A/N: Hi my beloved readers. Welcome to the first part of the epilogue. I'm glad you're all back to learn what happened to Edward and Bella after they reunited and returned to Seattle. I'm sure, there are a few things in here you expected, but I also hope that I came up with a few that will surprise you.
Again, I have to thank my wonderful betas evelyn-shaye and EdwardsMate4ever. I'm so glad I found you ladies because I can't imagine anyone better than you. I also want to shout out a loud "Thank you" to my pre-readers Vampgirl79 and LaPumuckl. I would never have gotten through this story without your great help and wonderful friendship.
So, let's see what our favorite couple is doing. Enjoy! See you at the bottom.
Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. Thank you, SM, for letting us play with your wonderful characters.
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Epilogue – Part I
Looking back, the best thing I'd ever done was take the leap of faith in flying out to Chicago and telling Edward how I felt. Almost everything in my life had changed from that day forward.
Eleven months later, we were in the Chicago area again. Alice and Jasper's wedding was a week away, and Edward and I had both cleared our schedules to take some time off together. He'd suggested we fly to Illinois early and relax at a small but nonetheless luxurious hotel in the middle of nowhere for a few days while he showed me around where he grew up.
I was awakened by hands roaming my body while something very long and hard was pressed into my back. A smile formed on my lips before I even opened my eyes. That was the best way to wake up, and I was incredibly grateful to wake up in Edward's arms every morning.
Things had moved forward very quickly once we'd returned to Seattle on New Year's Day. Six weeks later, on Valentine's Day, Edward had asked me to officially move in with him after I'd practically been living at his place since we came back. I couldn't keep my mind from going back to the wonderful evening on February 14th …
…We were sitting at a small table in a romantic little restaurant on the shore. Edward had told me to dress nicely, so I was wearing a deep blue wrap-around dress with thigh-highs and black heels. Edward was sitting next to me, dressed in a stunning light gray suit with a white shirt and a tie that exactly matched the color of my dress.
After our main course, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a four by four inch square black box. It looked like a gift box for jewelry.
"Edward, no. You already gave me roses and chocolates this morning. This is too much," I objected when he took my hand and placed the box in my palm.
He shook his head with a smile on his lips. "It's not what you think it is. And it's not just for you." My brows furrowed in bewilderment and Edward began to chuckle. "Just open it."
I steeled myself for whatever expensive piece of jewelry he might have bought me and pushed the button to lift the lid. Opening the box, instead of a necklace or whatever I'd been dreading to find, there was a little brass plate inside, engraved with two names.
I. Swan / E. Cullen
I lifted my eyes, meeting Edward's sparkling gaze. Confused, I looked down at my present again, inspecting it a little closer. I knew I'd seen plates like that before, but I just couldn't remember where. Intrigued, I let my finger brush over the elegant script. All of a sudden, it hit me. I'd been looking at plates like that every day for the past six weeks, as there was one of them on each mail box in the long row of boxes in the lobby of Edward's building.
"What — " I had to clear my throat as my eyes met Edward's emerald orbs again. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"Baby, it means that I want to ask you to officially move in with me. I want you to live with me. I want to go to bed with you every night and to wake up with you every morning. I love you, and I don't want to waste even one more day that I could be spending with you." He'd taken both my hands in his, and his thumbs were rubbing circles on the back of mine. His expression was so full of emotion that my eyes filled with tears.
I could see that he was more cautious when he continued, probably afraid to scare me away. "You've more or less been staying with me since New Year's, and if you want to, if it makes you feel more secure or independent, you can keep your apartment and sublet it — "
I put my hand over his mouth to stop him. "No." I watched his face fall, so I hurried to go on. "No, I don't want to keep my apartment. I want to live with you, and I want to do this right. I don't need my apartment as a back-up just in case, because I know I won't need it. I want to be with you, every day and every night." I couldn't get another word out, because right then, Edward pulled me toward him, leaning over the table, and crushed his lips to mine. We only stopped kissing when the waiter cleared his throat.
Instead of ordering dessert, Edward asked for the check, and we hurried home to christen every available surface in our home. Our home.
One week later, we cleared out my apartment and attached the little brass plate with both our names on it to the mail box we would share from then on. …
"What are you thinking about, baby?" Edward purred into my ear. "I can tell you're somewhere far, far away. Let's see if I can call you back to the here and now."
With that, he slowly slid himself into my already wet center.
****POMH****
About an hour later, satisfied, freshly showered and starving, I walked into our suite's main room where Edward was already setting breakfast on the table. Just like the morning before, he'd ordered one piece of every breakfast dish room service offered. He seemed determined to pamper me thoroughly these few days of our vacation.
"Hmmm, that looks delicious," I greeted him with a kiss on the cheek before I sat down on the chair he'd pulled out for me.
"For you, the best is just enough, baby," he answered, sitting down across from me.
Feeling famished, I dug into my scrambled eggs with enthusiasm. Edward watched me, chuckling quietly, before he started on his pancakes.
****POMH****
It was a very sunny morning and extremely warm for early November. We'd arrived two days ago and Edward had already shown me where his parents grew up and where he used to visit his grandparents. I was impressed by the sizes of the estates the Platts as well as the Cullens had owned. Both had been sold after the grandparents died.
That morning, we drove in our rental car on a small country road to some place Edward insisted I needed to see. He seemed quite nervous, which was totally out of character for him. When I called him on it, he brushed it off, saying I was imagining things. I knew I wasn't, but I let it go.
As we passed through several little towns, I contemplated what was ahead of us with the wedding the next week. On Tuesday, we'd leave our hide-out and return to real life. On the one hand, I was sad, knowing I'd have to share Edward with the rest of the world again. On the other hand, I was kind of excited to visit his family. A month ago, there had been an addition to the Cullen family when Rosalie gave birth to her and Emmett's first child. Little Henry was a cute, chubby guy who seemed to not only have inherited his father's dark curls, but also his sunny disposition. Unfortunately, we hadn't had the opportunity to meet him in person yet. But we were set on changing that as soon as we returned to Chicago.
Thinking about the baby had me reminiscing about a conversation Edward and I had about a month ago. …
… I was sitting on the couch in the living room, staring off into space. I'd been sitting there for a while, trying to read a book I'd started a few days ago, but my thoughts kept returning to my doctor's appointment earlier that afternoon. It had been a regular check up with my gynecologist. Before starting the physical examination, Dr. Taylor had asked me if I had anything in particular to discuss with her. I told her that, over the last few months, I'd suffered from light irregular bleeding and out of turn cramps. She examined me thoroughly and even did a sonogram to make sure that everything was alright.
When she was done, she told me that my problems were quite usual for women who'd been on the pill for many years, and her best advice would be to abstain from hormonal birth control for a while. She suggested I take a break from the pill for at least three months, and after that, we should reevaluate the situation — see if things got better and decide what form of birth control to proceed with.
To say I was frustrated was putting it mildly. I'd actually had to work hard to keep from crying. It had taken Edward and me long enough to find each other and get rid of the condoms. The intimacy that came with being with each other like that, not separated by a layer of latex, was something very special for both of us.
I was contemplating how to tell him that we would have to go back to wrapping it when I heard him unlocking the door.
"Hey, baby, I'm home." He threw his key into the bowl next to the door. "I'm sorry I'm late, but Jasper stopped me on my way out. The poor guy is going nuts with Alice in complete wedding-planner mode."
He chuckled, and I heard him come closer. "This morning, she stormed into his office, throwing a fit over the shade of the rose samples. She said she wanted dusty pink, not Miss Piggy. I swear to you, sometimes I don't know how —" He stopped speaking immediately when he noticed me on the couch with my knees pulled up against my chest and probably an anxious look on my face.
"Baby, what is it? Is something wrong?" Edward sat down next to me, and I threw him a sad half-smile. "You had a doctor's appointment, right? Are you sick, baby?" His voice was thick with worry, and his brows were furrowed.
I was puzzled for a moment before I realized that he probably thought I'd gotten a bad diagnosis. "No, no, I'm okay. That's not it." I dropped my gaze to my lap, taking a deep breath before telling Edward what happened. "You know, I talked to Dr. Taylor about my bleedings and the cramps. Everything's alright physically, but she suggested taking a break from the pill."
He reached out and lifted my chin to make me look at him. His brows were raised when he asked, "So you're okay? Nothing's physically wrong with you? Then why aren't you happy about that?"
"I am glad that I'm healthy. It's just —" I pulled my lip between my teeth, searching for the right words. "— we'll have to go back to using condoms for three months or so, and I don't like that." I let out a long breath, relieved that it was out.
I waited for Edward to say something, but he didn't. Instead, he took my hands in his and stroked them soothingly. For a while, he watched what he was doing before his eyes met mine again.
"Baby, have you ever thought about having children?" he asked cautiously.
I frowned slightly. Of course, we'd been together more than half a year, and we were living together. So it was actually odd that the matter hadn't come up earlier. But why now?
Edward seemed calm and composed while I contemplated my answer. "Of course, I have — in theory, I mean." He nodded lightly, inviting me to go on and elaborate. "I've always known I want children someday, but it's always been more like an abstract idea. You know, without the right guy and so on." I looked down at our joined hands, afraid to say something wrong. "Since I've known you, I'm sure I want to have your children — someday, when the time is right."
I bit my lip again, waiting for Edward to respond. I had no idea where he was going with his questioning. His voice was soft but sounded happy when he spoke. "I want you to have my children, too. I love you."
"I love you, too, Edward," I said, smiling at him, and he smiled back before his expression turned more serious again.
"With that being said, would it make that much of a difference if we had those babies sooner rather than later? I mean, the timing is never really perfect."
My jaw dropped in shock at what he was suggesting. "Are you telling me that you want us to try for a baby now?" I couldn't believe it. We hadn't even been together for a whole year.
His eyes bore into mine. "I'm not saying we have to try to have a baby now. What I'm saying is that, maybe, we could just not try to not have one. I mean, why not let nature run its course? You take a break from the pill, and we'll just see what happens. You know, it's very unlikely to get pregnant during the first few months after taking hormones for as long as you have. When the three months are over and nothing's happened, we'll go back to birth control, if you want to."
Edward's gaze was intense, and although his voice had been light and calm, I could tell that he was silently pleading with me to agree. He wanted that, and he wanted it then, rather than a few years later.
A wave of emotions washed over me. I was happy he wanted us to make an even bigger commitment. I was bewildered and a little shocked that I wasn't scared shitless at the idea of us starting a family. In fact, I was fighting a stupid grin from appearing on my face as I pictured a little boy with unruly bronze hair and emerald eyes. I'd never known how much I really wanted to have a family with Edward, but I still wasn't sure that the timing was right. At the same time, I didn't know any valid reasons to object. When was the right time, anyway? Maybe Edward was right and there was never a perfect time.
The more my head was spinning with what-ifs, the more worried Edward seemed to become.
"I'm sorry, baby, for pushing you like this. We don't have to decide today."
"Okay!" I choked out.
He flashed me a small smile. "Let's talk about this again in a few days."
"I said okay," I repeated, almost bursting at the seams with excitement.
He looked at me like I was nuts. "I don't understand. What's okay?"
I smiled brightly because I knew he'd be totally ecstatic with my answer. "That we don't try to not have a baby."
"You're sure?" he demanded, wide-eyed.
"Yeah, I am." With that, he attacked my lips, pinning me to the couch with his body on top of mine.
We made love several times that night, and somehow it had a whole new quality to it. The sex was great, as always, and it was fun, but it was so much more, too. …
… I was a little flushed with the memories of our lovemaking when I returned to the present, noticing that the car had stopped. I looked around, seeing nothing but meadows and a little forest ahead.
Confused, I turned to look at Edward, who was smiling indulgently. "Where did you say we were going?"
"Actually, I didn't. I just said I wanted to show you something. Come on." He chuckled as he exited the car. After walking around the hood, he opened my door, reaching his hand out to help me get out, too. "Trust me, baby, I'm sure you won't be disappointed."
With our hands joined, he led me through the trees that turned out to be just a patch of wood instead of a larger forest.
When we left the shaded path, I stopped immediately as my eyes spotted a beautiful rustic chapel. It was a Gothic-style building with a single bell tower right at the entrance. The double doors were shaded by a small pitched roof awning that was resting on two stone columns.
The chapel was built from faded white stone and looked as picturesque as they come, surrounded by lots of trees with wonderful multicolored leaves. The photographer in me wanted to pull out her camera and do a round of scenic shots.
"Wow! That's beautiful. What is that?" I choked out, overwhelmed by the view.
Edward moved behind me and wove his arms around my waist, pulling me against him. "This is St. John the Baptist Chapel. I knew you'd like it. Come on, let's go inside."
He grabbed my hand in his again and pulled me after him to the entrance. I was surprised when he found the door unlocked. Putting his hand on the small of my back, he carefully pushed through the foyer into the altar room.
I was awestruck by what my eyes saw. From the inside, the chapel was just as beautiful as it was from the outside. Although the small main room had a vaulted ceiling made from dark wood and the pews were made from similar dark wood, it was still light and friendly. The walls, which were made from the same light stone as the outside, were disrupted by big Tiffany-style stained-glass windows which immersed the room in bright, colorful light.
Again, I felt compelled to take at least a hundred photographs in there. I walked down the aisle and stopped in front of the altar, turning around to look back at the entrance. Edward was standing there, a complacent smile on his face. "Do you like it, baby?" he asked as he started to stroll toward me, his hands extended to take mine.
"Like it? I love it. This is, wow, I don't have words for this." We sat down in the first pew and Edward started to stroke my hands while he watched them with intensity. Somehow, the moment felt grave. I had no idea why he'd brought me there, to the chapel in the middle of nowhere, but I could tell that he did it with a certain intention.
Before I could ask him about it, he finally looked up and started to speak. His eyes were full of emotion. "Baby, I know we've only met almost one year ago, but to me it feels like a lifetime. In fact, I can't remember a time when you weren't part of my life, and I don't want to, either. From the moment you walked into that corner at the party, everything was different. One week later, when I took you home after your first weekend with me, I knew you were it for me. I've never felt as connected to someone in my entire life, and I never will feel the same with anyone else ever again."
His voice was hoarse. Although I still didn't know what was going on, I felt some kind of nervous anticipation that made my eyes tear up as Edward reached into the pocket of his leather jacket and came back with a small black velvet box. My eyes widened at the sight of it and my heart started to beat faster.
He opened the lid and turned my right hand over, putting the open box in my palm. I kept my eyes locked on his face as he slid off the seat and went down on one knee in front of me. I worked hard to not look down at the thing I was holding in my hand.
"Isabella Swan, you're the love of my life, my best friend and my partner in crime. I can't stand the idea of spending even a single day without you by my side. I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children. Please, Bella, will you marry me?" He almost choked on the last words and everything about him told me how serious he was.
I thought I should've been scared to death. I should've felt the desperate need to run away, escape and hide under a rock. But I didn't. I felt the love radiating off of Edward, touching my heart and wrapping it in a thick blanket of trust and security. And, all of a sudden, there was only one thing I could possibly answer him.
"Yes, yes, I will!" The tears were brimming over as I threw myself at him, hugging him to me with all the strength I had.
I could feel the tension leave the muscles in his shoulders as they shook with relieved laughter. "Oh, baby, you make me the happiest man on earth."
Edward placed his hands on my cheeks and pulled my face against his for a searing kiss. It was chaste for us, but just right for the moment. It was just a perfect expression of how overwhelmed and happy he felt.
When he let me go, and I had the chance to catch my breath, I finally dared to look at the box that he'd placed in my hand. Again, my breath caught when I took in the most beautiful ring I'd ever seen.
"Do you like it?" Edward asked a little insecurely while he took it out of the box and slid it on the third finger of my left hand. It fit as if it were made just for me.
"It's perfect. I love it." I wasn't actually able to see the ring very clearly because the tears in my eyes blurred my vision, but I blinked them away to take inventory of my new permanent companion.
The ring was a gold band that was narrow in the back but became about twice as wide toward the front. In the center was an oval-shaped emerald the size of a pea. Placed left and right of it were pearls and smaller emeralds. From the look of it, the ring was antique, and I was sure it was exactly the ring I'd have chosen for myself. The weight of it felt wonderful on my finger.
Edward's soft voice brought me back from my daze. "It's a family heirloom. It was my Grandmother Platt's engagement ring. She left it to me in her will. The second I saw your locket, I knew we were as perfect a match as our grandmothers' jewelry." His lips curved up into a shy smile.
"It's wonderful. You couldn't have found me a better one if you'd tried." Again, I pressed my lips to his, attempting to convey my happiness and gratitude.
"Baby, there's more," Edward started when I finally let go of him.
I felt my brows furrow in confusion. "More?"
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A/N: Did you like the first part of their future? What more could there be?
I want to set one thing straight. As a pharmacist, I know that taking a break from the pill is a totally outdated cure for abnormalities in the monthly cycle. It's true that cramps and longer periods can occur if a woman has been on the pill for long, but the usual cure is switching the pill. Anyway, I needed a reason for Bella to take a break. I hope you'll forgive me for this little inaccuracy.
For all of you who are interested in pictures of the engagement ring or the chapel, I'll post them in my FB group Payton79's Fanfiction.
Part two of the epi will be posted next Friday. Until then, tell me what you think, here or on FB.
See you next Friday.