Disclaimer: None of this mine, nor will it ever be. The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and I just like to play with Edward and Bella.
Also, thank you so much for your support for my writing. It means to me more than words can say.
I'm unsure if you'd heard, but one of our beloved fandom family members passed away this weekend. Dee Creston, lovingly known as FangirlinGrandmaDee, died peacefully and surrounded by family. This chapter is dedicated to one of the kindest, warmest and friendliest members of our TwiFamily. Her love of fic and her encouraging words will be missed, tremendously.
From me to you, Dee, {GIANT TUFANO HUGS AND SMOOCHES} … always and forever.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
Henry David Thoreau
Chapter Five
"Edward, can I have a word with you?" Alice asked, sitting at her desk. It had been a couple of weeks since Bella began her physical therapy. She gestured to the chair next to her desk. "How are things going?"
Edward sat down, stretching his legs out. He took a few sips of water. "It's very slow going. I looked at her scans and her body should be healing. The damage is minute."
"I think a lot of it is mental," Alice murmured. "Are you going to take her to the pool?"
"Not yet. The muscles in her legs are not strong enough. We've been working them. Her toes are working and she's able to point and flex her foot."
"That's more than she's done before," Alice smiled.
"The first time she moved her foot, Bella started crying," Edward breathed. "At first, she was quiet, but then she just lost it." He blushed, looking at his boss. "I hate to see women crying. Hell, anyone really."
"You hugged her, didn't you?" Alice asked, an understanding look on her face.
"I held her, Alice. I picked her up and held her in my lap as she cried," he sighed, scrubbing his face. "During our sessions, she told me about what her ex-husband did to her. Her parents are supportive and her kids are great, but she's been weathering this storm on her own. I wanted to make it a little better."
"She let her guard down around you?" Alice said. Edward nodded, his face turning a brighter red. "Good, that's what I was hoping for."
"What?"
"I see a lot of Rosalie in Bella," Alice smirked. "Tough as nails, dealing with their disabilities, for the most part, on their own. Emmett brought something out in Rosalie that made her even stronger. She felt supported for the first time."
"What you're suggesting goes against everything I learned in my classes, Alice," Edward said, pursing his lips. "Bella is a beautiful woman, but she's my patient. A relationship with her is unethical."
"That's almost exactly what Emmett said about Rosalie," Alice laughed. "Within a month, they were a couple. Rosalie also asked to work another therapist. She didn't want to blur the lines."
"That's why she switched to work with Liam," Edward murmured. "I wondered why she made the switch. It makes sense now." He looked at Alice. "I don't want to lose her as a patient. I like seeing her improve with each session. I like seeing her smile."
"You are already drawn to her, Edward," Alice said. "Do you need me to reassign Bella to another therapist?"
"No, I don't," Edward answered, shaking his head. "I … I want to be a support to her. I don't want her to think that I'm giving up on her, like her ex-husband." He checked his watch. "Speaking of which, Bella should be here in a little bit. She's bringing her oldest son with her so he can learn the exercises that I do with her. I notice a slight regression over the weekend, when she's not at the center every other day. With her son's assistance, she can keep trekking forward."
"Good idea, but be careful. If her son does something that her body can't tolerate, it may hinder her recuperation," Alice said.
Edward nodded and got up from Alice's desk. He walked out to the waiting area. Bella was in her chair, wearing a pair of black workout pants and a pretty blue tunic. Next to her was a tall boy, with light brown hair and pale skin. "Edward," Bella grinned. "This is my oldest son, Jake. Jake, this Mr. Cullen. He's been helping me with my physical therapy."
The boy stood up and he was nearly as tall as Edward. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen. You've really helped my mom a lot. Thank you," he said, holding out his hand. Jake's voice was higher than Edward anticipated, but the subtle tones of masculinity were swirling in his raspy voice.
"It's been a pleasure helping your mom," Edward said. "She's an amazing woman."
"That she is," Jake agreed, grinning at his mother.
"Both of you, stop it," Bella laughed. "You're making me blush." She rolled past the two of them and to the room where she'd done most of her work with Edward. Locking her wheelchair, she slid onto the table and removed her shoes and socks.
Jake watched her with his eyes wide. He'd seen improvement in his mother's movements, but seeing her maneuver her way onto the table without any sort of assistance was amazing. "Mom, you … how?"
"Edward has showed me how to advocate and move for myself. I also have more control over my lower limbs. I can't stand, but I can use my feet to push off," Bella explained, giving Edward a warm smile.
"I've helped you, but you're putting in the hard work, Bella," Edward said. "Now, on your belly. I want to do some soft tissue massage in your calves."
"Oooh, thank you," Bella breathed. "My legs have been tight."
"That's because you're working muscles that have been dormant for over a year," Edward said, rolling up her pant legs. He picked up some lotion and warmed it in his palms.
"What does the massage do?" Jake asked as Edward began working her calf muscles.
"It's to lessen muscle tension and alleviate pain," Edward said. "The more relaxed your body is, the faster the body can heal itself."
"That explains why after a game, the trainers massage my arm," Jake said. "I'm the quarterback for my school's football team. My arm gets tight."
"Football, you say?" Edward smirked. "I played in high school, but I found that I loved rugby in college. I played until my senior year."
"Why did you stop?" Bella asked.
"I tore my ACL at one of our last games of the season. I loved the game, but I wasn't getting any younger," Edward snickered. "I was already in school for physical therapy and so I used my rehabilitation as on-the-job training."
"And your knee?" Jake questioned.
"It's fine. I know when it's going to rain," Edward laughed. "But, I can do nearly all the things I could do prior to my injury. I'm actually training for the Ironman."
"No way!" Jake breathed. "That's insane! Mom, didn't you do an Ironman?"
"I ran a half-marathon, Jacob William. I don't think I could do the swimming portion," Bella snorted. "Or anything, right now."
"The swimming part is actually the easiest," Edward said. "For me, I struggled with the bike ride. The repetitive motion of riding the bike aggravates my knee."
"Are you designated as an Ironman?" Jake asked.
"Not even close, but I do it to improve my times," Edward smirked. "I came close the last time I ran the triathlon, missing it by a half hour. I doubt I'll repeat that. I hadn't trained as hard as I probably should. I've been working a lot."
"I'm sorry," Bella said quietly. "If we need to …"
"Bella, stop," Edward murmured. "We had a physical therapist put in her notice. She was accepted in a doctoral program. Alice hasn't hired someone to replace her. Also, with Alice not really working on patients due to her pregnancy made us short-handed for the time being. I made a promise to you that I would help you walk. I'm not reneging on that."
"You're doing more than my dad," Jake spat under his breath.
"Jake," Bella sighed.
"Sorry," Jake grumbled. "Is there a bathroom in here?"
"Go out the door. It's across the gym, in the back," Edward said. Jake nodded, shooting up and darting out of the room. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No. It's not you, Edward. Jake is very pissed off at his father," Bella explained. "First, Jake's irked that Riley gave up on me. Now, he's is giving up on his family."
"What do you mean?"
"Jake has made it abundantly clear that he wants nothing to do with father. Seth, my younger boy, still wanted to be with him. Riley is Seth's hero," Bella mumbled. "Well, he was Seth's hero. He's missed the past three weekends with Seth, saying that he had other plans." She looked over her shoulder. "I saw him with his other plans."
"He was with another woman?" Edward asked.
Bella nodded. "I was out to eat with a few of my former coworkers, Angela, Jessica and Mike. We were at Pike's Place and I saw Riley walking down the street with a redheaded woman. It was quite clear that they were more than just friends."
"And this upsets you?"
"It does, but not for me. I've made my peace with his decision to leave. Not many people can handle this type of situation. Hell, there were moments where I wanted to give it all up. Just live with the hand that I was dealt," Bella muttered. "What pisses me the fuck off is how Riley is handling our boys." She pushed up, turning to face Edward. "Yes, our relationship ended, but he is still their fucking father. He doesn't see the light diminish in Seth's eyes when I get an email or a text, cancelling their time together. He's not there to pick up the pieces of our shattered son because he's too busy. He doesn't see the anger of his older son, the hatred and rage building inside. Selfish douchebag."
"Have you spoken to your attorney?" Edward murmured.
"She's gotten copies of every single text and email. One more missed weekend and we're going back to court to modify the custody agreement," Bella sighed. "I'm sorry for unloading. I talk to my parents and to Rose, but … would you do that to your kids? If you had any … do you have any?"
"I would never do that to my children. At one point, you and your ex-husband loved each other. Your children came from that love," Edward said quietly. "Walking away from that would be so difficult. They are precious gifts …"
"They are," Bella whispered, staring at Edward and trying to not cry.
"And I don't have any children," Edward whispered back. "I had a few relationships, but nothing serious."
"I'm surprised," Bella chortled, wiping her face and giving Edward a shocked smirk. "You're a handsome man. You probably have women falling at your feet."
"I do … because I'm a physical therapist," Edward deadpanned. "But, I catch them before they get hurt."
"Funny."
"To be honest, I'm really picky about the women I spend time with," Edward shrugged. "On your belly, Bella. I need to continue your massage." She pouted. "I'll still tell you about my lackluster love life." She giggled, rolling her eyes and was back on her stomach. He felt his face flush and he worked on her calves. "I have very little patience for fake people. I dated a woman in college that was by my side and I thought she was the one. Then, I got injured and she decided I wasn't enough. After that, I had a few casual relationships, but nothing serious. I'm focused on my job and helping people, like you."
"That woman sounds a lot like my ex-husband," Bella snorted derisively. "Maybe she was the chick on my ex-husband's arm, with her tongue down his throat."
"A redhead, you say?" Edward asked. Bella nodded. "Could be. Victoria had bright red hair."
There was a quiet knock and Jake came back in. The rest of the appointment was spent finishing up Bella's massage. Then, Edward showed Jake the stretches and exercises. Jake was terrified of hurting his mother. However, Edward saw that Jake adored her.
Edward also recognized that he was starting to adore her … just as much … maybe more?
A/N: Edward and Bella are building something. We also learned a little more about Edward. I just love this guy. He's so freaking sweet. And sexy as all hell.
And can I just say that Riley is a bag of dicks? I hate that guy. He abandons his wife, divorces her and ignores his fucking kids? What the hell?
Anyhow, pictures are on my blog. You can access those from a link on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79. I'll see you all in a couple of days and thank you for reading! I appreciate your comments and support through everything. Hugs to you!