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Chapter 125

Barbecue 2


Bella


"Do I have any clothes still here?" David asked in my direction.

"Sure. Everything is neatly washed and ironed in the guest room in the closet. There's also a sweater for Emma. You forgot it last time," I replied with a reprimanding look. Did David think that I would just leave his dirty clothes lying around or dispose of them? What does he think of me?

As an apology I got a gentle kiss on the forehead. He went with Emma to the guest room, and I looked for a washcloth out of the dresser in the hallway for the two of them.

"Did you bathe in the bowl?" asked David, chuckling as he now examined his little daughter more closely in the small guest bathroom.

Emma's face was one sticky surface and stretched all the way to her neck.

"Come on, give me the clothes!" I demanded immediately. I didn't want to risk those sticky things ending up on the floor or possibly on the bed, but I wanted to put them in the hamper right away.

He carefully pulled Emma's T-shirt over her fuzzy head and handed me his sweater as well.

"How did you do that?", I asked Emma with a grin, pointing at David's T-shirt.

Emma hid her sweet giggles under her hands.

David turned to the mirror, shook his head in confusion and took it off as well. Emma had not only caught the collar with her stubby little hands, but the entire front side was covered with pressed-in chocolate sprinkles.

"She's a natural talent!" he handed me the T-shirt.

"She certainly got it from her father," I teased him chuckling and lifting his necklace into his gaze.

Even between the baptismal rings there was sugar icing. He rolled his eyes.

"Why did we have children again?" he asked.

"For days like this!" I replied.

He nodded smiling and gave his little rascal/angel a kiss.

I disappeared into my bedroom and threw the clothes into the laundry basket.

For a moment I stood in front of my big mirror and laughed. I really didn't look any better than the others. The flour from my pants I could just knock off, but my blouse I took off. A careful look at my top, before I went on into the bathroom.

Clean.

But the bra underneath I took off. I was finally fed up with that and immediately threw it in the bathroom in the small trash can. I was too lazy to get a new one from the dresser.

My cell phone rang, as I had just put the top back on.

I could have expected that.

"Are you crazy! That was from 'Chantelle'!" Alice snapped at me.

"And if it were a pillow-laced with pure gold thread! If it rips my skin at the sides, I won't wear it anymore," I nagged back.

"But Edward liked it so much," she came on now in a whiny voice.

"Edward is more interested in what's wrapped, not how it's wrapped!" I countered.

Alice chuckled again, saying I was probably right about that. We chatted for a moment. She was in Montreal with Rose for hunting and shopping. I got roped into letting her bring me replacements for the discarded bra.

"But only one!" I made sternly clear.

"We'll see!" she fluted and hung up.

I just shook my head.

The little lively Alice. Lovable and annoying were very close together with her.

I washed my face and hands. Fortunately, there was no sticky stuff in my hair, but I brushed for a long time until all the flour was out. Then I propped myself up on the edge of the sink and let my head hang.

Combing hair. Something that Edward liked to do with me. I did not know what was wrong with me. Even yesterday it was strange. It had been clear to me that I would miss Edward during these two days. But not like this. It hurt! My heart burned ablaze, and the flames flickered painfully in my body. It felt like I was depending on Edward's closeness to keep from falling apart. It was not just the desire to have him with me, but as if it was vital! But that was so ridiculous. I should easily be able to be alone for a day or two. Without Edward. What's two days compared to twenty years? Yeah right! Nothing!

I usually didn't have a problem when we said goodbye to each other for a few hours in the morning or when we went to our friends' houses separately in the evening. It didn't matter if I went to work, worked on my dissertation in Portland, or did nothing for a day. No matter how much one loves each other, one can't always spend twenty-four hours a day together. Or even a little longer sometimes.

Until now, I had not really thought about it. Because it simply belonged to it. It was a matter of course to give the partner adequate clearance and thus also to be able to develop oneself. Edward and I were together. Forever. But at the same time he was and remained Jazz and Em's brother too. Of course he should do something with them.

But yesterday it started. When Edward had gone to David's to make breakfast. I had woken up, knowing that he would be back with me in an hour at the most, yet an uneasiness built up inside me that I just couldn't explain. When we said goodbye afterwards, it felt like a part of me was leaving. This morning while showering, I had stood under the water for ages wishing Edward was there. I even had it set to ice cold just so it would feel a little like him. Except that I got goose bumps, which had absolutely nothing to do with what Edward was able to cause on my skin, I achieved nothing with it.

It was also not the fear that he would not come back. He loved me and he would marry me! I had no doubt about that. He would not be able to leave the children behind either. No matter what might unexpectedly happen or encounter along the way, he would do anything to get back to this house. But where exactly this inner pain came from, because he wasn't there, I just couldn't figure out.

Meanwhile, I was leaning on the floor against the bathtub and my head was resting on my knees.

There was a knock at the door of my room, and I stood up. Despite my newly flared up longing, I had to laugh out loud when I saw David.

He, on the other hand, looked grim.

"Do you want to explain to me how THIS ..." he pointed wildly gesturing at his top, "... could happen?" he inquired in a stern tone.

I bit on my lips to keep from laughing further.

It was so shrunk. The sleeves were way too short. The collar was so tight that he kept pulling on it with his fingers to keep from suffocating. The bottom hem barely reached over his belly.

Between my laughter, I mumbled an apology.

"Yes, yes. I can see how sorry you are!" he complained and tried to take off the tight part.

It was fun to watch him do that.

"Did you get Emma clean?" I asked, turning towards the closet.

Otherwise, I probably would not have stopped laughing so quickly. I was looking for a wide sweater, but I did not reach it right away.

"Yep ... Then she just sat quietly on the bed for two minutes while I washed out my necklace and she already fell asleep," I heard out from between masses of fabric.

In the end, he stood there also without a T-shirt, because he just couldn't manage it any other way.

"Will you watch Emma for a minute?" he asked and sorted through his clothes as he did so.

The two parts had gotten quite tangled up with each other.

"Just think, in this house there are also sweaters that fit you!" I grumbled playfully. Why should he walk through the freezing cold?

I shifted to Edward's side of the closet, lifted my hand to the compartment with his sweaters, and pulled out the top one. As I held it in my hands, small flames flickered through my eyes.

It was the dark blue sweater that, despite the contrast to his pale skin, still concealed his unnatural pallor. Moreover, it made his golden eyes shine like stars in the night. I loved this sweatshirt on Edward.

I squinted my eyes and noticed how the tears ran down my cheeks.

"Bella?" asked David cautiously from behind me.

I said nothing. I couldn't say anything because the lump in my throat took on a frightening size. Far too warm arms for my taste, turned me around and squeezed me tightly.

"Bella," David whispered, gently stroking my back as my tears rolled down his still naked torso and his T-shirt lay on the floor. "In approximately fourteen hours he will be back. And until then, you are not alone!", he promised and cradled me a little in his strong arms.

It was somehow a very calming and sheltering moment that made me gain new inner strength. After some time, I took a deep breath. David's hands slid to my cheeks, and he looked lovingly at me. With his thumbs he gently wiped aside the traces of tears.

"You know how much Edward loves you!"

I nodded.

I knew it. As much as I loved him. I smiled dreamily at the thought of that hotel room in Portland. Of his second marriage proposal.

"You're smiling," David said. "Whatever you're thinking about. Hold that thought, Bella, until Edward gets back here!" David whispered soulfully and gave me an equal kiss on the forehead.

I closed my eyes, let this tender touch take effect, and imagined that it had been Edward. I sighed.

At that very moment there was a knock and Leah immediately came in through the ajar door. She looked disarranged when I detached myself from David and she handed me the phone and also disappeared again very quickly. Confused, I looked after her.

I didn't understand. Had something happened downstairs?

"Why don't you get dressed?" I asked David before paying attention to the phone. It was the weekend. It was probably just Renée.

David had just put his T-shirt back on, but he placed Edward's sweater back in the closet. Instead, he handed me mine, which I hadn't been able to reach earlier.

"I don't want to see you again like you did just now. I'm going over there quickly. Can I leave you alone for a few minutes?" he asked seriously.

I nodded and he gave me one more big, exaggerated smack on the cheek.

"How long are you going to let Emma sleep?" I asked before he was through the door.

He pulled out his cell phone and showed me the timer counting down for the coal. Just over half an hour.

"The last one?" I asked hopefully. So slowly I got hungry.

"Yep. The last one!" he confirmed grinning as he also looked at the temperatures of the roasts via his cell phone.

"Then you should wake Sonya up. She won't want to miss the finale!" I murmured to him.

He saluted formally and disappeared. I shook my head amused.

"Hello?" I then said carefully into the phone.

"Hello, my heart. Nice that you have time to talk to me!" I heard the most beautiful voice in the world.

And my heart commented on it, of course. I smiled and let myself fall onto the bed.

It was so good to at least hear his voice and it made those melancholy sad moments seemed so far away and just ridiculous. The longer I listened to his musical voice, the better I felt.

He told me many things that I could not quite imagine. They were behind the Five Lakes in Southern Alaska. Cougars, black bears, and white-tailed deer were mainly on the menu. Em had wanted to tame one of the deer and ride on it. They had been swimming competitively in Lake Superior last night. They were challenging for each other's prey.

Boys among themselves were silly, I noted. And the fact that one of them was a hundred and twenty-three years old didn't change that.

"What time will you be back here tomorrow?" I asked.

"Before you open your eyes, I'll be there!" promised Edward.

"You'd better!" I threatened.

"What then?"

"Then I'll sic two wolves on you!"

He chuckled.

"Give them both a kiss from me ... I miss my family."

"And your family misses you! Especially your fiancée!"

"Well, my fiancée requested the handsome neighbor to get dressed again earlier. I guess her grief can't be that far off!" Edward teased me and we both chuckled.

But then my laughter died away.

"She just needed to be comforted a little bit. She felt alone ... and she cried," I admitted.

"I'll be back!" he suddenly said in a determined voice, and I thought I could even hear wind through the phone.

"Edward! I'll last a few more hours!" I said immediately. I didn't want him to break off his trip, which seemed to be quite fun all in all, just because of my funny mood. Here it had gone also quite cheerful.

He did not answer.

"You stay there!" I tried more emphatically. The wind was no longer audible, but nothing else was either. "I'm fine, Edward. I miss you immensely, but I can handle it. It's only one more night and I'll probably sleep like a log during it. After all, I've been up for a while!" I explained, looking over my alarm clock and yawning involuntarily. Wow ... fifteen hours I had been awake, and it was already dark again. I was able to stop Edward from coming home right away. I would have liked nothing better, but we had promised each other to hold out for two days. And right now I felt quite capable of doing that. I didn't want to give up!

"I love you, my angel and dream of me!" Edward finally said goodbye.

"I always do, even when I'm awake! See you in the morning, my darling!"

On the way downstairs, I briefly glanced in to Emma and smirked. With her thumb in her mouth, she was sleeping placidly. David had undressed her somewhat so that she was more comfortable. I adjusted the blanket over her and quietly left again.


Downstairs, the first thing I did was bring the cookies to safety and snarled at the remaining seven kids.

They would manage to have nothing left of it by tomorrow. At Christmas, I did not even dare to think.

Somewhat confused, my twins took note that I then pressed a kiss on each of their cheeks.

"It's from your dad!" I explained, as Sonya and David also came through the front door.

"The last coal!" announced David, showing the timer.

Three more minutes.

We put on - once again - our jackets and went to the terrace.

One last time this little ritual.

Reverent silence reigned in the dim light shining from my dining room. The boys shared this procedure. Luces held the small fireplace, into which Deacon poured the coals. Jake lit the barbecue lighter, whereupon Marcus positioned the fireplace. When the coals were pulled through, Daniel opened the drawer under the grill, into which David poured the glowing pieces and immediately pushed them to the sides.

"How much longer?" asked Jake, punctuating the question with a growling stomach.

David checked the core temperature and opened the lid one last time, whereby his kids were immediately ready with the apple juice spray bottles.

"An hour. At the most!" David said convinced.

"Then we're good to go!" said Sonya in my direction.

I nodded. We took off our numerous jackets at the wardrobe.

"I'll go wake up the little sunshine," Jake said with anticipation and headed toward the stairs.

"She's not wearing anything," David murmured after him in forewarning.

"So what? Should I take my clothes off now, too, so there's a tie?"

"Put hers on first!" concretized David, played annoyed.

"Of course I was going to let Emma run around naked in this temperature! What else!" I heard Jake.

"When did he actually lose respect for me?" asked David to the chuckling round.

"You can check under the basketball hoop and see if you can still find it there somewhere!" interjected Leah, amused.

"What have I done wrong?" David mused theatrically to the heavens and dropped down on the sofa as if humiliated.

His three sons jumped on him and let out a collective "Nothing!" of their own. They wrestled silly with each other and the rest of us fled to the kitchen so we wouldn't end up on the floor too.

"We won't get a better chance than this!" I said conspiratorially to Sonya and winked at her.

"For what?" asked Becky curiously.

"We still have to cook the sauce. For that we need his whiskey!" Sonya explained whispering.

Leah sucked in the air between her teeth and looked at us shocked.

"If David realizes you're going to use his sacred firewater for cooking, you can write your will!" clarified Leah in deadly seriousness before a grin rose to her face.

But she was right. Edward could then take as much time as he wanted. There would be no one left alive here who would expect him back.

Becky, Marcus, and now also Leah grinned mischievously and turned to the living room, where Jake was just arriving with Emma. My twins exchanged an intense look and their mouths moved, but I heard nothing.

Sonya and I started making the sauce and Becky sneakily brought us the bottle.

Meanwhile, David was being held by Marcus and Jake, and David's children were tickling him. First and foremost, Emma. Just as unnoticed, Becky put the bottle back. The sauce simmered comfortably. We prepared the burger buns, which were grilled after the meat briefly, as well as a salad. Marcus, Jake, and Daniel laid out a warming box with aluminum foil, in which the meat would then rest.


Then it was time to get the meat off the grill.

Leah and Becky continued to take care of the rolls outside while everyone else was now setting the table. We got the coleslaw out of the fridge, and the sauce was divided among three bowls.

Two vampires wanted to watch the spectacle - Esmé and Carlisle - beverages were distributed ... David then took over the pulling apart of the meat personally. That would be up to the head of the house!

"Do you want me to give Edward a call so you can talk this out with him?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Grill owner's business!" he corrected his answer.

The pulled meat from two of the roasts we distributed on different plates and immediately we sat down at the table. The last piece remained in the box.

The four teenagers held their beverage bottles in their hands in amazement but joy. Beer! There was nothing better with Pulled Pork. Even Sonya was drinking - non-alcoholic - beer today. The younger kids got lemonade.

David gave a little speech.

The first Pulled Pork in the new home. We would have all held out well and yes also spent a nice day together. Our diligence should be rewarded ...

"You do realize we haven't eaten since breakfast?" interrupted the refreshing speech Jake, receiving murmurs of agreement.

We toasted and finally began to eat.

Esmé and Carlisle didn't understand why we were all so excited about it and took on this truly exhausting day just for some pulled meat with gravy in a bun.

And the sauce was gigantically successful today! No wonder, with our secret ingredient.

David also praised her extensively, whereas Sonya and I just chuckled.

"That looks like it crawled out of the garbage can right onto the plate!" said Esmé in downright horror, but all the humans held fast to the contrary.

It was unearthly delicious. So tasty that even the last piece of roast had to believe in it.

Jake had the honor of pulling it apart. Under wise counsels of Marcus.

The food dragged on, the beer flowed in streams and the mood was magnificent. Otherwise, I probably would have gone to the terrace to smoke a cigarette, but I somehow didn't feel like it. Nevertheless, I went out into the fresh air. The cold air did me good. I leaned against the small wall, held my belly and looked up at the starry sky. I was so stuffed to the gills, but happy. After a few minutes Carlisle came out and put a blanket around my shoulders.

"You don't want to catch a cold!" he said caringly. "Edward wouldn't forgive us for that!"

"Is that why you guys are here? Because Edward asked you to watch over me when he's not here?", I asked, chuckling. I was already too buzzed to be offended by his paternalism.

"No, we were actually curious about what this food was all about. But Edward was very reassured when he heard we were going to look at it."

"He worries too much about me!" I stated, a little miffed.

"But only because you are important to him! Not a moment goes by when he doesn't think of you. It was very difficult for him to accompany his brothers and leave you alone."

"As hard as it was for me to let him go!" I sighed. I took David's advice and thought about the candles in the penthouse, the fireplace, the bath.

I smiled.

We went back inside and enjoyed the evening with music, dancing, wonderful anecdotes from experiences, we laughed a lot, also drank some more. We stifled the onset of fatigue as soon as it approached.

Only Emma laid down on the sofa following the meal and slept, although it was quite noisy in the living room. David took her upstairs to the guest room.

Since the day had been quite long, Sonya set off for home with Luces and Deacon by nine-thirty, while Esmé carried Emma over. Sonya was no longer allowed to lift heavy things, and she forbade David to do it. She no longer trusted his alcoholic sense of balance.

The vampires also said goodbye.


David came up with the idea to continue teaching dance to the teenagers.

While drunk. Great idea!

I sat grouchily at the dining table afterwards with an ice pack on my shoulder. He tried to turn me, and I slammed full against the door frame. But my own alcohol level still let me grin. I had to look totally stupid, but just couldn't put it down. In the meantime, I even put the ice pack on the wrong shoulder.

"All-ight. Is 'bout time far yous tooo git ta beds !" David tried to tell his eldest son as it approached eleven o'clock.

Grinning spacey, I watched the small war.

Daniel was convinced that he was no longer a small child, and that Jake and Marcus were still up. However, they were - almost - of age. But only almost. He was not tired at all. But he yawned profusely.

Marcus ended the factual discussion - like everyone else, staggering slightly and grinning disproportionately - by saying that they would probably be going to bed soon, too.

Daniel surrendered, offended, and trotted away.

Our private party went on a little longer and David and I watched with amusement as the teenagers actually tried to dance.

Classically dance - I should add. Not that it would be recognized as such right away.

"I think I've had enough for today!" said Leah as the living room clock struck twelve.

The others also just drank up and warped off to bed as well. All four first said thanks for the wonderful food and the generally great day with the family.

We got a kiss on the cheek from everyone. Even from Marcus. David and I toasted with the last remnants in our beer bottles when David then became curious.

"Whats on Eart did ya do ta za sauce?," he asked. "Ya didsn'tmakes it 'gether for za firstes times! " he stated.

I grinned - my current permanent condition - and emptied my bottle before heading to the liquor cabinet.

I felt brave enough to confess. Well, I wasn't really capable of running away anymore, but neither was David to run after me.

I took the bottle, two glasses and put them down in front of David.

After the table had stopped spinning. What the thing also drinks so much!

I went to sit down again, noticing that the ice pack was on the floor. I bent down.

Damn, the floor was deep today.

Somehow I sat again on the chair and in front of me was the glass filled with a sip of holy firewater. I grinned and put the ice pack on my head. We swirled the glasses, held the liquid against the light, smelled at the expensive swill.

Like true connoisseurs and real epicures.

We toasted, downed it in one gulp, and chuckled. Only when David put his glass down on the table did his hand go to the bottle in disbelief. He looked at it for a long time.

"Didsn't its used ta bees fullzer? " he mumbled.

I nodded heavily.

Didn't I have something o'my head? I asked myself and looked up. There was zilch.

"Waz happen'd ta its? " David asked further and looked at me.

I could watch how his head was working. Involuntarily, I stood up first. To have a head start. Because I had drowned my little sense of balance in beer, I walked carefully and held on or propped myself up. By the chair. Around the table. On the door frame. At the wall. Then I heard something behind me.

David had stood up and looked at me.

A malicious dopey grin.

I chuckled, took the two steps toward the light switch, and turned off the light. I hurried to the stairs, which were still illuminated by the light from the upstairs hallway. It rumbled, David cursed, but I didn't look back. I hurried up the steps. Of course I stumbled, but I managed to break my fall and hurried on. I still felt something touched my ankle, but I shook it off. At top speed, I ran toward my bedroom ...

Okay. It took a while.

I swayed carefully along the wall, trying not to fall and to remember to avoid the dresser. But then I reached my protective bunker. Unfortunately, a moment too late. With David at my back, I stumbled into the room, and we staggered to the bed while I tried to tear myself away.

In vain.

I was lying on my stomach, and he was sitting on me.

He tickled me. Mercilessly. No idea how many deaths I died before David finally took pity and rolled himself off me.

Uncoordinated blows hit him, but we just kept cackling. It took until our laughter stopped and even my cheeks hurt. The longer I lay still, the heavier my eyes became.

"Its waz nice tadays " I mumbled, turning my head in his direction.

"Yah. Waz."

"Thank ya!", I whispered and let a hand fall on his belly. I actually wanted to meet his hand, but it was too far above me on the blanket.

"Fa whats?"

"Datz ya came ups with za idea. Ta dis-trapt mes."

"Dats what freends ares for 'nd next times Eddie wills be dere."

I mobilized the last reserves of strength in me and pushed myself the short distance towards David. I tipped forward toward his mouth as I tried to give him a grateful kiss on the cheek. I rowed back with my arms, but it didn't help.

Again we chuckled after I slid to the side, but I had lost some strength.

I gave up trying to fight off fatigue and fell asleep in David's arms, which were just way too warm. Even in my dream it was way too warm and really degenerated into hot, although I didn't know what I was dreaming.


Thank you for reading!