Hello, My Dears!
As someone mentioned yesterday, we are starting to head toward a close. The chapters have been jumping further and further ahead and will continue to do so so that we get the view of this little family before we wrap up completely.
Chapter Sixty-Seven: Edward
August 2, 2025
Seattle, Washington
"That's the last box," Emmett huffs, setting a large box down in our empty living room. I look around, shaking my head. I still can't believe we're back in the states.
"Thank you, man," I huff, clapping him on the shoulder. He nods.
"It's not a problem. Though I will take that beer now."
I smirk and nod, heading through the house toward the kitchen. Our fridge isn't here yet, but I have a cooler sitting on the counter. I crack it open, handing him a beer. I grab a third one for Jasper before cracking my own. Jasper comes in wiping his hands together.
"It's a great place," he says in approval. I nod in agreement. It took some time to find, but it was worth crashing at Charlie's new place in the interim. The house is a little older, Victorian style, though it's got some decent upgrades. It's close enough to the university that I'll be able to walk on good weather days, and it's a great neighborhood for Duckling to go to school. It's even located close enough that Bella can easily commute downtown for her new job.
It's perfect for us.
Emmett, Jasper, and I all sip our beers, looking around the house. "Four bedrooms?" Jasper asks after a minute. I look at him and nod. "Should we be expecting any news?"
I huff a laugh, shaking my head. "No, not yet. I mean, we've talked about having another kid, but we're not in a rush. We want to settle in here, get Duckling established in school and stuff before we think about it."
Jasper nods in agreement. My sister is currently twenty weeks pregnant, and I know the birth of their first child will keep my family busy for a while.
"What about you guys?" I ask, looking at Emmett. He swallows a large sip of his beer.
"Rose finally set a date," he says, shaking his head. I know they've been engaged for a while, but Rose wanted to be done with a good portion of her schooling before they got married. I got where she was coming from. There were times when I felt like there was no way a marriage could last going through my own Ph.D. program. But Bella is the strongest woman I know, and we'd gotten through every hurdle together.
"When's the big day?" I ask, taking a swig.
"Next spring. April 11."
I nod, making a mental note to add that to my calendar.
"Down in LA?"
Emmett nods, leaning against the counter.
"Yeah. Her folks refuse to come."
I frown. It still makes zero sense to me. Her parents absolutely hate Emmett, and they've all but written Rose off since she told them about her relationship with him.
As a father, I can't ever imagine saying something like that to my daughter.
I hear the front door open, and it pulls me out of my dark thoughts. A moment later, Duckling is sprinting around the corner into the kitchen, flinging herself at me. I barely manage to catch her in time, setting my beer on the counter to pull her into my arms.
"Hey, Duckling," I say, kissing her cheeks. She giggles.
"Daddy, we ha piss."
"Pizza," Bella enunciates as she turns the corner. Behind her, Alice and Rose snicker. I shake my head.
"You know, it's probably your fault she can't get it," I tell Bella. She sets a pizza box on the counter.
"Eat me, Cullen."
I smirk at her. We haven't had the opportunity to break in our new house, though I know we're both dying to get at it.
"Eat!" Duckling repeats.
Our friends burst into laughter, and I shake my head. "Okay," I say, clearing my throat. "Uh, let's behave."
I turn to the counter, reaching for a stack of paper plates, but then Bella is smacking my ass. I turn to look at her, and she grins at me, leaning up to kiss me. Duckling giggles and wiggles out of my arms. She's toddling off before I can stop her, and thankfully Rose goes with her to make sure she doesn't get into too much trouble.
"Get a room," Alice crows beside us.
Bella squeezes my ass. "Great idea. Should we?"
I snort and lean down to kiss her. "Later," I promise her. She grins against my lips.
"I can't wait."
Honestly, I can't either. This place won't feel like home until Bella and I destroy just about every surface.
It may be harder to get time alone now, but it doesn't mean we've lost any of our fire. Just thinking about the potential night ahead of me puts me in a great mood.
This new chapter in our life is going to be amazing, I can already tell.
