Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.
It's silent as Carlisle and I make our way downstairs. I swear, I can hear our footsteps echoing through the entire house.
No one is in the living room. We look at each other for a brief second before searching the rest of the downstairs.
In the kitchen window, I see Esme kneeling in front of a patch of dirt in the backyard with Edward looking down upon her. In silent agreement, we take a moment to watch them converse with each other.
Half of Edward's face is visible to us. We can see his lips move silently and the smile he doesn't bother to hide transforms his face. She turns her head to smile up at him as he says the wondrous words we can't hear.
I take them in as a whole; their wings are spread wide open, refracting the light and absorbing all the warmth the sun has to offer. They look like they're glowing in the daylight.
I think about what they went through. I think about myself and my life, and Carlisle's devotion to his God. They told me it was all predetermined, who would come to this second chance at life, but we all deserve this. We all get to experience this new love for each other and this amazing, unadulterated happiness.
I push Carlisle's and my talk out of my head. I push any lingering sadness from the memories of our lives out of my mind. I've had a lifetime of sad. I'm ready to embrace this happiness, even with just a smile.
So I do.
AN
Someone better keep a tally of how many times I've had to say sorry for disappearing. This time was because this chapter wasn't satisfactory to me and I had to figure out where this story is going. I have the last chapter written, I'm just working towards it now; tying up loose ends and answering all the questions I can think of. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sticking around, to all the newcomers and the ones that have been on this train-wreck since the beginning, to everyone who finds this story and decides it's worth reading and waiting for.
Cannibal