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Chapter Six

Memories

EPOV

School had been mostly uneventful for all of us, except the few moments that Bella and I had to spend with Andrew Newton, the grandson of the man who had started vying for Bella's attention as soon as she arrived in Forks. His grandson had proven that the concept of the apple doesn't fall from the tree was pretty accurate. Andrew Newton had proven to be just as annoying as the senior Newton. I had to admit, that speaking to him, did give me the knowledge that old Mike Newton was still alive, though suffering from Alzheimer's. I felt a sense of guilt surge through my body for even thinking ill thoughts toward Newton anymore, at least I had a blessed existence and I had Bella.

As soon as the bell rang, we were out of the school. Bella and I had our last class of the day together so we headed to our car to wait for the others. The students that came out walked slowly by us, trying to catch a glimpse without being too obvious. "Edward, you remember the first day that I rode with you to school?" she asked as she lifted her shield to reply her memories of that day.

I laughed in response. "Perhaps the children have learned what subtle means?" I remarked back to Bella. As the guys passed by I could hear their many thoughts of asking her name, how the new kids all had strange eyes, one kid was on the phone and going as far as describing us as almost albino but not with red eyes. I let out a loud chuckle. "Oh, Bella."

Bella of course, not being able to hear the thoughts of those all around us, had no clue what was making me laugh. "You know, you promised you would share the thoughts especially if they are funny."

I laughed even harder as she reminded me but I knew would tell her. I liked seeing her brow fury when I made her wait. "That kid," I pointed to the boy at the far end of the lot who was still looking aimlessly in our direction, "was describing us to his mother as albino but not with red eyes. When he said albino, I remembered how you made so many jokes about being albino when you came here because you were questioned so often about not being more tanned, coming from Arizona and all."

Bella's eyes pinched together as she stared at me. "I never told you about the albino remarks."

Uh oh, I thought to myself. I'm caught. I grinned and started to explain, "when you came here, I told you everybody was only talking bout you. I hadn't met you yet, hadn't actually seen you for myself. I listened into the conversations surrounding you…I heard you…before I ever saw you." I was almost embarrassed that I hadn't told Bella that. "I'm sorry, love, that I hadn't told you."

Bella shrugged to let me know it was no big deal as the rest of our family joined us. We darted out of the parkway, cutting off numerous vehicles behind us. We had barely gotten out of the car and started for the house when Bella's cellular phone began to ring. I had been interrupted as I was just about to whisk Bella off to have some alone time. I had skipped one class on my first day of school to insure that where I was going to take Bella would be up to par for my love. The phone rang once more and Bella swiftly picked it up and answered, "Renesmee!" she exclaimed.

I had looked to Alice but with Renesmee being with Jacob, Alice rarely got any visions regarding her. Alice could see Emma a little bit more than Renesmee, but not when Jacob was around. We had hoped that over time, Alice's visions would grow to include the wolves but that had not been the case. "Momma, I miss you and dad so much," Renesmee was saying to Bella. "But I understand why you wanted to go home for a few years. Jacob and I will be there to visit soon. We spoke with Seth last night and he is dying to meet Emma, Momma."

Sometimes being a mind reader really paid off, especially when you were the one without the phone in your hand. "Ness, I miss you too. Emma and Jacob as well. It will be wonderful when you come! Your dad and I went by my dad's old house. It will be just as you remember it, Ness. Have you seen your brother?" Bella asked

The other side of the phone had a little bit of static then it cleared up. "Yes, Masen is actually staying with us now. We didn't like not being together so I told Jake that Mase was going to be living with us. Emma is overjoyed. Everything is fine here. Momma, I have to go, Emma is going to paint the whole living room with her dinner if I don't get in there. Love you much, dad too. Send my love to everyone."

"I love you all too, and I will, Renesmee," Bella said as she closed her cell phone. She looked over to me with one of the largest Bella smiles I had seen in a long time. "Nessie sounds great, said to tell you she loves you. The others too."

I walked over to Bella and brought her hand into mine. "Bella, I think you and I need to share the evening, explore Forks," I suggested with a sly grin and wink.

I began to bound away, slower than normal at first to make sure that Bella would follow. I could smell her scent only a pace or two behind me. I slowed just a bit more so that she and I would be running side by side. After Bella's transformation, I gave her the after car that was one of the fastest cars of its time, but Bella preferred to run. She and I would run for hours and had ended up on several occasions in Canada. As a human, she had never understand how or why I liked to run everywhere, but now as an immortal she understand. To human eyes, when immortals run, it is nothing but a blur. When human Bella would ride my back as I flew through the forest with her, she couldn't make out much of the passing surroundings. After she became immortal, her eyes refocused and she could see all that we did. My instincts allowed perfect vision while running, never missing anything within my view. All of our senses heightened upon transformation and remained that way. I heard the happiness escape my wife's throat when she realized where we had arrived.

I had brought her into our meadow from an opposite direction than we normally would have went. It was still perfectly circular as it had been when we left. The flowers had not bloomed yet but it was still our meadow. The sun was beaming down and my Bella was sparkling brilliantly. I had found this meadow one day while I was out for one of my runs. Alice had asked me once if I had created this meadow for us, but I had not. I had found it around the time of my meeting Bella. I knew I had to bring her here and that this would be our special place.

Bella ran around the meadow several bounds and came back to me. The trees were still covered with a canopy of ferns, that had grown just slightly since our last visit here. "This was something I couldn't wait to see again," Bella exclaimed as she joined my side. She rested her chin on the outside of my shoulder as we took in the sight of our special place on earth. "Besides my dad, this is the one thing I missed most about Forks."

I brought my arms around Bella as we sat down on the ground. Bella lifted her shield, remembering the first time we come here, how I had scared her when I showed her the perfect predator that I was, that we are. I brought my arms tighter around her. "Bella, I will never forgive myself for ever hurting you or scaring you, but truly, at the time, I thought I was doing you a favor. I wanted you to run from me. You know I would have never chosen this life for you."

Bella nodded. "Edward, I know why you did it and I understand now. But I want to know, after the way everything has gone in our existence, our children, our love, our marriage, would you still not choose this life for me?"

I had thought about that same question many times, yet Bella herself had never asked it of me. I had thought occasionally what would my existence be like if I hadn't changed her. I would probably would have said goodbye to her by now if she had remained human. "Bella, its hard to answer a question like that when life is so perfect with you. Knowing how life would turn out for you, knowing you would have had the pleasures and joys of being a mother, of being capable of all the human things you are, if I had known it possible back then, I wouldn't have argued so much. I would have been a lot less reluctant."

Bella thought about my answer. I knew it made more sense to her now, but I also knew I hadn't given her a straight answer. I would never not want Bella in my life so if I had chose to let her stay human, that would have eventually occurred. Though from day one, I had decided I would never live without her. If she had stayed a human, my existence would have ceased not long after her life. "I understand, your hidden answer, but I understand."

I still felt the need to let Bella know how I felt about our existence together. "I couldn't ask for my existence to have been any better than having met you and being with you. I wouldn't want to change anything that has happened with us, for us to be together…other than the one time when I left you."

Bella lightly swatted my arm. "Edward, I told you to never mention that again. Everything worked out just as it should have. If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have become friends with Jacob and with my knowing Jacob, that brought the peace with the wolves that we would have needed with the Volturi. Everything that was part of my human past made way for our existence."

I had not really allowed myself to think of what Bella was saying to me but it all made perfect sense. Bella had always brought that to my existence. "Bella, love, I believe I couldn't have said that better myself. Isabella Marie Cullen, I will love you forever." Bella kissed my lips lightly and laid her head on my chest as she had done so many times before. We laid in our meadow and watched as the sun set. Twilight had always been our time. I pulled her close and brought my hand to her face. "Every day of forever."