I own nothing.

As always, thanks to my pre-readers, Pamela Lorraine and Gabby1017, and to my beta, Sunflower Fran. This chapter didn't have the final eyes of Sunshine1220 (for reasons I'll share at the end of the chapter) but I'm still grateful for her help.

I know you all want some answers so I'll let you get right to it. Please see the A/N at the bottom.

Edward stood in the doorway of the storage unit, his gaze slowly passing over the twenty or so boxes and the small pieces of furniture already residing there.

"You'll have to get another unit. You won't be able to fit everything in this one."

"I won't need more than this," I answered as I reached up to grasp the chain to pull down the rolltop door. "I'm not keeping much. I've taken pictures of most of the furnishings and will post them at the beginning of January."

"You're selling it all?"

His astonished tone brought me up short. "Yeah, I am. Why wouldn't I? The house is huge, and I have no need for all those bedroom sets or couches or end tables. It would just sit here in storage collecting dust."

His brow furrowed as he focused on the ground between us. "I hadn't thought about that, about everything being gone. Are you sure this is what you want, Bella?"

I was sure my eyes were as big as saucers, and I couldn't help the loud, humorless laugh that escaped. "What I want? Of course, this isn't what I want, Edward, but that doesn't change anything. I know you've been gone a while and this is a small town, but things still work the same way down at the bank. You don't pay your mortgage; you don't keep your house."

Edward just stared at me, his jaw slack and his eyebrows in his hairline. "You're different … cynical."

"No, I'm just a realist now; that happens when life kicks you a few times." I clicked the lock on the storage unit and walked over to open the door of the truck. "So, dinner?"

Edward nodded but didn't say anything more, and the short drive to Jessie's was quiet … and a little tense. It wasn't until he opened the door to the café, and we walked inside that I realized this was probably a really bad idea.

Only about half of the tables were filled, but I knew almost every face I saw. These people had known me since birth, and a few of them had known my parents that long too. Of course, when I walked in with my high school and college sweetheart, who also happened to be a local success story and golden boy, there were immediate whispers and constant surveillance.

"Do you want to go somewhere else?" Edward asked, obviously noticing my discomfort.

"No, the damage is already done."

We found a booth in the back and placed our orders quickly with relatively little interaction between us. It didn't take much for the awkwardness to return, and when I began to count the ceiling tiles for the second time, Edward cleared his throat and crossed his arms on top of the table, leaning toward me as he spoke.

"So, tell me what –"

"Alice said you're working in Atlanta." I rushed the words out the moment I realized he was going to ask a question. I wasn't ready to answer anything yet, and there were some things I couldn't risk him asking. My best defense was to get him talking about his job and his life for the past three years, even though the pain of hearing it might be worse than giving him his answers.

"Um, yeah," He nodded, his hand lifting and running through his hair as he shifted his focus. "I'm finishing up a development there. We have about six to eight weeks left for completion."

"Do you live there?" It was the safest question I could think of, but the second it was out of my mouth I wondered if he lived alone. Was there a girlfriend? Or a wife?

Hell, he might even be a father by now.

My heart began to race as I realized that nothing I could ask him would be truly safe because anything he shared with me would be a life I knew nothing about and was not a part of in any way. It was one thing to push him from my life and keep the idea of him protected in my mind, but something altogether different to hear him talk about the life he built without me.

"I live wherever I'm working. I used to have an apartment, but I was always traveling and staying in hotels near the developments, so I didn't renew the lease after the first year. Hotels, Air B&Bs, and VRBOs are my temporary homes. It's pretty nomadic and probably why I wanted to take on a more permanent project."

"So, explain what you mean by 'developments'. I'm still not sure exactly what you do."

Edward leaned back as the server placed our burgers on the table. I pulled the lettuce off mine and slid it on top of his before stealing his pickles. He watched me with a wide grin.

"Some things haven't changed."

I looked up at him, horrified I'd done it without even realizing. It was always our routine. I hated when the lettuce wilted on a hot burger but loved the pickles. Edward always complained that there wasn't enough lettuce and didn't like pickles on his burger. Pickles on the side were fine, but not actually on the sandwich.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that."

He reached over the table and grasped my hand. "Don't be sorry. Not for that."

Not for that.

There were a multitude of other things to be sorry for, but he'd let that one slide.

I nodded, forcing down the lump that was growing in my throat and needing to get us back to safer ground.

"Developments?"

He nodded as he finished chewing and swallowing a few French fries. "A development can be a lot of different things. It's really an umbrella term. It might be anything from residential housing to commercial shopping centers. We sometimes take on projects to revitalize areas in a community that include both housing and commerce. The developer we're teaming with in Asheville will be for a residential community of about four thousand homes and will take ten to fifteen years to see completion."

"Ten to fifteen years?" I was trying to wrap my head around that kind of time … and the realization that he was moving back permanently.

"Well, there's a lot more to it than just building houses. Currently, we have approval from the city, and the land is under contract. There are studies on economic and infrastructure impact that will need to be conducted as well as working with engineers at the local and state level to ensure … and your eyes have glazed over. That's a pretty solid indication that your limit has been reached."

I couldn't help but smile at his pink cheeks. "Oh, I'm still with you. I know all the technical stuff has to happen, I guess I'm more curious about the early process. How do you decide whether to revitalize or develop something new?"

"Hmmm," Edward considered his answer as he finished the last bite of his burger. After a sip of his tea, he sat back and met my gaze. "Well, in most cases, it's clearly either one or the other. On the rare occasion that we make a choice, we're very particular in how to proceed. See, I don't generally like the term 'gentrification' because it implies the improvement of an area to the point that it displaces lower income families and small businesses. When we get involved, my team works with those local businesses to think outside the box, come up with a plan, and restructure to meet the needs of the changing area. It's an economic win for everyone, and it's my favorite thing about what I do."

I could feel his passion and excitement as he spoke. Edward had always been an interesting mix of left and right brain, easily moving between extreme creativity and sharp analytical skills. It would seem his chosen career was a perfect balance for him, and I was filled with a sense of sadness that I had missed watching him grow into the man he was today. He'd seen so much and apparently helped so many that I found myself struggling to regret my decisions at that moment.

If I had kept him with me, he wouldn't be the man he had become. In so many ways, he had transformed, and I remained unchanged, failing at life where he was wildly successful. I shouldn't regret it, and yet I did, more than any other choice I ever had or ever would make.

"Bella?" Edward's voice brought me out of my thoughts as he once again leaned forward across the table. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry," I answered, shaking my head as if to clear it. "What were you saying?"

Edward's eyes held mine for a moment before lowering to where my hands were clasped on the tabletop. Pushing his empty plate aside, he reached across and took my hand in his own as he spoke quietly.

"I asked about the farm, Bella. Will you tell me what happened?"

"I …," I had no idea where to start. So much of it tied together – the reason I broke his heart, Mom's illness and death, the farm – was it even possible to explain it all when I would be a mess with the retelling? I cleared my throat and glanced back at our joined hands and then around the café at the few occupied tables. One or two curious patrons and one vigilant server were the only ones noticing our exchange.

"Don't," Edward's voice was quiet, but strong. "Don't pay any attention to them. It's none of their business and this is between you and me."

Between him and me. Yes, it always came back to him and me. I always knew it would come to this – me telling him the truth about everything, but I wouldn't tell him all of it in a booth in the back of Jessie's Café.

"The short version? Mom was sick, you know that much. What you probably don't know is that when they discovered the renal failure, it was already stage four, and UNOS denied her a kidney transplant because of her underlying issues of diabetes and mild heart problems. Our insurance was incredibly inadequate, and once we maxed out our coverages with dialysis and home health care a few times a week, we were looking at some pretty hefty expenses. The farm was doing well and had been owned outright by the family for almost fifty years, so it made sense to cash out some of the equity on the property. We should have been able to pay off the mortgage in a couple of years at most." I paused, swallowing hard as Edward gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "Mom died about six months after you left."

I felt myself begin to tremble a little as I retold the events. Jeez, if I couldn't rein it in during this part of the story, how would we ever be able to confront what happened when I pushed him away? My mind was just beginning to race with that scenario when Edward squeezed my hand again. Meeting his gaze, I saw nothing but compassion and tenderness so strong there was no possibility it could be mistaken as pity. It gave me the courage to overcome my embarrassment and finish my explanation.

"The farm continued to run as it always had, and all of Mom's affairs had been put in order. Things were okay for a few months and then Silverleaf disease spread through the apple, plum, and cherry trees so fast that by the time we knew about it, more than half the orchard was gone."

"Why didn't you replant?"

"It takes at least a couple of years before a sapling yields fruit. Even if we had replanted immediately after the producing trees died, we wouldn't have the crops until next year. Without the profits, we had no way to pay for the removal of the dead trees or purchase saplings to replant. The small groves we have left aren't enough to pay the bills, the staff, and the mortgage. I had to let everyone go except Jake and Sam. Between the three of us, we can manage what is left. Once I came to an agreement with the bank, Mr. Banner allowed me to stay on the property and keep the small amount the farm is still earning. He's been unusually understanding and kind through all of this."

Edward was silent as he considered all I told him. He stared down at the wood grain on the table and I could see the pieces fall in place as he patched together a timeline. Finally, he nodded and looked up.

"I wish you'd said something. I would have been able to help."

"No. I could never have asked that of you. Not after … everything else."

I could see the questions in his eyes and desperately hoped he wouldn't ask. I needed a little more time to prepare for that part of the conversation. Honestly, I don't know if I would ever be ready for it. At least as long as things were like this, I still had his acquaintance. Once we talked about it, he would have his closure and could move on.

I glanced toward the back corner of the café and remembered another moment, from what seemed like a lifetime ago, when I teased him about needing closure.

"You two need anything else?"

"Uh… maybe some pie? What kind of pie do you want, Bella?"

I shot a glance at the case where the desserts were on display and smiled at Jessie. "How about a slice of chocolate cake to share?"

She nodded and headed back to the counter. Edward laughed and shook his head. "Will you only ever order chocolate cake?"

"Probably. Unless they start making cheesecake."

I waited for Edward to tease me about that too, but he stayed quiet, holding my hand on top of the table and softly stroking my fingers with his own.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I offered.

He smirked and glanced at something over my shoulder. "Nah, my thoughts are worth more than that. Say, oh, about a dollar?"

Half a second later, the slice of cake was lowered onto the table with two forks sticking out of the wide end. Folded into an elegant star, a dollar was settled delicately between them. Edward was still wearing that self-satisfied smirk as his brow lifted in question.

I couldn't help but smile and lift our dollar from its perch. "Are you studying origami now?"

"No," he grinned, "I'm just talented."

I laughed at his feigned arrogance as I untwisted the bill. It had been in Edward's possession for the last three months, and it was rare that we were face to face when it passed between us. I was anxious to see if there was a particular reason. If so, it would be written in black ink.

There it was.

Along the short right end.

Prom?

Edward was watching me closely, biting his lip and fidgeting with his fork. I sighed and met his eyes. "Edward, I can't go to prom. I'm a terrible dancer."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella. Everyone can dance."

I shook my head long before he finished speaking. "No, I'm serious. It's really bad. You'll end up losing your toes."

"So, you would deny me this experience because you're uncomfortable on the dance floor? How can I have closure on my high school career if you say no?"

Now I had to laugh. "Oh please! I never said you couldn't go, only that I couldn't. If you need closure that badly, ask someone else."

"Not likely," he growled, grasping my hand and pulling me from the table. "Come on."

"Hey! I wasn't finished with my cake."

He led me toward the jukebox in the back corner and pressed a couple of buttons before spinning to face me and pulling me close.

"You can finish it in a minute."

As the soft strains began to play, Edward swayed us gently side to side, turning us in a slow circle.

"Bella," he whispered.

"Hmmm?" my ability to form words was somewhat incapacitated.

"You're dancing, and my toes are intact." His whispered words and soft, warm breath against my ear sent a shiver down my spine, but he never stopped moving. When the song finished, a few of the other diners applauded and laughed when I ducked my head in embarrassment.

But not Edward. He was beaming as he sat across the table once again.

"Is that a yes, Swan?"

I let out a shaky breath. "Yes."

"Yes?" He threw both arms in the air like he'd just scored a touchdown and shouted, "She said yes!"

As the laughter of the other diners sounded once again, Edward tapped the dollar with his forefinger. "You know the rules, make it official."

I rolled my eyes at his ridiculousness. "You make up the rules as we go," I teased as I pulled out a pen and wrote 'Yes' beside his latest question on the short end of the dollar.

"Maybe I do, but I need it. For closure."

"Bella?"

I pulled my focus from the other side of the café and turned my attention back to him. His face was full of concern, and when our eyes met, I felt the weight of my own sadness reflected in his. That unsettling tenderness was there as well, and I wondered if maybe he was remembering too.

I was suddenly too tired to ask. Too tired to even think. Edward, knowing me as well as he always had, stood and offered his hand.

"Come on, I'll drive you home."

Renee's story mirrors my dad's. He is in stage 4 renal failure and UNOS denied a transplant because of his advanced age (70's) and underlying issues of diabetes and heart problems. We have been preparing for his last days for the past 6 months. What we did not prepare for was the massive stroke my mother suffered this past Friday. There were further complications and she had several blood vessels rupture on the left side of her brain and we opted for comfort care rather than extreme measures as this was what Mom wanted. She passed away peacefully on Mother's Day as Dad, my brother and I held her hands. I'm heartbroken and struggling, and though it may seem callous to post a chapter while dealing with a loss so great I can hardly breathe sometimes, it is also a relief to have something else to focus on for a few minutes.

I don't think there will be an interruption in posting because I have several chapters written. If it becomes a struggle, I'll let you know.

Every mom is special, and mine was no different. She and my dad were foster parents for more than 25 years and adopted 3 kids with special needs, she cared for my grandmother full-time for 4 years after a stroke took the use of her right side and her speech, and she gave the same full-time care to my sister after she lost both legs (complications from diabetes) until her kidneys gave out and we lost her in 2018. Mom has definitely earned her rest and her loss is unfathomable.

If you are a praying person, please offer one for my family. If not, good thoughts sent our way would be appreciated as well.