Epilogue
Bella
Silence, my old friend.
With a quiet sigh, I fold my arms over my chest and lean in the doorway of the boys' room at Edward's house—or 'Home 2' as Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo have dubbed it.
We've had a busy day, so all three of them are sound asleep in their beds, Max pretending to sleep on the rug in the middle of the room so I don't kick him out. After the catastrophe he and Arlo caused in the bathroom the other morning—wet paper towels and lotion is all I'm saying—he's no longer allowed to sleep up here with the boys.
His ears perk up and his eyes pop open, giving him away as a pair of warm, strong arms slip around my waist and a kiss lands on the skin of my shoulder bared by the gaping neck of the stolen Gators tee I'm wearing.
"Hey," Edward whispers, giving me a light squeeze. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, I was just thinking about everything I still need to do before tomorrow."
We're leaving on the 3:05 flight out of Jacksonville tomorrow afternoon, currently expecting to land in London at around 7:00 a.m. their time.
So far, I've got the boys mostly packed but not even touched my own suitcase, and don't even get me started on where I've hidden Jude's gifts. I know they're here somewhere, but where exactly is anybody's guess. At least I don't have to worry about Max as he's staying right here; Sullivan has the dubious pleasure of watching him while Edward and I take the boys to England for ten days.
The to-do list is a little overwhelming and my time to get it done is dwindling fast, but watching the boys sleep is one of my favorite things to do.
Silence is golden, after all.
Of course, ever-prepared Edward has had his bags packed for days. I've lost count of the times he's checked his hand luggage today alone. Lord knows why, because he's been very specific about nobody touching it and messing up his packing.
"Come on, come to bed. I'll help with all that in the morning."
To be honest, it never takes much cajoling for Edward to get me into bed. With a gentle tug toward the room I'm quickly adjusting to calling 'ours,' he has me.
Whistling softly, I make sure Max is following us before succumbing to Edward's will and letting him guide me down the hall. There, we help each other remove our clothes before falling into bed, Max settling on his cushion in the corner without any prompting.
Both exhausted from working and then attempting to keep the boys somewhat calm for the afternoon and evening before our big trip, neither of us initiates sex tonight. Instead, we kiss unhurriedly, languidly, until I curl up against his chest and whisper my "I love you" over his heart.
~ oOo ~
True to his word, Edward does help me get everything ready the next morning.
The boys are crazy, but that's to be expected. Max obviously picks up on their abundance of excitement so we quickly have three hyper boys and around a hundred pounds of sloppy-tongued, waggy-tailed dog to deal with, all while trying to make sure we have everything we need.
By the time we make it to the airport and get all our bags checked, I'm exhausted; it's not even noon.
"Can we go look at the stores?" Jaxson asks, spinning his cap so the bill is at the back.
"Sure, but how about some lunch first, yeah?" Edward suggests, scooping him up to sit on his shoulders. "How does Chili's sound?"
We're all in agreement, so that's where we head. By sheer dumb luck, we manage to snag a table right away, settling in to eat our Mexican food. Twin sighs of relief rush from me and Edward, while the boys are still just stoked to be going on a plane and getting to see Jude again.
Thankfully, everything goes perfectly to plan. We eat our lunch, goof around in one of the pop-up photo booths that's been erected in the shopping mall area, and meander through some of the stores until the boys start to whine they're bored and want to go watch the planes.
By then, we can see our boarding gate on the big screen, so we head there and take videos of the boys 'moonwalking' on the moving walkways to send to the family. Dumping our carry-on bags on the seats, Edward and I crouch by the enormous windows overlooking the runway and snap photos of Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo expressing their awe at the large aircrafts.
"Look, Momma! There's all our bags!"
"I hope not," I laugh. "That's not our plane, kiddo. If they put our bags on there we'll have no clothes to wear when we get to England."
Arlo's eyes light with mischief. "Ooh, can we—"
"No," Edward and I say together, shaking our heads and sharing fond smiles of teasing exasperation. Miniature nudist-in-training, I've said it before and I'll say it again.
Nonplussed, he continues pointing to the planes with his brothers until Finley tells me that he needs to pee. "C'mon, kiddo. Do either of you need to use the restroom?"
"I'm good," Jaxson sings, Arlo agreeing with him. Neither of them bother turning to look at me, too interested in the guys using a giant, extending staircase to inspect something on one of the planes.
"All right. C'mon, little face."
Finley is my least dithery dude. He sings quietly to himself as we join the line, and when we finally get into the restrooms he just does his business and gets out of there. The line seems to have dried up, so it's noticeable when the door of the cubicle at the end swings open with a squeak and a pair of heels click-clack on the parquet as Finley starts washing his hands.
Glancing up with a polite smile, I find myself doing a double-take.
It can't be.
Her ice-blue eyes widen a little before narrowing. I know she's recognized me when her red lips curve into a small smile. "Bella? Little Bella Swan?"
"All-grown-up Bella Swan," I correct her tightly, forcing a smile even though my stomach is rolling. I'm glad that my voice doesn't give away my turmoil when I speak. "It's been years, Kate."
I'd love to say she looks haggard and unkempt, but it would be a lie. She's impeccably dressed in a wrinkle-free pantsuit, her blonde hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. Apart from a couple more creases in her forehead, she doesn't look any older than she did six years ago when I last saw her.
The day before she took Edward's wounded heart and stomped all over it.
All my instincts are telling me to grab the evil bitch by her hair and toss her on her ass, and it's only Finley's presence that reminds me to keep my cool.
Her eyebrows lift a little; she's obviously picked up on my obvious disdain for her existence. Good. "Well...it's nice to see you."
"Mmhmm. C'mon, Finn."
"But Momma, my hands aren't dry."
"They can drip dry, come on."
Hustling to get away while my son probably wonders when his momma turned into a crazy person, I suck in a deep breath as soon as we're out of the restroom and steamroll back toward our gate.
Shit. I need to tell Edward.
The entire area has filled up with other passengers getting ready to board, so Finley and I have to wind through the crowds to get back to the windows overlooking the runway. There, we find Edward sitting cross-legged on the floor, our bags around him, with Arlo and Jaxson chattering away in his lap. If it weren't for the fact that my heart is racing after my little encounter with Kate in the restrooms, I'd stop to take a photo of the adorable sight. Instead, I inhale another calming breath as Finley rushes over to join them, then I take a moment to plaster what I hope is a convincing smile on my face just as Finley reaches Edward and he turns around to offer me a crooked grin.
I'm about to wipe that smile right off his face when it disappears of its own accord, his grass-green eyes narrowing at something behind me.
I know exactly what, or who, he's looking at.
Spinning around, I come face to face with Kate for the second time today. This time, she looks less pleasantly surprised, more confused as hell. I have to say, I'm a little confused myself.
"Did you follow us?"
"Follow you…" I hear Edward say, vaguely aware of him standing up behind me as I frown at Kate.
"You're here, together?" she murmurs, looking between the two of us with a knot between her perfectly manicured brows. I see her eyes bounce down, to the boys, then back up to us. "Are they—"
"Hi! I'm Arlo Maxwell Swan. What's your name?"
With a mental facepalm, I grab Arlo by the hood of his sleeveless sweater before he can approach Kate and hold him in front of me as her expression turns calculating. "Swan." She meets my gaze. "Your son?"
Nodding I rest my free hand on Finley's head as he leans against my legs, Jaxson slipping his hand into the pocket of Edward's cargo shorts. A warm, strong hand coming to rest on my waist brings a tiny smile to my lips, though. Leaning slightly into Edward's side, I feel an almost sick sense of satisfaction as I watch Kate's confusion transform first into surprise, then into realisation.
"Our sons," Edward corrects, ruffling Jaxson's hair when he looks up to flash him a silly-sweet smile. With a sigh, Edward turns his attention back to his ex-wife.
Knowing what I know now, knowing how badly she hurt him, I can't help but wonder what he feels when he looks at her, or how he can stand to be near her. It's taking all I have just to resist punching her right in the immaculately-made-up face.
"What are you doing here, Kate? You hate Florida."
Opening and closing her mouth like a fish, she finally scoops her jaw off the floor long enough to clear her throat and straighten her already-straight jacket. "I'm just passing through. I...I have a business trip in Paris." Shaking her head, she steps closer.
Woah, bitch. Not so fast.
Adjusting my stance, I make sure she knows she isn't welcome. Her expression hardens.
"Let me get this straight...you two? You're together?" She doesn't wait for either of us to answer her, instead cackling a too-loud laugh that gives away the tremble in her hard-faced veneer. "This is priceless! You couldn't keep a wife your own age so you settled for a younger model who wouldn't know better. That's just like you, Eddie—"
I swore to myself that I wouldn't land my butt in jail on her account, but there's no way I can ignore that.
Stepping around my sons, I hear Edward tell them to run and look at the big plane about to take off just as I get right up in Kate's face. She's got a couple inches on me, but she doesn't scare me. Especially not when her eyes widen and she swallows hard.
"Now you listen, and listen well. That man is lightyears above you in every goddamn way. You're nothing but a cruel, vindictive bitch, and if you think I'm going to stand here and let you get away with talking to him like that, you can think again." Anger ignites my veins as I replay what she did on a loop in my mind. "I know what you did, Kate. I know you cheated, lied, and then waited until the worst possible time to kick Edward while he was down."
If I were a cartoon, there would be steam pouring from my ears.
Her lips twitch as she shifts her feet, looking over my shoulder as if Edward is going to save her. "Who do you think you are?"
"She's the woman I love, and you'll do well to remember that."
There's no rebuffing the hard timbre of Edward's voice. Kate visibly shrinks under the weight of his glower, her eyes darting down to the arm he wraps loosely around my waist—presumably to hold me in place. I've never been a hot-head, but I can be fierce when those I love are concerned, and this woman is just begging for a high-speed train or some shit.
"You made your choice, Kate. You don't get to talk shit about mine. If you don't like it, fine. You didn't have to come over here and cause trouble in front of the boys."
The boarding call for passengers with children on our flight bongs over the speaker, cutting short a conversation likely to land me in airport security or worse.
Kate scowls, shaking her head at us. "You always were a fool. She'll just be using you and she'll ditch you when she gets bored."
I laugh at that. "Don't project your own behaviors onto others. Not everybody is like you."
Turning on my heel as her face gets increasingly red, I call the boys over and reach for my bag. A bigger hand beats me to it, a tender but hard kiss landing on my forehead.
"Thank you," Edward murmurs, his eyes dark and wary. "Nobody…" he pauses to blow out a big breath, raking a hand through his hair. "Nobody has ever stuck up for me like that."
My heart feels like it's beating in my ears. "I love you, Edward. I'm on your side."
As he chuckles and ducks his head to kiss me properly, eliciting the usual squealed groans from the boys, I catch Kate's steaming-mad expression before she turns on her heel and find myself smiling into the kiss.
That's right, bitch. He's mine.
~ oOo ~
"Hell, I don't know where they get their energy," Edward huffs when we finally fall into bed hours later.
The flight was long, the boys bored after a few hours. There's only so much movies and coloring books can cure when you're basically confined to a single seat for more than nine hours, so I spend the first half of the flight praying the boys are this good the whole time and the last half tempted to throw myself out of the emergency exit just to escape their whining. By the time we get to London, I'm ready to crawl into the nearest bed and sleep for three days, I'm that over travelling.
Except bedtime doesn't come for hours, the boys too excited to be back with Nanny Jude in their old stomping grounds. Edward copes beautifully with their second burst of energy so I let him take the reins while I just count the minutes until I can tuck our little terrors into bed for the night.
"That would be the copious amounts of sugar Jude so helpfully handed out today," I mutter as I pull on my stolen Gators tee before wiggling my way under the covers and tucking my cold feet between Edward's warm calves. He hisses, but my legs wrapped around his prevent him from moving away. Eyeing me, his face partially lit by the dim bedside lamp, he purses his lips.
"'Scuse me, but how is this a fair situation? Your feet are freezing!"
"I know," I exclaim, trying not to laugh. "That's why you're gonna warm them up for me." Pouting just a little, I wiggle closer and press a few teasing kisses against the solid expanse of sexy chest in front of me. "Pretty, pretty please, handsome?"
"Fuck's sake," he whisper-chuckles, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me closer. "You're a witch, I swear. Come here, short stuff."
It's a good job I am short, too, because the pullout in Jude's living room is barely big enough for a flea. The boys have the spare bedroom upstairs, so for the duration of our stay, Edward and I will be somewhat squished on the sofa-bed down here. It's not too bad if we stick close together, but then my feet don't hang off the end of the bed.
"My calves aren't even on the bed," he admits quietly when I ask if he's comfy.
Snorting, I try to quiet my overtired mind and let the familiar scents and sounds of Jude's living room calm me. A bone-rattling yawn leaves my eyes watering as Edward pulls me against his chest and presses a gentle kiss on the top of my head. Almost every part of me is aching for him...except the part that's pure exhaustion and desperate for sleep. That one is winning.
I also happen to know that the boys are likely to be awake way sooner than we'd like, thanks to their excitement and messed-up schedules.
"I love you, handsome, but the best you can hope for tonight is a cheeky grope, I'm afraid."
Chuckling into my hair, he lets me twist until he's spooning me, my feet tucked between the warmth of his calves, my back against the steady thrum of his strong heart. "Are you settled?"
"Mmhmm," I hum, already halfway asleep but not enough not to smile when he glides his warm palm over my hip, the curve of my waist, and up to my breast, leaving it there with a contented sigh as he follows me into unconsciousness.
~ oOo ~
Our first few days in England are a total whirlwind.
We spend day one recuperating from our long day and night of travelling, eating breakfast in our pajamas in Jude's little kitchen that looks like a gingham factory vomited all over it. I'd forgotten how much I like her eclectic decor style; the loud, familiar patterns feel like home in an odd, nostalgic kind of way. When we finally do get dressed and venture out, it's just to visit the park at the end of the street. Tugwell Park isn't much to write home about, really—just a swingset, a roundabout, and a little toddler climbing frame on the side of a field popular with dog walkers and kids playing football. As it happens, we aren't the only ones to be using the tiny playground when we amble down there after lunch, leaving Jude to head out for a doctor's appointment she couldn't reschedule.
As Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo push through the gate, they spot a familiar, dark head of hair just as I do.
"Hey! It's you guys!"
The little girl runs over, hair billowing in the breeze and cheeks rosy from the cold, but skids to a stop a few steps away. She's just as sweet and shy as before we left, it seems.
"Hi, Marley," Jaxson says, unexpectedly bashful.
"A friend of yours?" Edward asks quietly as Marley's mom guides her toddler son away from the roundabout toward us, a smile on her face and her boyfriend at her back. Even now, even after having known Indie Ashby for a year or so before we moved out to Florida, I can't help but admire the heck out of her.
"Sort of," I admit, watching her pause to say 'hi' to the boys. "Jax and Finn were in the year below her daughter at school and they used to play together a lot, so we had a few after-school playdates. The big guy with her, that's Laker, her boyfriend." Biting my lip for a moment, I quickly add, "If she's a bit wary of you, don't be offended. She and her friend were kidnapped from around here as kids, they got back a couple years ago. Sometimes she's leery of strangers. "
"Long time, no see!" Indie laughs as she pulls me in for a hug, her boyfriend Laker lifting their son into his arms as he extends a hand to introduce himself to Edward, who makes a conscious effort to be relaxed and soft-spoken. "How've you all been? It's quiet around here without you guys."
"It's been...different," I admit with a soft laugh of my own, eyeing Edward fawning over little Bodhi. "Man, this little guy has grown! It's only been six months. What have you been feeding him?"
"I eat l-lots of v-v-vegetables," Bodhi tells me seriously, his adorable stutter as endearing as ever.
"You do? Well, that's great!"
Before we know it, we've talked ourselves into meeting up to go see Santa with them. It isn't until we're waving goodbye a little while later, them heading right out of the playground while we turn left, that I realize how much I actually missed my friend.
As promised, we do meet up a couple of days later with Indie, Laker, Marley, and Bodhi at Santa's Grotto. Jude tags along, too, and we have a grand time in the elf photo booth and seeing 'Santa.' Predictably, Arlo and Jaxson are more than happy to clamber onto the old guy's lap while Finley hangs back. Still, I manage to get a great photo of the three of them before one of the overly-chipper elves offers to take one with me and Edward in it, too.
As ridiculous as we both feel, posing with an old guy dressed as Santa in what is effectively just a shed with some fake snow nailed to the roof and a few strings of fairy lights strung up inside, there's nothing like the magic of seeing the boys' faces light up as they recount the entire experience to us later on, inviting us into their world of imagination and belief like only kids can.
Day two is spent showing Edward around the town the boys called home for the first years of their lives. We huddle under blankets and eat ice cream on the pier, the seagulls swooping overhead and the sun rushing below our feet. The boys insist on showing Edward their old school and nursery, so we walk by there and he humors them by listening intently as they point out their classrooms through the perimeter fence. For dinner, we fetch battered fish and thick, salt-and-vinegared fries—or chips, as the Brits call them—and eat it from the paper around Jude's tiny kitchen table.
By day five in England, I'm starting to wonder if Edward regrets coming with us.
He's engaged and playful with the boys, but with me, he seems...off. It's something about the way he looks at me, the intense, nervous energy he transfers into my body with every touch.
It only worsens on day six when we cross the halfway point in our vacation and Finley hesitantly brings up his dad over breakfast.
"Are we gonna see him?"
I wish I could tell him 'yes.' I wish I could say his dad has jumped at the chance to see him and his brothers now we're so close.
I wish Dick Holder could put his sons first for a change.
But wishes don't always come true, and just like always, I'm the one left to break their hearts.
Setting down my coffee, I crouch next to Finley and cup his sweet face. The saddest thing is, I can already tell he knows what I'm going to say. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I called him yesterday and he's out of town until after we're gone." Gazing at Arlo and Jaxson, neither of them look surprised.
Blowing out a big breath, Finley shrugs and smiles weakly. "That's okay. I figured we wouldn't."
As they sullenly tuck back into their breakfasts, I follow Edward's frown and lean against his chest, my arms sliding around his waist as I suck in a shuddery breath full of anger at Richard and sadness for my brave little boys.
"Is he really out of town?" Edward whispers, too softly for the boys to hear.
Biting my lip, I shake my head slightly. "He said he's too busy. His girlfriend's family is in town."
Edward's quiet curse goes unnoticed by the boys, but not Jude. I catch her slight headshake and mouth that we'll talk later.
Thankfully, the boys perk back up when we remind them that we're going to watch the Christmas tree lights get switched on at Hampden Park tonight. Bouncing in his seat, Arlo asks if that means he can wear his new sweater.
Frowning, I mentally run through the clothes I packed for him and come up short. "I don't know, kiddo. What new sweater?"
With weirdly wide eyes, Edward quickly grabs Arlo from his seat. "I know the one he means. I'll find it, don't worry."
After watching them rush out of the room, Jaxson and Finley hot on their heels, I turn to Jude. "Any idea what the heck that was all about?"
She looks just as confused as I feel. "I have no idea," she says with a shrug. "They're up to something, I'll bet."
Too amused that all my boys are in on a secret that I'm not, I push my worry from my mind.
~ oOo ~
Finally, after what feels like a century of nagging and hurrying them along, Edward and the boys rush down the stairs just as Jude honks the horn out front.
More than a little exasperated, I shoot Edward the look the boys have dubbed the 'Mom-brow.'
"Sorry, sorry," he grins, planting a quick kiss on my lips as he, Jaxson, Finley, and Arlo hustle out onto the driveway. "We're ready now."
Eyeing the flushed tips of his ears and the glassy green of his eyes, I can't help but be irritated that we're running late so I can't ask him what's got him looking so goofy.
Grabbing my hips to stop me before we step outside, he sighs and offers me his handsome crooked grin complete with a slight head tilt that just wrecks me. "I love you."
Bastard.
"I'm trying to be mad at you," I point out half-heartedly, unable to stifle my smile when he just chuckles and leads the way outside.
"I know, and that's okay. You're cute when you're mad."
"Uh oh, is Momma being a meanie?" Arlo asks as Edward helps him into the back of the car. Jaxson and Finley get to ride way in the back, leaving me and Arlo in the middle and Edward up front with Jude in the passenger seat.
"She sure is. She's telling me off," he admits, shooting me a wink.
As I climb in beside Arlo, he shakes his head at me and raises one eyebrow. "Not cool, Momma."
"All right, pipe down, kiddo. Get buckled up."
The drive to the park doesn't take long, but it takes a hot second to find a parking spot. Just as we swing into a space barely big enough for the minivan, Arlo reaches over to tap my arm.
"Look, Momma. This is your reward chart, 'kay?"
"Uh, okay…" I laugh, leaning over a little to see better. He's drawn three columns on the Etch A Sketch he found in the pocket of the seat in front of him. It looks just like the reward charts I have for him and his brothers back home. In the column on the left, there's a big cross.
"This is your first cross, all right? If you get two more crosses this week, you don't get a treat."
All this is said with as straight a face as I've ever seen on my little goofball. He huffs like I'm annoying him when all I can do is laugh.
"What did I get that cross for, can I ask?"
"Well, duh, for being a meanie to Easy."
"Oh, right, of course," I nod, attempting to look serious. Jude and Edward don't help my cause by laughing their heads off up front. "Well, I'll do my best not to get any more crosses, then. Can I ask what my treat will be?"
He thinks on it for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope. It's a secret."
With that out of the way and the car now parked half a mile away from where we actually need to be, we haul ass across the park. There are people everywhere, but it makes me grin when Edward beats me to the punch, warning the boys to stay close and reaffirming his strengthening role as a father to our little trio. It's new and exciting and also a little nerve-wracking, but it's beautiful to see. I know Jude agrees with me when she loops her arm through mine.
"Daddyhood looks great on him," she whispers.
I couldn't agree more.
The smell of popcorn and pretzels reaches us before we hit the main area, strings of multi-colored lights strung up all around the stalls providing food, drink, and all kinds of light-up paraphernalia. As is tradition, Jude gets the boys light-up reindeer ears and a pretzel each to nibble on while she, Edward, and I nurse warm mulled wine from paper to-go cups. Everywhere I look there are smiling faces, fluffy bobble hats, and twinkling lights. I've been coming here for the switching on ceremony ever since I came to England almost a decade ago, only this time, I'm lucky enough to be here with not only my boys, but also with the man I love. It's beautiful.
"Can we go closer to the tree, Momma?" Jaxson asks around a big bite of his pretzel.
Most people are still just milling around, so I decide it's probably wise to beat the rush and head closer so the boys will be able to get a good view when the lights are switched on. Sticking together so none of us get lost, we manage to snag a prime spot right by the low rope around the big tree. The podium where the mayor of Eastbourne will stand to press the button is kind of hard to see, but it doesn't really matter. We're here for the atmosphere and the lights anyway.
We still have a few minutes, so I sip my mulled wine and revel in the warmth that spreads through my body as I watch Edward crouch to talk quietly with the boys.
He really is brilliant with them. The changes in him in the last six months are vast but I love him all the more for making them. He still attends his monthly therapy sessions and he still has a tendency to keep his feelings bottled up, but instead of sticking a cork in them, he waits until the boys are tucked up in bed and we have some private time to work through whatever is bothering him. Instead of shutting people out, he's working on letting them in. His strained relationship with his parents is mending, his unwillingness to share his life with others shifting to the degree that he now arranges to have friends over without my prompting. He even hosted a boys' night with Dad, Benjamin, Sullivan, Jasper, Garrett, and Jones last month.
I'm so proud of him it makes my chest ache, and so in love with him it sometimes steals my breath.
By some people's standards, six months isn't a long amount of time for a couple to date before becoming serious, but I don't need somebody else's predetermined schedule to tell me that Edward is all I want. He's not only good for me, he's great for the boys, and he loves us all as much as we adore him. In six months, a year, or ten, there will never be a man who fits our little family as perfectly.
"Oh, look! Here he comes." Jude nudges me, redirecting the boys' attention toward the mayor, who is now standing by the podium. Too busy looking at Edward still crouching with the boys around him, Arlo's little arm around his neck, I miss most of what the mayor says.
It was a year ago next month that I made the decision to move myself and the boys to Florida. I never in a million years would have predicted this back then. I never anticipated my high school crush returning full-force. I never anticipated falling for Edward and having him fall for me in return. I couldn't have dreamed up the beautiful bond he shares with the boys. It flourishes more and more every day, their love for each other something I never would have believed possible if somebody had tried to tell me what awaited us in Florida.
Suddenly, I'm momentarily blinded by thousands of lights illuminating against the inky backdrop of the clear night sky. The crowd cheers but it's muffled by my realisation that this is just the first of many wonderful experiences I'm going to enjoy with Edward and the boys.
Watching them together now, their faces lit by wonder and fairy lights, I'm so dumbstruck by the sheer magnificence of it all that I miss Jude sneaking the boys away. "Bella," Edward murmurs, slipping his fingers between mine. Gazing up at his gentle smile, the fairy lights twinkling in his eyes, I know I'm incredibly lucky to be able to call him 'mine.' "Come with me."
Confused but not unwilling, I let him pull me a few feet away before realizing the boys are no longer hanging over the rope to get closer to the tree.
He shoots me a grin over his shoulder. "Jude has them covered. Come on."
I can't see Jude or the boys, so I just have to trust Edward as he leads me away from the big tree, Christmas classics playing through speakers hung from trees and the warmth of his touch spreading through me.
What are you up to? I wonder as we break free of the main crowd, cutting around the big lake that acts as the centerpiece of Hampden Park. The woodchip path crunches underfoot, already frosty. As we meander under the trees that cover the path, I catch brief glimpses of stars between the heavy clouds and realize it's fairly likely we'll get snow overnight. A smile curls my lips at the thought of getting to see the boys' excitement if we wake up to a blanket of white outside. It's the one thing I'll miss about winters here in England—we don't get snow in Florida. That crisp smell of fresh snow and the slight burn of freezing air is definitely not something we'll experience in Jackson Bay.
I squeeze Edward's hand to get his attention just as we round a bend, words drying on my tongue as the glimmer of fairy lights ahead captures my focus. It takes a couple of seconds for me to realize that the three little shadows with light-up reindeer ears underneath the tree strung with lights are the boys, Jude's silhouette just off to one side. She's beaming, but I don't have time to think about why.
"Is it time to take these off now, Edward?" Grinning wide, Jaxson and Finley flank Arlo as they fumble with their zippers, finally shucking their mittens off to unzip their jackets.
Coming to my senses, I frown and hurry closer, towing Edward by the hand. "It's cold, baby. Keep your jackets on—"
"They're okay, short stuff," Edward interrupts gently, his beautiful grass-green eye shining as he reaches up to stroke my cheek.
There's something...something odd in his tone, in the way he's looking at me. I can't look away.
Then Arlo coughs pointedly and Jaxson giggles as Finley calls my name. Glancing sideways at the three of them, I realize they didn't put on the sweaters I picked out—not even Arlo with the dabbing reindeer sweater he chose in Target.
Jaxson and Finley are wearing matching white sweaters, big red letters spelling out 'Team Edward'—one word for each of them. And Arlo…
His sweater is a bright, Christmas red. My brain slowly starts to catch up with what my eyes are reading as I hear Edward shifting behind me.
"Arlo…" I breathe, the collision of my warm breath meeting the cool December air creating a fog that only makes it harder to see the writing. "What...what does your shirt say?"
He flashes me a toothy grin, looking at Edward. My gaze stumbles over the words on his shirt before I twist to face Edward. All my breath rushes from my lungs, tears filling my eyes.
No longer standing beside me, he's shifted onto one knee.
In his trembling hand, he's holding a small box.
In the slight curve of his smile, I see the man I've crushed on for close to twenty years.
In the grass-green of his eyes, I see a man who has overcome so much to be here today.
And in the words printed on our boys' sweaters, I see my future—our future.
"I've made a lot of momentous decisions under willow trees, Bella."
I gasp, only now realizing exactly what kind of tree we're standing under. "Willow…"
Edward's eyes are glassy as he nods, his smile wide. "She's here, and I know she'd be kicking my butt to get on with it already." His voice is thick with emotion when he continues. "She loved you, Bella. And she would have loved her little brothers."
"Oh, God," I croak, dashing tears from my cheeks.
I can see her. I can see Willow with her messy, sunny blonde pigtails, bright green eyes, and ladybug rain boots.
"Look, Bella! Ladybugs!" Willow squeals, bouncing as I laugh and pluck her from Edward's arms. I'm watching her today while Edward and Kate work; knowing that got me through the surprise algebra test Mr. Garner threw at us last period.
Edward chuckles, his crooked grin popping as his baby girl kicks her legs to show off her new boots. It's the height of summer, so sandals would be more appropriate, but not for Miss Willow. She dances to her own beat.
"So pretty!" I tell her, spinning around because it makes her giggle and she's too freaking cute when her nose scrunches up with her belly-laughs.
I can see her now, standing with her arms around the boys and a toothy smile on her face, so I wholeheartedly believe Edward when he says she's here with us.
"I loved her, too," I sniffle.
"I know." Edward breathes in deeply through his nose, his lips still curved in the handsome smile I've loved for two thirds of my life. "Bella Swan, I see home in your eyes and love in your beautiful smile. I spent years feeling like I'd be alone forever. Then you came along." His voice breaks, he clears his throat into his fist, and I feel the last of my walls crumbling into dust. "You and our boys give me a reason to get up every day. Because of you, I have something I never dared dream I could have again. A family."
"Christ, Edward. What are you doing to me?" I sort of laugh-cry, wiping my cheek on my shoulder. Slowly, I lower myself onto my knees. I don't care about the cold ground as I cradle Edward's beard-covered jaw with shaky hands.
His smile widens. "I wasn't looking to fall in love, but at some point, you aimed those gorgeous gray eyes at me and smiled, and holy shit, did I blow it. I read this quote…'and in the middle of my chaos, there was you.' I know this has all been a whirlwind and it's fast by some people's standards, but it's us, Bella. It's you and me and these crazy little boys, and I want it to carry on being us, forever." Closing his eyes for a moment, he stuns me breathless when he opens them again. The sheer intensity of love shining back at me is flawless and fathomless. "Look at Arlo's shirt, Bella."
"You're such a cheater," I whisper around the lump in my throat. "You're supposed to ask the question yourself, not get our four-year-old to do it."
"Well," he chuckles, opening the ring box with a quiet click. I can't drag my eyes away from his face to look at its contents. "I figured you can never say 'no' to Arlo, so…"
Shaking my head as the boys giggle, I set my own smile free. "As if I could ever say 'no' yo you, either."
His eyes widen, the fairy lights twisted between the branches of the willow tree illuminating the hope burning within them. "Does that...are you saying…"
"Momma," Arlo finally explodes, too excited as he and his brothers close the gap between us. "Will you marry Edward? Tell us, or I'm gonna give you another cross on your chart."
There's only one answer, really. I definitely don't want another cross on my reward chart, although I don't know what could be a better treat than this.
"Yes," I breathe, overcome with the magnitude of that one little word. "Yes, I'll marry you."
I hear Jude's whoop and the boys' cheers, but it's Edward's sigh of relief as he slams his lips against mine and swoops me into his arms like something out of a fairytale that hits me right in the heart.
Pulling back with a silly giggle and tears pouring freely over our cheeks, I cup his precious face in my hands and realize...that's exactly what this is. The exact thing I never knew I was looking for, but managed to find anyway.
My fairytale happily ever after.
...well, there we go. We made it. A bunch of you guessed he'd propose in England...did any of you see it going down this way? Willow had to be incorporated, of course.
I need to say a few "thank you's": to all the wonderful ladies who've helped as prereaders and sounding boards throughout the writing process; to the incomparable annaharding, for always being there when I'm stuck and for catching all my silly errors; and to every single one of you who has read, reviewed, and recommended this story. Under The Willows has been an absolute dream to write and came so, so easily that it sort of stunned me, but not as much as the amazing reaction it's had from all of you. I can't thank you enough for loving these characters as much as I do.
May, I hope you caught the line inspired by your thoughts on Kate ;)
Any of my usual readers...did you catch the little Easter eggs? A few of my older characters made a cameo appearance in this chapter.
Although I don't currently have any other new fics in the works, I do have another exciting announcement coming soon. For that, please join me in my reader group on Facebook—CiaraShayee's Subconscious.
And as far as a sequel goes...I'd keep your eyes on the group above.