AN ~ sorry it's been so long since my last update but real life is getting busier. School starts soon! Grr. Oh well here is another chapter for you...enjoy the fluff while it lasts coz next chapter things get shaken up again!
Disclaimer: Breaking Dawn is not mine, nor is the song I used ("On This Day" by David Pomeranz) or - unfortunately - the wedding introduction thing about tapestries and trust. It's a traditional one though.
Chapter Forty Nine: Perfect
Esme:
The light of the morning lit up the backyard as the sun begun to creep over the horizon. Everything shimmering with dew, and I took a deep breath of the fresh mountain air, looking out over the yard as Jasper and Emmett set up the chairs. It was going to be the perfect day. How beautiful.
"Pay attention, Esme! Make sure they get it right!" Alice instructed.
"You got it," I nodded, laughing at my smallest daughter's authoritarian command.
"I'm going to pick up Bella," Alice continued. "When Carlisle gets back, get him to set those up, will you?" She gestured to a box of twinkle lights. "And don't let anyone upstairs. Only you. And not even you can go in my room, okay? Guard that dress with your life!"
"Of course, Alice," I replied as she disappeared out the front of the house.
Her Porsche ripped out of the driveway and disappeared down the street with a screech.
"Drive safe!" I cried after her, leaning around the wall so I could see the Porsche disappear around a bend. Alice turned up the radio. I laughed, and returned my attention to the boys. As promised, Carlisle arrived with the sun. He looked refreshed, grinning and holding up a hand to block the sunlight from his eyes as he jogged towards me, an explosion of crystalline sparkles.
"Something tells me Alice is excited," he noted as he sprung up the porch steps to stand behind me. He brushed a lock of hair out of my face and leant forward to kiss my cheek, but I turned my head and caught his lips on mine for just a second.
"Indeed," I agreed. "By the way, you're on Light Duty." I pointed to the box of lights and Carlisle sighed.
"I'm home for one minute…" he muttered, picking up the box and making a point of heaving it through the house as if it actually cost him effort. Jasper and Emmett laughed, and I headed down into the backyard to help them. On my way down to the boys I noticed Rosalie in the shadows, looking upset. I ran over to her instead.
"Are you okay, Rose?" I asked quietly, touching her shoulder gently. I wouldn't to intrude if she didn't want me.
"Yeah, I guess," she brushed me off with a shrug.
"You don't sound it," I told her gently.
"It's just…Bella. I mean, I know she makes Edward happy and everything, and I'm glad, but she's giving away everything I ever wanted. Just like that." She clicked her fingers. "I would give so much to be where she is, but she's just throwing it away like none of it matters! How can she do that?" She whipped around, yelling in my face. I backed off, and when she noticed my shock, she stopped.
"It's her choice, Rose," I pointed out. "She's doing this for Edward; for love. That matters more than anything, as she sees it."
"But she could love some nice human guy! She could have kids, Esme – real children of her own."
"She knows that," I said, choking on tears. I couldn't help it.
"See!" Rose cried, hearing the sadness in my voice. "See; you're not okay with this!"
"I wish she didn't have to give that up," I admitted, "but I have other things in my life now; so will she."
"You still cry over him, Esme, I hear you." Rosalie's words stopped me as I walked away. Her voice was hushed and dark.
"Bella hasn't had a child to miss," I replied in the same tone, without turning to face her. She sighed.
"Esme..." she started. I heard her step towards me and then give up the chase. "Mum, I'm sorry. I need to lighten up. This is their day. I'm spoiling it for everyone. There is some good in this. Even I can see that." She chuckled bitterly. "I'll try and have fun."
I couldn't stay mad. I hugged her tightly and she allowed me a moment before pushing me away. I wasn't disheartened; Rosalie wasn't one for hugs.
"Come on, let's go help the boys," I suggested.
"You didn't give them matches, did you?" Rosalie ducked from an imaginary explosion.
"No, no, but Alice will have our heads if they put a single chair out of line." I grinned at Rose, remembering the little tantrum Alice had thrown at Rose and Emmett's last wedding, when the chairs apparently hadn't been arranged right. Of course, being vampires, we had ample time to fix it, and Emmett had scored some hilarious home videos in the process. We couldn't show the videos to a human, unfortunately, but we still got a good laugh out of them every time. I wonder what Bella will say next time we pull them out...she is likely to have been added to the collection by then.
.o.o.o.
Alice returned at a considerably more sane speed than she had left at, and hurried Bella upstairs the minute they crossed the threshold. As promised, I had thwarted all attempts to sneak a peek at Alice's surprise. Not that there were many; Rose and I kept the potential perpetrators busy.
By mid-afternoon, nearly everything was ready. The cake, the photography, and of course the music: Rosalie was the second-most able musician in the family - second only to Edward - but often she was overlooked when it came to the spotlight of musical ability. Today she would get her chance to shine. I smiled as my daughter darted past; grinning and humming under her breath as she scoured the house for her flute. Her sister's cheerful attitude seems to have rubbed off.
Emmett and Jasper had finished the chairs, and after an intense inspection by Rosalie, they were granted time off. Currently, they were laughing at Carlisle as he tried to set up the archway and alter: he got the basics right, but the flowers and gossamer weren't working for him. His surgeon's fingers were brilliant with bodies, but when it came to flowers? Not so much. That's why I was the gardener. Of course, Emmett had broken out the video camera: the boys rarely let their father escape an embarrassing moment without recording it for the rest of eternity.
"Esme," Carlisle finally called, letting the tangled gossamer fall around him as he looked at me with pleading eyes. In an instant, I was down the bottom of the yard to assist him.
"Loop it through here," I suggested, bending the stalk of a rose through the right hole. Carlisle sighed and unwrapped his accidental gossamer toga. He handed the material over to me and, with a sheepish but victorious grin, darted away to answer the door for the first of the guests.
Once I had finished the altar, I headed inside to greet the growing crowd, catching up with old friends like Kate and Tanya, as well as meeting people I had never met before, like Charlie's deputy Mark. Renée was there as well, seeming a little out of place at the social gathering of which she wasn't quite part: she didn't know the Cullens, and she wasn't from Forks. Instead of trying too hard to mingle, she went upstairs to see Bella.
"You're going to love Bella's dress!" Rosalie whispered excitedly as she headed for the piano, having been unable to locate her flute.
I glanced upstairs and Alice waved a hand, signaling they were ready to go. I clapped my hands together once, calling the audience to attention.
"Okay," I announced. "If everyone would like to make their way outside, we're nearly ready." A murmur of excitement ran through the crowd and people eagerly headed towards their seats in the yard.
"It's wonderful, Esme!" Renee declared, hugging me tightly. "You and Alice should consider wedding planning as a career. Bella looks fabulous, too! Thank you so much for arranging all this."
"No problem," I replied as we walked up the aisle to take our seats. I had to consciously stop myself calling her dear. As Bella had once said, Renée had quite a creative – somehow childish – way of seeing the world. Not to mention she was less than half my age."I quite enjoyed it."
.o.o.o.
The seating was mostly arranged depending on whether you came for the bride or the groom, our family being on Edward's side, but as Carlisle would be standing with Edward there was an empty seat beside me. Renée decided to follow me, passing me a handkerchief as she was beginning to tear up already. She and I sat down just as Rosalie started playing Pachelbel's Canon. Carlisle stood by the altar, beside Edward, wearing a proud smile. I could imagine the tears in his eyes.
Alice came out first, wearing a beautiful silver dress and carrying a bouquet of roses, freesia and orange blossoms. A few seconds after her, Bella emerged from the house, wearing a stunning white dress; the skirt was higher at the front, like an upside-down calla lily. Her eyes were framed with thick lashes, and her cheeks pink with blush – which I had a feeling was mostly natural. Charlie was by her side in a tuxedo, looking proud, happy, and sad all at once.
When Bella stepped up to the altar, the priest began the ceremony.
"Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan, today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, as you join together in vows of marriage."
Just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love. Love should be the core of your marriage; love is the reason you are here. But it also will take trust - to know in your hearts that you want the best for each other.
It will take dedication - to stay open to one another, to learn and to grow together even when this is not always easy to do. It will take faith - to always be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. And it will take commitment - to hold true to the journey you both now pledge to share together."
Renee was steadily sobbing beside me now. She wrapped her arms around me and I hugged her back, closing my eyes for a moment as they stung with bittersweet tears.
"Who presents this man and this woman to be married?" the priest asked.
"I do," Charlie and Carlisle replied in unison, their expressions matching: Carlisle was only missing the tears sliding down his face. Bella was crying too, though I don't know if she realised, as the priest recited their vows. The corner of Carlisle's mouth twitched at the private joke - Bella and Edward had asked to exchange the traditional "'til death do us part" for the more appropriate line, considering their circumstances.
"...as long as you both shall live?"
"I do," Bella squeaked, her voice trembling.
"I do," Edward vowed, smooth and confident.
.o.o.o.
The ceremony was over now, and Edward led Bella through the crowd, letting everyone give her a hug. She looked simply shocked, standing like a statue as both families and all her friends hugged her. It would have been nice to have Jacob Black here; it was a shame he was absent. The two of them were very close. Seth Clearwater and his mother Sue were here, as well as Billy Black, but Jacob was still nowhere to be seen.
"Are you okay, honey?" Carlisle asked approaching me through the crowd.
"Yes," I choked, smiling as I watched Bella and Edward disappear into the house, just ahead of the rest of the crowd. I sighed. "Our little Edward is all grown up."
"I suppose it is time," Carlisle admitted, glancing over his shoulder at Edward and Bella, sounding just as choked up as I was. He slid his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. I handed him the handkerchief Renee had given me. Carlisle laughed gently.
"Care for a dance?" he invited, gesturing to the allocated dance-floor, where Edward and Bella and a few other couples were already drifting around; some talking, others silently peaceful. Without waiting for an answer, Carlisle entwined his fingers in mine and pulled me to the edge of the crowd. We hadn't intended to stop, but the scene before us was just so touching that both of us came to a halt: Edward and Bella, in the center of the floor, twirling effortlessly as if they had spent every moment of their lives rehearsing for this moment.
From a set of speakers somewhere, a simple but powerful and beautiful song was playing.
On this day
I promise forever
On this day
I surrender my heart
Here I stand
Take my hand
And I will honour every word that I say
On this day
"It's beautiful," Carlisle breathed, smiling wistfully, his eyes still on Edward and Bella. "Untouchable; totally enchanted. It's perfect. Look at them, Esme."
"How far they've come." I smiled and shook my head, hardly able to believe it. "But yes. Perfect."