The Learning Curve: Chapter 117

Edward Cullen's House

"I can't believe how excited your mom is about all of this," I said to Edward. We were tucked away in his room after talking with Esme, and I was more than happy to be able to snuggle up beside him on his bed. It had been a long day.

"Are you kidding? She's never going to get another chance like this," Edward laughed, curling his arm tighter around my shoulders. "She's going to have you drowning in flower arrangements in no time, just watch."

I squirmed uncomfortably. "I'd hate for her to put so much time and money into this, though. Your parents have done so much for me, and if they're chipping in on the apartment..."

Edward kissed my temple. "They're going to be your in-laws, you know. You may as well get used to my parents doing nice things for you. For us. Because everything they've done for you was for me, too."

"I guess that's true," I conceded.

"It is," Edward said, ducking his head to look at me. "Because they love me, and I love you."

I caught his sweetly smiling lips with mine. "How long do you think it will take your mom to notice the door is closed?"

He chuckled. "She's already diving headfirst into wedding details. We'll be lucky if she remembers we're even alive for the next few hours."

I glanced at the door and then at the hard edge of his jaw, so close and so lickable. "Should we?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're willing to try it with my mom in the house?"

I shrugged. "We are getting married. She knows I'm going to make an honest man out of you."

He laughed and playfully pinned me down. I dug my hands in his hair and lost myself in wet kisses and roaming hands.

The shrill ring of my cell phone interrupted us. I reluctantly pulled back from Edward. "It could be my dad."

He sighed. "If it's Alice, you'd better not answer it."

I snorted and moved off the bed to dig my phone out of my backpack. "Are you kidding? If it's Alice, she'll never stop calling until I answer."

But I froze at the number on my screen. "...It's my mom."

Edward sat up. "Well, answer it."

I reluctantly put the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Bella...Bella, honey, I'm sorry. I wasn't being fair to you."

I swallowed and searched for something to say. "I...it's okay."

"It's not, sweetheart. I don't think it's a good idea for you to get married so young, but I love you, and I will support you no matter what. And going to Dartmouth...I did some reading up on it, and that's amazing, Bella. I'm so proud of you."

My eyes pricked with tears. "Thanks, Mom."

"So, I just bought my ticket to come to Forks for your graduation. I want to spend some quality time with this boy of yours. I need to know he's good enough for you before you go off and marry him."

"Okay, Mom," I chuckled, glad she was back to typical self.

"I really do love you."

"I love you, too, Mom."

A/N: I feel like I should end this with "Happy Mother's Day" lol.

So, some of you don't know what I mean by "Rock Chalk Jayhawk." I know I explained it in an earlier author's note, but I guess we need to go back to the beginning.

In the days before the Civil War, Kansas was a wee territory, not yet a state, and it became a battleground for the national debate over slavery. Literally. The Kansas/Missouri border became a front for guerilla fighting between the pro-slavery Missourians, known as bushwhackers, and the abolitionists flooding Kansas known as Jayhawkers. There was a lot of fighting and Lawrence, KS got burned down.

Needless to say, the end of the Civil war didn't exactly make Kansans more friendly toward Missourians, and it became a rivalry that bled out into sports.

Now Mizzou is running off to the SEC, and the final border war took place in Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday - and KU pulled out a big one. Rock chalk!

Oh, and the "rock chalk Jayhawk" chant was a slogan devised by a KU geology professor in homage to the massive amounts of limestone in our state.

Any questions?