EPOV

Leaning over the edge of the bed, I grabbed the covers we had both hastily thrown to the floor, pulling them over us. "Don't get too comfy. I don't want to sleep my day away." I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist, and pulled her closer to me. Her head tucked underneath my chin.

"We're not sleeping," she said snuggling closer. "Just resting our eyes."

Even though we were not supposed to be sleeping, I awoke to the sound of someone banging on her front door. I looked around and discovered Bella wasn't here. Getting out of bed I grabbed my clothes, discovering trying to dress and walk at the same time doesn't work.

Just as I reached the hallway, Bella stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, her back to me, walking into the living room.

She's going to be the death of me. "Bella, you're not answering the door in that are you?" I was sure she wasn't but I had to ask.

She screamed, spinning towards me, her towel threatening to slide down.

"Edward," she gasped. "Your scared me! I was trying to see who's here."

Stepping around her. I couldn't see who was on her porch but I knew the car sitting behind mine in driveway.

"Who is it?" she asked standing behind me.

"Your Dad," I told her as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"You're going to have to let him in. I'll get dressed."

Great. Opening the door I greeted Charlie, "Charlie!"

Stepping inside he said, "Where's Bella?" He cut right to the chase.

"She's getting dressed. She will be right out." Probably wasn't the best thing to say considering he kept clinching and un-clinching his hand around the gun he was wearing.

So much for the truce we had reached two days ago.

Before he could say or do anything, Bella appeared, running her fingers through her wet hair, pulling it back into ponytail. "Dad, what are you doing here? Is something wrong?"

I couldn't resist when I saw what she was wearing. Cut-off sweats and a hooded sweatshirt two sizes too big, laughing I said, "Hey that's my sweatshirt. And I'm pretty sure at one time those were my sweats that you cut the legs off of."

Glaring at me she said, "Now is not the time to notice clothes you didn't realize you were missing."

What else had she taken of mine that I hadn't noticed?

Charlie cleared his throat clearly not amused by my outburst, "If you would have answered your phone, I wouldn't have stopped by." He sighed before continuing, "I've called several times this morning. Didn't you hear your phone?"

Hugging Charlie she said, "I'm sorry. I turned it off when I put it on the charger last night and forgot about it. We slept in this morning and I haven't turned it on yet."

"I noticed that," he said looking at me with disapproval after hearing we slept in.

I didn't relax my stance. I continued to stand there with my arms crossed. His approval was something I would never have when it came to Bella.

Walking towards the door he said, "Now that I know you're okay I'll go."

Kissing Charlie on the cheek she replied, "I'm sorry I worried you. I'll call you tomorrow."

As Bella stood looking out the glass storm door I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist I said, "That was awkward."

She leaned back against me bringing her right hand up to caress my face, "Just a little. He never stops by."

Not wanting to analyst the reason for Charlie stopping by, I kissed her temple. "Besides what you are wearing what else haven't I missed from my closet?"

Turning in my arms, placing her arms around my neck, "A few hooded sweatshirts, a handful of t-shirts and another pair of sweat pants that I also cut the legs off of." She leaned in and kissed me slowly and sweetly.

Considering she had also been missing from my life, a few clothes didn't matter.

I brushed my lips across hers once more, "I need to run home." Feeling her pull away from me, I pulled her closer. "Why don't you come with me and we can get some lunch since we slept till noon and missed breakfast."

Looking up at me she replied, "I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

She went and changed out of the cut-off sweats into a pair of jeans. She was definitely going to be the death of me. She had changed into a pair of boot cut jeans that sat low on her hips and a snug fitting button up shirt. Even though I knew every inch of her, that outfit left very little to the imagination to what was underneath.

Since I was starting at her with my mouth open, she was looking at me worried. "Is something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Shaking my head no I replied, "No. You look great. Ready?"

I had to laugh because as soon as we got in the car she went right for the stereo controls. Music was the one thing we disagreed on when in the car together when we were younger. She consistently changed stations and apparently that hadn't changed. Two stop signs and a stop light I had heard ten different stations but not a complete song.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked.

Still laughing I said, "Just wondering if you were going to find a song that you like and leave it there."

"Obviously I didn't or I would have stopped." Annoyed that I was still laughing she added, "It's not that funny."

Pulling up to my apartment Bella asked, "Why didn't you move back home with your parents?"

"Probably the same reason you didn't move in with Charlie. Too many years out on my own."

"I guess you're right," she answered.

Stepping inside I said, "Let me take a quick shower and then we can decide what we want to do today."

I wasn't for sure how I had functioned so long without her. I finished my shower, dressed quickly, hating being away from Bella for the last fifteen minutes.

Stepping out of the bathroom I called her name. "Bella!"

From my bedroom she answered. "I'm in here." She was sitting against the wall between my bed and dresser with the small fireproof safe I kept important papers in between her legs and various items from it laid around her. With tears in her eyes and embarrassed she added, "Edward, I wasn't being nosy. I was just wondering around waiting on you and it was sitting on the bed opened. I'm sorry."

Damn. I had totally forgot I had it out the other day before I left for work. "Bella, it's okay. Aside from a few things, everything in there is as much yours as it is mine." I felt stupid having left it out. I never did that. Then on top of leaving it out, it was not only unlocked but also opened. What if there had been a fire or someone broke in. What if everything in it was lost?

But instead of what ifs, the reality was Bella was sitting among the contents.

Glancing into the box, several of my personal items were left, my birth certificate, high school diploma, college diploma, medical school diploma, my medical license and my malpractice insurance policy. I knew what she had out.

She wasn't making an effort to get up from the floor, so I walked towards her. "Scoot forward, let me sit behind you." She leaned away from the wall so I could sit behind her, my back against the wall, her sitting between my legs, and a few items from our previous life together sitting between hers.

I wasn't for sure if this was going to help or hurt us.

We sat there in silence for several minutes before she spoke. "You must think I'm cold-hearted by leaving all of this behind." She wrapped my arms around her and intertwined our fingers as she leaned her head against my chest.

Leaning my head against hers, "That thought never crossed my mind. I said it before; I understand you had your reasons for doing what you did. I just don't agree with how you handled it."

She had everything laid out in somewhat of a chronological order.

She had taken our certificate of marriage out of its envelope and laid the black velvet jewelry box on top of it.

Untwining her fingers from my right hand, I reached for the box. I took a deep breath and started to open it.

"Don't," she pleaded.

"Bella, it'll be okay. This is something we need to do. Together."

As I opened the box I felt her breathing hard and quickly as if she was out of breath against my chest. "Bella, you need to calm down or you're going to start hyperventilating."

Feeling her tears hitting my arm, she whispered, "I'm okay."

I was an ass for doing this to her but it was time that we visited the past so that we could live in the present and start our future together.

Nestled in the box was her wedding band, a 3/8-carat t.w. ring, a row of nine sparkling round diamonds set in 14K white gold. She refused an engagement ring but I had insisted that she have diamonds in her wedding band.

She surprised me when she took the box from my hand. Leaving it in the box she ran her fingers across the row of diamonds. "I forgot how beautiful it was." Sighing she added, "Thinking back to that day, taking this ring off that symbolized your unending love for me and leaving you was the hardest thing I've ever done."

I wasn't going to respond and ask more questions. I had already said it once today; I disagreed with how she handled it.

She picked up our certificate of marriage, put it back in the envelope and placed it back in the safe. Taking a deep breath she closed the lid over her ring and laid it on top of the envelope. But not before her tears splashed onto the envelope leaving several wet drops.

With that gesture she put one chapter of our life away. The chapter wasn't closed, since it could never be closed completely, just tucked away.

Pulling her knees up to her chest, picking up Elijah's birth certificate she asked, "Do you ever wonder what our life would have been like if he would have lived?"

With one arm wrapped around her waist and the other wrapped around her shoulders, I leaned my head towards hers and answered, "Everyday. It's usually the first and last thought of my day. "

She turned her head and kissed my cheek. "Me too."

Continuing she added, "I requested a duplicate copy of his birth certificate a couple of years ago. That is how I was able to have his foot tattooed on my wrist. I got the idea from a professor at Dartmouth. She took her jacket off one day in class, wearing a dressy tank top, revealing a tattoo on her shoulder. I had never seen anything like it." She was rubbing her fingers across his name and his foot when she finished, "It was a baby's left and right foot with angels' wings coming off of them. I didn't want anything that big. Once the copy came in the mail and I saw how small his foot was, I decided I wanted it on my wrist. Someplace I could see it."

Hugging her to me, I took her wrist and brought it to my lips. "You picked the perfect spot," kissing it.

With his birth certificate in hand she picked up his death certificate and put both of them in the safe. Another chapter tucked away.

Finally, Bella picked up the unopened envelope addressed to me from the county clerk of courts office. "You never opened this."

Shaking my head no. "I didn't want to see the written words stating our marriage was null and void as if it never existed."

"The attorney suggested an annulment. He said since we were so young it would be the best route to go. It wasn't until after it was final that I realized what annulment meant," she said, putting the unopened envelope into the safe, closing the lid.

Over the years I always carried a dull ache in my chest but the last few days it hadn't been present. When I first saw her sitting amongst the items I thought it would open back up but it didn't.

I think we were going to be okay.