A/N Well, this story is slowly coming to an end. There will be one fore chapter and an epilogue after this. Thank you all for taking the time to share this incredible journey with me! I've had a blast and am proud that my first fanfic has turned out so well and had so much support. Thank you again! Anyway, here's the chapter! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Chapter 70 - Unexpected Visitors
Everything seemed surreal as Bella woke up alone in Edward's bed on the morning of her wedding. She had a very touching dream while she was asleep, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to share that dream with anyone; even Edward.
In her dream, she was alone in the meadow where she and Edward first talked; the meadow that would always hold a special place in her heart. She was lying in the grass watching the clouds float by on a beautiful autumn day when movement at the side of the meadow drew her attention.
At first when she saw a figure with blondish-brownish-reddish hair emerging from the woods, she thought it was Edward and she smiled. As the figure got closer though, she realized it wasn't one person approaching, it was two; a male and a female. The male was taller with more of a medium brown color to his hair, but looked so much like Edward it was scary. The female, the one who first drew her attention, had the same striking green eyes and odd colored hair as the love of her life.
Bella sat up and watched as two of the most beautiful people she had ever seen approached her with huge smiles on their faces. They were radiant and she knew she was looking at Edward's parents.
The couple stopped a few feet in front of her and looked down to where she sat in the grass. It was the man, who looked so much like Edward, that was the first to speak. "Do you know who we are, Bella?" Afraid that if she spoke her dreamworld would shatter, she simply nodded, taking in these incredible beings with wide eyes. "We thought it was important to visit you today. We want to thank you for what you've been able to do for Edward. What happened in the past was an accident, and yet he could never forgive himself. For two years he's beaten himself up over something that was beyond his control."
Edward's mother spoke next. "Bella, we want to thank you for everything you have done. You have shown Edward that it's okay to move on, that it's okay to be happy. He has the spark back in his eyes and it's because of you. I'm sorry we're not around to properly welcome you into our family, but today you become a Masen and we couldn't be happier. You may take the name of Cullen because of Edward's adoptive family, but from this day forward, you will always be a Masen to us. Thank you, Bella, for everything."
As the woman finished speaking, both figures in front of Bella started to shimmer before her eyes, and after a few seconds they disappeared completely. Bella was dumbfounded. She knew it wasn't real, but she still couldn't believe that Edward's parents had come to her in her dream. She was overcome with a feeling of peace in that moment.
It wasn't long after that when she woke up in Edward's room. Not knowing where he was, she slipped into one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers and went to look for him. She knew she had a bunch of clothes in his room, but she didn't care. She loved the feeling of being dressed in something that belonged to Edward. It made her feel even more special.
She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she found Edward deep in thought at the island. She didn't hesitate to move behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. She needed to feel him in her arms, to substantiate her dream somehow without giving anything away.
After she said good morning to him and they talked for a minute, she asked Edward what he was thinking about when she walked in. It shouldn't have surprised her that he was thinking about his parents, but it did. He admitted to her that he didn't think he could be happy again when they died and that he hadn't been for two years. She knew this, or course, but it still made her heart ache. Out of everyone she knew, Edward deserved to be happy more than anyone.
When she asked him if he thought they would have liked her, she was sort of fishing, but she needed to hear what Edward had to say. Was her dream just something her imagination conjured up or could it really be possible that Edward's parents had visited her subconscious? He was so sure in his answer that her heart swelled. She'd never know if the 'visit' had been real or not, but when he told her they would have loved her, it gave her hope.
...
When Edward led Bella upstairs to see if his mother and sisters needed any help with the flowers, he was blown away with what they had accomplished this morning. They already had boutonnières made for both he and Emmett, plus extras for Jasper, Carlisle, Charlie, and Pastor Webber. They looked great too.
They were just finishing up corsages for themselves and then they planned to start on bouquets for Bella and Angela. Having them help was the best idea ever and he had to remember to thank Alice for it later.
When the women told Bella and him that everything was under control and they would be hindering progress rather than helping, they decided to head back to his room and packs their bags for the next couple of days.
When they got to his room, Bella climbed up on his bed at patted the space beside her. Edward closed his door and engaged the lock before joining her on the bed. They still had about two hours before they had to head to the courthouse, and packing wouldn't take any time at all, so he hovered over Bella before moving in to kiss her sweet lips. Being with her was absolute heaven and he never wanted to be anywhere else.
For a next hour, Edward gave her a preview of what it was going to be like when they were married. He worshipped every inch of her body as he made slow, passionate love to her.
When they were both sated and thoroughly exhausted, he collapsed beside her and just stared into her chocolate brown eyes. There was so much depth to them, so much emotion, that he was left breathless. He saw love and happiness, excitement and curiosity, but he also thought he caught a glimpse of something else: sadness or regret maybe.
He brought his hand up to run his fingers over her cheekbone and she sighed, closing her eyes. It didn't seem to matter where he touched her or how, as long as it was his skin on hers, she reacted in some manner. "Bella, look at me," he whispered, his face mere inches from hers. When she opened her eyes, the sadness was more pronounced. "What's wrong, Love? Why are you so sad all of a sudden?"
Bella took a deep breath and tried to avoid his gaze, but he wasn't having that. He put a hand on each side of her face and held it there, ensuring she would have no where else to look but at him. "It's nothing Edward, really. I was just thinking about your parents and my mom again. I want to believe more than anything that you're right. I want to believe that they're out there and happy for us, its just so much to fathom, you know?"
Edward felt himself breathing a sigh of relief. Of all the things Bella could be sad or worried over, this one he could handle. "You're right, Bella, it is a lot to try and understand. Do you want to know how I know that they're out there?" Bella nodded her head as she continued searching his eyes for an answer. "I know they're out there and they're watching over me because of you. Call it fate, call it divine intervention, call it whatever you want, but Bella, you're here for a reason. I believe that my parents had a hand in bringing you into my life."
Bella was silent for a minute as she continued to search his eyes for something. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke. "Edward, I know we've never really talked about your parents, but do you happen to have a picture of them I could look at?"
To say he was confused would be an understatement. "Bella, I don't understand. Why would you want to see a picture of my parents?"
Instead of answering his question, she started to beg. "Please, Edward. It's important. I need to see something before I can try to explain it. Do you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you, Bella. Completely," he told her as he climbed off the bed and dug through his shorts for his wallet. Once he had it in his hand, he pulled out a small picture of his parents that he hadn't looked at in over two years. His mother and father were always so happy together, and it showed on their faces in the photo. After studying it for a minute, he went back to where Bella was waiting for him on his bed.
He looked at the picture once more before handing it to Bella, curious to see her reaction. What he didn't expect was for her to gasp and start crying almost hysterically. He had no idea what to make of it and started to panic.
...
Bella had been fighting with herself all morning on whether or not to tell Edward about the dream. They were going to be married in about eight hours and things were coming together perfectly. The Cullen girls had the flowers under control, so Edward had taken her back to his room where she had climbed on the bed, patting the space beside her.
When Edward joined her, he didn't waste any time. They ended up spending the next hour or so worshipping each other and the bond they shared. Edward always knew how to make her feel cherished, loved, and appreciated. When they finished, both utterly exhausted, Edward collapsed beside her and just stared into her eyes.
As she returned his gaze, she got lost in his emerald eyes and was brought back to the meadow and the visit she had in her dream. Edward's soft touch along her cheekbone brought her out of her trance and she sighed as she closed her eyes, perfectly content.
When Edward asked her what was wrong, she wasn't sure what to say. He seemed so concerned about her that she knew she needed to tell him about her dream, but she didn't know if he'd think she was crazy or not. She would basically be admitting to the impossible.
As she looked into his striking green eyes though, she had an idea. She wasn't even sure if the people she had seen in her dream where really Edward's parents or if they were something her subconscious had conjured up, but there was one way to be positive. That's when she decided to ask him if he had a picture of his parents.
He seemed confused at first, but went to grab a small picture from his wallet. When he joined her on the bed again, he took another meaningful look at the photo and then handed it to her. She gasped as she took in the image in front of her. She was staring at two faces that she had only seen once before. The same two faces that appeared in her dream just this morning. She couldn't believe her eyes and burst into tears, causing Edward to freak out.
"Oh my god! Bella? What's wrong?" Edward was trying to wipe at her face as her tears continued to fall. Finally, he gave up and pulled her into his arms, letting her cry on his bare shoulder. When she finally pulled herself together, she told him all about her dream this morning.
Edward's reaction was to hold her even tighter and cry with her. "I told you they would've loved you, Bella. I had no doubt in my mind."
They ended up holding each other on Edward's bed for several more minutes. Finally, they were able to pull away and look at each other. There were so many emotions passing between them in that moment, but it was wonder that was the most prominent on both their faces. "Did they seem happy, Bella?" Edward finally asked.
She smiled up at him before kissing his lips. "They are happy, Edward. They're happy that you've started living your life again and they're happy that we found each other." She kissed his lips again before peeking at the clock on the nightstand. "Come on handsome. I need to hop in the shower before we go to the courthouse. Someone got me all sweaty," she told him as she winked. "Plus we still need to pack a bag if we're going to be staying in Port Townsend for a few days."
Edward smiled her favorite crooked grin and saluted her. "Yes ma'am."
As she was showering, she realized that she would still need to do her hair and put on some light make up. She didn't want to do that before they went to the courthouse, so she decided to ask Alice and Rosalie if they would help her get ready once they got to the lighthouse.
When she got out, she left her hair down to air dry, tossed on one of Edward's button down shirts, and a pair of jeans and she was ready to go. While she had been in the bathroom, Edward had packed two small bags with the necessities for their trip. She trusted him to have gotten everything, knowing that clothes would be pointless unless they decided to go out somewhere. Hand in hand, they walked out the door to Edward's car. In six hours they would be at the altar, exchanging vows, tying themselves together forever.
In six hours, she would become Isabella Marie Cullen. She would gain a loving and supportive family, but would also become part of a family that no longer lived on the earth. She would become a Masen; if not by name, then by spirit. She smiled to herself, knowing that today was the first day of her forever with Edward.
A/N If you haven't had a chance to check out my other story, please do. Close to Home is completely different than this one, but I think you'll like it. If you do check it out, please don't forget to let me know what you think!
Thanks again for reading!