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Because her layover in Minneapolis stole away most of the day, it's late at night when Bella arrives in Lansing. As agreed, Emmett picks her up from the airport. She watches the city lights pass them by, not saying much, breathing in the warm spring air when Emmett opens a car window. It's drizzling, but barely, and she looks at the passing houses with the eye of a person ready to leave the chapter of her life that holds the memories of her college years, of goofing off with her friends, graduations and working at a pharmacy. Maybe one day, she'll return with Edward, and they'll reminisce together about how he wore foam earplugs to mute traffic noise, and laugh about it. And maybe that's the way it's supposed to be.
"What in the world happened to you in Alaska?" Emmett says, giving her a sideways glance. "Is muteness contagious? Did Edward suck all the words out of you?"
Even though they only have a 20 minute drive ahead, Bella takes off her shoes and hugs her legs close to her chest, resting her head on her knees. "He did."
"And how was it?"
"It was wonderful," she replies, smiling. "I'm moving to Alaska with him."
He blinks at the road, at Bella, and back at the road. Not sure if she's being sarcastic, he lets out a hesitant chuckle. "What?"
"We're moving in together, Edward and I. In Alaska."
"You're serious."
"Of course I'm serious," she replies. "Did you ever see us together? Mad chemistry, man." Bella grins cheekily, but Emmett frowns.
"When did this happen?"
"Monday."
"You got together five days ago and you've decided to move to Alaska? A bit sudden, don't you think?"
"Not really," she replies, looking out of the window. "We've spent too much time pining after each other not to give us a go. He spends so much time in remote areas that this might be the best shot we've got, and I'm going to take it."
"But, but… you're, like, his only friend!"
"I'll let him know that, should he ever want to marry you, that's a deal-breaker for you." Bella smiles. "Besides, he has friends. Just not in Michigan."
"And you're going to throw away six years worth of MSU to spend your life catching fish in Sitka?"
"Sitka? Good idea. I never considered Sitka." She laughs. "Relax, Emmett. What's the problem? I'm not throwing anything away. I'm looking at universities in Alaska that might offer a PhD program that I want to enter, or maybe I'll analyze plants and animals and find a rare, super efficient medicine. Maybe chemists and pharmacists are just what the need in Alaska, or maybe… I'll spend the rest of my life catching fish in Sitka. As long as it's interesting, I don't mind."
"But you don't fit together at all."
"How come?"
"You're so intelligent and lively and not that hard to look at and he's… not. Besides, he just seemed miserable when he was here."
"Firstly, he's intelligent when it comes to wildlife and planes and everything that interests him, just like you are intelligent in matters of the army. Secondly, you might consider that you don't know him well enough to judge the other two, and thirdly, he was miserable because he can't stand crowds. Maybe you'd be just like him if you'd grown up the way he did."
Emmett stares at her. "You're not bothered by any of my arguments, are you?"
She shrugs, feeling too happy to hide her smile. "Not in the slightest."
He stays silent until they pull up in front of their house, and when Emmett takes her bag, he stands in front of her, not moving.
"I don't want you to think that I don't like Edward, because I do," he says. "And I know I said some things he might've overheard. I meant no harm, and I don't mind that you're together. I guess my main problem is… like you said, I never got to know him well enough to judge."
"Thanks for telling me," Bella says, offering a pursed-lips smile, feeling herself warm up to him.
"I think he really took some things I said to heart, so… apologize to him for me."
"You can do it yourself because he'll be here in ten days." She crosses her arms. "He mentioned some things, and I think I figured it's not just what you said, but how vulnerable he is to those kinds of opinions. Because you and I, we kind of lived that out during our teenage years, when everything everyone thought mattered like it was the end of the world… but he never had that phase. So maybe that explains his reaction a bit. I don't know."
Emmett relaxes, and finally pulls her in a hug. "It's so good to have you back, Bella. We've missed you."
"I missed you, too," she says, but then her face clears and she nudges Emmett's arm. "You had a baby!"
"I did," he says, rubbing his stomach. "Pushed him out of my womb, too. Can't you tell?"
"Very clever. Can I see him? Or is he sleeping? What's his name?"
Samuel was born three days after Bella left, on Sunday, the 16nd of March, and when Emmett and Bella enter the living room, he's sleeping in his mother's arms on the couch.
"He might be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Bella whispers, making Emmett grin. She takes her backpack. "But I should see him tomorrow when they're both awake, is that okay?"
He nods. She walks to her side of the house, and closes the door as quietly as she can. She sets down the shoes she'd taken off, the shoes that used to be Edward's that required three pairs of woolen socks that she peeled off on both planes. She, again, peels them off, takes off her jacket and throws herself on the couch. It's mushy and soft and smells like civilization and coffee.
Her laptop, the one she hadn't used more than two weeks, is lying on the table. She wonders if she dares to check her email, but decides it can wait until tomorrow. She's still filled with joy of her trip and how it ended, with Edward's lips on her neck and whispers against her ear.
It's surreal how much had changed in two weeks, how many plans and hopes and decisions had taken a turn for the better because she'd finally decided to take Edward up on his offer to pay him a visit. She had hoped to gather her courage to lay her heart on the line the second time, but she hadn't expected him to reciprocate this time. Or for him to have returned her feelings all along.
In Minneapolis, Bella got a message from her grandpa to make sure she'd call him no matter how delayed her plane could be, so she finds her front door keys and steps outside. It's no longer drizzling.
"Bella," grandpa picks up, with a tone so happy and relieved it requires no further explanation.
"Grandpa," she replies, grinning, leaning against the front door and looking at the sky. "Cloudy with a chance of love," she says, closing her eyes. "And warm. So warm."
"The weather report said it's thirty five in Lansing."
"Can you imagine? It's like summer."
Grandpa laughs, and for a few seconds, they listen to the silence on the other end of the phone, enjoying the presence of each other.
"Well? How did it go? Are you alright?"
"I'm brilliant, grandpa."
"Did you meet any wolves or grizzlies? Did you have enough money?"
"Didn't use a penny of my money, and grizzlies… yes. But it's a long story. It turns out Edward is a bit of an animal whisperer. He's… he's so much more than we ever realized, grandpa."
He pauses.
"Cloudy with a chance of love, huh?"
Bella smiles, looking down shyly. "Yes," she replies. "There's a lot to say, but… I'd like to say them when we're there."
"He's with you?"
"Not at the moment, but he'll be here in about ten days. We should be on our way to Gladstone on the 8th. Are you free the week following that? We'd like to spend time with you."
"Let me just check my incredibly busy schedule," grandpa replies, pausing. "Nope, free as a bird. So much time to kick his butt."
"Grandpa!"
"Every guy deserves to be just a little bit afraid that he's not good enough for his girl."
"Oh, I think he's got more than enough of that in his system," Bella replies, sighing. "He's incredible. You'll see."
"I know." His voice softens. "I'd love to get to know him. So what are your plans?"
"I'm going to pack up my stuff and donate it somewhere. If you remember something I have that you need, send me a message."
"Where are you moving?"
"I… I'd rather tell you in person."
"I know that code," grandpa answers. "That is code for 'I won't like what you have to say', is it not?"
"Maybe. But like I said, there's a lot to say, and I'd rather not start on the phone."
"I understand," he replies, and if she didn't know any better, she'd think he sounds grumpy.
"So, anyway. How's your knee?"
"I have this new ointment that makes me feel like my knee is forty years old again," he replies. "Now I'm thinking, I should find more of it to make the rest of me feel like forty, too."
Bella laughs. "It's so wonderful to hear from you again, grandpa. Say hi to Jim for me."
"I've missed you," he replies. "Let me know when I can expect you so I'll know when to bake cinnamon rolls."
At noon the next day, Bella takes a shower that might just be the longest in her life, and later sits on the toilet with a closed lid, playing with tap water and feeling like she might never take bathrooms for granted, ever again.
"Holy smokes," Rosalie says, holding a baby in her arms as she stares at her from outside the bathroom. She has cut off her hair, but other than her lack of belly, she doesn't seem to have changed much. She's grinning.
"It's wonderful to see you, too, Rosalie," Bella says, getting up to hug her. She kisses little Samuel on the forehead.
"Let me see your stomach," Rosalie says, pulling away.
"I'm not pregnant."
"I need to see your stomach," she repeats, so Bella, rolling her eyes, pulls up her shirt.
"That is mad." Rosalie pokes her stomach. "Sweet Jesus, what kind of training program did Edward make you participate in? You have abs!"
Bella lowers her shirt, shaking her head as she smiles. "It was just lots of climbing and hiking and lean venison."
"That is crazy hot," Rosalie replies, poking her stomach through her shirt, eyes wide.
"Come on." Bella takes a step back. "Do you want to talk about my stomach or will you tell me more about Samuel?"
Rosalie's smile softens when she invites Bella in her living room. They sit on the couch, facing each other, with Samuel on Rosalie's chest. Rosalie shares all about the ventures of having a baby, and Bella tries to remember as much as she can for future reference. It sounds like a lot of hard work.
"Would you like to hold him?"
"I'd love to," Bella replies. "I should probably practice."
"Practice?" Rosalie repeats, making sure Bella holds on to Samuel's head. "So you are pregnant?"
"One usually has to have sex in order to get pregnant," Bella replies. "So no, I'm not. But… one day."
"You and Edward?"
Bella smiles shyly, nodding. She taps Samuel's nose gently. "He's so tiny."
"You should've seen him two weeks ago. He's already gaining weight like crazy." Rosalie takes Samuel back when he gets restless, and starts feeding him.
"Emmett never did understand the idea of you and Edward together, but I think… it makes perfect sense. You always were incredibly appreciative of different lifestyle choices, probably your parents' doing, and Edward's is a lifestyle to get used to. I only hope you know what you're doing."
Bella waits for her to continue, but when she doesn't, she asks, "Nothing else? No tales of caution about how fast we're moving or how I'm throwing my education away?"
Rosalie laughs. "Oh, please. It took you two and a half years to get together. And you're a smart girl, you'll figure it out. The only thing is…" Rosalie looks up, giving her a sad smile. "I'll miss you."
"We'll keep in touch," she replies, not wanting this to turn in to a cry-fest. "Because believe it or not, Edward is willing to move somewhere with electricity and internet."
Rosalie laughs at her choice of words. "He's one hell of a guy, and sure he's silent, but he's loyal to a fault and he always was putty in your hands. He'll be good to you."
Bella wonders if Edward ever let anyone, even Rosalie, to get to know him on a level personal enough for them to fully comprehend what a remarkable human being they got to spend time with. Maybe, for all the people he met here, he was just a quiet guy who had an odd life experience. And maybe, if they did manage to keep in contact, it would take years for Rosalie and (especially) Emmett to realize just exactly how remarkable Edward was.
"He already is," Bella answers with a smile.
For the next few days, Bella feels like she's meeting up with anyone and everyone she's known; her supervisor, who is disappointed that she's moving but encourages her to look into PhD programs in Alaska, her co-workers at the pharmacy, her friends from college, and Maria and Tanya in Detroit. She doesn't stumble upon Jasper anywhere, neither does she wish to.
She spends her days packing and evenings with Rosalie, Emmett and their little Samuel. Most of her clothes she offers to Rosalie, who is happy to pick and choose whichever she likes, and donates the rest. She throws away her college materials and gives the few furniture items she did own, again, to Rosalie and Emmett. She shares a few text messages with Edward, and he even calls once when he's in town. No plans have changed.
It feels surprisingly good to get rid of all the stuff that she doesn't need, or the stuff that she couldn't possibly drag to another state. One of the many things she learned from spending all that time in gran's cabin was experiencing how little she actually needed in life, and how much was replaceable. She can start her life in Alaska with a toothbrush, a few hygiene items, warm clothes, and a laptop. And Edward, of course. Edward is a mandatory part of her plan.
Before she knows it, her stuff is sent away, given to Rosalie, or packed in her car to be taken to Gladstone, and on 7th April, at 7:45 PM sharp, Bella waits at the airport for Edward's flight from Chicago to arrive.
She's in an orange dress, holding flowers, feeling giddy and nervous as she watches the passengers arrive, rolling their suitcases and hugging their loved ones. But half an hour later, when the crowd has mostly dispersed from around her and she finds herself alone, her smile deflates. She sends Edward a text message, but to no avail, and waits another ten minutes before she walks up to the information table, lowering her flowers.
"Excuse me? I think my boyfriend might've gotten lost, or he missed his flight in Chicago. Could you check if he was on the flight that just arrived? His name is Edward Masen Lange."
"One moment," the man says, taking time on the computer before he looks up. "I'm afraid he wasn't on the flight, Miss."
"Would it be possible for you to check the flights connecting Anchorage to Chicago? Today?"
He does, and when he looks up, he doesn't even have to say it for Bella to know.
"The first entry that comes up is in May last year. I don't suppose that helps. I'm sorry."
"Thank you, sir," she says, attempting but failing to smile. She starts walking away from the table, but reconsiders, turns around and offers her flowers over the counter. "Here, give them to someone you love."
"Miss?"
"They're as close to wildflowers as I could find," she says. Her voice wavers. "They'll get you laid for sure."
Not waiting for a reply, Bella zips up her jacket and leaves the airport. Her heart feels empty, but she's trying to figure out what could've happened, and how in the world she'll get hold of him to find out.
