This is the last regular chapter! I can't actually believe that we're almost at the end. Just the epilogue to go now.

Chapter Thirty

Edward

With Jaxson on my back, Finley holding one of my pockets, and Arlo zipping ahead beside Bella in her wheelchair, I can't help but swallow a lump of emotion before it can gang up with the tears that threaten to fall.

These boys, their momma...they're everything. Being welcomed into their family gives me a sense of peace that I haven't felt in years.

"C'mon, Easy," Jaxson cajoles, gently kicking his feet against my sides. "Arlo and Momma are gonna beat us!"

Scooping Finley up under my arm, I chuckle at his yelp of surprise and speed up, but Bella and Arlo have the added advantage of her chair. He slides onto her lap and giggles as she pushes the wheels faster, the chair crossing into the cafeteria a split second before my feet.

"Aw, man," Jaxson whines half-heartedly, knowing he's still going to get ice cream even though we lost. Bella said the losers wouldn't get any, but she's a soft touch. The woman lives to put smiles on the boys' faces. I'm proven right when she points to a table by the window, asking the boys to decide what they want before telling them to go sit down.

"This is my treat," I tell her when we join the small line once we've got their orders and watched them settle at the table, content with their coloring books.

Bella's eyes narrow like she's going to argue, but she smiles and relaxes when she sees the determination on my face. "In that case, I'll have one, too."

Laughing and squeezing her shoulder, I tell her, "You can have whatever you want, short stuff. Anything for you."

Her gaze softens before turning contemplative, flicking around the room like she's searching for or deciding something. The businessman behind us grunts that we're up, breaking the spell, and when she looks at me again it's to thank me for treating.

"No problem," I murmur, for the briefest of moments wondering if her hesitation could possibly be because she's nervous to say the same three words that are on the tip of my tongue.

I love you.

~ oOo ~

Later, while Jaxson and Finley get their daily reading out of the way by sandwiching Arlo between them and forcing him to listen to them read, the doctor comes to see her. The grin he's wearing as he steps into the room makes my heart skip a beat, hope powering my burgeoning smile.

"You're all set to go home, Bella."

The boys excitedly leap off the sofa, abandoning their book to clamber all over their momma and babble over each other. She has suspiciously glassy eyes as she holds them close and murmurs for them to be quiet. "Really? I can go?"

"You sure can," he confirms happily, flipping to a different page on his clipboard. He reads for a second, then nods to himself before flashing his pearly whites again. "Your test results from yesterday all came back great, and the PT says you did well in your session this morning."

Bella nods and self-consciously runs a hand through her hair. "I'm getting stronger every day, she said."

"Then I see no reason to keep you. You'll need to wait for a bit for your discharge papers and all that fun stuff, but then you're welcome to head out. I trust you have transport and someone to help you out at home for a few more days…?" he trails off, eyeing me.

"Absolutely."

There's no doubting my resolute tone; the doctor taps his pen against the clipboard with a pleased, "Perfect! Well, Bella, we'll see you for follow-up in the clinic in six weeks. Take care, all right?"

Bella bumbles her way through her "thank you's", the shock of her surprise release all over her beautiful face when we're finally alone with the boys again. "I get to go home!"

"Yay, Momma, you did it!" Arlo cheers, hands in the air and teeth on show as he grins. "No more icky hospital food."

We all laugh at that, but nobody is happier than Finley, the fussy eater of the bunch.

"All right then. Well, do you want to call everybody now and tell them, or wait 'til you're home?"

Bella chews her lip for a moment. "I want to go get Max, so maybe we could call Ange so she can get him ready, but surprise the others? They're all over there for dinner tonight anyway."

While Bella carefully gathers up her things, including all the pictures the boys have colored over the last week and the many cards she's been sent, I step out to give Angela a call. She's excited for Bella and relieved this ordeal is coming to a close, just like I am.

"I'll get the beast ready," she promises, whispering so nobody overhears her. I can just make out Danny's and Charlie's voices in the background, interspersed with peals of Jude's laughter. "God, I bet she's relieved. And you! No more back and forth between home, Burger Co., and JBH, although I suppose you'll still go between your place and Bella's."

I hum and agree, but I don't add that I have a different plan for when we leave the hospital. I just have to get Bella to agree.

Which, incidentally, isn't for hours. It takes forever to get Bella's paperwork sorted and then another half hour on top for the doctor to return with an apologetic grimace and her medicine prescription. "You can fill this here or at the pharmacy, whichever is easiest for you. Sorry for the delay, we've had an emergency come in and I got caught up in the ER."

"It's fine, Doctor," Bella smiles, waving him off even though her tiredness is a living, breathing entity in the room now. It's nearing nine, way past the boys' bedtime and later than Bella has managed to stay up in weeks. She's exhausted; I can't wait to get her home and tucked up in bed so we can all start to recover from this.

As we finally amble toward the exit, Bella and Arlo in the chair I'm pushing and the twins trailing sleepily behind me, I hesitate before speaking. "Do you want to wait until the morning to get Max? One more night with Ben and Angela won't hurt him, and I'm sure they won't mind."

Bella's long sigh gives away her disappointment, but she quietly agrees. "We can get him first thing tomorrow instead. I'll text Ange when we get to the car. It's handy that the boys were already having a sleepover with you tonight or someone would have come to get them and we wouldn't have been here."

Humming my agreement, I bend to press a kiss on the crown of her head, my stomach tightening at the sweet smile she shoots over her shoulder.

Out in the almost-deserted parking lot, I load the boys into their carseats and thank Bella for waiting for me to help her up into the Jeep. She offers me a sheepish grin and admits she didn't think she'd be able to climb up by herself; she's a shorty and the Jeep is kinda high up, even for someone who isn't still weak from a car accident. Bella presses a smile against my beard-covered jaw as I scoop her from her chair, one arm behind her back, one under her legs, and hold her to my chest for a moment.

"You're beautiful," I whisper, gazing into her shadowed gray eyes and grinning at the way her long, loud yawn makes them water.

"Oh, yeah. I feel really beautiful right now," she says, murmuring her thanks when I gently set her down.

Shrugging, I make an easy admission. "You're always beautiful to me. Exhausted, covered in food or paint of whatever else the boys have gotten on you, or all dolled up...you're stunning, Bella."

The rosy hue that infuses her cheeks makes my neglected dick pay attention, but sex is so far off my list of priorities right now, it's easy to ignore. Crouching a little, I cup her face in my palms and lean closer to breathe her in, already anticipating the replacement of the hospital-issue shampoo with her own as I press a gentle kiss against her forehead. The 'I love you' is right there, but this isn't the right time or place, so I bite it back and offer her a smile instead before stepping away to put the wheelchair in the back with Arlo's crutches.

I start to feel apprehensive as I drive us home. The boys are all out before we leave the parking lot, and even though Bella is shattered, she's awake enough to notice when we cruise right past her house.

With raised brows, she tilts her head against the headrest to face me. "Uh, Edward? You just missed our stop."

Swallowing hard as I pull onto the driveway, the headlights illuminate the garage door as I ready myself for Bella's reaction.

"If you're willing," I begin softly, "I thought you could all stay here, with me. That way I can work from home and still be here to help out until you're back to full strength." Launching into what I hope will be the clincher, although I was hoping the boys would be awake to help seal the deal, I twist a little and reach out to take her hands. "The boys can use the pool whenever they want, and my yard is a bit bigger than yours, so Max will have plenty of room to run around."

Bella is a strong, independent woman. She prides herself on taking care of her own issues and being everything to the boys, so I'm expecting an argument. I'm expecting her to insist I take her home so she can stand on her own two feet and take care of everything herself.

I'm definitely not expecting her pursed lips to curl into a small, bashful smile as her fingers squeeze mine.

"We haven't got any clothes, toothbrushes…"

My ears burn. "Actually, I uh...I went to Costco yesterday. I got pajamas for you and the boys. Toothbrushes and stuff, too, just for tonight or to keep here for sleepovers."

Hope begins to spread through my veins as she laughs and cocks her head. "You really want us to stay with you?"

"I really do. I want to take care of you." I smirk a little. "I promised the boys, after all."

She snorts, shaking her head, before sighing. I can see her mulling it over, but she doesn't make me sweat long. "Okay. But just until I'm better. I don't want to be a burden, okay? You've already done so much for us, now you're giving up all your peace and quiet."

I don't tell her I'm very much looking forward to a lack of quiet in my house. Instead, I lean over the console to kiss her until we're both breathless and it's all I can do not to haul her into my lap. Relief doesn't come easy, though. This is just one hurdle.

I already know, when Bella's feeling better, I'm not going to want them to leave.

"All right, let's get you all inside."

My stomach twists as I lift Bella out of the Jeep, barely managing to stifle my frown when she tells me she wants to walk. "I just want to stretch my legs a bit before I get back into a bed."

Thankfully, the boys' surprise at being here instead of their house wakes them up enough to walk into the house on their own steam, leaving me free to hover right by Bella in case she needs any support. She doesn't, so I settle for placing a hand at the small of her back, my chest expanding with a happy sigh as I flick on the lights inside. Instead of silence, I listen to Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo as their feet pound the hardwood on their way into the living area. I listen to their happy voices as the door to my study swings open, Sullivan sauntering out scratching his bare stomach with an exaggerated yawn.

"Hey, big brother." Shooting Bella a wink and a roguish smirk, he adds, "Hot stuff."

She rolls her eyes and lightly socks him in the abs as we head for the kitchen where she slips onto a stool, glances around, then aims a cheeky grin his way. "What...no cup of tea to welcome us home?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, my lady," Sullivan teases in a truly terrible British accent. "What beverage would one like?"

Laughing, Bella shakes her head. "Just some water would be great, thanks."

The boys careen into the kitchen a few minutes later, Arlo's crutches clicking on the tile. "Easy, are we still stayin' here tonight now Momma is out of the hospital?"

Crouching, I hike up the fabric of my cargo pants so they don't split over my thighs as I ruffle Arlo's messy 'do. "You sure are. You're all gonna stay here until Momma feels better."

And hopefully after that, too.

Arlo eyes his mom for a moment. "Is that long?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, kiddo. Why, don't you want to stay here?"

My eyes jump between Arlo and Bella. I know she's still worried about him after his meltdown last night—we both are. It was heartbreaking when I got to Charlie and Renee's and found him so inconsolable. I could hear him wailing even from outside as I jogged up the porch steps. Thankfully, a simple bribe of ice cream and snuggles with his momma got him to open up and admit that he had a nightmare about the car accident and was scared when he woke up and neither me or Bella were with him. Bella is going to wait and see how he goes, but Kendra gave me a list of her colleagues who specialize in children's trauma just in case he needs to see someone to help him deal with the after effects of the accident.

"I do want to stay here," he insists.

"All right. I have a surprise for you boys, do you want to come see?"

Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo like anything that starts with the word 'surprise.' Sullivan cracks a grin and tells us he'll wait down here, and the boys take off toward the stairs before I can blink. Even Arlo is halfway up, scooting on his butt with his crutches in one hand, by the time I've walked with Bella to the foot of the stairs. Not even her laughter at their eagerness is enough to make me smile as I trail after them after scooping her into my arms, directing them left when my feet reach the top.

I asked Sullivan to leave the door open. I know he did when the boys get a glimpse into the guest bedroom and the first words out of Jaxson's mouth are "Oh, cool!"

They've slept here a few times, so they know as well as I do that the triple bunk bed now taking up one of the walls is new. The double bed that was in here is now in pieces down in the garage. I feel Bella's deep inhale as I follow the boys into the room.

"Edward…"

My refusal to put Bella down means I can't tug at my hair. My frustration manifests as burning hot ears instead as I watch the boys claim beds. Arlo, by default because of his bum ankle, gets the lowest bed while Jaxson claims the top bunk and Finley climbs into the middle bed to swing his legs over the edge.

"This is so cool, Easy! Did you do this for us?" he asks.

"I did. Sully helped. We wanted you to have a room that's yours when you guys stay over here. Do you...it's good, right?"

Jaxson nods hard, throwing himself back onto the pillow with a giggle. "I love it."

"Finn? Arlo? What about you guys?"

"It's awesome," Finley agrees before a yawn leaves his eyes watering.

Arlo shares their opinion. He slides off his bunk and hobbles over to lean against my legs, his dark eyes sleepy but bright as he peers up at me. "Thanks, Easy. It's super cool."

With the boys all happy, but Bella still scarily quiet, I gently follow her command and set her on her feet so she can get the boys' teeth brushed and their pajamas on. Deciding it might be better to give her a few minutes to organize her thoughts and retain some independence—the last thing I want to do is smother her—I murmur that the toothbrushes and pajamas are on the dresser before heading downstairs, leaving them to it after kissing each of the boys' heads.

"Night, Easy," Finley whispers as I brush his hair away from his forehead and kiss him right between his brows, lifting him down as he stretches his arms out to me. "Love you."

Grinning, I hug him tight for a few seconds. "Love you too, bud."

In the kitchen, Sullivan is waiting to tell me that he'll continue taking Bella's shifts at Burger Co. for as long as she and I need. Clapping his shoulder gently, I ruffle his mop of sunny blond hair and make sure he sees the gratitude in my face when I thank him. I've really appreciated all his help these last few weeks. He's been a great hand at Burger Co., picking everything up quickly and getting on great with the rest of the crew. Even Garrett has commented on what a hard worker he is, and he's a hard guy to impress. It's a shame that I don't have a permanent position open for Sullivan once Bella comes back to work.

"I'm bushed, I'll see ya in the mornin', big brother." Wagging a teasing finger at me as he scoops his cell from the counter, his blue eyes crinkle with mischief. "Just remember, my room is right below yours. I don't wanna be hearing any funny business, aight?"

Rolling my eyes even as my ears burn, I give him a light shove and laugh him out of the room. "Night, little brother."

Once I've locked up, I follow the soft voices upstairs to the doorway of the boys' room where I silently watch as Bella tenderly tucks them all in. Before she can spot me, I quickly turn to wait for her in my room. She announces her presence a few minutes later by humming with what I hope is appreciation as I pull my shirt over my head, offering her a wink as I toss it into the laundry hamper.

"The boys all set?"

"Yeah, they were all out within seconds."

We undress silently, unhurriedly, falling into bed together with twin sighs of relief, finally, and exhaustion.

"You really want us here."

My eyebrows lift as I tuck a folded arm between my pillow and my head, turning onto my side to mirror her position. "Of course."

She looks...troubled. "And when I'm better...there's no excuse not to stay over now they have their own beds."

That's something I thought of when I went out and purchased the bunk beds. It was the first thing I did before going to see Bella in the hospital the day after I told Charlie about us; I wasn't lying to him when I said I'm serious about Bella and the boys. Until now, Bella has occasionally talked the boys out of staying over here by pointing out that there's only one bed. Now there's three.

I won't deny that I'm glad to have one less excuse for Bella and the boys to leave.

Even now, I can see the dim glow of the nightlight in their room reflecting in the mirror that hangs outside my bedroom door. I purposefully left it open, knowing sex is off the table and not wanting the boys to be unable to find us in the morning. With Bella, Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo here, there's life and noise and laughter. Sullivan is a welcome addition, but I know he'll return to his mom at some point. He doesn't usually stick around for long.

I want Bella and the boys here, with me, forever.

Reaching out to trail my fingertips over Bella's bare silhouette, from the delectable curve of her hip and waist to the outside of her breast, then over her collarbone and neck all the way to her full, smiling lips. "I want you to stay for as long as you can put up with me, short stuff."

There are questions in her deep charcoal gaze. Hesitance and confusion, too.

It's the hope swirling between them that fuels my own.

~ oOo ~

Waking up in the morning with Bella wrapped around me and a light breeze blowing through the ajar window, it's heaven. The sun is already sneaking into the room and a quick glance at the clock reveals that we've slept in.

A silly, sleepy grin stretches across my face as I shuffle a little, holding Bella tighter to my chest. I haven't slept this well since before I left for Utah. Bella has become my nightlight, my human comforter, and I'm not at all sad about it. She's a deliciously warm, sexy accompaniment to a great night's sleep. Comfortable and content, I doze lightly without falling back into a deep sleep, Bella's soft breaths against my chest and the soothing weight of her leg draped over mine lulling me into a dreamlike state.

An indeterminable amount of time later, I find myself in a strange sort of parallel universe.

Muscle memory drags me from the fog of sleep when I hear the soft, familiar squeak of a door down the hall. Tightening my arms around the warm body now tucked into my chest, both of us on our side, I listen for Willow's footsteps, smiling into the hair in front of my face as she pads into the bathroom. After the flush, little feet dash back down the hall and my ears pick up the faint sound of a soft voice singing to herself…

Wait.

Sleep-addled, my brain takes a bit to catch up. My spine stiffens, a rush of memories slugging me in the gut.

It's not Willow. It can't be Willow.

The voice down the hall...it doesn't belong to my beautiful daughter because she's gone. Now I'm more with it, I can tell that it's Jaxson. He's been obsessed with the Smallfoot soundtrack since Bella and I took the boys to go see it at the movie theatre last month; I can hear him singing Channing Tatum and Zendaya's song, "Wonderful Questions," right now.

My heart takes off at a sprint, the mix of nostalgia, confusion, and realization pushing bile up my throat.

For a minute or two, I really thought…

I really thought Willow was still here.

Opening my eyes, it's not Kate's almost white-blonde locks in front of my face. It's Bella's sleep-mussed chocolate tresses. As I carefully shift up into a sitting position, I blink away the remnants of sleep and dig both hands into my hair. The pain of my fingers tugging at the strands help distract me from the chasm opening up in my chest.

"Get it together," I whisper, desperately trying to calm my breathing and racing heart before I can escalate into a full-blown panic attack.

The boys have stayed over before, but they've never ventured into Willow's room.

"Hey," Bella's voice breaks through the heavy cloud descending on me. Her sunny, still-sleepy smile melts away in the face of my obvious distress and it kills me.

I'm sorry.

"What's wrong? Edward, what's…"

She doesn't finish, trailing off as another voice joins Jaxson's down the hall.

"That's Willow's room, stupid! Get out, Jax!" It's Finley.

"Oh, crap."

Mercifully, Bella doesn't question or push me. Sliding neatly from the bed, she tugs on the t-shirt I abandoned last night and then yanks a pair of denim shorts out of the drawer she claimed for sleepovers, sliding them on before slipping from the room. As I suck in deep breath after deep breath, I hear Bella ushering the boys downstairs.

"Can I go see Easy?" Arlo asks innocently, breaking my already cracked heart.

"Not right now, kiddo. He's still sleeping."

It kills me that she has to lie for me, but even without a mirror, I know it wouldn't be great for the boys to see me right now. Knowing my heavenly morning is over, I toss my legs over the side of the bed and marvel at the way my hands shake when I rest them on my thighs before I head into the bathroom. There's no escaping my reflection in the large mirror. I'm white as a sheet despite a summer in the Florida sun, and my eyes are wide, panicked like a deer in headlights. The shadows under my eyes from worrying about Bella and sleeping like shit are finally faded almost to nothing, but the hints of tiredness are enough to throw my face into stark relief.

"Get a grip, Cullen."

By the time I've pulled myself together enough to shower, get dried and dressed in a loose sweater and some worn jersey shorts, and head downstairs, the house is eerily quiet. My pulse, which had finally calmed under the hot spray of the walk-in shower, starts to speed up again.

"Bella?" I call hesitantly, peeking into the empty living area before moving down the hall toward the kitchen. Sullivan turns from his spot at the sink, offering me a sympathetic smile.

"How you doin'?"

Blowing out a breath, I pull at my still-damp hair. "She told you."

"That you had a freak-out? Yeah. But I could have guessed from the look on her face. She looked like she'd seen a ghost when she came down here."

Fuck.

Rounding the island to grip my shoulders, Sullivan looks me right in the eyes and squints a little. "What happened?"

"I...fuck. It's stupid. I was half-asleep and I heard Jaxson in the hall. He must have gotten curious about the other room and let himself in, but when I woke up and heard her door…"

His eyes widen and cloud over with understanding. "Oh, shit. You thought it was Willow."

"Uh-huh."

"Fuck, brother." Sullivan sighs, pulling me into a tight hug. He's always been a hugger, ever since he was a little kid. I can't deny that it's comforting to have one of his bear hugs now. "Bella will understand, you know?"

"I know." She's always so understanding. Too understanding at times. I really don't deserve her, and I know it. "Where is she? I need to go talk to her."

Casting a look over his shoulder, he nods toward the window overlooking the beach. "They're all out there. She thought you might want some space. I've gotta get showered and ready for work, but I'll have my cell handy if you need me."

Managing a faint grin, I pat his scruffy cheek and ruffle his hair, murmuring my thanks. Forgoing shoes, I slip out onto the patio where I can just about make out the silhouettes of my four favorite people along the shore. The sand is cool on the soles of my feet, the sun bright and uninhibited by the few wispy clouds drifting across the sky. The salty sea air clears the cobwebs away, leaving behind the knowledge that I can't live without this woman and those boys. It's at the forefront of my mind as I pick up the pace a little, jogging to catch up with them, which as it happens, isn't all that fun or easy.

It doesn't take long before my calves are burning and I'm regretting letting my fitness regime slip these last few months.

"Bella!" I finally call once I'm close enough I think she'll be able to hear me. My voice carries on the breeze, the boys turning before Bella does.

"Easy!" Three bright smiles grace the faces of three little boys who have quickly become vital to my wellbeing. I love their mom, but I also love the bones of Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo. I once tried to tell myself that I didn't feel like their dad and knew that wouldn't happen, because I'm not their dad, but I want to be—I wish I could be.

Dropping to my knees in the sand, I grunt as they hit my chest in a three-way hug that almost tackles me clean off my feet. One of Arlo's crutches digs into my side, but I grin when I see the sandals taped to the bottom so he can use them on the beach.

"Mornin', boys. Did you sleep well in your new beds?"

"Uh huh," Jaxson nods, his brothers agreeing. "Momma brought us down here to find shells for our collection. Do you wanna help us find cool ones?"

Eyeing Bella's contemplative face over the top of her sons' heads, I quietly hum. "Is it okay if I talk to your momma for a sec first? Then I'll come help for as long as you want."

"Sure, that's cool. C'mon, Finn, Arlo!"

They take off together, making sure to stay a few feet from the water's edge as per Bella's rules. If she's not right there with them, they aren't allowed to touch the water.

Alone again, I get back on my feet and find myself looking at Bella's back as she ambles down to the water's edge. The ocean splashes in her wake, the sunlight reflecting off the water almost blinding. "Bella, wait!"

With a shaky sigh that lifts and lowers her shoulders, Bella slows before stopping, glancing over her shoulder at me. "I think...I think I should take the boys home, give you your space. I don't want to see you upset like that again. Do you want us to leave? I don't know what to do for the best right now."

What do I want?

"You, Bella. I want you. You're what's best for me." Blowing out a big breath, I rub the back of my neck. I need to explain what my freak-out was about, but I'm embarrassed that something so simple made me flip out. I can only hope she understands. "I heard Jax moving around and thought it was Willow," I finally breathe, not sure at first if the breeze carried my words away. Then her shoulders lift and fall in a heavy sigh and I know she heard me.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, gazing out at the horizon. "I thought it might be something like that, which is why it might be better for us to give you your space back, but I don't want to push you into anything. You need to tell me what you want." Twisting to face me, the vulnerability in her gray gaze slays me. Closing the gap to cradle her face in my large palms, I give up on waiting for the perfect time and place, finally owning up to what I've been feeling for probably way longer than even I realize.

"Fuck, Bella. Don't you know by now? You own me." The sun shines on her burgeoning smile as I release a deep sigh, my lips curling up into a grin. "I love you, Bella Swan, more than anything. I want you and the boys to stay with me, not just while you're recovering, but permanently. I'm not great at showin' my emotions and I'm a grumpy motherfucker. I'll piss you off a hundred times a day, but I'll work on it, I am working on it, for you and our boys—oomph!"

Bella doesn't give me a chance to finish the speech I've been rehearsing for weeks. Launching herself at me, she wraps her arms around my shoulders, her legs around my waist, and kisses me stupid with the sun on my back and the ocean lapping at my feet. My hands instinctively move to support her, landing under her thighs where soft skin meets the hem of her shorts. The warm weight of her against my chest and the delicious taste of her as she sneaks her tongue into my mouth leave me hot and staggering to keep my balance.

She's intoxicating. So much so that I almost forget she didn't say anything back when I told her I love her.

Then she suddenly rips her lips away from me, cupping my beard-covered jaw in her trembling hands as she eyes me with her wide, dark steel gaze. "You know I love you, right? Because I do, so much."

Huffing a chuckle, I feel relief flooding my veins. "Well, I do now."

Shaking her head and leaning in to peck my lips once, twice, three more times, Bella buries her face in my neck and releases a delirious little giggle against my skin.

Making sure she isn't going to fall, I bring one hand up to brush some of her hair behind her ear, thoroughly enjoying the slight flush that rises to her cheeks as a result. "I love you so much, short stuff," I whisper, suddenly overcome with the intensity of how much I adore this woman. "You're so much more than I deserve. I didn't realize how unhappy and lonely I was until you and the boys bulldozed your way through my solitary life, and my God, am I grateful as fuck that you did."

Snorting, she brushes a tender kiss on the tip of my nose. "You're so easy to love, handsome. And you deserve so much more than the half-life you were living. You just needed a push and a reminder that there's still a life waiting for you and so many people who love you." Smirking, she adds, "Me, most of all, of course. I love you, I love you, I love you." She peppers my face with kisses between each 'I love you.'

Unable to resist kissing the woman I love—the woman who somehow loves me in return—I do just that, only to be reminded that we're not alone when we're serenaded with "Eew's" and "Yuck's".

Bella's uninhibited laughter rides the ocean breeze as she tosses her head back and sticks her tongue out at the boys, whose silly grins calm any fears I might have had about them overhearing our conversation.

With the sun on my back, the love of my life in my arms, and the boys teasing us about making kissy faces, I'm the happiest man alive.

There we have it, finally. Was it worth the wait? Did I do it justice? Let me know ;)

The epilogue will post Sunday.

As always, huge "thank you's" need to go to the wonderful ladies who help me out with this story, particularly my good friend annaharding because she's always so darn helpful and great at talking me off the ledge. Can't wait to see you again later this year!

And big hugs to all of you wonderful people taking the time to read and review. When there's other bullshit going on, it's your reviews and sweet words that get me through the writer's block and the 'can I do this?' wobbles.

And just a little reminder that if you're looking for my chapter images, teasers, or anything like that, they're all exclusive to my FB reader group now. Come just me in CiaraShayee's Subconscious for all the fun stuff. Everyone is welcome!