AN: Finally finished this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

A quick note that I'm putting on all my stories. I'm not reading guest reviews until Alice's White Rabbit reviews them. I like being happy. That will keep it that way.

Chapter 17

There was something special about walking in a mall with Edward Cullen with our fingers linked. I never thought something like this would ever happen. It just made me smile so big. It even made the daunting choice of what to get Jessica and Mike for their wedding a little easier.

"I never thought Pottery Barn was so intimidating until I saw their registry," Edward announced. We were in front a display of glass vases. "Why do they need six that look exactly the same?"

I could see his point. "Jess says that she has a big plan to decorate their living room with vases filled with freshly picked blooms. That girl has big newlywed dreams. Has she learned nothing from our parents? Those vases are going to be empty in six months. She'll probably be too concerned with morning sickness by that time to care about flowers. I can see Jess getting knocked up on the honeymoon."

Edward snickered. Picking up a vase, he gasped at the price tag. "You have to be kidding me! They have these at Target for cheaper. My mom used to get them there."

"Your mom was a wise woman, Edward. We should check out William Sonoma instead. She wants about ten spatulas." I glanced at the print-outs of all the things my friend registered for. "They don't need any of these things. They've been living together for a year. I know she has all of this stuff. Maybe I should get them a gift card for the grocery store. Everyone needs food."

Pottery Barn was a dizzying array of things that made a home the picture of beauty. At least those images in a magazine would tell the world what was beauty. Pieces of it thrown together was fine when seeing it in a photograph but when you had to choose from a whole store it was daunting. So many pillows with their different patterns were making my head spin.

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist. "I can see you registering for all this stuff. They'll be handing you that little scanner and you'll be adding everything."

He tickled my stomach making me giggle.

"I seriously doubt that will happen." I rested my head against his chest. "I'm pretty sensible about things."

"We should bet on it," Edward said into the top of my head. He kissed my hair. "You'll owe me something sexy if I win."

"I will? You planning on being around to see me scan a fondu pot?" I smiled as his hand creeped under my shirt and poked me in the belly button.

I was spun around and Edward took my face in his hands. "You better believe I'll be there. I'll be the man picking out our new blender."

After all these years, this man made my heart pound fiercely. Edward still held my heart in those long fingers of his. It was always him that I wished for.

"Really? You can see me in your future?"

"Bella, you've always been my future." He kissed me until I was weak in the knees.

An older woman in pearls smiled at us and clapped her hands. "Young love is grand! When's the wedding?"

"As soon as this one says yes," Edward told her with a wink.

The woman clutched her pearls and swooned. He had that effect on people, mostly women.

"Edward—" I held tightly to his biceps.

"I would ask you in front of the wall of pillows if I thought you would agree." He placed his forehead on mine. "You need something more romantic. I don't think Pottery Barn screams marriage proposal."

"No, that would be waiting in line to get coffee at Dunkin Donuts," I teased him with a smile. "I would say yes, you know."

He smiled that special smile of his. "I thought you would want to wait for a few years."

"I've already waited years for you. I don't want to let you go," I explained. "I will request a ring first, but you know there something about waiting for the wedding."

"I want to treat you like gold,Bella Swan," Edward told me.

"You are, Edward. You are."

My lips met his. We were not only each other's presents but also our futures.

XXXXXX

"I could have done this myself," Edward said quietly.

He was nervous. I could see the shaking of his hand. It was faint, but still there. The house he grew up in stood before us in all its glory. It still made me gasp a little at the size of the home. I was an adult but the structure still took me aback at its grandeur.

My hands clutched Edward's. "We do these things together."

He pulled me into a hug. "Honey, what did I do without you in my life?"

I pinched his side gently with a grin "I have no clue. I'm a gem."

"You are." He kissed my forehead and off we went.

The massive front door, with it's carved oak, was thrown open as we went up the stairs of the porch. Carlisle Cullen looking older and tired stared only at was a face that showed joy at seeing my Edward again. The man welcomed him with a quiet, "Son."

"Dad," Edward greeted his father quietly. He squeezed my hand. It felt sweaty on my palm. "I'm not sure if you remember my girlfriend, Bella Swan."

His title for me made my heart sing.

"Good evening, Dr. Cullen."

"Bella! Of course, I would never forget such a lovely young woman. How nice to hear that you two are still a couple." The doctor took my free hand and held it in his. "Did you ever become a teacher"

"I did. I teach at the same school as your son," I explained.

The tired eyes of Dr. Cullen perked up and he looked at his son with pride. He motioned at us to come in. It had been years since I had been inside but I could honestly say it felt different to me. The rose-colored glasses of youth were now gone, Instead, I could see all the cracks in the foundation of this home. The invisible ones that destroyed a family. The fissures that ruined the relationship between father and son.

"Let's go into the living room. Can I get you two something to drink? I'm sure I have some good wine around this place. I think there's some beer. Is Sam Adams, okay? Es usually takes care of this." He looked positively befuddled. "She should be here soon. There was an emergency at the hospital and she was going to stop at the store afterward."

"Must suck having it turned around this way," Edward quietly muttered.

I elbowed him in his side. He promised his mother he would try to forgive his father. Sometimes these things weren't possible but Edward would feel terrible if he didn't at least try for her.

Edward cleared his throat. "A Sam Adams would be great."

"Bella?" Edward's father asked sweetly.

"I'll have one too."

His once confident walk was now a shuffle. There was a slight hunch of his back. The blond of his hair was now mostly gray. I don't think it was the passage of time that aged him so greatly. It was more likely the reflection of his poor decisions. Who knows really? It could just my mind reading into the situation. A hope that Dr. Cullen truly regrets the strain in his relationship with Edward. I wasn't a mind reader but in this instance I wished that I was.

While Dr. Cullen was in the kitchen, I sat down on the couch with Edward. His leg was shaking with his knee going up and down. I rested my hand on the top of it to both still it and try to give him some comfort.

"It's going to be okay, Edward," I whispered in my ear. "We'll have a drink with him and go from there."

He looked at my hand then ran his fingers over my knuckles. "I'm not ready to get in a fight with him over the past. I just want to move on. It felt like I had grown and gotten over my anger but back in this house I feel—"

"Like it's all coming back?" I asked. His answer was a nod. "This doesn't have to become an argument over what happened unless you want it to be."

"I don't." He looked around the living room like he was soaking up his surroundings. "I think mom was happier out of this house. It was a blessing in disguise for everybody that they divorced. The adult in me knows that. There is still a small part of me that feels like that pissed off kid."

I squeezed his knee. "If you didn't feel that way, I would be in shock. That kid, however, is never going to forget what happened. You need to see if you can forgive and move on like your mom wanted. You aren't going to resolve everything with your dad tonight. It's going to take time for you to learn the man he is now and for him to see the man you've become. Drink a beer, try and relax, then we can go—"

"You can come back to my place?" he asked. Finally, he gave me a smile and a sassy eyebrow wiggle. That was my boy.

"We could. This house is reminding me of at least one good time."

His smile grew even bigger. "We did have a fun time in that old bedroom of mine, didn't we?"

"We did. You want to play Pearl Jam and make-out like the old days?" I placed my head on his shoulder.

Ever since we were back together we've become magnets. We couldn't go long without contact.

I felt lips on the top of my head. "I like that brilliant plan. How did you get so smart?"

"I've always been this way. Your angry boy just didn't realize it back then," I teased.

"He was a stupid boy to miss that." He hugged me closer.

Dr. Cullen walked in with a big smile. He held a tarnished silver tray that held the beers. "I always thought you two were a good match."

Edward just gave his father a tight smile and took a beer. I took mine and asked politely, "How are things at the hospital?"

"Good, dear, good," he answered, as he sat across from us in a comfortable looking easy chair. "I've cut back my hours quite a bit. It seems to me that retirement might be in order."

"Dad, why?"

I turned to Edward. His face was a mix of shock and pain. There was one thing I saw in his expression that surprised me. Love for his father.

Dr. Cullen held out a shaky hand. "I'm not too steady these days. I think God might be punishing me a little bit. I deserve more."

"Dad—" Edward clutched my hand as he spoke.

"Son, let me get this out." Dr. Cullen held up his hand to halt his son's words. "I screwed up with you and your mom. I will always be remorseful. I don't expect you to ever forgive me, because I can't forgive myself. I just hope that you'll allow me to be with you sometimes. I'm so very proud of you and I know I never told you that. I just hope that you'll let me watch you continue to flourish with some children."

This made me blush. Edward just squeezed my hand with an added kiss on my head.

"You want to redeem yourself with some grandkids?" Edward didn't ask this meanly. He was just curious.

Dr, Cullen's answer, however, was sad, "Yes."

"Oh! Hello! You beat me here!" A lovely older woman rushed into the room carrying a brown grocery bag. Her auburn hair was streaked with white stands. Instead of a dignified suit like I always imagined her in, she wore a sweater set and jeans. "I wanted to make some snacks!"

"Hello Esme," Edward greeted her quietly.

Her smile to him seemed nervous. "Hello. It's nice to see you again. You must be Bella. I've heard so many lovely things about you."

This other woman seemed genuinely nice. I could even like her, I think. Maybe. It was only the first time I met the lady. That was the thing about life. Nothing in this world is black and white. The world was full of so many various shades of millions of colors. The way I saw things during my formative years are now different from what I perceived as an adult. We were all complicated beings full of some good and some bad. I learned that from not only watching my parents but my own actions. You make mistakes, you learn, and hopefully are forgiven. Nothing is ever simple in real life.

Carlisle gaze went to his wife and his eyes were filled with love. It was how Edward looked at me. God, we were such complex creatures.

"Would you guys like to stay for dinner?" she asked quickly. Esme was so very nervous. "I make a pretty tasty sauce."

The room was quiet. I glanced at Edward. He looked hesitant. Finally, he answered, "Sounds good. I like pasta."

It was a start.

XXXXXX

Edward kicked the door of his apartment closed with his foot. His place was sparsely decorated. The couch's upholstery was a floral motif and some of the other furniture was large wooden pieces that reminded me of things I would see at my parent's house. I was fairly certain that they were pieces that he saved from his mother's house. Memories of her that clung to stationary objects.

I slipped off my shoes. "You have any wine in this joint?"

"Of course, lovely. I know how you like your whites. There's a bottle in the fridge." Edward leaned against the door jam. "So we're going to talk about it? I know you want to."

I opened his fridge and pulled out the wine. "Yes, I do want to talk about your distaste for the fruity bouquet of pinot grigio. Pinot noir is fine, my darling, just not as good."

He laughed and walked over. "I meant what happened tonight."

"We can talk about that over breakfast if you want. It doesn't have to be something that you need to dwell on right now. It was nice visit but I know that everything wasn't all fixed in one night," I said as I poured myself a glass. "Can I convince you in trying this good stuff again?"

I was picked up swiftly and laid down on the counter. "Edward!"

"You staying for breakfast?" His eyes were bright and his voice husky. Edward's long finger was dipped into my wine glass and he dribbled it on my nose. Taking his tongue to my nose, he licked it off. "I was wrong. That is positively sinful."

I wanted him so badly as he hovered over me. Rubbing my finger on his lips, I said, "Is there going to be pancakes?"

"Of course. I also have sausage." Edward pulled up my skirt. His hands grasped my hips.

"I'm very fond of your meat, Mr. Cullen." I pulled him close to my face. "It's one of my favorite things."

"I think it's your absolutely favorite thing, lady." He pulled off my shirt. "I think you need a taste right now."

Our lips crashed together as our clothing flew off and landed all over the kitchen floor. It wasn't quiet lovemaking. The tender caresses and sweet kisses were replaced by hard thrusts and nails scratched down each other's backs. I bit Edward's shoulder and he bit me back.

"Edward—"

"Honey, you bump your head?" He grunted into my neck.

There was a faucet next to my head which I was bumping into. It didn't matter, because they way Edward made me feel surpassed the pain from knocking against steel.

"I love you," I told him instead.

"Bella," he whispered into my ear as he came into me.

I was pulled into Edward's arms. I held onto him tightly. "We sullied your kitchen."

He laughed a little then grew serious. "I love you too."

"I know." I kissed him gently just in case the lip locks we did earlier bruised his lips. We were rough and I liked it immensely.

"Let's continue in my room." Edward picked me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

I nodded to the wine bottle. "My wine?"

One of Edward's arms held me under my bottom, the other grabbed the wine bottle. "I think this will taste great all over you."

"It will be delicious on you too," I told him as a giggle escaped me.

After an initial evening of worry, it ended up a happy night indeed.