Edward POV
I was busy researching potential Christmas gifts for Bella on the internet when I heard a familiar peal of laughter carry down the stairs to where I was sitting in the living room. I couldn't help the involuntary smile that followed. It was such a relief to see her slowly coming back to life and acting more like herself over the last month. She still had a long way to go, but things had certainly improved since our argument when we began really talking again.
I was halfway up the stairs to join her and Alice when I heard part of the conversation and realized it wasn't Alice that had made her laugh.
"That sounds like Quil," she was agreeing. "I wish I had even half of his confidence. I think I could fly if I did," she laughed.
"Sure, sure. And knowing you, you'd fly right into some poor, unsuspecting building and land yourself in the emergency room." The husky voice of Jacob Black was unmistakable through the phone.
I retreated to Carlisle's study and immersed myself in a vast collection of Bach with the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market. Of course if I really wanted to, I still could have listened to the conversation, but with concentration and the right equipment, I could choose to tune it out and give Bella the privacy that she deserved. A century of mind reading had taught me the importance of being able to separate out details I was not supposed to know and avoid bringing them up in conversation. A few months of being married had taught me the importance of trying not to know those details in the first place. I didn't want to have to pretend with Bella, and the fact that I was unable to read her mind, while infuriating at times, was probably a blessing for our relationship. But I still had to reign in my superb hearing from time to time.
It was an hour later when she finally came and found me in the study.
"Edward," she smiled and gave me a hug.
"My love," I kissed her on the forehead.
"I was just talking to Jake, and we got to talking about our Thanksgiving plans."
She curled up in the plush crimson armchair between two antique bookshelves. It was one of her favorite places in the house.
"I know it won't really work for Jake and Billy to have dinner with us at Charlie's," she explained. "Billy has been a little more tolerant now that we're married, but I don't think dinner with a vampire is on his to-do list any time soon. And I'm not exactly welcome at the Thanksgiving bonfire with the pack, either. I just wish it wasn't so hard, staying friends." She sighed.
I could see her frustration. Like it or not, Jacob Black was important to her, and if he was somehow part of her improved attitude, then I wasn't about to stop her from seeing him.
"Bella if you would like to invite them for Thanksgiving at Charlie's, I can accompany the rest of the family to Denali."
"No, Edward, of course I want to spend Thanksgiving with you. It's our first Thanksgiving together. I wouldn't ask you to do that."
"Thanksgiving has always been different for us as vampires. We don't exactly eat turkey and cranberry sauce, you know. Well, except for that one year Emmett thought a turkey hunting contest would be fun. But for us, it's more about the friends and family. You are my family now and I am happy to spend it by your side, but I understand that you have other friends and family and your own human traditions. I don't want you to abandon those for me."
"Maybe I can just stop by and bring Jake and Billy leftovers after dinner with you and Charlie," she suggested.
"Sweetheart, we have the rest of our lives to spend Thanksgiving together. We'll have an eternity of them. When you look at the bigger picture, this one with Jacob and Billy might be more important than the first of a thousand with me."
I didn't have to say what I really meant. That we would have an infinite number of Thanksgivings together if that's what she wanted, but her time enjoying stuffing and pies and the company of wolves might be limited.
"In fact, I insist. I'll make the arrangements to fly to Denali. You make the arrangements to cook another turkey…or six," I laughed to show her that I could be civil about this and that it was not a big deal for us to spend this holiday apart from each other.
Bella hopped from her seat and came to sit on my lap, then placed her arms around my neck.
"You're my favorite husband ever, do you know that?" she said.
I kissed her on the cheek and hoped that she'd always feel that way about me.
Jacob POV
Things I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving:
1. Sue's fried turkey legs.
2. Emily's pumpkin pies.
3. Bella acting like herself again.
4. Bella remaining a human…for now, at least.
Not necessarily in that order. Okay, DEFINITELY not in that order.
I knew I was getting into dangerous territory letting myself fall back into that familiar pattern with Bella. After the initial shock of hearing her voice on the phone, it was almost like we were the old Jake and Bells again. I even blurted out an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner and the bonfire before I could stop myself. The bonfire! What the hell was I thinking? I was just so damn happy she called and sounded like herself that for a moment I forgot how different things have to be now. I can't just invite the bloodsucker's wife over for a barbecue with the pack and expect things to be like they were B.C. ("Before Cullen." Or before Cullen came back, to be specific. Damn Leah for eternity for branding that little gem into my brain.) Every time I slip and think about her, Leah's right there to yell at me to get my ass back out of B.C. times and prepare myself for A.D., otherwise known as After fucking Death.
I needed to be distancing myself, not planning family reunions. Not to mention, the pack relationship had been pretty strained by all of my moping about Bella. Bringing her with me would only make things worse for both of us. As much as I wanted to see her and make sure everything was as okay as it sounded, I realized Thanksgiving just wasn't the time to do it. Best case scenario would be an awkward meal at Charlie's that included Cullen pretending to eat and me pretending that Bella's cooking tasted just as good with that nasty burned candy smell filling my nose the whole time.
I picked up the phone and dialed her number hoping that I could talk her out of Thanksgiving but make some sort of alternative plans to see her that wouldn't cause a turf war.
"Hello?" Charlie answered.
"Oh hey, Charlie! Is Bella around?"
"Jake! Is that you? It's been a minute since I heard that voice," he said.
There was silence for a moment. That's when I realized what I had done.
"You know she doesn't live here anymore, Jake."
"Right. Yeah. Sorry. Guess I dialed the wrong number." I mumbled.
"Old habits die hard, huh?" Charlie said.
Isn't that the fucking truth.
"Look, Jacob, while I've got you here, there's something I, uh, wanted to say."
The silence was deafening and I could feel my cheeks burning.
"Listen, just between us, you know I was always team Jacob Black. I never much liked...uh, no, what I mean to say is, you're like a son to me. And I couldn't thank you enough for everything you did for Bella when...you know."
"Thank you, sir." I didn't know what else to say. Or what else Charlie was about to say if I let him keep talking.
"But see above everything else, I'm team Bella. You know I only want what's best for her. But she made her choice, Jake. It might not have been the one I would have picked, and I might not understand it, but the girl knows what she wants. You know? I just don't want to see you get hurt, and I don't want to see her get hurt, and I sure don't want to see you hurt each other or anyone else or...aw hell, just, I'm happy she has you as a friend, but you might be careful to remember that things change. And sometimes you just have to let them."
There was a sadness in his voice that made me think of Renee leaving him and taking Bella away. For the first time, I realized he probably knew a lot more about how I felt than I ever gave him credit for.
"You don't have anything to worry about, Charlie. You know Bella is my best friend. I just want to be there for her and she's been going through a lot. I think she's finally doing a little better, actually." Charlie had been told that Bella had a miscarriage. He knew things were hard for her, but he would never know the full extent of her pain.
"You think so? Well I'm glad to hear it. Listen I'm sorry I, uh...anyway. Have a good Thanksgiving and tell that old man of yours that he better save me a piece of Sue's turkey."
"Sure, sure. Bye, Charlie."
I barely had time to process my own stupidity before the phone was ringing again. I really hoped it wasn't Charlie realizing he had more to say.
"Hello?"
"Jake! Hey, I've been trying to reach you but the line was busy. I think I've got it figured out."
"Oh hey, Bells."
"Listen, Edward made plans to visit Denali with the rest of the family, so consider this an official invitation to the Swan family dinner. All you can eat turkey and stuffing! Well, maybe not all YOU can eat, but I think I can fill you up for at least an hour or two."
"That sounds good, Bella. Did you, um, okay it with Charlie?"
"Okay it? Why would I need to okay it? Sometimes I wonder if my dad loves you more than he loves me, you know." Bella laughed.
The idea of explaining my mis-dial and subsequent conversation with Charlie was mortifying. I absolutely could not tell Bella. But suddenly the idea of showing up at Charlie's house for Thanksgiving dinner with Bella but without her husband sounded a lot less appealing than it had an hour ago.
"I just thought he might be disappointed that Edward couldn't make it or something. I don't want to intrude."
"Come on, Jake. You and I both know how Charlie feels. As long as I'm there with turkey, I think everything else is just minor details anyway."
She was making it all sound so simple and easy to go along with. I had a bad feeling about accepting the invitation, but I was out of valid reasons to decline.
"Right. Okay."
"Great! Bring your dad of course, and I'll see you guys around 11:30 on Thanksgiving?"
"Sure, see you then, Bells. Thanks for the invite."
What the hell was I getting myself into?