Author Note: Thanks for the awesome response to this story!

Yes, it's really almost over! I always intended to end the story once Edward got a job and was basically living a normal life. He still has some remaining issues from his PTSD, of course, but I imagine his recovery from that would be pretty slow. You'd all accuse me of dragging out the story if I tried to follow his entire path to recovery!

Thanks again to moosals and NKubie for pre-reading. Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.

Sorry FF wouldn't let anyone update on Tuesday!

Chapter 36 — The Epilogue, Part 1

Three years later

Since the students enrolled in the College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture are such a small, close knit group, the whole gang gets together and decides to have one huge graduation party for our entire class, renting out the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for the event. The museum's patio is filled with all of our family and friends.

Even my dad has come down from Forks to see me graduate. I've been back to visit him each summer — without Edward — and my dad has spent every other Christmas with us here in Tucson. After Edward and I left Forks, Dad started dating again, and he got married to a widow named Sue over the summer between my sophomore and junior years.

My stepmother seems to be really good for my dad. She's made him believe in love again, and he's come a long way toward accepting Edward over the years, seeing how happy we are together. I credit Sue with helping him to see that love is blind.

Edward has also come a long way from the man I first met in Forks, prospering in the job he took with Emmett three years ago. From the very beginning, Emmett began teaching his new protégé about various plants — what type of soil they thrive in, how much light they need, how much water they need. Before the end of the summer, Edward was able to help his boss choose which plants to use in landscape plans for clients.

But he didn't stop there. One day he made some suggestions about the design itself to Emmett, who loved the ideas. On their next job, he let Edward take a first stab at coming up with a plan, and we all discovered that Esme's design sense had been passed down after all. Edward had so much inherent talent that he was quickly promoted to a position as a landscape architect, doing most of the design work for Emmett's company and allowing Emmett himself to focus on managing his team.

After my sophomore year, I switched my focus to an emphasis on Sustainable Landscapes, which means that Edward and I will be working together, at least in some way. Of course, I checked with him first, and he was all for it.

I've suggested to Edward that he should start his own business, but he doesn't feel comfortable taking the lead on meeting with potential clients or with the idea of managing other employees. He'd still be considered shy by most people who meet him, but honestly, so are a lot of people who've never been through what he has.

I'm just thrilled that he does seem to really enjoy his job, and I think that's all I could've asked for him. He's doing meaningful work, and he gets paid a decent salary — though of course it's not really an issue thanks to the compensation he got from the state of Washington. That money has been invested with a financial advisor, and I think I'm more hesitant about spending it than he is.

In just a few weeks, we'll be spending some of Edward's money when we close on the purchase of our first house. We love our neighborhood on the west side of Tucson, so that's the only area we looked in. Esme is going to decorate the three bedroom home for us, though she's been mostly retired from her original career for a long time.

I couldn't be more excited to finally be done with school and begin the rest of our lives together.

After the graduation party, we drop Dad and Sue off at their hotel, then head home. Daisy greets us enthusiastically at the door, as always. I swear, she thinks she's a dog. Edward reaches down to pet her, then walks straight into the kitchen, grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge and takes a long sip.

"Man, it's getting hot out there already and it's only early May," he complains, and I laugh at him; it's hot every year by this time. "So what was up with Alice today?"

Cue the deer in headlights look. "Wh-what do you mean?"

He shrugs. "She's usually the life of the party, but she seemed kind of subdued today. And she was only drinking water, which is really odd for her."

"Maybe she was just trying to behave in front of her mother," I suggest.

And while that may be true, I know that the real reason she's not drinking is because she's nine weeks pregnant. I only found out myself a few days ago, when I questioned why she wasn't drinking at our usual finals-are-over party.

Alice is waiting until the end of her first trimester to really spread the word, but I'm sure she'd trust me to tell Edward. I don't really want to though — not until I have to. I'm a bit afraid of his reaction to the first of my friends expecting a baby. Will he think that I want one next?

We haven't discussed the subject since my pregnancy scare three years ago, though I still believe Edward could be an amazing father. I know that this is something I can't push him on; if he changes his mind, he'll tell me. It's not like I'd be ready for a child right now anyway, not when I'm about to start my first full-time job.

"I'm gonna change out of these clothes," Edward says, Alice all but forgotten. "Come on, Daisy!"

My eyes narrow a bit at why he needs Daisy's "help" to change out of his khakis and polo shirt. Hell, she'd probably follow him anyway, even without asking her to.

I sit heavily on the couch, pulling my shoes off and rubbing my aching feet. I will never get used to wearing high heels.

I assume Edward's gone to get the surprise he said he had for me later. Given the odd way he's been acting — and the secret conversations he's been having with my dad since he arrived yesterday — I'm pretty sure it's an engagement ring.

I'm so ready to tell him yes.

I can't say that everything has been easy over the last four years, but Edward has come so far in his recovery. After he started working for Emmett, he dropped back to once a week sessions with Dr. Banner, and he still sees his therapist about once a month. I've gone along to a handful of sessions, and it's really nice to get things off my chest. He quit smoking a year ago, and I was so glad when he finally did; I want him to be around for a long, long time.

Last year, Edward finally told me about the horrors he'd experienced during his first few years in prison. I know that trusting me enough to tell me — trusting that I wouldn't run away once I knew — was a huge step for him. I'd imagined so many scenarios over the years, and it was heartbreaking to learn that pretty much everything I'd imagined was correct. But I didn't run; I never would. I held him all night when he finally told me, and the experience definitely brought us closer. Demonstrating his trust in me like that proved to me that he was as committed to our relationship as I've always been.

I'm startled when I hear Daisy's footsteps on the hardwood floor. She walks toward the couch, then stops, sits back on her haunches, and meows at me. "What's that around your neck, Daisy?" It looks like a collar of some sort, but as an indoor cat, she never wears one. She was microchipped not long after we got her, in case she ever escapes and gets lost.

"Come here, Girl." And of course, since she's a cat, she just cocks her head and stares at me. "Daisy, come here!" I slap my thigh a couple of times and she trots over, jumping up onto my lap. Sure enough, she's wearing a hot pink collar, with a princess charm hanging from it. But when I look closer at the charm, I see something else attached to it. Something sparkly.

While I've been staring at the collar, Edward has somehow made his way into the living room, kneeling down in front of me.

"Is—is this—?"

He smiles gently, unclipping the ring from Daisy's collar and holding it out to me. "Daisy and I would like to ask you to officially join our family."

"I thought she was already our cat?" I ask in jest, tears starting to prick at my eyes.

"Four years ago, I had no dreams or hopes for the future. I didn't think that a normal life would be possible for me. Somehow, you crashed your way into my life, promising that you'd always be there. I have to confess that I didn't believe you at the time. Yet even when you learned the ugly truth, you didn't give up, you didn't leave me."

"Never, Edward," I whisper.

"I can't wait any longer to officially call you mine. I love you so much, and I know that much of what I've achieved in the last four years would never have been possible without you. Isabella Swan, would you do me the extraordinary honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes!" I cry, and he climbs up onto the couch, kissing me with the same passion and love I feel for him — until Daisy starts trying to paw her way in between us. "Good job, Girl," I praise her, scratching under her chin.

Edward takes my left hand in his, sliding the engagement ring onto my finger. I hold my hand out, looking at the way the striking, gorgeous ring sparkles in the light. "It's beautiful," I breathe.

"The main diamond came from my grandmother's wedding ring — the one in Seattle who died two years ago. I got it re-set for you, into something more modern."

"What are the darker stones?" I ask, looking at the tiny stones swirling around the large, round center diamond.

"Chocolate diamonds," he answers. "In honor of the way you won my heart with chocolate chip cookies. When I saw this setting, it was so unique, I couldn't resist."

"I love it," I tell him honestly. "Now, tell me the truth — did you Google cute ways to propose?"

"Maaaayyybe," he grins, then sobers. "Are you sure you want to marry a 40-year-old man?"

"Definitely." I pull him close, kissing him softly. Though we still get funny looks sometimes when we go out together, Edward's age has just never bothered me.

Smiling, he takes both of my hands in his. "Are you ready to see the rest of your surprise?"

"There's more?"

He nods, and I let him pull me up, leading me toward our bedroom. I stop in the doorway, staring at the numerous candles glowing and the rose petals covering our bed.

"So this is what you were doing instead of changing your clothes?" I ask with a grin, turning toward Edward, who nods sheepishly. "Pretty sure of yourself, weren't you, Cullen?"

"I had a hunch you might say yes," he winks.

"Always," I whisper, touching his chin gently as I kiss him.

He motions with his head toward the bed and I move to stand beside it, then get up on my tiptoes, winding my arms around his neck as I try to show how much I love him with my kiss. Edward's arms pull me close, moving down to squeeze my ass cheeks.

"How do I get you out of this dress?" he growls, and I turn around, lifting my hair out of the way so that he can unzip my sundress. "Are you not wearing a bra?"

Giggling, I pull the straps down my arms as I turn around, shaking my head. "I couldn't find one that wouldn't show… somewhere," I shrug.

"Fuck, if I'd known you weren't wearing a bra all day…"

"You'd what? Try to get lucky at the museum with all of our parents around?"

He grimaces and I laugh. "Maybe I just would've been hard all day," he replies, pulling me into his arms.

"Well, that would've been a waste." I lean up and we kiss hungrily, Edward's tongue tangling with mine. Needing to feel his skin, I fist his shirt, pushing up until he has to let go of my ass to raise his arms so I can pull it over his head.

I kiss Edward's chest, brushing my hands over his tanned skin. "Is that… a gray hair in your chest hair?" I exclaim.

"Shut up!" he laughs, and I smirk in response. I draw my hands down his abs to unbutton his pants, then pull down the zipper. I brush the back of my fingers over his fabric-covered cock and he moans.

"Get on the bed," he whispers.

Grinning hugely, I throw myself onto my back in the middle of our bed, then do a bit of a strip tease as I remove my panties. Edward finishes taking his khakis and boxers off, then crawls up the bed, spreading my legs.

"Fast or slow?" he asks with a twinkle in his eye.

"Ummm… can I have slow and then fast?"

He winks, slowly spreading my lower lips, before taking a long lick with that talented tongue of his. It's not long before I'm rethinking my choice — I have no idea how long he's planning to keep up this torturously slow pace.

I feel like I'm about to die before he finally lets his fingers join in, speeding up until I'm screaming his name in ecstasy.

"God, you always look smug when I scream your name," I pant.

Laughing, he lies down beside me, and I quickly attempt to make him pay for his torture by getting him all worked up with my hands and mouth. He's practically begging for it by the time I finally slide the head of his cock into my mouth.

I move my hand up and down in tandem with my mouth until instinct tells me it's time to pull away. I quickly climb over him, sliding down until he's buried inside me.

Leaning forward, I kiss him softly. "I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too, my wife-to-be."

Just a few weeks later, we officially become husband and wife. My mother offered to pay for our wedding — as long as we had some kind of society affair. Edward isn't into being the center of attention, and I couldn't care less about having a big church wedding.

Instead, we organize a Memorial Day Weekend trip to Las Vegas for all of our family and friends, before I start my full-time job at a consulting firm. Dad and Sue fly down for the wedding, and we invite the entire gang from my class, though Alice grumbles and grumbles about not being able to enjoy the free alcohol in the casinos.

Edward is aware of her pregnancy now, and he took it better than I had hoped, just asking if it was an accident or something planned. I watched him carefully when I told him that it was indeed an accident, but he didn't appear to be freaking out, thankfully.

I'm not even nervous when we arrive at the wedding chapel. Alice is standing up for me, while Emmett is Edward's best man. My husband-to-be looks beyond handsome in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and silver-and-blue-striped tie.

In my one nod to tradition, I did buy a sleeveless, knee-length, white lace dress for the occasion, but it's totally something that I can wear again. Fernando begged me to let him style my hair, and the elegant up-do looks better than I could have imagined.

The two of us say our vows in front of the officiant — thankfully not an Elvis impersonator, or my mother would've had a heart attack. We exchange wedding rings and seal it with a slightly inappropriate kiss, and just like that, I am Mrs. Edward Cullen.

At our reception, I notice my mother chatting with Edward's parents. Despite living only a two-hour drive away, we really haven't seen that much of each other in the last four years. When she came to Tucson for a visit after my first year of college, Mom was a little shocked to see that Edward lived with me. Of course, he had a job by that point, making her opinion of him improve by leaps and bounds. At some point, she learned Edward's last name, but she doesn't seem to remember the Cullens or the murder case at all. For once, I'm glad for my mother's flightiness.

Wearing the cheesiest grin on my face, I accept hugs and congratulations from everyone. As I take my new husband's hand and walk away from our family and friends, all I can think about are the next two nights shut up in the honeymoon suite with the hottest man alive.

I see a few streaks of gray in the hair on his temples now, which I love to tease him about, but he's just my Edward.

And he's the only man I'll ever need.

A/N: Hope you liked Part 1 of the Epilogue!

Quiz time! What did Edward do, unrelated to the lemon, that he never would've done three years earlier? Of course we saw in the lemon that he's now comfortable with Bella at least partially undressing him, and with a short blowjob.

Edward did finally tell Bella what happened to him in prison. She said that her theories were pretty much correct, but if you really need more than that, ask me something specific and I'll tell you.

Bella's ring: i71 dot photobucket dot com /albums/i135/Thecommitted/Links/ring dot jpg

Bella's wedding dress: i71 dot photobucket dot com /albums/i135/Thecommitted/Links/dress_front dot jpg

i71 dot photobucket dot com /albums/i135/Thecommitted/Links/dress_back dot jpg

Part 2 of the Epilogue should be up on this weekend! No promises due to ongoing FF issues!