Bella's POV
The weekend of my wedding had arrived. After a month of planning, things were finally coming to fruition. Edward and I had left early from work the day before so we could spend Friday afternoon with Esme, getting the final details ironed out before everyone else came up Saturday, although we'd told Alice and Rose we were going up early to spend some extra time with my dad because he was spending Memorial Day with Sue at the reservation. Because of the holiday, we'd had Sasha and Mrs. Cope cover for us Friday and Saturday morning, but they were both closing the stores Saturday at lunch, and we wouldn't reopen until Tuesday.
"So we're telling them about the real plans when they get here, right?" Edward asked, sliding his arms around me from behind as I stood at the front window, gazing out into the rare early morning sun.
I made a quiet hum of agreement, tilting my head so he could kiss my neck. "I don't think there's any way we can keep it from them until tomorrow," I said.
"No," he agreed with a chuckle, "I doubt we could. Alice is like a little bloodhound when it comes to things like that. She'd take one look at your face and know."
"At least I was able to sneak into their closets and get the dresses and shoes without them noticing," I said, grinning. "I thought for sure I'd get a phone call last night from Alice, claiming she'd been robbed. If she wasn't pregnant, I think she might've noticed even one pair of shoes missing from the racks and racks she has in there."
Edward shook his head and smiled against my temple as we watched Emmett's Jeep coming up the drive.
"They're here, Mom," he called, leaning back so he didn't shout into my ear. "Come on, love. Let's go see how long it takes my sister—"
"Isabella Marie Swan!" we heard from outside.
We both laughed, shaking our heads as we moved toward the door. Here less than thirty seconds, and she'd already figured it out.
As we stepped outside, Alice threw herself into my arms, squealing. "Bella! Why didn't you tell us?"
Smirking, I asked, "Tell you what, Alice?"
"Give it up, Bells," Emmett boomed, walking up with Jasper and Rose, his arms full of bags. "She figured it out about two minutes into the drive up here."
I sighed and then laughed. "Yes, Alice," I told my soon-to-be sister. "We're getting married tomorrow."
Alice squealed again. "Come on, Bella," she said, dragging me toward the door. "Tell us everything!"
~*~CIBD~*~
Sunday afternoon, there was a distinct buzz in the air throughout the house as everyone took care of last-minute details. I'd showered and shaved when I woke up, smoothing out my legs and underarms in preparation for the ceremony, and Alice and Rose had just finish doing my hair and makeup. We'd kept it simple—my hair was slick and soft, my makeup light and natural. I'd just slipped on my dress and was checking it in the mirror when there was a knock on Esme's bedroom door.
"Knock knock," my dad said. "Bells, can I come in?"
"Yeah, Dad," I answered. "Come in."
When he slipped into the room, he gasped, and I looked up to see his reflection in the floor-length mirror. My normally stoic, non-demonstrative father had his hand over his mouth and tears in his eyes.
"You—You look beautiful, Bella," he said, his voice hoarse. "You look so much like your mother."
I swallowed, turning to face him. "Yeah?" At his nod, I sighed. "I wish she were here."
"Me, too, Bells," he huffed in agreement. Walking toward me, he pulled a small wooden box from his pocket. "I talked to little Alice. She told me you have your something new"—he looked at my ring—"something borrowed"—and up to the jeweled hair clip from Rose—"and something blue."
Cue my blush as I thought about the garter around my left thigh.
"I told her I had your something old, if you wanted it," he mumbled before holding the box out to me.
When I opened the box and saw the beautiful earrings, I felt my own eyes fill with tears. I blinked them back—Alice and Rose would kill me if I ruined my makeup—and lifted one of the dainty earrings from the box.
"I remember these," I said around the lump in my throat.
He nodded. "I gave them to your mother as her wedding gift. I had to save up for months. She, uh, left them for me when she died, with a letter asking me to make sure you had them when you got married. I think she would've liked Edward." He brushed a finger down my cheek and smiled. "He's a good man, Bells. He'll do right by you. And you couldn't ask for a better family."
Without any care or thought to my dress, hair, or makeup, I threw my arms around my father's waist and pressed my cheek to his.
"I already have a great family. Don't ever doubt that," I whispered.
After a moment, he sniffed once and then pulled away, his cheeks damp. "I'll send the girls in to, uh, help get you fixed up," he said, motioning to my own tears.
"Thanks," I said, turning back to the dressing table to grab a tissue.
He was silent as he slipped back out of the room.
~*~*~CIBD~*~*~
Edward's POV
I was fidgeting at the end of the makeshift aisle we'd made in my parents' backyard, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. My dad, who was standing beside me, put his hand on my shoulder.
"You okay, son?" he asked, sounding amused.
Nodding, I said, "Anxious." I hadn't seen Bella since before midnight the night before; Alice, Rose, and my mother had all insisted on tradition, in that Bella and I weren't allowed to see one another on our wedding day until the ceremony.
He squeezed my shoulder once and smiled. "Don't worry. It'll be anytime now."
I looked around the rest of the yard. It had been transformed into a beautiful spring garden wedding, with colorful flowers everywhere. My parents had rented white chairs for the few guests we'd invited last minute—including Ben and Angela from Seattle, Jake, Seth, and a few of the other guys from the reservation, and Sue. Charlie's seat beside her in the front row was empty because he would be walking my Bella down the aisle.
Besides my father, Emmett and Jasper were standing up front with me. We were all wearing khaki pants and white linen shirts, which Alice had objected to until we'd produced ties to match their dresses. She had admitted it would be a pretty wedding for such a casual affair, which was high praise from the fashionista. My own tie was a light pink, to match some of the flowers in Bella's bouquet.
The music changed, and I knew that meant Alice had switched the CD in the stereo, which was hooked up to speakers set up outside. The new melody was a short piece I'd composed to accompany Rose and Alice down the aisle, so I knew what was coming. When the back door opened, I straightened, my eyes glued to the back porch.
Rose came out first, wearing a knee-length, dark green dress. She looked as beautiful as she always did, and the smile she flashed was for Emmett alone. When she was halfway to the front, there was movement, and Alice appeared, dressed in sunshine yellow. She looked almost as excited as she had on her own wedding day.
By the time she'd made it down to me and taken her spot beside Rose, the music was transitioning into the lullaby I'd written for Bella. I shifted on my feet, anxious to see her.
When I thought I was about to go crazy with anticipation, Charlie appeared in the doorway. He stepped out onto the porch and then held his hand out. Within seconds, Bella's hand slid into her father's, and then she stepped into the doorway, coming into view.
She looked absolutely radiant. Her dress was strapless, hugging her breasts like it was made just for her. The dress was tight on the top, emphasizing her slender waist, and then flared from there to her knees. All she was missing was a pair of wings—otherwise, she looked exactly like I imagined an angel to be.
She was looking down at her feet as she stepped over the threshold, but once she had both feet on the deck, she looked up. Her eyes zeroed in on mine, and the smile she gave was nearly blinding. She'd been so nervous the last time we'd spoken that morning, but as soon as she looked into my eyes, I saw no hint of those nerves.
As they began the slow walk down the porch steps, I had to hold myself back from racing down to her and dragging her back up the aisle. I absolutely could not wait for Bella to become my wife.
~*~*~CIBD~*~*~
Bella's POV
"You ready, Bells?" Charlie asked as Alice reached the front. Edward had said the music would change to signal our time to walk.
I smiled and nodded. "More than ready," I answered, gazing out through the curtains into the sunlit backyard. I switched my bouquet to my left hand in preparation. The flowers were a mix of light pink roses and white stephanotis, all tied together with a pretty matching pink ribbon. We'd gotten my bouquet and the ones for Alice and Rose, at a local florist. The flowers spread around the aisle, chairs, and the little staged area for our ceremony had all come from Esme's garden. It had turned out beautifully.
As soon as the melody changed, Charlie opened the door and stepped out onto the deck. When he held his hand out, took a deep breath, slid my hand into his, and stepped into the doorway. I kept my eyes down, not wanting to trip as I stepped down onto the deck. That's when I finally looked up and found the one person I'd been anxious to see since the night before.
Edward.
His beauty quite literally took my breath away, and I gasped at how handsome he looked. It wasn't the clothes he was wearing—although they did look perfect on him—and it wasn't his hair, which he'd obviously tried to tame...unsuccessfully. It was the awe and reverence, the pure love and devotion, I could see on his face, even from my spot just outside the back door.
Edward had completely captured my attention, and I smiled at him, unable to do anything else as Charlie led me slowly down the short aisle.
When we finally—finally!—got to the front, Charlie shook Edward's hand and said something so quietly that I only caught a few words. It sounded like Charlie had told Edward to take care of his little girl. Edward's answer came through loud and clear.
"Always," he murmured, looking down at me and smiling.
Charlie turned to me and brushed a kiss on my cheek before making his way to the empty seat beside Sue in the front row.
Edward took my hand, and we walked a few steps up to where Billy Black was sitting in his wheelchair. We'd debated for days about who we should get to officiate the wedding. One of Emmett's ideas when we'd gone to Alice and Jasper's for dinner was that he could get ordained online and do it, but that thought had scared Edward and terrified me. In actuality, he probably would've done a perfectly fine job, but in the end, I remembered that Billy was legally able to perform weddings—and he routinely did them on the reservation—so I'd called him and asked if he would be willing to perform our ceremony. He'd agreed without hesitation.
"You look beautiful, Isabella," Edward said as we settled into our spots, squeezing my hand gently. "Absolutely stunning."
I smiled in response before turning my attention to Billy.
For a few minutes, we listened as he spoke of love and marriage, even tying in some of the stories and legends of his tribe, before he moved on to the vows.
"Bella and Edward have written their own vows," Billy announced. He looked at me and smiled.
I gave my bouquet to Alice, cleared my throat, and turned to Edward, taking his other hand in mine before speaking.
"I love you, Edward. You are my best friend and will be forever. Today, I give myself to you in marriage to be your wife. I promise to encourage you and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and bad. I promise to cherish and respect you. I vow to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, caring, loving, and being there for you in all life has for us. I will always be the person that you can trust, talk to, and the person that will always understand. I will make my home in your heart. These promises I give you today and all of the days of our lives."
By the time I finished speaking, tears were running down my cheeks. Edward reached up with one hand and brushed them away gently with his thumb before taking my hand again.
He gave me a tremulous smile, one full of emotion, before he began to speak. "My Bella..."
The words—our vows—were the same, but I listened carefully, absorbing each word deep in my heart. We'd spent hours working on those vows; hearing them made me realize they were perfect. They captured exactly what we'd wanted for this memorable day.
I was crying openly by the time he finished. Even though we'd written them together, I hadn't heard him say them aloud before now, and I was suddenly happy about that, because hearing them now, in front of our friends and family, made it all the more special.
"Do we have the rings?" Billy asked, looking to Alice and Carlisle, who passed the rings to Edward and me.
We handed the rings to Billy, who closed his hands around them carefully.
"As circles have no beginning and no end," he began, "rings have naturally come to symbolize eternal love within the union of mind, body, and spirit that constitutes the sanctity of marriage. They are freely offered as gifts of faith and hope as visible signs of the promises given this day. May these rings be blessed and hold the dreams Edward and Isabella share for their union. May the unending circle mirror the sacred vows made between them, now and forever.
"Bella, place this ring on Edward's finger and repeat after me."
I took the white gold band I'd picked out for Edward, slid it onto the ring finger of his left hand, and repeated the words Billy murmured quietly to me.
"Take this ring as a sign of my faith and commitment. Our love has given us wings, and our journey begins today."
Once Edward had added my wedding band to my finger and repeated the words to me, Billy smiled.
"By the power vested in me by the state of Washington, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Edward immediately swooped in and pressed his lips to mine, taking my breath away once again. There were several wolf whistles from Jake, Seth, and the other guys in the audience, which made us chuckle as we pulled apart.
"May I present Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen," Billy said with a laugh. "Congratulations to you both."
We thanked him and then turned to the small crowd, who all stood and clapped as they gathered around us, patting our backs and pulling us into hugs.
Once Emmett had hugged me, he turned to Edward and grabbed him in a big bear hug. When he released him, Emmett turned to Esme and asked, "Food time?"
Everyone laughed at Esme's exasperated expression. "Yes, my bottomless pit. Food time." She gave both Edward and me hugs and then said to the crowd, even as she looked at Emmett, "Bride and groom first, and then you can eat."
~*~CIBD~*~
Three long hours later, Edward took my hand and led me to the stairs.
"Edward? What's going on?" I asked as he pulled me upstairs to his—now our—room.
He simply shook his head and continued walking. The minute the door shut to the bedroom, he pulled me into his arms.
"God, Bella, you are absolutely stunning today, love," he said softly, brushing a kiss across my lips. "You made me the happiest man alive today; you realize that, right?"
I kissed him back and smiled. "I love you," I murmured. "Thank you for today. It was perfect."
He nodded and then flashed me a teasing grin. "What if I told you it was about to get even more perfect?"
I looked at the bed and then back at my new husband with a hopeful look on my face.
Edward laughed and shook his head. "Sorry, love, but we have other plans."
"Plans?" I echoed, wondering what on earth he'd done.
"You didn't think I would let you marry me without planning a honeymoon, did you?"
Actually, it hadn't occurred to me that we would be able to take more time off for a honeymoon, so it was a total shock—although a welcome one!
"What about the stores?" I asked worriedly.
He smiled. "My mom arranged to go back to Port Angeles with the others tomorrow. She's going to stay with Alice and Jasper and will help Sasha and Mrs. Cope with the stores until we return next Saturday."
I was absolutely stunned—I'd had no idea—but I was also growing more and more excited the longer I thought about it.
"Where are we going?" I asked, bouncing with excitement.
Edward just grinned. "Not far. Now, Alice said to tell you everything you'll need to change and get ready for the trip is in the bathroom. Our bags are already in the car, so I'll wait for you downstairs." He leaned down and kissed me again, only this time, it was demanding and heated, full of promises of good things to come. "Hurry, wife. The sooner we leave, the sooner I can make love to the new Mrs. Edward Cullen."
With that, he was gone, closing the door quietly behind him and leaving me stunned in the middle of his bedroom with a huge smile on my face.