Since I didn't do it last chapter; I don't own Twilight.
I can't control your behavior; nor do I want that burden...but I will not apologize for refusing to be disrespected, to be lied to, or to be mistreated. I have standards; step up or step out
- Steven Maraboli
"Elizabeth..." I couldn't take my eyes off of Edward as I held a hand out for my daughter and pulled her closer to me once she took it. I pulled her away and further into the living room as Edward and his companions entered the house. Kneeling down in front of her, I checked her for any injuries. "Are you okay?" I asked immediately. "Did they hurt you?"
She shook her head, finding my question funny. "No, mommy. Edward got me a monkey though." She held up the monkey again and I resisted the urge to take it and throw it out the window. My eyes flicked up to Edward who was talking quietly to the guy in sunglasses. "He said I could name her anything I want, so her name is Emily."
My eyes shifted back to Elizabeth when Edward suddenly looked away from sunglasses and to us. "That's a great name, sweetie."
"Rosalie," Edward said, but I kept my eyes on Elizabeth. "Why don't you take Elizabeth and help her pack." My eyes snapped to the blonde woman who walked forward and knelt down next to me and Elizabeth.
"Lizzy, do you want to show me where your room is?" She asked, her eyes radiating an comprehensible amount of empathy in the second they looked away from Elizabeth and to me.
Elizabeth turned her head. "Where are we going?"
The woman- Rosalie, shifted. "...That's up to your mommy and Edward. So, why don't we go to your room so they can decide, huh?"
"Rosalie," Edward said pointedly.
"Edward," She said back in the same tone of voice, tinged with a bit of annoyance. Standing up, Rosalie held out her hand for Elizabeth who took it without another thought. I struggled to let her go, but the last thing I wanted was to scare her. She hadn't been hurt yet and I intended to keep it that way.
Once they were both gone and out of earshot, I stood up and turned to Edward.
"I don't know what the hell you told her, but we're not going anywhere with you."
All my statement seemed to do was amuse him. With a smirk, he ordered away his goon without movie his eyes from mine.
"Felix," He said. "Go wait by the car." My eyes didn't leave his, even as we heard the door closed. Edward stepped forward, towards me and I had to resist the urge to take a step back. "Isabella," He began. "When it comes to leaving with me, you really don't have a choice in the matter."
"If you think I'm gonna let you put my daughter in danger, you've got another thing coming." I gritted out. "I won't say anything to anyone about what I saw- I promise. Just leave me and my daughter alone. We won't be a problem."
"I wish that were true." He said sincerely. "But there have been people trying to put me behind bars the second I turned eighteen. It's only a matter of time before they find Caius Volturi's body and find the mess I left at Cyprus- which," He injected. "I would've been taking care of if I didn't have to go chasing after you. Either way, when they do find the blood in the hotel, they'll pull up the security cameras and you'll be seen as the only person entering or exiting that room and if they even suspect that you might've seen something, they will force you to testify them."
"Not if they can't find me." I pointed out. With unsure confidence, I stepped forward myself. "Make us go away." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure you have someone who can give us different names- different lives; just send us off and you'll never hear from us again."
"And what if they find you?" He asked. "Then you'll have to testify to what you saw."
"I swear that I won't."
"And if they take away your daughter?" He asked and I stilled. "Can you still swear that you won't testify? No, the way I see it, it's simply, really." Edward insisted. "Either you marry me so I can be sure you won't testify about what you saw, or I put a bullet in your head. Keep in mind that I already promised your daughter that I was going to be her new daddy and I'd rather not break my promise." I froze and I couldn't help the tears that came to my eyes. "Isabella," Edward said, putting a hand under my chin. "This is the best option for everyone; I can protect you and Elizabeth, give you two everything you want and need. Your little girl would practically be a princess."
"And in return?" I asked. "What would you want?" His hand fell from my face and stroked the side of my neck.
"Other than a mother for my children," He had kids? "Nothing that you won't eventually give me." Dropping his hand from my neck, Edward turned around and headed towards the door. "I'll be in the car. You should go pack a bag; we don't want to miss our flight."
"Our flight?" I questioned. "To where?" Opening the door, Edward looked back at me and gave me another smirk.
"To our wedding."
I didn't have much to pack; just the photos of Elizabeth I had, my clothes, toiletries, and my cash. I didn't even have enough to fill up my suitcase.
After I was finished, Edward's goon came and got my bag and I went to Elizabeth's room where I found her showing Rosalie the few dolls she had.
Despite the fact that I didn't make much, I still tried to give my daughter the best childhood I could; whenever I had extra cash and nothing I needed it for, I usually put it with my emergency cash, but tried to use a few dollars to buy her a new toy or movie.
The toys I bought her sat on the floor in the corner of her room with her second-hand doll house that had once been mine. A pink shag rug covered more of the hardwood floor and her purple bed sat in the middle of the room underneath a canopy that I made with the thin lace curtains that had been hanging over the windows when we first moved in. The short bookshelf covered in faded white paint, which I had found on the side of the road, was covered every sticker that Elizabeth had been able to get her hands on and had dozens of children's books stuffed into the shelves- books that I had stolen from the library. The small lampshade that I had put over the orange ceiling light bulb made stars cover the walls whenever it was turned on. Elizabeth's bedroom my favorite room in the entire house.
Knocking on the doorframe, both Elizabeth and Rosalie's attention was brought to me. "Sweetie, you're supposed to be packing." Instead of defending herself or giggling to distract me like she usually did, Elizabeth rushed to me, doll in hand, and I bent down enough to pick her up and held her on my hip.
"Look!" She showed me her doll- a cheap, knock-off Barbie that I had gotten from the pharmacy around the corner. "Ms. Rosalie looks like Nessie!" Nessie was the doll.
"Yeah, she does." I nodded as Rosalie stood from the bed. "But you're still supposed to be packing." Sensing that we needed to be alone, Rosalie left the room with only a little wave to Elizabeth. Once she was gone, I let down Elizabeth who rushed over to her dresser to pull out her clothes, abandoning Nessie on the floor.
"Mommy?" I looked to Elizabeth as she dumped her folded clothes into her small rolling suitcase.
"Yeah, sweetie?"
"Is Mr. Edward gonna be my new daddy?" She asked. The question was so innocent, but yet- at the same time- made my stomach turn.
"...Sort of." I told her. "We're, uh...we're gonna get married and then, yeah, I guess he'll be your stepdad." Elizabeth grinned and the sight of her two missing teeth made me smile. She was so adorable.
"Can I be the flower girl!?" She squealed. "Like at daddy's wedding!?" How the hell was I supposed to answer that.
"Uh, it's not that kind of wedding, honey." I gave her a smile. "But don't worry because your birthday's coming up and we can do anything you want; if you really want to be a flower girl, you can be for your birthday." I was caught off guard as she squealed again and threw her arms around me. She was only a few inches above three feet, so she only came up to the top of my thighs.
"I'm gonna go tell Ms. Rosalie!" My first instinct was to stop her- to keep her here with me, but I let her go. There was no way I'd trust these people- ever, but I wanted Elizabeth to be happy. She was making quick friends with the blonde and I couldn't take that away from her. That didn't stop every bone in my body from urging me to grab Elizabeth and leave through the back door. I was sure Edward had someone there.
I finished packing Elizabeth's bag before zipping it up and pushing down the handle. I took a minute to look around the room; when I started working at the Cyprus and looking around for better paying jobs, I had fantasized about buying this house. I mean, it wasn't in the best neighborhood- but it was far from being the worst, plus Elizabeth had friends here and people who were always willing to watch her without the promise of money. I had imagine a ten year old version of her complaining that she was too old for a princess room; a twelve year old version of her in her bedroom with her new best friends as they giggled and looked at a Cosmo they didn't know I knew they had. I had imagined a fourteen year old version of her feeling nervous on her first day of high school, afraid that she wouldn't fit in; a sixteen year old version of her yelling how she hated me and how I was so unfair because I wouldn't let her go to an unchaperoned party or get her bellybutton pierced, or whatever it was that she wanted. Finally, I had imagined my little girl, now eighteen years old, wearing dark blue graduation gown from the high school from two blocks away as she got ready to graduate and another Elizabeth, the same age, hugging me as I bribed her to stay home another year before heading off to college.
I had imagined Elizabeth's entire life in this house- in this room. It shouldn't have been so easy to leave- especially when I knew where we were going and what kind of family I was pulling my daughter into.
So, with one last look around the room, I picked up Elizabeth's bag and totted it to the door where I switched off the light; extinguishing the stars on the walls.
"So, you never did actually tell me where we're going." I pointed out.
We were now on a plane- a private jet I had found out when I had gotten inside. There was no commercial plane in the world that had a U-shaped couch in the middle with a square coffee table that a chess table built in. There were two tables against the walls of the plane in front of either side of the couch, each which three chairs- oh, and i almost forgot the fireplace. Yeah, I know. There were two doors that led to the back of the plane. I assumed one had to be a bather, but I didn't ask about the other.
Elizabeth sat on the U-shaped couch with Rosalie, pretending she could play chess. In the past hour, I had seen her make about a hundred illegal moves. I think she was just having fun knocking over Rosalie's pieces. I expected the blonde to get annoyed or, at least, frustrated, but she seemed to have a never ending supply of patience.
Edward and I sat at one of the tables. I had take the chair that faced away from the cockpit so I cold watch Elizabeth. Edward had taken the seat across from me since, apparently, we had things to talk about and I had things to sign. One of those things happened to be adoption papers for Elizabeth. I knew Edward expected me to fight him on that, but I didn't; I just signed the paper and gave it back. I didn't know how he'd get a signature from Elizabeth's deadbeat, piss-poor excuse for a father and I didn't care.
"My family's private island." He didn't even take his eyes off of a paper he was reading. I raised an eyebrow as he handed it over to me.
"Your family has a private island?" I asked as I picked up a pen and looked over the paper. I resisted the urge to snort when I saw what it was. He wanted access to my bank accounts? Well, he was welcome to the five dollars and twenty-seven cents inside. I signed my name as he answered.
"Technically, it belongs to my mother." He specified as I handed the paper back. "My father bought it for her as a gift for their second date." My eyes widened.
"Well, the first one must've gone very well." He handed me another paper; Medical power of attorney. "What the hell is this?"
"Isabella," Edward said calmly, mistaking my confusion for anger. "Everything you're signing today will only benefit you and El-"
"No, I know that." I told him before waving the paper a bit. "But I literally have no idea what the hell a medical power of attorney is." He seemed relieved that I wasn't about to pitch a tantrum and a bit...was that worried?
"A medical power of attorney is the same thing as a power of attorney." He explained. "It means that I make all your medical decisions when you can't." Oh, that wasn't too bad. If it wasn't Edward, then it'd probably go to my ex and I wasn't going to give that piece of shit control of my life- not again.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked once he took back the paper. He didn't even look at me.
"I already told you why."
"I'm serious, Edward." He finally looked away from his papers and to me. "I know that this isn't the first time that you've run into a woman in...your line of work, so don't give me that 'I don't want to shoot a woman' BS." I said. "There's a reason that you're doing all this; marrying me, protecting Elizabeth and I want to know why."
Edward stared at me for a long time- not long enough for me to get worried, but long enough for Rosalie to notice. She looked like she was about to get up from her spot when Edward finally said something.
"Isabella," He began, quietly. "In my line of work, the women I come across are prostitutes, whores, and gold diggers. People who would go to the feds with everything they knew if it meant they'd get a nice payday."
"And you don't think I wouldn't?"
"That's yet to be decided." He replied. "But I do think that you're a good person and a good mother." My eyes immediately went to Elizabeth who was still playing her game of full contact chess. "I know you-"
"You don't know anything about me." I interrupted.
"I know you would do anything if it meant protecting Elizabeth," He said. "Including beating her father half to death with a tire iron." My eyes snapped away from Elizabeth and to him. How did he know that? "I also know that you wouldn't do anything to jeopardize your daughter." He said. "Like talking to the police about what you saw."
"How do you know about that?" I breathed as my eyes watered. Why was I crying? How did he know that? He didn't answer. "Edward, how did you know that?"
"Do you honestly think I'd marry a woman and know nothing about her?" He asked and I felt a tear fall down from my eye. "My people knew almost everything there was to know about you before I even picked up Elizabeth from her babysitter. Mrs. Cope is a lovely woman by the way." I didn't know what to say. Who could possibly know what to say to that? Thankfully, I was saved from even having to think of what to say to him.
"Mommy!" Elizabeth called and Edward pulled out his pocket square and held it out to me.
"Dry your eyes." I quickly took the silk cloth and wiped at my eyes just as Elizabeth appeared next to me.
"Mommy," She said once more and I gave her a weak smile. "We can see the water from the windows!" She exclaimed before looking to Edward. "My other daddy was s'posed to take us to see the water on his boat, but he must'a forgot."
"Well, that's a shame." Edward told her with a warm smile as I tried to get myself together. "I guess I'll just have to take you on my boat." I thought it was impossible, but Elizabeth only seemed to get even more excited.
"Mommy, Mr. Edward has a boat!" She exclaimed before pulling said man from his seat. She was deceptively strong for a four year old whenever she got excited. "Come look at the water with me, Mr. Edward!" Getting up, Edward allowed himself to be pulled away. Almost immediately, Rosalie took his spot.
"How are you doing?" She asked.
I sighed put down the pocket square. "Not to be rude, but how do you think I'm doing? Not even ten hours ago, I saw someone get shot in the head, then my daughter was kidnapped, then I was told that I had to marry her kidnapper or get a bullet in my head."
"Right, stupid question." She sighed. I looked over to Edward and Elizabeth by the window and Rosalie spoke again. "If it makes you feel better, my brother isn't doing this just to do it." She told me. "Everything he's ever done in his life is extremely calculated and he never does anything that would put our family at risk. He's not just doing this because it's easy, he's doing it because it's necessary. Plus, at least, this way you can give your daughter a new life- a better life away from the people who want to hurt you and- by extension- her..." I said nothing and she continued. "Like her uncle."
"Does everyone know about that?" I demanded. Rosalie gave me a sheepish smile.
"Most information is shared in our family, but only to people who need to know."
"And you needed to know that my ex-boyfriend is brain dead because I beat him with a tire iron?" I asked and she nodded. "Why?"
"Because, your ex's brother has been after you ever since and that was, how long ago?" She asked. "Last year? If he's looking hard enough, he will eventually realize who you're married to and if he goes after you, it means going after Edward. You should be flattered," She insisted as she stood up and I raised an eyebrow. "He obviously thinks you're worth it."
The plane landed four hours later, right around three and Rosalie whisked me away into the large, white and gray paneled house that looked more like a private resort where there were dozens of people rushing around with flowers, dishes, and decorations. I tried to get Elizabeth to come with me when Rosalie forced me upstairs, but she decided that she wanted to play in the ocean. I had hoped that Rosalie would go with her, but instead she had called out for someone named Jessica and a few moments later, a large breasted, fake blonde wearing a gray and white maids uniform appeared out of nowhere and Rosalie told her to watch Elizabeth outside.
"I do not want my daughter alone with that woman." I hissed at Rosalie as she sat me down in a chair. We were in a large bedroom that was mostly white with a window-wall facing the backyard of the house, letting in tons of light.
"Elizabeth will be fine," Rosalie insisted as she pushed me back down into the chair I tried to get up from.
"I don't know her!" I said getting up, only to be pushed down again.
"Jessica has worked for my family for years." She argued and I scoffed. Jessica didn't even look old enough to drink- let alone take care of the one person in the world I actually cared about. "And now is not the time to worry about Elizabeth." Rosalie said. "Everything for the wedding will be ready in less than four hours and everyone will be here in half that, so I don't have much time to get you ready." I blinked at her as she went over to the intercom by the door and pressed a button on it. "Rebecca, I need the package I ordered and send the prep team up- oh, and tell Rachel that if she isn't done with that dress in thirty minutes I will drown her in the pool."
"I never agreed to a wedding." I pointed out as Rosalie made her way back to me.
"Yes, you did. I would know, I was there."
"No," I shook my head. "I agreed to marry Edward. I figured we'd just sign a marriage and send it in."
"Well, that's not happening." She told me, bluntly. "Edward's parents don't know about you or your...situation. They didn't even know that he was getting married until I called them before we got on the plane. They're under the impression that you and Edward have been seeing each other in secret and planned to marry that way to."
"You're shitting me." She shook her head. "Fuck my life."
Uncharacteristically of me, I just sat there and didn't complain about whatever the hell Rosalie was putting on my face or the people who were scrubbing the hell out of my feet or the woman who was yanking at my hair and drowning me in spray. They surrounded me for almost an hour-plucking, pulling, waxing, rubbing, and lathering- before I was finally finished. The woman who had been making my dress for the past six hours, Rebecca, hung it on the back of the bathroom door, but I didn't put it on. I had no idea what I was doing- I had no idea what I wanted to do; there was no way I wanted to marry a man I had just met, but I did want the life he could provide for me and Elizabeth. I didn't want a wedding, but I didn't want to deprive my little girl, who had rushed into the room a half hour before in a knee length princess dress with a giant ivory bow on the back, of being a flower girl. I didn't want to be here, but I also didn't want to leave.
"What the hell am I doing?" I groaned, letting my face fall into my hands. Rosalie had threatened to kill me if I messed up my makeup, but I didn't really care about that at the moment.
"I hope you're not getting cold feet." I picked up my head to see that Edward had silently slipped into the room. I'd be lying if I said that he wasn't tip-toeing the line between sexy and handsome in his expensive tuxedo.
"Nope," I sighed. "Just realizing that I'm a fucking idiot." He didn't say anything so I continued. "I was stupid enough to stay late at work and ended up watching someone get shot in the head, then I agreed to marry a man I didn't know so that he wouldn't kill me and leave my kid and orphan, and now I'm starting to realize that I have no idea what the fuck I'm getting myself into."
Edward said nothing for a few minutes and I began to think that he had heard nothing I said. "Say something." I ordered.
"You curse a lot when your frustrated." He noted and I glared at him. "Fine, you wanna know what I think?"
"Not really, but I feel like you're gonna tell me anyways." I threw out.
"I think you're over thinking this." I scoffed.
"How can I possibly over think marrying into the fucking mob?" He snorted. "What?"
"We don't exactly call it the mob, Cigno ."
"Fine then," I shrugged. "I'm marrying into a Gentlemen's club. Is that better, your highness?" Edward walked over to me, hands in pocket, before sitting down on the bed next to me.
"I wouldn't have killed you." He said and I looked at him. "I don't like killing women, so I make it a point only to do it when necessary. Your death wasn't."
"Then why are we getting married?" I asked. "And please don't give me some bullshit answer about seeing something special in me."
"You want the truth?" I nodded. "It's because of Elizabeth."
I honestly hadn't been expecting that. "Elizabeth?" He nodded. "You went all soft because of my four year old?"
"My parents adopted me." He said, startling me. "I was only two years old when Carlisle made a house call to my father." I didn't both asking Carlisle who? because I already knew exactly who he was talking about. "You see, my father was in debt up to his eyeballs and Carlisle was willing to forgive it all- he was ready to, that is, before he found out that the money my father asked from him was going towards liquor and the race track. So Carlisle killed him, but he saw something in me and took me home to his wife and other two sons."
"What about your mother?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"I never knew her." He shook his head. "When he felt that I was old enough, Carlisle told me the truth about her; that she had abandoned me and my father after she shot up for the first time. He found her in a crack house in Tampa when he went looking to tell her what had happened to my father. He offered to help her out; give her a job and a place to stay so she could raise me, but she wasn't interested. She came back though," He told me. "When I was five years old. She didn't come for me though, she wanted money."
"So Carlisle killed her, too?" I asked and he shook his head.
"Esme did." I hadn't been expecting that.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked quietly after a few moments.
Edward was quiet himself before he answered. "Because," He began. "Carlisle never told me what he saw in me the day he killed my father, just that he hoped that one day I would see it in someone else one day and I did. I saw in Elizabeth what my father saw in me."
"And what's that?"
"...potential." He answered. "Elizabeth has the potential to be something great- something amazing. Carlisle knew that I would never amount to anything if he just left me fatherless and put me in the system, but with Elizabeth...I know that she can only flourish into the woman she's going to be if she has you."
"So all of this," I gestured around the room, mostly at the dress hanging on the bathroom door. "Marrying me, bringing me into your crazy, mess up world...that's all because you want Elizabeth to be the best person she can be?"
His smug grin was back. "Well, you have something to do with it, too." He assured me and I rolled my eyes. He wanted to sleep with me and give my daughter a future, how noble.
"Get out," I ordered and he raised an eyebrow. "I have to put on my dress an I don't need you here bothering me."
The dress, thank God, wasn't at all what I had expected Rosalie to force me into; it was an ivory mermaid dress that wasn't too tight and flared out at the middle of my thigh into a long train of lace. The sleeves exposed my bare shoulders and were nothing but pure lace all the way down to my wrists and there were a dozen or so button in the back that started a few inches down my back and went all the way to the middle of my butt. My hair was in a simple bun so that my veil, which was edged with lace, could be stuck in with a comb. I wasn't going to lie, I felt like a princess and the gasp of awe that my daughter gave when she saw me for the first time only made me smile.
"Alright," Rosalie said, kneeling down so she was eye level with Elizabeth. I was surprised that she could move in the tight, red maxi dress she wore. "Everyone knows what they're doing, right?" We were downstairs now, just behind the open doors that led to the backyard where five dozen people were seated and waiting for me to walk down the aisle that my daughter had yet to litter with ivory rose petals which would match the bouquet Rosalie was holding.
Elizabeth nodded and Rosalie gave her a smile. "Alright, I'm gonna go now and you can come out when the music starts." Elizabeth gave her a thumbs up and Rosalie handed me my bouquet before she went to leave out of the doors, but I stopped her.
"Rosalie," She turned back. "Thank you."
She gave me a smile. "No thanks necessary." She insisted. "Giving you a nice wedding was the least I could do considering everything that you've been through just today. Plus, we're about to be family." She pointed out. "And you do just about anything for family." Then she disappeared through the doors only to com right back a second later. "Where is he?!" I hoped she wasn't talking about Edward.
"Who?"
"My nephew- Edward's son, Leo." She answered. "He's the ring bearer and I totally forgot about him." Then she rushed past me, holding the bottom of her dress before rushing down the hall and disappearing through the door. I looked down to Elizabeth who looked up at me in confusion. I just shook my head.
A moment later, Rosalie rushed back through the door, but she wasn't alone. This time, she was holding the hand of a young boy who was dressed in a small black suit. He couldn't have been any older than six or seven with Edward's reddish brown hair and his bright green eyes.
"Say hi to Bella, Leo." Rosalie ordered as she pulled him past me.
"Hi, Bella!" He gave me a wave right before Rosalie pulled him out of the door. So...that happened.
"Mommy," I looked down to see Elizabeth looking up at me. "Do you love Mr. Edward like you loved my other daddy?" How the hell was I supposed to answer that? There was no way in hell I could ever love Edward and Elizabeth didn't need to know that I hated her father.
"Uh," I bent down as much as I could without getting on my knees. "I really, really, really like Mr. Edward." I settled on. "And he loves you, so that's all that matters, okay?" She nodded and I planted a kiss on her cheek just as the music started. "That's your cue sweetie." Pressing a kiss to my lips, Elizabeth rushed out of the doors. It was only a second later that I heard a dozen different aww's from outside.
"Okay, Bella." I stood up. "You can do this; this is for Elizabeth, this is for your life...this is for you." That seemed to do the trick because I had no trouble stepping out of the doors just as the wedding march sounded on violins.
It was hard walking down the aisle at such a slow pace when all I wanted to do was run and get everything over with. For some reason, a reason I couldn't tell you, I ended up making eye contact with almost every person in a row seat- not that I wanted to. Most of them were scrutinizing me; there was a red haired woman in the fifth row in a skin tight, revealing animal print dress who was full out glaring at me for a reason I couldn't figure out, that is, until I saw her eyes flick down the aisle to Edward and she practically began salivating. When she looked back for me, I fought the urge to stick my tongue out at her. Instead, I simply turned my eyes forward and continued walking.
It seemed like a century had passed before I got to Edward. He held out a hand to me and I took it before turning back to where Rosalie stood to hand her my bouquet. She took it with an encouraging smile before sitting down next to a mountain of a man I assumed was her husband or boyfriend. Turning back to Edward, he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek.
"Breathe," He instructed and it was only then I realized I had been holding my breath. I was sure that it was due to cleaning disgusting hotel room that I could hold my breath for a full minute before passing out.
"We gather here to unite these two people in marriage." The priest began as Edward stood straight. "Their decision to marry has not been entered into lightly-" I resisted the urge to snort. This had, honestly, been one of the hardest decisions of my life. "And today they publicly declare their private devotion to each other. The essence of this commitment is the acceptance of each other in entirety, as lover, companion, and friend." While I looked at Edward, I couldn't help but get stuck on his eyes. How in the world were they so green? "A good and balanced relationship is one in which neither person is overpowered nor absorbed by the other, one in which neither person is possessive of the other, one in which both give their love freely and without jealousy." There was no way that applied to us. Edward had all the power in this relationship- if it could be called that- and we both knew it. "Marriage, ideally, is a sharing of responsibilities, hopes, and dreams. It takes a special effort to grow together, survive hard times, and be loving and unselfish."
The priest looked from me to Edward. "Do you both pledge to share your lives openly with one another, and to speak the truth in love? Do you promise to honor and tenderly care for one another, cherish and encourage each other, stand together, through sorrows and joys, hardships and triumphs for all the days of your lives?"
"We do." We both chorused.
"Do you pledge to share your love and the joys of your marriage with all those around you, so that they may learn from your love and be encouraged to grow in their own lives?"
"We do." The priest beckoned forward the little boy who stood behind Edward- his son Leo who held the rings. I was sure that if I looked behind me, that's where Elizabeth would be.
"May these rings be blessed as a symbol of your union." He said as Edward and I both picked one up from the small pillow. "As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you not only be reminded of this moment, but also of the vows you have made and the strength of your commitment to each other. Edward, please repeat after me...I, Edward Anthony Cullen, promise to love and support you ,Isabella, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring I thee wed."
"I, Edward Anthony Cullen," Edward began. "Promise to love and support you ,Isabella, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring I thee wed." Gently taking my hand, he slid the simple silver ring on my finger.
"Isabella, please repeat after me ... I, Isabella Marie Swan, promise to love and support you, Edward, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring I thee wed."
"I, Isabella Marie Swan, promise to love and support you, Edward, and live each day with kindness, understanding, truth, humor, and passion. With this ring I thee wed." I took Edward's hand, I pushed the ring onto his finger. It fought me a little bit, but I got it on there.
The priest continued. "Go now in peace and live in love, sharing the most precious gifts you have- the gifts of your lives united. And may your days be long on this earth. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
I stepped forward and Edward's hand slipped behind my back before he pressed his lips to mine. My arms went around his neck as everyone clapped. I only forced myself to pull away when I felt two little arms around me and looked down to see Elizabeth was hugging me. She grinned up at me and I couldn't help but smile back.