Fly Like an EaglebyTwilight GypsyChapter 73 We've Only Just Begun
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I know what's coming up between us, and for the first time in decades, I'm alone in my decision. I have no one to counsel me, so I'm on my own. I decide that we'll experiment, per Alice's suggestion, but that Bella will be on the other side of the room, so if I slip, she's not within arm's reach.
And I hope that's enough.
Edward and Bella are married, and he's now faced with navigating a sexual relationship with a human. The worry would have kept him up at night, if he only could have slept.
Chapter 73 Chapter Notes
The family has bestowed some thoughtful gifts on our newlyweds. And Edward is still trying to figure out how to engage in a sexual relationship with a human without the predictable outcome: dead human.
The chapter title belongs to The Carpenters
Chapter 73 We've Only Just Begun December 11th
Bella plows through her eggplant parmigiana at La Bella Italia in Port Angeles. It looks like all her wedding nerves are behind her. She talks about our future and with nods and gestures from me, makes plans for after graduation. Once we're back in the car, I can breathe again. On the way home she says, "Oh! What was in the envelope that Esme gave you?"
I pull it out of a pocket and hand it to her. Inside is a cashier's check. It has a lot of zeroes on it.
She says nothing as the trees pass by in a blur, and in a matter of minutes, I'munlocking the front door. I pick her up, memorizing the look on her face as I carry her across the threshold. She twines her arms around my neck and melts into me.
As soon as I step into the house, I smell it. My piano. I feel my mouth open in awe and I gently place Bella down. She purses her lips as she looks into my face. We walk into the sitting room together, and there it sits, in the corner by the bay window. Our eyes meet and I say, "How did you manage this?"
"Jasper," she says simply. "I spoke to him about it a couple of days ago and he said he was sure he could block it so you wouldn't know. He had a company deliver it this morning after we left for the chapel."
I just stand and stare at it. I hadn't thought much about having a piano here, as the space is small, but Bella had apparently put a lot of thought into it. "Thank you," I murmur, as I pull her into a hug.
"I love hearing you play, and I know you love playing. So." She smiles and glances toward the stairs. I swoop her into my arms and run her to the top.
"Mrs. Cullen," I purr into her ear, as I gently set her down.
"Mr. Cullen," she murmurs, as she gets up on tip-toe to whisper in my own ear.
We walk into the media room and Bella shrieks when she sees the rocker, which is a sturdy traditional of unknown origin. It had been in Bella's room since she was a little girl, but Charlie didn't remember where it had come from, and thought that Renee had bought it somewhere second-hand.
Emmett and Rosalie stripped the peeling blue paint, sanded it smooth, tightened all the pieces and stained it the same color as the stairs. Instead of the threadbare cushions, it's now got a two-piece set in a green and yellow swirl that perfectly matches the room.
It really is unrecognizable. I sit in it and beckon my bride to join me, and then we're rocking together, just as we'd done when I used to sneak up here and join her in the evenings.
Beside it sits Carlisle's gift. I hadn't seen it in his head, so I am as surprised as Bella.
"It's the window," I say, as Bella gets up to examine it. The wood hasn't been stripped, but it's been lightly sanded and sealed. The pane of glass is now crystal clear, and two ornate chains are attached at the top, so it can be hung from a wall. A note from Carlisle says, This is the only piece of hardware that remains of the original house. Edward told Esme about the significance of this window, so I fashioned it into a frame. The backing is against the wall. I look forward to seeing what you choose to display. Yours, Carlisle.
We look at each other. "Maybe one of the pictures you took of your trip," Bella says.
I shake my head. "We'll put a picture in here of a trip we take together," I say.
I give Bella Jasper's gift, which she takes eagerly. This I've seen. He couldn't stop thinking about it. Maybe so I wouldn't see the piano.
She rips the paper off to reveal a shiny black frame that holds a matted 12 x 16 print of her red Chevy truck. It's been digitized to show the truck in its faded state, and almost, but not quite, fluorescent. The picture was taken in La Push, because the very edge of the quaint reservation is visible. The truck is sitting in some high weeds, looking both forlorn and majestic, as if reveling in a comfortable retirement in a pristine setting, having accomplished its task.
Bella holds it out, lips parted in wonder. "This is beautiful. Did you know about it?"
"Not until Jasper spoke to us today. Where do you want to hang it?" After her revelation about how important the thing was to her, this gift touches my heart as well.
"I don't know. Let's look around later." I'm waiting for her to see her grandmother's desk, tucked against the wall in the dark corner. She walks to the couch and lays the picture down, then glances back to see why I haven't joined her.
"What are you smiling about?" she asks. And then she spies it. She slowly walks back across the room to stand with me in front of the desk. Her lips are parted in wonder and she looks at me. "Can you believe it? "she says.
"Not really. I didn't think anything could restore it." It had been painted, but that job had been shoddily done. Chips and dings had marred its surface and the legs were just a mess. Plus, it looked like it had suffered from some weather damage.
It's been dipped, obviously, and then sanded smooth. It's the same honey-color as the rocker and the stairs, and immediately, I know who did this work. Esme.
Bella trails her fingers over the shiny surface and her heart begins to thump. "When I used to come up here to see Charlie, he'd always have new coloring books and crayons for me. I'd sit here and color for hours, because Renee would never let me have crayons in the house. She said they made too much mess."
Too much of a mess? Crayons?
It seems like a floodgate has been opened, and every day there's a new revelation about Renee and how her behavior has affected Bella's development.
She opens the single drawer and finds a long envelope in a heavy-grade paper. Our names are scrawled on the surface. She reaches out a tentative hand and picks it up. "Open it," I urge. She takes a deep breath, squares her shoulders, and slides a finger under the flap.
She unfolds the single sheet of heavyweight parchment and reads it aloud.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That's why it's called the present.
That was written by the guy that did the Family Circus comic strip. And it's a truism that we don't often think about. We spend our days and years second-guessing mistakes from our past, or worrying about possible mistakes we might make in the future. Meanwhile, the wonder of the present passes us by.
Bella, I can't pretend to understand any of this, but when I look in your eyes, I see that you're happy. So don't worry about yesterday. It's over. And don't worry about tomorrow. It isn't here yet. Just live for today. From what Dr. Cullen said, you'll have a lot of todays. Enjoy the house, and enjoy Edward. And no matter what happens, know that I'll always love the both of you.
Charlie.
Inside the envelope is a piece of folded notebook paper. When unfolded, it reveals a check. Bella reads the note at the bottom and her mouth falls open. "It's my college fund. Charlie and Renee must have saved this money from the time I was a little girl."
She hands it to me and I'm stunned. Bella's father, through no fault of his own, is in a disabled state, possibly facing early retirement, and he still gave Bella the money he and Renee had set aside for her education.
And Bella's eyes are welling with tears again. "Shh, Shh, I soothe, as I take her in my arms. She takes deep breaths to calm herself.
"I worried that he'd be mad at me for not going to college. For choosing to join your family instead. That he would feel abandoned. I'm so glad he has Maya, and that he's come to terms with my decision."
I decide that it's not the time to tell her about his mental state, or that he might not be able to return to work.
"What do we do with it?" she asks.
"We cash it. Charlie put a lot of thought into this action, Bella. And, anyway, the family and I have a hunk of cash set aside for his and Maya's wedding present. Waaaay more than $68,000.
Bella still holds the check as if it might explode. I fold her hand around it. "Cash it, Bella. Deposit it into your account. And by the way, I have something for you." I pull out my wallet and hand her a credit card in her name.
She looks up at me. "What's this for?"
"For anything you want. It has a $10,000 limit. If you need more than that, just tell me and I'll buy it or give you another card."
She holds the card in her hand and blinks a few times. "I've never had more than a few hundred dollars to my name, and now I've got a fortune." And oh, my goodness. She doesn't know how much money there actually is.
She motions to me to follow her into the bedroom. She places the card on the bed and begins to change clothes. I watch with interest as she takes the thing with ribbons off of her head, pulls off her dress, and unrolls her panty hose. She grabs sweats and a hoodie, redressing right in front of me, as I'm standing in the doorway. It's something she's never done before.
I raise my eyebrows appreciatively and she grins. "I'm married now. I'm not slipping out of my clothes in the other room anymore." The unspoken question of when lingers. And I've already decided. I'm not waiting for Alice to wake to tell me if I'll behave myself. We're married, and we're going to enjoy sex with each other.
And anyway, I've already promised Bella a proper honeymoon. I can hardly deliver on that promise if I don't act during the honeymoon period. I can't drag it out for a year. I promise we'll have sex at our one-year anniversary, Bella. Just be patient. Nope.
My decision is challenged immediately, because Bella's bodily perfume is heavy in the air. I casually walk to the window and open it a crack. The breeze, laden with moisture of the approaching storm, is a welcome respite to the mouth-watering scent swirling all around me.
When I turn around, Bella is still standing in the same place. I collapse on the settee, fearing to be physically close to her right now. Her expression, which had been open and playful, has turned serious. "What's wrong?"
I gulp the fresh air and then turn back to her. "Sometimes your scent is a bit overwhelming, Bella." That's an understatement. "You smell different, stronger, if that's possible, right before it rains." Cinnamon. Spicy, edible cinnamon. And of course, warm, sticky blood.
She makes a move to come to me but I put a hand up. "No, don't come any closer. Just give me a moment."
Bella sits on the bed but regards me warily. She should regard me warily, as my muscles have coiled, and I'm having a little difficulty getting them to relax. I take deep breaths of the fresh air, willing myself to be safe for my bride.
"Bella, could you take your shower and leave me by myself for a few minutes?" My eyes plead with her and she nods. She shoots me a sad smile as she leaves.
I know what's coming up between us, and for the first time in decades, I'm alone in my decision. I have no one to counsel me, so I'm on my own. I've put this off for as long as I can, but Alice is still not awake. So we'll experiment, per Alice's suggestion, but Bella will be on the other side of the room, so if I slip, she's not within arm's reach.
And I hope that's enough.