Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. Stephenie Meyer owns anything and everything relating to Twilight. I am in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended and in order to keep it that way, No reproduction, copying, reposting, downloading, or any kind of redistribution of this story is allowed. This is to cover my arse as much as yours! And finally, the Original characters, plot, names, nicknames, songs, poems—anything I created from my very own brain—are all the property of the author of this fanfic, My-Bella. Unauthorized use of the material is plagiarism so please be kind and don't steal my creations.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Chapter 51 – 'Ohana of Characters
Wednesday, September 3rd – Hawaii
"That was great," Whit congratulated with a beaming smile.
Masen nodded, though he suspected the noise isolation panels in the shop walls made them sound better than they actually were, similar to the shower effect for most people.
"Let's do it one more time, but a little bit slower tempo," Whit said. "Same setup where we switch out for the first two verses and then do the rest of the song together, but drop your range just a smidge so that our voices are more distinguishable."
"You're the boss," Masen replied, knowing how much Whit enjoyed hearing that on the one day each year when he was in complete control of every activity.
Masen reset his fingers over the strings of his guitar. Whit did the same and then the two friends began to play the opening melody to the song Whit had picked for them to learn.
Masen listened closely as Whit sang the first verse, always impressed by how quickly Whit picked up on blending the lyrics with the guitar music. It had always been that way. Whit figured out how to play the melody on the guitar and showed Masen who picked it up by memory. Then Whit broke down the lyrics and timing and once again Masen followed his lead. It had always worked well for them and allowed them to sound pretty damn good.
Masen sang his verse flawlessly, and then the two friends mixed their voices to finish out the song.
"Hot damn, we sound good!" Whit exclaimed. "We are going to blow everyone away tonight. No way they'll see this coming."
"Is Alice still going to video in?" Masen asked.
"For part of it. But then she has a sorority function she can't miss."
"She's still okay being by herself?"
Whit snorted. "My gal is never by herself unless she wants to be. There's always a sister or a friend around. Or if it's the weekend, then it's Mrs. Cope and her waffles."
The chiming of Whit's phone had them putting away their guitars. "It's like I talk about breakfast and then it's time to eat," Whit joked.
"What did Gopher and you ask Esme for this year?"
"Southwestern frittatas and all the bacon. And Gopher mentioned fresh fruit for anyone not wanting to be stuffed for most of the day."
"Thoughtful."
"Ain't he though? And at the ripe old of age twenty-six as of tomorrow."
"I remember when we were that young," Masen joked.
Whit snorted. "Must be hard what with it being six days ago for me and three months ago for you."
Masen opened the shop door and they headed out into bright, warm sunlight. "It's a hell of a day for a party."
"And to ride that jet ski I know you got me."
"Like I've been telling you since I picked your sorry ass up in Panama, there's no jet ski."
"I'll be heartbroken if there's not," Whit warned.
Masen opened the back door to the house and pointed inside. "Shut up and go in so we can eat."
The house smelled amazing and they were barely inside before their mouths started to water. They could hear Esme and Bella laughing and see Gopher dancing with Lee from the kitchen to the foot of the stairs and back again.
When the guys rounded the corner, they found Carlisle and Esme doing the cooking. He was laughing too but it was easily drowned out by Esme and Bella's giggles.
Bella was sitting on a stool at the island with Lizzy in her arms and Masen went over to them, giving his kapu a sweet kiss and his best girl a scratch behind her ears.
"You two have fun?" she asked.
"He enjoyed it more but that's how it's supposed to be."
"You enjoyed the surfing more first thing this morning," she pointed out.
Masen grinned. "Those waves were so sweet."
"I could tell. You all looked like drowned rats when you finally stopped."
"You could have come."
"You had your friends and your mom with you. You had more than enough company."
"Still didn't have you," he murmured as he kissed her neck.
She pushed him away with her elbow while hugging her shoulder to her neck to protect it. "You can be as sweet as you want, but I'm still not going to be ready for surfing for a while."
Lee popped up behind him and hugged his arm. "Mase, stop aggravating Bella and come dance with me."
"Wasn't the birthday boy just doing that?"
"He needs a break," she answered while tugging him away from Bella.
Masen gave in without a fight, deciding dancing with Lee would be more fun than teasing her. Well, than only teasing her. "You sure about this song? Hard To Handle is my anthem."
She rolled her eyes. "Shut up and dance."
He twirled her quickly, making her squeak and then laugh. "Gotta keep up with Otis Redding's horns," he told her as he led her across the sun-bathed hardwood floor.
"It's a shame that a man as gifted at dancing as you are is not actually a fan of dancing."
"Sometimes I am. When I have the right partner."
"Smooth. Use that tonight with Bella."
"Good stuff?"
"You know it is. Why else would you have that shitty grin on your face?"
Masen laughed. And then he spotted Whit talking with Gopher. "He's happy, right? Even missing Alice?"
"He's happy," she assured him. "You're seeing to that just as you always do. And he doesn't even know what's hiding at his parents' house."
"What about you? Are you still worried about your relationship with Gopher?"
"You may have been a little right. But only a little."
"Alright, misfits," Esme called. "Birthday boys pick a spot at the table. All others grab a platter and bring it to the table."
Once everyone was seated with a full plate in front of them, Esme raised her juice glass. "To our birthday boys, Whit and Gopher. We love you and are damn lucky to have you in our ʻohana. Hau`oli la Hanau. Happy Birthday."
Her words were met with a round of cheers and table thumps along with glasses clinking together.
Breakfast was their usual loud affair full of conversations, laughter, and forks scraping plates. The only difference between this one and a perfectly normal one was the constant jet ski questions Whit asked Masen all throughout. With patience and a hell of a lot of determination, Masen managed not to smile or reach for the bridge of his nose. It also helped that Whit was easily subdued by stacking more bacon on his plate.
When the last of the bacon was devoured, they all moved into the living room for the guys to open their gifts. They did rock-paper-scissors to see who would go first and Gopher ended up winning.
The big guy received a new comic's anthology from Lee that had him so excited he nearly forgot to open his other gifts. From Esme and Carlisle, he got a New Orleans cuisine cookbook and promptly promised a seafood meal they'd never forget. Next he opened a goofy card from Whit and Masen with a cartoon shark on the front. Inside of it was a gift card to purchase parts for his car. Bella gifted him a copy of that vampire movie Twilight he'd been wanting ever since he'd read Lee's copy of the book. His last gift was from his parents and sisters—they'd shipped him a fancy new radio to install in his car.
Whit's first gift was from Alice and she'd sent him a hardcover copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass originally printed in 1922. From the way Carlisle was explaining the significance of the book, Masen was pretty sure he'd been the one to find it and had just left the purchasing to his niece. The next gift Whit opened came from Lee and Gopher and was a new black riding jacket with yellow sport stripes that matched the colors of his Ducati. Bella had taken Masen's suggestion and gotten Whit one of those GoPro cameras that he could put on his bike or his surfboard to video his travels.
"I will admit upfront that mine is pretty cheesy," Esme said as she handed Whit the first of two boxes. "If you don't like it, I will absolutely get you something else."
"Esme, you've never once given me a gift I didn't like," Whit assured her. He popped open the first box and pulled a large black frame out of it. "Holy shit!" he yelled as he checked out what was under the glass. "Is this original?"
"No, sorry," Esme said. "I just treated the paper so it would look a little aged."
"It's perfect, Esme. Seriously." Whit turned the frame for everyone else to see it. "It's the sheet music to Elvis' I Can't Help Falling In Love With You. Of all the man's songs, this is my all-time fave."
It had been Esme's fishing for birthday ideas that had put it into Whit's head to learn the song and play it at his birthday bonfire. It had caused a deviation in Masen's expected schedule because they'd basically started practicing from the moment they got home but it was worth it to see his best friend happy.
"You've got one more box," Carlisle said as he set it beside Whit.
Whit passed the frame to Lee and reached for the second box. It too held a large frame but for some reason this one had him smiling devilishly. "Esme, you know when you want something from me all you have to do is ask. Of course I'll play the wedding song from Blue Hawaii when you hitch yourself to Carlisle. And I'll graciously accept this framed sheet music of your chosen song."
Esme blushed as hard as Bella ever had. "I didn't—well I did, but—yeah that'll be great."
The entire room erupted into laughter at Esme being so flustered. They barely ever busted her in the first place so to see her this caught was hilarious.
"Alright, Mase," Whit said, holding his hand out toward him. "Pony up the keys."
"The keys to what?"
"The jet ski I know you got for me."
Masen grinned and handed Whit a small wrapped box, knowing his friend would assume it held keys.
"Sweet!" Whit exclaimed while ripping the paper from the box. "I can't wait to get it into the water."
Lee knew what was in the box so she was fighting not to laugh, pushing her lips together tightly.
Whit yanked the top off the box and then just stared at its contents, his smile slowly slipping from his face.
"What did ya get?" Gopher asked.
Whit reached into the box and pulled out a small die cast metal replica of a jet ski. "Punked. I got punked."
Masen shrugged, doing his best not to cave in at the dejected expression on his best friend's face. "I tried to tell you, bro."
"Yeah but I had hope." Whit dropped the toy back into the box and sighed. "Apparently too much of it."
"Can I see it?" Esme asked right on cue.
"Yeah here," Whit said as he passed the gift box to her.
"This is a nice looking jet ski," Esme mused. "I bet it would look really bad ass full size," she added while sneaking a wink at Masen. "The colors even match your motorcycle."
"Hey, Esme, the knife in my heart is deep enough," Whit said, making everyone laugh. He picked up the frame with his favorite song and focused his attention on it, clearly trying to push away his disappointment.
Masen nodded to Esme to signal it was time to stop messing with Whit. "Oh, but what's this?" she asked, amazingly sounding innocent.
"What's what?" Lee asked when Whit didn't.
"This thing under the felt the jet ski is resting on." Esme waited for Whit to look at her and then she pulled the hidden key out of the box.
Whit's head jerked toward Masen. "Don't toy with me, bro."
Masen laughed. "With all the begging you did, how could I refuse?"
Whit grabbed him up in a hug and then pushed him away, socking him in the shoulder for good measure. And then he snatched the key and headed toward the front door with it. When he came to a sudden halt, Masen knew he'd finally realized he knew there was a jet ski but not where it was located.
"Mase?" he asked, turning his head to look back at his friend.
"Hiding in your parents' garage. Get in the Bronco and we'll go get it and take it for a spin."
"You two make sure you're back in time for dinner," Esme warned. "Don't make me have to come find you boys."
"We'll be back in plenty of time," Masen promised as he kissed her cheek. He kissed Bella goodbye next, hugged Lee, and shook hands with Carlisle and Gopher. They would've invited Gopher along but Lee's parents already had something planned.
They headed straight for Whit's parents' place and backed the Bronco up the long drive. Masen used the clicker Whit's dad had loaned him to open the garage. As soon as Whit saw the sleek black and yellow jet ski sitting on the trailer he started doing his cheerleader jumping that always cracked Masen up.
"You just couldn't resist, huh?" Whit asked as he took a closer look at the double trailer and the second jet ski with its red, black, and silver paint job.
"Rules are rules, bro. No one goes in the water alone," Masen reminded him.
Whit grinned. "I love that rule. Mahalo, Mase."
Masen just smiled. "Come on. Let's get this trailer hooked to the Bronco and get down to the water. We can get in a few hours of play time before we have to get to the store for tonight's bonfire supplies."
"And a beer," Whit amended. "We're having a beer together at our bar."
"Done," Masen promised. "Now grab your side and move."
They took the jet skis to one of the less populated beaches and proceeded to ride them until there was only enough gas to get them back on the trailer. Whit had smiled and whooped with joy the entire time—exactly as Masen had hoped.
After returning the jet skis to the garage, they quickly showered and changed into the clothes Masen had stowed away in the Bronco for them. They couldn't decide on if they should hit the store or the bar first so they flipped a coin for it. The bar won.
It was a little after two when they pulled into the bar's parking lot so only a few cars were there—regulars like them. They ordered a beer each and then took them out onto the deck, relaxing into chairs and enjoying the shade after being under the hot sun all day.
"By my calculations, we were last here …" Whit paused to tip his bottle in Masen's direction.
He grinned and supplied him with the info he wanted. "Three months, six days."
"Right. We were here and I was towing your sorry ass out to the car to keep you from doing something stupid because you'd already done something reckless."
Masen felt his face heat up a little at the memory of the position he'd been in when Whit had found him that night. He wasn't normally a public display kind of man but then again nothing had been normal for him since Bella had come into his life.
"You're never reckless. It's actually kinda sad the number of times I've failed at convincing you to be even a little reckless. That's how I knew Bella was going to be more than just the intern. Hell, it couldn't have been clearer even if she'd a neon sign over her head saying 'This One'. It was that damn clear of a connection between you two. That's why I felt it was my job to make sure you gave in to what you were feeling for her. One of my better decisions in my humble opinion."
"Explain your thinking to me. You're my best friend and you're supposed to have my back. You see me do something reckless and instead of backing me away from it, you push me toward it as hard and as fast as you can."
"You were wound too tight, Mase. You had been so damn controlled for so long that you were becoming robotic. Deciding when you would and wouldn't acknowledge your feelings. Losing yourself in your work for days at a time. You were on the edge and Bella was a possible rope to pull you back. The way your emotions were off the charts for a stranger—the man I've watched stay completely neutral while purposefully being goaded by both of his best friends. You bet your ass I grabbed tight and didn't let go."
"To this day I'm still not sure if I was angrier at feeling tricked or just feeling at all. I hated her ability to confuse me without even knowing me."
"And if she could confuse you like that, then I knew she could make you feel a lot of other emotions. I know this isn't going to make sense to you or to Lee for me to say this but I mean it a hundred percent … I would give up MMR in a heartbeat to have you happy. I owe you that."
"You don't owe me anything. At all. Ever."
"Mase, I know you have it in your head that I've done you some priceless favor by being your friend all these years." Whit smiled to show he was teasing as he added, "And you're right."
He couldn't help snorting at his friend's comment.
"But where you're wrong is that you don't see you've done the exact same for me. I came here a military brat so sick and tired of moving and meeting people just to leave them behind again. I was damn determined not to like anyone here on principle. And then there you were. From the start you pushed me to be my best self, to give my all to every task no matter how small. Sure, my version of being a go-getter usually got us grounded, but the consequences were always worth the fun we had.
"All the other moves, I just shut my mouth and packed my stuff because I knew my dad was doing something important, that he was saving lives. But the one time he ever talked about leaving this place, I flat out told him I wouldn't go. I told him that as important as it was to save lives, the person doing the saving had to have a life too."
A lightbulb went off in Masen's head. "That's why he retired early? So we could stay friends?"
"Yeah," Whit answered with a nod. "That and my mom told him she was in love with this place and would rather stay put. He might have been willing to deal with moving without me but he damn sure wasn't going to go without my mom. You made this place a home I couldn't leave. So yeah, as soon as I saw the chance to give you that kind of feeling, I took it and ran with it."
Masen reached over and gripped Whit's shoulder tightly. "Mahalo hoaloha."
Whit smiled devilishly. "You are the mano to my moana."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean? The shark to your ocean—is that some kind of wind beneath my wing shit?"
"Don't flatter yourself, okole. It just means my world isn't balanced unless you're part of it."
Masen pushed the shoulder he'd been holding and took his hand away. "Don't call me an ass."
"Don't be one," Whit replied while laughing.
"Finish your beer, birthday boy."
"In all seriousness, Mase, what you have with Bella … Ho'omaika'i 'ana."
At first Masen only acknowledged the congratulations with a nod. But as he peeled the label from his beer, he found himself needing to say out loud what he was thinking in his head—and feeling in his heart. "I'm going to make it work, Whit. All of it. The living together, and keeping work and home separate. Don't ask me how because I haven't gotten that far yet, but I know I can do this. I will make this work for us."
"Yeah, you will," Whit encouraged. "Bella's not expecting perfection. Just your honest best try. Keep that in mind and you'll be golden."
"And you'll kick my ass when I forget."
"Oh hells yeah," Whit agreed with a nod. "Just stick to the plan tonight. You mess up my jam session and I'll bury you so deep in the sand Lizzy won't even find you."
Masen laughed heartily. "To get me that deep would require some heavy equipment."
"Dad's got connections."
"Esme wouldn't like it."
"Damn. The eternal flaw in my plots against you."
"Will that hold up after she changes her last name?"
"Dude, she's totally going to hyphenate. She's an independent romantic woman."
Masen snorted. "So long as she's happy."
"I'll drink to that," Whit said. The two friends tapped their bottles together and then took their time enjoying the rest of their beverages in a peaceful silence.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
"Have you started looking for a place yet?" Alice asked around a mouthful of apple. Normally she wouldn't be eating while talking but she had a limited amount of time to video chat and get ready for a sorority event she had to attend tonight.
Bella rolled her eyes at the silliness of the question. "We've only been back for two days. The boat's not even completely unloaded."
"As if that's any excuse. You didn't even know if you were going to get that job in Atlanta and yet you already knew exactly which apartment you would rent."
"This is different. It's not just me who has to be happy with the place."
"You don't think he's going to be so much of a momma's boy that he'll drag his feet on moving out?"
Lee snorted. "It's like your mouth is set constantly on 'piss Masen off'."
"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Alice defended. "I think his devotion to Esme is sweet. I just wonder if he really wants to live away from her. He's twenty-seven and still living at home. That doesn't scream of independence."
"Yes, but you're forgetting how much we've been traveling," Lee told her. "We've been gone six or more months out of the year for five years. Sharing Esme's home has made more sense up to this point."
"And yet you and Whit both have your own places," Alice challenged.
"And parents who are always home to check in on our places whereas Esme is with us," Lee reminded her.
"Oh," was all the response Alice could come up.
"And this is what comes of you worrying about me," Bella said. "You need to focus your energy on your school and not my life."
"I know, I know. But it's hard because I miss you and I feel like I wouldn't miss you as much if I knew you were settled in there."
"Settled in?" Bella couldn't help laughing at such a ridiculous notion at this point. "Alice, right now, my only concern is learning to sleep in a bed that doesn't move."
Lee jumped in to tease Bella. "If you and Masen would stop jumping each other every two seconds, the bed would stop moving."
Alice gasped while Bella snorted and smacked a laughing Lee with one of the many throw pillows on Esme's huge couch.
"Ladies, while I hate to break up the party, it's getting late and I'd like to have the last few minutes with Allie all to myself," Whit said, clearly having heard the reason for their laughter from the size of the smirk he was sporting.
"You heard the man, hand over the iPad," Alice ordered. "Oh and love you both, try to behave, and hug Uncle Carl for me. And Esme."
"Love you too, Sis," Bella said before handing the device over to Whit.
"Behave?" Lee asked as she and Bella headed for the kitchen. "It's like she doesn't know us at all."
"Right?" Bella replied with a laugh.
Lee's face suddenly lit up and she rushed across the kitchen. "Mommy. Daddy. You came after all."
The likeness between Lee and her mom was amazing. It was truly like looking at an older version of her friend, right down to the way Lee favored her left foot when she was standing still. She gingerly hugged her mom and quickly let go. "Are you feeling up to this?"
"I'm fine, sweetheart. It's been a good day," her mom assured her.
Lee turned to her dad and shared an enthusiastic bear hug with him, which was slightly comical since she was taller than him. Bella wondered if Gopher had ever noticed he hugged just like her dad. She would bet that was part of what had drawn Lee to him in the beginning.
Comforting arms wrapped around Bella from behind and pulled her into a solid chest. "Bet you didn't think she had it in her to be such a softy."
Bella laughed at such an absurd idea. "I've seen her with you, Edward. I know exactly how much of a softy she can be."
He snorted. "Come on, smart-ass. I've been ordered to make introductions between you and Esme's girls." He nudged her toward the front door but she didn't budge.
"Don't you think you should introduce me to Lee's parents first?"
"What a great idea. Let's do that."
Bella gasped at his quick agreement. "You don't want me meeting the sisters!" she accused.
His blue eyes went wide. "No. No, that's no—No."
"You totally are," she replied with a chuckle. "I know your nervous look and you are nervous."
"Mase, why do you look nervous?" Lee called from across the room.
Bella laughed while Edward grumbled under his breath. "Come on," she said as she tugged on his arm.
He finally relented and they joined Lee and her parents in the kitchen. As soon as they saw him, they greeted him with hugs.
"So good to see you again, Masen," Lee's mom said.
"Lee, how is that every time we go out, we come back to your mom looking younger?"
Lee and her mom shared a look and then her mom said, "Still full of shit, I see."
Lee snorted. "Of all the things that changed this summer, that's not one of them." And then before Edward could do it, Lee introduced Bella. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella. Our Guppy and Masen's kapu."
"My, my. Lee did not exaggerate your beauty at all," her mom said.
Bella blushed all the way up to the roots of her hair. "Thank you."
"I still can't believe Masen is in an actual relationship," Lee's dad said as he shook Bella's hand. "Though from what Lee has told us about you, I couldn't imagine him letting you get away either."
"I would have stomped him if he'd tried," Lee shared while giving Edward's hair a hard ruffle.
"Lee tells us you'll be staying with the team and here in Hawaii," her mom shared.
"Yes, Ma'am," Bella agreed with a nod. "There's still so much I want to learn and no team better to teach me."
"Rebecca please. And my husband here is Joseph."
"It's a pleasure to be meeting you both. Lee is so amazing at her job and I've learned a ton from her. I've also been very lucky to become her friend. She has this great balance between being supportive and giving you a kick in the pants when it's needed."
"She gets that from her mom," Joseph admitted, smiling proudly at his wife while holding her close.
"Mr. and Mrs. Hale, I absolutely want to catch up with you more," Edward said. "But I'm afraid right now I have to go and take Bella with me. Esme's orders."
Lee chuckled darkly. "Time to meet the girls. This I have to see."
"We'll come along too," Rebecca said with a smile as devious as Lee's.
Edward looped his arm around Bella's waist and led the group out into the front yard and then around the side of the house. The doors to his shed were wide open, lighting up the driveway along with the spotlight over the basketball goal.
"Mase, how 'bout I check on the food for you," Gopher offered as they approached.
"How about I stab you?" Edward replied with his trademark shitty grin. "What do you think of that?"
Gopher smiled right back. "Stabbings are a crime of passion so I'd be honored you care so much."
"Don't touch my grill, Gopher."
"Stop threatening my boyfriend, Mase," Lee said with a flick to the back of his head.
The conversation that had been going on when they'd first arrived came to a sudden halt and Bella found herself being inspected by three of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen.
Esme came over and stood beside her. "Bella, I'd like you to meet my girls. Girls, this is our Bella."
The women moved closer, giving Bella the sense of being a bug under a microscope. They were all three tall, statuesque blondes with sky blue eyes and ruby red lips. They looked much more like models than the fun-loving trio of friends Esme had so lovingly described.
And then they smiled and the vibe around them instantly changed. Their mischievous smiles and twinkling eyes put Bella at ease and she found herself smiling back.
"Esme, you weren't kidding. She's absolutely gorgeous." The sister who'd said this stepped forward and offered her hand to Bella. "I'm Tanya, and I am very pleased to meet you."
Before she could answer, she was being offered two more hands. "Irina," said the sister on the end. "Kate," came from the sister in the middle.
"Look at this silky hair," Tanya remarked.
"And the eyes. That shade of brown is delicious," Kate shared.
"The lips. I would kiss those," Irina said.
"Back off, you three," Edward warned while pulling Bella closer to him.
Tanya laughed. "She's far too lovely for you, Masen."
Edward smiled down at Bella. "Yeah, I know, but she's still my kapu."
Kate squealed. "This is so exciting. Our little Masen has finally become a man."
"That happened years ago," Edward corrected.
The chorus of Esme, Tanya, Kate, and Irina's voices said otherwise. "It didn't."
"Cherish her or you'll be dealing with us," Tanya warned him.
"One night. Behave for just one night," Edward pleaded.
"Masen, you know we only threaten you because we want the best for you," Irina told him.
"Yeah, not buying that for a second," he responded.
"He doesn't believe us, Esme," Kate said, pushing her lower lip out in a pout.
"Neither do I," Esme replied with a laugh.
"This is what comes of letting her into our inner circle," Tanya joked.
Irina snorted. "We didn't have a choice after she broke your ankle and pretty much moved in to care for you."
Tanya laughed and put an arm around Esme. "Never have I felt so lucky to have had such a bad day. I lost a new pair of shoes but gained a wonderful friend for life."
"Esme's pretty great," Bella agreed, meaning it completely.
"Lovely and a fan of our girl. I say she's absolutely one of us," Kate said as she looked between her two sisters.
"She gets my vote," Irina answered.
"Then it's settled. Bella, you are now one of the girls and welcome to all of our social gatherings," Tanya announced.
"She means testing the new booze," Lee shared. "And talking about the men in our lives."
"That's basically every gathering," Edward said, earning him a round of boos from Esme's friends.
"Kid, I think it's time you check on the food," Esme told him.
"Good idea. Come on, Bella."
"Oh no you don't, Mase," Lee said as she pulled Bella away from him. "You are not monopolizing her time tonight. She's fine staying right here and getting to know our family and friends."
Edward narrowed his eyes at Lee but that only made her smirk widen.
"You did tell Gopher not to touch your grill," Esme reminded her son.
He grumbled some form of agreement and then started walking toward the grill.
Irina raised her voice and said, "Tell us truly, Bella, what will it take to get you away from Masen?"
Bella laughed. "As flattered as I am, I'm afraid I'm pretty attached to him."
"As attached as your uncle is to our Esme?" Kate asked.
Bella held her hand up and proudly showed off Elizabeth's ring. "I'd say so."
The ladies gasped and then Tanya reached out to hold Bella's hand. "Esme, you've been holding out on us. You said he'd found his kapu but you never mentioned an engagement."
Esme chuckled. "I had expected he would share the wonderful news with you himself but you ran him off with all of your teasing."
"Ladies, the birthday boy has arrived," Whit announced as he joined them.
"Whit, how are you, sweetheart?" Tanya asked as they hugged.
"Nursing a broken heart, I'd imagine," Irina said with a teasing grin. "The love of his life is engaged to another man."
Whit grinned and gave her a hug. "Nope. Can't be anything but damn pleased that Esme is happy."
"My turn," Kate trilled while enthusiastically hugging Whit. Just as quickly, her smile turned to a pout. "I'm so sad we aren't getting to meet your Alice. From all Carlisle and Esme have said, she's a lovely girl."
"She is," Whit agreed. "Speaking of Carlisle, where is he?"
"He and Dale went down to the beach to inspect the bonfire setup," Esme answered.
"Deputy Dale came? No shit?"
Kate smacked Whit in the chest. "Be nice."
"We're not quite sure where we failed with him," a deep male voice said from behind them.
Whit laughed and walked over to the man, giving him an enthusiastic hug. "Commander, can't you cut a man some slack on his birthday?"
"No."
"Harrison," the woman beside him said sternly. "And you too, Jasper."
"I'm always on my best behavior, Mom," Whit said before kissing her cheek. "Come on, I want to introduce you two to Bella."
"Gotta admit, son, I'm still not sure she's real," Harrison said.
"Oh she's real," Whit promised. He brought his parents over to Bella and made introductions. "Mom, Dad, this is Bella Cullen. Bella, this is my dad, Harrison, and my mom, Jackie."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Bella said as she shook their hands.
"The pleasure is ours," Jackie assured her. "Whit's told us a great deal about you. He thinks very highly of you."
"I feel the same way about him," Bella said as she smiled at Whit. "In addition to being an amazing friend, he saved my life."
Harrison griped Whit's neck and gave him an affectionate shake. "Head as hard as granite but a heart of gold."
"Just like his best friend," Bella said with a chuckle.
"I heard that," Edward said as he joined them. "Commander," he greeted, shaking hands with Whit's dad. "Mrs. Whitlock," he said and then kissed her cheek.
"Masen, when are you planning to get those jet skis out of my garage?" she asked him.
"Tomorrow morning," he assured her. "We'll move them to the warehouse first thing."
"My turn," Esme said as she came over to hug Whit's parents. "How have you both been?"
"Good," Harrison answered.
"But not as good as you," Jackie replied. "We heard about the engagement."
"Yes," Esme said enthusiastically. "I can't wait to introduce you. Carlisle should be back any minute. Dale stole him away to check on the setup of the fire pit."
Harrison grinned. "Let me guess … You let these two boneheads set it up."
"I helped, Commander," Gopher added.
"I bet you did."
Bella tugged the side of Edward's shirt. "Why do you guys call Whit's dad 'Commander'?"
"That was his rank in the Navy. He retired when Whit and I were in our junior year of high school but by then we'd been calling him that for so long that we just kept on."
"Ah." Bella shivered from the night breeze and decided it was time to grab her hoodie. "Hey, I'm going to head inside for a minute."
"Want me to come with?"
"I won't be gone long, and you need to keep your eyes on the grill."
"I'd rather keep them on you." He followed his declaration up with a kiss that made her knees wobble.
"Pay up, Commander!" Whit half-yelled, half-laughed.
As Bella watched Harrison pass Whit a crisp hundred dollar bill, she realized the cash was the prize for a bet on whether or not she was real.
"Gas for the jet skis," Whit happily declared, waving the bill at his dad.
Bella reached out and snagged it. "The bet was about me so the cash is for me." She turned her head and found Lee in the crowd. "Girls' night out, Lee?"
"Abso-damn-lutely."
"Bella, you're gonna fit in just fine with all of us," Harrison told her.
Esme put an arm around Bella. "Told you she was perfect for our misfits."
Bella smiled, feeling ecstatic and lucky to be part of such a colorful and loving 'ohana.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Bella walked up to her uncle who was drying the dishes Esme was washing and gave him a tight hug. "From Alice from our earlier chat."
"Thank you, Bug," he responded with a laugh.
She gave the same tight hug to Esme but held on longer. "That's from Alice and me."
"Alice I get," Esme said. "You I'm suspicious of simply because I don't recall doing anything hug worthy."
"You actually did it a while back but I didn't understand why then. You told me to talk to Edward about pygmy killer whales. I finally got to do that today and he told me all about Oahu's pod. He's going to take me to see them for my birthday in a couple of weeks."
Esme squealed and pulled Bella into a hug, getting them both wet from her soapy hands. "I was just telling Carlisle this morning that I'd have to remind you about it. I'm so glad you finally remembered."
"Me too. I'm so excited. I never thought I'd see them."
"Bug, I want you to be honest," Carlisle said. "You're dating Masen for the marine life access, aren't you?"
Bella gasped. "Uncle Carl!"
Her shock immediately turned to humor as she watched her uncle and Esme laugh. "That was sneaky. Good and sneaky."
"We're really rubbing off on him," Esme said with a proud smile. "A little more time around us and he'll be another smart-ass in a long line of them."
"Even so I'll never reach the level you and your lovely ladies operate at," Carlisle assured her.
Esme just smiled and then changed the subject. "So, Bella, how do you feel after your whirlwind night of meeting the extended family?"
"Everyone is so nice. And I adore the way Whit and Edward stand up straighter and speak politer every time Whit's dad talks to them. They don't even know they do it!"
Esme chuckled. "They would absolutely be their normal clown selves if they thought for a second Harrison would tolerate it."
"I bet. Oh and Lee's mom is so funny. Lee definitely got her sense of humor from her."
"And her independence. It's the soft streak in her that she got from her dad. So! What about my girls?"
"Esme, they're as amazing as you said they were. I was surprised by how easily they got under Edward's skin though. He's usually so good at ignoring teasing at his expense."
"Oh, it's not the teasing that had him wound up. It was the fear that at any moment they could start sharing with his kapu stories of a young, foolish Edward."
"I think I'll need to have another chat with them before they leave," Bella said.
The back door opened and Lee's voice drifted down the hall. "Time for the show!"
"It's time!" Esme squealed. "I can't wait to find out what they're going to play."
Carlisle chuckled. "You're adorable in your support of them."
"Let's go find out if it's warranted," Bella said as she moved toward the hall.
They headed out the back door and down the beach to where a small bonfire had been set up. There was just enough room between Edward and Lee for Bella to squeeze in and sit on the log with them. The heat of the crackling fire felt so good on her skin; she closed her eyes and focused on that sensation as a pleased smile spread across her lips.
"You're beautiful." Edward's whispered words made her smile wider and she leaned in to him, resting her head against his broad chest. His arms enveloped her, giving her that wonderful sense of safety and security. This spot right here was where she was meant to be—everything else was superfluous.
It was also short-lived. "Kapu, I need to join Whit."
"I'm comfy."
He chuckled. "Then I'll be sure to hold you close the rest of the night once I fulfill my promise to Whit."
Her calmness immediately switched to excitement and she gave Edward a push. "Get going then."
He laughed again and quickly kissed her before joining Whit and picking up one of the two acoustic guitars.
Bella was so excited to hear the guys sing again that she found herself unable to sit still and it was making Lee laugh beside her.
"I want to thank you all again for coming out to celebrate with Gopher and me for our birthdays," Whit said to the group.
"We love you!" Kate, Irina, and Tanya shouted.
Whit chuckled. "I have the best groupies. I am a lucky man."
"Stop," Edward warned him. Of course the giant smile he was sporting made it hard to believe he really expected the command to be taken seriously.
"So as a thank you to everyone for coming out, and a gift to myself, Mase and I are going to sing a little something for the lovers sitting out under the stars with us tonight."
"Wise men say
Only fools rush in
But I can't help
Falling in love with you."
Whit's voice had been so controlled with the lyrics coming out slow and tender—it made Bella shiver, and she felt Lee do the same beside her.
Edward quickly licked his lips and then began to sing his part, following Whit's style of making the words sound like a promise and not just a song. "Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin
If I can't help
Falling in love with you?"
Whit grinned as their voices joined together. "Like a river flows
Surely to the sea,
Darling so it goes
Something's are meant to be.
"Take my hand.
Take my whole life too."
Bella noticed Carlisle mouthing the words to Esme, her eyes locked solely on him.
"For I can't help
Falling in love with you."
The look of love between them was unmistakable and beautiful. And as soon as she saw it in them, she noticed the same with Kate and Dale, Harrison and Jackie, Rebecca and Joseph, and Lee and Gopher.
"Like a river flows
Surely to the sea,
Darling so it goes
Something's are meant to be."
A nudge from Lee had her looking up—and right into Edward's eyes.
"Take my hand."
Her smile was as bright as the stars above as she put her hand into his.
"Take my whole life too."
He hugged her to his chest, his eyes full of love and devotion as he sang to her.
"For I can't help
Falling in love with you."
His voice dropped to a near whisper as his lips moved closer to hers.
"No, I can't help
Falling in love with you."
His mouth on hers felt hotter than the fire just a few feet away and so much more satisfying than anything she'd had to eat or drink tonight. The oddest sensation of flying and falling at the same time overwhelmed her and she clung tighter to him to keep from being knocked over by the feeling.
Edward pressed his forehead to hers, smiling and breathing as if he'd just run and won a race. "Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa, kapu."
"You added something. What is it?"
"Forever. I love you forever, kapu."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
"Whit, how is it that it's your birthday celebration and you let our asshat best friend steal the show?" Lee asked as she helped him hang the acoustic guitars on the shop wall.
Whit chuckled. "I didn't do it for his ass. I did it for Bella. That woman deserves some swoon for putting up with him."
"Hey, fuckers! I'm standing right here," Masen told them.
They looked back at him and replied, "We know."
Whit continued on as if there hadn't been an interruption. "Remind me to thank Gopher for videoing it for Alice. She's gonna love it when she sees it."
"He was happy to do it for you two. He really likes Alice. I think he even misses her already."
"I believe that. They have a love of talking in common while the rest of us take as few words as possible most days."
"Unless we get Bella excited," Lee said with a chuckle. "She was so giddy tonight meeting everyone and never realized she was chattering away like her sister."
"I love her seeing her like that," Masen admitted. "Comfortable with all of us. She trusts us as her family."
"She should because we are," Lee replied.
"That's true," Whit said. "But it's also true that her own family kind of fell apart so if she was shy about diving into ours, it would make total sense."
"Mase, has she talked to you at all about her mom?" Lee asked.
"A little. I don't press because I can tell it's painful for her. Out of concern, though, I did pull Carlisle aside to get clarification on a few things. Basically, her mom had always had issues with depression but it was under control with meds. When her dad was killed, her mom basically broke from reality and just detached herself from everything. There's a miniscule chance she could come back from it but after all these years, no one really holds out hope of it."
"Except Alice," Whit corrected.
"Except Alice," Masen agreed.
"How does Bella feel about it?"
"She's spent a long time feeling guilty, feeling like it was her fault. Lately though, she's starting to feel angry and abandoned. But as soon as she gives those feelings life by speaking them, the guilt comes back and she doesn't want to talk anymore. And like I said, I'm not pressing her. I know what it's like to not want to talk, to deal with all that pain just under the surface. I just tell her I'm here if she changes her mind."
"That's honestly the best thing you can do for her, Mase," Whit said. "And let her know Lee and I are here for her too."
"I already did that," Lee informed them. "But it's never a bad thing for us all to remind her."
Whit grinned while draping his arm across Lee's shoulders. "And yet it was only three short months ago that you were sure she was the devil out to ruin Mase."
"You know the nice thing about opinions, Whit, is that they change with experience," she replied. "Bella's proven she's a good friend to all of us this summer and I'm happy to entrust her with my best friend's heart. I know she'll keep it in one piece."
"Long as he keeps his act together and his life balanced," Whit said, lifting an eyebrow at Masen.
"I'll do my best to stay on track and you two nudgers will help see that I do," he told them.
"With pleasure," Lee responded.
Whit glanced at his watch. "There's still another twenty-three minutes to my birthday celebration. I say we head inside and have one last beer while we watch Spring Break 2006 and reminisce about our younger selves."
"As tempting of an offer as that is, I'm going to have to decline," Lee said. "Gopher and I have our own plans for ending this night with a bang."
"Nice," Whit congratulated with a high-five. "Get out of here and go get you some."
"Just don't get busted for public indecency," Masen warned as he gave Lee a big hug goodbye.
"No promises," she teased, smacking a kiss onto his cheek. "You boys behave. Whit, I'll see you on the boat first thing tomorrow."
"Night," the guys called as she headed off to the front of the house.
"So on a scale of one to ten," Masen said as he flipped off the lights in the shed. "What would you rate this birthday?"
"We broke the fucking dial, bro. Between the jet skis and our epic performance tonight, I am one satisfied birthday boy."
"Thanks again for that setup with Bella. She loved the hell out of that."
"By my calculations, I have been right nearly five hundred thousand times in our long storied friendship. Maybe, just maybe, it's time you listen to me without question."
Masen laughed while clicking the padlock closed on the shed. "In your fucking dreams. I don't care how many times you're right, you've been wrong just enough that questioning you is a form of self-preservation."
Whit decided the best way to respond was to sing loudly and purposefully off-key. "If loving you is wrong, I don't wanna be right!"
"The fact that you can sound that bad after sounding so amazing earlier is mind-boggling," Bella called from the porch.
"Talent, sweetheart," Whit responded.
Masen laughed and gave him a good-natured shove. He then took the porch steps two at a time and reached for Bella, hugging her close. "Hi."
"Hi."
"How was your shower?"
"Wonderful. I think I actually managed to get all the sand off of me."
He leaned in and hummed against the side of her neck. "I'm happy to perform a thorough inspection for you."
"You know, if it wasn't your best friend's birthday, I might take you up on that offer. But it is so I won't. Instead, I'll leave you two to hang out while Lizzy and I crawl into bed and get some much needed sleep."
He pushed her hair back so he could see her face clearly. "Listen, if you have trouble sleeping, you just say the word and I'll come lay with you. I don't mind."
"I think I'm tired enough after today that I shouldn't have a problem. But I will happily take you up on your offer if I have trouble." She leaned up and kissed his lips softly. "I love you."
"I love you too."
They headed inside together and after another kiss Bella headed off to his room and he went into the living room where Whit was already camped out on the couch.
"I decided we needed to watch Dude Where's My Car instead," Whit informed him while passing him a beer.
"Sweet," Masen replied with a grin.
Whit lightly clinked his beer against Masen's. "Dude."
Masen made every attempt to focus on the movie but his mind kept wandering down the hall to his room and to the woman who might or might not be asleep in his bed. She kept telling everyone she was having trouble adjusting to a bed that didn't move but the truth was that her trouble sleeping had started the day they'd left Gordon's Bay. Whatever it was troubling her, she hadn't yet found the words to express it.
"You want to be with her, don't you?"
Masen looked up to find Whit staring at him. "We're finishing out your birthday celebration. Besides, she said she was going straight to sleep."
"That's not what I asked you."
Masen looked him in the eyes. "Yeah, I do. She hasn't been sleeping great and I know it's easier for her when I'm there."
"Then give me your phone charger and get your ass to your room, you doofus."
"What do you want my charger for?"
"Without you around I can spend my night talking to Alice."
"You miss her a lot, huh?"
"Yeah. I'm not saying that to her because I want her to enjoy herself, but I really do miss her. Thankfully it's only a couple weeks until I head out there with Carlisle and Esme."
"What are we doing, bro? Turning our lives upside down like this for these ladies … Are we going to ever just be able to hangout without thinking about them?"
"Probably not," Whit answered honestly. "But you have to remember that it's a stronger sensation right now because we've just found them. We haven't gotten used to how damn good it is to be with them and already we're being pulled away. For me it's her school. For you it'll be non-stop work the rest of the week. We just have to adapt and adjust, secure in the knowledge that they are abso-fucking-lutely worth it."
"Feeling over logic," Masen mumbled.
"Exactly."
Masen retrieved the extra phone charger from the bin on the bookcase and handed it to Whit. "Say 'hi' for me, okay?"
Whit grinned. "No worries, Mase. I'll profess your love for her and loss without her."
He ignored his friend's teasing. "Thank you for calling off the movie."
"Maybe next time you could just ask instead of trying to force your participation."
He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "That would require me giving in without a fight. I'm not there yet."
"No, you're not. But we'll get you there, Mase. Just trust your family and more specifically your kapu. Now get the hell out of here so I can call my girl."
"And in the morning, I'm making waffles," he said both seriously and to quote one of Whit's favorite animated movies.
"Damn right you are."
Masen left his beer on the table for Whit and then hurried down the hall to his room. He slipped inside and found Lizzy fast asleep at the foot of the bed while Bella lay wide awake listening to an audiobook playing on her laptop.
"I thought you were going to hang out with Whit?"
"I thought you were going straight to sleep."
"I was trying to turn my brain off with a book."
He paused the audio and closed the laptop before pulling his shirt off and throwing it on top of the hamper in the corner. He crawled into bed and let her get comfortable which for her meant pretty much draping her body over his, not that he minded at all. "What's your brain thinking about?"
"It was processing all the people I met and the way all of the personalities mix together."
"And now?"
"You smell like sunshine and wood smoke."
"Want me to shower?"
"No, I like it."
He chuckled. "It's really because you found your comfortable spot, isn't it?"
"It's both."
"Did we overwhelm you today?"
"Yeah but it was good. It was nice to finally meet everyone I've been hearing about. Though I did not expect Whit's dad to be so stiff. For some reason I thought Whit took after him for his laid back personality."
"No, Whit gets his meticulous nature from his dad, and the habit of thinking before speaking. His mom is the laid back one."
"You seem to really respect him."
"Yeah, he's a good guy. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for Whit and me. He took us fishing, camping, four-wheeling … Taught us about respecting people and ourselves. Even gave us some advice on dating when we started showing an interest in girls. He doesn't completely understand what we do with MMR, but he respects our commitment to it. He's tough for sure, but he's always fair."
Bella didn't answer right away and when she finally did it came out as a sleepy mumble. "I like him."
"He likes you too."
"Okay."
Masen smiled at her sleepy tone and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Sleep, kapu." He started softly humming the tune from tonight's song to her in hopes of helping her drift off.
His plan worked and soon she was sleeping so hard that she began to lightly snore. He smiled with a mix of pride and relief, hoping her sleep would be unbroken and last late into the morning. She needed the rest and he'd be busy working so there was no reason for her to be up early.
She shifted against him and her hand moved from being tucked under her chin to resting on his chest. His finger traced the edges of the stones in her ring while his mind struggled to fully accept his future would really hold this beautiful woman and that she would be his wife. All those years he'd been so sure it would never happen—his conviction backed by logic and cold hard facts. And yet here she was, and very little was logical and nothing was cold or hard about her or them together.
He looked at his own hand, trying to picture a ring sitting there. Would it feel like an anchor? Would it make him feel like he had to spend less time focused on MMR?
He smirked at his idiocy. If he felt either of those things, then it would be his own hang-up and not anything Bella said or expected. She knew exactly how much he loved getting lost in his work and she'd still agreed to marry him so she clearly accepted that about him. Whenever he would finally be lucky enough to have his kapu put a ring on his finger, he'd wear it with pride every day after. Pride in himself for seeing all of her amazing qualities and pride in knowing he would never let go. He had every intention of doing just as he'd promised and loving her forever.
He craned his neck to see the photo on his nightstand—Elizabeth hugging him close as they sat in the sand with happy smiles on their sun-kissed faces. "Thanks for being right, Mom."
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
Thursday, September 4th
Esme's POV
Esme knocked on Edward's office door, doubting he would even hear it. He'd been locked in there for hours and that was just the ones she knew about since getting up at eight this morning with Carlisle.
When she was met with silence and proven right, she opened the door enough to stick her head inside. Her brilliant, driven, focused son sat behind his desk with his too long hair and a pen perched between his lips. His hands were frantically flipping through the pages of a binder while his eyes occasionally darted to a stack of papers on the other side of his desk. He was speaking but nowhere near loud enough for her to decipher his words. She remembered how worried she'd been this time last year over his manic working, and felt relief at knowing this time it would be different. This year it really would be one final week and then he'd take a real vacation. This year he had Bella to share his time with and he truly wanted that time with her.
The pen between his lips suddenly dropped into his hand. "There you are. Scrawny female tagged on the back end of Seal Island. Theory posited for size was sickness." He leaned over the binder and scratched the notes he spoke aloud. "Test results show increased white blood cell count which points to infection." He paused to scan the photos attached to the daily. "Based on photographic evidence and personal eyewitness account, I doubt she survived the season in her sickly state with so much competition for food."
"That's a shame."
Edward's head jerked up at the sound of her voice. "Didn't hear you come in."
"I know."
"Do you need something?" he asked as she opened the door and stepped into his office.
She wasn't surprised that he had no idea of the day or time. "It's lunchtime on Thursday."
Edward sighed as he leaned back in his chair and surveyed the piles on his desk.
"We could do it next week instead," Esme offered.
"I'll be in Florida."
"And I'll be there the week after."
"And two or three weeks after that. Give me five minutes and we'll go."
"Are you sure? I don't want to derail your progress."
"You're more important than work, Mom."
Esme gasped. "I … I'd always hoped but to actually hear the words …"
Edward narrowed his eyes at her. "Not funny."
"Nope! Flippin hilarious."
"You certainly think so," he said as he turned off his microphone and closed the lid of his laptop.
"Now, Kid, you know you do too. You're just pissy you're stopping your work."
He looked sufficiently ashamed. "Sorry. I was in a groove."
"You'll get back into it quickly. You always do."
He smiled as he reached her and then planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sorry."
"You're forgiven," she said, patting his chest. "Now let's go get you full. I can hear your stomach grumbling."
"Max better be ready for us because I'm ordering everything."
Esme laughed. "When was the last time you ate?"
"About six this morning when I had two bowls of cereal."
She eyed him up and down as they walked toward the front door. "Maybe Bella really is right about that tapeworm."
He snorted. "I'm just a growing boy, Mom."
"Sure, sure." She grabbed the keys to his Bronco from the hook on the wall. "Carlisle borrowed my car to run some errands so I'll be driving your truck."
"Fine but I'm controlling the radio."
She smirked at him while locking the house up. "Driver picks the music. Shotgun shuts his cakehole."
He laughed. "You act like you don't enjoy the same music as me."
"I do but we are rarely in the same mood and therefore our musical tastes always clash and cause consternation. Honestly, Kid, I'm saving you time and trouble. I'm looking out for you."
"How altruistic of you."
She started up the Bronco and flipped the visor down, revealing the collection of CDs they stored there—and a picture that was very new. "When did you get this picture of you and Bella printed?"
"What?"
She smiled at his inability to fool her. "You heard me just fine, Edward."
He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "Sort of as soon as I found it on Whit's camera."
The picture was of Edward relaxing on the deck of their boat, propped up on one arm. Bella was sitting crossed leg beside him and Lizzy was jumping at the piece of rope in her hand. His eyes were glued to Bella's face and Esme knew his full focus in that moment had belonged only to his kapu.
"I want a copy." She expected him to at least pretend to be put out by her request but he surprised her and only asked what size print she wanted.
With the windows rolled down and The Rolling Stones blasting out of the speakers, they made their way to their Thursday lunch spot, upholding a tradition that had begun with Esme's arrival to the island and expanded once Elizabeth and Edward had joined her. The owner, Max, had been a good friend through the good and the bad, even bringing sandwiches to a sick Elizabeth despite him not actually having a delivery service. He was absolutely one of the good guys and they were lucky to have him as part of their world.
Esme glanced at Edward, studying his supposedly relaxed posture with his feet on the dash and his fingers drumming against his knees. It was the set of his eyes that gave him away, the way he seemed to be looking through the floorboard instead of at it. So much had changed for him in so short a time and she worried about his ability to adjust as quickly as the changes were happening. On the plus side, he had been asking for help lately and that in itself was huge for him. He had always leaned toward doing it all on his own until he absolutely couldn't.
She decided to test his new acceptance of help. "You look like you've got something on your mind, Kid. Care to share?"
"This lunch, it's as much about us having one-on-one time as honoring her. We can still do that right? I know not every Thursday like before, but most of them?"
"Why would you think that had to change? We've always kept it just the two of us."
He shrugged. "It feels like everything else has changed. It's probably selfish to want it to stay just us but …"
Esme smiled at him. "You have a right to be selfish in this instance. We have the relationship we do because we take care of it and make time for each other. That's more important than ever now that we have these partners in our lives who deserve to have and will have a big chunk of our time and focus." Her smiled turned into a predatory grin as she added, "You can still be a momma's boy."
He barked out a laugh. "The level of smart ass you reach even in serious conversations."
"I'm playing to my audience, Kid. We both knew you process better if there are breaks in the seriousness. Which by the way, I completely noticed Bella has already caught onto that fact."
He only smirked.
They made it to the restaurant in record time. This hidden gem was nestled in a busy shopping plaza, helping it to stay a local secret filled with comfort food and a relaxed, family atmosphere.
As soon as they stepped through the doors they were spotted by the owner, Max. "Esme! Masen! My favorites returned to me!" He immediately came around the counter and gave them each a fierce hug.
"Tell me, Masen," he said with his arm still around him. "Did you see her? Did you see the big, beautiful shark you went searching for?"
"Her and many of her friends," Edward confirmed.
"You come back here with pictures next time," Max demanded.
"You know I always bring them once Lee gets them printed."
"How she doin'?"
"Really good. Still with Emmett and still loving that galoot."
"And Whit?"
"Really excellent. Has himself a girlfriend now."
Max wagged a finger at Edward. "You could take pointers from him. Think long term and not instant gratification."
Edward rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I uh … I met someone too."
Max smiled. "I want all the details. But first, let's get your orders put in."
Once they were seated at a table covered in plates of food, Max urged Edward to give him every detail about the someone he'd met. The more Edward talked, the more Max smiled. He saw how different this version of Edward was from the man who had left here three months ago in search of sharks. That Edward had hardly known anything other than sharks existed. This one had only spoken about sharks in answer to direct questions. Everything else coming from him had to do with the woman he'd fallen in love with.
Max put his big hand on Edward's shoulder and lifted his chin at the picture on the wall—Elizabeth and Esme with Edward squeezed in between them at this very table. "If Elizabeth was here, her happiness would not be contained. But no worries because my pride is big enough for both of us."
Edward smile stretched across his face. "Mahalo, Max."
The door opened and Max sighed as he got to his feet. "Back to work. You two don't sneak off without saying goodbye to me."
"We wouldn't dream of it," Esme assured him.
"You didn't tell him about Carlisle," Edward mentioned as they watched Max greet his new customers.
"He didn't give me a chance," she defended.
"You're scared," he teased, giving her his shitty grin. "You're scared he'll make you go home and get him and bring him up here for inspection."
"You're such a shit," she said as she tossed a fry at him. "I didn't egg Max on even once while he was grilling you about Bella."
"That was your loss."
She tossed another fry but the little shit caught it in his mouth. "Brat."
"Seriously, Mom. We can't leave without telling him."
"We won't. Now let's talk about something else for a while."
"Alright," he agreed with a nod. "Carlisle. What did he think about meeting everyone last night?"
She chuckled. "He now understands perfectly how I can get into trouble with the girls. He saw the love they have for me. He also sees why this is home for me and I couldn't stand to be away from it for more than a few months at a time."
"Good. I know you were worried about that."
"Oh, and he was very impressed with your little show for Bella. I think he was actually jealous he didn't think of it for me with how much I love The King."
"Whit and I will teach him if he wants."
"I'll pass that along. Now what about Bella? How'd she fair with the big intro?"
"Overwhelmed but in a good way. I think her favorite part was watching Whit and me with the Commander, but she's definitely excited to have a girls' night with all the ladies."
"How's her sleeping? Has it gotten any better?"
"She slept solidly for a good five hours last night. That's the most it's been in a while."
"Any guesses for what's troubling her?"
He shook his head. "I figure it's got to be stress. She just made two really huge life decisions in picking MMR and accepting my proposal. Those choices negated all of her previous plans so she's got a lot of unknown ahead of her."
"And? I can tell there's an 'and'."
"And I think she's struggling with her feelings about herself and her mom. For so long she believed she was at fault for her dad's death and her mom's exit. Now that she understands it was never her fault, she's confused and angry. And I think really hurt too because she sees us, she sees how losing Elizabeth and nearly losing Whit pulled us closer. She wants to know why that didn't happen for her but she can't just go ask."
"Renee is not well, Edward. I don't mean that as an excuse because she certainly didn't make an effort to change that. I say it as a reminder that want and logic won't do Bella or you any good in this situation. I would tell you that you can't do anything but I know you'll try anyway. You have to help her accept there are no answers and to be satisfied with what she does have—a loving 'ohana that will never leave her behind or forget how special she is for a second."
"From your lips to her heart."
"Oh no, Kid, it's your lips it needs to come from. Before you two realized you were in love, you had already formed a bond through the loss of beloved parents. She knows you understand all facets of her feelings in this area and that lends you a level of trust that Carlisle and I don't have access to."
"I'm not pushing her to talk to me about this. Whit and Lee both said that's the right way to handle it."
"They're right. You want to let her come to you. Only then is it safe to push and only with the gentlest of hands. Delicacy, my bull in the china shop boy."
He grinned. "Says the woman who basically decided for Carlisle that dating you was in his best interest."
She gasped. "I did no such thing. I was perfectly willing to behave myself. He kissed me."
"Well however it happened, I'm just happy that you're happy."
Esme looked up at her sister's smiling face. "She would approve of our matches. Hell, she'd probably drag us over to the court house afraid you and I would chicken out and change our minds."
"There's no going back. I get why people would think there's the chance, but it doesn't exist. She's my life now, just like he's yours."
Esme reached across the table and wrapped her fingers around his. "Separate trails, same path. We're still in this together, just with more people to love us."
"As long as Carlisle doesn't find out about your gnarly habit of crying into your popcorn over unrealistic romance movies."
"Or Bella realizes what a slob you are with your ridiculously long hair."
"Damn, we're the worst," he joked.
"Right? It's almost incomprehensible that they love us."
"Yeah, if we weren't so damn great, I wouldn't have any clue what they see in us."
They managed to hold in their laughter for a solid fifteen seconds before losing it and filling Max's small space with their happy noise. Their dreams were coming true and they were getting to experience it together. They truly couldn't ask for more.
Later that night, Esme witnessed more proof that her son was changing for the better. When she sent Bella into his office with his dinner, he not only seemed genuinely happy to see her, he stopped his work and invited her to eat with him. Of course, he completely monopolized the conversation with talk of sharks and results, but that was okay. He'd learn in time to stop and share. Esme had every faith in her son—and the willingness to kick his ass if he needed it.
"~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^~~~^~~~~^"
A/N:
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews from the last chapter. I enjoyed reading them and I'm sorry I wasn't able to answer them this time. But I wanted to get the new chapter out to all of you. After this chapter, we'll start jumping ahead to get glimpses of the future this wonderful ohana is building together. Many good things are on the way!
We hope you enjoy the new chapter, and we hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday weekend :)
Translations:
Hau`oli la Hanau – Happy Birthday
Mahalo hoaloha – Thank you, beloved friend.
Ho'omaika'i 'ana – Congratulations
Mano – Shark
Moana – Ocean
Okole – Ass
Aloha Au Ia 'Oe Mau Loa – I love you forever more