The Gift
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyers owns all Twilight and the Characters
Chapter 6 A New Day
EPOV
I awoke the next morning staring into a pair of green eyes and quiet giggles. I rubbed my eyes before sitting up. Looking over at the clock I noticed that it was seven-thirty in morning and the power was back. Carly jumped up on the couch beside me and I saw Bella still curled up in the floor sleeping.
"Orning," Carly said grinning.
"Morning sweet girl," I replied looking at her. "Are you hungry this morning?"
"Mommy still sleeping," she told me.
"I know," I said looking back at Bella. She looked so peaceful and I didn't want to wake her yet. "Why don't we go and make breakfast just the two of us?"
Once we were in the kitchen I was told to make her a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk. Never in my life had I ever been told what to especially by a four year child. While she ate I started to fry up some eggs and French toast for Bella and myself. As I finished cooking I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Carly eat. She would take a bite then offer her stuff animal a spoonful.
"It smells good in here," Bella said as I sat the plates down on the table.
"Mommy you up," Carly said jumping from her seat and running over to Bella. "Dward made us breakfast this morning."
"I can see that," she said hugging Carly. "Why don't you go on up to your room and play?"
"Okay," Carly said running back to the table to get her toy. Before she headed up the stairs she stopped and hugged my leg. "Thank you Dward."
"Your welcome sweet girl," I said as she skipped out of the kitchen. Bella walked over to the table and sat down. As I cleaned up Carly's bowel I looked over at Bella. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Yes," she answered. "Thank you for breakfast and for already giving Carly hers."
"We wanted to let you sleep some more," I said as I rinsed Carly's bowl in the sink.
"Edward," Bella said and I turned around. She started to bite her lower lip and I knew that something was on her mind. "Why did you have to protect Emmett?"
"You heard me," I said shocked.
"Yes," she answered me. "Tell me what really happened. You at least owe me that much."
"Okay," I replied walking over and sitting down at the table across from her. "After you left that morning, Tanya came knocking on the front door. I didn't know her but Emmett knew her as soon as he saw her. Apparently they met at a party, had to much to drink and one thing led to another."
"She said that Emmett raped her," she said giving me a chance to take a breath.
"Yes," I answered.
"Emmett would never do that," she interjected. "How did our relationship come into play?"
"She had been watching me on campus for a few weeks and knew that I had a girl at home," I said looking down at the table. "She said that if I agreed to marry her and stay married for a year then she wouldn't press charges against Emmett. All she wanted was the Cullen name and would do anything to get it."
"Why couldn't you tell me," she said shaking her head.
"I didn't know what to do," I said running my hands through my hair. "Mom and dad were pissed because they were going to lose you. Tanya wanted to be there when I told you that I chose her. I was tore into two pieces that night. I wanted to run after you, tell you the truth and tell you to wait on me. The other half had to protect my brother, and the rest of my family from that witch."
"You're no longer married," she said as tears fell down her face.
"No," I said wiping them off her face. "I filed for divorce the day after her one year anniversary. What about you and Mike?"
"I only married him because I was so mad and hurt at you," she said. "So when I found him and Jessica in bed together I divorced him gladly."
"All that I am asking is to have my best friend back," I said taking a bite of my breakfast. She didn't answer me as we sat there in silence for the remainder of breakfast.
"I'll do that," she said stopping me as I started to clear the table. "You cooked this morning, so the least I could do is clean it up."
"How about a compromise," I said with a grin. "I'll dry them if you wash them."
"Deal," she said laughing. "Just as long as you don't touch the knives."
"You've got a deal," I said laughing with her. It felt wonderful to hear her laugh again, and it warmed my heart to see her smile. As we washed the dishes I couldn't help but steal glances of her. As I watched her I wished that things could be better between us.
"Mommy," Carly said running in the kitchen. "Can Dward stay and help with the tree?"
"I don't know," Bella answered looking at me.
"Please Dward," Carly said begging to me.
"Anything for you sweet girl," I answered and she started jumping up and down.
"You don't have to do any of this," Bella said once Carly was out of the room.
"I know," I said smiling at her. "I want to do this. I want to be here.
"I haven't had time to get the decorations out," she said walking towards the living room with me following behind her.
"You go and get ready for the day," I told her as she thought hard about something. "I'll get them out of the attic where Charlie leaves them."
"Okay," she said walking up the stairs.
When she went up the stairs I folded up all the blankets and stacked them and the pillows on the couch. Before I headed up the stairs I made sure that the living room was straightened up and that the tree had plenty of water. Grabbing the stack of pillows and blankets I made my way upstairs. I dropped them off at the linen closest before pulling down the attic ladder. As I climbed up the ladder I could hear giggles coming out of Carly's room, and a smile broke out across my face. Making my way up into the attic I spotted the boxes rather quickly. They were easy to find especially when Charlie had written Christmas Tree Stuff on the box. When I went to them another box caught my attention, and it was marked Edward.
I picked up the box that had my name on it and carried it over to the window. I knew what would be in it before I even opened it up. She had probably boxed up everything that reminded her of me or our life together. Do I blame her no? I blame myself for hurting her and causing her so much pain. I took the lid off and I was right. Inside there were pictures, cards, gifts, and dried flowers that I had given her on many occasions. Digging through the box I pulled something out and stared at it.
"Is everything okay," Bella said climbing up the ladder.
"Yeah," I shoving the object in one of the boxes and closing up the other box. "I'll be right down."
I grabbed the boxes and headed down the ladder and down the stairs into the living room. Carly was bouncing up and down on the couch with a huge smile on her little face. I put the boxes down on the floor next the tree and started to fish out the lights. As I started to string the lights around the tree Bella walked into the living room. She didn't say anything as she curled up onto the couch with Carly and watched me. Charlie chose a good size tree five and a half foot tall tree, so that made stringing it really easy.
"Are you ready to help me sweet girl," I said taking a seat in the chair pulling one of the boxes over to me.
"Yes," she said jumping off Bella's lap and coming over to me.
"You decorate the bottom half," I said laughing watching her and all the excitement in the air. "Your mommy and I will do the top half."
"Okay," she said taking the ornament out of my hands.
While we decorated the tree we laughed as we watched Carly. She would try to find the perfect branch with each ornament. I could see a sparkle in Bella's eyes that I never thought I would see again. She looked happy, she almost looked like her old self and I wished for more time like this. When we finished decorating I made the climb back up the stairs to put the boxes back in the attic. Before I left the attic I made sure to retrieve that object I stuffed in the box.
"Is she sleeping," I asked walking into the living room. I saw her covering up an already sleeping Carly.
"Yeah," she said moving away from the couch. "All the excitement from decorating and the breakfast you all had put her to sleep."
"Thank you," I said pulling her to me into an embrace.
"Thank you for what," she asked.
"This," I started to say. "Today letting me tell you the truth. Spending time with you and your daughter. Thank you."
"What kind of best friend would I be," she replied. "If we didn't spend time together."
"Best friend," I whispered letting her go.
"Of course you are silly," she said looking at the tree. "It's perfect. Thank you for today I haven't seen her this excited in a long time."
"It's almost perfect," I said reaching into my pocket pulling at the object. "I think that it is missing something."
"Like what," she said turning around to see the snowflake ornament that I held. "Where did you find it?"
"In the box with my name on it," I said handing it to her. I gave this to her the first Christmas her mom left.
"Thank you," she said walking over to the tree and turning to him. "Could you help me?"
"Sure," I said walking over to her. I could see the branch that she wanted to hang it on. I put my hands around on her waist and lifted her up. Once she had placed it on the branch I started to loose my balance. I fell backwards hitting the floor and she landed on top of me laughing.
"Are you okay," she said still laughing as she got up.
"Yes," I said getting up. I didn't want to leave, but I knew that everyone would probably be wondering where I was. "I had better get going."
"Okay," she answered. I grabbed my coat and walked to door with her behind me.
"Can I come over again," I asked opening the door.
"Yes," she answered me with a smile.
Before leaving out the front door I hugged her goodbye. This time she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me in return. We let each other go and I walked back to the jeep. She closed the door once the engine was started and I was on my way home. There was something still there between us and we were one step closer to being together.
BPOV
I awoke the next morning to sounds of laughter and the smell of something cooking in the kitchen. I looked up in the chair and noticed that Carly was already up. Then looking towards the couch I noticed that Edward was up as well. Getting up from the floor I walked towards the kitchen I saw a scene that touched my heart. Carly was at the table eating and Edward was cooking breakfast and chuckling at Carly's actions.
"It smells good in here," I said as he sat the plates down on the table.
"Mommy you up," Carly said jumping from her seat and running over to me. "Dward made us breakfast this morning."
"I can see that," I said hugging Carly good morning. "Why don't you go on up to your room and play?"
"Okay," Carly said running back to the table to get her toy. Before she headed up the stairs she stopped and hugged his leg. "Thank you Dward."
"Your welcome sweet girl," he said as she skipped out of the kitchen. I walked over to the table and sat down. As he cleaned up Carly's bowel he looked over at me. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Yes," I answered. "Thank you for breakfast and for already giving Carly hers."
"We wanted to let you sleep some more," he said as he rinsed Carly's bowl in the sink.
"Edward," I said and he turned around. I started to bite my lower lip and I needed to know what really happened to us so that I could move on. Maybe if I knew the truth I could possibly be friends with him again. "Why did you have to protect Emmett?"
"You heard me," he said shocked.
"Yes," I answered him. "Tell me what really happened. You at least owe me that much."
"Okay," he replied walking over and sitting down at the table across from me. "After you left that morning, Tanya came knocking on the front door. I didn't know her but Emmett knew her as soon as he saw her. Apparently they met at a party, had to much to drink and one thing led to another."
"She said that Emmett raped her," I said shocked. I knew that Emmett would never do anything like that.
"Yes," he answered before I could anything else.
"Emmett would never do that," I interjected. "How did our relationship come into play?"
"She had been watching me on campus for a few weeks and knew that I had a girl at home," he said looking down at the table. "She said that if I agreed to marry her and stay married for a year then she wouldn't press charges against Emmett. All she wanted was the Cullen name and would do anything to get it."
"Why couldn't you tell me," I said shaking my head. I could feel the tears starting to form.
"I didn't know what to do," he said running his hands through his hair. "Mom and dad were pissed because they were going to lose you. Tanya wanted to be there when I told you that I chose her. I was tore into two pieces that night. I wanted to run after you, tell you the truth and tell you to wait on me. The other half had to protect my brother, and the rest of my family from that witch."
"You're no longer married," I said as tears fell down my face.
"No," he said wiping them off my face. "I filed for divorce the day after her one year anniversary. What about you and Mike?"
"I only married him because I was so mad and hurt at you," I said not telling the whole truth. It was all he needed to know right now. "So when I found him and Jessica in bed together I divorced him gladly."
"All that I am asking is to have my best friend back," he said taking a bite of his breakfast. I didn't answer him as we sat there in silence for the remainder of breakfast. I just didn't know what to say to him yet.
"I'll do that," I said stopping him as he started to clear the table. "You cooked this morning, so the least I could do is clean it up."
"How about a compromise," he said with a grin. "I'll dry them if you wash them."
"Deal," I said laughing. "Just as long as you don't touch the knives."
"You've got a deal," he said laughing with me. I didn't need anymore accidents like the one we had last night.
"Mommy," Carly said running in the kitchen. "Can Dward stay and help with the tree?"
"I don't know," I answered looking at me. To tell the truth I didn't want him to leave yet. In fact, I wasn't ready for him to leave yet either.
"Please Dward," Carly said begging to him.
"Anything for you sweet girl," he answered and she started jumping up and down.
"You don't have to do any of this," I said once Carly was out of the room.
"I know," he said smiling at me. "I want to do this. I want to be here.
"I haven't had time to get the decorations out," I said walking towards the living room with him following behind me.
"You go and get ready for the day," he told me as I tried to remember if the decorations were really in the attic. "I'll get them out of the attic where Charlie leaves them."
"Okay," I said walking up the stairs.
I walked into Carly's room to get her dressed for the day. When I found her sitting in front of her doll house she was already dressed for the day.
"How did you get dressed without me," I said sitting on her bed.
"Rose," she said coming to sit on my lap. "She set them out yesterday."
"That was very nice of her," I said tickling her and we both laughed together. "Since you are dressed already. I'm going to go get dressed now."
"Okay," she said jumping down. I left her room and walked to noticing that that attic ladder was down.
While I was getting dressed I had so many emotions going through me. I didn't know if I should been mad, hurt, or sad with what he told me. There was one thing that I was feeling for him. I never stopped loving him. Like him I, he was always on my mind everyday that we were apart. Of course now I don't know hoe he would feel when he finds out about the truth. Would he still love me? I looked at the clock and noticed that he had been in the attic for a while. I hoped that nothing was wrong.
"Is everything okay," I said climbing up the ladder.
"Yeah," I said rather quickly. "I'll be right down."
"Mommy," Carly said leaving her room. "Can I go downstairs now?"
"Yes," I answered her. "Only if you sit on the couch."
I went back to my for a couple of minutes before heading down the stairs. When I walked into the living room I noticed that he was stringing the tree with lights. So I curled up onto the couch with Carly, while he did that.
"Are you ready to help me sweet girl," he said to Carly taking a seat in the chair pulling one of the boxes over to him.
"Yes," she said jumping off my lap and going over to him.
"You decorate the bottom half," he said laughing watching her and all the excitement in the air. "Your mommy and I will do the top half."
"Okay," she said taking the ornament out of his hands.
While we decorated the tree we laughed as we watched Carly. She would try to find the perfect branch with each ornament. I watched as his eyes sparkled almost as if it was already Christmas morning to him. I knew then that I needed my best friend back in my life. More importantly I needed Edward back in my life. While he took the boxes back to the attic I spotted Carly laying down on the couch.
"Are you ready for a nap," I asked her.
"Yes mommy," she said yawning.
"Night baby girl," I said kissing her cheek.
"Is she sleeping," he asked walking into the living room. I was covering up an already sleeping Carly.
"Yeah," I said moving away from the couch. "All the excitement from decorating and the breakfast you all had put her to sleep."
"Thank you," he said pulling me to him into an embrace.
"Thank you for what," I asked taking in his scent.
"This," he started to say. "Today letting me tell you the truth. Spending time with you and your daughter. Thank you."
"What kind of best friend would I be," I replied. "If we didn't spend time together."
"Best friend," he whispered letting me go.
"Of course you are silly," I said looking at the tree. "It's perfect. Thank you for today I haven't seen her this excited in a long time."
"It's almost perfect," he said. "I think that it is missing something."
"Like what," I said turning around to see the snowflake ornament that he held. "Where did you find it?"
"In the box with my name on it," he said handing it to me. He gave it to me the first Christmas after Renee left me and Charlie. I had completely forgotten that I put it in that box
"Thank you," I said walking over to the tree and turning to him. "Could you help me?"
"Sure," he said walking over to me. He put his hands around on my waist and lifted me up. Once I had placed it on the branch he started to loose his balance. He fell backwards hitting the floor and I landed on top of him laughing.
"Are you okay," I said still laughing as I got up.
"Yes," he said getting up. "I had better get going."
"Okay," I answered. I didn't want him to leave yet. He grabbed his coat and I followed him to door
"Can I come over again," he asked opening the door.
"Yes," I answered him with a smile. I hoped that he would come back over soon.
Before leaving out the front door he hugged me goodbye. This time I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him in return. We let each other go and I watched him walk to the jeep. Once the jeep was started and he had pulled out of the driveway I closed the door. Walking into the living I smiled knowing that I happy to have my best friend back in my life.
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