I don't own twilight. What I own is my character's behavior, personality, background, and the plot of my story.

As he drove back home, Bella's words echoed in his mind. When Cece was born, the doctors found out that she had cancer. Naturally, they checked me too and sure enough, she got it from me.

Cece, the sweet girl that managed to worm her way into his heart in the span of days was born with cancer. Cece became acquainted as a newborn with the doctors and nurses instead of her parents.

And poor Bella had to manage being a new mum, and take care of a baby with cancer, all while receiving chemotherapy for cancer herself. It's moments like those that make him question the meaning of life. What is the point of being alive if people can be royally screwed over in such a way from the moment they take their first breath?

What is the point of a happy moment when many get to have them be colored with so much pain and suffering?

We are okay. Cece and I are fine. I have been in remission for two years, Cece for five months more than that. We have to take medications, sure. But both of us are okay for the most part.

He didn't ask her any questions. He was too sick to his stomach to due so. But Bella knows him too well to wait for him to ask questions. And how could he? What questions could compensate for all of the sorrow he feels for her and the kid that just an hour ago he believed to be his child? What words could contain the edges of his heartache for her? What words could make the nights she spent in those hospitals less of a nightmare?

All along, he has been thinking to himself that Bella couldn't be in as much pain as he is. Turns out he was wrong. Cause nothing could have prepared him for the look on her face as she told him intimate details of her hospital stay. If she was in this much pain while retelling the events, how much pain did she feel during said events?

He doesn't go to the office. He drives straight home. He doesn't have the energy to work. He doesn't have the energy to talk to anyone. He doesn't have the energy to face humans. All he wants to do is lay back in bed and think of Bella's last statement to him before he left.

I left. I didn't stay. I choose to stay in a country where I knew only a small number of people in. Marco offered to transfer back to Chicago. He offered to move us back. I would have had my friends and dad there to support me. I didn't. I stuck to my choice because I didn't want to make our breakup harder on you than it already was. I didn't stay around because if I did our friends would have needed to pick a side. Your family would have still talked to me. I didn't want to cause you any more pain than you had to have. Please don't make my return here painful. I gave you five years to move on and let me go. Please don't make things harder for me than they need to.

Her words hit him hard. Because a part of him is still not over her and is extremely angry at her. This part wants to cause her as much pain as possible. This part of himself believes that no amount of pain she suffered makes her someone he doesn't want to kick down and kick even more once she is down. That part of himself believes that no amount of pain would have been too little, understandable, or justifiable. It doesn't matter how much the pain was and how much more it could have been. All that matters is that he felt pain and he must return the gesture to her.

Another part of him realizes that if she had stayed around things would have been far more painful. Things were already bad as it is without her sticking around, without watching her move on without him with her, without his friends taking her side and dumping him.

That part of him believes that she is not a bad person. That part of him understands that he hurt her beyond her ability to handle and it was only natural that when she meet someone, not like him, she will let go of the parasite sucking her blood and go to the sun that rejuvenates her. Also, that part understands that by leaving for Italy she was loving him in her way. Not his preferable one, but one that loves him nonetheless.

He hears the ring of the intercom and answers it.

"Mr. Cullen, Miss Tanya is in the elevator on her way to your place," the guard tells him.

"Thanks for informing me Jim," Edward replies then bangs up the phone. He is the one who sent Tanya a message asking her to come to his place after she in turn sent him one asking him where he is since she dropped at his office and they told her he is not in.

He opens the door and waits for her on the couch of his living room. He hears the sound of the elevator opening followed by the clicking of Tanya's heels as she hurried into his apartment. He hears the door close as she rushes towards him. She crouches till she is at his eye level and presses her hand to his forehead.

"You don't have a fever," she sighs loudly and she melts back and sits on the coffee table behind her.

"I am not sick," he mutters grumbling in return.

"Then why are you absent? I don't I have ever heard you taking a sick day. Not even on the day of my mum's funeral."

"Tanya, I have one question to ask you and I need you to be honest with me. Why did you lie to Bella?"

What do you mean?" she asks him.

Her eyes widen as he answers, "why did you tell her we have been dating for six years when we have been dating for only four?"

What do you think? Tell me your thoughts in a review.

Hope this answered all of your questions about Cece's health. If you have any more questions, post them in the reviews and I will incorporate their answer into the plot of the story.

I know some might have expected Bella to be seriously ill, but I didn't want that. I don't want this story to turn into Edward feeling sorry for her, try to save her, or have her be some sort of victim. I hate stories that do that. Not to be harsh, but personally, I think their writers are looking for a guy to save them and are living through Bella.

Till my next update,

Stay safe.