~ Forks, Washington ‐ December 24, 2004 ~
I lit the final candle in the cottage library before surveying the scene I had created. I wanted everything to be perfect for this evening. Perfect for my Bella. Soft seasonal music filtered through the room as a fire crackled happily in the fireplace. Its amber glow mixing with the dozen or so candles I had placed throughout the room. Next to my piano stood my first ever Christmas tree, complete with soft white lights, gold strands of garlands, delicate glass ornaments, and a large gold bow crowning the top. Outside the window, my garden was lit with causal swags of white lights adorning the surrounding bushes and topiaries. Finally, back inside, under the Christmas tree sat a small package that was waiting for my Bella.
I had never really enjoyed Christmastime since my change. I had, of course, previously exchanged gifts with my family, as well as played festive music on the piano for their enjoyment. However, I never fully embraced the holiday season as a time of joyful celebration. In truth, on past Christmas Eve's, I would play some holiday music before quickly handing out my gifts. Then I would often go for an extended multi-day hunting trip to allow the couples in my family to privately celebrate the holiday with their mates. Christmas was a lonely, melancholy time for me.
This year had been different for a couple of reasons. First, I finally felt the holiday spirit within me. Although Christmas was still not an overtly religious time for me, I felt the need to celebrate the hope and love that this time of year represented.
Secondly, I finally had my own mate to enjoy the season with and to share what I considered as my first, true Christmas. Although my Bella was not much into material gifts, I have enjoyed spoiling her in other ways leading up to this evening. The lone gift beneath the tree represented more than just its arbitrary monetary value. Within that one box was a future full of promises and dreams.
As soon as I heard Bella's SUV coming down our private drive, I darted from the cottage to wait for her in front of the main house. A few extraordinary long minutes later I helped Bella from the vehicle and into my arms.
"I missed you," I whispered before kissing her deeply.
Unfortunately, Bella pulled away to take a much needed breath. "But we just saw each other a few hours ago," she teased. "Don't tell me you are turning into clingy boyfriend?"
It had been only a few hours since I last saw her, but we were at her house and Charlie was present. With him home, I could hardly do to her what I truly wanted.
"Clingy boyfriend?" I answered. "You have no idea how clingy I can be. Just wait until next week! I know Charlie is really looking forward to spending time with you in Canada, but I am going to be missing you terribly until you get back."
Charlie had surprised Bella with a five day trip to British Columbia between Christmas and New Years. Charlie did invite me along, but I didn't need to read his thoughts to know that he was looking forward to spending time with his daughter. I would survive without Bella, at least I hoped I would.
"You know I am going to miss you too," Bella replied before snuggling against my chest. "I know Dad invited you along, and part of me wishes you would have accepted, but another part of me is glad it will be just him and I."
"I know, love. I am glad you two will have the time together. Now, let's get you inside," I said before gently picking up Bella and walking towards the cottage. Charlie may get to be with her next week, but I get to have her alone this evening and I was not going to waste anymore time.
"I'm worried about him," she whispered. "I know he has his friends and he loves his job, but I think he is lonely." Bella paused to look up at me. She knew I would not openly betray any of Charlie's thoughts, but my sad smile told her she was right. "I know he has gotten over my Mom, but he never dates. Granted, Forks doesn't have a big over-thirty singles scene, but my Dad deserves to have someone."
"You are correct, your father does deserve to have someone. All I can tell you is that he is open to ending his bachelorhood, but he is looking for something more than just a casual hookup."
"And Sue Clearwater is very much married," Bella added. I looked down at Bella wide-eyed, wondering if Charlie had said something to her. "Please, over the years I have seen the way he has looked at her. My guess is, Dad has had a crush on her since before she met Harry. Which, by-the-way, did you know that my Dad introduced Sue to Harry back when they were teenagers?" I shook my head in response. "Yeah, I bet he regrets that day, but then again, if he had been with Sue, he would have never asked my Mom out and I wouldn't be here."
"And, I like you being here," I said followed by another kiss. "Perhaps we should engage Alice's services. She is quite the match maker!"
Bella giggled. "Oh no! She is already too smug about her previous efforts! Surely my Dad is not that desperate."
Before we could continue, I thought back to fragment of a vision I caught in Alice's mind about a month ago. It was of Charlie holding hands with someone, but Alice changed her thoughts before I could see it all. I never gave it much thought at the time, but perhaps Bella would get her wish regarding her Dad after all.
"This is perfect," Bella said between sips of her hot chocolate. "The tree, the fire, the cocoa...its just perfect." Bella sat her drink down and climbed into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I have a little confession. I don't have to be back until tomorrow. Dad is working tonight, so I am having a Christmas sleepover with Alice and Rose." Bella ended her statement by placing soft kisses along my jaw and neck.
"But my family is away hunting tonight," I replied as best I could given that Bella's lips were traveling over my skin.
"Merry Christmas, Edward! Its part of my Christmas gift too you." Bella whispered against my skin before pulling my head down to kiss me properly on the lips.
When Rose told me earlier that it was my family's turn to leave so Bella and I could have some privacy, I was a bit shocked, but also excited to have a few hours alone with Bella. To know I would now have all night and into tomorrow with her made me ecstatic! I had wanted to move our physically relationship forward and now I was presented with the perfect opportunity to allow our passion for each other to move beyond the heavy petting we had previously enjoyed. I just hoped that Bella had the same thing in mind, although given that she was now exploring my mouth with her tongue, I felt confident that our purposes were aligned.
After a few minutes of heaven, Bella finally ended her assault on my mouth. "Let's open our gifts, Edward," Bella said with a breathy voice.
It took me a few moments to collect myself before I could speak, so I just simply nodded. Bella rewarded me with brilliant smile before telling not to move while she leapt from my lap and disappeared from the room. I heard her open a cupboard door in the kitchen before scampering back into the room. To my surprise she was carrying a small duffle bag with her.
"Rose was my accomplice," Bella simply stated as she unzipped the bag and pulled out two small packages. It now made complete sense to me why Rose sent me on a wild goose chase to find Emmett out in the woods earlier. She must of snuck down here and hidden Bella's bag.
Bella sat down in front of the Christmas tree before patting the floor next to her, beckoning me to join her. Intrigued by both the remaining contents of the duffle bag and the gifts in her hand, I tried my best to causally join her on the floor. Once I was seated I pulled Bella's package from the beneath the tree and waited to see what the remainder of her plan might be.
Bella glanced down at the packages she held before turning back to me blushing. "I know I said only one gift each, but my gift to you has two parts to it." Bella said timidly before setting them off to the side. "Um, Edward, I...I would like you to open mine last if that is ok?"
I watched Bella's eyes dart between the discarded gifts and the one I held. I was anxious for Bella to open mine anyway so her request was easy to comply with.
"As you wish, love," I replied as I placed my gift to her on her lap. "Bella, have I told you that my father asked my mother to marry him on Christmas Eve?"
Bella's eyes widened and her back went rigid as she looked at the package on her lap. "Edward, is this...are you..."
I placed my hand on Bella's cheek and raised her gaze from the gift back to me. "No, Bella. As much as I would like to bind myself to you as your husband, now is not the right time for that."
Bella shoulders relaxed at my admission. I was not upset at her reaction. I expected it. With a year and a half of high school left for her, this was not the time to speak about marriage. Bella gave me a slight smile before taking my hand from her cheek and kissing its palm.
"However," I continued, "back when I was human there was another way for a man to demonstrate his love and devotion. Bella, please open the gift."
Bella paused for a moment to before she ripped off the wrapping paper. In her hands she held a carved wooden box that had been my Mother's at one time.
"That was one of my mother's jewelry boxes," I explained. "In it she kept the pieces she cared most about. Open it, Bella."
Bella slowly lifted the lid before gasping at the contents. I reached down and pulled out the first of three items in the box. I held the ring up for her to see.
"Bella, this ring Is not an engagement ring. It is a promise ring. My father gave my mother one." I paused as I slipped the ring onto Bella's right-hand ring finger. I also noticed that a couple of tears ran down Bella's cheek. "Dearest, this ring a symbol of my love for you and it represents my promise to one day make you my wife."
Bella held her hand out and inspected the ring before she let out a slight giggle. "I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't mean to laugh, its just...you know what never mind. It's beautiful, Edward."
I held her hand in mine while I slowly spun the ring.
"This is a new ring that Rose helped me design. On it you will find several engravings separated by some small stones. The letters S, D, and C are woven together in an ornamental cursive script. They represent the surnames Swan, Dwyer, and Cullen. The Cullen family crest is also represented, as well as the phrase 'mon amour pour toujours', or 'my love forever' in French. My human surname, Masen, is typically thought of as English, but actually it is of Norman origin, hence the French. Finally, the three gems are sapphires, which besides being your birthstone, also represent a 'pledge of love'."
Bella turned the ring on her finger, as she touched each feature.
"I love it, Edward, and I love you. It's so beautiful both to look at and in its meaning. Thank you for promising to love me forever."
Bella wiped the stray tears from her cheeks as she continued to look at the ring. After a couple of quiet moments she glanced over to the remaining items in the jewelry chest.
"What else do you have for me? It seems you broke the one gift rule as well."
I gave her a quick smirk before I pulled the next item from the chest and handed it to her.
"I know that promise rings are not a very modern concept and I do not want you to feel obligated to wear it around others. Just knowing that you have accepted it means the world to me. After my Mother married my Father she would occasionally wear her promise ring on this necklace. If you wanted, I thought you could do the same."
Bella held the necklace out and watched it shimmer in the firelight. A few more tears appeared as she fingered the delicately woven gold strands.
"Edward, thank you. I am honored to be presented with your Mother's necklace. I will always cherish it, although I don't think that I can use it for its intended purpose, at least not yet. You see, I rather like the Idea of wearing this promise ring. So until I have another ring on my other hand to replace it, I think I will just keep it on."
I leaned over and kissed Bella on the lips. "Do you mean that? You really don't mind wearing my ring?"
"I do. I don't care what others might think about it. They don't matter to me. Only you and I matter." This time Bella leaned in and kissed me.
I knew at that moment I had never known such joy and happiness before. Just knowing that she wanted to wear my ring was the best gift I could've ever been given.
"Well then," I said, as I reached down and retrieved the final item from chest. "I have one more thing for you. It does seem a shame that the necklace should go unused." I turned Bella's hand palm up and poured the contents of the velvet pouch into it. "This was also my Mother's. When the necklace did not hold my Mother's promise ring, it held this heart pendant. Perhaps you could wear this around you neck."
Bella gasped as she gazed down at the heart shaped diamond.
"Oh! It's beautiful! I would love to wear this on the necklace. Thank you!"
Bella flung her arms around my neck and kissed me. When we pulled apart, I quickly unclasped the necklace and threaded the pendent down it's length. I motioned for Bella to lean forward. After a quick kiss, I secured the necklace around its new owners neck. The necklace was a bit long on Bella, but I did like how the gold strands allowed the sparkling heart to lay just to the top of her cleavage. Bella looked down and touched the heart pendant.
"I really do love this, Edward. Its like I have your heart next to mine." The symbolism of her words warmed me. My stone heart next to hers was perfect. "Um, Edward? This isn't just a crystal heart is it?"
I shook my head as I was still too taken with her words and the view of my gift against skin. Bella must have understood where my eyes and thoughts have traveled because her blush traveled down to the where the necklace lay.
"Your diamond heart belongs next to mine. Its perfect. Thank you! Now it's your turn."
Bella reached for her gifts to me with a shaky hand and placed them in front of me.
"As I said before, my gift is in two-parts, but really they both amount to the same thing. Open the top one, first."
I surprised myself with how excited I was to open Bella's gifts. I have seen this in people's thoughts, but the anticipation I felt was exhilarating. From the bouncing of Bella's knee, I believed she was excited as well. I tore off the paper and opened the box to find something completely unexpected but most welcomed.
"I think you can see why I giggled before, because I also worked with Rose on my gift as well." Bella took the ring from the box and slid it onto my right-hand ring finger. "I believe she had one of these made for everyone in the family as sort of a modern sign of solidarity."
I spun the ring around on my finger and smiled at Rose's scheming, and her new found sentimentality.
"Your ring, is a kind of promise ring as well. Edward, a few months back I asked you how us being together could work given me being human. I know you have been waiting patiently for my answer as to whether I would want to become a vampire. If you look on your ring, you will find an infinity symbol."
Bella paused and took both my hands in hers.
"Edward, Rose assured me you could easily see the encoded letters used to make up the infinity sign, even though I needed a magnifying lens. Those letters represent me, well at least the beginning part of my DNA. Also on the ring, besides the Cullen crest, is "per sempre", which is Italian for..."
"Forever," I whispered. What Bella was giving me was beyond anything I could have ever had hoped for, but what I most deeply wanted.
"Yes," Bella continued as she placed my hand over her heart. "Edward, I am giving you my mortal life. I want forever with you. I think I should finish high school, but shortly after that, I want to be like you."
"Truly?" I asked. "You will need to leave your current life behind. Family. Friends. You will never have a child of your own. Is it that what you truly want? I would never want you to regret this decision."
"Absolutely! Edward, I have spent the past few months thinking a lot about what I would loose and what I would gain by staying human or becoming immortal. I know that there will be sacrifices and challenges becoming like you, but what is most important is that we can stay together. The only thing I cannot lose is you. Sure, I will miss my family, but it is you that I do not...that I cannot…live without. I want more than just one lifetime."
I pulled Bella to me and held her close. I allowed her heat to warm my body while her words warmed my soul.
"I want that too, so very much. I wouldn't allow myself to hope or to plan for anything beyond your mortal life. But I agree. I want more than one lifetime. Thank you for the ring and wanting me. I love you, Bella. For so long I thought I would never have a future with someone. Now we'll have eternity together."
"Edward, it really wasn't much of a decision for me. I knew what my answer was going to be that night you told me what my options were. I just wanted to make sure I thought through what it meant. Immortality is not a concept that is easy to get your head around. And although a part of me will miss not being able to have children, I would only really want them with you. Someday, I will have to say goodbye to my Dad and my Mom, but it in all likelihood I would outlive them both anyway. Plus, my Dad knows and accepts what you are...what I will become...so I don't have to lose him for quite some time. Are you okay with waiting until after high school?"
I kissed her tenderly before cupping her cheeks in my hands.
"Bella, I would wait as long as you wanted, so waiting for for a couple of years is more than okay. Until that day, I will cherish each and every beat of your heart."
"Part of me just says to do it now, but I want to enjoy this time with my Dad and getting to know you more." Bella looked away sheepishly. "I am sorry I freaked a little bit when you mentioned that your parents got engaged on Christmas Eve. I know it must now seem a bit immature on my part that I would be shocked about marriage but ready to become immortal. But I have my reasons. I know you have mentioned before that after someone is changed into a vampire their human memories can fade or be spotty. Having you propose to me, and then walking down the isle to marry you, is something I want to remember for eternity. So, once I have been changed and I no longer want to eat our guests, I will look froward to receiving a different ring from you."
"You can count on it, love. Plus having my strength and stamina may be needed to curb Alice's wedding planning. She can be quite enthusiastic and over the top!"
Bella laughed heartily at the thought of Alice planning the wedding of the millennium. "Now, that I can believe! And you are right, I will need your super strength to keep her in check! God! Just shopping with her for..." Bella paused and blushed but finally continued. "Um...clothes...is orchestrated like a Broadway production."
Now I wished I had decided to forgo hunting last week and go shopping with the girls in Seattle. My mind was racing to think of what Bella could have been shopping for with Alice that caused her to blush at just the thought of it.
"Now, Edward, it is time for your second gift. But before you open it, I need human moment, okay?"
"Absolutely, love. Take all of the time you need. I will be waiting here."
Bella got up, grabbed her duffle, and went down to the bathroom. I forced myself to concentrate heavily on a music score I had been working on. I knew Bella was not quite comfortable taking care of her human needs around me, or really anyone in my family, given our heighten senses. While I hummed the melody in my head I gazed down at the ring Bella gave me. It's design had Bella, and to a certain extent, Rose, written all over it. Understated, thoughtful, and given the hybrid platinum alloy it was constructed of, nearly indestructible. The three gems were made of my human birthstone, but they were unlike any Alexandrite I had ever seen before. As I tilted it in firelight, the color of the stones changed from a cool bluish mossy green, to a warm raspberry tone; a unique trait of that gemstone. Given the amount of color change in the stones, Rose must have kept their true value hidden from Bella. Regardless of the monetary value, I loved how the stones reflected my existence. I once considered my life cold and blue. But now, I my life was warm and glowing.
I was pulled from my musings, by Bella leaning her head into the library doorway. "Edward, please open the second gift. Once you have it open I will come in."
For a long moment I looked at her in confusion.
"Please, just open the gift." She looked me directly in the eyes before jutting her chin out. Her gesture and determined gaze clearly telling me to just do as she said.
I ripped the paper away to find a plain white box with a handwritten note taped to the top. In Bella's distinctive script it simple said "unwrap me". I opened the lid of box and pulled back the tissue paper to find a navy blue silk and satin garment that left me stunned and speechless. Mouth agape, I held up the most sexy piece of lingerie I had ever seen.
"That's just the top," Bella said with a sexy smirk as she walked into the room wearing a short, silk robe in the same color as the sinful bra I held in my hands. "This Christmas I wanted to give you me, Edward. The first gift was my mortality. My second gift is...well...everything else. I want you, Edward. I'm ready and I think you are too. I want to make love to you."
I spent a moment reveling in the husky sound of her voice, and the erotic vision she presented with her sexy lingerie and her perfect words. An instant later I was standing before my goddess with my hands in her hair and my lips devouring hers. I wanted her just as much as she wanted me.
As we kissed, Bella's hands moved from my neck to the front of my shirt. With unsteady hands she undid the top button, but the next button would not cooperate. Before I could stop my exploration of her neck and mouth to help her remove my shirt, Bella solved the problem by ripping the it open, sending buttons and my sanity flying.
"Oops," she quipped before running her warm hands over my chest and shoulders. I moaned Bella's name as I kissed down her neck to the top of her robe. In the back of my lust fogged mind, a fragment of a question came to the forefront. I slowly pulled back the shoulder of Bella's robe just a bit, and licked the creamy flesh now exposed to me.
"Edward, mmmm, yes," Bella drawled out as a sigh.
"Bella?" I panted against her skin. "Where are the panties that go with that top you gave me?"
"You'll just have to unwrap me to find out."
Author's Note:
Tomorrow in the United States is Election Day! My Dad always said that if you are able to vote, but don't, then you are not allowed to complain. It doesn't matter if your beliefs lean left, right, or somewhere in the middle...please, go vote! Make your voice heard. Every election is important and every vote matters. And if do, then feel free to complain...you just earned the right to do so ;)
For the next couple of Friday's I will be missing my usual posting schedule. The reason being, I am completing a new chapter (or two) that will fit into the timeline around chapter 51. I think you will enjoy the new words!
Thank you again for reading and reviewing!
-Chris