2brown-eyes reads!

Mistakes are mine!

Epilogue

December 24, 2023

"Edward," Ethan yells, running into my swimmer's arms as we enter the family room. "What took so long?"

"Sorry, bud." Edward tussles his hair. "Our flight was delayed, and it took almost two days to get here."

"Better late than never," Emily says, giving us both a quick hug. She's grown so much over the last year, and not all of it is natural progression. She's had to face things no young girl ever should. "Did you use the pretty paper again?"

Edward grins. "You know it."

"Thanks." Her smile is small, but it's there.

It was still missing when I went back to Cali at the end of the summer.

Three months give or take turned into five and a half, but that last one was so rough I requested, and was granted, an online concession to complete my courses so I could come home. Watching the life leave my vibrant sister was hard, but even harder was watching her kids realize they'd never get to talk to Mommy again.

"There they are." Emmett bounds into the room more boisterous than ever. He tries so hard to keep the kids pumped and happy, to remind them that life is good.

"Hey, you." I grab him and hug him hard.

"'Sup." He and Edward do a man greeting thing. "I saw the meet against Denali. Brutal, dude."

"Don't remind me." Edward shakes his head. "That Eleazar is badass."

The doorbell rings at just that moment, and I smile. "My dad or yours?"

Edward snorts. "I'm going to guess my dad and Esme."

"Where's Jessica?" My brows pucker.

"She's already upstairs." Emmett tosses a thumb in that direction. "Carl and Es dropped her off this morning to do some last-minute shopping."

Edward's face scrunches. "Please don't call him that."

"Or my mom that. It's so not chic," Alice says, breezing into the room. A silent Jasper stands steadfast behind her. "And they pulled up just as I was coming inside."

"No sign of Dad?" I ask.

"No, hun."

Rosalie's death hit my dad hard. It hit everybody hard, but for my father, it was losing Renee all over again. He started drinking and it took me and Emmett a good while to get through to him. He finally put away the bottle, but he still isn't one hundred percent. He fakes it most days, and he does an okay job.

Today is going to be hard for him.

But Rosalie will never be forgotten, and our Seattle family has grown by leaps and bounds. Alice and Esme have always been here, but holidays weren't celebrated together. Alice and I usually bounced between both.

Since Carlisle Cullen entered the scene, though, Esme is my mini-me. At least, I call her that in my head. She's been twinkled and will do anything that man asks of her as long as she's looking into his eyes.

It's funny because, for all his trepidation about Edward and me, Carlisle and Jessica conveniently moved to Seattle at the end of January. Only weeks after meeting Esme Brandon.

"Edward!" Jessica exclaims, running to hug her brother. She's matured a lot this past year, and boy, are these guys in for some trouble.

She's a stunner.

Esme and Carlisle waltz into the room next, and my face lights up when I spy my dad lumbering behind them. I run into his arms, comforted by his piney scent. He always uses the same cologne this time of year as he plays Santa.

"How are you?" I ask as I pull away.

"I'm doing okay." He squeezes my arms, giving me a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes. "It's a hard time of year, though."

"We'll get through it together," I tell him, waving at all the people in various conversations all around us. "As a family."

He chuckles, taking in the expanded Christmas Eve dinner crew. "Your sister would've loved this."

"Look!" Ethan yells over the murmur of voices. He's pointing toward the patio doors. "It's snowing!"

"She's here," I mutter, tears brimming in my eyes.

"What?" Dad quirks a brow.

"She told me she'd bring the snow to my wedding," I say, thinking back on that day. "And it's snowing."

Edward joins us then, knowing without a word how I'm feeling. "Rosalie approves," he murmurs, kissing my head.

"Well, I'll be." A real smile finally graces my father's lips.

I'm not crying, you are!

Thank y'all so much for going on this journey with me. I hope I held up my end of the bargain and brought all the feels!

Have a Happy New Year!