Long-ass a/n at the end.
Not betad.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: Limited
It's almost a year since we made our relationship official, and Edward is building us our dream house. We sold mine and used the money to buy a plot of land not far from where we live now and we've been living at Edward's ever since. It seemed wise since my house was filled with memories of Jasper and Edward hadn't lived in his with anyone except Seth. But we wanted a completely fresh start, which is why we're having the new house built. Esme is very generously decorating it for us as a gift and it should be complete in the next few months.
Maggie no longer comes and goes as she pleases; this is mine and Maeve's home now too, after all. She still doesn't like me much but she's perfectly polite to me and unfailingly kind to Maeve. I can't really ask for much more. She has Seth for the full week she wanted; it wasn't easy for Edward to give her that, but he, as always, wanted to do the right thing for his son. Our family doesn't feel complete when Seth isn't with us, but he loves Maggie and Edward would never deny Seth his mother.
I'm still seeing Angela, but as the weeks pass I feel stronger and I think we're both coming to the conclusion that my time with her is coming to an end. My reservations about trusting Edward are long gone and my anger toward my late husband seems to matter less and less. He's gone and I need to live here, with Edward and our children. Here is where I'm happy and content and loved by the most extraordinary man I've ever met.
Seth and Maeve fight like any brother and sister, but they seem to have an unusual bond. I'll hear them talking sometimes and shake my head; they sound so much older than their almost eight years. But for the most part, they're happy, well-adjusted children. They both still see Kate. We want their transition to a new family structure to be as easy as possible on them and having someone on the outside to talk to seems to help them both.
Despite their generally good behavior and sweet nature, they test us constantly, sometimes together, mostly individually. But the one thing we always make sure to do is back each other up, no matter the situation. We may disagree later, but in front of them we present a united front.
"Come on, up to bed," I tell Maeve, rising from my spot on the couch next to Edward and holding my hand out to her. "We have a long day tomorrow."
"Why do I have to go if Seth doesn't?" Maeve asks.
"Because Seth is with his mother this weekend," I say. "Don't worry, it'll be fun."
"But there are no kids to play with at Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett's when Seth isn't there! The baby is too small to play with."
"I'll be there," Edward says with a smile.
"You're not fun," she whines.
"Hey! You don't speak to Edward like that, young lady."
She literally stamps her foot and I'm about to lose it when Edward steps in. "What do you mean I'm not fun?" He picks her up and tosses her over his shoulder and spins her around. "How's that for fun?" She laughs in delight and he stops and holds her upside down by her ankle, making her laugh louder.
"Stop it, Daddy!" she cries happily. Edward stills and rights Maeve, first looking at her then at me, his eyes wide.
"What did you just call me?" he asks Maeve with a smile.
She starts to cry and Edward looks over at me, an almost frightened look on his face. Maeve wiggles out of his grasp and he lets her go. She runs upstairs and I lay a hand on Edward's arm, kiss him, and then follow her.
"It's okay," I tell her, sitting down on her bed and putting her on my lap.
"I didn't mean to. It just came out." Fat tears are falling down her cheeks and her lip is quivering.
"It's okay," I say again, holding her tightly. "You didn't do anything wrong."
"Do you think Daddy would be mad that I called Edward Daddy?"
I take a deep breath and try to find a satisfying answer without lying to her. "I don't know," I finally say. "What I do know is your father loved you and he'd want you to be happy, no matter what. And if calling Edward Daddy makes you happy, then I think that's okay."
"I don't want to forget Daddy."
"You won't. We'll make sure of it, okay?"
"Okay," she says with a sniff.
"I know it probably feels confusing. Just do what feels right and we'll work out the rest."
She nods and her eyes droop. I tuck her in and kiss her goodnight.
I find Edward in our bedroom, changed into his pajamas and sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees.
"Is she all right?" he asks when I walk in.
"She's fine," I say, standing in front of him and threading my fingers through his hair as he looks up at me. "She feels guilty. As if seeing you as a father is somehow disloyal to Jasper."
He nods and closes his eyes, lowering his head to rest on my stomach. "It's okay," I tell him. "It was a very natural thing for her to call you Daddy. She just needs to come to terms with it."
He nods and sighs and wraps his arms around my waist.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yeah." He looks up at me. "I didn't realize how much I wanted to hear that until she said it. But that feels selfish."
I sit in his lap and take his face in my hands. "You are the most giving person I know. It's not selfish to want to be a parent to a child you love."
He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, they're wet. "I don't want to take anything away from her father, I just..." He trails off and shakes his head, hugging me tightly.
I hug him back and place a small kiss on his neck. "I love you. You're an amazing father to both of our children."
He pulls away and looks at me, a shy smile on his face. "I'd like to be an amazing husband."
"I think that can be arranged."
We take Seth and Maeve with us when, a year later, we decide to get married in Hawaii. We limited the guest list to the people we're closest to: my parents, Carlisle and Esme, and Emmett and Rosalie and their son. They're all spending the week so Edward and I can have a proper honeymoon but still spend time with the kids when we come up for air.
Edward and I wake up with our children in our rented beach side villa and get ready together the morning of the wedding. It never occurs to us to follow the silly tradition of not seeing each other on our wedding day. We're a family.
I wear a simple white sundress. I feel pretty and happy and I'm more sure I want to spend my life with Edward than I've ever been of anything.
"You look pretty, Mom," Seth says. This is new for him, calling me Mom, and he tries it out whenever he has a chance. Maeve has been calling Edward Daddy for so long it feels like it's always been that way. But we still spend time talking about Jasper and she still keeps her shells next to his picture on her bedside table.
"Thanks," I say, turning from the mirror I'm using to put on my makeup and ruffling his hair. "You look mighty handsome."
He smiles at me and Maeve rolls her eyes and tugs his arm. "Come on," she says. "I saw some frogs outside."
"Don't get your clothes dirty!" I call after them.
Edward comes up behind me as places his hands on my shoulders and looks at me in the mirror. He's dressed in light linen pants and an open-collared white shirt and he looks so handsome my heart feels like it might beat out of my chest.
"You're beautiful," he says, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on my bare shoulder.
I reach my arm back and rest my hand on the back of his head. "I love you. I still have a hard time believing we're here."
"Why?" he asks, lifting his head.
I shrug. "Think about where I was two years ago. You shoveled my walk and I shouted at you and hid in my house for a month."
He laughs softly and meets my gaze in the mirror. "That was the beginning of my diabolical plan to make you fall in love with me."
I turn and wind my arms around his neck. "No, that was you being you. It's because of you that I'm better."
"No," he says, shaking his head and holding me around the waist. "That was all you. You did the hard work. I sat by and watched. And reaped the rewards." He's smiling that easy smile I love so much and that still, even after all this time, makes my knees weak.
"I couldn't have done it without you," I insist.
"Of course you could have," he says in that insufferable way of his. Still building up my self-confidence every day we're together.
We're married among the waterfall and lush gardens of Pukalani Falls. We keep our vows simple. We don't need splashy and over the top. We love each other and this is almost a formality. Though a formality we both wanted. Badly.
Edward loves me thoroughly and without reservation. He's a devoted husband and father and I can only hope I give him the same in return. He says I do and most of the time I believe him. But he's so good and patient and I wonder if I'll ever live up to the standard he sets. He is one in a million and I still wake up next to him some days wondering at the turn my life took when he moved in next door.
I thought I was happy with Jasper, but that wasn't happy. That was just getting by. This is happy. It's perfect and wonderful and right.
Edward is my first and only true love and the second chance I never dreamed I'd have. And it's a chance I won't squander.
Pukalani Falls is an absolutely beautiful location in Hawaii and perfect for a small wedding ceremony like Edward and Bella had here.
Thank you to everyone who read this experiment of mine. I enjoyed the process of using the prompts and posting short, frequent chapters. I may just do it again. And there's a possibility I'll revisit these characters. I'm kind of attached. But no promises.
Thanks to arfalcon, Just4ALE, and Songster, who all at various points helped me with this story and gave me the encouragement to continue. They're beautiful, generous women and I'm lucky to know them.
Thank you to Emmy, Jen, and Jess over at the PPSS for including this story in their Lemon Report. Love you, ladies.
Special thanks to everyone who took the time to leave a review. You gave me the will to push on, especially on the days when the words didn't want to come.
Thanks for sticking with me through to the end. I hope to see you all again.
