Chapter Twenty Two: Words of Wisdom

Edward's POV

"You need any help?" I asked as I walked into Bella's bedroom.

"Please," She cried, tears pooling in her eyes. It had been a rough week on everyone. Charlie had made it through his surgery, but he was still in critical condition. Harry, however, hadn't been so lucky. The doctors told his family that they had done everything they could, but the damage was just too much.

Bella told me Harry had been there for her entire life. He was there when her parents got married, and when she was born. She told me he was even the person that drove her to the hospital when she went into false labor and she couldn't get ahold of her parents.

He was family to her and the entire family was taking it really hard.

I walked over to her and zipped her black dress shut. I kissed her shoulder and wrapped my arms around her waist, just wanting to hold her. She was shaking beneath me and I just squeezed her tighter. I hated seeing her in this much pain. It was unbearable to watch and there wasn't anything I could do about it.

"This is just so unreal," She whispered as I let go of her. She went over to her dresser and pulled out one of her necklaces. "I just...I can't believe Harry's gone."

"I'm so sorry, Bella." I said, holding back my own tears. I didn't know the man very well, but he was always very welcoming to me whenever he was at one of their parties. "Please, I want to do something to help."

"Just being here is enough." She told me, walking back over to where I was standing and leaning in to kiss me. "Really, you've been a really big help this week. Especially with Ava."

"I'm happy to get some extra time with her." I told her. I had been watching Ava while Renee and Bella stayed with Charlie in the hospital. He was still in the ICU and children weren't allowed back. Rosalie and Alice both had jobs, and had offered to take some time off, but Bella declined them since I was home for the summer anyway.

"We should get going," She sighed, looking at her watch. The viewing had taken place yesterday and while I stayed with Ava then, I was going with them to the funeral.

Ava knew something was wrong, and Bella did her best to explain what was happening to her. She knew that her Grandpa was seriously hurt and wouldn't be home for a while, but she didn't know the seriousness of the situation. Bella hadn't figured out how to tell her that Harry was never coming over again.

She grabbed her purse and called for Ava to put her shoes on. Ava was staying with the elderly neighbor who had been babysitting her since she was a baby. She mostly stayed with her grandparents, or Bella's friends but there were sometimes when none of them were available to babysit. And this was one of those times.

We dropped Ava off next door and headed to the hospital to visit Charlie before going to the funeral home. He was still really groggy and on a lot of pain medications, but he understood loud and clear what was going on. Renee knew that if he wasn't so drugged up all week, he would have been a lot worse emotionally.

I waited in the car while the two of them went inside for a visit. I wasn't family and I couldn't go inside no matter how much I wanted to. While I was in the car, my phone buzzed and I smiled when I saw my Mom's name on the screen.

"Hi, Mom." I sighed, feeling very tired all of a sudden.

"Hey, kid." She said. "How are things?" she asked. I felt awful about the way things ended up happening when they had come out for my birthday. I knew they understood, but it still sucked that they came all the way out here to only spend a few hours with me on my actual birthday and then a lunch date they day they left.

"Things are..." I trailed off. "Things aren't good." I told her honestly. "It's just a big mess right now, and Bella's hurting and I don't know what to do."

"You just gotta be there for her, Edward." Mom told me. Just like Jasper and Alice had told me. "This isn't an easy time for anyone, and she'll come to you if she knows you're there for her."

"Of course I'm there, Mom." I assured her. "I just feel like I should be doing more."

"Haven't you been watching her daughter?"

"Yeah, while she's been in the hospital with her Dad."

"That's probably the most helpful thing you could have done, Edward." Mom told me. "She knew her daughter was safe and with someone she trusted. That always makes a parents life easier."

"Mom, I gotta go." I sighed when I saw them walking out of the front entrance. "Love you."

"Bye, sweetheart." She said and I could practically see the smile on her face. I hung up the phone as Bella got into the front seat.

"How is he?" I asked as I turned the keys in the ignition.

"Better." Renee sighed. "Still groggy and hopped up on pain medication, but he's improving."

"He's just really upset that he can't go this afternoon." Bella whispered. I reached out and grabbed her hand, just wanting to know that I was there for her. When we got to the funeral home, Sue and her family were standing outside the building.

Sue told Renee that she couldn't do any of this without her, and the two hadn't left each others side since the night of the accident. They walked into the home together and I grabbed Bella's hand. When we walked inside, I could just smell the awful scent of death and it made me feel uneasy.

I watched as Bella walked over to Harry's daughter, who was just a year younger than her. They grew up together, and it was nice to see Bella with friends other than Alice and Rosalie. People start filling into the big room, and started paying their respects to Sue and Leah.

After a while, the funeral home director kicked everyone but family and close friends out of the room so they could say their final goodbyes. I gave Bella a kiss on the cheek and left with Alice and Rosalie to give them their space and time with Harry. I watched as Bella clung to her mother and had to bite my lip to keep from crying.

"She needs you," Alice nudged. I took a deep breath and walked back into the room, grabbing Bella's hand. She looked up at me, eyes filled with tears, and dug her head into the crook of my shoulder. After a few minutes, we left so that Sue and Leah could have one more minute alone with him.

After the funeral, everyone came back to the Swan's house for the wake. Other people had offered to do it, but Renee insisted, telling everyone she needed something to take her mind off of everything. Bella called the neighbor, asking if she wouldn't mind keeping Ava for a little big longer. I knew she was exhausted and just wanted some peace and quiet after the day we'd had.

I watched as she sat on the couch with Leah, both looking completely drained. I never realized how purple the bags under her eyes were until now. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a wine glass, filling it with her favorite white wine. I walked over to her and handed her the crystal glass, and she barely even realized it was there.

After a few hours, everyone but Harry's family and Bella's friends had left the house. It was a mess since so many people had showed up, but Renee declined my offer to clean up while she went upstairs and relaxed. Bella went to pick Ava up from next door so she could start getting ready for bed.

Once Alice and Rosalie left, I headed over to the garage to see if Bella needed any help. I could hear her sniffling as she helped Ava with her bath, and I would have offered to help if it wasn't so inappropriate. I did, however, offer to read Ava her bedtime story while Bella went over to check on her Mom.

"Edward?" Ava asked quietly as I sat down on her bed. "Why is Mommy so sad?"

I didn't know how to answer this question without crushing her.

"And when is Pappy coming home?" She asked as she played with her fingers. "I miss him."

"He misses you too," I insisted. "And it's just a lot of grown up things that Mommy has been dealing with."

"What kind of grown up stuff?" She was a smart kid.

"I think, this is something you should talk to your Mommy about tomorrow." I told her, desperately hoping she'd take that as a good answer. "But, you need your sleep and we need to read your story."

"Will she be sad if I ask her?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and find out." I winked, opening the book she'd chosen to start. I read her a chapter of Charlotte's Web before she started dozing off. Once I knew she was asleep, I pulled the sheet up over her and turned out her princess light.

"She out?" Bella asked as I shut her bedroom door. I nodded and followed her into her room. She walked around, putting things she'd tried on earlier away. "Can you help?"

"Yeah," I smiled, walking over and unzipping her dress. She let it fall down her body and stepped out of it. She hung it back up and changed into her PJ's.

"What?" She barked as she paced back and forth, trying to find something to occupy her time. "Why are you just staring at me?"

"I'm waiting for you to finish getting ready for bed." I shrugged, confused of why she was barking at me. "I was thinking we could watch a movie."

"I'm exhausted, Edward." She growled. "I'm not exactly in the mood for happy go lucky movies."

"Okay, no movie." I whispered, backing off.

"And stop coddling me!" She screamed and I was afraid she was going to wake Ava up. "I'm a big girl, I don't need you protecting me and holding me and making sure I'm okay all the time."

"Fine," I huffed, trying not to sound annoyed. "I'll just go."

I went out to the living room and gathered my things, ready to just leave to clear my head and have some me time. I hadn't had much time alone since everything happened, and I was ready to just grab a beer and watch the game.

"Edward?" I barely heard her whisper as I got ready to leave. I looked up at her and my heart broke. She was holding herself as she sobbed. I instantly felt horrible for just leaving like that, but I didn't want to snap at her. "Please don't go."

"Bella," I whispered as I walked over to her.

"Please don't leave me tonight." She cried into my arms as I hugged her tightly. "Please don't go anywhere."

"I won't," I choked. "I promise, I'm here." I held Bella while she really cried for the first time since everything happened. I held her until she was practically falling asleep in my arms. I knelt down and wrapped my arm around her knees before picking her up. I carried her to her room and gently laid her down and pulled the blankets over her.

I got undressed and crawled into bed next to her. I pulled her to my side and she gripped me tightly, almost like she was afraid I was going to disappear.

"I love you, Bella." I whispered, kissing the top of her head.

"Love," She said as she fell deeper into sleep.

"I miss Pappy!" Ava cried three days after the funeral. She was getting super irritable since she hadn't been seeing a lot of Bella lately and I could tell she really missed Charlie as well. She was closer to Charlie than she was to Jake, and she was almost lost without him.

"I know, kiddo." I sighed. It had been a long day and she hadn't listened at all. I loved Bella and I wanted to help, but she needed to take a break from visiting her Dad so she could spend a day with Ava. "But, we really have to get changed."

"Not without Pappy." She said stubbornly, sitting down in the kitchen chair. We had just gotten home from the pool and she was still soaking wet. I didn't want her getting water on everything in the apartment, and Bella hadn't been shopping in a while so there was nothing to eat for lunch. I was going to have to take her to the deli in the neighborhood.

"Ava, Pappy can't be here." I told her for the tenth time that day. I had never seen her so disrespectful before, and I was honestly getting kind of irritated because she was acting more like a four year old. "But, I need you to get dressed so we can get something to eat."

"I want Mommy to make lunch." She begged. I decided enough was enough, so I pulled my phone out of my pocket and walked to the other side of the living room. I unlocked my phone and pressed Bella's name in my contacts.

"Edward?" She asked. "Everything okay?"

"Honestly, no." I told her. "Ava's fine, but she isn't listening to a word I'm saying. She keeps wining for you and your Dad and she keeps telling me she'll only do things if you're there to do them."

"Be stern with her." She sighed.

"Bella, I have been stern with her." I told her. I was her teacher all year and although I didn't know her a like Bella did, I knew her pretty well. And I definitely wasn't afraid to be serious. "She's been asking for you all morning. Please, take a break and come have lunch with us at the deli."

"Yeah," She said after a long pause. "Yeah, that's a good idea. The deli by our house?"

After we hung up, I finally managed to get Ava out of her wet bathing suit and into some dry clothes. I told her to pick out a coloring book to keep herself entertained at the deli and I got changed into dry clothes myself. I walked her out to my car and buckled her in the extra booster seat Bella had.

Bella was waiting for us when we pulled in and Ava screamed with excitement. Bella had been home for dinner every night, but Ava still wasn't used to not being with Bella. It was very different being in school all day and just not having your mom with you.

Ava told Bella all about our day at the pool, and Bella nodded along. She looked completely exhausted and I knew she wasn't going to get any sleep until Charlie was at least out of the ICU. I just held her close and let her lay her head on my shoulder while she listened to Ava. By the time we were finished eating, she was almost asleep on my shoulder.

"Bells, maybe you should come home and take a break." I suggested as Ava buckled herself in.

"I told my Mom I'd bring her some lunch." She reminded me, holding up the plastic togo bag.

"After you bring your Mom food." I shrugged. "Your Mom needs a break too."

"She can't leave him and neither can I." She barked.

"Bella," I whispered. "Ava is misbehaving because she misses you and Charlie. You need to spend an afternoon with her and soon."

"I don't get it," She shrugged, covering her face with her hands. "She spends all day in school and she's perfectly fine without me."

"She knows something is wrong with her grandpa and she's scared." I explained. "Plus, she's gotten used to spending all day with you since she's been out of school. This is all new to her, and school isn't that new anymore."

"This is one of those times where I really wished I could be in two places at once." She whispered, leaning in and resting her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms tightly around her and I could already feel her breathing becoming slower. "My Mom's still a wreck, Edward."

"I know," I whispered, kissing the top of her head. If something like this had happened to Bella, I had no clue what I would do and we hadn't even been dating for a year yet. I couldn't imagine how Renee would be feeling. "He's improving everyday, though."

"They're hoping to start weaning him off of some of the meds they have him on." She told me, sounding hopeful. "But they say he'll be in the ICU for a while recovering."

"I figured." I sighed, wishing this had never happened. You always hear of what some police officers go through, but you never expect it to hit so close to home. Bella promised to spend the next day with Ava before heading back to the hospital.

Ava was a lot more behaved after getting to have lunch with Bella, and we had a relatively pleasant afternoon together. We played a few games of Scrabble before settling down on the couch with a show on. Bella came home with grocery's to make dinner and I told her to have a night with Ava by herself. It had been a while since it was just the two of them.

I went home that night an just needed some adult conversation. I called Emmett and Jasper, praying they wouldn't be busy with dates since it was Friday night, and ordered a pizza. Emmett arrived with beer and The Avengers in hand, and I was thankful for a movie that wasn't rated G.

"This week sucked." I sighed once the movie was over. "I love Bella and I love Ava but this was such a bad week."

"You rethinking having kids?" Emmett asked.

"No," I laughed. "This was just a weird week for everyone." I shrugged. "This is all new to Ava and she's just not enjoying it."

"So..." Emmett trailed off. "Any chance now would be a good time to ask Rosalie out?"

"You're a fucking idiot." Jasper moaned, throwing a napkin rolled up in a ball at him.