I own nothing and would never intend to steal Stephanie Meyer's thunder. I do own a talking Cabbage Kid Doll from the 90's.
Here it is kids. Thank you for being patient while I battled with RL drama. This is 2000 words (my longest chapter yet) and I hope you enjoy them. I promise the next chapter will have some Bella and Edward interaction.
I watched as Garrett walked to the front porch and stood on the top step watching me as I started the truck. I shifted into reverse and look up in my rearview mirror and pulled out onto the road. I took one last glance at the house as I put the truck into drive. The sheer curtains in the upstairs bedroom window shift and there was no guessing that Rose had seen everything.
If I had known how easy it would be to "date" a man like Garrett, I certainly would have not waited so long to do it. There have been three very simple "dates" with him over the last two weeks. When I first gave in to him I was so worried that I was making a mistake. Things have been moving so fast in my life and I was not sure if I was making the best decisions for me. The realization that I was considering myself was what Jennifer called a "break through". I just shrug my shoulders in defeat.
When I think about it the word date doesn't seem to fit, because in reality we are just spending time together like friends would do. A simple picnic lunch during our lunch break, dinner at a small Italian bistro in town, and last night we shared appetizers and a couple beers at a local pub. There were no expectations, no intense discussions, or awkward, stereotypical first date questions. It was just two people hanging out and enjoying a moment together.
The time I spend with Garrett is comfortable. Our similar taste in music and movies makes it easy to find something to talk about. We also agreed that conversations about religion and politics could wait for later, or as far as I was concerned, never. When he dropped me off at home after hanging out at the pub last night I found myself curious about his past.
Every person has a past and I wanted to know how he ended up in Forks, WA, working for Emmett, and why he was not already in a relationship. He is a great guy and the realization that I wanted to know more also meant that I would also have to share something about myself. This is where my issues begin.
I also have developed a horrible habit of comparing him to the only other relationship I have ever had. Comparing Garrett to Edward is like comparing a vampire to a werewolf, two completely different creatures, but yet I can't help wondering if what I am feeling for Garrett will end just as bad.
Shaking the negative thoughts from my head I finished off my outfit and grabbed my phone before heading off to Em and Rose's place for a pre-event party. Tomorrow is the big day and even though the emotions are threatening to spill over I am excited about the potential funds that would be raised in my baby girls honor.
Since the first event, Rose has planned a smaller get together to celebrate Peyton's short life. As you can imagine I was reluctant at first, not wanting to sit around with my family bringing up painful memories of my loss. It was after a conversation with my mother I realized that I wasn't the only person deeply affected, but my family, friends, and even the town had been saddened by the tragedy.
Much to my surprise it was nothing that I expected. Expecting something similar to a wake or funeral, instead it was more like a celebration. Lavender accents sparsely decorated the living area of the house and outside on the patio there was a few small round tables with a simple candle centerpiece. Before sunset we released white balloons into the sky in memory of my daughter and then we spent the rest of the evening by the firepit while Jasper, Emmett, and a few others played guitars and sang songs.
At the end of the night I was emotionally exhausted with my eyes burning from all the tears that fell, but I was enlightened to the fact that every single person that shared the evening was there for me. To help me work through the constant struggle, to keep her memory alive, and as hard as it was I knew that this was important for me, for all of us.
The second year I decided to attach a letter to the balloon I released. This started a tradition for me and every year I wrote to my daughter about everything and nothing, attached it to the string of the balloon. As it ascented into the sky I imagined she would hear the words spoken to her. She would know how she changed my life for the better and how I would never forget her no matter how long I stayed in this life.
I pulled the note card from the glove compartment and slammed the truck door. Garrett was standing on the porch with a beer in his hand. When our eyes met a smile crept onto his face. He excused himself from the guys he was standing with and walked down the sidewalk to me.
I stood still waiting for him to come to me and once he was standing close he leaned down and placed a kiss onto my forehead.
"Bella," he whispered.
Looking up at him though my lashes I took a moment to look at him. There was no doubt that he was a handsome man. His brown hair cut short and about two days worth of stubble across his face. His eyes were bright and focused on me. Feeling a blush creep across my cheeks I snaked my arm around his waist and walked with him onto the porch.
"I have been waiting for you to arrive," he whispered to me as we walked through the door of the house. The smell of his cologne and warmth of his body comfort me. Parts of me want to give in to these feelings and the other parts, the ones that are shattered, keep adding bricks to the wall around my heart.
"Yeah, I was late. It just took me some time to get ready for all of this," I said as I swept my hand out in front of me gesturing to the groups of people scattered around the entryway of the house.
"I know sweetness. Just know I am only a few feet away and if you need anything. I mean anything. Let me know." He brushed his lips to my forehead and pulled away. I noticed that Garrett did not hover. He gave me space whether I needed it or not.
Nodding in response I left him in the foyer and made my way to the kitchen where I knew I could hide to compose myself for a few minutes before I had to make my arrival known. Grabbing a wine glass from the cupboard I filled it up with a half empty bottle of Riesling that sat on the counter.
Emptying the contents in one gulp, I refilled and headed toward the familiar voices of my family and friends.
Time passed with awkward embraces and comfortable chit chat. Watching the others as they spoke to one another and sincerely looked like they were enjoying themselves made me feel displaced. I was being ignored by anyone, but I was doing my best not to make direct eye contact with anyone else. Seeing Rose across the room speaking to woman whom I had never seen I decided that I needed to refill my empty wine glass. A small bar was set up in the corner of the great room, feeling relieved to have made the walk across the room without interruption, I set my empty glass down. I smiled at the man who seemed to have read my mind and was already pouring me a fresh glass of wine.
I thanked the man and turned around to face the room. Catching Rose's attention she waved me over to her and the woman she had been chatting to. I took my time as I crossed the room. As I approached she leaned in and kissed me on the cheek.
"I have barely seen you since you arrive, thought maybe Garrett pulled you into the closet or something," she said to me with a smirk. Her arm wrapped around my waist and she pulled my close to her. Being close to Rose always made me feel safe.
"You know me. I have been chatting with my parents and other family members. Catching up on who is getting married, divorced, No big deal." I replied as I sipped my wine and continued to look around the room.
Just as she was ready to make an introduction to the woman next to her, my mother came behind me to let me know it was almost time for the balloon release. I excused myself to follow my mother out to the patio. It didn't take very long before Jasper, Ali, Rose, and Emmett were behind me as my parents began to pull single balloons from the huge bunch they both held. Each guest took a balloon as they filed out the doors through the backyard to the small field behind the house.
Although there were only about 25 people it took some time to get everyone out into the field. I held onto my balloons tightly. One white balloon for each month Peyton was alive and a lavender one with my note attached. As I waited for the small ceremony to begin I thought about the note I wrote to my baby girl.
The words just poured from me as I wrote them the night before. I told her about the past year and how much I missed her. I told her again all the dreams I had for her and how I imagined her in the clouds watching over me. The last thing I wrote that I had never thought of doing before is telling her about Edward, her father. I started with the first time I seen him up to the confrontation we had. As I wrote I felt so sad for myself, I was still in love with the idea of him even after he had broken me.
After I had sealed the envelope I sat on my small porch just listening to the night creep in as it pushed the day away. The world was calm, but a storm was brewing inside me. On a constant loop was Edward playing over and over again in my mind. Various images of us played for me like a low budget film. We were together, a family of three, Peyton and her daddy...her daddy.
It was like a thunderbolt shot from me as I for the first time actually recognized the words, Edward was Peyton's daddy.
"It is time," my mother's voice brought me back to the field. Hundreds of balloons had already been released and I was the only one left. I nodded my head and took a few steps forward. Raising my arm I released the hold I had on the balloons. They floated upward into the sky and when I thought I could not watch them fly away a strong wind came across the field. The force took the balloons across the sky and above the top of the trees.
Closing my eyes I took a deep breath and the hot tears ran down my cheek. I could hear the voices of others as they began to retreat back to the party. When I opened them I felt a drop, then another, and a few more. Rain began to pour down and the sun that usually was hidden behind some clouds peeked out and presented a rainbow.
"I love you too, Babygirl, I love you too," I whispered into the winds.
Turning around I saw Garrett standing behind me, everyone else had vanished. He was standing there waiting for me. I sprinted to him and threw my arms around his body as I sobbed. He held me tightly and whispered promise after promise. The words didn't register with my mind, but his body language, the way he spoke as our bodies melded together started to mend some of the pieces of my heart.