AN: Sorry. Life. Not beta'd wanted to get this posted. All mistakes and there are probably a shit-ton are all mine. Focus on the content and not on the grammar. Thanks.

Chapter 15

Bella POV

"Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!" I cried. I wish it was during some hot bedroom action, but alas we were back on a dry spell. After his proposal, Edward and I had been pretty hot and heavy for a while, but lately the wedding stress was a definite mood killer – or it was his mother. It was most likely his mother. Yup, it was definitely his mother and her insane guest list. Apparently Esme Cullenman felt it was necessary to invite everyone she had ever spoken to in her entire life, to her son's wedding. Our wedding was becoming the social event of the year.

"Geez, Bella," Edward ran a hand nervously through his hair. He needed a trim.

"The ballroom only holds 300 people. This is out of hand."

"My parents are paying for their people."

"No, when we started planning this wedding, you and I agreed not to let it get out of hand like Alice's wedding. My parents wanted to foot the bill, but being retired an all they could only afford 225 people – we got 75, they got 75 and your parents got 75. Somehow your mom decided if she paid for her overage it would be okay."

Money. The Cullenmans idea of solving any problem was to throw money at it. That is how our somewhat intimate affair became less and less intimate. So, the Cullenman's 75 was no 150 invited guests with 130 of them coming. Yes 20 no's.

"Baby, all that matters is you and me. All that matters," Edward said, trying to ease my fears.

Four weeks later…

The wedding was a week away. All of the hard work my mom and I had done was coming to fruition. Sure, Esme had commandeered the guest list, but my mom and I still worked on the smaller details. Everything was going to be perfect - gable boxes filled with treats for our out of town guests, printed menu cards at the table.

It was going to be as insane as Alice's insane wedding, but we had definitely been inspired by some of those wedding do-it-yourself blogs.

First was the aufruf. It was simply a blessing prior to the wedding held at the synagogue. No big woop. Well Esme insisted that Jewish brides don't have bridal showers, so she only took part in the one my mom threw for me in Arizona with all of her retirement friends. I always thought it was baby showers that were not done. Oh, well. Not really big deal. Edward and I had been living together long enough that we had a toaster and plenty of spatulas.

Esme was doing an after service reception after the aufruf at her house. Catered, of course with like 100 people or so. I had lost count. Everyone I had known this was just a prayer at synagogue and candy was thrown at you by the congregation. Who was I to argue with Esme Cullenman.

Edward and I both flew into Seattle two days ago, but we parted ways at the airport. He went to his parent's house and I met my parents at the hotel where the wedding was being held. Yes, it was silly and traditional to be a part for a week, but it was kind of fun to be traditional.

I arrived at the temple where we had spent years in Hebrew School and immediately saw Edward in the lobby. Had it only been a few days? My heart jumped.

"You look gorgeous," he said kissing me chastely on the lips. We were in temple.

I bit my lip and looked up at him. "I missed you too."

"Look, Bella there are kippot with your aufruf on them," my dad stated waving a small leather yarmulke around in hand.

What? I was confused. Personalized yarmulkes were definitely the norm for bar/bat mitzvahs and weddings but an aufruf? This reeked of Esme. I yanked the kippot from my father's hand and studied it closely. Sure enough imprinted in silver lettering on the inside were the words:

Aufruf of Edward Cullenman
August 28, 2010
Hebrew Congregation of Forks

Who does that? I tried to just push it aside, but the kippot she ordered were probably more expensive than the ones we had ordered for our wedding. We had gone with a white moray fabric. It was nicer than the standard satin that was at every bar and bat mitzvah, but not the suede Esme had gone with. Personally I thought it was too wintery to use in late August/September.

Edward POV

Bella and I held hands throughout the entire service and she played with my fingers, which made Zayin twitch in my pants. It had been too long. I could not wait for our wedding night. Maybe I could convince her to give me a blow job in one of the classrooms or something after the service. You know for old time's sake.

Finally after the Torah portion of the service, we were called up to the bimah for the blessing. Neither of us knew this rabbi very well. The rabbi, who had been there during our teen years was at a new congregation, but this guy was a putz. He kibitzed with us based on phone conversations we had with him so we would know the person officiating over our wedding. I had concluded this guy was a tool. He related everything back to baseball. While twelve-year-old me would have thought this guy was cool, at this age I am looking for spiritual guidance not tying life back to line drives.

He finished his blessings and then he moved aside as Bella and I were pelted with candy from all of the people in the congregation. Of course Emmett was there and aimed for my junk. He came close – too close if you ask me. You don't shoot someone in the dick.

The spread my mom put out afterward was ridiculous, but I had long ago stopped trying to reason with my mom. My dad was no help. He was still using menopause as an excuse for her behavior. I paid attention in health class, menopause doesn't last this long. We had said past menopause and right into hormonal imbalance. I was dumfounded why she wasn't on anything. I didn't think an aufruf called for a catered reception afterward complete with waiters. Sure, it was just bagels, tuna salad, egg salad and other dairy kinds of things but still.

The day quickly wrapped up and somehow I had barely had any time alone with Bella. We didn't even have a chance to sneak up to my room for a little make out session. She was back on the road to Seattle before I knew it.

I should have realized something was wrong. She had been too quiet all day, but I was too caught up in everything and frankly exhausted from having to talk to my parent's friends and colleagues. Her one word answers during our phone call should have tipped me off, but I am a guy not a mind reader. I am good at reading people, which is why I am a great lawyer, but reading Bella has never been easy.

"Bella, what are you doing with your mom tomorrow?"

"Wedding stuff."

"Do you need help with anything?"

"No."

"Is everything okay?"

"It's fine."

"It doesn't sound like it is."

Silence. Great.

Neither of us spoke for what seemed like eternity.

"Bella…" I plead.

"Why didn't you know she was getting kippot printed? Who does that? Why does she try to outdo everything. Why couldn't she have just done a bridal shower like a normal person? I am never going to be good enough."

Uh, what?

"Bella, you are being irrational. My mother is insane. We have long ago established this. I cannot control her. It isn't a big deal and you know my mother adores you. She always has."

"It's everything today, the guest list, those stupid yarmulkes. My mind just cannot come to terms with this. I just don't' know, Edward."

"Don't know about what?" What the fuck was she talking about.

"Us…"

To be continued…