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Chapter: Everyday is a Gift

Late December

Overlooking the waterfront from up of the hill, Bella took in the familiar site.

"It looks mostly the same," Bella said to Jake as they made traction down the hill to the familiar place.

"Yep, wet, gloomy and chilly," he said. "That and the historical society made sure this place was kept in tact, especially after the city recovered from that massive flood in 2048."

"Oh yeah, I read about that, I forgot."

A gust of wind hit them and Jake shivered.

"Missing the warm weather already?" she teased.

He gave her a challenging look.

"I'm not the one wearing two layers of thermal wear, with several layers of clothing, sweater and jacket," he pointed to her heavy attire.

"Yeah, well, my old age of, I guess technically 30-years-old is getting to me, my bones hurt in this weather."

"And your cheeks are all pink," he observed caressing his thumb on her temple before leaning in for a kiss.

She smiled before her stomach made a fierce growl.

They laughed.

"So where did she say she had her shop?" he asked.

"She's three doors down from the original Starbucks," she said.

"I still can't believe how popular her muffins have become," he said.

"Yeah, well I'm not surprised, God just thinking about them makes my mouth water. Especially since she promised me a fresh batch of blueberries."

Jake laughed.

He hadn't been to keen to stop in Seattle before but now there after walking down the familiar streets, he felt a sense of coming home. And within a few days they would travel back to Forks and visit his tribe. It was an overdue homecoming, even if it was just a visit.

The first few years, they had maintained their distance and gone out on their own but Jake couldn't resist reaching out to the Uley family to see how the center was doing and just overall how all the descendants of his friends were fairing. During the process Bella kept asking about Sarah. Sure, she had mentioned that she never wanted to see the girl again, but something about Sarah had left Bella wanting to know more.

It wasn't until one day Jake, finally said, 'why don't you write to her and ask how she is yourself,' that Bella finally took initiative to write to Sarah directly. It started simply.

Have you started selling your muffins yet? If not, I'm willing to be an investor. And after a few days Sarah responded. It was weird at first with a little bit of tension but that all soon fell away and they became friends. It was kind of nice to have someone who knew all about the madness that Bella and Jake had lived through, even if it was second hand.

There was so many times with her friends back home in New Orleans, that she had almost dropped her guard when she would almost mention her past lives. It didn't help with the melancholy that would sometimes get to her, she had missed out on the greatness of her own time. Immortality had robbed her of her youth and there was no way for her to transport to the past and start anew. But she couldn't complain. She loved her life, career, friends and Jake.

Through the years Jake and Bella had enjoyed to learn more about one another, finding more reasons to love and laugh. But it hadn't always been easy, they both were stubborn and passionate about their work that when Bella obtained a fellowship in Australia to work on new system attempting to rebuild the ozone layer, she insisted for Jake to tag along. However, Jake couldn't leave New Orleans since he was under contract at the university as an assistant professor, plus he honestly loved his work and he feared he would not come by another job so easily down under. When Bella mentioned he could live off her money for a few years, it ended up in a hell of a showdown, which was followed by days of silence where they were too angry to discuss. It was only until finally Jake broke down and demanded that she talk to him that they were able to patch things up and come up with a hard but doable solution.

They would live apart, and so for two whole years they lived in separate nations, barely seeing each other. Sure, they saw each other through virtual telepresence but it wasn't the same without touch or eating meals together, especially when your time zone was several hours difference. It had been tough but also good. It gave themselves time to get to know others and make friends outside of each other. And when they returned, their love was even stronger.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Just thinking about when I got back from Australia," she said.

"What do you miss it?"

"Not at all," she admitted and smiled. "I just thinking of my homecoming."

"That was great, wasn't it?"

She nodded and recalled the whole month they spent together just at home, around one another, practically naked everyday because they realized there had been no point to wear clothing.

"Stop that, Mrs. Black," he said.

She giggled. "What am I doing?"

"You're going to make me take you back to the hotel and if we do that we will get nothing done while we are out here."

"I think we will," she argued."

"Woman, you are teasing me," he said.

"Well Mr. Black—" she began before something caught her eye. "Look they have reeds made out of dry chiles, we should get some," Bella said.

Jake groaned, "Okay, stop acting like a tourist, let's get to the shop," Jake pushed her along.

"Oh look the cheese store, it's still here! Let's get some mac and cheese for lunch."

"Muffins first," he reminded her.

Soon they could see the sign 'Sarah's muffins.' It had been a long journey but here it was, a small in-house business now a big bristling bakery in the famous Pike's Market with several eager customers across the Northwest.

"You know she refuses to open more shops outside the Northwest," Bella groaned.

"You tell me all the time," he reminded her.

The whole shop came into view with a line as long as the old Starbucks place. Inside, a very happy Sarah distributed orders as busy baristas were taking orders. Bella smiled and waved. Sarah caught site of them and walked out.

"Oh my God!" she smiled, walking out in her bright red dress, looking more flush and beautiful than ever. "You made it."

She walked towards Jake and Bella and gave them a big hug.

"Happy to see you are doing well," Bella said.

"Is it like this all the time?" Jake asked.

"Pretty much," she said with a big grin.

A tall handsome, guy came up from behind her. "This is William," Sarah said. "He's my fiancé."

"Nice to meet you," Jake and Bella said.

"I've heard so much about you," William said.

Jake and Bella smiled nervously.

"They know that you inspired me to take the leap and turn this into a business," Sarah supplied.

"Oh," Bella said. "Been a fan for a long time."

"Come on in, I have a spot for you guys out by the windows upstairs so we can sit and eat," Sarah said.

"Yes, let's do that," Bella smiled.

They sat on the balcony and had two latte's brought up.

Sarah brought a few muffins.

"Yum!" Bella grinned before she noticed something "Frak muffins," she said aloud.

Sarah chuckled, "They are my most popular seller."

Bella took a bite it was a cranberry-blueberry mix. "Wow," Bella sighed. "I want a dozen now."

Sarah laughed. "I'm glad you like them."

0-0-0-0-0-0

Jake and Bella were at the hotel looking at the view again. The water appeared so crisp and cold and it was breathtaking. Jake placed his head on Bella's lap and they stared out into the vast open water banks. It had been a long day of site seeing and eating.

They had even had a chance to visit the Woodland park zoo, which Jake swore the white wolves were plotting their escape. Bella had just nodded and let him have his say, wondering if he missed shifting.

Bella's fingers curled into his hair and she smiled, he looked so young when he was relaxed. Teaching at the university had definitely earned him a few gray hairs.

So beautiful, she thought to herself remembering a time when she had said that lifetimes ago. She wouldn't say aloud that she missed his long hair, there was something beautiful about his long black locks that she missed. And then an old thought emerged again, that of children.

They had rarely discussed children, perhaps because they were too focus trying to live their lives and earning their degrees, that it was really something they rarely put thought to. But just in case, Bella had been on a steady stream of birth control shots that she would take every two years. She had missed her last appointment, she had never forgotten but with this whole trip it had been pushed aside.

Could I even conceive if I wanted to? she asked. Never know if I don't try. Never know if I don't ask Jake what he wants. And what if we can't? What if he wants to? What if he doesn't want to?

"Hey," she heard his voice. It was reinvigorating how his voice could pull her out of her trance. "You're off in your own head again."

She smiled.

"I guess being alone for 100 years still has its lingering affects," she said.

"All sorts of dialogue going on in there without me," he continued.

She nodded.

"What were you wondering about?"

"Stuff," she replied.

"Like?"

She tilted her head and kissed his forehead.

"Babies," she whispered.

Jake slowly sat up and turned to Bella.

"Children?"

"Two or three, or four," she admitted.

"A whole pack?" he smiled and the idea of it made him oddly excited.

"It's something I have been thinking about."

"I've been thinking about it, too," he admitted.

"You have?"

He nodded. "Of course I have," he said, hold her hands in his. "I told you this, once."

She shook her head and frowned at him.

"When?"

He sighed. She could tell he regretted bringing it up.

"It was long ago, I said it during a dance, in another life," he reminded her.

She swallowed, it had been the one truly vivid moment from her first wedding day that she could recall with fierce detail. His pleading face, his tight embrace and warm words that hit her core making her think of what could have been if she had chosen him.

"You probably don't..."

"I do remember," she interrupted.

And then she stood up and walked towards the window, looked out into the direction of the water and far off she could see the leggings of a deep forest. She hadn't stepped into a forested area since they had left Washington nearly over a decade ago, but she could remember it so clearly.

"That dance was one of my first clear memories of you. At first, I couldn't hear the words, just your face and the feel of your embrace and then one day, I remembered your voice asking me, 'Can you see the times we still have ahead?'" she quoted him. "I was still in deep with blood lust, deep in a world where nothing was ahead of me but time. But that memory brought back my humanity. It was one the memories that gave me hope."

Jake embraced her from behind and kissed the top of her head.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to send you back there into those times," he apologized.

"We knew coming back here would make us remember parts of ourselves better forgotten but it's good to visit the past sometimes."

"Just not live there," he finished.

She nodded.

"So back to this children, conversation," he said.

She smiled and turned back to him. "Yes, children. So what do we do?" she asked.

When she felt jake pull down her blouse slightly to reveal her shoulder, he began to kiss up and down her neck, causing Bella to shiver and moan.

"Well Bella," he spoke in a deep alluring voice. "When a man and a woman love each other..."

She laughed and smacked his shoulder. "Smart alec," she said before she yelped in surprise as Jake picked her up and carried her back off to bed.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

10-Years later

"Mommy, I don't want to go to school today, I feel sick," little Cecilia said and she faked a cough.

Bella smiled. "Really, so you're going to stay home and help daddy and me clean, and take care of your brother and sisters?"

"Ummm, I feel better," Cecilia smiled and ran to her room to get ready. "Mommy where are my pink cat shoes!" she hollered.

Bella lifted a brow, where her daughter got her sense of style she would never know.

"I'll help," Jake said as he finished his breakfast and kissed Bella's cheek and rubbed Bella's belly.

"How the hell did I end up pregnant again," she muttered. Their last baby should have been their son Seth but nope, a little surprise had decided to pop up.

Bella sat down and watched Seth spooning his cereal. His big brown eyes and wavy hair made her smile.

"Mommy, can I have more milk?" asked a little girl.

"Oh me too," asked the other.

"One second my little ones," she said before she got up and waddled to the fridge.

"Elizabeth, Emilia," Jacob began. "Did you young ladies forget to feed Herbert?"

"Herbie," Elizabeth corrected.

"Herbie, daddy," Emilia repeated.

"Well, Herbie is hungry. And mommy can't possibly bend down with that massive—I mean in her condition to give him his food."

"Okay," the girls sighed in unison.

"Come on a cup each and some clean water, okay?"

"Let them just finish breakfast," Bella smiled, she loved it when he got into daddy mode.

"Manny, please play some music from the late 1990s," Bella said. "Preferably alternative rock," Jake added.

"Ewww, mom not that oldie stuff again," Ceci said.

"You used to like it," Bella reminded her. "Are you ready?"

"Yep. Yep," she smiled and kissed Bella's cheek. "Love you mommy."

Bella's eyes glistened, she always loved hearing her little girl say 'I love you.'

"Love you too, baby," she replied a gave her a big hug.

Jake kissed Bella sweetly. "I will be right back."

"I'll be right, here," she said.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Our babies are finally asleep. I'm exhausted," Jake said.

"Thank you for putting them to bed," Bella said.

"Well it's the least I can do considering the condition you're in, again," he said.

"Am I hearing a complaint?"

"You kidding me, if I weren't so tired half the time I would say to have more."

"Oh God forbid, Mr. Black. After this, I think you should go in for a little procedure."

Jake paled and Bella giggled. "But seriously, we should stop having kids. I mean technically I'm forty."

"Well technically, and I'm quoting the doctor here, you're physically more like a 33-year old than forty. I mean all our friends think you're in your late 20s. They think you're married to an old man."

"Well, I like my men experienced," she claimed before she sighed when he began to rub her aching ankles.

She stared at him. "You still look like you're in your 30s you know. And can I say that it's not fair that you keep looking better and better every year? Because you just keep getting sexier."

"Dark skin gives me the luxury of looking younger than I am," he said.

"You look better now than when we first met," she muttered.

He lifted a brow. "And this is a problem how?"

"Well I look like a hippo and all your college students probably want you. I see the eyes they make at you during lecture. The guys and girls."

He rolled his eyes. "You know I only have eyes for you."
"Even if I look like a hippo."

"Cute little hippo," he said.
She pouted and made a sad face and he chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," he whispered.

"Ditto."

He began to rub her feet and she sighed.

"Do you know what day it is?" he asked.

"Hmm?"

"Do you know what day it is?" he repeated.

She stared at him for a second at then looked toward the calendar before she realized.

"Today is the day we became human," she realized.

He nodded. "Twenty-one years."

"It feels longer."

"Years do feel longer when you're human," he admitted.

"And yet a whole different life," she said. "I can't believe we have four kids."

"And one on the way."

"Yep, the last one."

"I hope it's a boy."

"Me too, but I'll be happy either way," she smiled.

"Still can't convince you to find out what the baby's sex is?"

"Nope, it's our last baby, I want it to be a surprise."

"Says Mrs. 'I don't like surprises,'" he teased.

They kissed slowly and Bella continued to sigh happily. That was until Jake's hands began to move up.

"Oh," she moaned.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Nearly an hour later…

"I'm going to check on the babies," he said.

"Thank you," she whispered before she began to feel the lull of sleep. He returned quickly and wrapped his arms around her naked belly.

"Still fast asleep," he said.

Bella turned to look at him and around the room that was painted in cool blue and covered in pictures.

"We've had a really good life, so far," she noted.

"A really good life," he said.

"Today is a gift," she whispered. "Everyday of this life is a gift."

"You say that everyday," he noted.

"Because it's true," she said. "I'm so lucky. I'm the luckiest woman in the world. So lucky that you forgave me. So lucky that you love me. I will never be worthy—"

"Shh—" he shushed. "You're the woman that I love. You're the mother of our wonderful, intelligent, little babies who think the world of you. Each one of them is a gift. You are a gift. You're my soulmate. You're worthy of everything that I am and more."

She smiled and kissed him passionately.

"Not tired?" he grinned.

"No," she yawned.

They kissed softly until they fell asleep in each other's arms as happy as they could ever be.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

A/N: I'm a little sad that this is goodbye. I'm going to miss seeing all your responses to this story.

I hope you enjoyed to see the glimpses I have provided. I really do see these two have a good life together. It's not always perfect but it's a really good life that they both value and love.

I wish everyone a great summer.

Much love.

M.