Chapter Twenty-One: Hey, Guys!
We waited on the bottom step in front of the house and watched the plane get closer. It landed on the shore lightly. The door of the plane burst open before it even had had time to cut the engine. Alice was grabbing me up in her arms before I had time to count to two.
"Bella! Oh, I've missed you SO much!" Alice squealed. She held me so that I was barely jostled as she jumped up and down like the hyperactive pixy that she is.
"Hey, come on Alice. You are hogging Bella! Let me see my sister." Emmett yelled over Alice's squeals and the departing plane. He grabbed us to hold Alice in place and tried to yank me out of her arms.
"Yeah, let the rest of us see her. Bella is our sister too!" Rosalie trilled. Whoa, Rosalie wants to see me. She called me her sister.
"Isn't anyone going to say hello to me? Have you all forgotten my existence?" Edward asked in mock exasperation.
" Of course honey. We haven't forgotten you. We just want to see Bella." Esme answered. I hadn't had the chance to see the rest of them until now because of Alice. They were all standing around me, smiling and trying to see and hug me. Edward stood on the very edge of the group.
"Edward, I could never forget you." I said to him and he smiled. I turned to the family and said, "Hey, guys. Wow I missed you all so much." I smiled at them.
Emmett gently yanked me out of Alice's arms. She protested but Emmett held on to me. He looked at me for a second before pulling me to his chest and hugging me. I wrapped my arms around my brother. I felt like a dwarf hugging a stone bear.
"I missed my little sister. Life without you around isn't much fun." Emmett laughed.
"Yeah without me, no one falls down constantly. You have no one to laugh at." I sighed into his shoulder. He mussed my hair with one hand as he laughed. He squeezed me gently one last time before setting me on my feet again.
They all took turns hugging me; even Rosalie. It was nice even though their arms were neither warm nor soft. I really had missed them.
After they all had their turn with me, I went and wrapped my arm around my husband. I didn't want him to feel left out. We both smiled at them before turning and leading the way into the house.
I heard Esme and Alice chime in unison, "aww what a beautiful, happy couple!"
Edward laughed and pulled me closer to him and said, "Wow, I'm surprised by how much I missed the sound of others' thoughts. It's been so quite with only Bella around, which was nice." He laughed again and added in a harder tone, "Emmett, that is completely unjustified."
"You can't blame me for being surprised. What did you two do for the past two weeks? Sit around and knit?" Emmett chuckled.
"What are you talking about?" I asked them. We were on the porch now and I stopped walking so the others did, too.
Edward was the one to answer me, "Emmett was wondering about the casualties of our activities here." Edward squeezed me to help with his explanation.
"Ugh, Emmett. That is none of your business!" I yelled at him. "What do you mean by 'casualties'?"
"Oh, you know, broken furniture, shredded clothing, bruises on you, that kind of thing. I see no evidence of sexual activity anywhere." Emmett had a very amused tone and a smirk on his face.
"Actually, there are a few things that didn't survive. There are a few pieces of clothing that are scrap now. Esme, I owe you a completely new bed. Let me show you." Edward said and started around the porch to our bedroom. We all followed him. Emmett was getting a kick out of this. He was laughing the entire time. We went in to survey the damage.