Hi! Thank you so much for your lovely comments on the previous chapter. I know the updates are slow, but the deadline to finish my TESOL course is rushing up, so I don't have much time to write.

I did get an A Plus in the last assignment, so that's something. :)

Hearty thanks to Fran, my ever-diligent beta.

All mistakes are mine.

Let's see how Christmas went for our favorite characters, shall we?

Chapter-16

Jasper was to leave the day after Christmas, so we had decided to inform everyone about the truck driver and our suspicions at breakfast. The avoidance weighed on my mind, but I didn't want to spoil the day for others.

Unlike some families, we didn't believe in rushing downstairs to open our Christmas presents at the crack of dawn. No, the Cullen household loved to sleep in on holidays.

Surprisingly, even Carlisle managed to get an off day. More often than not, some or other case would require him to make an appearance at the hospital, if only for a few hours. Sometimes, he would get an emergency call from Seattle or Portland, and would rush off in the midst of Christmas dinner. Being a renowned cardiologist had its drawbacks.

Around eight o'clock in the morning, we shuffled into the kitchen in our nightwear. It always amused me to see how our respective personalities reflected in our choice of sleepwear. Carlisle would saunter in wearing Ralph Lauren matching pajamas and a fleece-lined robe, Esme in something soft-hued and elegant, Alice in her cute shirt and shorts, and Tony and I in plaid, mismatching pajamas. Carlisle would ask Alice to wear something warm, and she would tease him that he was getting old.

This year, of course, Tony wasn't there, but we had two new additions. Bella, and Jasper.

I was fairly confident that Jasper would be in something conservative, but I had no idea what Bella might be wearing.

Shorts? Babydoll? Pajamas? Silk, cotton, satin? My imagination was running riot!

I was right about Jasper. He ambled in, eyes barely open, in a pair of light gray pajama pants and a blue cotton shirt. The coffee machine had been set on timer the night before, so in a few minutes all of us had mugs of hot, steaming coffee in our hands. There was also a plate of assorted cookies and another of bagels, to tide us over until the dinner was ready.

Bella was the last to enter the kitchen, and when I saw her, I burst out laughing. After a startled moment, so did she, and then the others joined us.

We matched!

Not only was she wearing mismatched flannel pajamas like me, it was also the same mismatch. Both of us wore red plaid pajamas with a plain gray shirt. We couldn't have done it better if we had planned the whole thing.

I should have known she wouldn't be in silk or satin. That wasn't her style at all. I confess, I was a little disappointed not to see her in something shorter, but on the other hand, what she was wearing suited her to a T.

Alice was laughing too much to speak coherently, but she managed a few words, asking us if we had purchased them from the same store.

"Mine are a nod to Christmas," I said, and then raised my eyebrows to Bella. "Yours?"

"Uh, the same, I guess," she answered shyly. "Also, I have always liked red. Yellow and orange too. They are such bright, happy colors, you know?"

Unlike the dull, colorless places she had grown up in, I deduced. Her words didn't say it, but her eyes, the flash of sadness through them…that said everything.

"They certainly are," agreed Esme, probably reading the same thing in her expression. "I love bright colors, especially during the winter when days are short, and the sun rarely shines. That's why I have those colorful cushions in the living room; they bring some brightness inside the house."

Alice clapped her hands suddenly. "Let's open our presents now, shall we? Maybe Mom and Dad have finally caved in and bought me that Porsche I've been begging for the last few months!"

Carlisle laughed indulgently. "Keep on dreaming, sweetheart. You do realize that model costs more than a modest-sized house, don't you?"

Alice shrugged and skipped to the living room, calling over her shoulder. "One can always dream, Dad!"

Laughing at her antics, we followed her to the Christmas tree we had set up and decorated days ago.

There's something about a Christmas tree that has always fascinated me. Even as a child, the process of setting up a tree and putting ornaments on it, followed by the star on the top, was the one thing that made me feel most like Christmas. I loved getting presents too, but sitting in the living room, staring at the festive-looking tree surrounded by twinkling lights…it took me to another world.

The feeling faded a bit as I grew up, but didn't die completely. And thank goodness for that, because as we sat down near the tree and I glanced at Bella, I saw the same feeling of awe on her face, and I got it.

"I think," said Carlisle, "Bella should be the first one to open her gifts. One reason is she is our special guest at the moment, but the other is that her gifts are interlinked. Esme?"

Esme nodded happily. "I agree. Bella, sweetheart, there are two gifts for you from the three of us." She picked up two packages from under the tree and handed them to Bella, who looked rather overwhelmed. "Now, I know you don't want us spending money on you, so I am telling you right now, we didn't spend a dime on these."

Bella looked rather confused, so Esme went on. "Go on, open them. I hope you will like them."

With hands that shook a little, Bella tore open the wrappings one by one. The first box contained a silver iPhone, and the second a silver notebook. She stared at them for a few seconds as if she could not believe her eyes, then looked at Esme, swallowed and spoke.

"Thank you so much, but Esme, these are expensive. I can't accept them…I'm sorry."

"They are not new, Bella," explained Esme kindly. "Didn't I say just now we didn't spend any money on these?"

"But…even if you bought them used…"

Alice put an arm around Bella and squeezed her shoulder. "They used to be mine, but I got new ones when I went into college, so they were just lying around, doing nothing. They work perfectly well, though." She looked worried. "Um, I hope you don't mind their not being new."

"No, of course not," Bella said earnestly. "I've never had any of these devices before, so thank you. Alice, will you show me how to use them?"

"Of course I will," Alice assured her. "Now, I believe Edward has something to add to your gifts."

I felt my ears heat up as Bella turned her startled gaze to me. With a self-conscious smile, I offered to her an envelope with her name on it. She looked at it curiously before opening it, her tongue peeping out and licking her lower lip in a nervous gesture.

Don't think about her tongue right now, you doofus. Your family is standing right there!

"An iTunes card?" she asked softly as she stared at the purple and orange card in her hand, a smile stretching slowly across her face. When she looked up, her eyes were shining with happiness.

"Well, I know that you sing very well," I said, feeling everyone's eyes upon me. "I guessed you must love music, so…" I shook my head. "I know, it's not very imaginative."

"Are you kidding? I love it!" she exclaimed, and then surprised the hell out of me by coming forward and hugging me with her good arm.

Even though I knew Jasper must be wondering what was going on, I could not help my response. My arms wound around her instinctively, even as my eyelids drifted shut and my forehead rested on her head. The softness of her hair…the gentle fragrance enveloped my senses, relaxing me.

Was it for a few seconds, or a few minutes? I didn't know, but it was over too soon. I felt Bella's arm loosening from around my waist, and though every cell of my body protested against letting her go, I did, very reluctantly.

I could sense the exact moment when she realized what she had done. Her head snapped up, her eyes widened, and she took a couple of hasty steps back, almost stumbling into Alice.

A rosy hue spread on her cheeks as she began a stammering apology, but before I could think of something appropriate to say, Alice poked her playfully.

"Hey, Bella, where is my hug? Isn't my gift worth anything?"

Esme and Carlisle laughed, and I took a much-needed breath as the tension in the room broke. Bella turned around and threw her arms around Alice, almost hitting her with her cast. Both of them giggled. Even Jasper, who had remained stone-faced until then, broke into a smile.

More presents were exchanged, with my aunt and uncle being creative (or at least my aunt was; I'm sure Carlisle just went along with her), Alice being cute, and I going along with various gift cards as usual.

As a final touch, Esme broke out our collection of Christmas sweaters—the ones we wore only on or around Christmas. For the rest of the year, they remained stored in some mysterious box, with only Esme knowing the location. They were not particularly ugly, but they were definitely not something one would wear to work, being a little too festive with their bright reds and greens.

"I hope you will wear one as well, Jasper," said Esme, gesturing to him to pick one from the box. "I know it's silly, but it's kind of a fun tradition for us, and I keep on buying new ones, so there are more than enough. Just pick one."

Jasper was a good sport, laughing and choosing one in red, with a little green tree on it. Mine was a green one with a few golden stars here and there, and Alice went all out with one that had Mrs. Claus on the flying sleigh. But the one that really surprised me was Bella's.

It was green and red and had tiny reindeers and Christmas trees on it. And stars. It practically screamed Christmas.

I opened my mouth to ask Esme why she had bought that ridiculous thing for Bella, when Bella astonished me by hugging Esme and thanking her.

"I love this!" she declared, looking as excited as a little kid.

And I understood why my aunt had chosen it for Bella. Esme was nothing if not perceptive.

In a manner, she was trying to make up for all the Christmases Bella had not celebrated; not in such a festive way, at least. And she was also making her feel welcome to the family. No doubt she had picked up on the vibes between Bella and me, even before the spontaneous hug Bella gave me.

Once we looked like we belonged on a Christmas postcard, Esme took a few photographs and then let us go. We were to reconvene after a shower break, in day clothes but wearing the same sweater, and help her prepare the feast.

I knew Esme could do it without our interference, for that was what it was, for the most part. We could chop and slice under her supervision, but none of us was an expert at cooking. I think Alice had the intuition, but not the patience. Of course, Bella hadn't had much opportunity until now, so I couldn't say how she would turn out.

It was more about bonding, anyway. So, we followed her instructions while she timed everything and transformed raw ingredients into delicious, mouth-watering dishes. The turkey was perfectly done, the mashed potatoes melted in our mouths, the cranberry sauce had just the right balance between tart and sweet, the vegetables were crisp, and the glazed ham deserved a second helping. There was apple pie for dessert, and a slice each of the dark plum cake that was Esme's specialty. The white wine Jasper had brought went well with the meal.

After stuffing ourselves, we sprawled out in front of the TV and watched a couple of Christmas movies. I doubt any of us was good for anything else.

Finally, Alice and I got up to clean up and take care of the leftovers. Once that was done, all of us decided to take a walk in the neighborhood, get some fresh air and burn a few calories as well. Carlisle and Esme frequently stopped to chat with their friends, so the rest of us continued our leisurely stroll. I offered Bella my arm as the road was a bit slippery in places. She accepted with a warm smile.

"I hope I didn't embarrass you in the morning," she said softly when Alice and Jasper were a little bit ahead of us due to their faster pace.

I was surprised but pleased she wasn't ignoring it. "Not at all," I answered, smiling back. "Um, it was unexpected, but I am happy you liked your gift and, uh, expressed your liking. I wasn't sure if you would, you know?"

"Of course I did," said Bella, giving me a look from her clear, brown eyes that showed her sincerity. "That was so thoughtful of you; and I do love music. As for the phone and notebook…I don't have words. This has been the best Christmas ever. Except…Anthony. I wish he was with us."

She sounded sad, which was understandable. But it also brought to my mind other issues.

"Uh, Bella, I understand you miss Tony, we all do." It was a difficult subject, and I hoped I wasn't hurting her. "But there is something I must tell you. Would you like to sit down for a few minutes?"

She nodded. "Yes, I am a bit tired. Not used to so much walking since the accident, I guess."

"We can go back after you rest a bit," I promised, reproaching myself for not thinking of it before.

We found a bench in the nearby park and sat down. There were a few children playing around. Bella looked at two little girls swinging and laughing. It was a wistful look.

I took her hand in mine, and she turned to me.

"It's too soon, I know that," I began, swallowing my fears. "I don't expect anything from you, but…I feel something for you, Bella, something more than just physical attraction. I want to know if…if you feel anything for me, anything at all. Or…am I reading you all wrong?"

She looked at me with wide eyes, then opened her mouth to speak but closed it without saying anything as different expressions warred in her eyes. Surprise, confusion, guilt, sadness…everything but happiness, or even hope.

My heart sank into my boots. I was wrong, and so was Alice.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," I said heavily, letting go of her hand. "I thought you…it's okay. Just forget I said anything, all right? I will leave with Jasper tomorrow…otherwise it will be uncomfortable for you."

Tears shimmered in Bella's eyes.

"This is your home, Edward," she said. "There's no need to leave early because of a…misunderstanding. Please, just think how disappointed Esme will be…"

But how could I stay?

A.N. Uh-oh, could Alice be wrong? Has Edward been wrong about Bella?

What do you think of Esme's Christmas tradition of wearing those special sweaters? Do you have any cute tradition for the day?

Check out Fran's Winterward Card Contest 2019 on Facebook. I'm a bit late to ask you for entries, but you can enjoy the ones that are posted there.

Merry Christmas!