Well...I'm still alive! I honestly thought I'd
get grief for not having Bella say she loves
Edward back! That said, I'm so, so glad that
you all understood why she wasn't quite there
yet. As a lot of you mentioned, she's still learning
who she is and what it is to be safe and happy -
she's got plenty of time to figure out how to love,
too.
As usual, your reviews brightened my days more
than I can describe! I've had a rotten week and you
can't imagine how much it cheered me to read your
kind words. You all rock, and I love you very much.
I AM sorry that I didn't get around to responding to
them all; I promise I'll try harder for this chapter :)
The closer I get to the end of this thing, the more I
start to mourn the loss of my wonderful dream team.
I'm praying they'll both stay on with me if I do run
with the sequel for this, because I adore them both
something rotten! WithoutSunflowerFran and annaharding
this would be a mish-mash of randomly placed commas
and glaring mistakes. They're the PB to my J and the
eraser to my errant pen *haha* THANK YOU, both!
***Pay it Forward will be featuring three fics in three different
categories on their new blog each month.
Number one will be our Rookie ... A new, first-time writer showcasing
their first fic on our blog. Number two will be our Encore ...
A new fic from a seasoned author giving us
a sneak peek. Number three will be our Classic ...
one from the vault, a time-tested oldie.
If you are a Rookie and need help, contact Fran
on the PIF page, or myself. And if you
have an Encore, contact her to get your new fic
showcased. And anyone interesting in
writing a summary on one of their favs, please feel free to send it in.***
We've got a little time jump here, so I'll leave you to
it. Enjoy, guys! Happy Weekend!
~ oOo ~
Summary: When two little girls were allowed to walk
home from school one bright spring day nobody could've
predicted the events that followed. The way two families
were torn apart by the vendetta of a deranged man.
Nearly twelve years on, we'll watch as the two girls stolen
away from their homes at eight years old fight to take
back their lives. If only it were as simple as escaping. AU
Pinky Promises
Chapter Thirty-Four
Two months later…
June 3rd 2017
"Mummy! Where are my pink shoes?"
Bella sighed, looking upward at the ceiling. "Wherever you took them off, baby girl!"
Silence. Then…thud, thud, thud. "Found them!"
Instead of yelling back to Marley, Bella turned to her baby brother. She was unable to stop herself from smiling when she laid eyes on him. She'd given Bodhi a bowl of soft fruit to eat for breakfast; most of it was now mashed into the tray of his highchair as well as in his hair.
"Oh, sweet boy," she sighed, picking up the baby wipes on her way over to him. "Shall we get you all clean, huh?"
Bodhi bounced in his chair and babbled nonsense as Bella wiped the strawberry-banana-blueberry mess from his chubby cheeks, then his hands and hair. His honey blond curls would need proper washing, so Bella settled for cleaning as much of the fruit from his head as possible before removing him from his chair and wandering into the hall. A bath would have to wait. They were already running a few minutes behind schedule.
Just as she reached the foot of the stairs, Marley appeared at the top.
"I'm ready!" She sang, doing a little twirl. The pale blue fabric of her dress fanned out around her, putting smiles on both her face and Bella's. "Do I look pretty, Mamma?"
Bella nodded and grinned, always happy to see her baby happy. "You do, baby girl. Very pretty."
Marley nodded and bounded noisily down the stairs. Her white leather pumps clicked on the hardwood floor of the hall as she headed for the living room, Bella and Bodhi on her tail. "Look, Zia Rosalie!"
Rosalie snorted, leaving the sofa to scoop Marley into her arms for a twirl. "You're still learning Italian, then?"
"Oh, yes! Edward is teaching me. Mummy is 'Mamma,' and you're 'Zia Rosalie,' 'stead of 'auntie.'"
Shaking her head, Rosalie looked to Bella; she could only offer a shrug. "She wants to learn. I don't want to stop her."
Marley's thirst for knowledge was something Bella never wanted to stifle, especially when it was so adorable listening to her master the Italian accent. Ever since they got back from Italy Marley was soaking up her lessons with Edward.
Leaving Italy had been bitter sweet.
Sweet, because they were all looking forward to seeing friends and family back in England, and sleeping in their own beds once more.
But it was also bitter, particularly for Bella, because she'd felt so at home there in Edward's villa. And of course, she'd had revelations untold whilst there; Edward's declaration under the stars and fairy lights a moment she'd never forget.
It didn't hurt that Marley was completely and utterly in love with Edward – even more so after a month of lapping up his attention uninhibited – which was beyond heartwarming to see. She idolized him, and he, in turn, doted upon her.
"Ooh, Zia Rosalie. Let me down, let me down. I need to show you…" She spun in circles around the living room, girlish giggles following her as she watched her skirt twirling around her feet as she moved, the sparkly hem catching the light streaming in through the windows. "Ta da!"
"Just like a princess, Mars," Rosalie told her indulgently.
"I know. Okay, so can we go now? Zio Archie is pro'lly waiting for us. And Carl-Roman's gonna eat all the ice cream!"
Bella left Rosalie to entertain Marley while she jogged upstairs with Bodhi. There was no way he could go out in his onesie; it was covered in various fruits. She set him in his crib for a moment as she dug through the dresser, finally locating the outfit she wanted just as Bodhi began to get restless.
"It's all right, baby boy. Mamma's coming." Bella paused, lifting him from the crib with a shake of her head. "God, he's even got me doing it now. Mummy is here, baby boy."
Bodhi grinned, all gums apart from the twin teeth at the front of his mouth. His big, beautiful, blue-green eyes were happy and content now that he was in Bella's arms, and his chortles as she tickled his feet and dressed him on her bed were heaven to his mother's ears. After wrangling chubby little arms and legs into his clothes, she sat back with a smile. Bella was unable to resist snapping a few photos on her phone. He looked adorable in his yellow and white striped polo with a blue collar and trim, and a pair of stone colored cargo shorts. After a quick, mental run-through of the things she'd managed to organize earlier in the morning, Bella remembered that she'd left his blue leather sandals downstairs with Marley's hair bows and her own accessories, so she scooped him up and back down the stairs they went.
Unlike his big sister as a baby, Bodhi was rarely quiet and kept up a steady stream of chatter.
Marley was bouncing impatiently on her feet by the front door, Rosalie watching with a smile on her face. "Are you ready, Mamma? Is baby Bodhi ready?"
"One second, baby girl. Have you got your bows?"
"Oh!" Marley dashed into the kitchen, skidding back into the hallway a few moments later with her hair bows, as well as Bella's sunglasses and keys and Bodhi's shoes.
"C'mere, handsome boy," Rosalie cooed, taking Bodhi so Bella could fix the blue bows at the end of each of Marley's identical braids. Marley was all but vibrating with excitement and tore down the garden path as soon as Bella had slipped her feet into her own sandals, sliding Bodhi's onto his feet as Rosalie carried him down the path towards the car idling outside the house.
Marley squealed as soon as she realized who had come to collect them. "Uncle Emmy! You're back!"
Emmett's laughter boomed around them as he left the car to lift Marley into the air and spin her. "Little Missy! I've missed you."
"I missed you, too, Uncle Em." Marley cupped his face in her small hands just as Bella, Bodhi, and Rosalie joined them, her expression serious. "You're not allowed to go away again, alright?"
Emmett chuckled, gently tweaking her nose and setting her down on her feet. "All right. I promise." Bella hid her giggles behind Bodhi's head when she watched the odd greeting between Emmett and Rosalie. They did a sort of awkward nod with a side hug and bashful, rosy-cheeked smiles.
He turned to her then, his grin spreading wider as he ruffled Bodhi's curls and leaned in to kiss Bella's cheek. "Hey, Bella. How're you and the boy doing?"
"We're good, Emmett. It's great to have you back. Did you do everything you wanted?"
Emmett's gaze was wistful, and a touch sad, as he nodded. "I guess so. I mean, it would've been nice to meet them, you know? But I'm okay."
Everyone had been sad for the gentle, giant Southerner when they'd returned from their holiday in Italy, and he'd been told about his parents. Both Rachel and Brett Wilson, Emmett's mother and father, were dead. They'd passed away just over two years previous, after Brett crashed his car into a wall. An autopsy had confirmed that he was well over the drink driving limit and they'd been killed on impact. Riley had sent Emmett to the cemetery in Gloucester where they were buried side-by-side, then to the foster home in which he'd been placed at just a week old. Thanks to Riley's contacts, he was able to find out that he'd been adopted at six-weeks-old before being relocated to the USA; Texas, to be precise.
The names of the couple who'd adopted him were Garrett and Chloe Smith.
It was a mystery to him, seeing as he'd never met Garrett or Chloe before he began working at the ranch at age eighteen.
Riley promised to continue investigating, but in the meantime, Emmett decided that, with nothing else he could do in Gloucester, he wanted to head back to his real family. He'd arrived early this morning and had jumped at the chance to pick up Bella, Rosalie, Marley, and Bodhi. He'd missed them all.
Rosalie in particular.
As they loaded up into the car, Marley buckling herself into her car seat while Bella strapped Bodhi into his beside her, Emmett couldn't help but soak in the effortless waves of Rosalie's hair and the sparkle in her eyes. He'd missed those beautiful baby-blues. More than once, while he was away he'd wished to be able to see them, just once, because he'd known her face would comfort him. But he'd refrained from calling, opting to send short, succinct texts instead as he tried to soak in as much information about his biological parents as possible.
But now, back in the small town he'd grown to love in the past few months, with the family who'd taken him in and made him one of their own, Emmett felt more at home than he ever had before.
The drive to Archie's didn't take very long. Still, the excitement of the day was almost too much for Marley to bear. She squirmed and fidgeted in her unicorn car seat, being scolded by her mother more than once for kicking the back of Emmett's seat. In her frustration, Marley snapped back at Bella and then wound up with big, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as Emmett parked on the driveway of Archie and Kristen's house. Bella then told her that as soon as they got inside she'd have to spend six minutes on the naughty step – one minute for every year of her life. Marley sulked her way into her uncle's house and sat dutifully on the bottom step of the stairs as Bella unclipped Bodhi from his car seat and carried him down the hall, reminding Marley to stay put until she came back.
As the little group reached the kitchen, Bella and Bodhi were accosted by Carmen and Tanya, both wanting to see the bonny baby boy. They'd last seen him at Christmas, so he'd grown a fair bit in their absence, now nearing ten-months-old.
Emmett wandered away with Rosalie. Bella glanced out of the window and saw them join Peter and the twins, smiles on everybody's faces.
"My God, Bella! He's like a different child," Carmen breathed, stroking Bodhi's chubby cheek.
Bella smiled with pride. "You'd never know that he was premature, would you? He's like a tank. At his last check the pediatrician said he's completely caught up with what he should weigh, despite being born at less than five pounds."
Tanya laughed, shaking her head in wonder as Bodhi reached up to curl the locks of his mother's hair in his hands. "He's probably almost as big as Isaac, you know? That boy just doesn't eat but he grows so fast, like a little weed, I swear! He's a nightmare. Neither me or Robbie are fussy, but Isaac…Jesus."
Carmen nodded exaggeratedly behind Tanya when she said 'nightmare,' Bella barely able to stifle her giggles. She'd heard all about Isaac and his wild temper. He'd definitely inherited the spirit associated with having red hair as well as his dad's fiery red locks.
As they spoke, the little boy himself charged into the kitchen, Robbie in hot pursuit. Bella smiled, seeing the way Bodhi's face lit up when he spotted him; he loved other babies and children.
After saying a quick 'hello' to her cousin's husband and son before Bodhi could fuss to get down, Bella headed back out to the hall to fetch Marley from her timeout.
The step was empty. Her leather pumps were abandoned on the floor, and Marley was gone.
Huffing, Bella looked to Bodhi, unable to stop herself from smiling when he gave her a wide, two-toothy grin. "Your sister is trouble, isn't she?"
"Mar-mar!"
"Yeah, baby boy, Marley," she laughed, turning and aiming straight for the garden. How Marley had managed to slip by her, she wasn't sure, but if she had to guess she'd say a certain, dark haired, blue-green eyed little nephew of hers might have had something to do with it.
As soon as Bella reached the doorway to the garden, she spotted Marley. It would have been hard not to, as she was squealing and shrieking as she was tickled mercilessly.
A soft sigh wormed its way from between Bella's lips as she leaned against the timber doorframe, butterflies taking up residence in the pit of her stomach.
Archie and Kristen's garden was long and rectangular, with decking taking up the furthest end; it housed a large barbecue and a long, wooden table and chairs. On a usual day, the lawn making up the rest of the garden would be littered with Carl-Roman's and Chase's toys. Today it was filled with family.
Eleazer and his sons Mike and Eric – eighteen and thirteen, respectively – were in deep discussion with Jasper and his son Clarke. Eric and Clarke seemed more interested in their phones, to be fair, but they were joining in with the occasional remark when the conversation was deemed interesting enough.
Alice, the twins, Peter, Rosalie, and Emmett stood nearby, drinks in their hands and beaming grins on their faces as Emmett told what was obviously a very funny story. He was always animated when he spoke, and his hands often flailed around.
Archie and Kristen looked to be having an intense discussion over by the barbecue, Chase playing contentedly in the sandpit with Angela and Jessica - Eleazer and Carmen's seventeen and twenty-one-year-old daughters.
Bella felt her stomach flutter as her gaze found Edward again. He'd dropped down to his knees on the grass now and was being bundled by Marley, Carl-Roman, and Dave; Alice and Jasper's youngest. They were using him as a jungle gym, their giggles and cheers accompanied by his warm chuckles and teasing growls.
The children scrambled over his broad shoulders, their laughter filling the air, smiles brightening the day. The trio shot each other mischievous looks before launching themselves at Edward to wrap his neck in a headlock. Edward, the six-foot-three, human climbing frame, chuckled; a sound that drew smiles from everybody around - especially Bella. She watched from the sidelines with a grin, snuggling her baby boy close. Edward's joy was loud, low, and rich, and laden with happiness.
To look at Edward was to see strength and love emanating from every pore. His fitted, baby blue, short-sleeved shirt showed off the definition of his chest, the sleeves straining around his flexing biceps as he wrestled with the children and playfully threw them around. As she watched, Chase ran over to join the chaos, plonking himself down in the grass. Edward slid over on his belly and cried out in pretend pain when Chase leaned forward with a grin to grasp his nose with his chubby fist.
It was almost impossible to match this playful, jovial side of Edward to the far more serious version of him that Esme had described to Bella a few nights previous.
"Did he go down okay?"
Esme smiled warmly, resting a hand on Bella's shoulder as she sank into the seat beside the younger woman. "He was out like a light. Little love didn't even stir when I tucked him in."
"Good," Bella breathed, relaxing. Bodhi had been struggling with his teeth for the past few nights, and though she'd been grateful of Esme's offer of help with him this evening, Bella had worried that Bodhi would be unable to settle without her. But she was so tired, and in desperate need of a hot soak in the bath, and Esme had offered…
"Oh…"
Bella followed Esme's gaze, unable to withhold her smile when she spotted the reason for Esme's, suddenly teary eyed, sharp inhale of breath.
"It's lovely, isn't it?"
Esme nodded, reaching out to pick up the photo. She traced Edward's crooked grin with her fingertip, then Marley's wild curls and Bodhi's gummy smile. "It's beautiful! When was this?"
"Um, Thursday? No, Friday. After his meeting."
Esme nodded, her expression bearing a hint of seriousness. It piqued Bella's curiosity.
"Esme?"
"Yes, honey?"
"What was his meeting about? I mean, he said it was work, but...well, I don't think I even really understand what he does for a living."
As Esme pulled Charlie's laptop over and booted it up, she murmured, "it'll be easier to show you, I think."
A few minutes passed and left Bella agog at how quickly Esme could use the computer. She still struggled just to find the power button, let alone type so quickly. The screen changed, Esme pulling up a page Bella recognized. Marley had quite the YouTube addiction at one point, back in Montana when she was discovering television and cartoons for the first time. Thankfully, she far preferred toys and human interaction now, but her love of SpongeBob hadn't waned - nor had her love of watching dog videos on YouTube.
Esme clicked through a few links, typed in her email and password, and up came a page for one, Edward Cullen. His face appeared on the left hand side with a collection of videos below, all with his name in the title section along with the name of the songs.
"This is his music channel, where he posts all of his covers."
"And he earns money like this?" Bella asked with obvious wonder, reaching out to touch his face. The photo he'd chosen was simple; a headshot with his crooked smile and emerald eyes filling up the display.
"He does. I don't really understand it all that well myself, but I believe the website pays him for the amount of views he gets. He or Carlisle would be able to explain better. Edward is so talented that he could have probably done so much more, but it never appealed. He's been content with his lot." Esme turned to Bella, pride shining within her eyes.
She wasn't biologically related to Edward but in that moment, Bella could see Edward in Esme's face. The look of love and pride she wore for him was identical to the look that always, without fail, took over his face when he looked at Marley and Bodhi.
"Carlisle and I, we've offered to help him, but he's been happy with what he had. When he got his trust fund from his paternal grandparents he invested it wisely, with Carlisle's advice, and then start work on the house in Italy. He's always been content with his home, his singing here," she paused to point at the laptop screen, "and his woodworking. It's always been enough for him. I do wonder if that's still the case, but he hasn't said anything, so I don't like to push."
Bella frowned. "What do you mean? Why wouldn't it still be enough to make him happy?"
Esme's eyes were warm and intensely knowing as she laughed lightly. "Oh, sweet girl, he's told you, hasn't he? That he loves you? How could he possibly return to the life he had before, now that he knows what it's truly like to like to live and be happy? He wasn't before. Happy, I mean. Not in all the ways that count. Here, look."
Esme scrolled down, selecting a video. Up it came, Edward's handsome face sideways on the camera. He was sitting in front of a piano dressed in a simple black t-shirt and gray trousers. He began to sing a song Bella didn't recognize; the title revealed its name to be Chasing Cars. It was haunting and intense, melancholy and over all too soon.
"This was three years ago," Esme said quietly, pressing buttons to return to the first screen. Bella's eyes found Edward's once again, her heart starting to race as Esme clicked on a video dated only a month previous.
May 5th, 2017.
It was entitled Can I – Tedy (EC Cover.)
Bella wasn't a music buff by any stretch of the imagination, so it came as no surprise to her when she didn't recognize the song by name or tune.
Twelve seconds in, Bella inhaled a sharp breath.
"Can I trust you? Does your smile hide lies? Can I jump in, and close my eyes? Can you tell me that you'll be here, for all the little things? Can I lay here, in your arms?" The pitch and volume of Edward voice changed, goosebumps rising in a Mexican wave over her body.
"Can I love you? Would it be alright?"
Tears tumbled over Bella's cheeks, her hand absentmindedly reaching up to dash them away as she listened.
"Can I wait here, when you say goodbye? Cause I've been hurt. Can I try? To just believe, you'll never let me go."
Blood rushed through Bella's veins as she watched Edward play the piano. His fingers, long and elegant, worked the keys as though they owned them. His body was hunched slightly over the baby grand and his body moved in a wave as he played, his entire being caught up in the music.
As he sung the next lyric, Bella was sure she saw a wince cross his features.
"Say you need me by your side. And I will hold your hand 'til the end of time."
Lost in his expressions and movement, Bella's attention snapped back to the actual words when, with an almost pained look on his face, Edward sang, "can I love you? Would it be alright?"
The deep music paired with Edward's compelling vocals were creating a tumultuous cacophony of emotions within Bella's mind and heart. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't feel anything but the notes imprinting themselves on her soul.
When the music tapered out, leaving silence in its wake, Bella finally relaxed her taut muscles; only then did she realize just how tense she'd been.
"So you see, don't you? How different the two were?"
Bella nodded slowly, too choked up to speak just yet. The intensity in both was immense. But in the second piece, Edward had been visibly invested; in the words he sang and the notes he played. He'd meant it. Really, truly meant it. And, like Bella, he'd felt every single nuance of the song.
"Edward stayed in England for two years after you and Rosalie were taken, then he returned to Italy. He visited often, of course, but he wasn't the same boy. He'd lost his endless optimism after seeing how cruel the world could really be. He found music and it did help, for a time. I don't want to betray Edward's confidence, but his parents went through a trial separation in 2007, which affected him deeply, too." Esme sighed, nostalgia clouding her eyes. "He was a very serious young man for a long time. It broke our hearts, Carlisle and me, to see him lose his spark and become so isolated. So you see, that's why we're all so happy to have him home again. To have him smiling and laughing like he does when he's with you and the children."
As Edward carefully tipped the children over into the grass where he knelt, Bella winced. His shirt rode up to expose the messy scar on his side. It wasn't the appearance that garnered the wince from Bella; he was beautiful, regardless. It was the reminder of the pain he'd had to endure to bring him to this point.
To bring him to her.
In the year Edward and Bella had been reunited, the large man and all his traits had become dear to her.
His joviality, loud nature, and optimistic spirit.
His softness, tenderness, and love for all the children.
The way he fit so perfectly in her family.
His adoration for Marley and Bodhi.
The way he cradled her daughter as he threw her over one shoulder, Carl-Roman and Dave draping themselves over his lap and shoulder with wide grins on their faces…
These things told her more than enough about his character.
Edward bore the beginnings of a crooked smile, hints of his dimples lending him an almost cherubic look. It was tempered by the beginnings of a five o'clock shadow, giving him a rugged edge. The grass green of his eyes was a sharp contrast to the copper-colored mop on top of his head and as he rose to stand and stomp around the garden making dinosaur noises, Bella didn't worry for the children dangling from his six-foot-three frame.
She trusted him completely.
It was difficult to believe that just a year and a half ago he'd been nothing more than a memory of a stolen childhood.
~ oOo ~
"Come on, Carl-Roman! Enough splashing in the sink, please."
"All right, Auntie Bella. Just comin'!"
Bella huffed, but she was smiling as she waited for Carl-Roman to leave the bathroom. Bodhi babbled happily in her arms, content to munch on his prawn cocktail Skips. He had two in each chubby fist and several mashed into his curls.
The bathroom door flew open, Carl-Roman grinning wide as he shot past Bella and ran down the stairs.
Bella quickly took care of business before following him, and was just getting to the bottom of the stairs as Esme began closing the front door.
"Who was that?"
Esme shrugged. "A nice young man. I think he had the wrong address, poor love."
As Esme swung the door closed, Bella caught a quick glimpse of the man climbing into a small car on the other side of the road. He looked familiar, but somehow not; she couldn't place him.
"Bella, Es! We're doing the cake!"
Carlisle's voice from the kitchen distracted Bella and Esme, the duo heading through to the garden where everybody was gathered around the table. A large chocolate cake sat in the center, decorated with hundreds of sprinkles and shiny, silver balls. There was frosting all the way round, and once Archie had blown out his candles and cut the cake at the children's insistence, everybody cheered when the multi-colored layers became visible.
"Ooh, a rainbow!" Marley breathed from Edward's shoulders, leaning with her elbows on his head, face resting in the 'v' of her cupped hands.
Edward tickled her feet, grinning at the giggles it earned him. She reached down and cupped his chin, tipping his face up toward her. Bella heard the quiet click of a camera; Rosalie was a few feet away, camera pointing right at Edward and Marley's matching, goofy grins.
"You know, little sweet, I have it on good authority that the cupcakes have rainbows inside, too."
Marley's little face lit up. Hours of charging around with her cousins had left her with a wild mane of chocolate curls, rosy cheeks, and bright eyes. Edward's admission put the widest of smiles on her face. "Really?"
"Mmhm. Shall we go check?"
"Yessss!" She gently tugged at his mess of bronze hair, then caught Bella's gaze. "Mamma, you gotta come! Edward said there are rainbow cupcakes!"
Bella shook her head with a little laugh and followed Edward and Marley over to the buffet table, Bodhi leaning forward in her arms to try and grab at the multi-colored icing on top of the cupcakes. She took one with minimal frosting and broke a piece of cake off, holding it out to him as Marley selected hers – frosted with a mountain of red buttercream.
Bodhi chowed down without reservation, smashing the fistful of cake against his grin as Bella laughed at him.
"Looks like the little man's enjoying his cake," Edward chuckled, the sound sending ripples of butterflies through Bella's stomach.
She peered up at him through her lashes, unable to stop herself from staring. His eyes were so beautifully vivid, so entrancingly green, interspersed with specks of gold, brown, and blue. A month in Italy as well as his usually tanned complexion had left him with a gorgeous, honey tone to his skin, and his long, thick lashes brushed chiseled cheekbones every time he blinked.
The ice blue, short-sleeved cotton shirt he'd chosen complimented his tan and fit him perfectly. Bella could see the definition of his muscles, but it wasn't obnoxiously tight. He'd paired it with cream cargo shorts identical to Bodhi's and was wearing the brown boat shoes again; Bella was fairly certain he'd had coaching on what to wear from a meddling, six-year-old girl.
"MamaMA!"
Bella was yanked from her perusal of Edward by her son. She looked down at his cake-covered face in wonder, blinking owlishly. Edward laughed, but the sound was shaky, and when she glanced at him, he had tears gathering in his eyes.
"Did you say 'Mamma,' baby Bodhi? Did you? Did you say 'Mamma?'" Marley cooed excitedly, wiggling on Edward's shoulders.
Bodhi grinned, delighted with the attention he was getting. He smacked his frosting-covered hands against Bella's chest; she wasn't in the least bit bothered about the mess. "Ahhhhmamabah!" he babbled, big, blue-green eyes happy and guileless. Smiling through her slight pang of disappointment, Bella reached up to brush a rogue curl from his forehead.
"He's just vocalizing," she murmured.
Edward shook his head and cleared his throat, reaching out for Bodhi. Bella handed him over just as her name was called from inside.
"Are you okay with them for a sec?"
Nodding, Edward gently tickled Bodhi's chubby thigh, grinning at the resulting belly-chuckles as Bella walked toward the house. She was just a few steps away from the door when she heard it.
Bella spun and froze, her smile wide and face damp with the tears that overflowed as she found Bodhi, still in Edward's arms but reaching as far toward her as possible, hands outstretched and grabbing the air as he repeated the same word over and over, sweet brows furrowed and chunky legs kicking.
"Mamma! Mamma, Mamma, Mamma!"
Not that she noticed, but the entire garden was watching as Bella all but sprinted back to her baby, scooping him from Edward's arms to smother his face in kisses. Marley cheered upon Edward's shoulders; he held one of her legs with one hand, reaching out to brush tears from Bella's cheeks with the other.
"He's saying it, isn't he?" Bella asked in a choked whisper.
Edward nodded, his grin a mile wide and bookended by a twin pair of dimples. A single tear rolled down his cheek, pausing in the curve of his smile before tumbling over his chin. "Yeah, he is."
Bodhi smiled his two-toothy grin, patting Bella's cheeks. "Mamma!"
Bella sniffled, giving her sweet boy an Eskimo kiss. "That's right, baby boy. I'm your mamma."
Looking up at Edward, Bella both saw and felt his pride. She had a strange sense of camaraderie, a feeling of knowing that he was there with her, that she wasn't alone in raising this baby boy and his sister.
For the first time, she realized that it had been this way ever since she came home. She'd recognized Edward's, almost parental role in Marley's life before but had never really considered how it would grow and extend.
It had, and would continue to do so because he adored her, and she idolized him. Bodhi, too. Even though he was a total mamma's boy, Bodhi was always overjoyed to see Edward. He came in a close third behind Bella and Marley on Bodhi's list of favorite people.
If she was honest with herself, Bella probably would have admitted that Edward was definitely Marley's number one. The sun rose and set with Edward, in her daughter's eyes; Bella was only now starting to realize that she felt the same way.
~ oOo ~
"Thanks for coming, squirt. And thanks for my presents."
Bella smiled, hugging Archie around the neck with her free arm; Bodhi was fast asleep against her shoulder, his drool running down her back. "You're welcome, Arch. Thank you for having us. Did you have a good day?"
Archie grinned. "The best."
"Bye, Zio Archi-ee!" Marley sang as she ran up the pathway and scaled her uncle's legs.
"Uh, I think you're supposed to be in the car, little lady," Archie chuckled, holding her tight for a cuddle anyway.
"I gots'ta give you one last birthday, squeezy cuddle though!"
"All right. Well, thank you, Mars."
Marley squeezed Archie tight, pressed a smacking kiss to his cheek, and scrambled down, running to the car where Charlie waited with an indulgent smile. As he buckled her into her car seat, Edward joined Archie and Bella on the doorstep.
"Happy birthday, man. See you tomorrow, yeah?"
"Definitely. We're meeting at the park, aren't we?"
"Yep." Edward turned his gaze to Bella. "You want me to take the little man?"
She shook her head. He was killing her arm, but like Marley, it wouldn't be long before he was too big and too cool to want cuddles from his mummy. "It's okay. Thank you, though. All right, I'm going to get these babies home to bed. See you tomorrow for dinner, okay?"
Archie nodded, leaning in to kiss his nephew's curl-covered head and shake Edward's hand. "See ya, guys. Thanks again for today!"
Bella managed to strap Bodhi into his seat without waking him, and Marley soon joined her little brother in the land of nod. When they reached home, Edward murmured that he'd get her, so Bella carefully carried Bodhi inside with Charlie walking ahead to unlock the door. When she turned to check that Edward was right behind them she couldn't help but swallow hard and inhale a sharp breath.
He was walking up the path carrying Marley bridal style, her little head tucked against his shoulder, one hand slung up around his neck, the other clenched in the material of his shirt. As he walked, Edward leaned down to kiss her forehead, the serene smile on his face almost angelic. Bella wished she had a camera in hand, though even without a photo she knew she'd never forget the loving look on Edward's face as he stared down at Marley.
It was the look of a father gazing at his daughter.
"You coming in, Bella?"
"Yes! Um, yeah, I am." Bella quickly hurried inside, darting up the stairs with Bodhi after tossing a 'goodnight' over her shoulder. She managed to settle Bodhi in his crib and turned just in time to see Edward enter her room with Marley.
"Do you want her sleeping in this, or…?"
Bella debated. If she undressed Marley and woke her, it was unlikely she'd get her back to sleep again. But it was hot in the bedroom, and Marley often woke in the night if she was too warm. "I'd better take it off, or she'll get too hot."
Edward nodded, slowly resting Marley on the edge of her bed in an almost upright position. She was just vertical enough that Bella managed to slip the dress over her head, leaving her in just a white vest and her undies once she'd carefully removed her shoes. He leaned down and kissed her mop of chocolate curls. Bella couldn't watch.
"All right, I'm going to head home. Thanks for a lovely day, Bella."
Uncharacteristically nervous around Edward, Bella whispered her 'you're welcome, thank you for all your help' and ducked her head when Edward offered her a parting smile. When she heard the soft click of her bedroom door closing behind him, she let her head fall back and stared at the ceiling for a moment, her heart racing, stomach churning.
"What am I doing?" She whispered into the otherwise silent room.
For the first time, Bella wondered if she should let Edward continue acting the way he did with Marley and Bodhi. She'd seen Archie with his boys, Jasper with Clarke and Dave, and if she didn't know better, she'd think Edward was Marley and Bodhi's dad, based on their interactions. It was heartwarming to see and Bella loved that they had so many positive role models in their lives.
But was it fair? On them, or on Edward?
Sure, he didn't seem to have any plans to leave right now, but he would eventually. And where would that leave Marley and Bodhi?
Where would that leave her?
With two heartbroken children and a broken heart of her own to deal with.
Looking between Marley's sleeping face and Bodhi's, their expressions relaxed and content, Bella felt her heart fall. She knew that it wasn't wise to let the children grow any closer to Edward, and vice versa.
Bella knew that, but she wasn't fully prepared for just how much it would hurt to begin weaning them off each other's company.
Nor was she prepared for how suddenly she'd have to put their long-distance relationship practice to the test.
~ oOo ~
Edward froze, his hand holding the key in the lock, and his phone raised to his ear. "What…what do you mean, 'Nonno's had an accident?' Nonna, what's going on?"
"Tesoro, treasure, Nonno fell. He hit his head and they think…" Contessa sniffled, breaking her grandson's heart from over a thousand miles away. "They think it was a heart attack. Will you…will you come? Will you come home?"
Edward turned, gazing back at the house he'd just left; thinking of the family he'd soon be leaving behind.
He already knew the answer to his nonna's question.
He already knew that he'd be going. He had to go.
He just didn't know how he was ever going to be able to leave.