Chapter 15

September 20th

It was night when I drove up to the small apartment in Biloxi, Louisiana. The baby was a few days old and Alice said that she everyone would be asleep when I arrived. She also saw me manipulating the window lock and entering easily.

Renee lay in the bed adjacent to the crib. The sheets covered her body except for the milk stained the shirt she was wearing when sudden gust of autumn air rushed in with me.

I knew I only had moments before the baby would awake and want to be fed.

Carefully, I walked to the crib, expecting to see the baby sleeping soundly, but as I approached the crib I saw her little body was lying flat on her back. Her little eyes, very much alert, were open and watching me carefully.

It was like she was waiting for me as I was for her.

With careful ease, I picked her up, enjoying the little bit of weight she gained since birth and grateful that she was safe.

So grateful she was safe.

Then, when she was at my chest, I breathed her in.

My throat burned wildly, her aroma a sweet torture that I gladly endured.

"Hi, sweet baby," I cooed in her ear. She couldn't talk back, but I thought it odd that I couldn't hear her delicate thoughts.

I could see the dreams that Renee was having, her body was deep asleep and she was running through a forest as if she was lost or searching for something.

So my attention went back to the baby. I held her away from my body, watching her watch me.

Bright brownish blue eyes danced as she stared at my face.

I swear she smiled at me!

Our time was short lived as I heard Renee's heart pick up and her breathing start to change. She was waking up and I had moments before I was going to be discovered.

"Don't fret, love, I will be seeing you soon."

Begrudgingly, I laid the baby down in her crib and watched with a sad, dead heart her heartbreaking little pout.

Her bottom lip quivered and shook, her wide eyes turned in sorrow as she threatened to cry.

I put my hand over her delicate heart, enjoying the hummingbird thump with a soft smile.

"I love you, sweetheart." I whispered, so quietly I was unsure she could hear me and made my way out of the room.

If a dead heart could break, it would have as she started to wail. Her little body shook with her little starfish palms fisted tightly.

She was horribly upset and I couldn't help but take the blame.

Open hand- not hungry, closed hand- hungry.

Maybe she just wanted to eat?

I watched through the window as Renee rushed to her, swaddled her up and put her to her breast and sang:

Rest tired eyes a while

Sweet is thy baby's smile,

Angels are guarding

And they watch o'er thee.

Sleep, sleep, grah mo chree*

Here on your mamma's knee,

Angels are guarding

And they watch o'er thee,

The birdeens sing a fluting song

They sing to thee the whole day long,

Wee fairies dance o'er hill and the dale

For very love of thee.

It was then as little Isabella Marie Swan, gurgled and swallowed her meal greedily that I felt content to leave her.

"So was that was the first time you saw me after I was born," Bella smiled softly knowing that it must have been difficult for Edward to see her and to leave her there. It wasn't too far from the imagination that she could see Edward snatching her up and running off with her- but she was glad he didn't. She wrapped her arms around Edward as they skipped over several more journals and were at the ones where Bella was born.

"Yeah, I couldn't resist making sure you were okay." He chuckled. The night moved on much the same way, holding each other with soft caresses and kisses.

Edward was quite the kisser.

"Did you see me any other times?"

Edward ran his fingertips over the length of her arm, just taking a moment to let her words filter through the air. Did she want to know how easy it was to stalk her, or would it make her nervous having a man hover around her whole life?

The truth would be the best bet and if it triggered a memory, then so be it.

"I did. I couldn't stay away from you too long." He chuckled in good humor. "You were just walking so maybe a little under a year old. Your mother put you in the grass in the garden one late afternoon as she read a book, just letting you explore. You were happily picking up leaves and trying to eat them, but you were not picky, you also enjoyed a bit of grass and maybe a flower or two."

"Lovely."

Edward chuckled, running his fingers over the softness of her cheek. "But then you saw me and your arms were raised out in front of you, reaching and stepping quickly to me. I couldn't help but kneel down and take you into my arms, breathe you in, just for a quick moment. You're such a blessing, you have no idea. You gave meaning to an otherwise meaningless life."

"That's a charming thing to say."

"Mm, well you were a lovely little girl, small lush curls that danced in the breeze and bright eyes full of wonder. You really did make it hard to stay away. But the fact was that you were my mate, not my child. I didn't want you to be too attached where I would affect you negatively if I had to leave."

"I understand. Like Jake and the whole imprinting thing. Except they cater to their imprints their whole lives and you, you stayed away."

"Not that I didn't want to stay though, Bella." Edward chided. "I wanted you to have a life before me. I can be quite suffocating when I want to be."

"That is true. You are quite suffocating, Edward. Just yesterday, when you were kissing me, you took my breath away." She smirked, her eyes dancing with mirth as she watched him lean forward to whisper.

"Well, then we're even because that's how I feel every time I look at you." He leaned in for a kiss, hard lips against soft as he moved with hers. It felt like home.

Edward watched Bella as she slept on the bed. Somehow, and he didn't know if it was his scent affecting her or just exhaustion but she always seemed to fall asleep on him.

But he also knew Bella rested easier with him nearby. Her sleep was calm, quiet, and she tended to be more actively seeking him out to make sure he was there.

Edward was able to watch over his beautiful mate, without care or judgment. He was privy to the quirky things that she said and how when he whispered his thoughts to her subconscious, she reacted positively.

When the sun crested over the evergreen trees and casted a warm glow into the room and Bella began to stir, Edward went downstairs, hoping to give her some moments of privacy.

He made her some breakfast in vampire speed. He cooked the food, set the table with silverware and plates before her feet even hit the floor. Then he went outside and gathered some wildflowers for the table.

It was all laid out and ready before Bella came downstairs, groggy and half asleep.

"Good morning." He greeted, gesturing her towards the table and pulled out her chair to sit down.

"Morning," She yawned. "What's all this?"

"Well, as instructed by Alice, I needed to feed you well today." He smirked.

That got her attention and she watched him warily while sipping her juice.

"Why?"

"Our date."

"And what did Alice decide we're doing?" Bella's eyes moved towards the window seeing the yard bright from the morning light and frowned.

"Well, when I was child, and if I were actually able to court a girl, we would have taken a stroll around the grounds. So, I thought we'd do the same.

"Well, I don't know," Bella bit her lip, looking worried.

"What?" His mind raced with hypotheses on what he could've forgot or the thousands of dangers just outside the door that could harm her. He came up blank.

"You didn't really ask my father to court me… and we don't have a chaperone. How do I know if your intentions are pure?"

Edward bounded forward over the table and landed next to her, vastly enjoying her gasp of surprise and that she was playing along. Then he dropped to the floor and kneeled at her side.

He grasped her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, before looking at her from under his lashes.

"Isabella Swan, you would honor me by accepting my invitation to accompany me on a walk around the grounds of our home."

"You just want to get me into the woods so you could have your way with me."

"I've not even tried to have my way with you... yet." Edward pulled her arm lightly, taking in the scent of her skin and blood as she flushed. He loved her reactions to him, and thoroughly enjoyed teasing her senses. "If the opportunity presents itself, I may just have to oblige. What say you?"

He flicked his tongue over her earlobe, tasting the skin, as her breath hitched. The coolness of tongue lit her afire and her heartbeat thrashed within her chest erratically.

"Well?"

"Yes."

Edward chuckled darkly. "Besides, you will know when I try to have my way with you. Trust me."

Bella breathed out, her body shivered as he finally moved away from her.

"Said the spider to the fly," She whispered and he couldn't help but laugh the truth of her statement.

.

A/N: Lullaby is the Ballyeamon Cradle Song but I liked this one, too:

~Are You a Witch or Are You a Fairy?

Are you a witch or

Are you a fairy?

Or are you the wife

of Michael Cleary?

It actually has a really sad story about it. It's about Michael Cleary who accused his wife of being a witch, which many men did way back when and she was killed if I remember right. I wrote about it in a book I've been working on based on the one shot "The scavenger Hunt" but that's not the name of the book. The one shot is still posted.
Also, The Painter got nom'd for Top Ten Completed Fic in January 2020. It's an honor to have been nominated.
Blank Canvas won Top Ten Completed Fic for October 2019

Voting is here, just remove the spaces and add dots where it says dots:

twifanfictionrecs dot com/2020/02/06/vote-for-your-top-ten-completed-fics-january-2020/?fbclid=IwAR3KKThbwyZF6VTY3ZHg9BWf_xq-jIpIf7tVVyh7nRPFayivgqs30ysIZwg