Edward POV
I all but skipped down the stairs, sliding down the banister of the final flighty. I beamed just as my wife walked past, me grabbing her in my arms and pulling her in for a steamy kiss. I pulled away to beam at her and she looked at me with wide eyes.
"You're in a good mood." She noted and giggled as I spun her out and then back in again.
I raised my eyebrows, "Am I not allowed to be happy on my birthday?" I asked, and my eldest two children mentally cursed, clearly having forgotten this annually event.
My wife beamed and jumped to wrap her arms and legs around me, locking my lips over hers.
I pulled back after a minutes, "This doesn't count as one of my birthday kissed by the way."
She pressed her mouth over mine again, "Why ever not."
I chuckled, "It only counts when I kiss you."
Her lips were over mine again, "Well thank your clearing that up."
I growled playfully and my hands fell to her ass as we ended up falling back on the sofa. As trivial as it sounded, I tended to lose sight of things like standing and where I was when I was kissing my wife. "Oh my god please." A voice gagged and we pulled a part to look towards the direction of the door, where Ellie was stood with her hands over her eyes as if she had just seen something far worse than kissing.
The corner of my mouth tugged up without instruction, "Its just kissing."
Bella giggled, "And we still have two hundred and six to get through so if you don't mind..." She trailed off and I chuckled as he lips trailed up and down my neck.
Ellie gagged, "You'd better not be like this later on in time for your present."
I frowned, "Why couldn't you be more like your brother and not get me anything?"
"I resent that thank you very much." Anthony said as he walked down stairs with Aimee, holding hands tight between then.
I put my wife down so Aimee could hug and wish me happy birthday.
Anthony spoke once I pulled away and he was sure I had his undivided attention over this particular lie he was going to elaborate over.
"So where is this amazing present?" I asked.
He frowned and I laughed.
Bella giggled, "it's still in the shop isn't it?" She said and went with Aimee to make breakfast. Ellie ran off upstairs to change, so I assumed she was moving back in. The father in me wanted to demand to know what happened that was so awful with been that she needed to flee back here after one day.
Although the other more prominent half was deign a secret victory dance over the little pricks body.
Anthony frowned, "Your present is not still in the shop, it is in transition."
I raised an eyebrow, "What exactly is it?"
He tapped his nose ominously, "You'll find out at half past twelve."
I rolled my eyes, "It's not a stripper then."
"I heard that!" My wife yelled form the kitchen. I winced and Anthony smiled triumphantly, before turning and walking smack into the wall.
I shook my head and glided past him into the kitchen.
"The doors there Ant." I called over my shoulder and I ignored the mental curse he aimed at me.
We all sat around eating a more brunch tan breakfast and were still chatting at the table when Renesmee and Chris joined us at a quarter past twelve.
My daughter looked really quite ill, she had dark rings under her eyes and was clutching Chris's arm in both of hers in an attempt to not fall over.
After all the times I had professed to hate Chris, I could not fault the way eh interacted with her when she was ill. It was like magnets, he moved, she moved.
He pulled her chair out and sat her gently in it before handing her a cup of tea and wrapped his arm over her shoulders so she could lean into his side.
"Not been working you to hard has he Ness?" Anthony laughed when Bella and Aimee glared at him to be silent.
There was a knock at the door and I stood, knowing it was probably for me, after all, I got the most post, and it was my birthday.
I opened the door to see a young man from UPS looking over the front of the house. I smiled as he let out a low whistle as his eyes danced over our cars, before turning to look at me almost in embarrassment.
"Mr Edward Cullen?" He asked, walking towards me.
I nodded and signed for the envelope, before watching him as he drove back down the drive in his van, shrouded in a cloud of dirt.
I tore open the envelope but froze when I saw the writing on the front of the letter. My heart when heavy in my chest, and I felt parts of my soul visibly turn to stone.
"What's taking you so long?" Bella laughed and kissed between my shoulder blades, her arms snaking around my waist from behind.
I swallowed and my fingers ran over the script on the white letter.
"To see the world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower. To hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour." I muttered.
I could almost hear my wife frown.
"What?" She asked.
I swallowed and shook my head, "Just some book club asking for my allegiance." I laughed ad tucked the letter in my back pocket. She laughed and wrapped her arms around my waist, steering me to walk back towards the house.
"Come on, Ness and Ant want you to open presents." She laughed and skipped back into the kitchen. I watched her go, letting out a sigh and turning to shut the front door again. My eyes burned from the name that had been sighed at the bottom of the letter, and although the name was familiar, it was one that I had not spoken in a long time.
Zara
