Chapter 28
Dear Jacob and Valerie,
After the trip was over, Edward went out to hunt. I had asked Edward what could happen with his sisters taking care of me…They got me drunk…Jake…that's what could happen! I can laugh about it now because it's been almost a month. Rosalie insisted that every human needs to experience 'getting drunk' at least once in their lifetime. Once was more then enough for me! I needed a 12-step program after just one outing with them! As soon as the guys were gone, they called Janet, dressed me up and took me to the karaoke bar. I had 2 Long Island Ice Teas and then got on the stage. I'm so glad I can't remember this firsthand, but apparently I sang a bunch of songs that Edward hates; 'Who let the dogs out' was at the top of the list and the whole bar laughed at my attempt. Alice made me get up with her and we sang 'Barbie Girl' while Janet and Rosalie danced to it in front. Somehow without my knowing it the camera was brought along and someone took alot of pictures that night. I was still hungover by the time Edward got home the next night. He scolded them for me and took me home. Janet had given him a good remedy for my hangover and I was back to normal the next morning.
Did I tell you about the 3 tall dark skinned female vampires who were speaking to Carlisle? They were Senna, Kachiri and Zafrina. They're from the Amazon. Well they had spoken to Carlisle about the possiblity of a vampire siring a child with a human. Apparently they have heard tales of a male vampire who, every once in a while, will seduce a human woman; get her with-child then leave and only come back for the child once it is born, but nothing is said of the mother after that point... They warned me and Edward that the attempt of such a birth may be very dangerous and even fatal. I'm not deterred, though poor Edward is worried. I wish I was strong enough to kick his ass. I have a feeling that if I do get pregnant, and he perceives some danger from the baby, he's going to want to end the pregnancy. I can't let that happen, Jake. I want it…I never thought I'd want a kid but, I really do. He hasn't left me and I feel it in my bones that he's here for good, Jake.
Anyway, the last few weeks have been fairly uneventful except that Janet came over to tell me news about her ex. Ryan was charged after the attack on me back in February. During our vacation, the idiot was caught violating his paroll. He was lurking around my house and tried to break in. He was seen by a neighbor, who called the cops. The lawyer friend of Carlisle's was able to get him put away for a few years and Janet got her divorce. The judge gave her everything they had and Ryan was furious. I hope she has a restraining order too and I told her so. Work is going well otherwise. I can hardly wait til the semsmter is over. Edward wants to take me across the country before we get to Forks in August. Once we leave Forks we'll finish our tour of the US and Canada. Unless I get pregnant, the change is still on for next January.
It's Mother's day tomorrow and Renee is on her way up to see me. Edward and Jasper went to pick her and Phil up at the airport. They'll be here any minute, so I guess I should wrap up this letter to you. I'm sure Renee and Phil would send you their best wishes. I'll see you next month around Father's day.
Love you, Bella
I hear the Volvo pull into the driveway as I slip the letter into it's addressed envelope. I look out the window and smile. Mom and Phil are here. I'm making them lasagna for dinner tonight. Mother's day is Sunday and her favorite meal is roast chicken seasoned with lemon and rosemary, so I'm making that for dinner tomorrow and we'll bring it over to the Cullen house. She'll love it. She has to work on Monday, so she's only here for 3 days.
I hand the letter to Jazz before he leaves and ask him to stick it in the mailbox on his way home.
Mom gushes over the dinner and casually says I'll make a great mom when it happens.
The first part of dream I had on our last night in Disney came true… Edward and I were in an office with Carlisle the other day for our first try. I'm a little scared to think that I'm somehow developing a gift like Alice's. I don't want to know the future. When I think of the things she's seen… Anyway Edward's been able to comfort me when I get scared so we've been happy for the most part. Once the process was over Carlisle told us to go home and keep my feet elevated for the rest of the day.
"I gave the dean of Dartmouth my letter of resignation just this morning; this is my last semester of teaching. I enjoyed it while it lasted. I've done so many things lately that I never thought I'd do…" I sigh.
"Are you sure you want to give up teaching, Bella?" Mom asks.
"Mom, listen, I'm married to the man I love. He told me that if I don't want to work I don't have to. I've been thinking about writing a book. I know it'll be difficult to think of me like this but I've never really been a 'go getter'. My dreams have pretty much been fulfilled. I was a teacher and I have my Masters degree so I can go back to it if I ever want to." I look at her and try to make her understand me in a way she never has before. "Right now, all I want is to be with Edward. He wants to take me places, mom. He wants to travel the world with me. If he says we can do that and have a baby too, well I'm all for it!"
"All I want is for you to be happy, Bella. So do what you want. I love you." She grins.
Esme calls to tell us to come a little early. We bring Phil and Renee and the chicken meal I'd made. After dinner, we meet in Carlisle's office where I take another test… Another negative result sends me into a sobbing fit. Renee tries to comfort me, but only Edward's soft words of sorrow and my lullaby calm me.
"We'll try again next month, Bella… I'm so sorry, sweetie." Carlisle says as he and the others convey their own condolences.
It's now the end of May…I attend the graduation ceremony for the students and it goes off without a hitch. The student speaker is Robert Marconi and he had asked my help to write his speech. I listen without really paying attention becaue I know it by heart. He speaks about following your dreams and quotes the Disney movie of Cinderella. 'A dream is a wish your heart makes.' I've believed that since the first time I saw that movie. I remember dreaming of Edward when we were still back in Forks. I'd never dreamed that he would leave me…only that we were together and happy forever. I focus on Edward's face through the end of the speech…and the deans words of good-bye to me. Then the caps start to fly and I race out the doors after a quick word of praise and congratulations to Rob.
Edward begins to outline our trip around the world. "We'll start with Niagara Falls and see all the Great Lakes… Then the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island… We'll take Amtrack down the coast and once we reach South Carolina, we'll fly back up to New York and travel west to Forks. You'll get to see Chicago and so many other things, but we'll make sure to be in Forks for Jake and Valerie's wedding. Then we'll figure the rest out from there…What do you think, Bella-love?"
I love the plan, but I feel the need to tease him. "I don't know, Edward, Father's day is coming up and where would that put us? It's a major holiday for him, you know…"
He frowns. "You're right! We should see Canada and we'll get to Forks by then and we can start there. Go down that coast and see the landmarks that way first. I want to show you so many things, my love. It's a good thing we'll have forever to see them. You'll see all the wonders of the world… I promise you. We'll…"
"STOP! Edward, you're going about this all wrong! Before my transformation, we'll see North America. After that… Let's just see where our whims may take us. For now, let's stick to Canada and then maybe Alaska…I can meet the Denali's. Ok?" I laugh.
"Uhmmm… I'm not sure you'll want to meet them, Bella-love." He pauses. "They are very annoying… but now that I'm married, maybe they won't try to find their way into…"
"…Into where, Edward?" I ask.
"My bed…They were always trying to seduce me, love. That's why…" He sighs nervously.
"Are you saying you don't want me to meet them, Edward?" I ask confused.
"No…" His voice is denying it but his body language is not very convincing.
Alice interrupts. "He's just concerned that you'll try to compare yourself to Tanya, Kate and Irina. There's really no comparison. Certainly they're glamorous… gorgeous, Vampire bombshells…"
"Not helping Alice…" Edward growls
She glares at him and continues. "…But Bella you have something they don't…"
I frown and look at the floor self-consiously. "What's that… a pulse that can stop with a single bite?"
Edward holds me close and says, "You have that ring… and my love… and my name… and my utter devotion… Bella, you have my promise that I'll never leave you again. They want me… but only YOU can say you have me." He kisses me and whisks me to our home to once again show me how much the love we have means to him.
My decision, after much discussion with Alice, our Seer, and Carlisle, our family patriarch, is to keep the house and rent it out, mostly furnished, to students of Dartmouth. I want to keep the house because it's the first home I've ever owned by myself…and the first one Edward was a part of. It has also been noted that Real Estate is a good investment.
I decided to leave the living-room, dining room and the office furnishings. Edward likes the bedframe and dressers so the mattress is the only part we'll be leaving.
We'll be traveling 90% of the time so I'll be eating out at restaurants and won't need my Pampered Chef kitchen stuff. I'll be giving that to Janet; she loves the stuff. I figure the future tennants might like to have access to the reference books I have aquired over the last 9 years. I'm leaving those so they won't need to deal with the library hours and Edward liked the idea so much that he is leaving his medical reference material in case the future tennants are going into that field. The lease given to us by the realtor takes all furnishings into account and that includes the library.
My wardrobe, laptop and my personal library, which has been significantly decreased, will be packed up and shipped wherever we end up.
My dad and mom decided that, since I'd be traveling a lot, I should get one of those new devices that hold up to 350 e-books so, my darling husband packed it with all the classics. Shakespeare, Austen, poetry, and of course, novels like Ann of Green Gables and Wuthering Heights have all been included in my new Kindel 2. I had to remind him that I like the way books feel in my hands and that when I turn each page, it feels like an acomplishment to me. So we compromised. The actual books will remain in storage here in the states and when we move back, they will be shipped to us, to keep in our home.
Edward insists that we buy a car for me so Jake is taking my good old Ferrari back. I wonder what car I'll end up with…I think I'll just drive around with my husband while we travel and when we get back to the states, I'll let him buy me whatever car he wants.
Getting ready for a trip of this magnitude is a daunting task. Alice helps by getting rid of half my wardrobe and buying lots of new stuff…Apparently I'll be wearing dresses and tight fitting clothes most of the time. Edward has informed me that every place he lives he buys a brand new piano and sells it before he leaves, so we won't be lugging that around either.
I sit and watch as movers take the piano away and a local realtor places a 'for rent' sign in the front yard. Edward sits on the porch swing with me. This is our last night here in this town. Carlisle and Esme convinced me to sleep over there tonight since all of our stuff is on its way to a large storage facility. Only a few suitcases are with us now, waiting in the Volvo for our trip.
With Edward's arms around me, I know I'll survive leaving all this behind me. I feel the comfort of his embrace as I turn to him say, "Oh, Edward…I'll miss New Hampshire… and this town… and this school… not to mention that karaoke bar, even though I humiliated myself there while forcibly drunk… I'll miss this house and Janet… Do you think she'll be ok, Edward? I hope so…"
He murmurs the soft words I need to hear before pulling the camera out of his pocket.
The realtor comes over to us and takes one set of keys from us. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Ms. Swan?"
"Well, Rhonda, Mrs. Cullen and I would just like to get a picture or 2 on the porch before we leave…If you wouldn't mind…?" Edward asks, handing her the camera.
She has the grace to blush and says, "Oh, of course, Mr. Cullen… Sorry, I'll make sure your name is correct on the file."
We pose on the steps and the swing. As he gazes into my eyes whispering that he's so thankful to have me with him when he leaves this time, Rhonda snaps another picture. I jump at hearing the click.
She apologizes. "Sorry, you 2 just look so in love, I thought you might like to see how that looks to a third party. It is such a wonderful thing to have someone love you like that… Have a lovely trip!"
Edward takes the camera back and turns to the last picture. "Wow…The way your eyes are shining up at me…Its beautiful. Come, love, the others are waiting for us."
I smile and get into the Volvo. "Yes, they are…and I can't wait to tell the family where we've decided to go first!"
"Yes, love, I'm sure that Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle will be overjoyed that the huge mall in West Edmonton is third on the list of things to see on our trip." He laughs as he pulls out into the road.
I stick my tongue out at him. "Well, you never know, they might like it… It does have a water park inside. Alice will just be happy it's a mall."
He smirks and quickly reminds me, "Yes, love, she'll be ecstatic that you actually want to go to a mall. The rest of them will enjoy the water park and love seeing Niagara Falls and even Prince Edward's Island."
"The Ann of Green Gables houe is on P.E.I. and I can't wait!" I say.
Author's Note...
To remind everyone…Here's :
Bella's Bucket List
1) There are lots of different foods I want to try
2) Get belly-button pierced
3) Visit Mom and Phil
a) Go to Disney
b) Go to Universal
c) Go to Sea World
4) Give blood
5) Go to LaPush to be in Jake and Val's wedding. Ride a horse and sight see around the rez with Charlie and Jake and Seth and the girls
6) Swim with dolphins or Scuba dive
7) Get married to the man/ Vampire that I love more than anything in the world
8) Finish the semester of teaching and then resign with honor
9) Have a baby??
10) Spend some time with Charlie and Sue
Bold/Italics= Done
Italics= in the process
Plain text only= not done