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 a couple of weekends ago. 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.
"Take small steps every day and one day you will get there."
Unknown
Chapter Eight
"Mom, can't you come to my game?" Seth asked. He was dressed in his soccer uniform. After hearing what Riley had done, Jake and Charlie worked out a deal to find a new soccer club for Seth. He was playing with a travel team out of Tacoma. Bella was able to attend, as well. They were indoor games, with easy access for Bella's wheelchair. "I'm the starting right wing today!"
"Seth, bug, I'd love to come, but I have plans," Bella said. "You knew about this. I told you on Monday." Seth growled and stomped to his room. "Seth Michael Biers, do not slam your …" SLAM! "Door." Bella pinched her nose and smoothed her skirt. She rolled toward the living room when the doorbell rang. She checked her watch. Edward was early. She opened the door and smiled at Edward. He was wearing a pair of dark jeans and black dress shirt, with a black leather jacket over it. "You're early."
"I am. Alice noticed how antsy I was and she sent me home," he laughed, holding out a bouquet of lavender roses. "For you, Bella."
"Please, come in," Bella said, gesturing into her home. "Thank you for the roses. It's been a long time since I got flowers." He stepped inside. "I will need some help. My vases are above my head and I don't feel confident enough to stand without the bars."
"Of course," Edward replied. They walked to the kitchen and Bella pointed to a crystal vase above the sink. Edward tugged it down and filled it with water. Bella arranged the roses, putting the vase on the kitchen table.
"Mom?" came the deeper voice of Jacob. "When is Poppy coming?"
"I don't know," Bella answered. "Check my phone. It's charging in my bedroom."
Jake came into the kitchen, smiling when he saw Edward. "Hey, man! I didn't expect to see you. I thought we'd be on our way to the field for Seth's soccer games," Jake said, shaking Edward's hand.
"You're not playing tonight?" Edward asked. "Isn't it sectionals for the football team?"
"It is, but we sucked," Jake laughed. "We weren't eligible. So, I'm watching over my little brother with my grandpa, if he ever gets here." He handed Bella her phone. "Well?"
"Damn it," Bella snapped. "One of his deputies is out sick and he needs to work."
"Deputies?" Edward asked.
"My dad is a police chief in the town where I grew up, Forks," Bella answered, with a heavy sigh. "Technically, he's semi-retired. The new police chief will be starting after the first of the year." She gave him a frown. "How do you feel about going to a soccer game instead of what you had planned?"
"It'll be fun," Edward nodded.
"Really?" Jake asked. "You're not going to throw a bitch fit like my asshole father?"
"Why would I? I get to spend time with you, your brother and your mom," Edward said. "Jake, not every man is like your dad."
"I know that. I see that with Poppy and with how you treat my mom. But, is it normal for a physical therapist to bring flowers to his patient?" Jake asked, a smirk spreading over his face.
"Smart ass," Bella laughed. "I told you I was going on a date with Edward."
"I know," Jake snickered, but sobered quickly. "I'm sorry that our plans messed up your date."
"Go get your brother. I'll change out of this and then we'll go," Bella said, shooting Edward a wry look. When Jake darted down the hall, Bella twisted her hands. "I'm so sorry. If you want to go …"
"I want to see Seth play," Edward said, taking her hands and smiling at her. He caressed her cheek and bent down to kiss her. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"If you want to grab the bag and toss it in the back of the van, that would be great. I just need to put on some jeans," Bella answered, pointing to a large bag near the doorway. "Thank you for being so flexible."
"I get to spend time with my girl," Edward purred.
"Your girl?" Bella asked, arching a brow.
"If you'd like to be. I know that I'm having feelings that I've never felt before, Bella," Edward said lowly, trailing his fingers down her arms and linking his hand with hers.
Bella blushed, running her thumb over his knuckles. "I'd like that. A lot." She giggled. "I'm hardly a girl, though."
"I'm no spring chicken either," Edward laughed. "Age doesn't matter to me. Though, I'm older than you."
"No way," Bella breathed. "You look like you're in your mid-twenties."
"I could say the same for you, Beautiful Bella," Edward replied. "I'm thirty-seven and will turn thirty-eight in June."
"You are older than me," Bella snickered. "I turned thirty-six in September."
"Mom, we've got to get going," Jake said, dragging Seth into the living room.
"Five minutes," Bella breathed, holding up her hand. She scurried back into her room and the door closed.
"Why are you coming with us?" Seth asked, his brown eyes hard and angry. "I didn't invite you."
"I did, punk," Jake said, cuffing his brother's head. "Be nice. Mr. Cullen has been helping Mom get her feet back. If your head hadn't been buried so far up your ass, you'd see Mom standing and getting stronger."
"She actually took her first steps last week," Edward said, picking up the bags and slinging them over his muscular shoulders.
"She did?" Seth asked.
Edward's face flushed as he remembered the events after her steps. The hottest, most amazing kiss he'd ever had. He was rock hard for hours after Bella had left. He enjoyed some erotic fantasies, involving Bella's mouth, his hardness and a very cold shower. "It happened after hours, but she walked."
"More like shuffled," Bella snickered. "I'm still working on it."
"Can you walk now, Momma?" Seth whispered, looking at his mother.
"Stand, yes. Walk, no," Bella answered. "I still need a lot of support and my balance is nonexistent." She checked her watch. "Shit, we need to go." Jake and Seth grabbed their coats, clambering out of the house. Bella tugged her purse into her lap and Edward slid her jacket on. "Thank you."
"My pleasure, Beautiful Bella," he smiled, opening the door.
They drove the half hour to the indoor soccer field in Tacoma. Bella grumbled when she noticed that all of the handicapped spots were taken. "I'll drop you all off and then park in the back."
"I'll stay with you," Edward said. "It's dark out and I want to make sure you have enough room to maneuver out of the van."
"Thanks, Mr. Cullen," Jake beamed. "At least someone is taking care of Mom. She needs it."
Bella stopped the car and the boys clambered out, walking inside. Bella turned her van down an aisle and searched for a spot with an opening on the passenger side so she could get out of her car. "Damn it," she spat.
"Bella, just park the car and I'll help you out," Edward said quietly.
"I know you're capable, but it pisses me off that people are so ignorant." She stopped the van, pointing to a horrifically parked SUV. "He's taking up three spaces. Could they be more selfish? As someone who's had their mobility dramatically affected, I try to be as self-sufficient as possible. You won't always be with me and my father can't lift me. Well, he can, but he bitches. A lot." Her eyes were welling with tears. "I need to be independent, Edward and these assholes …"
"This is more than just the parked cars, isn't it, Bella?" Edward whispered. Bella nodded jerkily. "Please park the car and talk to me? There's a line behind us."
"Oh, right," Bella said, wiping her face and parking in the first available spot. She turned off the car, gripping the steering wheel angrily.
"Bella?"
"After tonight, I won't bring this up anymore. I want to explore what we have, without the ghost of my ex-husband haunting our fledgling relationship," she said. "When we rode to the hospital in the ambulance, the night of my stroke, Riley made so many promises to me. 'I'll never leave you. You're so strong. Stronger than I could ever be. I love you, so much. Stay with me.' All empty. Within a few months, he was moving out and saying that he couldn't handle my paralysis and recovery." She sniffled and reached for a tissue. "After that, I worked my ass off to regain my independence. I didn't want to rely on anyone."
"You can't do everything alone, Bella," Edward said.
"The one thing I learned from Riley's decision was that I could only rely on myself," Bella said, her voice taking on a cold, angry tenor. "Shortly after I got my new license and this van, I was determined to go grocery shopping by myself. I was able to do it, but someone had parked too close to me, in the handicapped spot. I couldn't leave. I couldn't get into my vehicle. I waited until the person came out to back out their car. I went off on them, explaining that the extra room in a handicapped spot is necessary. This girl couldn't be bothered that my groceries were going bad in the back or that I couldn't leave."
"What happened?"
"A Desert Storm Vet named Peter grabbed the manager. He'd been in a similar situation when he'd returned from his tour. He lost his legs and hadn't received his prosthetics," Bella sighed. "The manager called the cops and the woman got a ticket, a pricey ticket, and was banned from the store. All of my groceries were replaced and I made a friend, but I felt so helpless."
Edward reached across the console and threaded his fingers with hers. "You have every right to be angry at Riley for abandoning you. I'm angry at him for abandoning you and giving up on your children. You are stronger than anyone that I know. That is not an empty vow or worthless compliment. But, letting people in is also important."
"I'm better than I used to be," Bella sighed. "I let you in. I feel like I have more of a support system than I ever did while I was married to Riley."
"I'm glad you let me in," Edward smiled. "I think I knew that you did so when you broke down the first time and you let me comfort you." He unbuckled his seatbelt. "I also have a hell of a white knight syndrome. Give me a chance to rescue you, and I'll gladly do it."
"Well, my white knight, can you rescue me from the driver's seat of my van?" Bella giggled.
"With pleasure, my lady," Edward said with an awful accent.
"Don't quit your day job, Edward," Bella said, her giggles moving to full-blown laughter.
"So, my future as an actor is not a wise decision?" Edward asked with a cheeky grin, opening the door and jogging to the driver's side. With ease, Edward lifted Bella's chair out of the van and to the rear of the vehicle. He locked the van.
"When do you think I'll be able to get rid of that thing?" Bella asked, taking the keys from Edward. "I had an SUV before, but with the chair, I had to get the van to accommodate the ramp and the adjusted controls."
"I think you could probably drive now," Edward said as they walked to the indoor soccer fields. "You can point and flex your feet."
"But, I can't get in and out of the car, nor move my leg across to press the brake," Bella grumbled.
"I beg to differ," Edward said. Bella arched a brow while he held open the door. "At your next appointment, we'll go out in my car in the parking lot. I want you to try."
"I don't want to ruin your car," Bella squeaked.
"I trust you, Beautiful Bella," Edward said. "Now, let's watch some soccer."
For the next hour, Jake, Bella and Edward watched Seth play soccer. He was really good, flying across the field and shooting the game-winning goal. The angry look on Seth's face dissipated as he laughed and played with his teammates. When he finished, Seth beamed widely. "Did you see, Mom?"
"I did, bug," Bella said, tugging on his hand and pulling him to a sweaty hug. "I'm so proud of you, Seth."
"Mom, you're being all mothery," Seth whined, snuggling closer.
"Meh, I'm your mom. I'm entitled to be mothery. It's my one joy in life," she quipped, kissing his forehead. Seth stood up, tugging on his jersey. "I bet that you're starving after shooting that winning goal, hmmmmm?"
"Beyond starving," Seth said.
"Me too, and I was just watching," Jake snickered.
"You breathe and you're starving," Bella deadpanned. "You're going to eat me out of house and home."
"Well, I'd like to take all of you out for dinner to celebrate your win," Edward said. "Seth, where you do want to go?"
"I get to choose?" Seth asked. "Even after I acted rude to you?"
Edward looked at Seth. "Look, kiddo, I know that you've been dealing with some bullshit," he said honestly. "Your mom told me about your dad and you have every right to be mad. Just like her, your life has been thrown into turmoil. As far as you know, I'm another jerk who could hurt you, your brother or your mom."
Seth tugged on Edward's hand and he crouched down. Seth looked at him. "You're not a jerk, Mr. Cullen. I'm sorry that I was." He threw his arms around Edward's neck. Edward's eyes bugged out, but he returned Seth's embrace. Seth stepped back. "Can we go to Shake Shake Shake?"
"We need some good grease," Edward smirked. "And enough with the Mr. Cullen. Please, if it's alright with your mom, call me Edward."
"As long as you are respectful," Bella said. Jake nodded, shooting a bright smile to Edward. Seth slid his hand into Edward's and gave him a more tentative grin.
"I don't know about you, but I want some 'good grease' with a side of a delicious shake," Jake said. "Can we go?"
"It's a date," Edward laughed.
A/N: A bit of fluffiness and sweetness with the budding family. Not many men would be that understanding, but this Edward is the shit … the perfect man, in my eyes.
Pictures from this chapter are on my blog. You can access that from a link in my profile. You can also find the link in my Facebook group: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I'm also on twitter, too: tufano79. Please leave your thoughts and I'll see you in a couple of days. Thank you for reading!