Epilogue
How Deep is Your Love – Bee Gees
Three Years Later
BPOV
Edward and I stepped out of the Waldorf-Astoria into the waiting limo. I pulled my shawl tight around my shoulders and adjusted the heating vents. New York in the fall was always chilly, but I still loved the earthy smell and crisp air that seemed to permeate everything.
Edward reached for my hand. It was hard to believe we had been married for nearly three years. We were looking forward to our anniversary in a few weeks, and when Esme suggested to Edward it would be fun to coincide an anniversary trip with a pivotal art gallery exhibit, he jumped at the chance to surprise me.
Esme had fallen in love with a young up-and-coming impressionist artist who was holding his first major exhibit. We had orders to purchase a few of his modernistic pieces for Esme's current project.
After picking me up from work on Friday afternoon, we drove straight to the airport, Edward refusing to spill any information until we were landing at JFK, and the iconic city skyline finally gave away our destination.
I had accepted the Cullen's opulent lifestyle, refusing to complain or even make mention of the overindulgence, but the ten dozen delicate roses, ice bucket with a brand of champagne I couldn't pronounce, and tall tier of black boxes with Richart embossed in teal waiting in our hotel room seemed over-the-top. Especially since I would be the only one indulging. Edward just smiled and went into the bathroom. I could hear the water running and smell the heady perfume of bubble bath.
Before I could blink, he was in front of me, slowly pulling off my coat and slipping the buttons through the front of my blouse. His hands smoothly slid over my shoulders, taking the blouse with it. He kissed my neck and whispered, "Happy early anniversary, Mrs. Cullen." We didn't say much for the rest of the night.
I was smiling as I dressed for the event the next evening. I was remembering how mortified I was when Edward had told me about his discussions with Carlisle and his brothers about how not to hurt me during lovemaking. Sure, there were a few bruises the morning after our wedding night, but I remained relatively unharmed, and Edward's relief was palpable. He was a quick study, and after discovering his limits, dedicated himself to learning every inch of my body. His level of creativity continued to surprise me.
I slipped on my shoes as Edward came up behind to help me with my wrap. I snagged a Richart bonbon on the way out the door. No sense in letting that go to waste.
As the limo made its way along the busy city streets, I noticed how the streetlights reflected off my engagement ring. I remembered the day we moved from Rochester, only a few days after school had ended for the summer break. I knew Edward would propose at some point, but living together, and laying together in the same bed every night was becoming difficult. We wanted one another, plain and simple, so I shouldn't have been surprised when Edward's proposal came only a few weeks after we had settled in.
Edward decided he wanted to take me out for a night on the town, and insisted I dress up. I kissed Jase goodnight, and thanked Esme and Carlisle for offering to babysit. Jase already had a large stack of picture books for them to read together, and I chuckled as I thought that they really didn't know what they were in for.
After a lovely dinner, we made our way to the historic district to a very old, grand Victorian-era theater. I could hear the orchestra warming up as an usher led us up a back stair to a high balcony. He presented the two plush armchairs with a flourish. After I was seated, he handed me an embossed and tasseled program, bid us a pleasant evening, and closed the heavy brocade curtain behind us. The entire enclosure was private and intimate, yet we had a perfect view of the entire theater.
An hour later, I was relaxed, holding onto Edward's arm, and completely lost in the beautiful music. Slowly, the melody began to morph into something familiar. My eyes snapped open as I recognized my lullaby, swirling in swelling, rich tones. Unable to believe what I was hearing, I slowly sat up straight, and transfixed, moved to the seat of my chair. As the piece seamlessly moved into Edward's new composition, I looked over to him, gaping, as tears began to slide down my cheeks. Edward moved from his chair to his knees. He took my hands and tenderly wiped the tears from my eyes.
"Bella, we've been through so much heartache these last seven years. I still have much to learn, but I do know that I don't ever want to be without you. Will you marry me, and do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?"
I was beyond words, but vigorously nodded my head as Edward slipped a ring onto my finger. I looked at him and gasped at the joy shining out of his face. Grinning, he sat back into his chair and pulled me in his lap in one smooth movement. I didn't hear another note for the next hour as we passionately celebrated our new engagement.
I didn't get a good look at the ring until later that night as we held each other on our bed. It was unusual: beautiful diamonds encrusted the surface of a large platinum oval. It looked like an antique.
"Was this ring your mother's, too?" I asked.
"It was."
I sighed. "She had good taste." He chuckled and unhooked my bra strap. Edward had agreed we needed to "practice," acclimating and working up to our wedding night. I was definitely not complaining.
Our wedding that fall was simple and elegant; our guest list minimal. The Cullens, Charlie, Sue, Jake, Julie and the Denali cousins gathered in Esme's back yard garden for the ceremony. Emmett officiated, and even behaved himself up until the end. I guess mine and Edward's kiss went a bit beyond a socially acceptable time frame, and Emmett said that his cat call was practically a must. Edward and I were so blissfully happy, we didn't care.
Jase was beyond excited to have Edward as his official dad. Wearing his sharp little tux, he beamed just as wide as Edward and me in all the photos. He even made sure our family picture held prominence on his bookshelf along with his superhero action figures.
We motored through an industrial park and pulled up to a warehouse. The driver opened my door, and I took Edward's arm. Other than the portico and uniformed doorman, the building looked like it could be from just about anywhere. We stepped inside and the hostess welcomed us with a brochure, champagne flutes and a bright smile. A maze of white, free-standing partitions displayed dozens of gritty, urban scenes, each a blurred mass of color and broad, almost violent strokes.
We meandered for a bit, and I found myself becoming so entranced that I barely heard Edward speaking to me.
"What was that?"
He gave me an amused smile. "I said I am going to wander a bit over on the other side of the floor. There is much interest here, and I need to find the dealer before the paintings Esme wants are sold."
I nodded my head and continued studying the small bits of gravel painted onto the canvas in front of me.
"Isn't that one just fascinating?" I turned my head to see a beautiful, very pregnant woman smiling at me. "I just love that the artist added actual pieces of the environment into his work. It just makes it that much more authentic."
I nodded my head. "It does." A server stopped by with a large tray of cheese and fruit. The woman enthusiastically loaded her hors d'oeuvre plate. She popped a cube of cheese into her mouth and held out her hand. I couldn't help but notice the huge diamond on her gorgeous wedding ring.
"I'm Rebecca, the curator for this exhibit." We shook hands, and she looked down at her full plate. "Just between you and me, I'm glad the budget included a spread. I'm starving." I smiled as she patted her protruding abdomen.
"I can imagine. So, you know the artist well?"
"Of course. In fact, he is around the next partition if you want to meet him."
The artist, a young, tattooed man in a suit jacket and jeans, was in deep conversation with a patron. I followed a bit behind Rebecca when Edward suddenly appeared by my side.
"We have to leave Bella. Now."
"What? Why?"
"I will explain everything outside. Please."
Rebecca was still walking toward the artist as Edward and I turned around a partition. As Edward handed the ticket to the coat checker, I peered back around, curious to know why we were in a rush.
A familiar figure rounded the back of the partition where the artist was still conversing, and I watched, stunned, as David Sutton spotted Rebecca, smiled, and put his arm around her waist. I noticed his wedding band gleaming under the bright lights.
We hurried out the front door and into the waiting limo. Edward looked harried.
"I saw him, Edward. It was David."
"Yes. I'm sorry I rushed you out, but we couldn't risk him seeing us together. It would have raised some uncomfortable questions."
I could only surmise that David and Rebecca were married and he was the father of her baby. I couldn't help but think that if I had chosen him, I could very well be in Rebecca's place right now.
I looked up at the contemplative look on Edward's face. He reached out for my hand.
"That must have been a shock for you."
I nodded my head and watched the city lights stream past as we made our way back to the hotel. Only after we arrived did I remember why we had attended the showing to begin with.
"Were you able to purchase the paintings?"
"No. I was just sitting down with the dealer when Alice sent a warning text. I had to fake a migraine and arrange to complete the sale from our hotel room."
After Edward transacted over the phone and arranged for shipping, he led me over to the bed and set me back on a mountain of pillows. He started to rub my feet.
"Bella, I think we need to talk about what happened tonight. You're being very quiet, so I know you are having some deep thoughts."
He knew me so well. "I couldn't help but think that if David and I had stayed together, I would be the one hugely pregnant."
I could tell Edward was trying to keep his face impassive. "Probably. How do you feel about that?"
How did I feel? Seeing David together with Rebecca was a bit of a shock, but so what? I knew he desperately wanted to be a father, and he and his wife seemed to be a good fit for each other. I looked up into Edward's guarded eyes.
"I feel like my present and past have come around full circle." Edward quirked his eyebrow. I couldn't help but smile. "I felt bad when I broke things off with him, but I think now, with a bit of time and perspective, I can honestly, truly be happy for him."
"So, no regrets?" The fact that Edward could be the least bit unsure clenched my heart. I leaned over to softly kiss him.
"Absolutely none. I know without a doubt I made the right choice, and I couldn't be more ridiculously happy than I am right now, here with you." At that moment, the certainty of my declaration settled over me with a sense of complete rightness. Everything in my heart and soul felt aligned and whole.
"And that isn't just because I am rubbing your feet, is it?" The spark replaced the doubt in Edward's eyes, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"That might have something to do with it." Edward set my foot on the bed and slowly crawled over me. He gently moved my legs apart and settled his weight on me.
"That's good to know, but I do intend on making you extremely happy tonight, Mrs. Cullen."
And he did.
12 years Later
EPOV
"And the fact that I have to take algebra to earn an art degree just doesn't make sense."
"I understand but take it anyway. You're smart, and who knows? You may need to carry on a conversation with a mathematician at an award banquet one day."
I chuckled a bit. I was trying to give Bella some privacy, but I could easily hear their conversation from the den.
"Yeah, college can't teach me how to find clients and schlep enough art to feed myself, but thank goodness I can find X and Y." I could almost hear the eye roll.
"You're getting ahead of yourself, big guy. Graduate first, and we'll worry about the rest after."
Bella was being optimistic. Jason would be graduating the next year, and she would most likely still be acclimating to her new life. She was, however, working hard to meet that deadline. She was determined to attend his graduation.
It became quiet for a beat, then Jason said, "Damn, Bella. I just can't get over your freaky red eyes. Although, they are lightening up a bit."
Bella sighed. "I know. Believe me, the eyes, as "freaky" as they are, are the least of what I'm trying to get used to right now."
This was true. Bella had only been a vampire for five months, but modulating her strength was still challenging. Thanks to Alice, clothes were arriving frequently to replenish her ever-depleting wardrobe, and I or one of the Denali sisters had to help her with any electronic devices. We learned that one the hard way.
Bella had wanted to wait for her change. Besides wanting to spend as much time with Jason as possible, she also wanted him to be old enough to take care of himself for a while. We didn't know how long it would take for Bella to acclimate, or if she would be able to stay to the vegetarian diet. Bella attacked the local caribou herds like the predator she was and was becoming quite adept. She came home with less and less blood on her every day. The first few months were rough, but we were starting to take trips closer to town, and she was doing better than expected.
We decided it would be best to make the change in Denali, far from the populace, but close to the wildlife. Tanya and Kate had been welcoming, and with their help, Bella was doing well. With Jase's graduation on the horizon, she was also highly motivated.
Jase was enjoying his studies at Yale. Their art program was the best in the country, and he had big plans for his future. Disney had already tried to sway him to their animation department, but after much contemplation, he turned them down. His heart had always been in the print medium. He and a few of his fellow art majors had an underground superhero comic that was a huge hit on campus. In fact, their anti-bullying issue had caught the notice of GLAAD and was getting some serious attention. I was proud that my son wanted to make a difference with his art. His affinity for superheroes was still very much alive.
I smiled as I remembered how easily he had accepted our vampiric nature, believing us to be a family of superheroes. He carried that belief long after he gave up the idea of Santa and the Easter bunny. With our superhuman abilities, what else could he believe?
The day did come, however, when he realized that we had to be something else entirely. He was fourteen, and when the inevitable questions came, Emmett, Jasper and I took him out for a camping trip, and we explained the facts. He took the truth surprisingly well, and when I told him that Bella had planned to join me in this life at some point, he took it as a natural given. Of course, we stressed the importance of keeping these facts secret, which he continued to do. We had never had a problem there.
"Speaking of freaky," Jason continued, "Emmett's robotic team won the death match championship yesterday."
I wasn't surprised. Emmett spoke of little else. He and his team were determined to crush the competition. If he couldn't compete physically, this was the next best thing.
Emmett decided to study mechanical engineering this time around, and Rose was ready for a completely new course of study: culinary arts. She threw herself into this new medium, and she had a built-in excuse to have Jason and his friends over often.
When Emmett and Rose decided to attend Yale with Jason, he made a show of complaining about being "supervised," but I knew the truth. He was glad that he had the security of his aunt and uncle nearby. They both lived in separate apartments on opposite sides of campus, so the space made Jason feel like he still had his independence. It was Jason, however, that initiated plans for them to attend sporting events, parties and hangouts with his new roommates and buddies. Bella's anxiousness was eased knowing he was being well taken care of in her absence.
"You should have seen it, Bella. Their bot, "Banshee," not only shot fire, but it also had these weird wheels that moved it side-to-side. It was like a mechanical ninja." We knew. We had seen the video. Emmett and his team's accomplishment was all over YouTube, and he showed it off like a proud papa to anyone that would watch.
"I wish I could have been there. Did you take Gwen with you?"
Jase's excitement softened. "Of course, she loves stuff like that." Gwen was Jase's current girlfriend, and he had brought her home to meet us last Thanksgiving. She was a bit overwhelmed with the whole Cullen scene, but she was genuinely in love with Jason, and he was enamored with her. We liked her a lot and thought she was good with him.
When Jase had confided to Emmett that they were becoming serious, Emmett took it upon himself to have the "man talk" with him. I suspected it was more along the lines of giving him pointers rather than warnings of precaution. Bella and I had had these talks with Jason over the course of his teen years, so I was sure he was being careful, and he assured us that he cared for Gwen and wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her.
There was a time when Bella and I thought Jason may choose this life with us, but now we weren't so sure. If he did choose to remain human, there would come a day when we would have to say goodbye to him. We knew this. It was a hard fact, but we didn't want to think about it. We chose instead to maximize every precious moment we could with him, in whatever future he chose.
We also knew there would come a day, within the next few years, most likely, when Bella and I would have to fake our deaths. Charlie would definitely notice that we weren't aging. The wolf pack would know the truth, of course, and knowing that she could still remain friends with Jake and Julie gave Bella some comfort.
Jason remained close to Charlie, visiting a couple times a year for fishing expeditions, and knew that when the time came, he would have to be strong for him. We hated the idea of having Jason essentially lie for us, but there really was no other way if he wanted to remain in his grandparents' lives.
Bella was distraught knowing that she was going to hurt people she loved and would no longer be a part of her father's life but knew that was one of the consequences of her choice.
I thought back to our last discussion on the subject. We were lying in bed, and I was agonized looking into Bella's tear-stained face. I was about to ask her to reconsider until her father passed away, but she steeled her resolve, and melted my heart with her declaration.
"Edward, it distresses me greatly to have to give up my dad, but I knew this was the price I would have to pay. I love him, and will miss him, but it is you that I want to be with." She understood that rarely does anyone get everything without some sacrifice and accepted the consequences of her choice with little complaint. Bella's strength continued to amaze me.
We still had plenty of time to plan the details and to come to grips mentally and emotionally. Bella would be good and ready when the time came.
"Well, Bella, you look good. How are you feeling about everything now that you and Edward are finally on the same keel?" Jason was always direct. He preferred to get right to the heart of the matter.
"It's weird, Jase. There is so much to get used to, and I get distracted way too easily. If I'm not careful, I can sit for hours watching dust motes, but all in all, I feel really good. There is some assurance in knowing that I can never get tired or sick ever again."
"And the hunting?"
"You know, before I changed, the thought grossed me out, but I really like it. The feeling of power and speed is exhilarating."
A newborn, before the first hunt, is a bit like a colt trying desperately to get its feet under him. Bella was a bit punch-drunk, but the moment she began to run, it was as if she suddenly came into her own. Every moment spent agonizing over her change was worth it the instant she realized what she was capable of, and the joy on her face cemented the rightness of her choice. The change itself was excruciating for both of us, but the transformation was completed in the usual, normal fashion.
Bella, in her younger years, had an irrational fear of appearing older than me. I had tried to assure her that it made no difference to me, and it didn't. There was some concern that she would look inappropriately older than me after the change, but we were pleasantly surprised that the difference appeared minimal. Even though there was now a twenty-four-year difference, the few fine wrinkles around her eyes had smoothed, and she now looked more like an older sister or a young aunt than my mother. She decided she could live with that, and with eternity stretched out in front of us, it really didn't make a difference anyway.
I could hear their conversation wrapping up, and I leaned against the doorframe as they both said their goodbyes. If Bella could cry, she would be. Being separated was hard on her, but it would be temporary. I walked over to turn off the computer, as she was still too afraid to touch it and put my arm around her. She stood and hugged herself to me.
"I am fortunate to be able to keep in touch with him this way." I nodded my head. "He's happy and doing well." She looked up to me with watery, shining eyes and sighed. "I'm happy and doing well."
"You are, and I am a very blessed man." She pulled me down and softly kissed me. Dusk was approaching, and the arctic sun was setting over the horizon in deep oranges and purples.
Tanya appeared at the door. "Hey, you two, we're heading out for a hunt. Come with us?"
Bella nodded her head and with our arms around each other, we walked to the large set of oak doors off the back deck. We looked at each other and smiled. We were blissfully happy and looking forward to sharing our forever together.
The End