Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its characters. They belong to Stephenie Meyers.

Chapter Twelve: Mothers and Daughters

Edward decided that it was time for him and Bella to spend a day alone together, just the two of them, so while the other Cullen couples made plans to occupy themselves for the day, Edward had plans to surprise Bella with a boat trip down the Thames River. It had been a perfect day as they traveled up and down the Thames, Bella standing against the rail as Edward's wound his arms securely around her. They shared sweet kisses as they passed under the city's historic bridges. Edward laughed as Bella became excited when they went past landmarks including the Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Shakespeare's Globe Theater (where Edward had promised to take her later that week), and St. Paul's Cathedral. She saw Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, all the famous landmarks that she'd only seen on television or read about in books.

After stopping to get Bella something to eat, Bella and Edward made their way back home, but not before getting caught in one of London's famous downpours. They laughed as they held hands and ran into the house, shaking the water off of their bodies as Edward told Bella to wait for him in the sitting room while he went to get some towels for them to dry off.

Shivering from the rain, Bella took care not to slip on the floor as she made her way into the sitting room where there was a wonderfully warm fire blazing in the fireplace. Bella moved quickly to stand in front of the fire, holding her hands out towards the flames.

A voice came from the couch facing the fireplace. "Hello, Bella."

Startled, Bella spun around and faced the voice. "I'm sorry, Esme, I didn't realize you were in the room," said Bella, her teeth chattering as she shivered in front of the fire.

Esme smiled warmly at Bella. "I'm sorry for startling you, dear. I'm waiting for Carlisle to return from his appointment and when I saw the fire going; well, the room looked so cozy, so warm and inviting, I couldn't resist!" Esme took in Bella's slightly damp hair and clothing. "I see you and Edward got caught in a bit of authentic English soft weather!" she teased.

Bella laughed. "Yes we did. Of course, a little bit of rain, or even a lot, wouldn't faze two kids from Forks, WA, would it?"

"Well, I imagine you're right about that," Esme laughed in agreement. "Why don't you come over here and sit with me on the sofa? I brought some warm blankets just in case, and I believe there is one with your name on it..."

Bella grinned and made her way to the couch, sitting next to Esme and pulling her feet up under her legs. Esme spread out two blankets, one to protect Bella from the chill of Esme's body and the other for Bella to wrap around herself. Bella sighed softly as Esme told her to stretch out on the couch and lay her head in Esme's lap.

"Thank you Esme," said Bella.

Esme started to run her fingers gently through Bella's hair, as always amazed at Bella's warmth and the softness of her skin and hair. It made Esme so happy to see the ease with which Bella relaxed against her.

"That feels wonderful, Esme. Thank you." Bella sighed again as she pulled the blanket tighter across her shoulders.

"Well, are you going to tell me about your day with Edward?" Esme asked with a smile, eager to know if Bella had enjoyed their day alone together.

"Oh Esme, it was fantastic!" said Bella, her eyes closed as she relived the day in her mind. "Edward took me on a river cruise up and down the Thames!" Bella paused and then opened her eyes to look at Esme. "Esme, can I tell you a secret?"

"Of course, dear, you can tell me anything," Esme replied as she continued to run her fingers through Bella's hair.

"When I was a little girl, my favorite movie was "Mary Poppins". I used to love that movie so much; I would always ask Renee to play it for me, over and over again." Esme smiled as she imagined a small Bella asking her mother to "Play it again, mommy, play it again!"

Bella continued, her eyes watching the fire as she reminisced about her favorite movie as a child. "My favorite scene in the movie was when Bert pretended to be "punting on the Thames." Ever since then I've always dreamed of one day getting to see and be on the Thames River! Little did I know Edward would be the one to make that dream come true..." she smiled dreamily.

Esme laughed. "Well, then I'm happy Edward was able to make that dream come true for you. He told me about the surprise trip and I knew you would love it. You know, Carlisle took me on a similar cruise when we visited London in the 60's."

"You were here in the 60's? Wow, it must have been amazing!"

"Yes it was, and very interesting too. Carlisle wanted to show me where he came from. It was just me, Carlisle and Edward. The others stayed in the States. I don't think I have to tell you how much Edward hated the 60's, and to be in London in the 60's, I think it was his worst nightmare ever!" laughed Esme. "It wasn't that he didn't like England or the people, it was just that Alice was always trying to get him to dress in the 60's styles and when she found out we were going to be visiting for a while, she became very excited about…well, let's just say she thought she could convince Edward to wear clothing similar to Emmett's "Austin Powers' suit that you saw a few days ago."

Bella cringed as Esme laughed.

"You know how old fashioned Edward is and he would never stand for it. So she gave him a choice: either he wore the mod-60's style clothing that was the rage at the time, or he was going to dress as the perfect English gentleman. Given the choices, Edward let Alice select the clothing that would make him look the part of an English gentleman. Emmett and Jasper teased him mercilessly, but Edward knows what he likes and what he doesn't, and that was that." laughed Esme.

Bella laughed as well. "Yes, I imagine my Edward was the most gentlemanly of gentlemen. He must have cut a very striking figure!"

"Oh yes, but then Edward always stands out in any crowd," agreed Esme, pride in her voice for her son.

Esme hesitated and then continued. "Our visit was also memorable for another reason. Did Edward ever tell you about my near slip-up?"

Bella lifted her head in surprise and then shifted her position so she was now facing Esme. "Your near slip-up?"

"Oh yes. One night Carlisle, Edward and I had just come back from the theatre. Carlisle and Edward went to the front desk to check for messages and I told them I would meet them back at the suite. I had almost made it to our suite when the elevator doors opened and the most tempting scent I had smelled in decades came wafting out. It was a young man not much older than Edward. I had no warning, no time to hold my breath and get out of there as quickly as I could." said Esme.

"Oh no! You attacked him?"

"I attacked."

Bella looked at Esme with sympathy in her eyes. "Oh no. And after all those years of not giving in to your bloodlust. So you…drank from him?"

"Not quite. I lured him to a dark corner and just as I was about to bite him, strong arms pulled me away. Fortunately Edward and Carlisle were already on their way up and Edward had heard my thoughts before I attacked. They sprinted up the stairs the rest of the way, not caring if they were seen. Carlisle pulled me away just in time, but then the young man started yelling and raised the alarm. He had seen me and knew who my companions were. Very quickly the hotel was on alert, looking for Edward, Carlisle and myself. In the chaos we didn't see which way Edward had gone. All we knew was we had to get out of there quickly. So Carlisle had to make a choice: get me out of there, far away and as fast as possible, but without Edward; or he could risk us all and pray that Edward would appear any minute and we could leave together."

"And what choice did Carlisle make?" asked Bella anxiously. Esme knew why she was feeling this way.

"Carlisle chose me. He made me his priority and chose to get me to safety." Esme replied.

"So, Carlisle chose you first, even if it meant that Edward might be in danger?" asked Bella, staring closely at Esme's face as she waited for her answer.

"Yes, Bella. You will do anything to keep your mate safe, and he chose me first. Afterwards I felt incredibly guilty that my actions had forced Carlisle to make a choice that I felt may have been selfish. I mean, there really was nothing to worry about with Edward. He had made it out of the hotel quickly, with our belongings I might add! He caught our scents and we left the area together, but I was so afraid Edward might blame me or worse, leave because of my actions and I didn't want him to leave. When Edward realized how guilty I felt he talked to me and made sure that I understood he felt there was nothing to forgive. There was no betrayal of family bonds, no one was going anywhere. And I've learned over the years that no matter what choice your heart makes, it's always the right one." Esme said quietly. "Do you understand what I'm saying, Bella?"

"Yes, I do," whispered Bella. "Thank you for sharing that with me, Esme. I know that all of you know it's something I had been struggling with, but I think the message has finally begun to sink into this thick skull of mine!"

"Good!" laughed Esme. "Eternity is a long time to go around feeling guilty, my dear."

Bella laughed softly, and snuggled in closer to Esme as Esme continued to softly stroke Bella's hair and forehead.

Esme smiled lovingly as she watched Bella's breathing become deeper and she fell asleep. Her expression was tender as she looked at this young girl who had become the center of the Cullen family. She loved this girl so much.

Esme looked up and saw Edward standing quietly in the doorway. He had been standing there for quite a while and had heard all of their conversation. There was a tender expression on his face, his golden eyes glowing as he took in the beauty of the scene in front of the fireplace, a mother and daughter quietly spending an evening together sharing confidences and stories. It gratified him to see this bond between two women he loved. And Esme was able to give Bella the one thing that Renee never could: an unselfish, nurturing and protective love. Edward had never seen a more beautiful picture than the one before him. Carlisle quietly came up from behind Edward to take in the touching tableau. The two men smiled at each other, both content to see this little bit of heaven on earth.

A/N: In this chapter I wanted to show how much Bella views Esme as her "mother"...they've become very close, as mothers and daughters should be. Please review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks :D