Part II: "Good Friends Reconnect"
Bella couldn't wait to see her best friend Jill again. It had been two years since she and Garrett had visited, which was right after the birth of Jill and Ted's son Ben. Even though Jill had been exhausted, she was so happy to catch up with Bella. Before that, they had not seen each other since Bella was Jill's maid of honor at her wedding. Although they didn't get to see each other like they did in college, their friendship remained strong through the years. Bella was looking forward to seeing how family life was agreeing with Jill and hoped that they could reminisce about their wild college days and create new memories together.
Bella snuggled up to Garrett as they drove to Jill and Ted's new house in the Denver suburbs. She couldn't wait to see her friend again and catch up on their lives. Bella had to pretend she was in her mid-20s for this visit, which didn't require much effort from either her or Garrett. They had changed their clothing style a bit and Bella altered her hairstyle, adding a bit more makeup to appear more mature. Bella knew she would always look beautiful, but she hoped to give the appearance of aging gracefully to maintain her relationships with her loved ones and friends for years to come.
"Did you remember to bring the toy airplane?" Bella asked Garrett as they drove, "Jill told me that little Ben is in love with planes at the moment after he took his first flight when they went to see Ted's parents."
Garrett grinned, reaching over to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Sure did. I'm sure the little guy will love it," he replied, glancing over at Bella and admiring her more mature appearance.
For the past two years, Bella and Garrett had continued their travels around the world. After Bella's graduation, she had set her sights on exploring every continent, and her passion for writing and photography led her to secure a job with a major travel publication. Bella's work involved traveling to various destinations with Garrett, where she would capture stunning photographs and take the reader on a journey through her vivid storytelling. Her articles were so well-written that readers felt as though they were experiencing the trip themselves. The combination of her writing and photography skills made her work truly spectacular. Bella loved every moment of it, as it allowed her to combine her passions and see the world. Her publisher was constantly amazed by the photographs she submitted, unaware that Bella could float in the air to capture the best angles. Bella simply claimed to use a drone. Additionally, Bella had been working on a novel during their travels, which she hoped to get published once she completed it.
As they pulled up to her friends house, Bella looked outside at the bright mid-day sun, knowing that she had become quite proficient at blocking the rays that affected vampires. This meant that she and Garrett could go out for several hours at a time without worrying about their safety. Bella quickly assessed herself and Garrett, seeing no issues, so they got out of the car and walked up to the front door.
Jill opened the door with a huge smile on her face. "Oh my god, Bella." Jill looked Bella over up and down, "You bitch, you still look like a supermodel! You'll have to tell me your secrets one of these days."
Bella laughed and gave Jill a big hug. She had missed her friend and was happy to reconnect. "I've missed you, Jill. Hanging with Garrett here is okay, I guess, but it's not like the wild nights we used to have," Bella said with a happy smile and a smirk directed at Garrett.
"I know what you mean," Jill replied with a hint of wistfulness. "Sadly, I think most of my wild nights are done for. Little Benny seems to want most of my attention. Come on in, let's catch up."
As Bella and Garrett entered the living room, they were greeted with a floor covered in toys and the sight of little Ben playing happily. Bella couldn't help but smile at the adorable scene.
Jill walked over to Ben, picking him up and holding him so he was facing Bella and Garrett. "Benny, can you say hi to my good friends, Bella and Garrett?"
Ben looked at them with wide eyes, his little face breaking into a grin. He waved his chubby hand and finally managed to say, "Hi!" in a high-pitched voice.
Bella's face lit up as she handed the toy airplane to Ben. "Wow, you're getting so big, Benny! And I heard you like airplanes, so we got you this."
Ben's face immediately brightened as he clutched the toy, a huge grin spreading across his chubby cheeks. "Fly, fly!" he shouted, waving the airplane around excitedly.
Jill chuckled, scooping up Ben and lifting him into the air. "Okay, hold on tight, little guy!" she said, twirling him around the room so he could imagine he was soaring through the skies.
"He really loves this game," Jill said, setting Ben down to play with his new toy. "It's getting harder to lift him, though. He's growing like a weed."
Bella nodded in agreement, glancing around the room at the toys scattered about. "I can see that. It looks like you guys are having a lot of fun, though."
Jill smiled, but then her expression turned apologetic. "Ted wanted to be here, too, but work has been crazy lately. He's sorry he couldn't make it."
Bella grinned. "No worries, Jill. We're staying at our house for a week or two, so we'll certainly have time to catch up again. Maybe we could see a movie one night and go out to a dance club, just like we used to."
Jill's face lit up. "That sounds perfect! We'll make plans later, and I'll get a sitter for Benny here. It's a rare treat to get a night out nowadays." Suddenly, she slapped her hand to her head. "Where are my manners? Would you guys like something to eat or drink?"
Bella had hoped that Jill would forget her manners, but it seemed that she was out of luck. "Yes, thank you. Whatever you have handy to drink would be fine for us. We already had lunch earlier,"
As Jill went off to fetch drinks, Bella gave Garrett a shrug. Bella turned back to watch Ben have a great time racing his toy cars and planes around the floor, babbling to himself.
Jill soon returned with sodas for everyone, and Bella took a sip as she caught up with her friend. It was wonderful to hear about what Jill had been up to with Ted and Ben, and Jill was even more intrigued by the stories Bella and Garrett shared about their travels around the world.
Later on in their conversation, Garrett excused himself to pretend to use the restroom. Jill leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to Bella, "Do you think Garrett will ever propose to you? I know you said you never wanted to get married, but let's be real, when are you going to find someone better than him?"
Bella smiled at her friend and whispered back, "You're right, Jill. I've reconsidered my previous stance. I don't know when we'll get married, but Garrett has told me that as soon as I feel ready, we can just elope. He knows I don't want a big ceremony. When it does happen, I'll be sure to have someone take pictures so I can send them to you." Bella smiled as she spoke.
"I'm so happy to hear that," Jill said with a smile. "I'll miss not being there, but do what makes you happy. You remember how stressed out I was when Ted and I got married. If we didn't have all the family to consider, I think I would have preferred to do what you're planning."
"So, is the love train still going strong for you and Garrett?" Jill asked, grinning mischievously.
Bella couldn't help but smile back at her friend's brazenness. "Oh, yes," she replied with a wicked gleam in her eye. "We went at it for over an hour straight this morning."
Jill's jaw dropped in disbelief. "Dammit," she groaned, feeling a little put out. "If you weren't my best friend, I would hate you right now."
Bella giggled mischievously. "Ted still works wonders with his tongue for you, doesn't he?"
"Damn straight he does, but these days, it's not as often as I'd like. And definitely not for an hour straight like you two sex fiends," Jill said teasingly. "But, hey, once you start popping out little ones, I'm sure things will slow down for you too. Enjoy it while you can!"
Bella didn't think now was a good time to say she could never have children and was thinking of a response when Garrett walked into the room. The discussion quickly switched over to when Jill thought she would be going back to work.
Bella caught Garrett's eye and gave him a playful wink, knowing that he had been listening to their entire conversation."
A few hours later, Bella was in the middle of a funny story about her and Garrett in New Zealand when Jill's phone rang. Jill answered and Bella couldn't help but overhear her talking to a frazzled-sounding Ted. It seemed Ted had forgotten some important papers for a meeting he was about to have in his room and he needed them urgently.
Jill's expression turned guilty as she hung up the phone, "I'm so sorry, guys. That was Ted. It seems he left some important documents for a meeting he has right now, and he needs them urgently. I hate to ask, but I'm in a real rush to get them to him. Is there any chance you guys can watch little Benny here while I run to Ted's office? I should only be gone for 45 minutes to an hour tops."
"Of course, Jill. Don't worry about a thing. We'd love to spend some time with Benny while you help Ted out," Bella said, hoping to relieve some of the pressure Jill was under.
"You guys are life savers. Thank you so much. I'll be really quick," Jill said before hurrying off to get the documents Ted needed. She returned a minute later with the papers safely tucked inside a bag. "If you need anything, just call me. We've left all the important numbers on the refrigerator in case of any emergencies," she added, grateful for their help. "Thanks again. I'll be back soon."
Jill crouched down to Ben's level and spoke in a gentle tone. "Be nice for Bella and Garrett, okay? I won't be long," she leaned in to give Ben a kiss on the head, but he was too engrossed in his toys to notice her departure.
"See you soon, guys. Thanks again," Jill said as she rushed out the door.
Garrett chuckled. "This should be interesting. I've never watched over a baby before. I call not it if he needs changing," he said, smiling at Bella.
Bella rolled her eyes, trying not to laugh. "Thanks a lot. I feel like a real mom already," she replied, walking over to sit next to Ben and play with him. Although she had never felt the desire to have children of her own like Rosalie or Esme, Bella enjoyed spending time with kids.
Bella happily played with the cars and trucks alongside Ben, who finally seemed to realize that his mother was not around. He looked up at Bella and smiled, and she felt her heart warm with affection for the little boy. Before long, Ben began saying "Fly, Fly, Fly!" and holding his little arms out as if he wanted to take off like a bird.
As Bella looked at Ben, she couldn't help but smile - he was undeniably adorable. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and using her shield, she carefully wrapped it around Ben and lifted him off the ground. Slowly, she moved him around the room as if he were flying, and Ben's face lit up with joy.
At first, he seemed confused about what was happening, but soon, his expression transformed into pure delight. With each gentle swoop up and down, Ben screamed with laughter. It was a heartwarming moment for Bella as she watched him having so much fun.
"You sure this is a good idea, Bella?" Garrett asked. While he was happy to see Ben having fun, he was concerned that Bella was kind of exposing themselves to a human.
"I don't think Ben will tell anyone, do you, Garrett? He's too young to understand what's going on. Let's give him this one chance to really fly," Bella replied. As Ben happily moved around the room, Bella took some of his toy airplanes and lifted them up in the air to travel alongside him and move in other directions. Ben loved it all, screaming "plane, plane" when he saw the toy flying beside him.
Bella continued moving Ben around the room for about 25 minutes until she asked him if he was ready to land. "Land, land," Ben spoke up, and Bella gently lowered him until it was like he came in for a landing in the middle of the room. Ben looked at Bella and Garrett and said, "Fly, fly," and Bella laughed.
"It seems you give them a taste and they come back for more," Bella said to Garrett with a chuckle. Then she turned to Ben. "We can fly later, Ben, when your mom comes back. Would you like a juice to hold you over?"
Ben thought for a second, then said, "Juice."
Bella smiled and got up to fetch him a drink. The rest of their time with Ben was quiet until Jill returned.
She thanked Bella and Garrett for watching little Benny and asked if he had a good time with them. Ben yelled, "Benny fly mommy," and spread his arms out wide. Everyone laughed at his antics.
Bella and Jill caught up some more until it was time for Bella and Garrett to leave. They made tentative plans to get together again next week and would confirm once Jill had her sitter lined up.
I will post Part III on Wednesday, where we catch up on the latest with the Cullens.
