A/N Ok, I want to apologize for taking so long to update. This last week and a half have been horribly crazy. I guess that's what happens when your husband has a family reunion and you don't get along with most of them. One stressful day after another equals a very stressed out, unhappy wife. :( Oh well... you'd think after 12 years with my husband, I should be used to it by now, right?
Anyway, here is the next chapter. I'll update again as soon as I can. Thanks for sticking with me everyone! I really appreciate it. Leave me a review and let me know what you think! 3
Chapter 51 – Acceptance
When she and Edward told Esme that they were getting married on Friday, she was sort of expecting a major blow-up. Sure, Charlie had already given his permission and Carlisle seemed to be fine with things, but for everyone to be perfectly okay with the situation was too much to hope for. At least that's what she had thought.
After Edward explained the conversation with Rosalie and Emmett and why he hung up so abruptly, the first words out of Esme's mouth were, "Bella, are you okay?"
Bella had never felt so loved in her eighteen years of life. She knew her mother loved her, but she never really felt the mother-daughter bond. The relationship she had with Renee was more like they were sisters or best friends. It was great, but it always seemed to lack something. Esme filled the hole left in her heart after her mother passed.
When she felt Edward's grip tighten on her waist, she looked back at him. He had a genuine smile on his face as if to tell her that it wasn't just him that loved her. "I'm perfect Esme." When she responded to Esme's question, she meant every word of what she said. "Rosalie's words stung a lot when she first said them, but I realize that she loved her brother and is just looking out for him. I can't hold that against her because I love him too.
She inhaled deeply before continuing. "I guess what hurt the most though, is the fact that she put into question my love for Edward. I love him unconditionally. It wouldn't matter to me whether he had no money or all the money in the world. I didn't fall in love with him because of his pocketbook, I fell in love with him because of his soul." She felt so relieved when she finally said what she was feeling out loud. Therapy with Esme really helped her to realize that she didn't need to keep her feelings bottled up anymore. It felt so much better to let them out.
It took Esme a minute before she responded, but when she did, her words were sincere. "I know, Sweetheart. I know." As she spoke, Edward leaned in and kissed Bella's neck, pulling her even closer in to his chest. A smile pulled at the corners of Esme's mouth. "Not everyone has seen the way you are around each other like I have. Once they witness it for themselves, they will have no doubt that you love each other."
She quickly changed the subject, getting back to Edward's point before everything happened with Rosalie. "So it sounds like congratulations are in order. I am so happy for both of you!" She did sound like she was genuinely excited, but there was a slight trepidation in her voice. "Two days isn't very much time to put together a wedding though. Why don't you tell me what you have planned and what I can do to help?"
Her words warmed Bella's heart and brought a smile to her face. For the next little while they talked about the plans they had already made and what still needed to be done. She thought about the fact that her mother wasn't going to be there to see her walk down the aisle and it saddened her, but Edward was right there. He never let her go, occasionally placing kisses on her cheek, neck, and shoulder. It's like he could see into her mind and wanted to assure her that everything would be okay in the only way he knew how. Through his silent assurances, she knew that her mom would be there watching over them.
They were discussing times for Friday when Esme glanced at her watch. "Oh shit!" she called out. Within a split second, she realized her slip and quickly covered her mouth causing Bella to giggle silently. "Sorry, I just realized I haven't started dinner yet."
She looked over at Edward. "Dear, would you mind going and calling your dad to ask if pizza is okay with him tonight? Bella and I need to talk alone for a minute."
Bella felt Edward tense up slightly like he wanted to tell her no, but then he sighed and squeezed her waist. She turned to look back at him and was met with a sweet, soft kiss. "I love you, Beautiful." She would never get tired of hearing those words leave his lips because she knew they were true.
He stood with her cradled to his chest and then set her on her feet. Before he left the room, he kissed her once more. When their tongues met, she felt dampness saturate her panties and she was about to reach up to wrap her arms around his neck when he pulled back and grinned that damn crooked grin before walking out of the room.
She was completely flustered when she turned around to see Esme with a knowing grin of her own pulling at the corners of her mouth. Seeing the look on her face made Bella blush even more but she couldn't help but smile back as Esme patted the seat beside her.
Bella walked back to the couch and sat beside her soon-to-be mother-in-law, pulling her legs up to fold underneath her. Once she was comfortable, she leaned into Esme, who placed her arm gently around her shoulders.
They just sat for a minute in silence. Bella took comfort just being there and feeling like she was wanted. Finally, Esme spoke. "Okay Bella, I know you said you're fine about the whole Rosalie situation, but let's talk about it for a minute."
Bella had a feeling this was coming; Esme was not only her future mother-in-law, she was also her therapist. Her concern was evident in not only her words, but her actions as well. Over the last few months Bella had become very close to Esme and was comfortable opening up to her completely.
As they sat together on the couch, Rosalie's words came flooding back to her and she felt her eyes well up with tears. "How could she think that of me? When she said those words, it felt like a slap in the face. I mean… she doesn't even know me… why would she say that?" By the time her words finished, the tears were flowing freely down her cheeks.
Esme's arms pulled her tighter in to her chest and she just let her cry for a few minutes. Finally, once Bella was in control of herself again, she felt Esme pull back slightly. "Honey, look at me, please?" Esme asked.
"Bella, Rosalie had no right to say any of that. First of all, it wasn't her place. She knew you were on speakerphone and she should have realized that what she said should have been said in private. It wasn't her business to share; it was Edward's. Secondly, she has no idea what she's talking about. If she were to have spent twenty minutes with the two of you in the last few days, I guarantee you her opinion would be completely different."
Esme paused for a minute, reaching up to wipe tears away from Bella's face. "Sweetheart, anyone can see how much you two are made for each other. The love between you shines so bright that it is impossible not to see. Give her time, I promise you she'll come around."
Bella sniffled but then spoke. "But what if she doesn't? What if no one understands how much I truly love Edward?"
"I understand, Baby. That's all that matters." She hadn't even heard him reenter the room, but the next thing she knew, Edward had pulled her from the couch and was hugging her tightly. He brought his thumb up and lifted her chin with it. When she met his eyes, she saw so much love and adoration shining in them that it caused her breath to catch in her throat. "I love you, my Beautiful Bella. It doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks." He brought his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that made her worries wash away.
"I love you, too, Edward. More than I could ever express." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips again before Esme cleared her throat. She had forgotten that Esme was there, but then again, that always seemed to happen after Edward kissed her.
With her arms still wrapped around Edward's waist, she turned her head towards Esme. "Thank you for letting me talk about everything. You always seem to know just what I need to make me feel better."
Esme smiled at her before standing and wrapping her arms tightly around both of them. "Bella, you're family now, even if you weren't marrying Edward. Charlie has been a part of us for a long time and you're his daughter. That makes you part of us too; marrying Edward only makes it more official. I love you, honey, and I'll always be here to help you."
…..
Edward had gone into the kitchen to call his dad about dinner. He couldn't stand to be separated from Bella, but he also knew he couldn't be around her every second of every day. She needed some space and other people to talk to sometimes too.
He wasn't exactly sure how much Charlie and Carlisle were able to get done today with the news they received, but he assumed that they were still working on the house. Pulling out his cell phone and dialing Carlisle's number, he was surprised that his dad picked up after only two rings.
"Hey Dad. How are things going?" he asked. He wanted to make sure his dad knew that even with everything going on, he hadn't forgotten everything he was doing for Charlie and Bella.
He heard the smile in Carlisle's voice when he responded. "Oh, things are going great, Son. What's up?"
Edward chuckled into the phone. "Well, Bella and I came to tell mom the news and we got talking about details for the wedding. We all lost track of time and mom never started dinner. She asked me to call you to see if pizza would be okay for dinner." He figured it would be better not to mention Rosalie's blow-up right then; it would only cause more stress for him to deal with.
He heard Carlisle saying something to Charlie about the pizza and then coming back on the line. "Sure Edward. Tell your mother pizza is fine. Charlie will be joining us, so make sure there's enough for everyone. We'll be home in about half an hour."
"Alright Dad. I'll let her know. Is there anything specific you want us to order?" he asked. He knew pretty much what everyone liked, but he had never eaten pizza with Charlie or Bella before, so he thought it would be best to ask.
Carlisle talked to Charlie again, covering the receiver with his hand. When he came back on he said, "Charlie likes Hawaiian and says Bella usually likes pepperoni and mushroom."
"Thanks dad. I'll order it now. Do you want to swing by and pick it up on your way home? If not, I can go out and grab it." The thought of leaving Bella to go pick up the pizza was painful and the hesitation came out in his voice.
"That's alright Edward. We'll pick it up on the way home. You and Bella have much more important things to be doing right now than getting dinner for everyone." He smiled with relief at his dad's words. Carlisle was always so considerate of everyone's feelings. That was one of the reasons he made such a great doctor. His bedside manner was impeccable.
After hanging up with his dad, he found the number for the local pizza shop and ordered the pizza. He was about to go find Bella and his mom when his phone rang. Emmett.
He really didn't want to have a repeat of the earlier conversation with Rosalie, but knew that Emmett would be going crazy right now, especially after he hung up on him earlier, so Edward decided to just get the inevitable over with.
"Hey Em." He didn't say anything more than that. He wasn't sure if he was on speaker with Rose again and really didn't want to talk to her right then.
"Oh thank god!" Relief was evident in his voice when he spoke. "Bro, where have you been? You said you'd call me back!" He was starting to sound more like himself with each word that left his mouth.
Edward took a deep breath before beginning. He knew he'd need to be calm for this conversation; otherwise it wouldn't go well and the last thing he wanted to do was piss Emmett off. "Sorry Em. I was really pissed at what Rosalie said about Bella. Maybe it would have been different if Bella weren't right there to hear it, but she was. Rosie's words crushed her, Em. If you could have seen the look on her face right then it would have broken your heart; I know it broke mine."
The other end of the line was silent for at least a minute before Emmett finally spoke up. "Edward, I'm so sorry about what Rosie said. It's been a really hard week at school and she took her frustrations out on you and Bella. She never meant any of it and she feels really bad. Will you let her apologize?"
Rosalie was the type of person who never apologized to anyone for anything so Emmett's question really through him for a loop for a minute. "Not right now Emmett. I'm sorry, but I just can't handle talking to her right now without completely blowing up at her. I just need time to cool off a little more, okay?"
Emmett sighed; sounding defeated, but answered him. "Sure man, no problem. I understand, but Edward?" He paused for a minute and then spoke again, "We're in my jeep right now on the way down. We should be there in a few hours. Should I warn Rosie to steer clear of you for a while?"
Edward couldn't help but snort at Emmett's comment. "Bro, when has Rosie ever listened to anyone about anything?"
Emmett joined in the laughter before saying, "Good point." He laughed for another second and then sobered up quickly. "Um, Eddie? You still want us there, right? I mean, you didn't change your mind about me being your best man, did you?" He sounded so unsure of himself that Edward immediately felt guilty. Emmett never second-guessed anything – especially himself.
Edward took a deep breath to gather his thoughts before addressing his brother. "Em, of course I want you both there. I may not be able to stand your girlfriend all the time, but she's my sister too. As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, I do love her. I know she was only looking out for me because she cares but what she said was completely uncalled for. Em, I love Bella with my whole heart and by some miracle she loves me too. She's the one; I have no doubt about it."
This conversation had turned much more serious than he had expected but he knew they needed to have it so he went on. "Emmett, you're not only my brother, you're my best friend. Ever since I came into this family, you've been there for me. You understood me when no one else even tried. Of course I still want you as my best man. There's no one else on this planet that I want standing beside me more than you."
Emmett was silent for two whole minutes and Edward was about to say something when he finally cleared his throat. "Thanks Eddie. I know I'm a pain in the ass sometimes, but I would be honored to be your best man. Anyway, we're about an hour and a half out. We're gonna stop and grab something to drink and then hit the road again. We'll be there soon." Edward was about to say good-bye but Emmett said one more thing. "Oh, and Eddie? I should have said this before and I'm sorry I didn't, but congratulations man. I'm glad you've finally found happiness. No one deserves it more than you."
Not knowing what to say exactly, he took another deep breath and let it out in a huff. "Thanks Em. I'll see you guys when you get here and let mom and dad know that you're on your way."
After they said good-bye, Edward walked back into the living room where Bella and his mom were. What he saw when he walked in nearly tore his heart in two again. Bella had been crying; it was evident as Esme reached up to wipe the tears off her cheeks. Once she was done, she spoke. "Sweetheart, anyone can see how much you two are made for each other. The love between you shines so bright that it is impossible not to see. Give her time, I promise you she'll come around."
It took Bella a minute and a few sniffles before she responded. "But what if she doesn't? What if no one understands how much I truly love Edward?"
He couldn't take it anymore. It didn't matter what anyone else thought of their relationship. The only thing that mattered was what they thought of it. She hadn't seen him come back in yet, but he didn't care. "I understand, Baby. That's all that matters." He pulled her from the couch and held on to her for dear life.
She immediately wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest so he carefully used his thumb to tilt her face up. When his eyes met hers, he felt like he would get lost in their chocolate brown depths. "I love you, my Beautiful Bella. It doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks." He brought his lips to hers and kissed her. He needed to show her the love he had for her and help her realize that nothing else mattered.
It seemed to work because she pulled away to answer him. "I love you, too, Edward. More than I could ever express." When she was done, she stood on her toes and kissed him again. Esme cleared her throat and reminded him that she was still right there.
With her arms still wrapped around his waist, Bella turned her head towards his mom. "Thank you for letting me talk about everything. You always seem to know just what I need to make me feel better."
Esme smiled and then stood to wrap her arms tightly around both of them. Her next words filled his heart to the point it felt like it would explode. "Bella, you're family now, even if you weren't marrying Edward. Charlie has been a part of us for a long time and you're his daughter. That makes you part of us too; marrying Edward only makes it more official. I love you, honey, and I'll always be here to help you."
When Esme released her grip on them, he told her that his dad and Charlie would be picking up the pizza on their way back from Bella's house. He also mentioned that Emmett and Rosalie were on their way down from Seattle. The only ones left to tell were Alice and Jasper. He wasn't worried though about their reactions. Jasper was always cool with everything and as long as Alice got to help in some way or another, she would be happy too.