Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns everything in the Twiverse. No copyright infringement intended.

THANK YOU to everyone who has reviewed since I posted Ch19. Your encouragement and belief in my writing was astounding. I know I'm behind in replying, but please know that I have read every single review at least ten times, and they have totally buoyed my spirits. Mille grazie, tutti!

Chapter 20: Could You Say That Again?

Edward's POV

"You're getting engaged!"

I don't know what I had expected Alice to say—something about Bella's mortality would have made sense. Or perhaps which colleges were no longer on her short list of possibilities.

But the three words she'd spoken, the three words in that impossible sequence, stunned me into silence.

Alice was enjoying the moment more than I would have liked, grinning at me as I struggled to make my mouth work.

"Wh… what are…" I closed my eyes to stave off my annoyance at the giggle she couldn't suppress. "What are you talking about?"

"You and Bella will be engaged soon." The sincerity in her voice forced me to look at her. "I've seen it."

I closed my eyes again as my composure began to collapse. My insides felt strange, uncomfortable with the elation released by the words my clairvoyant sister was speaking. I wanted to ask her a zillion questions, to thoroughly delve into the particulars of her vision. But I was lost to myself, failing to stem the tide of emotion overtaking me at the incredible notion I could scarcely repeat.

Bella and I will be engaged.

Bella and I will be engaged soon.

Soon.

Thank God that breathing was optional.

"Edward?"

I gasped aloud as Bella appeared next to me. I even hadn't sensed her approach.

"Are you okay?" Her eyes darted between me and Alice whose expression sobered upon Bella's arrival.

"Sorry." My voice cracked under her earnest gaze. "What's going on?"

"Jess and Angela are going to Mrs. Young's house to help prepare for the repast, and I'm going with them."

I didn't like the sound of that. I suddenly didn't want to let Bella out of my sight, afraid that Alice's vision would shift and shatter before I'd fully gotten my hands on it. As it was, my eyes refused to blink, memorizing Bella's face as Alice's words twirled around my mind. "Okay."

"Jess is going to drop me at Charlie's afterwards," she continued. "I want to tidy up a bit there and grab a few things before coming back to your house. School is closed again tomorrow, so I figured we could enjoy a long weekend together before things go back to normal on Monday."

I couldn't stop staring at her. "Okay."

"Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yes." I was too mesmerized to say much more.

She raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

"It's Jasper," Alice supplied as my useless lips refused to move. "We're shocked that he's decided to follow Emmett to the burial site in support of Rose."

"Wow," Bella said to Alice. "You've got yourself a pretty great guy."

"Don't I?" Alice beamed and then smirked at Bella. "You did all right, too, considering what you had to work with."

I was too busy gazing at Bella to do anything other than smile stupidly.

"I've gotta go." Bella kissed my cheek. "I'll call you when I get to Charlie's."

"Okay," I said for a third time.

Bella shook her head in amused confusion then walked over to join her friends. I stared after her in wonder, fixated on her frame until she turned on the sidewalk and drifted out of sight.

"Real smooth, Romeo."

I snapped my head back to Alice. "You. Come with me."

She was having too much fun at my expense as she slowly followed to the Volvo. She took her sweet time opening the car door and made an elaborate production out of clicking her seatbelt and adjusting her chair, humming to herself the entire time.

"What?" she asked as I glared at her. "We have to maintain the human charade, Edward. It's the only way to keep us safe and allow us to stay in Forks long enough for you to propose to Bella."

I groaned involuntarily as the prospect of asking Bella to marry me stole my breath again, and Alice's face became triumphant. "Now, if you want to hear what I know, you'll have to get me home where we can discuss it fully and privately."

"Tell me now," I ground out.

"Here?" she asked incredulously. "In front of all these people?"

"We're in the car!"

She further tested my patience by laughing. "Can we at least pull off? I feel silly just sitting here." My grip on the steering wheel began to bend its circular design, and she relented. "Okay, okay! I'm sorry. I shouldn't tease you now. There will be plenty of time for that later."

"Alice…"

"Sorry!" She stilled herself and stared at me. "Here."

The vision Alice showed me stopped my heart.

Bella was looking down at me as I kneeled before her, offering my heart in the form of a question. Her eyes were shining with tears, and in the next moment, her beautiful lips answered me and a smile broke across them. I scooped her in my arms, kissing her tears as they slid down her cheeks, and then gently placed her feet on the ground before taking her left hand in mine. With trembling hands, I encircled its third finger with a delicate ring. She wiggled her fingers and squealed, kissing me between fits of laughter.

Oh, the joy… the sheer exultation I felt as I watched the two of us in Alice's head nearly broke me. Could I really be allowed such happiness? Would Bella really accept me if I offered myself to her?

"Do you see what I'm seeing?" Alice whispered. "I haven't had a vision this strong since I first saw Jasper."

The probability of Alice's visions was revealed in the details. Uncertain decisions looked like shadows, hazy mirages in a desert. But in this vision, this glorious vision of Bella and me, I could almost smell Bella's fragrance and hear her heartbeat. I could see the green flecks in her eyes, count the freckles on her nose, feel the bliss radiating from our smiles.

Had I been standing, I would have fainted.

"Tell me more," I breathed, trying to remember how to drive.

"Since Saturday night," Alice began, "Bella's future has been shifting constantly. Never settling on one path too long, her life was all over the place. It was like her mind was scrambled, afraid to decide anything. But over the past two days, one image kept popping up repeatedly: Bella smiling at a ring on her left hand."

I relished the image as Alice kept talking.

"The venue, circumstances, and even the ring kept changing, but the central theme stayed the same: she was engaged to you, and she was ecstatic about it."

I could feel the grin preparing to explode on my face, but I was still afraid to let it out.

"When?"

"It varies," Alice said. "But it's soon. Within a month, I would guess."

"A month!" I cried. I knew it was too good to be true. "There's no way Bella wants me to propose that soon."

"Are you doubting me?" Alice asked.

"Yes! I mean, no." I tried again, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "I believe that you saw what you saw. I just… You don't understand how deeply opposed to marriage Bella is. She has never, not even in the throes of passion, indicated that she would ever consent to marry me. And now you're telling me that she not only wants me to ask her, but in the next few weeks?"

"The throes of passion?"

I ignored the jibe. "I'm sure that Bella has been obsessing about her future since Brittany died. And maybe the fear of death has her thinking that she should hurry up and marry me. But I'm not going to rush her into a major decision just because she's grieving."

Alice looked at me sidelong. "Are you sure this uncertainty is about Bella and not your fear of rejection?"

And here was the reason that I seldom talked to Alice. She just knew me too well.

"My only concern is for Bella," I dodged, thankful that she didn't press me. "Losing Brittany has shaken her foundation, and I want to give it some time to settle. She may very well want to marry me," the words were a melody from heaven, "but I want to be sure."

"How?" she challenged. "By asking her if she wants you to ask her?"

"No," I said crossly. "I'm going to wait for a sign."

Alice shocked me again by laughing, the outburst full of skepticism. "So now you believe in signs?"

I cut my eyes at her as I cut the engine in our family garage. "I believe in waiting for some proof of Bella's wishes from Bella rather than relying on the subjective visions of my very opinionated sister."

"Suit yourself. But Edward," she paused, "you should know better than to bet against me."

She slammed the car door, and I blared the horn at her, earning myself a crude hand gesture before she disappeared into the house.

Alice was never more obnoxious than when she was right. But as much as I needed to doubt her prediction until I was absolutely certain of Bella's feelings, I didn't exit the car until I returned from Charlie's house with Bella riding shotgun, the thought of being her fiancé in a matter of weeks preventing me from getting up.

Both of us had been quiet on the ride home. Bella never got the chance to see Mrs. Young because she fainted when the casket was lowered into the ground and was rushed to the hospital. Carlisle and Esme were following the lead car there, and Rose and Emmett were heading to a spa in San Francisco after dropping Jasper near the house. Nothing soothed Rose's aching heart like soaking in a steaming tub of mud, and nothing pleased Emmett more than touching her afterwards.

The things I wished I didn't know about my siblings.

Bella and I were passing Esme's walk-in closet on the second floor when she stopped me.

"Can we talk about something?"

Her tone alarmed me. "Of course."

"Thanksgiving is two weeks away, and I wanted to spend it in Florida with my mom."

My stomach clenched at the idea of Bella on the other side of the country for four whole days.

"But she and Phil will be away then, so they invited me to come next weekend. And I'm hoping that's enough notice for you to clear it with Carlisle and Esme."

"Yes," I sighed with relief. "But why do you seem so nervous?"

She bit her bottom lip. "I thought it might seem insensitive to make happy plans so soon after Brittany's funeral."

I took her hands and kissed them. "You don't have an insensitive bone in your beautiful body. Besides, there's nothing wrong with planning for the future."

"Please don't say that word today." I was startled by her sadness. "I've spent the last five days obsessing about the past and worrying about the future." Her eyes met mine. "I don't want to do that right now."

She stepped into my arms. "Right now, I just want to go upstairs and curl up in the arms of the man I love. Not thinking about yesterday or tomorrow, next month or next year. Just the next few moments with you. Can we do that?"

"Yes, Love." I kissed her nose as Alice's vision faded from my mind. "We can definitely do that."

—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—

"I just cannot get over how beautiful you are!" Renee exclaimed for the fourth time as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Bella blushed. "Mom…"

"No, really." She released Bella and looked her over again. "I mean, you really look good. Like Forks is actually agreeing with you."

"Not everyone hates Forks, Mom."

"You did, at first." Renee took a brief, hard look at me. "I wonder what changed."

"You remember Edward," Bella said blithely.

"Yes." Renee's expression was a combination of curiosity and wariness, and her concern for Bella gave me comfort. "Hello, Edward."

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Dwyer."

"Oh, no," Renee frowned. "I'm not that much older than you. Call me Ms. Renee."

I stifled a smile as Bella rolled her eyes. "Edward, this is my stepfather, Phil Dwyer."

"Of the Jacksonville Suns, right?" I extended my hand. "I saw that last game against the Bulldogs. That was some play you made in the fifth."

"Wasn't it?" Phil's eyes brightened in remembrance. "Stopped the go-ahead run and clinched us the win."

"The runner to third never saw it coming."

"And I've always hated that guy," Phil intimated as we grabbed the bags from the carousel. "Always a smart-ass."

"He didn't look too smart getting gunned down from right field," I said. "You've got a nice arm."

"A scout from the Marlins called me a few weeks back," Phil said proudly. "Said he might come see me play next year." He looked me over. "Do you play?"

"Not too often, but I'm a fan of the game."

"Edward is a musician," Bella said proudly.

"Are you in a rock band or something?" Renee asked. Maybe that would explain that edgy vibe I get from him.

"Strictly classical, Mom, like you."

"Really?" Her thoughts mellowed before switching directions. "Bella, did I tell you that Phil got me a piano for my birthday? It's a gently-used Steinway."

"Where should we eat?" Phil asked as we reached his Land Rover. "There's a great place near the house with an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet."

"Oh honey, I'm sure Bella and Edward are tired from their journey," Renee cooed. "Why don't we drop them off, let them get settled, and then we'll run out and get something?"

"That sounds great, Mom," Bella said. "Thanks."

We piled into Phil's SUV and pulled out of the airport parking lot with Renee talking as almost as quickly as Phil drove. As soon as we entered their charming yellow house, Renee continued her monologue by pointing out every noteworthy feature of its interior: the mantle over the fireplace, the easy access to the back patio, the sofa bed and half-bath which, she added with a pointed look at me, were just as good as the facilities upstairs.

I had to chuckle to myself. Although she was Bella's mother, from what I'd heard, she'd never expressed much interest in being maternal. The idea that she was now policing the behavior of her adult daughter and her vampiric boyfriend struck me as absurdly funny.

I would never embarrass Bella or myself with disrespectful behavior, however. So I remarked that if I needed to shower, I was sure that Phil would show me where to go. This comment pleased Renee and took me off of her radar for the moment.

"Now the fridge is full," Renee explained after Phil carried Bella's bag upstairs, "but I just thought of a special something I wanted to make for my baby's first visit to Jacksonville, so we need to pick up a few things. We're only going to the Winn-Dixie down the road, so we'll be right back."

"Mom," Bella sighed as Renee hugged her.

"I'm just saying that we'll be back before you know it, so don't get too comfortable doing anything. Phil and I might want to take you somewhere or watch a movie or something. We've got Blu-ray, you know."

"Come on, Renee." Phil called his bride from the front step. "You want to get your pick of the produce."

Excited by the prospect, Renee made for the open door. "Right back," she reiterated before closing it behind her.

Bella exhaled loudly as soon as she heard the car start. "That was quite a welcome," I said.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I've never seen Renee like that before."

"I can't say that I blame her." I walked over to the mantle to look at the pictures. "You were in a hospital the last time she saw you."

"I guess."

"Although from the look of it," I said as I picked up a frame, "she should be used to that by now." I turned the picture around for her to see.

Bella's face reddened as she ran over to me. The little girl in the photo was standing in front of a picnic table, her face, hands, and peach party dress covered in what appeared to be a three-layered chocolate cake with white icing. "Care to explain?" I asked.

Bella snatched the photo from me. "This was my fifth birthday party. Every kid in the neighborhood was running around my backyard while I was sitting under a tree reading the copy of The House at Pooh Corner my Nana Botham had gotten me for my birthday. Apparently it was time to cut the cake, but I was so engrossed in the book that I didn't hear them calling me. When everybody shouted my name at once, I got so startled that I jumped up and ran toward the table. I didn't even see the skates until after I tripped over them."

She looked so adorably miserable that I couldn't laugh. "Had I heard that story," I said. "I never would have let Alice throw you a party."

"And now you understand my aversion," she smiled.

I was relieved that we could mention her birthday without derailing the conversation. "What else is up here?" I asked.

Bella walked me through the display, pausing to elaborate on some items, skipping others altogether. As she walked me through the mantlepiece menagerie, I was fascinated by this other side of Bella's heritage. Renee was as scattered and eclectic as Charlie was grounded and traditional. Her collection boasted everything from knock-off Faberge eggs to towering bottles of colored sand, the disjointed items somehow creating a cohesive unit.

"I suppose that asking to see your bedroom would defy Renee's wishes," I said with a glance toward the ceiling.

"A direct violation," she replied as she walked toward the stairs.

"And I suppose that this will be the only time we'll be alone long enough for me to see it."

She backed up another step. "A safe assumption."

"Then there's no time to lose." I caught her on the fourth step and sped her upstairs, laughing as she squealed in surprise.

"It's been a while since you ran with me," she panted as we reached the top landing.

"We will have to remedy that," I agreed.

Bella put her hand on her bedroom door knob. "Renee set this up without me, so I have no idea what she did with my stuff."

"Stop stalling, little coward."

Bella pursed her lips and then opened her bedroom door.

The large, airy room was painted a soothing cappuccino brown, instantly inviting you in. A full four-poster bed was cattycornered between the two wide windows, its distressed creamy color making it more antique than adolescent. On the walls were framed t-shirts—"Dyslexics of the world, UNTIE" being my favorite—interspersed with a classic movie still from Olivier and Oberon's iconic 1939 turn in Wuthering Heights. A poster of the entire text of Romeo and Juliet was hanging over the well-worn crescent-shaped writing desk, and an overstuffed purple chair sat in the far corner beneath a hanging lamp, begging someone to sit down and lose themselves in one of the dozens of books in the adjacent bookcase. As I took in the colors, textures, and objects in the room, I realized that I was standing in the middle of Bella's soul.

This room, this sacred space and all it contained was a life-sized diorama of the heart of the girl I'd fallen in love with. Renee may have added a few things—the plethora of tchotchkes on every level surface was proof enough of that—but there was no denying that this room was perfectly, completely, and utterly Isabella Marie Swan.

I never wanted to leave.

"What do you think?" She was oblivious to the feelings brewing inside me. "The bedspread is too colorful, and the stereo is new, but the rest is me."

"It is definitely that." The timbre of my voice tipped her off, and she raised an eyebrow. "I hope you're not getting all mushy on me, Cullen," she said. "I wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea."

Her playfulness paused my reverie. "And what would that be?"

She wiggled a little before stepping across the threshold and down the stairs, leaving me no choice but to follow. "That you're some sort of special case."

"I'm not?"

"Not at all." She was back in the living room, tossing me saucy looks over her shoulder. "This isn't the first time I've been alone with a guy in my mother's house, you know."

I knew she was joking, but the flare of jealousy singed me anyway. "No?"

She shook her head and ran her hand along the back of the couch. "I was quite wild in Phoenix."

I had seen her wildness in Forks and found myself in the mood for an encore. "Do you remember their names?"

"Let's see." She paused to think about it. "There was Aladdin, Sneezy, Neo, Forrest Gump, and…" She stared me down. "Mr. Incredible."

I crept toward her with a predatory gait. "Mr. Incredible, huh?"

"Oh, yes." She tossed her hair. "And he more than lived up to his name."

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I flew to her side, swept her up, and pinned her beneath me on the couch in one swift motion. "You overestimate my self-control, Ms. Swan."

She gasped at my growling tone, her eyes wide with ardor. "Renee and Phil will be home at any second."

"One," I bent my head to her flick her ear with my tongue, "they're more than five miles away. And two," I held her face in my hands. "I'm past the point of caring."

My lips met hers without another word, needing to show not tell. I savored her kiss, feeling as if it were weeks not hours since I'd last tasted her. Her flavor and scent were stronger in the Floridian humidity, and the ceiling fan above us was blowing it everywhere at once. I felt as if I were being suffocated with her fragrance, smothered by the sweetness of her natural allure.

There were worse ways to go.

My left hand slipped from her face to slide down her arm and curl possessively around her back, holding her to me. My tongue slid into her mouth, and I groaned when she swirled hers around mine, the contrast of cold and heat sending a chill down the length of my body. I held her closer, kissed her deeper, craved her more.

Necessity forced me away from her mouth to allow her to breathe, and I focused my attention elsewhere. I kissed my way across her jawline to the place in her throat where her pulse was racing. I traced tiny circles with my tongue between kisses, enjoying the increased pressure beneath my lips. Bella sighed my name and wrapped her right leg around my hip, my proximity to her most precious place making me gasp aloud.

She brought her lips to the hollow at the base of my throat. "Is there something wrong, Mr. Cullen?"

Her warm tongue compromised my ability to speak. "You're dangerous."

She raised her head at the sound of her name, her eyes dark with devious intent. "And don't you forget it."

Our lips collided once more, and as she wrapped her other leg around me, I lifted her up to sit on my lap, her legs holding me flush against her warmth. She began rocking her hips against me, the subtle friction eliciting a quick response in my body. The pleasure was enticing in its intensity, and I never wanted her to stop.

"I am putty in your hands," I murmured against her mouth.

She licked my bottom lip. "I don't think 'putty' is the right word."

"Hmmm." I slid my hands beneath her t-shirt, wanting her bare skin. "Something harder, perhaps?"

She raised her arms so I could remove her shirt, and I bent my head to the expanse above her pink bra. Her hands cradled my head as she leaned back to grant me full access, the softness of her breast hidden beneath the fabric. I took my time as I kissed across her chest, the quickening thump of her heart spurring me on. I curved a finger around her bra strap, carefully sliding it off her shoulder. My lips nibbled their way to their first destination, and as I slid my tongue across her pouty right breast, her mother's mental ramblings entered my listening range.

The invasion stopped my mouth, and I lifted my head sharply.

Bella was breathing hard, her chest heaving with each inhale. "What?"

Her flushed, disheveled appearance was distracting me, and I closed my eyes. "Renee."

She sighed. "That woman always had terrible timing."

"The worst," I groaned for more reasons than one.

Bella chuckled and planted a kiss on top of my head. "Cheer up, Love." In spite of my discomfort, I smiled at her use of my nickname for her. "You're getting ready to experience a rare treat: my mother's experimental cooking."

She laughed as she disentangled herself from around me. "I'm going to wash my face and calm down a bit." She eyed me coyly and then added, "I'd suggest you do the same."

Bella kissed my cheek before bounding up the stairs, her cheerfulness only arousing me further. But as Renee's thoughts were coming in clearer now—she was convinced that Bella and I were "humping somewhere in her house" and wanted Phil to drive even faster than normal—this was no time for a gradual cool down.

I needed the big guns.

I closed my eyes and began breathing slowly, letting my impeccable memory do the rest.

Emmett thrusting and growling on top of Jasper on the forest floor. Jasper moaning my name in a poor imitation of Bella's voice…

Good as new.

—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—o—

Renee rushed through the door and was disappointed to find Bella and me sitting on the living room floor surrounded by a pile of photo albums. There was a bowl of microwave popcorn between us, and one of Renee's favorite Debussy preludes was playing on the stereo.

Norman Rockwell couldn't have painted a quainter picture.

Her surprise at finding us clothed and vertical was rivaled only by Bella's reaction to Renee's brunch. Her homemade ruby red chicken salad was not only edible but healthy to boot. I took my time with each bite, as eating human food on occasion paled in significance to my secret wish that Bella would choose immortality. I couldn't tell if Bella understood my reasons, but I was favored with a beaming smile from mother and daughter alike when I asked for seconds.

I could purge tonight while they were sleeping.

The rest of the trip was surprisingly relaxing. Friday afternoon, Bella and Renee hit the beach while I stayed indoors under the guise of a wicked take-home test Statistics. As Bella seldom saw her mother, I stayed out of their conversations by listing every Oscar winner in every category since 1929. The one time I'd slipped to listen in, Renee was discussing a recent underwear purchase, and I prompty added Mashak's Beatus Vir in my brain to further drown out their voices. Phil was keeping to a rigorous off-season workout schedule which kept him at the gym until after the ladies returned. Bella's sun-kissed glow nearly took my breath away, and in a rare moment of sentimentality, I insisted she let me take her picture.

In exchange, she asked me to play something on her mother's birthday gift, and her lullaby was my only thought. Renee gasped midway through the first movement, clutching her chest in surprise. Her thoughts were at war, vacillating between appreciation for the music and wonder at the emotions it carried. She caught the look Bella and I shared at the end of the song, and her resolve to speak to Bella about me solidified.

Friday night was the loneliest night I'd ever spent since Bella and I reunited. She was tucked safely in her bedroom, her sleeptalking revealing her happiness at seeing her mother again. But as Renee was convinced of my plans to sneak upstairs, I was forced to remain on the couch while my angel slept. Never had time passed so slowly.

Saturday, the girls took their show on the road. Renee dragged Bella from pillar to post, showing her every novelty shop and oddity in a ten-mile radius. Bella sent me pictures of the two mannequin boys fishing off of the billboard on the I-ten and the nearby ranch house made entirely of old tires. By the time they returned in the late afternoon, Bella's tan was as pronounced as her smile, and the sight made my frozen heart glad.

Phil made dinner that night, Bella refusing her mother's offer to take us out. "I came to Florida to see you, not a fancy restaurant," Bella said. So as Phil worked the grill, Renee recalled stories about Bella's childhood that the photo albums didn't cover. Bella sat good-naturedly through most of them, but when Renee mentioned her misadventures at a ballet studio, a small tremor shot through Bella's body. She was close enough for me to feel it, and I sighed inside, wishing I could erase all memories of James from her mind.

Just after sunset, Bella appeared at the dining room table where I was steeped in imaginary mathematical problems. "Come with me," she said. "The beach is calling."

I expected Renee to object, but she was too busy smiling to comment.

"What's with your mother?" I asked once we were out of earshot.

"While we were out, I told her that I was applying to the University of North Florida," Bella smiled.

I was touched by her thoughtfulness and said so. "She needs so little to be happy," she shrugged. "It was the least I could do."

We took our time walking to the beach, enjoying the rare moment alone. Charlie had been hovering in the days following Brittany's funeral, and he was usually home by the time we arrived after school. As it was, we were taking an early Sunday morning flight because he wanted to make her dinner. His overprotective urges were understandable, and it was high time they surfaced. Bella played caregiver far more often than I liked, and it was good to see her parents returning the favor.

Once we reached the pier, we slipped off our shoes and rolled up our jeans. I was struck by the urge to kiss Bella's purple-painted toes but settled for the back of her hand.

The sky was wide and cloudless, the fading reds and golds of sunset disappearing into the darkness of the water. Washing gently against the shore, its tranquil rhythm was the perfect complement to the heartbeat of the angel at my side. The cool breeze off the ocean swirled her hair around us, and she struggled to gather it into the elastic band she kept on her wrist.

As she paused to wrangle her hair, I marveled at her beauty in the moonlight. There would never be another like her in the world again, and I couldn't believe the considerable fortune that had made her mine.

Bella tried to ignore my stare, but her budding smile proved her failure. "Do I have steak in my teeth?"

Her question caught me off-guard, and I laughed. "You are positively delightful."

"And you are unbelievably biased," she replied.

We continued our stroll down the beach, the sounds of the surf and sand underscoring our thoughts. And although she didn't speak, I could feel a shift in Bella's feelings.

"Are you sorry to leave tomorrow?"

She blinked to life and shook her head. "A little Renee goes a long way," she smiled. "And I'm satisfied with how much she's matured since I left Phoenix. She's only lost her keys twice in the past six months, and she actually has a checking account that isn't overdrawn."

I chuckled. "You really love your mom."

"Yeah, I do," she said wistfully. "But I don't want her life."

That comment surprised me.

"I mean, what she has with Phil is great," she explained. "He understands her logic, such as it is, and appreciates her quirks. But she was almost forty when she met him. And that sucks."

She looked toward the water, her face firm in its conviction. "I don't want my life to start when it's halfway over. I want what's coming to me right now. No more waiting, no more doubts." Her eyes met mine, arresting my full attention. "I want it all, Edward. Every single thing that's coming to me."

She kissed me firmly before taking my hand and leading me toward the water. And as her declaration whirled around us in the wind, my heart soared at the sign I had been waiting for.

Alice was right.

Bella and I were going to be engaged soon.

Now, all I had to do was ask her.

I am so sorry this chapter has taken more than one week to reach you. I was worn out after writing Ch19, and Alice's prediction only muddled Edward's emotions even further. I hope you see the necessity of this chapter, and I promise to bring you the proposal and Bella's reaction in Ch21.

Please review this chapter. Your thoughts are critical right now.