I don't own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.
Cheryl and Gabby, thank you for pre-reading, and April, thank you for editing. Any mistakes left are my own.
Ch. 21 (EPOV)
Not a day went by that my worry for Bella didn't grow. She always looked pale and tired, and the circles under her eyes could rival an unfed vampire. It didn't help she only slept a couple hours at a time, and when she did, it was fitful, so I tried to give her space.
Today, I had hoped to make up for failing miserably the first time I asked Bella to marry me. I thought it would make a better memory proposing on Christmas with all our family present. My plan came to a huge stop when I saw into Renée's mind.
Renée was less than happy Bella had moved in with me. Bella was right when she claimed her mother thought she was too young to be married. So, for now, Bella's ring stayed in its box, in my pocket, until I could find a more appropriate time to ask.
Dinner was close to over, and Renée wanted to retire back at the hotel. Both she and Phil weren't completely comfortable here. Renée was hoping she could convince Bella to go with her for the night. In fact, the only guests who didn't seem to be weirded out here were Charlie and Seth. The only thing Charlie was suspicious of was that his plate mysteriously kept refilling itself. Leah wouldn't even try the food, and she didn't trust us as much as her brother did.
"Could I put on a pot of coffee for anyone?" Esme offered.
"No, thank you. I think both Phil and I are feeling the time difference catching up to us. I think we would like to go check into our hotel. Bella, how about you spend the night with us?"
Bella looked up from dragging her fork around in her mashed potatoes. "Sorry, Mom, I think I should stay here. I'm technically on bedrest and not supposed to be on my feet a lot."
Renée frowned. "I guess this means shopping the day after Christmas is out too."
Bella bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. "For me. But Alice loves to shop."
"So much people think it's my middle name." Alice played along. "I know where all the best sales will be."
"Come now, Renée, you know even if she wasn't pregnant, Bella would never want to go shopping." Charlie gruffed. He was pleased with himself that Bella liked the kindle from him better than Renée's cruise.
"Maybe it will be for the best if Phil and I head home. I know Phil wants to start conditioning for the up coming season," Renée stated.
Phil couldn't hide the surprised look on his face. Bella's head dipped a little and I could see she was struggling not to start tearing up. I reached for her hand under the table and gave it a squeeze. A loud belch from Seth directed the attention away from Renée and her.
"Excuse me," Seth apologized.
"Nice." Emmett snickered.
"Emmett," Esme chastised.
"What? It wasn't me." Emmett smirked.
"I apologize again." Seth smiled sheepishly.
"Seth Daniel, slow down and actually taste your food." Sue shook her head.
"Yes, ma'am," Seth said.
"Alice and Rose, can you help me clear the table?" Esme asked, getting to her feet.
"We will help too." Sue gave Leah a pointed look before picking up her plate.
Bella shifted to get out of her seat, and I jumped up to help her, earning a frown from Renée.
"No one expects you to help, love," I said to her quietly.
"I need to use the rest room." She avoided direct contact with anyone.
I could tell she was really overwhelmed at the moment. I glanced at Jasper, who gave me a slight nod. The tension eased on her face and her grip loosened on my arm.
"Would you like me to go with you?" I said low enough so none of the other humans could hear.
Bella subtly shook her head and slowly made her way out of the room. Renée whispered to Phil to keep me distracted then followed Bella. Charlie watched the scene and shook his head in disapproval and sat back in his seat.
"So Edward…what are you studying in school?" Phil asked.
"I'm majoring in Pharmaceuticals," I told him.
"Not a doctor like your…" He shifted uncomfortably, not sure if he should refer to Carlisle as my father or not.
"I prefer they study what they want. I've never agreed with pushing kids to follow in a parent's footsteps. Frankly, Emmett here would faint at the first sight of blood," Carlisle said with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"Excuse me," I said, leaving the table when I could hear Bella arguing with Renée.
I made my way down the hallway and quickly stepped into Carlisle's office to avoid Renée headed in my direction. She stormed past, disappointed she couldn't get through to Bella. She thought I was too controlling and unhealthy for Bella. She was trying to save Bella from making a mistake she would later regret.
I stepped out of the shadows of the doorway and went into the living room. Bella was standing by the tree with her arms wrapped around her. She was staring at the ornament of the lion and lamb I had hung for her earlier. I put my arms around her and tucked her head under my chin.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"I'll be glad when this is all over and I don't cry over every stupid thing." She wiped her eyes.
"I think you're understandably upset. But you don't have to defend me to your mother," I told her.
"Yes. I do. She was wrong. She thinks you're controlling, and you're not. I wish I could explain why you're being so protective," Bella lamented.
"If you want to go…"
"Edward, if the next words out of your mouth is to go with her, I will smack you with something, and probably wind up only hurting myself." She turned her head to look at me through narrowed eyes.
"I was going to suggest to lie down upstairs until she is gone," I lied to her.
Her eyes narrowed more. "I don't believe you."
"I just want to make sure you know you're free to change your mind. Once changed, you won't be able to spend time with her," I reminded her. "And Florida would be safer than Washington at the moment."
Her eyes softened and she raised up on her toes to kiss me. I moved my arms to brace her weight and returned the kiss. I ended it as soon as I heard Charlie in the hallway. She pouted slightly.
"I love you," I told her.
"I love you too, liar. I'm not going anywhere you can't go," Bella promised, then her smile grew. "We are alone."
"We are. But only for the moment. Your father is headed this way. I've never known you to be so interested in getting a gift from me before." I grinned as she blushed.
"That's not what…"
"Am I interrupting?" Charlie cleared his throat, but his gaze was fixed over our heads.
"No. Are you leaving already?" Bella stepped out of my arms and went to sit on the couch.
"In a few, I'm going to work the overnight and most of the next day so the officers with little ones can enjoy the morning with them. I've been sent here to talk some sense into my daughter." He rolled his eyes as he took the seat closest to her.
"Dad, Mom is the one who is being unreasonable," Bella huffed.
"I know. She may be going overboard, but she only wants the best for you." Charlie sighed. "I do agree, leaving the area may not be a bad idea since we can't find Jacob. I'd feel better if he didn't know where to find you."
"I agree. However, he knows Renée lives in Florida. So I don't think it would be safe either. Perhaps somewhere across country, like New England or maybe even Alaska. We have extended family up there," I suggested.
Charlie frowned, thinking how far away she'd be. "Whatever it takes to keep Bells safe. And make sure you give me a call when you go into labor. I may not be the grandfather, but you're still my daughter." He got to his feet.
"Are you sure? It could be at some unreasonable hour like three in the morning." Bella struggled to stand, and I helped her.
"Even then. Aren't you supposed to stay off your feet?" He frowned.
"Yes, but I wanted to hug you good-bye." Bella embraced him, then returned to the couch.
Charlie offered me his hand. "Take care of her."
"Always, Chief," I promised him.
He nodded in approval. "I should've gotten you a good pair of gloves for Christmas," he joked.
"I'll see you out, Chief. Do you need anything, sweetheart?" I asked Bella.
"I'm fine." She shook her head.
SS
A few hours later, I waited for the signal from Alice, so I could put plan three into motion. I still wanted to propose, and I'd decided not to let Renée put a damper on it. While we waited, we were watching A Christmas Story, andI rubbed Bella's feet. She was looking at the screen, but her eyes seemed glazed over.
"All set. Good luck, the rest of us are going hunting but won't be too far away," Alice called to me before running into the woods with Jasper.
I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Bella blinked and turned her head.
"My surprise is ready for you," I told her.
"It is? But you haven't even left the room." She glanced around in wonder.
"I had a little help and it's outside." I went and retrieved her coat.
I walked with her slowly down the path, lit by candles to the small pond. It hadn't been cold enough for it to freeze yet, so Alice set candles on small floats, and they drifted around the water. A fire was lit by the closest shore and a bench nearby.
"Edward, it's so beautiful," Bella commented.
"Have you looked up yet?" I asked.
She tilted her head and her smile grew. "The stars are out."
I helped her get settled on a bench then pulled out the supplies. I examined the long stick and stuck a marshmallow on the pointy end. I held it out over the fire and watched it closely because I had no idea how fast it would cook. Bella watched me closely.
"What, you don't trust me not to burn it?" I teased.
"It's not that. I had to admit I didn't expect S'mores as my gift, but it's yummy." Bella shrugged as she pulled a marshmallow from the bag and popped it into her mouth.
"The food isn't your gift. You were mumbling about them in your sleep the other night. So I thought I was appeasing a craving." I frowned when the marshmallow caught on fire. I took it off and tossed it into the water.
Bella giggled. "Want me to do it?"
"I got it." I replaced it with a new one.
I toasted the marshmallow to a golden brown and placed it in between the crackers with chocolate like the video on the internet showed. Bella took a bite and moaned in delight. She switched hands and licked white ooze off of her fingers one by one.
"Make me a new one?" she asked.
I blinked, breaking away from my stare at her hands and into her eyes. She was watching me curiously with an amused smile.
"Please," she added.
"Of course." I started a new marshmallow as she finished her first treat.
The wind picked up and few of the candles flickered, almost going out. This time around I browned the marshmallow without trouble.
"Maybe I should have given this more thought. It's getting cold out here," I stated.
"On the contrary, the cold wind feels nice," Bella insisted. "It's also nice to be out of the house for bit. I was starting to get stir crazy."
"It won't be much longer." I glanced at her belly.
Her stomach had recently dropped, and the boys didn't move as much anymore since they had little room. Carlisle said he wouldn't be surprised if the babies beat the new year.
"I was thinking. If we are to go anywhere, why stop at one place. Maybe we can travel for a bit to see the country or maybe even the world. You don't always go to school, do you?" she asked.
"No. It's been a while since I've traveled anywhere. Rose and Emmett often go abroad for their honeymoons," I told her.
"How many have they been on?" she questioned.
"At least a dozen, if not more," I said. "I think traveling would be an excellent idea for our honeymoon, or we can go to Esme's island."
"Except most people go on honeymoons only after they are married first," Bella said, tilting her head knowingly.
"I don't think that will be a problem. At least not for us." I grinned at her.
I slipped off the bench onto one knee, taking her left hand in mine while my other reached into my pocket for the small delicate circlet. Her breath caught and her eyes widened.
"Isabella Marie Swan, when you came into my dark and lonely world, you lit up my life like the brightest shooting star. I love you more than anything else in existence. Will you marry me and be mine for now and the rest of eternity?" I asked.
"Yes," she said, her voice full of emotion.
I slid the ring on her finger. It was a bit snug, but it should fit soon after her pregnancy ended. I knew this ring would be perfect for her— I just hoped she liked it. I kissed the back of her hand lightly then held it up for her to see. The diamonds and sapphire sparkled in the firelight.
"If you prefer something more modern, I would be more than happy to get it for you," I told her.
"I love it." She turned her hand side to side to watch it twinkle. "Was this also your mother's, it looks pretty old?" she asked.
"Actually, it was my grandmother's," I explained.
"It's beautiful. Thank you." Bella tilted her head up for a kiss.
"Thank you for saying yes." I kissed her.
Her hand wrapped around my neck. Her fingers weaved through my hair as she tried to get as close as possible to me. I ended the kiss as I felt her shiver. I lifted her in my arms swiftly as I prepared to carry her to the house.
"Wait." She looked back the fire.
"Alice promised she'd clean up. I owe her something nice after all she has done for us today," I said.
"That is nice of her. However, I wasn't talking about cleaning. I was going to ask to bring the marshmallows." She bit her lip.
"As you wish." I bent to retrieve the bag and was careful not to shift Bella too much.
I handed over the bag and she immediately popped one into her mouth. The candy smelled terrible, but it clearly was making her happy. I had been so lost in our own bubble that catching thoughts of us being watched from the porch brought me to a sudden stop.
"Well don't the two of you look all sweet and cozy."
A/N: Did Edward make up for his first proposal? Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
