5 Years Later

Thursday, October 31

Forks, Washington

"Mama!"

I looked up from my laptop, blinking as my eyes adjusted away from the screen. The front door banged open and Pippa came tearing into the kitchen. "Mama! Look what grandpa got us!" She thrust a plastic bag under my nose, and I blinked, pulling my body back a bit to look at the bag.

"What did grandpa get you?" I asked, eyeing the bag. Pip tore into the bag, pulling a plastic crown out and thrusting it toward me.

"I'm gonna be a princess tonight!" She cried, jamming the crown on top of her bronze hair. It slipped to the side and she grinned, twirling so fast that the crown flew off. She ran after it, jammed it back on her head and looked at me expectantly. I smiled.

"I thought you wanted to be a ghost tonight," I said, eyeing the crown. Pip shook her head.

"No, princess."

I smiled and nodded. "Did you pack a princess costume?" I asked. Pip nodded, tearing up the stairs to her room. I smiled and turned toward the front door where dad was coming through holding Charlotte in his arms. I smiled and stood from the kitchen table. "Hey dad," I said, heading over to them. Charlie wiggled out of his arms when she saw me.

"Mama, yook!" she said, holding up her own crown. I crouched down in front of her, smiling softly.

"What did you get, baby?" I asked, holding my hands out to steady her as she tried to hold the crown out to me.

"Gwandpa, my gwandpa, got and I got and it's a cwown!" she said holding it out to me. I smiled.

"It sure is, baby. Are you going to wear it tonight?"

She nodded vigorously. I grinned. "It sounds like we'll have a house full of princesses tonight," I said, glancing up at dad. He smirked as Charlie darted further into the house. I stood up, looking at him. "Thanks, for taking them," I said, motioning for him to come into the house. He nodded.

"Of course. I don't need an excuse to see my girls. Did you get enough work done?"

I sighed, glancing at my laptop. Our nanny, Bree, was usually here with us full time, but she'd taken time off for her sister's wedding. Of course, her time off had correlated with the tail end of one of Edward's media blitzes, and a deadline I had for my editor. Being on a tight deadline and unable to entertain the kids full time, I'd decided to take the girls to the house Edward and I had bought in Forks. Dad had retired from the force last year, and he and Sue lived for time with their granddaughters.

"I'll get it in," I said, turning back to dad. He nodded.

"Hopefully you can get more done tonight when Sue and I take the kids trick-or-treating," he said scratching at his jaw. I smiled at him.

"I really appreciate this, dad," I said settling on the sofa. Dad shrugged, sinking into the recliner.

"It's my pleasure, Bells. I wish I had more time with the girls, you know that," he said shooting me a look. I sighed.

"We'll be here next summer," I promised him. "Edward wraps up filming in May and we talked about going somewhere in June for his birthday, but we'll be here most of the summer until I have to go on tour in late September." I reminded him. Dad nodded.

"I know, we've got you penciled in," he chuckled. "I just love spending time with them. They're growing so fast."

I let out a breath, nodding. They really were. It felt like only months ago that I'd first had Pip, and now, she was five and a half, and Charlie was going to be three tomorrow. Time had just flown by.

"Have you heard from Edward?" dad asked. I looked up at him.

"His flight into Seatac lands tonight. He said he's going to drive straight over. He'll be here sometime after midnight," I said scratching at my arm. Dad smiled a little.

"Pip told me she watched some of his movies," he said, raising an eyebrow at me. I snorted.

"She wants to, but most of Edward's movies are way too mature or violent. She's seen trailers, and that one rom com he did a few years ago, though we had to skip a few scenes," I said smirking. Dad shifted, looking embarrassed. My husband didn't do sex scenes often, and when he had to do one, he made sure that it was fairly mild. I didn't have a problem with it, though I knew it made dad uncomfortable. I didn't blame him. Watching Edward in a sex scene was a pretty graphic image of what we actually got up to, and that was something dad didn't want to face. "Edward did mention he's waiting to hear back on that family comedy," I said glancing at dad. "It's something the girls could watch, and I think he's excited to try something new."

Dad nodded, smirking a little. "Hard to imagine him in something so, tame."

I smiled. Edward was a phenomenal actor, and had pushed himself emotionally, mentally, and physically over the last few years. Each role he took on was a new challenge, and he'd risen to each and every one admirably. It was really only a matter of time before he was nominated for another Oscar.

Pip came tearing down the stairs, dressed in a thick tulle skirt, her crown on her head. I smiled and leaned toward her. "Baby, you're only wearing half your costume," I said gently. She nodded.

"I'm going to put the rest on later so I don't get dinner on it," she explained. I smiled, nodding. "Cha-Cha! Come on!" she called up the stairs. Little Charlie appeared, dressed similarly to Pip and scuttled down the stairs, much slower than her sister. The girls disappeared into my bedroom downstairs, jumping up on our bed.

"Not too much sugar tonight," I reminded dad. He chuckled.

"We'll handle the sugar rush," he said easily. I pursed my lips before smiling.

"Pip has got my energy," I pointed out to him. Dad smirked.

"Don't I know it. I thought you were active, but you were nothing compared to that one," he said shaking his head. I grinned. Pip was my little carbon copy, outgoing, fearless, and boundless energy that fueled an unending curiosity. She might have looked like Edward, but the girl's personality was all me. Charlie on the other hand was completely Edward. She was quiet, though crazy smart, and though she was deeply internal like I was, she also had Edward's deep focus. Charlie could sit for hours working on something while Pip lost interest after only a few minutes.

"Are you sure you're okay with the girls staying over tonight?" I asked dad. He nodded.

"Embry and Rachel are staying over too. You need a night to finish your work, and Sue and I are excited to spend some time with the kids after trick-or-treating," he reminded me. I let out a tight breath.

Edward and I were busy all the fucking time. If it wasn't filming schedules or my book tours, we were always out promoting shit. Work kept us both insanely busy, but somehow over the last five years we'd been able to strike somewhat of a balance. We never spent more than a month apart, and we made sure the girls always got to talk to the parent that was away from them daily. If Edward and I couldn't both be with the kids, one of us was always with them. It was incredibly rare for the girls to spend a night away from both of us at the same time.

I'd spent plenty of time away from the girls and Edward while working, though they liked to come with me when they could. We'd tried putting Pip into a preschool in Orange County when she was almost three. It had been an amazing school, but our constantly busy schedule had meant that she'd been unable to spend much time at school, bonding with any other kids. After the year was up, we'd decided to homeschool the girls and try to get them socialized while we traveled. Not only was Bree our nanny, but she had a degree in Early Childhood education, and had been handling a lot of the developmental growth with the girls. I knew Pip was getting old enough that we'd have to start talking about getting her a tutor or one of us would always need to be in LA so she could go to school regularly.

With our schedules, that likely meant Edward and I would spend way less time together, which was unacceptable to both of us.

"You're right," I nodded. "Thanks dad." I sighed. "I'm going to get the girls packed up so you all can get going," I said, glancing at the clock. Dad nodded and turned our TV on while I headed toward the stars. "Girls, it's time to pack to stay at grandma and grandpa's house," I called to them. They darted out of my room, both dragging scarves around their necks.

"Mama, can we wear these?" Pip asked, holding up the scarf. It was one of my fancier ones, though I didn't have anything truly expensive at the house in Forks. Mostly my closet was packed with jeans and flannels up here.

"You may, but I need you to be careful with them," I said gently. Pip nodded and raced up the stairs.

Charlie came up the stairs slower, her little legs not quite as fast or strong as Pip's. I moved up the stairs with her until we got upstairs. The house we'd bought a few years ago technically had three bedrooms, but for now, we'd put the girls in a single room while we offered the third bedroom to Bree. The girls were still young enough that sharing a room wasn't a problem for them, especially since they got their own rooms in Malibu.

We didn't live in Forks much, but about a year after our marriage, Edward had surprised me by suggesting the house. We'd found the perfect place after looking for a few months, and in no time after that, we owned the house. We'd done some construction on it, renovating it and making sure everything was safe and up to code. It had been a worth-while investment, as we spent at least a month or two in Forks each year.

I got the girls upstairs to their room, helping them pack the rest of their costumes into a duffle bag, as well as some pjs and their toiletry bags. It seemed like a long shot hope that the girls would get around to brushing their teeth tonight, but I put it in there anyway.

When they were packed, I brought them downstairs, making sure they were bundled up before they headed out with dad. I kissed each girl silly before hugging and thanking dad again. I helped them into dad's car—a Volvo that had been a retirement gift from Edward and me—and waved as they drove off. Our house was only a few blocks away from dad and Sue, and I knew there was no safer place for the girls to spend time, but it was still a little hard to say goodbye to them.

When they turned the corner at the end of the street, I pulled my sweater tighter around me and headed back inside to get more work done.

I pulled my hands from my keyboard, sitting back and reaching for my glass of wine. After my first few books, I was now venturing from travel writing to fiction. It was a terrifying transition, one that I wasn't sure I'd be able to make successfully.

Thanks to Edward's celebrity status and our relationship, my book had definitely gotten more attention than we had initially anticipated. It had become an instant best-seller, and recently there had been talks of developing a movie based off it.

There was still no final contracts or deals made, but it looked more and more likely each day.

Edward had been joking about auditioning for a role, though I knew that if the producers heard he wanted to be a part of it, he would be. He was an Oscar winner, not to mention the screenplay would be potentially written by his wife. It was a marketing goldmine.

All the movie talk was on the back burner though, because right now, my main focus was getting this manuscript in on time.

I'd had it written for a while, but there was one scene I was still struggling over, and I knew it would drive me mad if I turned it in as is.

I sipped my glass of wine, trying to wrap my head around what the scene was actually trying to do, and why it wasn't working. I knew logically I could turn the manuscript in and my editor would help me sort it out, but it was now a matter of pride.

I would not be bested by this fucking scene.

I set my glass of wine down, leaning forward again as I reread the scene.

"You look like you're going to explode."

I screamed, jumping up from the table, and spun around, my heart in my fucking throat. Edward's eyes were wide, his hands reaching out to steady me. "Holy fuck!" I screamed, smacking a hand against his chest. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Edward snorted, laughing as he reached out to me. I shook my head, my heart thundering in my chest.

"I hope the girls aren't here," he said pulling me toward him. I sank against him, despite my still racing pulse.

"Fuck, babe. When did you… what…" I paused, shaking my head. "No, the girls are with dad and Sue. What are you doing here so early?"

Edward smiled, leaning down to kiss me. I wound my arms around him automatically, rising up on my tiptoes to kiss him back. He tasted minty, like he'd brushed his teeth before his flight had landed.

"I flew into Port Angeles to save some time on the drive. I wanted to surprise you," he murmured, his lips traveling down my throat. My breath hitched, my fingers fisting in his hair and my heart leaping for a new reason now.

"Mission fucking accomplished," I groaned.

Edward chuckled against my throat and pulled back a bit. "Are you working on your manuscript?" he asked.

I glanced at my laptop and nodded. Thank fucking god I hadn't spilled my wine on my laptop. I would have lost it if my computer had crashed in the eleventh hour.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to sort out this last scene," I said, shaking my head and looking back at him. He smiled. Despite the fact that he'd just been on a flight for who knew how long, he still looked perfect. His hair was trimmed and styled like it usually was for media blitzes. He had a little bit of stubble, but it looked amazing on him. In our tiny, quaint home in forks, Edward fresh off his media tour looked every inch of the Hollywood star he was.

"I'm sorry I scared you," he said softly. "I thought you heard me come in the front door."

I shook my head, leaning it against his chest. "No, I was too focused on my manuscript," I sighed. He dropped a kiss to the top of my head. "How was your flight?"

Edward groaned and I led him out of the kitchen and into the living room. We settled on the sofa, Edward kicking his shoes off so we could curl up together.

"Flying with you is way more fun," he said, shaking his head. "Hell, even flying with the girls is better than flying alone."

I smiled sympathetically. We'd gotten used to traveling together, and though the girls were still so little, they traveled fairly well. Of course, it didn't hurt that we always flew first class and there was more than enough to entertain them.

"I'm glad you're home," I whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest. He smiled, squeezing me a little.

"Me too. I was missing you all something fierce."

I smiled sadly. "We missed you too," I murmured. We had video chatted every night before the girls went to bed. Unfortunately, it had meant Edward was up at crazy hours, but he hadn't complained about it once.

"When are the girls coming home?"

I smiled up at him. "Not until tomorrow. Dad is having all the grandkids spend the night," I explained. Edward looked surprised, and a little disappointed. I frowned. "I can call him and have them come home," I offered. Edward shook his head.

"No, let them have their night with their grandpa. We'll surprise them in the morning."

I smiled and leaned back into him. We talked about his media blitz for a while, Edward filling me in on details that we hadn't been able to talk about over the phone calls with the girls. One of his young co-stars had been pushing boundaries with him since nearly day one. I'd met her a handful of times, as had the girls, but she didn't seem to care that Edward was happily married with kids. I trusted Edward more than I trusted anyone in the world, and I knew he'd never do anything to hurt me or our family, so thankfully stories about the co-star mostly amused me, though I could tell they were annoying Edward.

"She tried to come to my hotel room in Paris," Edward groaned, shaking his head. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

"What happened?"

Edward grunted. "I checked the peep-hole, saw it was her, and didn't answer. I made sure the lights were off and my phone on silent in case she tried to call—which she did," he huffed. "I finally texted her and told her I went to the party after all. She left after about ten minutes of waiting at my door." He shook his head. "I switched rooms the next morning."

I snorted and rubbed a hand across his chest. He shifted, stretching out across the sofa so that I was draped over him. "She sounds crazy," I said softly. Edward nodded.

"I know now not to work with her again. She couldn't remain professional and she crossed so many boundaries with me."

He was frowning, looking pissed still, so I reached out, kissing his chest, and then working my way up his throat.

Edward immediately responded, his body wrapping around mine as his cock stirred under me. I grinned. Even after years being together, he still had the same visceral reaction to my touch. I fucking loved it.

"The girls are gone all night?" he asked, his hands snaking up the back of my shirt, rubbing against my skin. I smiled and nodded, kissing his chest again while one hand snaked down to his waist, teasing the strip of skin below his shirt. He shuddered under me and sat up, surprising the hell out of me. He caught me as he swung us into a sitting position, pressing a desperate kiss to my lips. I groaned, leaning into him. It had been way too fucking long since we'd last seen each other.

"Fucking hell, I missed you," I groaned, tearing my mouth from Edwards. He sucked in a deep breath as he kissed down my throat, yanking at the hem of my shirt. He pulled away from me long enough to rip it off me before he continued his path down my chest. My hands were scraping at his own shirt, but I was so fucking distracted by the feel of his mouth, following the edge of my bra.

His hands wound around my back, releasing the clasps of my bra. The moment I shrugged it off, his mouth was surrounding my left nipple and I cried out, my hands pinning his head against me.

My hips were grinding down against his lap, desperately seeking friction, and I felt his own hips start to move in response. He pulled back from me, his eyes molten and dark with arousal.

Before I knew what he was doing, he stood up, his arms bunching around me as he picked me up, keeping me pressed against him. I let out a surprised gasp, my arms winding tighter around his neck. He grinned and kissed me hard as he tried to navigate us back to our room. He didn't know this house like he knew our house in Malibu, so we stumbled into a side table, and then a chair, nearly clipping the banister on the stairs before we finally made it to our door. I giggled as Edward dropped me on the bed, shaking his head.

"Alright there, stud?"

He huffed. "I'm clearly not up here enough," he said, crawling over me. He settled in the cradle of my thighs and smiled. "It's my mission in life to be able to carry you blind in every home we ever own," he said, running one hand up my side, tracing lightly over my stomach and then breast. I shuddered under him and he smiled. "It's vitally important that nothing disrupts us, no matter where we are."

Fucking hell.

"Yes, good," I gasped as his hand continued tracing, teasingly over my skin. Edward smiled and bent down, kissing my left nipple. I my body jerked at the contact.

"I hate being away from you for so long," he sighed, his breath fanning out across my chest. I looked up at him, trying to clear my vision enough to focus on him.

"Me too," I told him. He glanced up at me, and the raw passion that had been in his eyes a moment ago was gone. Now, he was looking at me with so much love, it took my breath away. Even after being together over six years, he could take my breath away with a single look.

I reached down, cupping his face, and bringing him up my body to kiss him. Our kisses were tender and slowed down as we used our bodies to say all that words couldn't. There wasn't a person in this world that I trusted more than Edward Cullen. He had proven to me a hundred times over that his love was pure, unconditional, and endless. His devotion to his family, to his career, and to himself astounded me. Sometimes thinking about the incredible man he was brought me to absolute tears. Edward wasn't perfect, but he was damn well close.

Edward and I moved together slowly, worshiping each other with every touch. There was no need to rush, no need to be separated. Right now, the only thing in the world that mattered, was us two, right here.

Friday, November 1

Forks, Washington

I woke up to the smell of coffee, and if I didn't love the man already, I'd have fallen for him then and there. I blinked my eyes open, shifting over on the bed to see Edward sitting up on his side, leaning back against the headboard. He smiled at me as I sat up.

"Morning," he said softly. I reached for the cup in his hands and he handed it over, because he was an amazing husband. I took a scalding gulp of the wonderfully dark coffee and sighed, shifting so that my legs were under me. I was still naked, and Edward himself was only wearing a pair of boxers. Mm, he looked delectable in the morning light.

"What time is it?" I croaked. Edward smiled and reached for a second mug of coffee on the nightstand. He took a sip of it and glanced at the clock beside him.

"Just past six," he said turning to me. I groaned.

"Babe, no!"

He chuckled as I flopped back on the bed, making sure not to spill the coffee. I wasn't going to waste even a drop of it to my dramatics.

"Sorry, love. Jet lag." He leaned over, kissing my naked shoulder and I shuddered, shifting my face to look up at him through my hair. I'd missed waking up to him.

I shifted on my elbows, bringing my mug up to my mouth again. "I'm glad you're home," I said after swallowing another gulp. Edward lit up and bent over to kiss me again, this time aiming for my lips.

"Me too," he whispered. I glanced around our room. Since we didn't spend a whole lot of time in Forks, the decorating in the house was minimal. It was nice, but it wasn't really us, not completely. Not like our home in Malibu.

Still, anywhere Edward was felt like home to me.

"Do you have any more interviews?" I asked, glancing up at him. He sighed.

"A couple, but Jane managed to get them over the phone, so I can call from up here."

I smiled, relieved. Today was our youngest daughter's birthday, and I knew it would disappoint her if he had to be working overly much.

"What time?"

Edward glanced at the clock. "One at seven. The other we can do right after since it'll be prerecorded."

I nodded. "So, you'll wrap up around nine?" Edward nodded. "Alright, I'll text dad and let him know that's when we'll get the girls." I smiled. "Charlie is going to be so happy."

Edward grinned. Pip and I had been thick as thieves since she was born, though she absolutely adored Edward, and often preferred him for many things. But we were so similar that Pip and I were usually on the same page. Charlotte, on the other hand, was all Edward. She might have looked like me—the exception being her hazel eyes-but she was daddy's girl through and through. Though I'd known Edward was going to do everything in his power to make it home for her birthday, I'd refrained from letting the girls know about it, wanting his arrival to be a surprise for them.

"I can't wait to see them," Edward sighed. He was seriously the most devoted father. Every second he could spend with our girls, he did. He was so present with them, and they absolutely loved him for it.

I smiled up at him, feeling my heart swell. Watching Edward grow into a more confident and secure father had been amazing. He'd been so attentive from the start, but he'd also still had a lot of insecurities. Hell, we both had.

We'd seen Kate just about every fucking week the first year of Pip's life.

We still saw Kate, every once in a while, just as a check in with ourselves and with each other. Thankfully, Kate had worked us through so many of our early issues, that when we saw her together, we almost never had anything left unresolved. We still fought, and had misunderstandings, but we were able to work them out immediately, without Kate's mediation.

It had created such a strong bond between us.

"I was thinking that maybe, if the girls are up for a little road trip, we could head down toward Olympia and get some cider tomorrow," Edward said, leaning back against the headboard. I tapped my mug and nodded thoughtfully.

"Yeah, I'm sure they'd love that. The girls love car rides with you, and Charlie's really into farm animals right now. I think she'd like to go see them at the farm," I said thoughtfully. There was an amazing little family farm just south of Olympia we'd discovered a few years ago. Phenomenal baked goods and cider, and lots of kid friendly activities. It was a hell of a drive, but the girls were great in the car, and honestly, a little family outing sounded amazing. I smiled up at Edward. As much as I missed our physical relationship when he was gone, what I missed more than anything was just him. Talking to him, being with him. He was my best friend, and I loved spending time with him.

We sat in bed, chatting a little longer before Edward had to get ready for his interview call. I got up, wrapping myself in a robe, and downed the last of my coffee before taking both our mugs to the kitchen. I left the mugs on the counter, then came back to our room to hop in the shower.

I showered quickly, enjoying the slight tightness in my muscles from having spent the night wrapped around Edward.

When I was cleaned up, I got dressed, brushed my teeth, and headed out to the kitchen to make some breakfast.

I still wasn't a great cook, but Carmen had been working with me on a couple of recipes over the years. Enough that I could feed my kids when we were without her help.

I pulled out some eggs and bacon, deciding a simple breakfast was best. I could see Edward on the porch, talking on his phone with a smile on his face. I smiled. It seemed like the call was going well.

I put the bacon on the grill and fried a couple of eggs, putting them on toast. I loaded about twice the amount of food on Edward's plate, knowing he was trying to bulk up right now for an upcoming film.

I didn't know how he was going to manage to become even more defined and sculpted, but I absolutely couldn't fucking wait to find out.

I finished making breakfast, just as Edward came in from outside, stamping his feet. "Fuck, it's cold out," he groaned. I snorted.

"Put on a coat, Hollywood," I said shaking my head. He laughed. "Do you have a minute before your next call?" I asked. Edward nodded.

"About ten minutes," he said, eyeing the food. I nodded and motioned for him to sit down. He sat and immediately started digging in. I grinned, pouring us both more coffee before I sat down as well.

"How did it go?" I asked, picking up a piece of bacon and biting a chunk off.

Edward grunted around his fork. "Fine," he said, trying to talk and eat. "They never ask me anything original. It's always the same boring old questions." He shook his head.

I nodded in understanding.

We ate breakfast quickly before Edward had to step back outside to make his second call. I finished eating, having eaten slower than him, and then cleared the dishes, wiping down the kitchen when I was done.

Edward's second call was much shorter, and in no time, he was back in the house. "Fuck, it's so cold this morning," he groaned, opening the coat closet and pulling out a thicker jacket. I snickered.

"Babe, you grow up in Chicago," I pointed out. He shot me a look.

"Until I was sixteen. I've spent the other half of my life in California and warm ass climates," he huffed. I giggled and wrapped my arms around him.

"You know, one of the benefits of these cold days is finding creative ways to stay warm," I purred, my hands slipping under his coat and tracing up his back. He froze, his eyes watching me intently. "Like generating lots and lots of body heat."

I could see the indecision in his eyes. He wanted me, like I always fucking wanted him, but I also knew he wanted to get out of here to get the girls. I smiled and leaned up, pressing a searing kiss to his lips. "We'll work on that later," I promised him. He groaned and shook his head.

"Fuck, yes. Later."

I smirked and we left the house, hand in hand. We kept a car up here for when we were in Forks, deciding it would be easier to have a vehicle than try to find a rental in Port Angeles or something. I didn't see a car rental at the house, and I wondered if Edward had hired a car to bring him home from the airport. He probably had, since that's what he usually did when we flew in and out of town.

Dad lived so close to us that it was actually a bit easier to walk than it would be to try to warm up the car, so we set out, our hands entwined.

"Have you checked your email yet?" Edward asked. I'd sent off my draft late last night after our second round of catching up. I'd been away from my phone and computer since, knowing I wouldn't get a response so quickly.

I shook my head. "No. It'll be a while before I hear anything and I'm not in a rush to start up my anxiety," I admitted. Edward nodded, understanding. "I did get a text last week from Jess," I said, glancing up at him. He smiled at me.

"How is she?"

"She's good. She and Ty are still in Melbourne, and it sounds like Jess is expecting."

Edward looked surprised before he smiled wide. "That's wonderful news. I know they've been trying for a while," he said shaking his head. I nodded.

"She's so excited and anxious. She said she'd just cleared her first trimester, but she's not totally confident yet in telling people, because of what's happened to them in the past," I said, referencing the two miscarriages she'd already gone through. Edward's beautiful face pulled into a frown and he nodded sympathetically.

"I can't imagine going through that, let alone twice," he said softly. I nodded, my mind briefly touching upon my own miscarriage. I took a deep breath, shaking my head to clear the heavy thoughts from me.

"Jess also said she and Ty were planning on coming to the states for Christmas. They are heading to Kansas to be with her family, but they talked about stopping over in LA for the New Year. We should be back in Malibu by then, so I told her to let us know when they were in town," I told him. He nodded. We'd hosted Tyler and Jess a handful of times at our place. I knew Edward liked our privacy, but he'd actually come to really enjoy having people staying with us.

"Yeah, that sounds great," he said nodding. I smiled and squeezed his hand a little. We turned the block, and I let out a little breath as the familiar street came into view.

"I broke my arm right there," I said, pointing to a spot on the curb. Edward looked at me in surprise. "I was running to the bus because I was running late. Slipped on black ice and ate it. Dad had to pick me up in the cruiser and take me to the hospital." I smirked. "Most of my childhood trips to the hospital looked way worse because I was always being dropped off in the cruiser, though to be fair, there were a few years I was really accident prone," I said shaking my head. Edward laughed a little.

"All my broken bones were from sports or normal dumb kid stunts," he said quietly. I smiled at him.

We headed up toward dad's house, kicking at the few fallen leaves in his walk way. Washington didn't have a ton of trees that turned, but dad had planted a few when I was little because I loved watching them turn. They were still there, beautiful and golden as ever.

We stepped up onto the small porch before I pulled out my keys and unlocked the front door. Inside, cartoons were blasting at a near painful volume, and it sounded like there were a hundred kids, rather than four, sitting around watching it. I glanced into the living room, smiling when I saw the girls, still in their pjs, glued to the TV. We hardly ever watched TV at home. It was definitely a treat to watch it with grandma and grandpa.

Edward grinned as he crept toward the living room. I glanced at him and he nodded. I turned back toward the living room, shouting over the din of the TV.

"Hey dad! I'm here!"

I heard a small sound in the kitchen, but the girls looked up at the sound of my voice. Both of them turned from me and registered Edward at the same moment.

"Daddy!" Pip screamed, jumping up and running toward Edward full tilt. She vaulted the back of the sofa, and he barely caught her before she could face plant on the hardwood floor. Charlie came around the sofa, not having her sisters recklessness. Edward crouched down and scooped Charlie up so that he held both girls.

"Dada!" Charlie shouted, throwing her arms around him. He laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Hi my loves," he said, squeezing them to him. "I missed you so much."

"Daddy! Come look at the candy we got!" Pip squealed, pushing out of his arms. He set her down and she dashed into the kitchen. Charlie stayed in his arms, hugging his neck. He smiled and wound his arms around her a little tighter.

"Happy birthday, peanut," he said softly. Charlie grinned.

"It's birthday!" she shouted. He grinned and kissed her silly, making her squeal. My heart was almost aching, it was so happy to see Edward with the girls. I knew after only a few months of seeing Edward with Pip, that there was no way I'd ever get enough of watching him with our children. When I'd gotten pregnant with Charlie, I'd been thrilled at the chance to see Edward with an infant again. Edward plus a baby was potent as hell, and I had had to be careful not to get knocked up again right after.

I turned to the living room, where Embry and Rachel were still watching TV, less interested in the commotion the girls had made. I smiled at their backs before heading into the kitchen.

Sue was doing dishes and Pip was practically climbing the counters trying to get to her trick-or-treat bag that had been clearly put on top of the refrigerator. I smiled at my persistent daughter.

"Hey, Sue," I said, stepping into the kitchen. She looked up from the dish she was drying and smiled.

"Bella, sweetheart. How are you?"

I came over and gave her a gentle hug, kissing her cheek before nodding. "Good. How about you?"

She nodded. "Over the moon to spend time with my grandkids," she said warmly. I grinned.

"They were behaved?" I asked. Charlie was pretty easy going and did mostly what she was told, but Pip was feisty and a mischief maker for sure. I wondered if I'd been that bad when I was her age.

"They were wonderful," Sue assured me. I was sure there was something she wasn't telling me, but I nodded, accepting her answer all the same.

I glanced over to see Pip trying to drag a kitchen chair over to the fridge and I stepped in the way. "Pip. I don't want you to climb up on grandma's furniture. If you need something, please ask," I told her gently. She looked at me impatiently.

"I want to show daddy my candy!" she whined. I reached up, grabbing the bag from the top of the fridge.

"Please put the chair back, and then you can show daddy," I promised her.

She shoved the chair across the kitchen, roughly putting it back before running back to me. I handed her the bag and she took off with it toward the living room.

"Edward's in?"

I looked at Sue and nodded, smiling. "He got in last night. He wanted to surprise the girls," I told her. She beamed.

"What a lovely surprise."

I nodded in agreement. "Did you two eat? I have extra pancakes I can heat up," she offered. I shook my head.

"Thank you, but we ate already," I told her. She nodded and put away the last of her dishes. "Is dad around?"

Sue pointed toward the living room. "Somewhere. He went upstairs to get something or another. I'm not sure," she rolled her eyes gently and I smiled, heading back out to the living room. Dad was sitting on the sofa next to Edward. Charlie was still in Edward's lap while Pip was pouring her candy on the coffee table, trying to lay out every piece.

"Hey dad," I said, taking a seat next to Edward on the sofa. Charlotte snuggled deeper into Edward's chest, as if she thought I'd try to take her from him. I smiled at her. She was absolutely a daddy's girl.

"Hey Bells. How'd it go last night?"

My eyes cut to Edward before I could stop myself, and there was an awkward moment where Edward tried not to laugh, and dad started to blush. I cleared my throat and smiled.

"Good. I got the manuscript in," I said looking back at dad. He cleared his throat and nodded, looking back at the TV to compose himself. I smirked at him.

"Mama, look at my candy!" Pip demanded. I turned my attention to her. She was staring up at me, watching me with those sharp eyes of her. They might have been Edward's green, but the sass in them was one hundred percent me.

"What'd you get, baby?" I asked, leaning forward. She grabbed a handful of candy and brought it over to me. I reached out to smooth out her tangled hair as she showed us her favorite candies. Pip was a talker, and given the opportunity, she would sit and babble about just about anything for a solid hour.

"And I like this one, but sometimes I don't like it cause sometimes it gets stuck to my teeth, but sometimes it's good. But I like the purple, but I like blue too, and this one is you mama," she said, handing me a candy. I wasn't sure if she was thinking the little mounds bar was my favorite, or if she was personifying it to be like me, but I nodded either way.

"Is this for me?" I asked her. She looked at me.

"Um, yes. That's for you but not too many," she said, wagging a finger at me. I smirked and stuck the candy in my pocket.

Edward chuckled lightly and I leaned back on the sofa to lean against his side. His arm came around me and I looked at little Charlie.

"What about you, sweetie? Did you get candy last night?"

Charlie nodded, but made no effort to get up and show us. Pip looked up at us.

"Yes! She got some. I'll get it!" she said, sprinting into the kitchen. Thankfully, Sue was still in there, and we could hear Pip asking her for help to get the candy down.

That seemed to get Embry's attention, because he got up and ran into the kitchen as well. Rachel, not to be left out, followed him.

I looked at dad. "How were they?" I asked. Dad's mustache twitched and I smirked. I told him he'd want to limit their sugar intake.

"It was great," he said, shaking his head. I snorted and shook my head. Dad was a worse liar than I was.

Pip came back into the room with Charlie's bag.

"This is yours, Cha-cha," she said, placing the bag in Edward's lap. Charlie took the bag, her little fingers curling around it.

"Yeah!" she said, recognizing the bag. Pip smiled at her sister and went back to sorting her own candy. I shook my head as Embry and Rachel came back to the living room with their bags of candy.

"Pip, will you gather your things. We should head home soon," I said gently. Pip looked up at me.

"Hold on, mama. Five more," she said, holding five fingers up to me. I nodded as she turned back to her candy.

"We doing dinner tonight?" Dad asked. I glanced at him.

"Yeah, five, right?" I asked looking at Edward. He nodded. Charlie was snuggled into his chest, her little head tucked under his chin. One of her hands was resting against his chest, her tiny fingers playing with the buttons on his coat.

They were fucking gorgeous together.

Sue came into the living room, and we all sat and talked for a while. Pip eventually abandoned her candy sorting and instead went to go play with Rachel and Embry. Charlie refused to leave Edward's lap.

Eventually, we decided to head home, so after getting Pip to gather her things—a near impossible task as she got constantly distracted—we headed out for our walk home. Charlie walked, holding hands with Edward, and Pip was racing ahead of us, stopping to pick up leaves before she sprinted off again. Charlie reached up to hold my hand as well, and I smiled down at her.

"What do you want to do for your birthday, Cha-Cha?" Edward asked, looking down at her. Charlie's face scrunched.

"Beach!" she shouted. I laughed. It was November, but she wouldn't care. Charlie loved the water.

"It's too cold to go in the water," I told her. "But we can walk around."

Charlie hopped a little between us and grinned. "Beach, beach, beach!" she chanted. Edward snorted.

"Does she know this is not the beach at home?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"She'll find out," I pointed out. Ahead of us, Pip was stopping to pick up another leaf, and she came running back to us, holding it out.

"Daddy! Look! It's a frog!"

We peered down at her hands curiously. To my surprise, she had an actual frog in her hands. It was a tiny little thing, and was scrambling to get out of her palms.

"Be careful with it, Pip," Edward said gently. She nodded, her eyes wide.

"Mama, will it bite me?"

I shook my head and her relief was immediate. Pip tried to pet the head of the frog but she couldn't quite move quick enough. Charlie was peering at her sister's hands, unsure about the little creature.

Eventually Pip found a nice leaf to put the frog on. We watched her put another leaf near it, so that it hovered over the frog a little. When she looked back at us, she looked proud of herself.

"He needed a little home!" she explained. We both nodded and she skipped ahead, calling a goodbye to the frog over her shoulder. Edward shook his head, and looked at me.

"Our girl is fearless," he said softly. I smiled. It was true. Pip wasn't afraid of anything. Her curiosity was so strong, I'd caught her several times capturing different bugs and many different spiders, just to examine them. She believed in catch and release, and we'd had to train her into the habit of releasing everything outside, rather than in the house.

"Fearless and tender-hearted," I said smiling after her.

"Just like her mother," Edward said softly. I looked over at him, my heart swelling. I leaned over Charlie, kissing him swiftly. He smiled as Charlie giggled under us. She tugged her hands out of ours as she ran off after Pip.

"Look Cha-Cha! A worm!" Pip was calling to her sister.

Edward took my hand in his and I smiled, leaning against his shoulder a little bit. We traveled around the world, had such incredible adventures together as a family, but nothing, absolutely nothing, beat moments like this. Moments we had as a family without the pressures of the outside world, without expectations, where we could just be. This, right here, was where we were happiest.

Six years ago, I'd been a self-absorbed, commitment-phobe who had believed the best way to stay independent was to not let anyone in. I'd thought my life was full, satisfying, and complete.

In hindsight, I'd been barely a shell of a person back then. I had no idea that life could be so much more, if only you allowed yourself to love, and let others in.

Edward had saved me in so many ways. He'd pushed me to grow beyond my limitations, to face my demons, and he'd been there by my side through all of it. He'd given me hope again, a life and a family to love. Edward had given me the thing I never thought I'd needed. He had given me a home.

My home was truly where my heart was, and my heart was these three incredible loves in my life.

What more could anyone ever ask for?

...

AN: I'm so emotional right now. I can't believe this story has come to a close. nearly 12 years ago, I had a thought for this story, and I wrote out about twenty pages of outline and random scenes. I never thought it would evolve to be more than that, and now here we are, story complete. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of you for reading. Thank you to those who have reviewed and sent me your thoughts. I read every review, and each one means so much to me. I'm so grateful to you all for going on this journey with me, and not giving up when things were difficult!

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Much love to you all. Until next time my dears. xx