I apologize again for the long delay on this chapter. Work has been super busy, but luckily things are getting less intense these days.
Thanks, as always, to Chicsarah for reading this over and making it better, as well as for texting me words of encouragement and just being a super amazing friend.
Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.
"I totally think they are getting married this weekend," Bella said, her voice coming through the car speaker as I drove home in the dark.
It was the third weekend in October, and although the time change had not yet taken affect, the daylight was getting marginally shorter. Even more so when I was driving home from work at eight in the evening on Friday.
I'd been in court all week, so time at my desk had been minimal; that meant hours of paperwork I'd had to catch up on today.
"You really think so?" I asked. Bella sighed.
"I honestly wouldn't put it past them. Alice talks about him constantly, at least when I actually do see her. They seem head over heels for each other. It just seems incredibly—"
"Soon," I said, finishing her statement. I thought the same, though I'd be lying if I hadn't already been thinking about marrying Bella.
We'd only been seeing each other a few months, and barely a month longer than Alice and Jasper. But that short amount of time didn't keep me from feeling confident that it was no longer a matter of if I would marry Bella; it was only a matter of when.
"Are you upset that they'd get married so soon?" I asked, equal parts curious and trying to gauge Bella's thoughts on the rapid development of our friends' relationship.
"Honestly, no. Alice hasn't had the easiest life. Her family isn't all that close, and I've known for years how badly she wanted a fresh start. She wants a family—a husband, kids, someone to come home to. Other than a roommate and a cat. And I know her feelings for Jasper are genuine and real. I think I would be more sad if she did it when I couldn't be there, but that's just me being selfish," Bella said.
"I can understand that," I told her. I felt for Alice, because I had a big, loud, loving family, one that I sometimes took for granted.
"Either way, I hate that we couldn't go with them," Bella said.
"Me too," I told her honestly.
Alice and Jasper had booked a small cabin in North Carolina for the weekend, and the four of us had planned to go together. But Laurent had emailed Bella last week to let her know his business meeting was being moved up a week, and he would only be in town from today until Sunday. As much as I knew Bella would have loved a mountain getaway, she was desperate for this chance to meet her aunt's long lost love and his mysterious daughter, so she'd agreed to the change of plans and we'd had to bail on our friends.
Jasper invited Michael and Tyler from the firm, and since there was an extra room, Alice's friend and her boyfriend were tagging along for a couples' weekend getaway.
Bella hadn't talked to Laurent much at all, other than when he made and rescheduled the dinner plans we had with him for tomorrow night.
We knew nothing about Rachel. We had made some guesses and assumptions, but Bella was determined to go into this with an open mind.
I knew how badly she hoped what was seemingly impossible—that Rachel was the daughter Victoria and Laurent had given up. I'd offered to search adoption records to see if I could find anything, but she asked me not to. She didn't want to know—or be disappointed—any sooner than she might be.
And so tomorrow night, we would be joining Laurent and his daughter for dinner at an upscale restaurant in town, which meant that tonight, Bella and I were keeping things very low-key at my place.
She'd spent the morning with her mom—who had no idea about tomorrow's meeting—before spending the afternoon at her apartment with Beans. Alice and Jasper left this morning, so Bella said she was going to take advantage of having the apartment all to herself and get some chores done.
She was at my house now, as I had given her a spare key awhile back. She wanted to cook dinner in tonight. I was just excited to go home and have her there waiting on me; seeing her was always the best part of my day, especially after a busy work week for us both.
Part of me even hoped Alice and Jasper got hitched at a chapel in the mountains somewhere this weekend so that Bella would have a reason to cut ties with her apartment and move in with me. It still felt soon to ask her, but I couldn't deny how good it felt to imagine coming home to her every night.
"Anyway, dinner is almost ready," Bella said.
"Okay, see you soon," I told her.
I got home and walked through the door from the garage, hearing music coming from the kitchen.
"Hey!" Bella called cheerfully over the sound of her phone playing The Beatles. She'd told me once how her aunt always played Beatles music in her car. Her dad had gotten her into them as a kid, and she'd passed that appreciation on to Bella.
"Hey baby," I told her, loosening my tie and walking around to kiss her.
"Can I help?" I asked, nodding to the mess she'd made on the stove.
"Nope, I just took the lasagna out of the oven. It's about 5000 degrees, so feel free to go change and relax a bit while it cools and I finish the salad," she said.
Her salad was filled with what would likely be the last of her summer vegetables from her garden. She'd gathered a few more cucumbers and tomatoes, but mostly the garden was done producing for the season.
Her pumpkins were on the small side and didn't look the best, but she was planning to pick those next weekend for Halloween.
"It all looks delicious," I told her, kissing her again before turning to go upstairs.
Although we'd had a cold front last week, it was warm out again, and after a long day in a suit, I decided a shower couldn't hurt.
I thought about shaving my scruff again, but Bella seemed to like it so I'd keep it for tonight.
Fifteen minutes later, I was heading back downstairs in sweatpants and a t-shirt.
I went into the kitchen to see Bella already washing up some of the pots and pans she'd used.
"Let me get that," I told her, reaching for the pot in her hand and the sponge she was using. I nudged her out of the way and she smiled before picking up the salad bowl to carry it to the table
While I washed and put away all of the dinner prep, Bella cut into the lasagna and made plates for us.
"Wine?" I asked.
"Not tonight. My nerves are pretty shot already. I think I want to keep my mind focused until tomorrow," she said.
I just nodded and poured two glasses of iced tea instead.
We sat down to eat, but even though Bella had prepared it all, she didn't seem that interested in eating it.
"Hey," I said, putting my hand over hers. She looked over at me, her lips drawn into an anxious frown.
"You need to eat a little something, baby," I told her softly, encouraging.
"I am. I will. I am just so lost in my own thoughts. I have been all day," she mumbled before picking up a fork and stabbing a bite of salad from her bowl.
"Did you decide to tell your mom?" I asked.
Bella had been on the fence about letting her mom in on her meeting with Laurent. She didn't want to upset or anger her mom, and while I didn't think the latter would happen, I could understand her hesitance.
"No. I almost did, but I chickened out. I just think maybe it will be best for me to meet with him first, and find out more about Rachel before I tell mom anything. I don't want to, you know—"
"Get her hopes up like you've done?" I asked.
She smiled, but it was tight and weary.
"Exactly. There is no need to make her think this is something it isn't," Bella explained.
After Laurent sent the first email, Bella tried to do a little digging online. She'd searched Laurent's name again, but still only found information about his business and his architecture; he had no social media accounts to speak of and there were no personal details about him, even in the most expansive articles she found.
In one other effort to find information, Bella searched 'Rachel Da Revin,' using Laurent's last name. But of course, she didn't find anything. If Rachel were the daughter of Laurent and Victoria, she wouldn't carry his last name. And if she was Laurent's daughter from a more recent relationship, then she was likely too young to be on social media.
Bella and I had discussed at length the possibilities; I did my best to explain closed adoptions in South Carolina, though some parts may vary depending on which state the adoptive parents were in.
But truthfully, they were pretty much the same everywhere: there was no contact with the birth parents before, during, or after the baby was born. Victoria and Laurent would not have any way to find their daughter. The only real way would be if the daughter had decided to go looking for her birth parents, and she would have very likely needed more information from her adoptive parents.
So Bella, as much as she wanted to hope that Rachel was Victoria's daughter, was still guarded and doing her best not to wish for the very unlikely.
Bella and I continued eating, talking about more lighthearted things like Olivia and how much she was growing and changing in just the few short months she'd been here. It wasn't even November yet, and Rosalie was already planning Christmas photos. Bella admitted she had already started doing some shopping for her, as well. Having a baby in the family was going to make the holidays much more fun, especially as the one year anniversary of my grandfather's passing was approaching next month.
For Bella, Christmas would always be marred by tragedy, but I had a lot of hope that this year would be a little brighter for her.
I worried about Grandma Cullen, too. Grandpa Cullen passed right before the holidays last year, so we'd already made it through the first Christmas without him. But this year would be Grandma Cullen's first one spent away from the home she shared with him.
When I talked to her a few days ago, she was telling me about the Halloween activities her retirement home planned. Several cocktail nights, movie viewings, craft classes, and even a costume contest were planned. I could only imagine how much they'd do for Christmas.
"This place feels like a fucking day camp sometimes, but at least there's beer," she'd said to me, and I smiled again at the memory.
She often said she figured they kept the place so busy so the residents wouldn't have time to think about how old and grumpy they were. But I was just happy she had friends and a busy lifestyle to keep her going.
"You done eating?" Bella asked, standing from the table and reaching for my empty plate.
"I am. It was delicious, thank you," I told her, standing to collect the bowls and silverware, as well.
"Let me clean up. You go relax," I told her, setting dishes on the counter.
"You sure?" She asked.
"Of course, sweetheart," I nodded.
"I think I'm going to take another shower. I got kind of warm cooking. Can we just go to bed soon?" She asked.
After working and having dinner so much later than usual, it was nearing ten. We often stayed up later, but the weeks of work and anticipation for tomorrow were clearly taking its toll on Bella; she looked exhausted.
"Sure. I will be up in just a bit," I told her.
I scraped, washed, and loaded dishes into the dishwasher before packing up leftovers and cleaning wiping down all the counters and the table.
I grabbed a couple of waters for us and made my way upstairs just as Bella was emerging from a steamy bathroom in one of my t-shirts.
Her long legs were creamy and gorgeous, and I felt myself stiffen at the sight of her.
"Bathroom's all yours if you need it," she said, walking to the bed and reaching to plug her cellphone into the charger before pulling back the covers.
"I'll just be a second," I smiled. I brushed my teeth and ran a comb through my air-dried hair before turning the lights off and shutting the bathroom door behind me. Bella and I both preferred to sleep in total darkness, and the curtainless window in the bathroom let in too much moonlight.
Bella had the TV on the evening news, staring intently while laying on her side.
I climbed in and slid up behind her, wrapping my arm around her to pull her back to me.
"Hi," she whispered when I lightly kissed her cheek.
"Hi, beautiful," I told her. She locked her fingers in mine so that our hands rested on her stomach, and together we lay there watching the news and letting our minds wonder.
I hadn't been positive if Bella was in the mood for anything more than sleep tonight, but she kept squirming slightly so that her backside was rubbing against me. There was little I could do to hide how hard she was making me as she continued to do it, and after I heard a giggle come from her, I was certain she was doing it on purpose.
Without a word, I slide my hand from hers and down her torso until I reached the hem of her shirt on her hip. I pushed my hand under it and trailed my fingers softly and slowly up her bare stomach. I felt her muscles constrict under my hand as I hit ticklish spots, her breath coming in soft laughter until I reached my hand up just a bit further and found her breast. Her laughs turned to moans when I softly rolled her peaked nipple between my fingers, and I pushed against her again, now completely erect at the feel of this gorgeous woman in my arms.
Her hair was pulled up in a knot on her head, which gave me full access to the delicate skin of her neck. I let my slight beard rub against her before placing my lips there, listening as her breathing sped up when my tongue drew circles on the skin, lapping at the delicious beauty in my arms.
"Fuck, Edward," she moaned, pushing back against me, getting more desperate to feel some friction.
I kept my mouth on her neck but let my hand trail back down her stomach, reaching the edge of her panties. Instead of putting my hand in them, I reached down to cup her completely, pulling a bit forcefully so that she pushed hard against me, both of us gasping at the move.
"You're so sexy," I whispered. "You feel what you do to me? It's all for you. I fucking want you all the time. I want to fuck you all the time," I growled, loving the sounds she was making as I let my fingers move against her over her panties, which were growing damp with the contact.
"Yes, fuck," she moaned as I slid her panties to the side and slipped a finger in, meeting wet silk and finding exactly where she needed me. I rubbed gentle circles, increasing the pressure but not the speed as she whimpered beneath me.
She reached her hand behind her, under my arm, and cupped me through my pants.
"Yes, oh oh," she said as I sped up a bit, still gentle but with enough force for what she needed.
Her breathing was getting faster, and I could tell she was close.
"Don't stop," she cried, and a few seconds later she was shaking beside me, her release coming in waves as her breathing fought to catch up.
Once she'd caught her breath, she moved over a bit and I could tell she was sliding off her underwear completely.
She moved back over so she was still with her back against me before reaching behind her to try and pull at the waist of my pants. I knew what she wanted, so I worked to slide them down and toss them off, taking my t-shirt off, too.
I pulled at her shirt until she sat up to lift it off and over her, laying back down against me now that we were both completely bare.
I was rock hard behind her, and she lifted her right leg up so I could slide against her.
I groaned when I met her wet warmth, and she reached down to guide me into her without another word.
"Fuck," I whispered when she pushed back to take as much of me in as she could from this position.
We both moved in tandem, and I used the arm that was under us to reach up and cup her breast while my other hand moved back down to her center.
"Think you can again?" I asked into her ear.
"I'm willing to let you try," she gasped as I pulled out a little more and then pushed back in hard, my hand working her carefully in sync with the rest of me.
We stayed like that for several long minutes, moving together, rocking to the same rhythm as we both sought release in each other.
It wasn't much longer before I felt mine coming.
"I'm gonna…" she moaned, and I felt that familiar shaking again just as I came with her, both of us relaxing into each other after several long seconds of riding out our pleasure.
"Thank you," she said, and I laughed. "I love you," she whispered.
"I love you," I told her, kissing her bare shoulder and holding her to me just a bit longer before she moved to clean up.
Whispered "I love you's" in the dark were fast becoming my favorite moments with this precious girl in my arms. I just hoped tonight would help her relax and get some rest before tomorrow, the moment she'd been waiting on for what seemed like eternity now but was really only a short month.
Whatever tomorrow brought, I knew she could handle it; I just hoped it would be news that could possibly help her family find some healing and closure. They desperately deserved it.
The next night, Bella and I were seated at a table for four, side by side. We were at the table that had been reserved under Laurent's name, though neither he nor Rachel had arrived yet. We were a few minutes early, and Bella had been mostly silent since we arrived.
She was bouncing her leg so hard that the full glasses of ice water on the table were swaying, and I was worried one would slosh onto the tablecloth.
"Sorry," she mumbled when I set my hand over hers on her lap.
"It's fine, sweetheart. Just try to relax. They should be here soon," I assured her, using my other hand to light up my phone to see that it was 6:58.
After another few quiet minutes, watching the bustle of the busy restaurant around us, I noticed a tall black man walking towards us, his face recognizable from all of the articles we'd read about him in the last month. He was wearing an elegantly tailored navy blue suit and looking down at his phone as he followed the hostess towards our table.
"Here you are, Mr. Da Revin. Enjoy your meal," she said nicely, turning to leave as Laurent stepped up.
Bella and I stood immediately, and even though this man wasn't much older than me, and was a bit shorter than me, it was hard not to feel intimidated. He radiated power.
"Isabella," Laurent said, reaching for her hand to shake it. "It's an absolute pleasure to meet you, my dear," he told her honestly, his gentle tone a dichotomy to his dominating presence.
"Hi Mr. Da Revin. It's a pleasure to meet you, as well. This is my boyfriend, Edward," Bella said, introducing us.
"Please darling, call my Laurent," he urged.
"Edward, so nice to meet you, as well. Rachel should be along shortly. She's driving in from Savannah," Laurent explained.
As we sat down, I could almost hear how fast Bella's heart was likely pounding in her chest, because mine was, too, as I considered the implications of what Laurent had just said.
Rachel didn't arrive with him and was driving in from Savannah, which meant she didn't live with her father, was old enough to drive, and possibly lived on her own. My only other thought was that maybe she lived with her mother down here, but it seemed odd that Laurent would have a child in Savannah when he seemed to have taken up permanent residence in New York after returning from overseas.
Before Bella could ask any questions, Laurent started speaking.
"You won't remember this, but I actually met you a few times when you were just a small thing. Your aunt and I would come visit you at your parents' house. You were barely walking then. Vicky just loved to be around you, show you off," Laurent said, and I heard Bella quietly suck in a breath at the mention of her aunt already. It seemed Laurent wasn't going to mince words and was ready to dive right into the conversation.
"I felt the same about her. I miss her so much," Bella said quietly.
"As do I," Laurent nodded.
Before anyone else could speak, the hostess walked up again with someone else trailing behind her. All I could see was the bright, floor length dress she was wearing. And in that very moment, the moment she came into view, the moment she spoke and said "Hey, sorry I'm late!" The moment she bent down to give Laurent a sideways hug before taking her seat beside him, that was the very moment Bella knew. Even I knew, and I only had pictures to go on.
She had light brown skin, her face covered in a smattering of freckles. Her dark brown eyes, her facial features, were all her father's. Her statuesque height and her brilliant red curls were her mother made over.
Rachel was, without a shadow of a doubt, Laurent and Victoria's daughter.
Bella gasped gently, her hand covering her mouth.
"Oh my God," she said, and I held onto her hand to keep to try and keep her from shaking so hard.
"Isabella, Edward, I'd like you to meet Rachel. My daughter. Your—"
"Cousin," Bella said. "I…I can't believe it's really you," Bella told her.
"I wasn't sure how to tell you exactly, and an email seemed so informal. I apologize for surprising you like this," Laurent told her earnestly.
"I didn't want to hope. When you said daughter, I thought maybe you meant a young child," Bella said. "How long…when did…where…I just have so many questions," Bella said nervously.
"And all will be answered. But first, Rachel, meet your cousin Isabella and her boyfriend Edward," Laurent said.
"It's really nice to meet you both," Rachel smiled, settling into her seat, and reaching over the table to shake hands.
"It's…incredible to meet you, too. And please, you can both call me Bella."
"Let's order first, and then we will do our best to answer all of your questions," Laurent said.
Bella just nodded, unable to take her eyes off the girl sitting across the table.
Rachel looked up and smiled.
"Sorry, I don't mean to stare. You just…you look so much like her," Bella said.
"Remarkable, isn't it? The similarities," Laurent said, closing his menu and setting it down in front of him.
Our waitress came shortly after and took everyone's order, though I don't know that Bella had any real idea what she requested.
Once we had a basket of bread and some iced teas in front of us, Laurent leaned forward on the table.
"So, I know you must have so many questions now. Why don't we start with the basics? Rachel, this is more your part to tell," Laurent encouraged. Rachel nodded and set down the knife she was using to butter a dinner roll.
"Right," she said, clearing her throat. "So, Laurent and Victoria are my birth parents. I was adopted through a closed adoption to a couple who lived outside of Atlanta, so I never knew who my biological parents were until about a year and a half ago," she started.
"Victoria and I used to discuss how much we wished we could look for her, but we didn't have any legal rights to do so," Laurent explained.
"Yes. And I had never really thought to ask my parents about it, because I didn't ever feel like I was missing them. Then in my junior year of college, we did a family tree project for one of my art classes that challenged us to draw our family members without any photos, completely from memory. The point was to help us realize what we value most in the appearances of the people we love. What parts of them did we know the best without looking at any photos. Anyway, that's not the point of this story. The point was that, once I was done, the stark contrast of my appearance and my parents' kind of hit me. A middle aged white couple with a young, mixed daughter with red hair, you know? It didn't bother me, but it did make me curious," she said, taking a small bite of her bread then.
"So what did you do after that? Start looking?" Bella asked. She waited patiently for Rachel to finish her bite and take a sip of tea.
"Well I didn't really know how to start looking. I was away from home for school, so I told my girlfriend about it, about how I wanted to try and find my biological parents. But since I didn't know their names, where they were from, what they looked like, or have any kind of information on them, I knew I was going to have to ask my parents. They have always been so gracious and loving; truly I couldn't have asked for better parents. Even when I came out to them in high school, they took it so much better than I expected. I have never given them enough credit. So I should have known that all I had to do was ask about my biological parents, and they probably would have given me any information they had," she smiled.
"I take it you didn't ask them, then?" I asked.
"No, not right away. When I went home for Christmas break, I did some digging in my dad's office. He had a file cabinet with all kinds of files and paperwork from over the years. But most of it was related to school files, medical records, stuff like that. The only thing I found was a very old business card for an law firm in Charleston, and when I searched for it, it came up as a family law firm. So before I went back to school for the semester, I decided to sit them down and ask them about it," Rachel said.
She paused as the waitress walked up then carrying several plates. Another waitress was behind her with the rest of our meals, and they carefully set each plate down in front of us.
Bella glanced down at the salmon salad she'd ordered, but made no move to eat from it. Every bit of her attention was on Rachel.
"Anyway, I told them that I was curious about my biological parents and asked if they knew anything. They didn't know much, other than that I'd been born to a young couple in Charleston in 1997. I showed them the business card I'd found, and they confirmed it was the firm they'd used. My adoption papers and birth certificate were in a safe deposit box at the bank, so my dad went that next day to get them for me and that's pretty much where my search started," she said.
"I looked online to find more information about closed adoptions in South Carolina and Georgia; finally, after a lot of digging and a call to the law firm, I was able to get the names. Of course I found Laurent much faster online. It took longer to find Victoria since she had a different last name than the maiden name the law firm had. But once I did…" she trailed off.
"Yeah," Bella said. "It's coming up on two years now. I guess if you were looking for her your junior year, that would have been—"
"Spring of 2018. Just a few months after it happened," Rachel confirmed.
It seemed like the cruelest twist of fate that she had started her search for her biological mom just a few short months after the tragedy that took Victoria. Or that she even began to inquire about it during the very days surrounding her mother's death.
"That really freaking sucks," Bella mumbled. I knew she was considering how different things might have been if Victoria and Rachel had found each other before Christmas, if somehow, some way, that could have changed the outcome. I didn't think so, because James was a mad man regardless. If he couldn't have Victoria, no one could.
"Yeah, it felt so cruel. It took me a few more months after that to work up the nerve to contact Laurent. But when I did, I heard back really quickly. He traveled to Atlanta to meet my parents and me, and now we talk regularly. He's told me so many stories about Victoria, shown me pictures, and even told me about you. Your parents, and how your mom and Victoria were so close. He said he'd reached out after, you know, what happened, but your mom wasn't able to speak then," Rachel said.
"I wanted to ask more about her, Bella. I spoke with your father a few months after, and your mother was still having a very difficult time. Is she doing any better?" Laurent asked, setting his fork down to focus on Bella.
"She has her good days and bad. She's still pretty much a shell of who she was, though. It wasn't just losing her sister, but her parents, too. Aunt Tori—or Vicky, as you and mom call her—was pretty much the light of all of our lives. She treated me like her own. Learning to live without her and my grandparents hasn't been easy, but we are making do," Bella explained.
"She's a nurse, yes? And does she still work on her art? Rachel is also an artist," Laurent explained before taking a bite of steak.
"She quit working after—it was just too much for her. Her painting stopped, too. We had to give up the booth at the Market. Rachel, what kind of art do you do?" Bella asked, seeming a bit desperate to take the conversation away herself.
"I paint, mostly. I went to school for art. I'm still working to make a full career out of it, though," she said.
"Laurent said you drove in from Savannah—is that where you live now?" I asked.
"Yes, with my girlfriend that I mentioned earlier, Emily. She grew up in the area and we came back after college. She's a teacher by day and bartends at night. I work full time for a Savannah Tours agency, but I also have some of my pieces in a local art shop. They do pretty decent," she shrugged.
"I would love to see them someday," Bella said hesitantly, the implication that she hoped for more than just one meeting.
"Absolutely. It's actually how Emily and I met. I had some pieces in a school art show in college, and she came to get credit for her Intro to Art class. She was one credit short that year and was taking it to meet her required hours. She didn't even think she liked art until then. I'm still not so sure she does, but she is my biggest supporter," Rachel laughed.
"What got you into it?" Bella asked.
"Actually, Charleston did. When I was maybe six or so, my parents brought me on a vacation to Savannah. We decided to drive over to Charleston for the day to shop and see the sights; I vaguely remember the trip, but it's so interesting that you say your mom sold her art in a booth at the Market, because I am pretty sure that's where we got the piece that I fell in love with. They still have it at their house; it was of a dancing woman, and the colors are super bright and abstract. But she has the longest red curls, and I guess as a kid it reminded me of myself. I didn't see a lot of people like me. I begged my parents to buy it, so they finally did," she laughed.
"I will have to ask mom about any of the other artists from the market back in the early 2000s. She was just starting out then, and she always painted landscapes and flowers, things like that. I don't think she really ever painted people," I shrugged.
After much more discussion and eating dinner, the conversation turned lighthearted and pleasant. Laurent told Bella more about Victoria, Rachel told us more about Emily, and we told them both about us and the unique way in which we met. Somehow, this time, I didn't feel embarrassed by the story. They were both so genuinely curious about it, and though we all shared a laugh, Rachel said it was definitely more of fait working its magic that day.
Laurent let us know he was going back to New York, but he would be back around Christmas to visit his family. Bella asked if they would both be willing to meet with her mom. They agreed, and before long, our dinner was coming to an end.
Bella and Laurent hugged and exchanged numbers. Then Bella turned to Rachel. They also exchanged numbers and promises to keep in touch.
"I really can't believe I am meeting you," Bella told her as she stood up and wrapped the girl in her arms. "In my wildest dreams, I couldn't have hoped for this," she said.
"I am really glad to meet you, too. It's nice to know more about you all," she smiled. "I guess I really have my parents' adoption attorney to thank. He was SO nice and helpful. It's really a shame, because when I called him to update him, I found out he'd passed away," she frowned.
There was simply no way, no amount of fate, that could confirm what I was about to ask, but I had to ask anyway.
"I wonder if I might have known him in my line of work. Do you happen to remember his name?" I asked, and I felt Bella grip my hand tightly, realization coming to her, too.
"Yeah, his office is right in downtown I think. Something with a C. Clark? Carlton?"
"Carlisle?" I asked. "Carlisle Cullen?"
"Yeah! I knew it was kind of an old fashioned name. Did you know him?" Rachel asked.
"Something like that. He was my grandfather."
This story is 100% pure happiness. I know there's some heavy memories, but fate and fluff are the name of the game here. I hope you're all still enjoying it.