Okay, I am sad to say that this is the final chapter of this story. I hope you have all enjoyed the journey with me. Thank you all so very much for the reviews that you have sent me, they are all greatly appreciated!

Chapter 23

Thursday, November 22, 2012

BPOV

I groaned as I rolled out of bed and it was only four in the morning and my babies, all three of them were still sleeping soundly. I had a turkey to cook and it wasn't going to cook itself. After I get all the food prepared, we were going to meet everybody at George and Margaret's for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, something I can't remember ever having.

I tiptoed downstairs with Sammy following slowly behind me and went about preparing the turkey so that I could pop him in the oven. It was a huge thirty two pound turkey. After I had the turkey prepared, I mixed together the cornbread mix for the Creole cornbread dressing that I would eventually put in around the turkey after he cooked for a few hours.

I was so immersed in my cooking, that I didn't hear Edward sneak up behind me until he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. "Happy Thanksgiving, love, it smells delicious in here."

I smiled and leaned back into his chest as I layered the sweet potatoes and marshmallows for the sweet potato casserole. "Happy Thanksgiving to you too, husband. The boys still asleep?"

He nodded into my neck. "Sleeping like the angels that they are." I chuckled because they could be far from angels when they wanted to be. "Can I help with anything?"

"Absolutely, you can…" We spent the next two hours working comfortably side by side in my amazing gourmet kitchen before the boys beckoned.

"I'll get them, love." Edward said as he washed his hands because he had just helped me stuff the turkey and spread the stuffing around it.

"Okay, their outfits are laid out on their changing tables." I told him as he kissed me on the cheek and headed upstairs.

"I'm on it; we need to leave in about two hours, so we need to get ready too." He reminded me as he walked into the boys' room.

I covered the two cheese squash casserole, the pumpkin pie, the cherry pie, the apple pie, the extra creole dressing, and the sweet potato casserole before heading upstairs to hop in the shower.

By noon we were on the road and headed to Cleveland, Texas for our first official Thanksgiving as a family.

EPOV

Friday, January 4, 2013

"Bella, what in the hell are you feeding these kids?" I asked her as I lugged Jayden's car seat into the photo studio. We were getting family pictures taken today and I couldn't wait.

She just laughed as she carried Ryder's with ease. "Same thing as always, barman."

I groaned and pushed open the door and held it open as she strolled through and straight to the counter as I settled down and took Jayden out of his carrier. It really was amazing how much they had filled out since being born, even more so in the last six weeks. "You ready to shine for the camera buddy?" I asked him and he just cooed back at me as he smiled broadly.

"Yeah, I bet you are." I told him as I kissed his chubby little cheek gently. "You are truly your mothers' son, Jayden Carlisle, with those big brown eyes of yours." I told him just to hear him coo at me again.

"We're all set, Edward." Bella said as she unbuckled Ryder from his carrier and straightened his outfit.

Bella had turned out to be an amazing mother. I don't know why she was ever worried about it in the first place. We were set to head to Chicago next week and then to Forks the week after that. We wanted to show off our babies and let the important people in our family meet our children.

"Let's do this then. My boys are ready to show off. Aren't you guys?" I teased Ryder as I settled Jayden next to him.

Bella shook her head. "You are so corny it's not even funny." She said as we got into position around our boys and took our first professional family photo. We had so many pictures of the boys and they were only three months old as of tomorrow.

"Sorry, love, fatherhood has indeed made me corny." I agreed as we switched positions for a different pose.

She just laughed and smiled for the camera.

BPOV

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

"Come on Ryder, splash with mommy." I told him as I splashed in the water of our pool. I had both boys in the pool with me while Edward dealt with a minor crisis at Truth or Dare. Today was the first day that our pool was empty. Besides us, usually Rose and her crew or Alice was hanging out in our pool. Alice seemed to spend most of her days floating in our pool since she was currently three months pregnant with her and Jaspers first baby.

"Mama!" Jayden hollered as he splashed vigorously in the water from his floaty.

"I see you, JJ. Mama's so proud of you!" I told him as I splashed him back causing him to giggle hysterically. Ryder soon joined in and was splashing vigorously.

They had grown so much in the past few months. I couldn't believe that they were going to be a year old soon, it didn't seem possible. They babbled almost constantly now even though you could only understand a few words every now and then. The most coherent words were mama and papa of course but whenever Rosie and her crew were around they babbled even more than usual and I couldn't wait until they really started talking so I could figure out what they were trying to say.

I loved staying home with them more than anything in the world, but I also missed teaching my students every day. I was contemplating on going back to teaching but I didn't know how to tell Edward. He had the club but he didn't spend his every waking moment there like he did at Breaking Dawn when I first met him. When the boys had turned six months old, Edward had gone back to work at the fire station as a volunteer fire fighter. He had even worked a few shifts in the last few months when emergencies came up.

"What's got you looking so pensive, love?" A silky smooth voice asked from behind me causing me and both boys to whip around.

They began screaming "Papa! Papa!" at the sight of him and he just smiled at them as he stripped his shirt off and toed his shoes off.

"I was just thinking. How is everything at Truth or Dare?" I asked as he slipped in the pool much to the delight of his sons.

"Everything is fine. You know Austin and Ariel were dating, right?" He asked as he pulled Jayden from his floaty.

"Yeah, what about them? Are they the ones causing the problems?" I asked him as I took Ryder out of his and dunked him under the water causing him to giggle uncontrollably.

"Nope, Emily is jealous and was refusing to work with them. I told her she could either work with them or not work at all and that the choice was hers." He explained as he dunked Jayden.

I laughed. "Let me guess, she chose work with them?" I asked.

He nodded and we played with the babies until we all got hungry.

We ate a quick dinner and put the boys down for a short evening nap before settling in the hammock he had hung up for me at the beginning of summer. "Edward, can I ask you something?" I asked him quietly.

"Sure, love, what's on your mind?" He asked as he cuddled me into his side gently.

"Iwanttogobacktoteaching." I rambled off quickly causing him to laugh.

"You might want to repeat that, love, you sound like our sons."

"I want to go back to teaching in the fall."

"Then go, I will watch the boys during the day. They are almost a year old anyways." He said easily.

"Okay." I said quietly as we settled in for an afternoon nap of our own.

EPOV

Monday, October 5, 2015

I couldn't believe it our boys were turning three years old today. It seemed like just yesterday I was holding them in my arms for the very first time.

"Bella, you okay in there?" I asked my wife as I knocked on the bathroom door.

"No, I'm not fine." She barked as she yanked open the door and slapped a little white stick against my chest. "I'm pregnant." She said before she walked off down the hall towards the kitchen and our family.

I smiled as I held the little white stick in my hand that confirmed what she had just told me. "Papa, what that?" Jayden asked as he walked in the bathroom.

"Your little brother or sister." I told him as I helped him wash his hands so we could have cake and ice cream.

"Un uh. My bubbi an sissy in der, papa!" He said as he washed his hands.

I chuckled. "I know they are, buddy, but it looks like mama and papa is going to have another baby." I told him as I sat him down. They called Rose and Em's kids their brother and sisters.

"Like Rosie n Ali?" He asked just as Ryder walked in to get his hands washed.

"Yes just like Rosie and Ali. Now go find mommy so we can have cake and ice cream." I told him as I helped Ryder wash his hands.

"You ready for some cake and ice cream, buddy?" I asked him as I toted him back into the kitchen.

"Yes, papa. Cake yummy!" He said as he rubbed his tummy.

I chuckled at him as I joined my entire family for my son's third birthday celebration.

BPOV

Monday, June 20, 2016

"One more push, Mrs. Cullen, and your daughter will be here." The doctor said from between my thighs.

I took a deep breath and pushed with all my might trying to bring my daughter into this world on her papa's birthday.

"That's it, sweetheart, she's almost here." Edward cooed into my ear as he stroked my sweat soaked hair back from my forehead.

I nodded but didn't break my push. "…9…Here she is!" The doctor said as he held up our slimy bloody daughter.

"You did it, love!" Edward said as he kissed me gently as the nurse laid my daughter on my chest to rub her dry. "Chloe Esme Cullen, welcome to the world, baby girl."

"She's amazing, Edward!" I told him as I watched our daughter as she got cleaned up without so much as whimpering.

"She is, love, I love you." He said as he kissed me again.

"I love you too, barman. Happy Birthday!" I told him before shoving him towards our daughter who was being weighed and measured in the corner of the room.

Tuesday, March 16, 2032

EPOV

I groaned as I saw all of our children walk up on the stage that had been placed at the edge of our yard. Jayden, Ryder, Chloe, Allana, and Rachel all smiled at us as Jayden clinked his spoon again his glass. "I think our children are about to embarrass us, love." I told my amazing wife of twenty years as of today.

She just laughed. "They stopped embarrassing me a long time ago, Edward."

I laughed, too and pulled her more firmly into my side so we could listen to our children give their speech.

Allana cleared her throat gaining the attention of our closest friends and family that had gathered for this joyous celebration. Allana and Rachel were a surprise fifteen years ago, but we loved each and every one of our children. "I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for coming today to help us celebrate the twenty years of their marriage." She said in a clear voice.

"Our parents had a very unconventional wedding twenty years ago today, but they beat the Las Vegas statistics and have remained happily married." Rachel said clearly causing everybody to laugh.

"Throughout the years, they have remained loyal to each other, their children, and their family no matter what." Jayden said loudly.

"When Rosie had Em hiding in the closet threatening him when she found out she was pregnant yet again, he called mom and dad to come save him and they went without question and saved his manhood." Ryder said causing Em to groan, Rosie to laugh, and their kids start asking why mommy had daddy hiding in a closet.

"Whenever anybody needs them they are there. We couldn't be more honored to have them as parents. Even though they have been tough on us at times, it was all for a good reason and we love you for it." Chloe said.

"We love you mom and dad. Happy Anniversary!" They all said together as everyone around us cheered loudly as we celebrated our twenty years of happiness.