[Disclaimer] Everything Twilight belongs to SM

[A/N] Welcome back my lovely readers. I'm so happy that you enjoy reading my little soap opera aka fanfiction. It's your support that keeps me writing, so thanks a lot for it.

This chapter is dedicated to aquarius127 and aurike. Hope you'll enjoy.

**Chapter 57**

"Can I ask you something, Bella?" Angela started hesitantly while she sipped on the ruby colored wine in front of her.

"Have you always been…I mean did you always know that you're interested in other women?"

I shook my head and started playing thoughtlessly with the fragile ring on my left hand.

"I don't think so. Well, to be honest, I never really thought about it when I was younger. Dating guys just seemed…I don't know…normal to me…kind of. I've never imagined me together with another woman."

"But you kissed me."

My cheeks reddened instantly, turning into a bright crimson color.

"Yeah, but that was just…just…,"

"Just awkward." she stated cheerfully.

"Well maybe, I'm just not that good at kissing girls, who knows."

"It doesn't really matter anymore." I mumbled, hoping that she would drop that topic now.

"Hmm,"

"How long have you been married?" I asked her to change the subject of our conversation.

"Almost three years now. My parents weren't too happy about it. They think that Stefan is too old for me or I'm too young for him, however you look at it. And before you ask me…I don't have a father complex or something like that. He's…well, Stefan sees me…I mean, he really sees me. And he makes me feel beautiful, although I know that I'm not that pretty."

Her grey eyes started sparkling while she spoke.

"And your parents can't see how happy you are?"

"We don't talk a lot since the wedding. Well, you know how Forks is like. It's small and people gossip a lot. Now that we're living here in Seattle it's much better. And I honestly don't care much about what people think of my marriage. This is my life and I won't let anyone decide what's right or wrong for me."

"Guess that's a good way to deal with things." I mumbled, taking another sip from the delicious wine that tasted of raspberries and honey.

"Is that why you're so supportive about Benjamin being gay?"

She nodded her head and started putting the empty plates into the dishwasher.

"Love is just love and I really want him to be happy."

"And his father?"

"Stefan wants that too but it's more difficult for him. He has certain expectations for his son. When I told him that being with a girl is definitely not what would make Benjamin happy that made him think a lot. He doesn't want his son to be miserable."

"Does your mother know? She asked me curiously.

"Renee? No, she doesn't. I and my mom don't get along that well. Plus, she's probably still pissed enough at me for divorcing her beloved son-in-law."

"I'm sorry to hear that. If you need any help breaking the…news to her, you just have to ask. We managed to explain Benjamin's orientation to his stupid uncle. Renee can't be worse than him."

"Wasn't that, the uncle, who sent him to that hooker?"

She nodded her head and chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, exactly. But do me a favor and don't mention it too often to Benjamin. He's terribly embarrassed about the incident. Afterwards his uncle congratulated him to finally being a real man or some crap like that."

"That guy doesn't sound very nice, Angela."

"Oh please, call me Ela. Everyone does. And you're actually right. Vlad is such an aggressive ass but he's Stefan's family…well, technically, he's family of his late wife. But still, I'm happy when he's off to Romania again."

"Hmm,"

"Family is very important to Stefan. You can't choose your family, but blood is thicker than water.…"

She cleared her throat nervously before she spoke up again.

"There is something that I need to tell you, Bella. I'm really sorry about your dad, Bella."

"Please, I don't want to talk about Charlie now. How do you know about that anyway?"

"We're talking about Forks here. A girl can't change her hair color there without half of the town noticing it, yet along something so…,"

"Angela, please,"

"Right, you don't want to talk about it. That's okay. We don't have to."

She pulled a small box out of the fridge.

"Do you want some pralines for dessert?"

Chocolate pralines? Hell, yes of course I wanted some. I reached out my hand to take one between my fingers but then I stopped.

Shouldn't I at least try to lose a few pounds before the wedding? I cringed slightly when I remembered my first one. Next to Edward I had looked like a bloated whale.

I'm going to carve my name into that fat ass of yours…

"Bella, are you okay?" Angela asked me worriedly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Look, I really shouldn't have mentioned your dad."

"No, it's okay. I was just thinking about my ex-husband. He's…well, just let's say that he's not happy about the fact that I'm in a relationship with his half-sister now."

Understatement of the year, I thought bitterly.

"I bet he's just jealous."

"No, he's not. Edward barely looked at me while we were married. So, why would he be jealous now? He doesn't even want me."

"Some people always want what they can't have."

XXXX

I wasn't too keen on meeting my ex in-laws after the ugly divorce was through. It was obvious how they felt about the relationship between me and Ali, and I didn't feel the masochistic urge to take any more crap from them.

However, Lilly still kept asking about her grandparents over and over again until I finally agreed to meet with Esme at their house.

One wrong word, I thought while I parked the car in front of the garage and turned off the engine. Just one wrong word and we're off here…

Ali sighed deeply and squeezed my hand for a moment before she put it to her lips and planted a soft kiss on the back of my hand.

"You know that we don't have to do this."

I nodded my head.

"Yes, I know and I also know that your parents don't like the fact that we're together now. They don't have to do that, point. But they're part of Lilly's life and I really want it to stay that way, if it's possible. But I guess, we'll find out about that."

We walked over to the house and knocked on the door. Esme opened it a few moments later and burst out into tears as she wrapped her arms around my copper-haired daughter.

"Oh, Lilly…"

"Grandma, why are you crying?" Lilly asked her when Esme finally managed to calm herself down enough to pull back.

"It's nothing, sweetie." she croaked out, wiping her running nose on the sleeve of her silk blouse.

"Your grandma is just so happy to see you again."

Then she turned to me and Ali, her voice was still trembling slightly when she spoke.

"Thank you for still letting me see her, Bella. I was so worried that you wouldn't…after…I mean,"

"After the divorce, mom. You can say it. It won't hurt you."

Esme nodded her head, obviously much too agitated to bring out reasonable words.

We followed her into the garden where Fido almost instantly started eating the prizewinning tulips. Which dog eats flowers? There had to be something wrong with him, seriously.

I pulled a box with biscuits out of my handbag and handed them to Lilly.

"Here, sweetie, give him some of those before he starts nibbling on the paint of the porch or something like that."

"Yes, mommy,"

A smile flashed over Esme's face when Lilly grabbed the calf-sized dog at his metal collar and pulled him away from the flowers.

"Lilly seems to like the dog a big deal." she mumbled while she poured us a glass of lemonade.

"Yes, she does. And we're glad too that we have him. You never know, who might show up in the middle of the night. The dog is a bit hoggish but he's an excellent watch dog."

"Mary Alice, you are not seriously scared of your brother, are you?"

She nodded her head and sighed deeply. I put my arm around Ali's shoulder and pulled her closer.

"Of course, she's scared of him. We're scared shitless. Have you forgotten that he threatened to kill me?"

"I'm sure that he didn't mean it like that…,"

"He didn't mean it like that?" my voice raised two octaves.

"He didn't mean it like that? Mom, are you kidding me?"

Ali stood up from the ground so quickly that she spilled the content of her glass all over the table.

"I'm sorry, mom."

"Don't have to be." Esme whispered while she cleaned the table.

"And just for the record, mom; he meant it. Why are you still defending him? You and dad make up lame excuses for every single one of his…mistakes. Why are you doing that?"

Esme cleared her throat before she spoke up again.

"Mary Alice, I've already told you that your brother is sick."

"I'm sick too, mom. Especially of the stupid excuses you have for my brother's behavior. Hearing voices…what sort of crap was that?"

"Mary Alice, please don't talk like that. He really has some mental problems. I wasn't lying to you when I told you about that."

"If he has problems he needs help or things are going to get really ugly one day."

"I know, your father is in Anchorage right now, trying to talk some sense into that thick scull of his. But he's stubborn and insists that he doesn't want to talk to a shrink."

"Good. I mean not that he doesn't want to talk to a professional but that Carlisle is trying to convince him to do it." I stated, taking a big gulp from the lemonade in front of me.

Esme's emerald green eyes caught the rose-gold rings on our hands and she cringed slightly.

"Bella, I don't understand why you want to be with Mary Alice now. She's always been…well, she's always been that way."

"The word is gay, mom. The earth won't open up underneath you and swallow you whole if you use it."

"Fine, so, so Mary Alice is gay but you, Bella…you, you have a child. Don't you think that you should put Lilly's happiness above your own?"

I inhaled sharply between my teeth before I answered her, desperately trying to make my voice sound calm.

"Firstly, does Lilly look unhappy to you?"

"No, of course not."

"Then, why are you saying things like that? Lilly is way more accepting of the fact that Ali and I are together now."

"She's probably still too young to understand it completely." Esme stated.

"You're right, kind of, but Lilly understands that I'm happy with Ali. And she understands that we belong together."

I pulled Ali on my lap, wrapping my arms around her delicate waist. Slowly I leaned down and planted a feather light kiss upon the sensitive skin on her neck, making her giggle her crystal bell laughter.

Esme's heart-shaped face paled a few shades and her mouth opened and closed a few times but no words came out.

"How can you let her touch you like that, Mary Alice. She's your brother's wife."

"She was my brother's wife. Was not is, that's the key point in this situation. Bella is with me now and we're going to stay together. No matter how much you disapprove of that."