Chapter 51 - Santa's Secret
Edward
Renee and Charlie arrived Christmas morning, and while Renee ran upstairs to see Bella, Charlie slipped into the family room with a vial of gold dust, sprinkling it all over the place. He winked at me and hid the vial in his pocket.
During their visit at Thanksgiving, Charlie and I had spent some time together talking about past Christmases, and he had let me in on the family secret of the Magic Santa Dust.
"Okay, Edward," he had said, checking to make sure Bella and Renee were out of earshot, "Here's the scoop. I know Bella told you the 'Santa leaving magic dust on everything' story. What she doesn't know is it's never been her mother who's done it. It's always been me," he had smirked, looking proud that he'd kept his secret all those years. "To this day, Bella still doesn't know, and I just ask that you keep it that way, at least until I've passed away."
The sparkle in his eyes when he had talked about his baby girl had been bright, and him sharing with me his little secret meant a lot. That was when I knew he trusted me, so I had asked him an especially important question.
"Charlie, I've fallen head over heels in love with your daughter, and I want to marry her, preferably soon. Do I have your permission to ask Bella to marry me?"
Thankfully, Charlie hadn't left me sweating long.
"Son, I can't think of a better man to have as my son-in-law. You not only have my permission; you have my blessing. She's my baby, my only one, so please, just promise me you'll take good care of her," he had pleaded, looking very misty-eyed.
"You have my word, Charlie. I'll do everything in my power to make sure she and our children have the absolute best I can give them, especially a lifetime of love."
"That's all I can ask. She's a good girl, and an amazing woman. You'll be getting yourself one hell of a wife, Edward," Charlie had smiled, and I had agreed with him.
Charlie's pride in his daughter was great, and it had me looking forward to having one of my own to spoil. I just knew if she had those big, expressive eyes like her beautiful mother, I would be completely wrapped. I would also take out any man without batting an eyelash who behaved towards her like Black or Cheney, and I was sure Charlie would help me bury the body.
I was so excited when it was time to open our gifts. I had held onto my mother's jewelry for all these years, never parting with a piece of it for any reason. But now, it only seemed natural that Bella should have it. The set I gave Renee was perfect for her, and it felt right to give it to her. My mother had never actually worn those pieces, but when she had seen them, she had bought them with a smile, stating that she just knew they would bring her joy at some point. I hoped she was able to feel that joy now from where she was in heaven upon seeing the happiness on Renee's face.
Just because it was Christmas did not mean I had no patients to attend to, so I left Bella with her parents and headed to the hospital to do my rounds. Hopefully, I could be back home in time for dinner. The elevator was taking forever, so I decided to work off my huge breakfast a bit and took the stairs up to the third floor.
Being that it was Christmas, the hospital was unsurprisingly busy, and there were several people who seemed to hold the same opinion as me on the slow elevator. People were moving in both directions, and I didn't pay much attention to faces, but I kept getting the feeling someone's eyes were on me. Great, it appeared I had espoused Bella's feelings of being watched, and it had me glancing around, trying to determine if any of the people in the stairwell with me seemed threatening in any way. It irritated me greatly, just this one incidence, so I could only imagine what Bella had been going through. It made me want to put a bodyguard on her. It also got me started thinking about that letter her grandmother had left her mentioning Laurant Dubois. Something about that whole thing was still bugging me.
By the time I was ready to head back home, my mood had turned somewhat dour. I'd had another unpleasant encounter with Dr. Stanley in the breakroom, and I had finally come right out and threatened sexual harassment charges, which had backed her off. Then, I'd had the misfortune of walking into the locker room to the sounds of Dr. Cheney and a new nurse doing things in one of the shower stalls that should have gotten them both reprimanded. Dr. Black was standing by his locker, shaking with laughter, and I wanted to punch him just thinking about how he and Cheney had wanted to put Bella in that very same position. I headed out of there, saying a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn't been the kind of woman to put herself in that position. I truly had a gem in her.
When I walked in the door, Bella came and greeted me with a hug and a kiss, and my mood immediately lifted. I realized I had something men like Black and Cheney had yet to discover. I had found my reason for living a laudable life. I wanted to live my life as a man worthy of a good woman, and Bella was that woman for me. I hoped they eventually grew up and found that for themselves.
As we were cuddled up later, I teased Bella about her first "marriage" to little Laurant Dubois, but there was something that was still weighing on me, especially after having it simmering in the back of my mind all afternoon. I just couldn't put my finger on it. Surely, I wasn't jealous of a five-year-old case of puppy love?
However, when Bella mentioned that he used to watch her well into their teens, it dawned on me why I was uneasy. It reminded me of the peeping tom and the mysterious person Bella kept feeling watching her at the hospital. I dismissed the idea, though, that it would be Dubois. He had been gone for years, and even though Bella really was unforgettable, it only made sense that the guy would have moved on and forgotten all about her. I was sure there was nothing to worry about now from Laurant Dubois.
