Jasper drives, letting me sit in the passenger seat and forcing Emmett in the back of the truck as we head toward his dad's house first. Carlisle and his wife, Esme, helped Emmett raise me from the time I was nine years old. I was in the backseat of our parents car as we drove home from the movies. It was raining heavily, and I remember my father cursing other drivers, and then nothing. We were hit by a truck, which instantly killed our parents.
Emmett was only twenty-two, in medical school and clueless, so Jasper's parents happily took me in. It wasn't always easy, but they cared for me like one of their own and helped through the terrible grief I dealt with.
Once Emmett moved home after his trauma surgery fellowship, he jumped into parenthood for me during my tremulous teen years, and I'll never be able to repay him—repay any of them for sacrificing so much to raise me. I thought that time was over, but apparently not.
"I'm really sorry for putting you guys through this," I say, looking over and behind me. "I hate disrupting your lives again."
Putting his hand on my shoulder and gently squeezing, Emmett leans forward and shakes his head. "You're not disrupting anything, Bells. I need you here so I can look after you. That's selfish of me, I know, but this is what I need, so never, ever apologize, all right?"
"Seriously, sweets," Jasper says, patting my knee. "You're not a burden; you're not putting us through anything or disrupting our lives. I'm just so fucking glad you agreed to come home."
"And we sure as hell won't let you go through this alone," Emmett adds. "Whatever happens, we're all here for you. And your nephews might be a little too here for you."
As we pull into Carlisle and Esme's driveway outside of Forks, I see Jasper and Alice's three kids on the lawn with signs for me. Their youngest, Jared, says I can have his heart, which is endearing but slightly disturbing. Once the truck comes to a stop, I open the door and am run over by little Cullens.
"Seth! You're so tall!" I exclaim, looking up at the teen boy whose diapers I once changed. "And so handsome, of course," I tease.
"Thanks, Auntie. I'm glad you're home."
He hugs me once more before I grab ten-year-old Jacob. I can't believe how big they're getting, and I love hearing about their lives as they lead us into the house. I don't even see Carlisle, but when someone turns me around and lifts me into a warm embrace, I know I've found him.
"You're lookin' better, munchkin," he says, putting me on my feet as I smile. "Come on out back and take a seat. I'll get your drink—got Cherry Coke, just for you."
"Where's Esme?"
"Grabbing pizza." He smiles sheepishly. "I forgot to put the hamburger meat out earlier. Oops. You feeling all right?"
I nod, following him into the kitchen. We can see the boys playing with Em and Jasper in the backyard, and I laugh as Jacob nearly tackles Seth. "I can't believe how big they're getting. What is it Cullen men eat anyway?" I tease as he pours me a glass.
"Blood, sweat, and tears—breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in that order." He chuckles, handing me my drink before grabbing himself a beer. "I'm really glad Emmett convinced you to come home. You know we'll take care of you."
"Yeah." I sigh. "It's just … it just started, you know? My life is supposed to begin now, not end."
"It's not ending. Emmett has gone on and on about the doctor he has you seeing, and we both know he would never let anything happen to you. I've done my own research too, and I think he's great. This is just a bump, Bella. Yeah, your life's been filled with them, but you've always gotten through it."
He leans down, kissing my forehead before leading me out back to the deck and calling for the boys—all five of them. Esme's red SUV pulls down the driveway, and Carlisle quickly goes to help her as my brother and Jasper corral the boys into the house to wash their hands. I take a seat on the deck, finding the best view of the river as I pull my phone out.
I'm not surprised Kate hasn't texted me. Our friendship was one of convenience, and now that it's not convenient, it's probably not going to last. We've lived together for the past five years, but it is what it is, and I probably won't try either. Seeing Dr. Lumberjack's message, I add his name to my contacts and wonder if I should go ahead and cancel our coffee thing. I mean, it's probably already off, but should I make sure?
Obviously, I can't date him because he's close to my brother's age. Also, he's friends with him. And finally, he's going to be my doctor. Pretty sure you can't date your doctor, after all.
"Bella!"
I turn my head to find Esme stepping onto the deck and quickly stand up to hug her. After our parents died, she was the only maternal figure I had left in my life, and she still mothers me to this day. I love it.
"Have a good flight?" she asks, and I laugh.
"Yeah, not really. It was a bit too bumpy and small for my liking. It's good to see you."
She grins, hugging me once more as she says, "Oh, you too, sweetie. We're all so glad you've moved back. Come on, grab some pizza before the boys go for it."
"Are you sure you got enough?" I laugh, following her inside.
I don't own Twilight
Thanks to May, Nole, Fran, Brier, and Meg for prereading and Sally for Beta'ing.
Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and following this story!
