A little Merry early Christmas here. This is a two-parter. Killerlashes still does stuff when I need her. I hope you enjoy. XOXO

Goodbye, Hello - Part One

I watched the trees go by in a blur as the car moved quickly down the highway. They were blanketed in new snow, white and pure. I closed my eyes tried to imagine what it would feel like; it had been so long since we'd seen snow like this.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked with his quiet, melodic voice as he reached for my hand. My eyes opened when his cool skin touched mine.

"You mean you can't hear me?" I smirked so he squeezed my fingers.

"You've shut me out," he replied. I didn't respond, just turned my attention back to the snow.

He was right. I had been shutting him out of my mind lately, but only because it was too painful to share with him.

"I was thinking about snow," I said with a shrug.

"Snow?"

"Yeah. It's been so long since we've seen it like this, you know? The warm weather has spoiled us."

"Hm," was he said.

"It's just..."

"Leah, I can't imagine what this is like for you. I just want to be there for you any way I can," Edward told me, bringing my hand to his cold lips.

"I know," I sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Please don't apologize. I have an eternity to wait for you, you know," he said with a grin.

"Lucky bastard," I teased weakly.

"Absolutely."

We fell silent after that, and Edward turned on the radio. He tuned it to a classical station and I rolled my eyes while making a silent but snide comment.

"Oh, you let me hear that," Edward groaned and I laughed.

"Love you."

Edward just shook his head and kissed my hand again. It wasn't long after that the scenery became familiar and my stomach began to tie itself in knots.

"I'm okay," I said after feeling his worried gaze on me. He didn't respond as he parked the car, but kept a firm grip on my hand after we got out. In his other hand was a beautiful Christmas wreath that I could hardly stand to look at.

"Here," I said in barely a whisper, but I knew he would have no trouble hearing me.

Edward- my husband, my mate- stepped forward and placed the wreath on my mother's headstone. I felt emptier at the loss of his touch, though it was nothing compared to the feeling of the loss of my mother.

It was unexpected: an aneurysm; there was nothing they could do. Alice was the one who let us know. She'd been monitoring my mother for me, considering she couldn't see Seth, Alice felt it was the least she could do. Of course, my mother and I had been corresponding through letters for years so she had kept me updated on my little brother. My little brother who was thirty-five and married with two kids now.

I still looked like I was nineteen. (And my husband was a seventeen-year-old.)

Edward's arm around my shoulders brought me back to the present. He kissed my head as I leaned into him, and I felt warm tears spill down my cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Leah," he murmured against my hair. "Tell me what I can do."

I shook my head as I turned into him, burying myself against his cold chest and finally opening my mind to him.

Guilt.

That was the most prominent thought in my mind. Not the grief or the pain...just the guilt. It was all I had felt since Alice had given us the news. All I could think was that I should have been here with her, how I shouldn't have run off twenty years ago. How if I would have stayed I wouldn't have Edward.

"She wanted you to be happy, Leah," Edward said softly. I just rested my chin on his shoulder and let him hold me.

"It doesn't make it any easier."

"I know it doesn't, but-" Edward stopped speaking and stiffened, and so did I.

"We're not alone," I whispered before pulling away. Edward's eyes locked with mine and we both took a deep breath. We had become very good at reading each other through our years. It was almost like Edward wasn't the only mind reader anymore.

"No. It's safe," he said, answering my unspoken question and then, before I could speak again, I heard it.

"Leah?"

I turned slowly at the sound of my name and came face to face with my brother.