Taking a little inspiration and a little liberty on this one. I apologize for the wait on this chapter. I've returned to work and that cut into my writing time significantly. But thankfully, I think I've got my rhythm and I'm working on the next chapter of this now. This Place is with my beta for next week, so that will post regularly. Thanks to Sunshine1220 for prereading this.
Also, for those who read The Collection, it is up for the top 10 Completed Fics of June. If you loved it, please vote. Info on that and more can be found in my FB group, Agoodwitch Writes.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 9
My father was a big help in planning the ceremony. It would be held in the basement of our bar on the day we closed for inventory. Since it was a routine closing, no one would question it from the outside, and it gave us plenty of room for it. There was a meeting room in the back that not many people knew about, and it was perfect for what we needed it for.
As soon as we had that worked out, I spoke to my mother, telling her I needed food for a large gathering. That was all that needed to be said. She started planning a menu, and I told her that April twenty-fourth was the day of the meeting.
That was two weeks away, which didn't seem like a lot of time, but there wasn't too much to figure out, just things to get done. I'd gone to the local Catholic Supply store and looked around. When I found the prayer cards I wanted, I left, sending in one of my soldiers to buy the necessary quantity of them.
I also went to Aro's jewelry connection and spoke to him about what I wanted for Jasper's ring. With a sly smile, he led me to the back counter. "Here are some pendants. I have a few you might be interested in."
He pulled out the velvet tray and showed them to me. While they were all very nice, I didn't understand how that would work for his ring. But I shouldn't have questioned him, because soon he was showing me rings that had the face of them blank.
"You pick out the ring you want and the design for the image and I'll use the pendant as the insert in the ring. I did the same with yours when Aro asked for it. When do you need it by?"
"The twenty-first," I said.
"It will be ready. Now, which ring and design?"
I looked at the rings and found one I liked, then selected the St. Jude pendant. With a nod, he picked the two out and then charged me for the purchase. With that detail settled, I was ready to move on to the most pressing thing happening this weekâmy date with Isabella.
She'd tried to talk me into something a little less fancy than the Copa, but I wasn't budging. I'd called ahead and was assured that we'd have a table right up front on Saturday.
I was at the apartment every day spending time with her, and I was going to take full advantage of the fact that the bakery wasn't open yet. They were opening at the end of April, so I had a few weeks before that would be a competition for Isabella's time.
When Saturday finally rolled around, I puttered around until I could go and pick her up. I'd gotten a bouquet of roses and peonies in pinks and cream. I knocked on the door and Alice answered the door with a smile.
"Isabella, your date's here," she called out into the apartment.
I came inside to see Isabella walk out of her room in a dark green dress with a full skirt. Her rounded stomach was on display, and she looked a little nervous. I wondered if she knew how absolutely stunning she was.
I approached, offering her the bouquet in my hands.
The flowers seemed to help her focus. "They're beautiful, Edward."
"Not nearly as beautiful as you," I told her.
She looked up to meet my eyes and smiled. "I'm going to take care of these and then we can go."
Alice stepped forward. "I've got these. You two have fun."
Isabella got her coat and we made our way out to my car. On the drive into Manhattan we talked about how things were going for both of us. She was excited for the bakery to open, and I loved to hear her talk so passionately.
When we pulled up to the Copacabana, there was a man waiting for me. I got out of the car and opened the door for Isabella. "Mr. Masen, your car will be ready for you when you're ready to go."
"Thank you," I told him and left the car with him. We made our way to the stairwell that would lead us to the back entrance.
Isabella looked around confused as we moved. "Where are we going? And who was that man?"
"Relax, he works here. And we're going in the back way to avoid the line. I always go in this way."
We walked through the door at the bottom of the stairs and walked the back corridors, passing people as we went, but my focus was on the woman at my side. I opened the door to the kitchen and led her through the busy room until we came out the other side. Walking up to the host podium, the man stopped what he was doing and led us to a reserved table right up front.
There was a comedian on stage, but I knew that soon the main act of the night would be up. The waiter took our order, and we once again settled into conversation. A few of my associates were here as well, and they came by briefly to pay respects. Once our food arrived, the visits thankfully ended.
Just as we began eating, the emcee welcomed the main act of the night. Isabella seemed truly excited when she saw Dean Martin step onto the stage. He sang all of his biggest hits, even giving us a little salute during "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You."
Isabella was mesmerized, smiling and gripping my hand throughout the performance. I spent more time watching Isabella than the performance, her smiles and little reactions made me glad for my choice of venue. We would always remember the night we were serenaded by Dino. I could tell she was getting tired, but she fought through it to stay and listen to Dean sing.
I motioned for the check and the waiter took care of it. Isabella ran to the restroom before the car ride home, and then we walked out the front door and to my waiting car.
The entire ride back, Isabella chattered excitedly about everything from tonight. It made me proud how happy she was about our first real date.
"Did you know that he was the main act tonight?"
"I did. I thought you'd enjoy seeing him."
"Everything was perfect. I've always dreamed of going to the Copa, and you made it happen. The food, the show, it was all so special."
"What was your favorite part of the night?" I asked.
"The man sitting next to me. You make me feel loved."
And she was. It was hard to believe I'd never said it, because I felt it. But there was no time like the present to let her know.
"I do love you, Isabella," I said.
She gasped softly before her whispered response.
"I love you, too."
I couldn't enjoy the moment, because just as she said it, there was a loud screech of metal colliding as the car spun violently to the left. My head hit the steering wheel, and my arm reached across Isabella's chest to stop her from hitting the dashboard.
My first thought was this was an ambush, but one look at the car in front of me told me that wasn't the case. My vision blurred, and even though I fought to stay conscious, everything went black.
I woke up to bright lights and pain. I tried to sit up, but multiple sets of hands quickly restrained me. "Mr. Masen, we need you to remain still. You were in an accident, and we're trying to assess your injuries."
"Isabella?" I called out.
"Is that your wife?" someone asked.
"Yes, she's pregnant."
"She's being examined. As soon as we get any word on her condition, we'll let you know."
They continued to work, but soon I was drifting again.
When I woke up the next time, I was surprised to see Esme sitting beside my bed.
"What happened?" I asked as I sat up.
"Edward, be careful, you have a concussion."
"Where's Isabella? Is she okay? The baby?"
"She's doing well, all things considered. They were running a few tests to be sure, but she should be released any time. Even though the car hit you on her side, the seatbelt and your arm did help to keep her from being more seriously injured. Your side felt the force of the hit more. Thank goodness neither of you were going too fast."
The door to my room opened, and my father pushed Isabella through it, wheeling her right up to the side of my bed. "Edward, thank God you're all right," she said as they neared.
Esme stood up and quietly left the room with my father, leaving us alone.
"I'll be fine," I reassured her. "How are you and the baby?"
"Your wife and child are fine," she said with a smirk.
"What?" I asked.
"I guess you referred to me as your wife when they first brought us in. When they were going over my results, they told me that my husband had been very anxious about my condition."
"Not exactly how I wanted to propose, but I love the sound of it."
"So do I. I want my baby to have your name. I want to bring him or her home to your house and start a life together with you."
"I'll have to get you a ring. And the wedding would need to be soon. You're already halfway along."
"I'm pretty sure if anyone could make that happen, it would be your family." Isabella smiled.
"I'm ready to get out of here."
"You're going to have to stay another night now that you're finally awake, but I'm so glad you're not dealing with anything more serious. I could have killed the idiot that did this to us, but they did it themselves not wearing a seatbelt."
"Stay with my parents tonight. I want my mom with you in case you feel worse."
"Okay. And I'll be waiting there when you come home."
I took her hand and squeezed it. "If anything had happened to you ..."
"But it didn't. We're both okay." To prove her statement, she stood and pressed my hand against her belly so I could feel the baby kicking.
The doctor chose that moment to enter. I would have shot him if I could have, but unfortunately, my gun was somewhere in my wrecked car. Another thing I was going to have to deal with.
"Mr. Masen, it is good to see you awake. I'm not sure if your wife informed you, but we're going to keep you one more night for observation. You were both very lucky. Yesterday's accident could have been a lot worse. Ma'am, if you could give us a few minutes to run a few tests, we'll be on our way."
Isabella kissed my cheek and stepped out of the room. After the poking and prodding by the doctor, he seemed pleased with my progress and told me that the nurses would be checking in throughout the night, and if I was still doing well in the morning, I could be discharged.
Isabella and Esme returned to my room when the doctor left and they promised to return first thing in the morning.
"Sleep well. I'll be back in the morning," Isabella said.
"I'll try not to piss off the nurses tonight." I looked to Esme, who was standing back, watching the scene before her. "I'm okay, Ma, really."
"I know. I just don't like seeing you in hospital beds," she said, her voice cracking.
"Esme, why don't we leave Edward to rest?" Isabella suggested.
"Of course. I'm sure you're tired too, dear."
Esme kissed me on the forehead, and Isabella placed a sweet kiss on my lips. They left together, and I was now alone in my room.
The night was long, and not particularly restful with the constant intrusions of the nurses, but I was thankful when morning came and the doctor did his final check. He seemed pleased with everything, so he began my discharge papers.
What surprised me when I was nearly ready to leave was that my father was the one who came to pick me up. He saw my concern and he raised his hand to stop me. "Isabella's fine, she was just a little tired. Plus, I thought we could make a stop on the way home. Your mother is with her and we'll be home soon enough."
"Okay, let me get changed and then we can go."
I got dressed and then dealt with the need to be pushed out of the hospital in a wheelchair. My father was waiting in a car I'd never seen before. The Cadillac DeVille was brand new, and I was jealous of my dad for his new toy.
"When'd you get this?"
"I picked it up yesterday after emptying your belongings out of your car at the junkyard. Happy early Birthday, son."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, and your gun is in the glove compartment."
"You mentioned making a stop on the way home?" I asked. All I really wanted to do was relax and catch up on my sleep.
"You can't make Isabella your wife without a ring. I thought you'd want to pick one out."
"I definitely want to do that."
We drove back to Brooklyn and went straight to the jeweler. Once again he immediately approached me, asking what I was looking for.
"An engagement ring."
He led me to the rings and I looked at the display. There were several beautiful rings, but there was one that caught my eye. I asked to see it, and the jewelers face lit up.
"Excellent choice, sir. That's a 1.29 carat marquise shaped ring."
I held the ring in my hand. The small diamonds surrounding the larger center one made it unique, perfect for my Isabella.
"I'll take it."
I didn't even flinch when he told me the cost, I just reached into my pocket. I had a wad of cash in my wallet when I'd been in the accident, and I was happy that no one at the hospital had been foolish enough to try and skim from it.
I paid the jeweler, and he got a velvet box for the ring, cleaning it before slipping it inside. He told me the other piece would be ready on schedule and I smiled, pleased with his attention to detail.
When we exited the jewelry store, my father turned to me and asked about the other piece.
"I ordered Jasper a ring as my gift to him on becoming a made man. I'm going to give it to him after the ceremony."
"That'll mean a lot coming from you. Jasper looks up to you and getting his ring from his brother and the underboss of the organization will be more special. I'm proud of the man you've become."
We arrived at my parents' house not long after, and I was happy to see Isabella resting in the recliner. I went upstairs, put the ring in my nightstand, and climbed into bed.
I fell asleep quickly and didn't wake up until a small hand shook me. "Edward, Esme has lunch ready."
"I'm up." I sat up and took her hand. "Sit with me for a minute?"
She took a seat on my bed and I reached over to my nightstand. We'd already discussed it, but I was about to ask her properly. I took a deep breath and began to speak.
"We talked about this yesterday, but I'm ready to make it official. Isabella Cigno, I've loved you from the first moment I saw you. You're perfect for me and perfect for this life. You're my principessa, and you would make me the happiest man if you agreed to be my wife. Will you marry me?"
"Yes," she whispered. Her eyes were bright and they shone with unshed tears.
I took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger, happy that it fit.
"This ring is beautiful. And I can't wait to start my life with you."
"Well then, you'd better start planning, because we only have a few months before baby makes three."