~!~

"We're going to be late!" Edward called impatiently from downstairs. Hopping across the bedroom floor on one leg, I attempted to put on an earring and insert my foot into my other shoe.

"I'm coming!" I yelled before stopping in front of the mirror and reaching into my dress to adjust the girls one final time.

Grabbing my wrap, I hustled down the stairs as quickly as possible without breaking my neck. He was waiting at the bottom, and when he saw me, he extended his arms to the sides, tilted his head back, and looked at the ceiling in an over-the-top gesture.

"Finally!" he huffed, and I rolled my eyes …I mean,please, it wasn't as if he'd been waiting a thousand years or something.

Smiling, I rushed to place a quick apologetic kiss on his lips.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm ready; let's go." Pulling on his hand, I tried to lead him toward the front door, but I turned around questioningly when he didn't budge. "What? What's the matter? Come on!"

His eyes swept over my form.

"Wait a minute," he said as he pulled me back. "Let me look at you."
Laughing, I did a little twirl in front of him.

"You look beautiful," he whispered. "Gorgeous."

"You do, too," I replied. "So handsome."

Leaning down, he kissed me softly before I grabbed the keys and held them up in front of him.

"Come on, we need to get going, or we're going to have two very pissed-off grooms."

~!~

Sitting at the table, I watched Jake and Emmett dance, their heads together as they whispered. Tipping his head back, Jake laughed at something Emmett said, and I let the pure joy of the day wash over me. Edward sat beside me, his arm around the back of my chair, as he moved his fingers across my shoulder lightly. Turning to study his profile, I couldn't help but admire the calming white light surrounding him. I rarely blocked it anymore. There wasn't any need. It no longer scared me and only reminded me how far I'd come and how much his love had changed my life. He'd made me stronger, and I hoped I'd done the same for him.

I wouldn't be here if he hadn't convinced me to go to the coffee shop that night. We sat talking for hours, and even though I was afraid, I told him everything. He stayed silent as it poured out of me, and when I was finished, I wondered again if I had made a mistake. But when he left his seat and slid next to me, wrapping me tightly in his arms, I knew I'd made the right decision.

Our relationship has only continued to grow since then, and his love has helped me in ways I never knew was possible. He likes to argue that it was the other way around, that I saved him from a half-lived life. But I just smile and kiss his handsome face, not in the least bit interested in winning this old debate. All I care about is that somehow, we found each other, and that's all that matters to me.

With Edward's support, I found the courage to acknowledge and then try to understand my 'gift.' I found an entire online community comprised of people experiencing the same things I was. I'd spend days lost in chatrooms with ordinary people like myself living with this phenomenon. Some embraced it, and some were reluctant to explore it, like me.

Surprisingly, it was my mother who put me in touch with the woman who ultimately became my mentor. Carmen helped me tremendously. She taught me not to be so afraid. She said I could either do what I had always done and approach it from a place of fear or embrace it and be in a position of power. It was a terrifying process, but with her and Edward's help, I finally stopped looking at it as a curse.

Once I did, things changed dramatically for me. It no longer controlled me when I finally let go of the fear. Edward even encouraged me to use my gift with my clients. I was wary at first, but he was right; it enabled me to connect with them in ways I never imagined. If their energy became too much, I had the tools to switch it off quickly and safely so it wouldn't drain or overwhelm me.

Edward left the farm around the same time I started seeing Carmen. As the oldest son, he'd always felt obligated to carry the family's legacy. When his father began to slow down, Edward agreed without hesitation to help run the operation. Naively, he thought he could help his family without sacrificing his true passion. By the time he realized what an unrealistic idea that was, his father had already laid the plans for the boys to take over and start the expansion, and Edward knew he couldn't let them down.

He likes to tell me that I was the one who gave him the courage to voice how he felt, but I know he had it in him all along; he just needed to trust himself. Ultimately, it was decided that their cousin Peter would help run things with Emmett. Esme and I have had long talks about it, and she grapples with her own guilt that Edward felt he couldn't come to them. I tell her he's working on not being such a martyr.

"You make him happy, Bella, and that's all I want for him; that's all I've ever wanted for both my boys."

Edward teaches art classes now. He still paints, but primarily for his own enjoyment. After spending most of his youth painting, he realized that desire wasn't as dominant as it once was, and what he really wanted to do was teach.

Feeling my eyes on him, he turned to me and smiled softly. The opening refrain of Susan Tedeschi's 'Loving you is sweeter than Ever,' came on and the upbeat tempo filled the room, encouraging the other guests to venture onto the dance floor. Standing, Edward offered me his hand, and I grasped it eagerly before he led me through the sea of people.

I remember yet before we met.
That every night and day
I had to live the life of a lonely one
I remember meeting you
Discovering love can be so true
When it's shared by two instead of one

Making our way to the center, and positioning ourselves near Jake and Emmett, Edward spun me around before gripping my waist and moving us to the music.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I gazed at Jake, mesmerized by the gold light that floated from the top of his head. It climbed toward the ceiling where it intertwined with Emmett's; their purple and gold streams so enmeshed that it was difficult to decipher where Jake's left off and Emmett's began.

"You, okay?" Edward murmured.

Nodding against his shoulder, I pulled back to look at him.

"It's been the best day, Edward. The very best day."

Smiling, he leaned down to give me a gentle kiss.

"The best is yet to come," he whispered, and I giggled as his breath tickled my ear.

Wrapping my arms around his neck tightly, I knew that truer words had never been spoken.