**A/N Sooo...I posted the last chapter pretty late on Tuesday and I'm wondering if maybe the new chapter notification might've gotten buried in your email folders or something, because almost nobody reviewed it, like crickets, which is kinda unusual.
So if you don't remember reading about Edward taking Bella to their new meadow, The Grove, then go back and read Chapter 42. Now without further ado, Bella's birthday. Enjoy! And please review! I can't stress enough how much your feedback keeps me motivated to keep writing.
*EPOV*
I watched Bella's face as she slept. Nineteen. My wife was nineteen years old today. It seemed almost impossible to believe that just one year ago today, I had set into motion the plan to leave her. Three days from now would mark the anniversary of that blackest of all days.
It was even more incredible to think that a month ago, in August, I'd married the love of my existence, the same person I'd believed to be dead in March. The same one that I'd abandoned for six months prior to that until she rescued me from certain death in Volterra. Had two people ever experienced such a tumultuous union?
It was still a mystery to me that I had managed to foul up everything so completely, and yet here she was...sharing my bed, my name, my life.
I tried not to wallow in the feelings of unworthiness that surfaced. Today was a day to celebrate.
While Alice had promised that there would be no parties, there would be a celebration. And Alice had taken so many precautions to make sure that not a single drop of blood was shed, I'd teased her that it was a celebration for a clumsy person, not a suicidal person. Though, admittedly, with Bella sometimes it was hard to tell the difference.
Paper and glass were banned substances. Every single gift had been wrapped in a brightly colored gift bag instead of paper gift wrap.
Alice wouldn't even hear of tissue paper being used as filler, instead, she used bags and bags of iridescent plastic hay, similar to the kind you'd find in an Easter basket.
The cake table was set with plastic cutlery and styrofoam plates and cups (for the one human that would make use of them.)
It's a good thing this will be her last human birthday, Alice thought, I think our carbon footprint just doubled.
I let Alice have her fun knowing her efforts were just as much for Jasper's benefit as they were for Bella's.
There was nobody who wanted, no, needed Bella's birthday to go smoothly more than Jasper did, though I was a very close second.
Like clockwork, by 6 am, Bella moaned groggily as she slowly came to consciousness.
"Rise and shine, birthday girl!" I said cheerfully, drawing the curtains. I'd asked if she wanted to skip school to celebrate her birthday, but never one to make a fuss about herself and very much a creature of routine, Bella declined.
"G'morning," Bella mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes before throwing her legs over the side of the bed and trudging to the bathroom.
I was sitting casually on the foot of the bed waiting for her when she emerged a few minutes later looking a little more awake. I opened my arms to her, as I did every morning, and she crawled into my lap.
We'd kiss good morning, and I'd hold her quietly or we'd speak in hushed tones about everything and nothing for a few moments, and then she'd affectionately pat me twice on the shoulder, hop off my lap, and we'd go our separate ways until breakfast.
It was certainly interesting how having a human among us turned breakfast into a time of family gathering that we never used to observe before.
Love is not a strong enough word for how Esme felt about getting the opportunity to care for one of her children in that way. It was her favorite time of day because she got to feed Bella, which also drew the others around the table.
Alice came to visit with Bella. Jasper went wherever Alice went, but he didn't mind soaking up the good vibes, either. Emmett loved the camaraderie, and even Rosaliehad started to come around. Carlisle was often working, but he joined us whenever he could.
And there was Bella, in the center of it all, nibbling on a piece of bacon while my mother looked on, reveling in maternal satisfaction. The scene looked like a Norman Rockwell painting if Rockwell painted vampire families.
I would have to make the suggestion to Bella about keeping the breakfast routine going even after she was turned, if only to make Esme happy.
"So Bella, are you sure you need to go to school today? How many times in your life will you turn nineteen? Let's go paint the town!" Alice suggested with a little bounce in her seat.
"Subtle, Alice...At least you didn't say 'This is the last birthday you're ever going to have. Let's go party!" Bella said with pursed lips, fighting a smile.
"She was thinking it," I chimed in with a chuckle.
"I only have two classes today. I'll be back before lunch. When the Make-A-Wish people show up with my favorite boy band, tell them to wait and they can tell me how brave I am when I get back," Bella said snarkily, pulling away from the table.
Everyone had a hearty laugh at that, especially Emmett. Nobody appreciated an irreverent sense of humor like my big brother.
"Make-a-Wish people…" Emmett repeated, shaking his head with amusement. "Good one, Squirt," he held out a massive fist for her to bump with her own.
It was a startling juxtaposition. When Bella reached across the table to tap her knuckles to his, her tiny fist was only as wide as two of Emmett's fingers.
"Gotta tell ya, Em. I'm disappointed. Squirt isn't very original as far as little sister nicknames go," Bella teased.
Emmett grinned deviously. "That's not why I call you Squirt, Squirt!"
He grabbed the ketchup bottle off the table that Bella had used to eat with her eggs and squeezed it until a geyser of the viscous, red condiment splattered all over the table, even managing to spatter the ceiling.
Alice and Rosalie, who were sitting closest to him, were horrified at the mess left on their clothing, but Emmett just laughed louder.
"I call you Squirt cause every time I see you, you're bleeding!" He threw his head back and roared in laughter, joined in by Jasper. Never one to take herself too seriously, even Bella laughed at the barb.
Esme was dismayed by the mess, but heartened by the bonding she saw taking place. She hugged Bella and wished her a happy birthday once more before we left for school, and then threw Emmett a dishrag and that universal mom look, that said "Clean this up. Now."
Emmett's jovial thoughts rang out clear as a bell. Worth it.
I closed the door to the Volvo behind Bella and slid behind the wheel, backing out of the garage and heading toward the main road.
"Two questions," I said without preamble.
Her eyebrows rose in interest as if to say, "Ask away."
"The first is...you have a favorite boy band?" I asked, trying not to sound judgmental, but failing. Surely, she had better taste in music than that.
She looked at me as if I was missing something painfully obvious. "I'm a millennial. And a girl. Find me a '90s girl that doesn't have a strong preference between *Nsync and the Backstreet Boys, and I'll show you a damned dirty liar."
I laughed at the vehemence behind her statement. "So which one are you?"
"*Nsync, all day."
Her answer gave new context to the time when I caught her dancing along to the Justin Timberlake song on Isle Esme.
"Interesting," I nodded. Not so much the bit about the boy band, but I was always pleasantly surprised when I found out things about Bella that I didn't know. A new piece to the puzzle.
"I don't think you meant that to be your second question," Bella pointed out as I made the turn onto the freeway.
"Oh, right. My other question, since I'm not a mind reader," I chuckled, "Is there anything special that you'd like to do today? Anything at all?
"Nineteen isn't a particularly big milestone year as far as voting or drinking or renting a car," I laughed lightly, "But, we can do anything you want, just name it."
*BPOV*
I chewed on my lip, considering. The more I thought about it, the more I was starting to have feelings about not getting to experience a typical 21st birthday party. And he did just say drinking, right?
As the daughter of a police chief, I'd seen every high school assembly scare tactic film ever made about the dangers of drug abuse, so that didn't really interest me.
But getting a little boozy to commemorate my birthday seemed an appropriately human thing to do. Something I'd regret not doing later on.
I frowned. Knowing Edward, if I asked for an alcohol-infused birthday, he would have a full bar set up at the house by the time we got back from school. And an IV drip on standby to prevent the hangover.
But sitting at home drinking alone while the Cullens watched with amusement, and probably took bets on how many drinks it took me to vomit, wasn't the experience I had in mind.
Edward sensed my hesitation. "Bella, I mean it, anything you want. Try me."
"I was thinking that I'd like to experience getting drunk at least once before I can't anymore." I closely watched his face for his reaction before I said anything else. His expression was carefully composed.
"But I'm not sure how I would even do that, though, because I don't want to drink alone at home. And I'm obviously not old enough to go anywhere else," I frowned again.
"You want to go to a club?" Edward asked dubiously, knowing my distaste for large crowds and dancing.
"No, no. I was thinking more like...a dive bar. It would be fun to go to some little hole in the wall and pump quarters into a jukebox while I drink something fruity and, I don't know, play darts or something."
Edward's eyes widened in apprehension at the idea of me throwing pointy objects.
"Ok, maybe not darts. But I could probably play pool without sustaining a grievous bodily injury," I laughed. But then my face fell. "But again, I'm not 21."
Edward looked thoughtful for a minute. Then his eyebrow and right side of his mouth quirked up, obviously thinking of something I hadn't.
"Did you know that the drinking age in Canada is nineteen? Montreal is just a couple of hours away, and I speak excellent French," Edward's smile was devilish.
"Of course you do," I sniggered, but getting legitimately excited now. My phone vibrated in my pocket seconds later.
"Yes, Alice?" I pressed my phone to my ear, a wide smile on my face.
"Can we come? Can we come? Oh, please, please, please?" My favorite sister begged. I could just imagine her with hands folded in front of her, a pleading expression on her face.
Well, at least Emmett laughing at me in a bar in Canada was better than being at home.
"I'm gonna make you take a shot with me," I warned. They all were going to take a shot with me, and I didn't care if they had to throw it back up. I was not going to drink or vomit alone.
I pulled the phone away from my ear at her loud squeal of excitement. In the background, I heard Jasper's baritone voice sing the first few bars of "O, Canada."
"Have fun at school, Bella!" Alice chirped. "I'm going to book us a few hotel rooms. You aren't going to want to make the drive home tonight," she laughed grimly.
"Hotel? But I have school tomorrow!" I started to protest.
"It's just one day! Ditching every now and again is healthy!" I could practically hear her rolling her eyes at my goody-two-shoedness. Where had I heard that before?
I glanced at Edward; his smile was placid.
"Ok, but I have to be back by early tomorrow afternoon so I can finish my misogyny paper. It's due on Friday," I demanded. I only had one class tomorrow, anyway, and Romance in Medieval England was my least favorite of the three.
"Done!"
I wrapped up the call with Alice and slid my phone back in my pocket.
"I'm sorry!" I blurted unthinkingly. "I should have asked you if you mind missing class tomorrow!" I said, appalled by my own thoughtlessness.
Edward looked at me a little patronizingly as if to say 'Really, Bella?'
"Still rude not to ask," I muttered. Then in a brighter tone, I added, "I'm kind of surprised you're being so cool about this, to tell you the truth," I admitted.
Edward scoffed, insulted. "Give me a break, Bella, I'm not that uptight. Even I've been drunk once before," he rolled his eyes as if this were common knowledge.
"What?!" I shrieked. "You never told me that before!" I accused in a half-shout.
Edward looked like he was enjoying himself. "There was no drinking age in my time, Bella. At 17, I was considered a man. I'll tell you about it later tonight," he promised, pulling into his usual spot near Greek housing.
Before he moved to get out of the car, he leaned across the center console to kiss me. I eagerly met him halfway. "Try not to do anything too badass when I'm not looking," he teased, kissing me again.
"No promises." But I'd said it to empty space. He was already out of the car and opening my door for me. I was sure he'd heard me, anyway.
Kissing once more when we got to The Green, we parted ways as I walked to my building and he walked to his.
It was a good thing I hadn't skipped class today because Professor Chaney had thrown a pop quiz on Hamlet. I had no trouble with that but lacked focus for the rest of the class, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the professor.
As I was leaving class, Professor Chaney remarked, "Got a hot date with Romeo, Miss Capulet? I've never seen someone look at the clock so many times," his tone was teasing.
I blushed. "Sorry, Professor! Was I that obvious? Actually, I do. It's my birthday today and my family is taking me out to celebrate."
"Huzzah! Happy birthday! Well, thank you for gracing us with your albeit distracted presence on your special day!" Then he added in a stage-whisper, " I don't even come to work on my birthday."
I beamed at him and promised I'd be much more focused when I returned to his class on Friday.
One class down, one to go, I thought, heading downstairs to the larger lecture hall. It was Professor Lipton's class, which I always enjoyed. Though I was sort of dreading bumping into frat-bro.
I squared my shoulders walking into class. Cullens never cowered.
*EPOV*
I didn't have a second class that morning, so I used the time to log in hours in the practice rooms which was a portion of my final grade, as well as keep up with my online coursework.
The practice rooms were little more than closets with questionably tuned loaner instruments for which to practice on.
The nice thing about them, though, was that they were private. I didn't have to play at human speed, because no one was there to watch or listen.
I set aside the grimy communal headphones that were left plugged into the digital piano and plugged in my own set.
Hmm. What to play? Something lively in the spirit of Bella's slightly out-of-character birthday request.
Ah. Of Course! I launched into Aaron Copland's Hoe-Down.
It was the piece that Emmett called the "Beef, It's What for Dinner Song," because of a 90's ad campaign that famously used the composition two years after Copland died.
I bet he would be thrilled to know that his legacy as a composer was being known for the "beef song," I snorted to myself as I played the first cambiata.
I couldn't help but laugh at what was about to transpire this evening. My siblings and I would drive Bella across the border to aid and abet in her getting intoxicated at a bar for her birthday.
There was a first time for everything, I supposed, but more importantly, there was a last time, too.
I couldn't fault Bella for being curious about mind-altering substances; I was just glad she hadn't wanted to try something more dangerous. And a dive bar was manageable. The picture she painted sounded kind of fun, actually.
I imagined leaning over Bella's bent-over form, showing her how to line up a shot in a game of billiards. My body pressed against hers, I'd whisper in her ear about how amazing she looked in... whatever ensemble Alice twisted her arm into wearing.
I hoped it was another pair of those tight jeans, though, because good lord.
I grinned as I reached the vigorous climax of the composition. Yes, this trip was starting to sound more fun by the minute.
*BPOV*
After I had psyched myself up for another run-in with frat-bro, he wasn't even there that day. So I dutifully took notes the entire period and tried not to be so obvious about my clock watching. But when we were eventually dismissed, I was the first one out the door.
As fast as I was, I still didn't beat Edward to the coffee cart. He chuckled when he took in my keyed-up appearance.
Edward brushed a cool hand over my flushed cheek. "My, my somebody's raring to go!" he murmured, though there was an excited gleam in his eyes, too.
Shortly after, we pulled into the garage at home, and Edward towed me by the hand toward the main house while I whined the whole way. Were presents and cake really necessary? Weren't we going to get into traffic if we waited around too long?
"Bella, it's barely noon. If we left now, we'd be in Montreal by three. Did you plan to start drinking at 3 pm on a Wednesday?" Edward teasingly ruffled my hair.
Damn him and his logic.
"Bring on the presents and cake," I grumbled as if I were being led to the stockade
Everybody was already convened when we passed through the broad archway into the family room.
The entire room was festively decorated with balloons and banners, though there was a noticeable absence of the crepe paper Alice normally loved to decorate with.
And then, to my utter mortification, the entire Cullen clan burst into a rousing, harmonized rendition of "Happy Birthday To You."
I blushed fiercely at being the target of this serenade. At which point, Emmett was suddenly at my side throwing his arm around me with his phone out. He took a quick selfie of us as he mockingly pointed at my cherry red face.
"Happy birthday, Bella!" came from Jasper. I felt a wave of happiness and excitement wash over me.
Jasper stepped forward and presented me with a styrofoam plate bowing precariously under the weight of an enormous slab of funfetti cake.
"Thanks, Jasper!" I beamed as Edward guided me with a hand on the small of my back to a loveseat near the grand fireplace. He took his place next to me and squeezed my hand.
"Me first! Me first!" Alice danced over to the long line of...gift bags? How odd and unlike her. She grabbed three bags in each hand and set them in front of me.
"Those are from Rose and me. To start your collection." Alice drifted back to her perch on the arm of the couch next to Jasper.
In each of the six bags was a different box of shoes. All with names I'd only ever read before in magazines. Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, and a few others I didn't recognize.
I slid the boxes out one at a time to reveal pair after pair of strappy, spikey, scary heels.
"Aww, guys! You got me fuck-me shoes! You shouldn't have!" I exclaimed, for the moment completely forgetting that Carlisle and Esme were sitting on the far end of the couch.
They laughed good-naturedly, though I got the sense they'd be blushing almost as intensely as I was if they could. Edward and the rest were beside themselves with laughter.
Then Emmett was there again, snapping another photo of my chagrin.
Esme brought me the next gift, it was in a smaller bag. "From Carlisle and me. Happy Birthday, dear girl!" Esme wrapped me in a tight hug, before returning to her seat.
Inside a silk drawstring pouch was a bangle-style bracelet with the unmistakable Cullen crest emblazoned onto a silver oval plate. It was a feminine version of the cuff Edward wore.
I gasped at the meaningfulness of the gift. I slid the cuff immediately around my wrist where it would always stay.
Lightly fingering the detailed design, I looked up at my adopted parents with unshed tears and mouthed "thank you," because I didn't think I could say the words out loud without my voice breaking. They were both beaming adoringly at me.
"This one is from me, Squirt. I really hope you don't already have one."
Emmett couldn't even keep a straight face to finish the sentence. Weren't vampires supposed to be masters of deception?
I slid a large box out of the metallic silver bag and onto my lap where I could read the packaging.
"Automated External Defibrillator," I read off the box. Emmett had given me a medical device used to shock someone's heart back to life after a cardiac event...because I was so death-prone.
I looked up at the ceiling, shaking my head muttering obscenities to the heavens.
Then, to Emmett, "I hate you. I hate you so much," I said through a huge, face-splitting grin, shoulders shaking with laughter. My face was a furious red.
I was expecting it this time when Emmett snapped another photo, howling with laughter.
"Jasper has determined that that is a lie," Edward announced in his best Maury Povich imitation, hugging me to his side.
"Your real gift is at your house since paper wasn't allo-"
"Bella, why don't you take a minute to eat your cake while I play the video," Alice cut off Emmett mid-sentence with a glare and clicked a button on the TV remote.
Carlisle's head and shoulders filled the screen. His movie star face smiled warmly as he wished me a happy birthday as graciously as only Carlisle could.
The next face on the screen was Esme's. She waxed on about how thrilled she was to have a new daughter to celebrate, and then made me full-on ugly cry when she emotionally thanked me for loving her boy. As if that was some difficult task.
Edward's arm around me tightened. "More than words can say, yes, thank you for that," he murmured into the hollow behind my ear, tenderly kissing me there. I tore my eyes from the screen to face him.
The way he looked at me tore the breath from my chest. His eyes were soft and warm, loving and devoted.
How did the gods ever deem someone like me worthy of this angel? There must have been some mistake, some cosmic mix-up.
Alice cleared her throat loudly as her pixie face filled the screen.
And then it finally dawned on me, the thing that I couldn't put my finger on that felt so off about this party. No crepe paper decorations. No gift wrap. No greeting cards, no paper plates. And what was that Emmett had said about paper not being allowed?
But why? My eyes widened in sudden understanding. Because of a papercut that very nearly ruined everything. My head turned rapidly toward the cake table. Styrofoam instead of china.
I gritted my teeth. Alice had Bella-proofed this party.
"I think she's on to you, Ally," Emmett whispered loudly.
For an immeasurable amount of time, I couldn't decide whether to be mad and throw a fit or to burst into a fit of giggles at the hilarity of having a bubble-wrapped birthday in a family of vampires who had already gone to such great lengths to keep me alive. I chose the latter.
Nodding slowly, I conceded "I guess I deserve this," I said to a room of chortling vampires.
"See, I told you she'd be a good sport," Alice stuck her tongue out at her family.
Locking eyes with a contrite-looking Jasper, I tried to emit an energy of forgiveness, friendship, and warmth so strong that he'd be forever freed from the need to keep punishing himself over that long-forgiven lapse. Message received, said his relieved, answering smile.
Simultaneously, Jasper's voice filled the room as his face on the TV told me how glad he is to have me around and how much happier the whole family is since I joined the family. "I would know," his face on the screen smirked, and then the video cut to Emmett.
Emmett's clip was of him, all dimples and boyishness, showing me the handmade coupon book he'd made me, complete with hand-drawn illustrations.
One coupon good for grizzly hunting lessons.
One coupon for the"Emmett Cullen strength-management course."
Several coupons for a harassment-free day.
And one coupon for his unlimited, unexpiring services for dunking Edward's head in the toilet if he ever steps out of line.
Edward barked out a laugh "You gotta catch me first, big man!"
Rosalie's message was short but sincere. "Happy birthday, Bella. I'm glad to have you as my sister."
Then, Edward's perfect face filled the screen. "Happy birthday to my beautiful Bella. I will celebrate you today and every day for the rest of my very long life. You are the very best thing about me. I love you."
I thought the video would cut off there, but it didn't. My hand flew to my wide-open mouth as Charlie's face filled the screen. He looked as uncomfortable and awkward as I would have expected him to.
"Alice told me she was doing some kind of video message thing, so...Happy birthday, kiddo! Things aren't the same around here without you. I miss you every day, but I know you're off kicking butt and making me proud in school and life, just like you always do.
"And don't you worry about me! Sue is taking great care of me," then Sue entered the frame, as Charlie dragged her in front of the camera and slung an arm around her. "Happy Birthday, Bella!" Sue said warmly with a wave.
And then it was Mom and Phil sitting on the couch I recognized from their living room in Jacksonville. Mom's words were warm and sentimental, and then she started to ramble like she always did as Phil tried to reel her back in.
The faces on the screen blurred as my eyes welled up.
"I don't even know what to say. This is the best Bella-proofed, bubble-wrapped birthday person a person could ask for," I said tearfully, looking at each member of my family with love and gratitude.
Jasper walked over to the last gift bag from the bunch and set it at my feet.
I unwrapped it with shaking hands, feeling nervous for some reason, which Jasper wordlessly remedied.
Inside the bag was what looked like a wooden chessboard, sawed in half and fitted with brass hinges and a handle to form its own carrying case.
I flipped open the little brass latches to open the case revealing painstakingly carved and painted chess pieces that resembled the entire Cullen family.
Edward and I were king and queen. Carlisle and Esme were the bishops. Emmett and Jasper were the knights, making Alice and Rosalie the rooks. And the pawns? The pawns were wolves.
My hand flew to my mouth, choked up over such a thoughtful, priceless gift. I softly shut the box and closed the latches so that I could hug the whole thing to my chest.
"You're very welcome. I'm the only one good enough at chess to beat Edward even with his gift. And I'd be happy to teach you my tricks if you promise never to tell him," Jasper's smile was beguiling.
"Can I hug you?" I asked in a whisper.
From next to me, I heard Edward's breath catch in his throat.
*EPOV*
For an endless moment, Bella's question rendered everybody completely speechless, both in words and in thought. And then several things happened all at once.
Jasper stood up a little taller, staggered by Bella's request. He looked first from Bella to me, then to Alice. Seeing that it would be ok, Alice nodded at Jasper with complete confidence.
The thoughts that swirled around me all varied slightly, but there was one main theme.
My family was gobsmacked by Bella's willingness not only to forgive Jasper but to quite literally embrace him. There was also an undercurrent of concern that Jasper wouldn't be able to control himself.
I didn't have to read Jasper's thoughts to understand the look of pure determination on his face. I knew it well.
I had looked much the same when I was determined to make a connection with this shockingly brave, utterly different human girl.
Jasper nodded almost imperceptibly. Bella stood up, handing over the chess set to me as I watched with bated breath as Bella took the slow, careful steps to approach Jasper.
He held his breath as she stretched up on her tiptoes, and slowly, purposefully, reached out her arms to wrap them around Jasper's neck.
Bella subtly tucked her chin as she pulled herself close to him and held him for an incredibly tense moment as Jasper's hands hovered uncertainly over her back, then patted her gently, if a little awkwardly.
Bella knew enough not to linger, and her heels found the floor as she pulled away from him with a wide, accomplished smile.
As Bella returned to my side it felt like the entire room let out a collective breath of relief.
'Thank you," she breathed to Jasper. And then her gaze swept from left to right and back to me.
"That goes to all of you. I feel like a broken record, but thank you. You've made this such a special day, the best day ever, really. I'm so grateful," she blushed for the dozenth time that day.
"You're welcome, Bella, that's all we wanted for you." I smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into my side. "I have a gift for you too, love, but I was hoping you could open it later when we are alone?" I asked her softly.
"Of course," Bella nodded with wide curious eyes.
"Alright, alright, we did cake and presents and embarrassed the hell out of the girl-"
"That was just you, Em," I interjected.
Emmett grinned unrepentantly, "Can we please go unleash a drunken Bella on Canada now? I doubt there will be any survivors."
"Ah, yes, I heard about that," Carlisle's voice cut through the others. "Remember to hydrate, Bella. Eat lots of carbohydrates beforehand, and remember you can always drink more, but you can't drink less. Well, not pleasantly anyway. Have fun and enjoy your evening!" Carlisle cautioned, always the voice of reason and responsibility.
Carlisle put his arms around Esme and thought of Bella as the six of us filed out of the house to pile into our respective cars.
Home alone with Esme twice in one week? I could kiss that girl.
*A/N* I had really hoped to make it to Montreal for Bella's night out, but this chapter was just getting so darn long. Getting right to work on tipsy Bella shenanigans. Anything you want to see happen? Drop me a line! I love getting suggestions. Have a great weekend, lovelies!