, taking another bite.

"Yeah? I followed your recipe like I was supposed to and basically prayed it'd turn out right. I, uh . . . wanted to do something special for you."

She smiled. "It's very special."

"Do you know what today is?"

She nodded. "April fourth . . . a year since Sofia came into your life."

"And you came into it, too."

She looked down at her plate, then to the flowers, and then back up at me with a grin on her beautiful lips. "It's a very important day," she said, putting her napkin over her cleared plate as I did the same.

"Yes, it is." I smirked, standing up to take our plates "Mind taking Little One's jacket? There's food all over it."

She glanced over at Sofia, who had sauce on her face and hands — like I knew she would. "Sure," she said.

I quickly went into the kitchen, dropping the plates into the sink before rushing back out as Bella cleaned off Little One's hands and face before going to her zipper. I pulled the box from my pocket, getting down on one knee as the writing came into view.

Her gasp would always be etched in my mind, as would the smile on her face when she turned her head to me, finding me with the box in my hands.

"You made me a better man, showed me how to care for my daughter, and loved me, even with my flaws," I said. "Without you, I don't know what I'd do. When I look toward the future, I can only see us together with our daughter. Nothing else makes sense. I love you, Bella Swan. I love everything about you. How nurturing you are, how kind, how you make me smile and laugh, and how you took a chance on me when you easily could have walked away. Will you marry me?"

She nodded, walking over to me as I stood and pulled the ring out. "Yes," she said softly, eyes on the ring as I slid it onto her finger. "Oh, yes."

There were tears in her gorgeous eyes, and it was obvious how happy she was. Her arms were around my neck with her lips against mine in an instant. I caressed her cheek as our lips moved together — barely parting to breathe.

"I have one more question," I said, smiling down at her as we parted. I let her go, walking over to pick Little One up out of the high chair. "Not only do I want you to marry me, but I want you to adopt Sofia. Right after we get married, I want her to be legally yours. We love you, Bella, don't we, baby girl?"

"Luff," Little One said, grinning from ear to ear. "Luff, Momma."

Bella wiped her tears, nodding. "Yes, of course I'll adopt her," she cried, taking Sofia from my arms and kissing her cheek. "I can't wait to marry you and be her real mom."

I leaned down, kissing her once more. "Thank you," I said. "See, Little One? I told you she'd say yes."

"No!" she giggled.