Chapter 9: Bella's POV

"Bella, this is my dad, Carlisle Cullen…and you remember my mother, Esme." Edward says.

I was shocked enough to hear that Edward knew the heads of my publishing firm, but for some reason, his parents are here…at the business dinner. It's a good thing I'd told Edward that I use the pen-name of 'Marie Blackwell', or he'd be very confused.

"Hello, son, I hadn't been expecting you to be here. Where's my granddaughter?" Carlisle asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Alice has her for the night, Dad. Mom, didn't you tell him?" Edward looks at her.

"He's just busting your chops, Edward. I told him you had a date and that Alice would have Nessie." Esme says, rolling her eyes.

"What the heck is going on?" I ask, looking at Edward. "Did you know about this?"

He shakes his head. "I'm just as clueless as you."

"We invited you here, Ms. Swan, to introduce you to our silent partner, but it seems as if you already know each other." Aaron Volterrion says.

"We do?" I ask.

"Bella, I think he means my dad." Edward says glowering at Carlisle.

"We'd like to you to know that as one of our top authors, you are important to us. Only a few people get to find out the identity of the fourth head of the company. It is so nice to see you again, Edward." He nods his head of blue-black hair finally greeting my date.

"Carlisle, would you explain?" Esme asks as Edward greets the other two men, Gaius and Marcus.

Edward's dad nods making eye contact with me. "Just before we found out Edward's wife, Nancy, was pregnant, I got a call from my old college buddies, Aaron, Gaius and Marcus. They were starting a new company, a publishing firm," Carlisle smiles, turning to face Edward. "They gave a damn fine presentation and asked me to invest. I'd already been doing pretty well in the stock market, so I decided it was a good idea. I sold half of the stock I had in several other companies and invested that into the Total Eclipse publishing-house, on the condition that I am kept a secret; a silent partner. A few years later, I was at their offices and I saw a young girl." Carlisle indicates me. "She looked familiar but I never could place her. Anyway, she was sitting next to me in the waiting area. I asked what her business was and she showed me a manuscript. I read one chapter and I was entranced by the science-fictional world she'd created and dragged me into. She was called into the office then, so I had to give it back to her." He looks at me. "You went into the office and when you came out, you looked so lost. It looked as if someone had kicked your kitten or shattered your dreams. I was called in next, but it was just for a lunch date with the guys. I walked into that room and asked Aro what he did to make his next bestselling author so sad."

I remember meeting a man, but I don't recall if he gave me a name or what he looked like.

"I told him I didn't think you had what it took, but he stood over me as I read the first chapter of 'Look to the Stars' and I had to admit my mistake." Aro says.

"Guy, weren't you the one who brought Ms. Swan's manuscript to my attention?" Marcus asks.

"Yeah, and we were very glad Carlisle forced Aro to look beyond the youth of the author. Ms. Swan, you have uncommon talent and we're so happy you came to us." Gaius answers.

The waiter comes for our orders as I try to process this information. Carlisle was the reason my work was reconsidered for publication…

"That's when they told me to call you and give you all the paperwork before getting started on editing your book. Only the best authors and their editors get to meet the silent partner." Jane breaks in. "Alec has known Carlisle for a while and now you've given me that privilege, too."

"I was so happy that a random person liked my work. You gave me the confidence to go into that office, because I'd been about to chicken out and go home." I say to Carlisle. "Thank you."

"That very day, we decided that I could have a say in their decisions of which books they published." He smiles at me. "Now, I'd like to know what you are doing here with my son."

"It's a funny story actually. I'll have to put it in a book someday." I begin with a faint blush.

Between Edward, Esme and myself we fill the table in on how we first met and how Nessie asked me out before her dad even had a chance. Marcus and Carlisle thought it was hilarious and made me promise to write a romance novel out of it. Aro and Guy were merely amused by our story, but they look forward to seeing it in print. The restaurant is lovely; the food is delicious. Marc and Guy ask a few insightful questions about the story I'm working on and I answer them quickly and quietly.

As we walk through the lobby, on our way out, Carlisle muses, "You know, Esme, I always thought Marie Blackwell would get along well with our kids…"

"I guess you were right, dear." Esme says winking at me.

Edward and I chuckle as he helps me into his Aston Martin. "What a crazy day!" I say. I can't believe the man I'm dating is related to the man who helped me get published! "It makes me wonder if there are any other crazy coincidences between us."

Edward's intake of breath makes my heart skip a beat. "Bella, could you join me for coffee when we get home? There's something I want to show you."

I shrug. "Ok, sure."

The ride goes smoothly and ends with him taking my hand to help me out of his car. He opens the door and leads me through the house to the kitchen. I watch in silence as he starts the coffee and turns to face me. "I can't believe my dad never told Alice and me that he was a silent partner in Aaron's publishing firm. I never even knew the name of the company; I just knew his old friends were in publishing and they had their own business. It boggles the mind that there could be such a connection there."

I nod. "I know… it's so weird. So, what did you want to show me?"

"I was looking through some old photos and I thought you might like to see them since they're from the night Renesmee was born." He says nervously.

"Really…? I'd love to!" I tell him.

"I'll get the album…" Edward says.

I pour the coffee in the mugs he'd gotten out and wipe the table to make sure there's nothing to damage the picture album.

"Some of these were taken in the few days and weeks before Nancy died, but they are in chronological order. This is the restaurant Nancy and I had been having lunch at when her water broke." He says looking at me instead of the photo. "We were with friends."

"I know that restaurant. I used to go there with my dad." I get a funny feeling in my belly as I tell him. "We stopped going there around four years ago when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's."

"This is the hospital we took her to…" He says softly. "Before we turn the page let me tell you what happened at the restaurant. I rushed us out the front door and into the car. I'd parked next to a police cruiser…"

"My dad used to be a cop… did I ever tell you that?" I interject as the feeling gets stronger.

"No, you didn't…" He smirks. "The cop had actually been sitting at a table near us while we ate. Anyway, he had a young girl with him and still, he asked if we needed help. He must've noticed that we were in a hurry. We told him that her water had just broken and we needed to get to the hospital."

I gasp as my heart begins to pound. "Edward, what's Nessie's birth-date?" I have to ask but, in my mind I see it happening…I know her birthday, it's the same as mine.

It was my 19th birthday and dad wanted to take me to lunch while Emmet was still at or in school. When we'd finished eating, I was waiting for dad to pay the bill when I'd noticed a group of people sitting at the next table. They'd been enjoying themselves and I noticed one of the ladies was pregnant. I remember smiling and hoping I'd have friends like that in the future. We went out to the cruiser and sat talking for a bit, before going back to my dorm.

A couple suddenly came rushing out the doors of the restaurant and over to the car next to ours. I listened to them explain to my dad that they needed to get to a hospital fast. I told my dad it was fine and I had plenty of time to get back. I didn't have another class until the next day. So, Dad gave them a police escort to the hospital and we waited for the man's family to get there; while they were ushered into a room. Dad and I continued to wait; he wanted to make sure everything was ok and I didn't mind because of my love for babies and the want to see their newborn. Suddenly, a group of people came into the waiting room. There was an older couple and a teenage girl, just a few years younger than me. They were so excited about the baby. My dad and I felt like we were intruding so we started to leave, but then the new father came out.

Moments later, a nurse came in with a small pink bundle in her arms. The sweet man took her into his arms and he made her look so warm and safe. Then he let his mother hold the baby. His mother gave the little girl to her grandfather who whispered 'welcome to the family' and helped his daughter hold her niece for the first time. The father ran off for a few minutes and came back with a camera. He took pictures of everyone in the room and everything to do with his baby girl. I watched as he took a life-sized picture of each hand and foot. He then asked my dad if he wanted to hold her. When it was my turn, I held her very carefully and her hand wrapped around my finger. I'd just given the baby back to her grandmother when a doctor came in wanting to speak with the man.

My father and I made our excuses and left. Around a week later, I heard that my dad had visited the baby's mother and found out that she was not expected to live much longer.

Edward turns the page and I see myself sitting back in that waiting room with little baby Nessie in my arms. "You remember that night don't you, Bella. It was you and your dad; the two of you were the first non-family members to hold Renesmee."

I faint.

Thanks for being my Beta, hnwhitlock2000!