Disclaimer: Bella, Jasper, Edward and all things that exist in the Twilight universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. She's just nice enough to let us play with them!

When you smile, on your face, all I see is a glow,
You picked me up when I was down,
And I hope that you feel the same way too,
Yes, I pray that you do love me too.

All my life,
I've prayed for someone like you,
And I thank God,
That I, that I finally found you.

-All My Life, K-Ci & JoJo

"No! No, no, no! I swear! That arrangement does not go on the dinner tables. It goes on the side tables!" Esme shakes her head and I swear I hear her curse under her breath, right before she turns to me and mumbles, "You'd think I didn't use this exact same crew for Angela and Ben's wedding."

I stifle a giggle as I watch her face turn even redder. Apparently, the crew she's speaking of also doesn't know what a side table is. "Esme, really, it's okay. Don't stress so—"

"Are you joking me right now?" she yells at the poor man carrying the flower arrangement. He freezes and turns wide, alarmed, downright scared eyes toward her. "Bella remind me to hire a different crew for your and Edward's wedding."

She walks off then, grasping the man's arm as gentle as a vice, and directs him to a side table. I watch as she goes into a detailed explanation of the differences between dining, side, and refreshment tables. I almost feel sorry for the man, but in all honesty his misfortune is saving me a headache if things aren't perfect. Because then I'll have to listen to Renee. So don't want that.

I also don't mind because he's receiving Esme's full attention. Which means she didn't catch the blush at the mention of mine and Edward's wedding. Or the nervous twitching taking place all over my face. Or the way I can't stop wringing my hands for five fucking minutes after she leaves.

I turn away from the spectacle taking place now that Esme has a small crowd around her. She looks like a teacher at the front of a classroom, and all of her students are dumbfounded by her lesson. I snicker at the matching expressions of confusion stretching across all of their faces.

"Mrs. Cullen sure is a firecracker, isn't she?" Rose asks as she sidles up to the table I'm spreading the linens across. "This color is beautiful, by the way."

Her fingers sweep across the second set of linens—the one of top of the white bottom. "It's called 'tyrian,' and this one is called 'atrous.' Leave it to Renee to make 'purple' and 'black' into a spectacle."

Rose chuckles lightly at my expression. I mean, really, Renee's colors are purple and black. Who comes up with these weird names for colors? "Was Angela upset? You told me she was really shootin' for 'blush' and 'bashful.'"

I outright laugh at this, remembering Angela's pout when Renee unveiled the color scheme. "Oh my God, Rose! You should have seen her! I wanted to flap her bottom lip so badly!"

She shakes her head. I can tell she's trying to reign in her amusement. "I'll bet. She sounds very… exuberant."

"Exuberant is one way to describe Angela." I smirk.

"Can I be honest about something?" I nod. Rose bites her lip; she looks nervous—something I'm not used to seeing on Rosalie. When she speaks again, it's in a whisper. "I'm a little anxious about meeting her."

My jaw begins its drop, but I'm quick enough to stop it from gaping too far open. Breathlessly, I ask, "Why?"

Her eyes drop down and she shrugs her shoulders. "It's just… " A sigh here. "You… " A semi-chuckle here. "We… " Another sigh here. "You and me… " A breathless laugh here. "We're, uh… " A throat clearing here. "I mean… " A huff here. "Okay, shit. We're still friends, right?"

My brow furrows as I look at her. "Um… did I do something that would lead you to believe we weren't friends anymore?"

Some of the tension leaves her shoulder but her voice is still small as she asks, "So you aren't going to abandon us?"

"By us, you mean you and me, right?" She nods. "Hell no." More tension leaves her shoulders. "Why would you think that?"

Rose sighs. "She's gonna be your sister soon. I just—"

"Rose, stop right there." That worried expression on her face breaks my heart. I really didn't know Rose was so sensitive about this particular subject. I figured, maybe somewhat naively, that Rose would be just as excited to meet Angela as Angela was to meet her. "You and I have been through a lot together. Haven't we?"

"Yeah."

"And I'd like to think of you as one of my best friends. Isn't that how you think of me?"

"Of course."

"Then don't. Don't ever worry about something silly like being replaced in my life. You never will be."

Her eyes stay firmly planted on the floor and her arms cross tightly around her chest. In a small voice, she asks, "Promise?"

Both of my hands move forward to grasp Rose's forearms. I tug a little bit, trying to loosen her grip on herself. "Hey." I tug a little harder and she finally lets me pull her arms toward me. Once she's standing with both arms to her side, I run my hands down until I'm holding both of her hands. "Look at me, Rose. Please."

Slowly her eyes rise from the floor until she's meeting my gaze. I smile at her before telling her, "I promise you. Nothing is gonna happen to our friendship."

A small grin tugs at her lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," I say to her as I return her smile.

Her breath escapes her mouth slowly. "God! Overreact much? I'm so sorry, Bell—"

"Oh my gosh! Is this Rose?" Angela's voice interrupts Rose's apologies. She's just arrived back in town. I received her text earlier telling me that she'd be here soon. She's been in Tampa showing some land for a prospective client—grudgingly at that. She really didn't want to leave town so close to the wedding, and had to pull some serious weight to get everything done and be back here today.

Rose's eyes widen as they take her in. I know she can see the resemblance to Edward and Esme there, and I'm pretty sure she's gathered that this is Angela. "I'm Rose?"

I snicker at Rose's unsure tone. "Ang, this is Rose, yes. She and Emmett got in last night."

Rose is still just standing there, looking kind of dumbstruck. Angela, however, is ecstatic. She's been prattling on for weeks about finally meeting Rose. "This is so exciting! I've heard so much about you, Rose!"

I wiggle one hand loose of Rose's death grip on my hand and pinch the skin on her bicep. "Ow!" She shakes out of her stupor pretty fast and turns a glare at me. Wow, haven't been on the receiving end of a Rose glare in awhile.

"Ouch, Bella. Totally see what you mean. That's scary," Angela observes, laughing quietly and pointing a finger at Rose's face.

The glare becomes confused as Rose contemplates Angela's words. I would have laughed if I wasn't still trapped in the gaze of her ice-blue eyes. Rose's eyebrows furrow as she turns from me to look at Angela. "What's scary?" she asks quietly.

Angela gasps. "Oh my gosh! Bella never told you how much she used to piss her pants when you'd glare at her?"

That snaps me out of my daze. I hiss, "Angela!"

She laughs at me; obviously she's decided to embarrass me further. "You used to glare at her and make her cower! And then this big argument went on with my cousin and his wife at my parent's house, and Bella told me later that my cousin's wench of a wife wouldn't have stood a chance against one of your looks!"

A smile cracks on Rose's face before she lets out one of her signature, delicate chuckles. "Bella. Really?"

"What?" I ask, annoyed at the direction the conversation has gone.

"You were really afraid of me? I thought you always held up pretty well. I just really thought you weren't confrontational."

I scoff at her. "You big liar! You knew I was afraid of you!"

"I didn't! I swear! I mean, you told me off pretty good when you'd had enough."

Angela starts laughing harder. We both turn to her. She gasps as she tries to speak. "Should have seen her—was fabulous—Gianna didn't even know—"

I roll my eyes. "Angela!"

"What?" she gasps.

"Make sense!"

We wait as she regains her composure. When she can finally breathe right again, she tells us, "Sorry… I was just remembering how much of a spitfire you were that day with Gianna. You really made Tanya's day, ya know."

Despite my frustration, I smile. "Well, I still maintain that Rose would have done a better job at telling Gianna off than I did."

"Well, I don't know," Rose says with a real smile on her face as she looks at me. "Tanya told me you did a pretty good job yourself."

"So B's just standing there, like fucking dumbstruck—"

"I was not, Emmett!" Damn Emmett McCarty and his big mouth.

"You sorta were, Bell." Damn Jasper Whitlock and his stupid head.

"I was not!"

"Um, Bella? I've seen the 'Rose glare,'" Angela says, laughing as she makes air-quotes. "I'm gonna go with you being 'fucking dumbstruck.'" Damn Angela Cheney and her idiotic air-quotes.

"When did this become embarrass Bella night?" I ask, annoyed.

"Well, Bella, I do believe Ang asked Rose about the first time you two met, and then Emmett took over the story, and then—"

"Yeah, Ben, I was here. I got the gist of how the conversation started." Damn Ben Cheney and his stupid smart mouth.

"Bella!"

"Angela!"

"Bella!"

"Tanya!"

"Bella!" Damn Rose McCarty neé Whitlock and her scary glare.

"That's not fair, Rose!"

"Damn, Bell, that's twice in one day."

"It's not my fault!"

"Well, if you'd let us finish the story—"

"Tell it right! I wasn't 'dumbstruck.'" Oh, great. Now I'm making air-quotes.

"Uh, B?"

"What, Emmett?" I snap, because, really, I wasn't dumbstruck.

"You sorta were. I was there, remember?"

Emmett's gentle, teasing tone reminds me of why I can't ever stay mad at him. Just as I'm starting to calm down, Edward's hand reaches to knead the skin on the back of my neck. His lips make contact with my ear as he whispers, "Don't be mad, angel."

Any anger I felt left me with the kiss he places underneath my ear, and I'm turning toward him with a smile.

"Oh, gag me," Emmett says, as he fakes retching sounds.

I turn to him with a smirk. "Let's get it right, Emmett." My gaze turns to Jasper as I raise an eyebrow in his direction. He laughs as he takes in my expression. I point my finger toward Angela and Ben and they raise their eyebrows at me. Tanya is forcing herself to reign in her laughter, because she knows me too well, and she knows I'm about to say something funny. Finally I let my eyes rest upon Rose, who is still giving me a bitch glare.

"I wasn't 'dumbstruck.' I was scared fucking shitless." Everyone busts into laughter at my statement. We're sitting at a rather large table at La Popular, sharing pitchers of margaritas. We all talked earlier about going to a bar after the rehearsal dinner, or heading to either Tanya's apartment, Ben and Ang's house, or Edward and my condo, but in the end the lure of La Popular won out. Emmett and Jasper ordered food even though we'd eaten ourselves silly earlier at the rehearsal, and everyone else decided to order something to take home with them. Edward was looking quite forward to feeding me sopapillas dripping with honey later. To be honest, I was looking forward to it too.

"So anyway!" Emmett's voice carries over the sound of everyone's laughter. "Rose and I left Seattle right after my football practice—"

"Well! You said you couldn't miss practice!"

"—and she wouldn't let me eat anything because she was all hellfire and in a hurry to get home—"

"I offered to bring snacks the night before! You said you wanted an empty stomach so you could fill it up with Momma's cooking!"

"—and meet Jasper's girlfriend's best friend. And then B can't get a damn word out of her mouth to say hi to Rose and Rose is all unimpressed and I'm—"

"Emmett! I wasn't unimpressed!"

"—fucking hungry! Charlotte and Peter didn't know which way to look, but I'm pretty sure they were afraid I'd tear their house down trying to get to the food—"

"If you were that hungry, you should've said something!"

"—and to be fucking honest I was about halfway to just dragging B and Rose to the dining room, staring contest and all—"

"Shit, Em, you make it sound like you'd never eaten or something," Jasper cuts in, snickering.

"—and I was fucking starving, so fuck you, Jas. Anyway! Rose finally had enough of the glaring and we went to eat. And, fuck me if Charlotte hadn't made sweet potato pie. Was a fucking awesome day."

Everyone starts laughing again, and I join in with them this time, wholeheartedly. Ben recovers first, and asks, "So, if I may? Rose, why didn't you like Bella?"

I'm curious about this myself, so I turn my gaze toward her. She's blushing, and biting her lip; her whole body has some sort of nervous twitch. "Well… It's not ever that I didn't like Bella. Well, okay, that's a lie. I didn't like her for years, but on initial meeting, it wasn't strictly a matter of dislike."

"Could've fooled me," Jasper snarks at her.

"Watch it, bub," she snarks right back. The bitch glare is turned on in full-force, and it's directed right at her brother. "It's partly your fault, and you know it."

He looks ashamed as he darts his eyes away from her and toward me for a brief second, before nodding and focusing on the table in front of him.

I clear my throat. "Explain that."

"No," Rose tells me. She turns her gaze to me and raises an eyebrow. The glare is still there, but it's softer now. "Because that part of our history doesn't matter anymore."

My brow furrows in confusion as I take in her words. She raises her other eyebrow at me and looks pointedly at Edward and then Tanya before settling back on me. A light bulb goes off in my brain. "Oh," I breathe.

"Yes, so, I think we all know what I'm talking about. Now, as for the rest of it… well… she, shit, this isn't gonna sound nice, but… well… she annoyed me."

My jaw drops open at her words. How the hell did I annoy her? I didn't even do anything!

"See!" Emmett yells, finger pointing right at my face. "Fucking dumbstruck! That's exactly how she looked!"

I flash an annoyed look at him and he puts his finger down. "I didn't do anything, Rose. How could you be annoyed with me?"

She rolls her eyes. "That's exactly why I was annoyed with you. You didn't do anything. Alice was all spitfire and talk and big ball of energy, and then there's you. Plain Jane, afraid of her own shadow, and so nervous she couldn't even get a word out. I wanted you to call me on my shit. And you gotta admit, even though it took you seven years, once you did, well… look at us now."

"Wow," I say quietly. "You couldn't have given me a heads-up or something?"

"Well, you are very dense."

"I am not!" I reply, indignantly.

"Maybe dense isn't the right word," Rose says teasingly.

"What would be?" I ask, once again annoyed.

"Hmm," she hums, bringing a finger to her chin and tapping. She purses her lips as she thinks and the longer she sits there the more my ire rises. Finally, her eyes light up and she turns to me. "Slow."

"Slow?"

"Mhm, slow. You don't catch on very fast, in other words."

My jaw drops again as the table laughs, once more, at my expense. Edward, who has been silently amused for most of the night, speaks up beside me, "You know, Rose, I'm actually inclined to agree with you on that topic—"

"Edward!" Tanya and I exclaim at the same time.

"However!" He rolls his eyes as he yells the word over us. "There was one thing you said about her that just isn't true in any way."

Rose smirks at him, mirth dancing in her eyes. "Oh yeah?"

"Yes."

"And what would I be wrong about? I'm usually right about everything. Ask Emmett."

"Oh, I know. Emmett's gone into extensive detail of how you're never wrong." I snicker as Emmett's face goes pale. I'm not the only one, most of the table is quietly chuckling. "However… I just can't agree with you calling Bella plain. There just isn't a thing plain about her."

I blush as the women around the table collectively coo at his romantic statement. Emmett rolls his eyes, as Emmett is apt to do when the conversation takes a turn toward love. Ben smirks, as Ben is apt to do when he feels like someone finally caught on to what he's known all along. And Jasper?

Well, he responds with, "Yeah, Edward, but she is a plain pain in the ass." To which everyone is laughing again. At my expense. Again. I can't help but laugh with them.

"Oh! Emmett! Right there, baby, oh shit, fuck, mmm…"

"Never again, Edward. They are never staying with us again."

"Fuck! Oh! Baby! Harder!"

"It was your idea to let them stay in our guest room."

"Just like that! Oh, Emmett!"

"You said it was okay! You should have told me no."

"Fuck! I'm coming! I'm coming, Emmett! Oh, baby! Don't stop! Don't stop!"

"Trust me. If I'd known I would be listening to this, and that it would be cock-blocking me in my own house, I would've said no."

"Oh! Oh! Oh! Fuck! Spank me, daddy! Just like that!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Harder! Spank me harder!"

"Didn't she just say she was coming?"

"Yeah! Oh, baby! That's right, baby! This ass is all yours!"

"Oh my fucking…"

"Yeah, baby! You like this ass, don't you? Spank it, baby! Spank it!"

"I just don't…"

"I said spank it! Harder, baby!"

"I can't…"

"Harder, daddy, harder!"

"I don't think…"

"Yeah, you like it when I call you daddy, don't you, baby?"

"Okay!" I yell, finally having had enough. "I can't listen to you two fuck anymore! Hurry up and finish and go the fuck to sleep!"

Laughter rings through the condo, and I know we've been had. I jump from the bed and throw open our door. Rose and Emmett are standing at their bedroom door, laughing their asses off. Fully clothed. Tears running down their faces. Fully clothed.

"You two fucking suck!"

"Sorry, B," gasps Emmett. "We couldn't fucking help it!"

I can hear Edward snickering from behind me. He's propped another pillow behind his head and he's laying back on one arm, watching the show. I glare at him, but he doesn't stop laughing.

"Bella," chokes Rose, "I'm sorry, but… so funny… can't believe you let me say daddy more than once…" Emmett starts howling at that, and I cross my arms over my chest as I continue to stare them both down.

"Next time you guys come to visit, you're staying with Tanya!" I slam the door in their faces and they start laughing even harder. I didn't think that was possible.

Edward is staring at me, amusement written all over his face. He reaches to the night stand and pulls the remote to his stereo to him. The room fills with music as he beckons me to him.

"Let's give them a little payback, angel," he says, huskily, grabbing the sheet and flinging it away from him to reveal his fully naked, fully erect body.

My answering grin is downright wicked. Payback sounds incredible.

"You two fucking suck," Rose gripes as she adjusts the massager on the pedicure chair. She's sporting some major bags under her eyes this morning.

I snicker. "You two fucking started it."

"Started what?" Angela asks.

"Your brother and Bella kept me and Emmett up all fucking night with their stupid bed—"

"La, la, la, la, don't want to hear! Never mind! That's my brother!" Angela actually plugs her ears as she continues to make noises to block out anything Rose might say.

"What about your brother? Oh! Bella! Were you two practicing for your wedding night?" Esme and her eyebrow waggling is a little disturbing. She shouldn't want to know that about her son.

"Can I just say that I'm mildly disturbed by your interest in mine and Edward's sex life?"

"La, la, la, la! Warn someone, Bella!"

"And you! You wanted all the dirty details after we had sex the first time! Now it's too much for your delicate ears?"

"I just mean—"

"Besides, what Edward and I did was nothing compared to having to listen to Rose call Emmett 'daddy' in the middle of the goddamn night."

Rose snickers. "Just giving you some variety. If I have to hear you call Edward gorgeous one more time…"

"Rest assured," I scoff, "I will not be calling Edward 'daddy' anytime soon."

Angela shivers, presumably in disgust. "That's just… very disturbing."

"I know!"

"I don't know… When you love someone—" Esme starts, but Angela and I quickly cut her off at the pass. Fingers firmly planted in ears and both of our tongues moving as copy her words from earlier. It's very effective.

Until Renee shows up. "I'm so sorry I'm late! Oh, gosh! Traffic was monstrous!"

"Oh, it's quite alright, Renee, dear. They have your pedi-bath ready right here next to me," Esme says, eyes twinkling.

"So… what did I miss?" Renee asks distractedly as she fights with the straps on her wedges. I glare in Esme's direction, but she pretends not to notice.

"We were just discussing Edward and Bella's sex life."

"Oh! Excellent! I've been dying to get the dish!"

"Kill me now."

"She thinks it's disturbing that I'm interested."

"Please, kill me now."

"Hmm, I wonder what she thinks about me being interested."

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

"Why are you two so interested?" Rose asks.

"Yeah," Angela interjects, "You never drilled me about mine and Ben's sex life."

"Oh God. Kill me now."

"Don't be so dramatic, Bella," Renee chides. "Besides, it's my day. I want all the dirty details."

Oh God. Now Renee is doing the eyebrow waggling thing.

"Kill me. Just do it, please."

In unison, Renee and Esme roll their eyes at me. "Bella, we just want to make sure that you two are getting enough practice in."

Esme said it so nonchalantly, I almost don't catch it. Except I do. So, I ask, "Practice for what?"

"Our grandchildren," Esme and Renee answer in unison.

"What?"

"Oh, you heard us, Bella," Renee responds, rolling her eyes. And Charlie wonders where I picked that habit up... "And don't act so surprised. You are getting up there in age, ya know."

"Mom!"

Rosalie begins to laugh and Angela joins in. I turn my head to glare at the two. "You're not gonna help me out here?"

This, of course, only causes the two to laugh harder. Esme looks at them in amusement.

Renee looks at them with wide, blinking, innocent eyes. She asks, "Help you out with what, Bella?"

"Are you serious, Mom? Edward and I aren't even... I mean... We haven't even... Ugh!"

Angela gasps, her words are jumbled. "But–Edward–Charlie–oh, Bella!" She can't continue speaking with the force of her giggles.

I turn my head to Rosalie. She's quieted down and is looking at me in bemusement. "Bella, you know. I know my brother wasn't able to keep his mouth shut," she says, quietly enough for only me to hear.

There they are. The nerves I've been trying to suppress for a month. The nerves that kicked in the night I decided to ask Edward Cullen to marry me. I've done well enough–considering that I'm a shit liar, and this is something that has been in the forefront of my thoughts every day.

I know my face shows them–the nerves, that is–when Rose's face turns sympathetic. "That is what you want, isn't it?"

She's misread me. She thinks I don't want to marry Edward. She thinks I'm having second thoughts. I panic. "Of course it is! I just..."

She reaches over and grasps my hand. "Then don't worry about all of this. You know, and I know, that it's all going to happen one day, regardless of when that day is, it will happen. So... don't sweat the small stuff. And let the mother's have their fun."

She's right. She usually is, I realize. I let out a slow breath. In a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, I say, "Laugh it up while you can, you old biddies. We'll see how great you all think grandchildren are when me and Angela end up with babies at the same time, and we're both calling you for help. That is Edward's plan, after all."

"What?" Angela chokes on her laughter and her words. Ha! That's what you get, Angela Cheney! For laughing at my expense.

"Well, that's what he told me, at least."

"That's a joke, right?"

"Uh–no."

"Holy crap!" Angela has a look of utter horror on her face. "Why?"

"So that our little Nessa has someone to play with."

"Nessa?" Renee perks up at the name. "You've already chosen names?"

I roll my eyes. "You really don't pay attention when I tell you things, do you?"

"Of course I do! I just–"

"Okay, ladies! Pedi's are done, they're about to move you all up front for mani's, and then it's off to the salon for your hair. Everyone remembered their dresses, yes?" Tanya's all business today. She's declared herself in charge, which is good, because even Esme has stars in her eyes today. The rest of us are useless. Myself? I'm worrying about flamingos, and if my mother actually pulled off getting them. Esme had talked her out of it, but I know my mother... Oh, and the whole 'proposing to the love of my life in front of a crowd at a wedding' thing. That's kind of weighing on me, too.

Head in the game, Bella. Plenty of time to worry about that once you've managed not to trip while walking down the aisle.

We all answer positively, even my mother remembered her dress–a fact that amazes me. Spacy Renee remembered the only duty she's been given today, aside from saying 'I do.'

"You so owe me," Tanya whispers in my ear as I move to pass her.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, I heard them giving you a hard time, so I sped the process up. You owe me." Her eyes are twinkling as she tells me this, and I know I owe her for a lot more than just saving me from a few jokes at my expense.

I grasp her hand in mine. "I think we both know that today isn't all I owe you for."

A small grin graces her lips. "I think we both know that I owe you, too."

She's talking about Jasper, but I disagree with her. Jasper isn't the same person he was when I met him, and he isn't the same person he was when he and I were together. He's different in every sense of the word–a good different. That's all thanks to Tanya, and her never-ending reserve of patience.

"You don't owe me a thing, and you know it."

Her grin widens. "Well, you can think what you want, but... if I'd never known you... I'd never know him, and..."

"Yeah," I whisper. She nods at me and no more words are spoken.

I make my way to the small desk they've set aside for my manicure. The women around me continue jabbering away about this and that, but thankfully, the conversation never veers back to me and Edward. Mostly they talk about the wedding, and how excited Renee is to be marrying Phil.

I can't help but feel a small pang of hurt run through me as I think of my mother marrying. Not that I'm not happy for her, but the thought makes me think of Charlie. Alone in Forks on this day, knowing that his ex-wife is re-marrying. He was subdued for the rest of his trip whenever the subject of Renee was brought up, but I know it was tough for him. Even with all the years that they've been separate, I know he'll always love my mother. His is the greatest kind of love–to love someone else enough to let them go, so that they will be happy, no matter what it costs yourself.

I ponder these things as the woman in front of me files and clips and soaks and polishes my nails a shiny black. It truly will look nice against the deep purple of my dress. I begrudgingly admit to myself that Renee might just have taste.

Then we're off again, to the salon for our hair, then to the church to dress and wait. This is the part I've been dreading–the waiting. The nerves settle in the longer I sit. The dress my mother has chosen is more comfortable that the hideous monstrosity Alice had me wear for her wedding to Jasper, and it's the only comparison I have. Still, it's not helping with the nerves.

It's not even that I'm nervous about the people, seeing as I'll be asking my question in front of a live and captive audience. A rather large, live, and captive audience. It's not that I'm unsure of my question either, I'm not. Not in any way, shape, or form. I've never been more sure of anything in my life.

It's that I'm afraid of taking something away from Edward. I know he wants to ask me himself, and I'm afraid I'm ruining some grand plan of his with this grand plan of mine. I don't want to disappoint him–ever. I'm so afraid that what I'm planning will do exactly that.

Then we're being pulled from the small room, me and my mother. We're being lined up behind the doors that will lead us to the alter, and to her soon-to-be husband. I turn to look at her. She looks beautiful–all cream-colored dress and blushing cheeks, and I find myself amazed by her lack of nerves. I'm sure when my day comes I'll be a big ball of nothing but.

The words leave my mouth before I can stop myself. "Are you happy, Mom?"

She doesn't look startled or upset by my question, for which I'm thankful. "I've only been happier once in my life."

"If you say the day you married Charlie, I might have you committed."

She laughs. "Oh, Bella. Please believe that I loved your father, I love him still, but... Charlie and I were a wrong fit right from the start." A fond smile graces her lips. "No, baby girl. The only day I've ever been happier was the day you came into my life."

"Oh," I breathe. I feel like an ass for saying what I've said to her. Me and my lack of a filter when it's needed.

Her hand touches my cheek and my eyes meet hers. "Thank you for being here today. For standing beside me. It means the world to me."

I'm unable to respond because the doors are opening and I'm marching up the aisle. I'm taking my place and I'm watching my mother walk solo to Phil.

I cry when she says her vows, but I'm truly happy for her. My eyes search him out and I find him easily. Edward's eyes are on me. I'm sure they've been on me the whole ceremony.

I mouth my love for him and he does the same for me, and the ceremony is over much quicker than I thought it would be. I'm walking behind my mother and her new husband back down the aisle. I'm watching her cry her own tears, but I'm positive, positive, these are tears of joy.

A calm settles upon me as I look at her. I see the happy written across her face every time she looks at Phil, and I can't help but feel the same.

The nerves are gone. It's time to get on with the asking.

Keep going...