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Chapter 25

Happy Birthday

Bella

"I'll be there ... Sleep well, Bella," he promised and gave me a long kiss on the forehead. It tingled where he touched me with his lips. Quietly he left my room and I quickly sank into a very vivid dream.

A dream of Edward. An erotic dream. It was really hot.

So hot that in the middle of the night I was startled by the heat and gruffly kicked the blanket off of me. The only thing that I could remember was how Edward had torn off my clothes one by one. Offended - because I had woken up? - I let myself fall back across the bed without a blanket.

I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding wildly in my chest.

How could I dream such a thing about Edward? How could my head have imagined such a thing? It had never been like that between us! Never!

At some point – after I had scolded myself long and hard - I fell back asleep.

And what did my subconscious do?

It continued exactly at the point where I had woken up. This time it was less hot, but all the more emotional.

On a lonely tropical island. In a white bedroom. On a white four-poster bed, I sat on his lap. We kissed passionately. His cold lips caressed my neck, his cool hands gently guided my pelvis, my fingers clawed into his hair until finally, in an intoxicated state of bliss, I lay next to him in his arms and he gently nuzzled my neck.

"Good morning, Bella!" he whispered infinitely affectionately.

"Good morning ..." I tried to whisper sleepily and felt the tropical heat of my dream leave me. As well as the cozy cold arms that had embraced me. Instead, it now felt almost scratchy on my skin. Scratchy in contrast to the hard, yet still velvety texture of Edward's skin. As scratchy as my bedspread.

Just a dream! I slowly woke up. But ... the voice was not a dream!

"… Edward?" I straightened up in my bed, startled. My bed in Saco. In my house. What was he doing here? At this time? In my bedroom? Slowly I remembered yesterday and calmed down.

He had 'promised' to be here. But I hadn't realized that he would show up practically in the middle of the night.

"Coffee?" Edward offered me.

He knelt in front of the bed, with his elbows propped up on the bed, and very charmingly smiled at me.

His laugh exposed a perfect row of white teeth, his eyes shining a rich liquid gold, his bronze hair completely tousled. The rolled-up dark blue shirt revealed his with white skin and clearly visible muscled forearms.

Edward. Very clearly.

The hands presented a cup to me.

Somehow that didn't want to fit together.

I took the cup and blew.

A played condescending gaze flitted across the angel's face and he immediately put his hands around the cup. I drank hesitantly.

I really wasn't sure if I was awake or asleep. Edward brought me coffee! This was so surreal!

The more I drank, the clearer the image in front of me became.

I was apparently actually awake.

"I can get used to this kind of service," I muttered tiredly.

"Already told him," my kids laughed from the open door of the room before Edward could say anything, and they also already each had a cup in their hands.

"That's something to talk about!" he smiled in acknowledgment. "Is there anything else I can do to please the dominions?" asked Edward formally and a little louder so Jake and Leah could also hear him.

I chuckled.

"Rolls wouldn't be bad," Leah announced, but was already heading back to her room.

"Yeah ... the whole wolf thing really hurt our breakfast!" agreed Jake, then made his way to the bathroom.

"He's not our maid," I reprimanded them yet, which they had to have overheard. Somewhere in the upbringing of my children, I must have done something wrong.

"Sure?" asked Edward doubtfully, looking at me challengingly.

I looked down at my blanket, a little embarrassed.

I had really bossed him around a lot yesterday. But had already thanked him for that, too, I remembered.

"What have you done with my children?" I asked crossly - as punishment for his arrogant gaze.

Startled, he looked at me.

"My kids don't usually laugh at this time!" I explained, already laughing again.

"Apparently they do ... Maybe I know more about raising children than you do!" he speculated.

"How many kids have you tamed like this before, in the last ... let me think ... one hundred and twenty years?"

"One hundred and twenty-three ... Yours are the first," he admitted with a smile. "I guess I'm a natural if you've never seen them laughing at this hour!" he teased yet and I raised my eyebrows skeptically. "What did Jake mean about that wolf thing hurting your breakfast?"

"Before they became predators they used to go jogging together in the morning, bringing rolls with them. But now they run as wolves. They can't just run in at the bakery like that," I explained, chuckling at the image of a giant wolf standing in the bakery, plopping down an slobbered envelope full of money, and then running off again with the bag of rolls in its mouth.

"Rolls? Not exactly a typical American breakfast," Edward stated, thoughtfully.

"Mr. Prescott, my boss, once had an au pair girl from Germany. There, rolls for breakfast are normal. After we were invited to brunch once, both of them were really excited about it and then we also discovered a German bakery in the area," I explained to him.

"And since when do you drink coffee?" he then asked curiously.

"Ever raised newborn twins and studied on the side?" I asked conversely.

"I don't think so, no," he mused.

"You need coffee for that. Lots of coffee!" I said and finished my cup.

Edward took the cup from me.

"One more?" he asked.

"Later. I'm awake enough to get up," I explained, considering for a moment. "Can I get up?"

He carefully pulled my foot out from under the covers, loosened the bandage and looked and felt it more closely.

"Let's see ... Does this hurt?" he asked, moving the joint.

I contorted my face as he took a certain direction.

"A little," I said truthfully. It was nowhere near as bad as yesterday.

"If it were up to me ..." he began, standing up and lifting me up in his arms in one elegant motion, making me hold my breath in shock, "... I'd keep carrying you around."

"And what does the doctor say?" I asked critically.

"He'll put a tight bandage on you for today and ask you to be careful!" he said, gingerly lowering me back down to the floor.

It felt a little strange to stand on my own two feet again. In particular, I didn't really dare to put any weight on my foot. But I tried it, held by Edward's arms still a little. It went better than I expected and so I bravely made my way towards the bathroom.

"So, how many rolls should I get?" he inquired.

"Don't be silly," was all I replied, holding onto the door.

"I don't want to be in your way when you're getting ready. I can make myself useful, though," Edward clarified and did not tolerate any contradiction.

Edward actually went to get rolls.

Surreal!

I really couldn't think of anything else to say and shook my head in disbelief.

I went through my morning ritual. Washed my face, brushed my teeth, took a shower, got dressed and made my bed. I was still standing barefoot in the bathroom, because Edward was going to put a new bandage on me, and I made myself a high ponytail, letting a few strands fall out. I turned again in the big mirror, took my socks and shoes from the armchair and stubbed the small toe of my already battered foot, of the past two days, on the edge of the bed. In shock, I threw my shoes against the wall and fell next to the bed, cursing.

Shit, that hurt!

It went through my head what I always thought of in such situations. I had read it somewhere once:

A small angel goes to the chief angel and presents the ready pieced together human being.

Angel: This is the prototype. Everything on it that is necessary.

Chief angel: Put small toes on it.

Angel: What for?

Chief Angel: Trust me. This will be fun!

Not five seconds after my outcry, Edward was standing in the room.

"Bella?" he asked anxiously.

He could not see me. I was lying behind the bed.

"Here!" I replied in a tone of voice that lay somewhere between cursing (because it hurt so much) and laughing (because Edward was seriously concerned).

"What have you done now?" he asked, already smirking again, when he saw me lying there like that, clutching my little toe tightly.

"It was the bed's fault!" I defended myself.

"Are you telling me that it deliberately threw itself in front of your foot?" he asked suspiciously, holding out a hand to me.

I nodded vigorously, reached for his hand and immediately felt his other arm around my waist, gently pulling me against his body. A posture almost as if we were dancing.

Immediately this incredible sweetness rose to my nose and I inhaled deeply. His cold gentle fingers distracted me and when he lifted my gaze to his, my attention was completely gone.

"One could almost think you were doing it on purpose," he teased me, but without laughing. He appeared cautious, as if still weighing his words. "At the same time, there are far more painless ways to make me take you in my arms," he explained level-headedly, without letting me escape from his gaze.

"Oh yeah?" I asked, still lost in his beautiful eyes and to all appearances not yet as awake as I thought.

"Breakfast is ready!" we heard the twins call from downstairs.

"I'll be right there," I whispered, still looking into his eyes.

"They won't have heard that," Edward said just as quietly, but chuckled a little.

I blinked a few times and smiled embarrassedly as I turned back to my shoes.

I was half-crawling out from under the bed again to get my socks when Edward gave me a stern gaze, instructing me to sit in the chair. He already had the bandage in his hand. He hurried this time without showing any lack of care. I put on my sneakers and moved my foot a bit to test how tight the bandage was this time. I was able to walk without further ado.

What a shame ...

"Happy birthday, Mom," my kids cheered in unison, nearly jumping into my arms as I came to the dining table.

Inwardly I was frightened.

I had completely forgotten about this. But was that a miracle with the morning.

As they dragged me closer to the table, while hugging me, and directed me to my seat, my eyes burned a little. Full of emotion. Only a small part of the table was set. Of course. That's all the three of us needed. The small basket of rolls, jam, butter, cold cuts, a pot of coffee, egg cups, and a few pancakes, from which the syrup was already running down. Before me were a cup of coffee and two bun halves with jam and Nutella on my plate. Flower petals and confetti were scattered across the end of the table. A large bouquet of flowers stood in the middle of it and in front of it leaned a red envelope.

„I have the best children in the world," I said, moved, and pulled them both back into my arms.

"Don't forget that when we do something wrong again," Leah reminded me.

"I won't," I promised and sat down in my assigned seat.

"We would have set a place for you, but you're not eating, right?" turned Jake to Edward, who had been left standing slightly behind me.

"Rarely," he said smiling and sat down with us.

We had breakfast in the best mood.

"Open your present," Leah then prompted me.

Unwillingly I did it.

I hated getting presents. But today, unfortunately, it could not be avoided. I just hoped that they had not spent all of their allowance. After all, my kids were very creative and ambitious when it came to my birthday or Christmas presents. They didn't care that I had forbidden them to give me anything. The money was for them to afford or experience nice things. They should not spend it on me.

My eyes got big when I opened the envelope.

Two concert tickets for Lindsey Stirling. I had been trying to get tickets for a few years whenever she performed in the US. But they always sold out so quickly that I was never lucky.

A lonely little tear of emotion swelled in my eye.

"Thank you, kids!" I thanked them sincerely, wiping away the little tear and giving them both a kiss while taking them into my arms.

The price was printed on them.

Almost a hundred dollars per ticket.

It took me a moment for my excitement to settle.

Meanwhile, my children were already cleaning up the table again with Edward's help. I was forbidden to help them.

"I thought vampires didn't forget anything!" Leah accused Edward in the kitchen.

She tried to speak so softly that I could not hear her. I still heard, but not his answer.

Then, as the children disappeared into their rooms yet again to get their school supplies and I checked my bag in the hallway to make sure it was complete, Edward approached me. He gently pulled me to him by one hand, put one arm around my waist and the other hand affectionately against my cheek.

"Happy birthday, Bella!" he whispered soulfully, punctuating his words with a kiss on my cheek so affectionate it almost made me dizzy.

He detached himself from me a little and held out a gift to me.

"You really didn't forget," I whispered, flabbergasted.

"How could I forget your special day?" he murmured, and I took the small flat package from him.

I already guessed what was in it and I was not disappointed.

A shiny silver CD, which was labeled with 'For Bella!' in a very beautiful sweeping font. I also thought I knew what would be heard from this CD and my heart skipped a beat.

"Is what I think is on it, on this?", I asked incredulously, looking him in the eye.

"I think so," he replied, putting his hand back to my cheek.

Gently he stroked it.

"Thank you," I said, slightly dazed, and took him into my arms.

Without wanting to, I cried. His arms wrapped around me a little tighter as he prompted me not to forget to breathe.

This reminder had been necessary and passed it directly to my lungs. My heart, on the other hand, was not so easily convinced.

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