Chapter Twenty Three: Tonight We've Got Each Other

Bella's POV

"I told him I'd think about it." Rosalie told Alice and I as we sat on the park bench, watching Ava play with some of her other friends.

"Why are you fighting this so hard?" Alice asked. "I mean, he's hot as hell and he seems to like you."

"Emmett asked me about because he likes the size of my boobs and my blonde hair." Rosalie reminded us. "He doesn't give a damn about any other part of me. Especially not my brain."

"Rose," I started. "I think if he was only interested in the way you looked he wouldn't be chasing you this hard."

"Well, then this is half the fun." She laughed. "The chase is half the fun."

"For you," Alice laughed.

It had been four months since my fathers accident. Ava had started school again and things were slowly getting back to normal. We had been able to bring my Dad home from the accident mid-July, but he still wasn't on his feet year. The damage the gunshot was pretty severe and he was lucky to be alive. But, we were slowly getting back to a sense of normalcy in our house.

Things with Edward and I had gotten even more serious the last few months. We were out of our honeymoon phase, so we were arguing more than at the start, but it made everything so much more real. We didn't have to tiptoe around each other anymore because we were in this. We knew we'd work everything out if we had an argument and we knew neither of us were going anywhere. I had never been so in love before.

Ava had grown up a lot over the summer. She seemed to understand more that Jake wasn't going to be visiting anytime soon. I hated seeing her so sad when I told her that she couldn't write letters to him, but she was coping better than I thought she would. It also helped her that Edward was so great when it came to taking care of her. He'd never replace Jake, but he was doing a good job filling that void in her heart.

Jasper and Alice were also getting serious. He was still kind of reserved about their relationship, but Edward said he was making major progress. We were all shocked when he wanted to take her to Chicago with him to meet his parents. They were really perfect together and I didn't realize how lonely Alice actually was before Jasper asked her out.

For the first time since getting pregnant, things were falling perfectly into place.

"If you wait too long, the chase is going to get boring." I warned as Ava came running over to us. She told us that she was done with the park and wanted to go home. I knew Rosalie and Alice had things to get done, so I reluctantly said goodbye to them and walked us over to our car.

When we pulled into the driveway, Ava jumped out of the car and ran towards the main house. Ever since my Dad had come home, she'd been spending every waking hour she could with him. She understood that she needed to be gentle and he needed his rest, so most of the time she just sat in a chair next to his bed and read him stories.

"Hey," Edward smiled as I followed Ava into the house. Edward had practically moved in with us when my Dad had gotten home from the hospital. Dad didn't want to hire anyone to take care of him, claiming he could do it himself. Obviously he couldn't, but Mom didn't want to piss him off by hiring someone so she asked Edward if he would help her. I insisted that he didn't have to do it, that we could handle it ourselves, but Edward told us he wanted to help.

"How is he?" I asked. Since it had been four months since the accident, my Dad was getting stronger with each day. But, he was still in a decent amount of pain and because of that, he was even more grumpy than usual.

"Fine," Edward shrugged as we sat down at the kitchen table. "He told us that he doesn't 'need to go to the damn doctor tomorrow,' but we're obviously going to take him.

"Thanks for doing this." I whispered, grabbing his hand. "For everything you've done since the accident. Really, you didn't have to do all this."

"I know." He nodded. "I wanted to. But, don't think that because all of this happening I forgot what day Thursday was."

"Please don't make a big deal out of this." I sighed. "Things are crazy enough, I don't need a birthday party."

"Who said anything about a party?" He laughed. "I was just going to invite everyone over for your birthday for dinner. Easy."

"Dad isn't up for company yet." I shrugged, desperately trying to get out of it.

"I already talked to him and he's the one who suggested dinner." He told me. "You aren't getting out of this, Bella. You being born is something to celebrate."

"Ava's going to be so bored." I argued.

"It's a good thing I already called Angela and asked her to babysit that night. Bells, I have everything planned." He assured me. "Please let me do this for you."

"Fine," I finally sighed. "But nothing huge. And no extravagant gifts."

"I'm not promising anything." He told me and stood up, leaving the kitchen.

"Happy Birthday dear, Bella!" Everyone sang. "Happy Birthday to you!" I closed my eyes, thought of a good wish, and blew out the twenty six candles.

"What'd you wish for?" Alice asked as my Mom took the cake back into the kitchen to cut everyone a piece.

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true." I laughed, grabbing Edward's hands. "Thank you."

"Hey, Alice picked the cake." Edward reminded me. He was being difficult. Rosalie helped my Mom give out cake and ice cream, and when I looked over at my Dad, he was smiling. He was genuinely smiling for the first time since June and I almost got choked up about it.

I was so glad Edward had convinced me to do the dinner party.

"Present time!" Mom said after the desert had been cleaned up. My parents showered me in gifts, like they did every year, but this year was different. They had gotten me new kitchen utensils since I'd been using the ones I got from a garage sale when we moved into the garage. They'd also gotten me a new comforter since mine was ten years old now, and other things I'd been telling them I needed.

"Thank you so much, guys." I smiled as I leaned down and gave my Dad a kiss on the cheek. "I really appreciate it."

"Me next!" Edward laughed, handing me a small box carefully wrapped in purple paper. I carefully unwrapped it and pulled the top of the box off. I was expecting a piece of jewelry, but nothing could have prepared me for what was in the box.

"Edward," I whispered, staring down at the key with 'B' keychain dangling off of it.

"Let's go outside." Edward suggested, and I didn't even know how to process this. He led me out to the backyard, and I just continued to stare at the little silver key.

"I can't," I shook my head.

"Look, Bella." He started. "I love you. And I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. My apartment is too big for just one person, and it's in the school district."

"You live in a really expensive apartment building." I argued. "I'd never be able to pay my share of the rent."

"Bells, my apartment isn't rented." He admitted. "My parents bought it for me. I own the apartment."

"Ava loves it here." I argued. Of course I wanted to move in with him, but we'd only known each other for a year and hadn't been seriously dating for that long.

"You're going to be moving out one day." He reminded me. "Why not make it now?"

"This is a big step." I reminded him. "And what happens if living together tears us apart and then I have to uproot Ava again?"

"I wouldn't be giving you this key if I thought living together would break us up." He whispered. "Bella, I hate saying goodbye to you when I leave. I miss you at night when we can't be together because sleepovers wouldn't be appropriate because of Ava." He told me.

"It's too big of a risk." I argued. I loved him and of course I wanted to live with him, but I had Ava to think about. I had to think of how this was going to affect her. This wasn't just about me, it was about my entire family.

"Bella, what's life without a little risk?" He asked, grabbing my hand. "I know that it's scary and I know...even after all of this time you're still scared that I'm going to hurt you." He said. "But, I would never hurt you or Ava. At some point, Bella, your'e going to have to really trust me if this is going to last."

"I do trust you!" I argued, but I knew he wasn't buying it. "I...I want to trust you. I want to believe that you aren't going to hurt me when things get tough or...or someone with a much less complicated past comes along." I cried. "But the last time I trusted someone I ended up pregnant and alone and I can't do that again."

"Bella," He whispered, cupping my cheek with his hand. "I'm not Jake. I'm not eighteen years old trying to get laid. I'm a man that is...madly in love with you and your daughter. I'm in this. I've always been in this one hundred percent."

"Okay," I nodded after a long silence. I looked up at him and knew that he was telling the truth. "Let's move in together."

"Seriously?" He asked, sounding very surprised. I was surprised at myself.

"Seriously." I laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist and spun me around. "So we're doing this? We're moving in together?"

"We're moving in together." He smiled happily. He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against mine. We stayed outside, enjoying each others company, before we went back inside to share the news. Even my Dad was excited, which I was so unsure that he would be.

After everyone had left, I went and sat with my parents in the kitchen while my Mom cleaned up from dinner and Dad tried to help her.

"Thank you guys." I smiled as I grabbed my Dads hand.

"I'm glad you had a good birthday, sweetie." Mom smiled as she handed my Dad a plate to dry.

"I don't just mean for the party." I explained. "For everything that you've done for me. For...for loving me when I got pregnant and being so supportive."

"You're our daughter." Dad spoke up. "Of course we supported you."

"But a lot of parents wouldn't have." I pointed out. "And thank you for letting us stay here all these years and for redoing the garage and...just helping me take care of Ava. I don't think I could have done it without you."

"You know," Mom started before sitting down with Dad and I. "It wasn't easy, Bella. Finding out you were pregnant was one of the hardest days of my life, and I know how hard it was on your father." She told me. "But you're our kid and we would have gone to the moon and back for you if we had to."

"Mom," I smiled because it was the cheesiest thing she could have said.

"It's true, Bella and you know that feeling." She reminded me. "But these last eight years with Ava...have honestly been the best years of our lives and I couldn't even imagine not being in our granddaughters life."

"You're Moms right, Bells." Dad spoke up. "I would have said the same thing...just not so sappy."

"Yeah, geeze Mom." I laughed. "But, really...thank you." I smiled as Mom hugged me from behind.

"Now, how are you planning on telling Ava you two are moving out?" Dad asked and I could only shrug. Ava loved Edward, but I know how much she loved living with her grandparents in her princess room. "You'll figure it out."

After a brief meltdown, Ava jumped on board with moving in with Edward. The only request she made was that she could have her princess room at the apartment and Edward promised to do everything he could to make that possible. After making the arrangements with the movers and other friends, we started packing up the garage.

Edward had a lot of the stuff that we had already, and he had much nicer versions of all of it, so we ended up having a garage sale and donating a lot to the Salvation Army. We packed and marked boxes at both places for almost two weeks before we were finally able to move.

"Wow," I whispered when the last box had been taped shut. I stood up and looked around the tiny apartment that was now full of boxes. The movers were coming in one hour to get started, and there was nothing left to do but wait.

"This is weird." Edward said as he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"You're telling me." I laughed. "This is the house I brought Ava home to." I remembered, trying not to get choked up about it. But, I was already losing and I knew it. "This is where she took her first steps...where she lost her first tooth."

"This place isn't going anywhere, Bella." Edward reminded me, kissing my shoulder. "It'll still be here whenever you want."

"You sound like my Mom." I laughed, turning around and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I can't wait to start this new adventure with you."

"Me either." He leaned in and gently pressed his lips against mine. We stood there for a few seconds before I had to let go in order to get Ava to her friends house in time for the movers to arrive. We just needed to get things done and we wouldn't be able to with Ava hounding us all afternoon.

Jasper and Emmett along with Rosalie and Alice came over to help us with the move. I couldn't help but laugh watching Rosalie toy with Emmett as he tried his hardest to flirt with her. I thought she was starting to give him too hard of a time, but she claimed that he wasn't going anywhere and would continue to chase after her for a while. Edward seemed to agree with her, so I kept my mouth shut.

Edward helped my Dad up the steps of the garage once the moving truck was full and the apartment was empty but a few fragile boxes that were going in Edward's car. Mom followed and took a deep breath as she took my hand and looked around the room.

"I can't believe this." Dad whispered.

"I know," Mom nodded, squeezing my hand.

"Come on, guys." I cried, letting go of my Mom's hand to wipe my cheeks. "I'm only a ten minute drive from here."

"Ten minutes more than you've ever been." Dad pointed out and I could tell that he was trying his hardest not to cry, but he wasn't doing a very good job. "You take care of my girls, Edward. Or I will hunt..."

"I will." Edward cut him off. "I promise."

"I trust you." Dad said, holding his hand out for Edward to grab. I couldn't help but smile triumphantly. Mom and Dad had always liked Edward, but I never thought he'd get the approval from my Dad to take us away from him.

We grabbed the last few bags and took them down to the car. Once everything was packed, I told Edward to go so the movers could follow him and they could get a head start on unpacking the truck. I needed a few more minutes before leaving the garage apartment.

I went upstairs and leaned against the counter, and shut my eyes. I just took some time to take everything in and convince myself, for the hundredth time, that this was a good thing and that we were going to be fine with Edward. I knew we would be, but it was hard letting this place go.

After five minutes, I knew I had to leave or I never would. I took one more look around and took a deep breath. This was what growing up was all about. It was time that I moved on to bigger and better places and start getting my life back on track. It was time for me to really go to school and get the degree I'd been wanting since I was in high school.

It was time to really become an adult.

I shut the light off and went downstairs, locking the door for the last time. I jumped in my car and headed to Edward's place for mine and Ava's next step.

The six of us spent all afternoon bringing things in and unpacking. We knew we wouldn't be able to get everything unpacked, but we were able to get Ava's room set up, which was the most important part. She needed to feel at home. Once we were too tired to continue unpacking, Edward ordered a pizza and we slumped down on the couch and watched a movie.

The next morning, Edward and I continued to unpack the small things to get settled in. I almost cried when he hung a bunch of Ava's pictures on the fridge and the kitchen cabinets. It was really starting to feel like home, and I just prayed that Ava would like it.

"Looks good." I smiled as we looked at the new bedspread that replaced his blue plaid one. "It makes this room a lot brighter." I pointed out since it was grey and yellow.

"You're right." He laughed, kissing the top of my head. "Do you want me to go get Ava or do you want to?"

"I'll go." I told him, standing up on my tiptoes and giving him a kiss. "I'll be back soon." I told him as I grabbed my keys off the hook and headed downstairs to my car. I headed over to Olivia's house and Ava was so excited to get to Edward's apartment, she practically pulled me outside.

"Mommy, is my room pink?" She asked excitedly as we drove home.

"Not yet, but we're working on it." I told her. "We'll get there eventually, we just have to get settled in."

"What color is my room?" She asked.

"Right now it's grey, but we will paint it." I told her. "I pinky promise."

Ava spent the rest of the drive asking questions about the apartment that she had forgotten to ask when I told her we were moving. I pulled into my space in the parking garage and helped her out of her booster seat. I held her hand as we walked into the lobby and let her press the elevator button.

"Well, Ava." I said excitedly as I unlocked the door. "Welcome home."