The Summer After

Edward craned his neck to look over the people surrounding him. It was a warm day in San Luis Obispo, though he expected nothing less for the middle of June. Friends and families of Cal Poly's graduates made up most of the crowd.

Why did his last name have to start with a C? Bella had remained out of view through most of the ceremony due to the alphabetic order of seating arrangements. The only time he caught a glimpse of her was when a local alumni announced her name. The fact that he graduated hadn't hit him yet, too preoccupied with his plans for the rest of summer. The following three weeks mostly would consist of the beach, Bella in a bikini, and her out of one, too.

"Son," he heard said behind him. He spun around and his mother instantly enveloped him in her arms, squeezing him tight. "Congratulations." A small sniff accompanied her softly whispered word. "I'm so proud of you."

"Aw, Mom, don't cry," he said, his father winking over her shoulder. He rolled his eyes and smiled at his old man. "Haven't you've done enough of that all morning?"

"You hush," she said, tipping her chin up. His mother pulled away to give him one heck of a stink eye; the kind that had a man step back just in case.

It was something Bella had learned early in their four-year relationship. Four years, he thought. It felt like he only met her the day before, all cautious but polite, mysterious, and sexy as hell. Even after all the time that had passed, it was still difficult for her to trust people. Her bullshit detector had sharpened over the years and had proven useful. He respected the hell out of her and everything she'd become.

Edward's father joining his mother in congratulating him brought him out of his thoughts. "I'm proud of you, Edward. You've done exactly what you set out to do." His father, usually so put together, had to clear his throat and avert his eyes for a moment. "We never meant to hold you back in high school after losing your brother. At the time we hadn't realized what we were doing until it was too late."

"I know that, and you've been there since, so we're okay." It had been good between them since he left for college. He never missed his mother's weekly phone call, and always turned to his father if something was wrong. Resentment had soon turned to trust in Edward's eyes and whenever he needed sound advice, his father was quick to offer some, and not judge him.

After a few minutes of talking, Edward started to look around and hoped to catch of glimpse of Renee or Charlie, or any member of Bella's family. He was anxious to lay his eyes on her again, his hand slipping into his pants pocket.

"It doesn't take a genius to know who you're thinking about," his father stated, patting him hard on the back as he laughed. Edward looked between his parents, confused. How could they know? His parents appeared spaced out for several seconds and he realized they were mimicking him.

"Funny, ha-ha," he said, deadpanning. He shook his head and laughed. "Sorry, it's been one hell of a week and I've hardly seen her." Between job interviews, making vacation plans, and moving in together, Edward had only spent a total of a few precious hours with her.

His mother straightened the tie he wore under his gown and nodded. "You're taking some big steps." Finished with the task, she dusted off imaginary lint off his graduation gown and sash. "Will I be seeing your grandmother's ring on her finger when we see her in a few minutes?"

"It wasn't the right time all month." The ring felt as if it was burning a hole in his pocket. Every time he was ready to propose, something would happen. There'd been a late night phone call, studying, her getting a stomach bug, and twice a knock on the door, every time he tried to ask. "I'm hoping over the next few weeks, I can pull it off."

"That's going to be hard to do with all your friends staying with you," his mother teased him. Speaking of friends, Ben waved from a few feet away, with Heidi at his side. The pair had met up again the year before and had been going strong ever since. "There's Alec, and your aunt and uncle."

It wasn't long before Edward and Alec were exchanging fist bumps and smiles, as his Aunt Tanya and Uncle William handed him an envelope with a nice contribution to his future. His uncle looked exactly Edward's father, Alec taking after his mother, inheriting her eye color and dark hair.

"Where's B?" Alec asked, doing a three-sixty turn to look around. "I see her." He gave Edward a look over his shoulder and a smile that said he recognized Bella by her hair. She'd grown it even longer, the ends skimming the top of her ass. No one could miss the purple tips, but thankfully, her new boss wasn't particular about appearances at the lab, where she earned her first job right out of college. She interned there for the last year and loved it. Both Edward and Alec put their fingers in their mouths to whistle loudly to catch her attention. She immediately snapped her gaze toward the sound and gave them a wave, having to stand on the tips of her toes to see them.

Her parents, aunts and uncles, and a few cousins that Alice and Rose added over the last few years surrounded her. Edward and Bella's first Christmas together had been interesting, and not for the faint hearted. His parents loved it, having never had big family events.

It wasn't long before Edward had Bella in his arms, congratulating each other in soft-spoken whispers. Her hair smelled of the ocean breeze, and the world fell away whenever he had her that close. A few clicks from cameras had them laughing and pulling apart. Charlie and Renee stood proud near their daughter, as Renee offered Edward a handshake. As Alec grabbed Bella and spun her around, her father pulled Edward aside.

"Is there a particular reason she ain't gushing about being engaged?"

Back in March, Edward and Bella had gone home for spring break He had asked Charlie and Renee for their blessing while Rosalie had taken her to lunch. He hadn't given them a day when he'd ask, having the intention to be spontaneous. The right moment was proving to be difficult to find, but as he explained that to Charlie, he realized it didn't matter when or where.

He looked at Bella as she spoke animatedly with his family. Her cousin Emma, Alice's daughter, hung on to her, seemingly glued to her hip.

"Ensign Swan," he called out to her, earning more than a few chuckles. Their tendency to joke about their ranks always made their families laugh.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What was that Captain?"

"I mean Admiral Swan." That earned him a smile as she handed her cousin to Jasper, before walking over to him. The men, of course, coughed and accidently said, "Whipped" under their breaths. He ignored them as he grabbed Bella's hands and kissed her knuckles.

She looked at him curiously, completely oblivious to what was about to happen. He'd learned over the years that she liked surprises, at least when they were from him.

"Would you do me the honor of standing by my side in a traditional Betaziod wedding ceremony?" She laughed and blushed, as Heidi and Ben snorted and laughed. The remaining family looked confused by his words. It didn't matter, she understood.

"I would be honored in becoming your wife," she replied, tears making her eyes shine under the bright afternoon sun. He slipped the ring he had in his pocket onto her finger, after fumbling with his stupid gown, and her arms immediately wrapped around his neck as she kissed him.

Once again, the world seemed to fade. That was until Charlie said, "Did he just ask her to get married naked?"

Oh shit.

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"We're finally here," Bella said as she plopped onto the couch, Riker taking his place beside her. After a late lunch and a few more hours with their families, Edward and Bella drove to the family beach house. No one was joining them until the following afternoon and he finally had her all to himself.

After his out-of-the-blue proposal that Bella claimed was perfect for them, the women in their families started to talk about dresses and venues, and things that made their heads spin. They didn't want anything big, and wanted only their closest friends and family in attendance. Edward wasn't too worried, since he and Bella seemed to be on the same page about the matter. They had time to make decisions and nothing had to be set in stone right away.

Since they met, there had been a few additions made to the home. Additions that Edward worked on himself, including a wall of built-in shelves to house the entertainment system and an outdoor shower on the deck. His favorite though, was the custom floating bed in the master bedroom. It hung in front of the windows from the ceiling, giving them a nice view of the beach and ocean. He tested it and made sure it was sturdy enough for what he had in mind.

Edward walked into the kitchen and fed their dog, ordering him to stay. "Come on," he said, taking Bella's hand in his a minute later. "I've wanted to break in the new bed since I put in last week."

Bella rose to her feet, happy to see Edward so animated again, since it had been a stressful few months. "Thank God, no one has rented the house since then." He walked backward, her hand still in his as she followed him willingly. Dressed only in khaki cargo shorts and a backward cap, he looked very much like the boy she met four years earlier. He'd grown so much since then, though, added about twenty pounds of bulk to his arms and thighs, and his smile was one hundred percent real.

They'd had their difficulties, but had never been an on-and-off kind of couple. Their fights were short-lived, rarely lasting more than a few days. It was over stupid stuff most of the time, but their biggest was due to his over-protective nature. Every time they fought, they'd been miserable. They'd eventually seek each other out, talk about what happened and prayed it wouldn't happen again.

They were both too stubborn never to fight again, but that was okay. As long as they communicated and learned to compromise, Bella knew they'd make it.

It didn't take long before Edward finally had her right where he wanted her. In nothing but her red bikini, he admired the way her engagement ring cast rainbow prisms along her skin. His mouth slanted gently over hers, though it wasn't their first as an engaged couple, it felt as important as their first kiss.

This was it, he realized; it was a moment in time he'd never forget. It was the summer after college, and she was still with him. As she took him inside her body, they moved almost lazily to lengthen the moment. Her hips rolling over his, slowly, perfectly, but it had been too long, their need too much that it didn't take much for them to fall apart.

His eyes closed minutes later, and he imagined where they'd be in a few years. She was still there, along with a child. His eyes opened to find her watching him closely, as she finally caught her breath. "I'm still here, Edward."

"I know." He kissed her again, playing with the ring on her finger. "You always will be. How long do you think it'll be before there will be more than you and me?"

They saved money over the last two years, and her boss was cool, so he knew she'd have no problem with maternity leave. Anytime was good for him, having already lined up an amazing supervisor position with a construction company nearby with excellent benefits. Then again, the idea of having her all to himself for a while longer, to enjoy living together, sounded good, too.

She laughed, shaking her head. "Give me a couple of years, Cap. We have plenty of time."

"Two or three years sounds good to me." He pinned her to the bed and waggled his eyebrows. "Besides I want to be able to have you anytime and anywhere." They fooled around for another hour, finally settling down. Edward's thoughts turned to the next few days.

James had a new girlfriend who was joining him on this vacation. It was rather serious, and had been since he threw her a party. They liked the fact that she wouldn't stand for his usual bullshit, but was a tough nut to crack. Her walls were higher than Bella's ever had been. Bella and Edward would try to make her feel comfortable over the next week.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her fingers threading through his hair. He nodded and kissed her, before giving her a big smile. "I love you," she whispered.

"I love you." He settled by her side and sighed deeply. "So, we'll be getting married soon, right? Your dad still carries a gun and he refused to help with the move since we're not married yet."

"He's fine, and he did help." She pouted but started to laugh. "Okay, so one box was hardly helping us, but he's still having a hard time letting go."

"I don't care when we get married, honestly, but your father is scary." He nuzzled her neck and gently bit her there. "He still thinks you're this angel and a virgin." Her giggle was sweet in his ears. "Now, we should celebrate graduating, getting engaged, and being able to do this again."

Bella snorted and laughed. "I like your method of celebrating, though a Betazoid wedding is out of the question." She shuddered and Edward couldn't help but do the same, considering the entire wedding party would have to be naked—yeah, no thanks.

"Are you sore or something?" he asked, watching her squirm beneath him. "I'll be gentle." She told him she was fine and teased him with a roll of her hips under his. "You don't fight fair, B." It wasn't long before they were too busy to talk and lost themselves to a few precious hours alone.

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Angela was the first to arrive the next afternoon, looking thoroughly stressed and in need of a drink. Bella pulled out a margarita machine and handed her best friend one. Edward had seen her a few times over the years, mostly when she visited family in Forks, and he happened to be with Bella. She looked very much the same, but she seemed to have pushed off some of the shy exterior she had during high school, first emerging that first summer.

Edward wanted to ask Angela what had her anxious. Alec checked to confirm she was joining them at the beach house several times, so he had a clue. They kept in touch, but hadn't seen each other since that first time.

James and Victoria were next to arrive an hour after Angela. They weren't staying with Edward and Bella, since her family had a house in Pismo. Eric had called and said there was a delay in New York, but he and his long-term girlfriend Gianna would arrive later that night. Eric landed a job in London and he decided to remain overseas, but wanted to celebrate with his friends and visit family for the summer.

Mike couldn't join them until Saturday, still single and loving it.

Bella and Edward operated the grill a few hours later and the sun had set, the deck lit up with Christmas lights, their friends sipping on drinks. It was perfect setting for a reunion.

Alec arrived in his usual style, loud and proud. He walked through the French doors and onto the deck to announce his arrival, whipping off his t-shirt. "I'm here, bitches." Everyone stood up to greet him, and Angela was immediately pinned to his side when she was within reach. "I missed the fuck out of you."

She smiled at him and winked. "What are you going to do about it?" Alec kissed her, and in that moment, Edward knew the summer after, they'd still be together.

For the last few hours, Bella and Edward had kept their news of their engagement to themselves. Ben and Heidi knew but they hadn't arrived yet.

An hour later, full to bursting with good food and a couple of beers, Edward pulled Bella onto his lap. He wasn't sure what it was that caught his cousin's attention, but something did.

"Oh fuck, you're getting married!" Alec pulled Bella out his hold and hugged her hard. "It's about time, fucker," he said over her shoulder to Edward. Everyone congratulated them, but Alec insisted on a making a toast.

"To many more summers together," Alec said, tipping his beer first at Edward and then to Bella. The group clinked their drinks together and repeated the sentiment.

A few minutes later, Alec slapped Edward's back. "Dude, with the rate of love and lust I got going for Ange, we'll be celebrating again next year."

Edward's eyes widened at his cousin's confession. "I had no idea things had gotten that serious since you started talking again last year."

Alec shrugged. "I'm going to marry her."

It wasn't long before Bella had to call it a night, claiming exhaustion. By the time they climbed into bed, it was clear she was anything but tired. After a couple of hours of making up for lost time over the last few of months of finals and moving, Bella fell asleep. Edward remained awake, tired, but in a way, too happy to rest.

They had a few weeks on the beach and their whole lives ahead of them. There would be plenty of summers, Edward was determined to keep their tradition they started the first summer of returning to the beach house. He pulled Bella closer and kissed her temple. She mumbled his name in her sleep, her leg locking around his. She'd given him so much, and a love that he would never take for granted.

AN: Thanks to everyone that read and recommended this story. I hope that my bff Dawn loved this birthday fic as much as I loved writing it.