A/N: I'm back to suckage, but she's almost over. One or maybe two chapters left with an epi. I'm still deciding how I want to wrap it up, but it shouldn't be too long. I really got attached to this one. Damn.
Anywho, hope you enjoy, and three cheers for the return of FFn's notifications!

Footprints in the Sand

Chapter 40

Edward Cullen and Associates P.L.L.C the inscription on the glass door reads. I smile to myself, my eyes lingering on it for an added pause before grabbing the handle and pushing it forward.

Valentina sits at the front desk, her attention diverted as she types on the keyboard of the iMac before her. She notices me not a moment later, her expression immediately mirroring mine.

"Hello, Bella," she greets me cheerfully.

"Hi," I reply, approaching her and placing the paper Starbucks cup filled with a vanilla latte over the ledge toward her, "I bought you something."

"Oh... thank you." Taking it from me, her smile broadens with warmth. "It's just what I need."

I liked Valentina on sight, but Edward is a very tough boss, and has admitted more than once that he can be very hard on her. She takes everything in her stride, though, and I suspect Edward would be lost without her.

"I heard the news." Softening the tone of my voice, I lean closer to her in confidence and whisper, "Congratulations."

In response, her entire face beams, and she places her index finger to her lips; indicating that she hasn't yet made it public. Made public the news that after numerous rounds of IVF, she's finally pregnant.

With twins.

"Thank you," she mouths as tears steadily well in her eyes, and inhaling roughly, she quickly pulls herself from it. "He's in his office. He's expecting you."

Nodding, I turn to leave. "No working too hard."

Laughing lightly and shaking her head to herself by way of reply, she returns her attention to the screen of her computer.

Edward's office is to the left of reception, roughly twenty feet along the corridor. I knock three times and his deep voice calls me in almost instantly.

I open the door and step inside the room to him leaning against the front of his desk with one leg crossed over the other at the ankle and both hands deep in the pockets of his pants. My eyes meet his, and he breaks into a charming smile that does nothing to hide how exhausted he is, nor the intention he had in inviting me here without Addie.

"Hey," I say, feeling suddenly overcome at the sight of him before me after a very long sixteen days of his absence, while my voice doesn't quite make it past the tenor of audible.

He's as handsome as he's ever been in a three-piece black pin-stripe, his hair evidently held in place by those long fingers of his, and his tie very habitually tugged loose.

"Hey," he echoes, and releasing his left hand, he extends it to me.

Making my way toward him, I take it as he pulls himself to his full height, draws me against him, cups his palm to the side of my face and kisses me. My lips, my jaw, my throat... while speaking my name in a breathy murmur against my skin.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, woman," he eventually says against my hairline.

"I have a fair idea," I reply, relaxing myself against him and inhaling the seductive scent of him deep into my lungs.

I missed every single thing about him in ways I wasn't expecting.

Humming, he lowers his head and presses his lips to my bared shoulder as he gather's my maxi skirt in one of his hands and slowly inches it up.

"What are you doing?" I angle my head back and ask cynically.

"You know very well what I'm doing," he informs me with a discernible growl behind his voice, and hoisting me into his arms he turns me around and props me on the edge of his desk.

"Everyone will hear," I say weakly in protest.

"Let them hear," he counters, taking my lips momentarily with his as he continues to drag the length of my skirt up over my knees.

"What if Valentina comes in?" I turn my head as he probes my neck tenderly with kisses.

"She knows you're in here, and I told her not to disturb me."

"She's going to... know." My voice falls to a whisper, and wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I tug him closer to me and force his mouth back against mine.

"I'd imagine so." His voice turns gruff, and planting both palms to the surface of the desk, he inches me backwards until I'm practically lying flat on my back.

"You're a scoundrel," I tease him, fast becoming compromised by the firmness of his chest flush against mine, when he props himself up, reaches over me, clumsily pulls open the top drawer and grabs something from within.

He drops it to the surface a moment later, but I'm far too distracted to notice as he once again merges his parted lips with mine.

"I am a scoundrel," he plays along, reaching beneath my skirt—that's now gathered around my hips—and slipping his fingers beneath the waist of my underwear.

"Are you sure no one will interrupt us?" I need further reassurance before I can proceed, but my offensive is half-hearted at best, and Edward's well-aware of it.

At this point, he knows I'd follow him into Dante's Inferno.

"Not if they want to keep their job," he struggles to answer, as he wrangles to remove his suit jacket, and tug his belt open.

"Here, let me," I offer, and with two very trembling hands, I undo his belt and completely pull it from the loops of his pants.

That's when I realize he has an unopened condom between his teeth, and it's such a comical sight that I immediately break into laughter.

"What are you doing? I'm pretty sure you're not meant to bite it," I burst, continuing to laugh as I pluck it from between his lips and toss it aside.

"Uh—"

"We don't need it," I quickly assure him, outstretching my arm in reference. "I got the implant." Taking his hand, I probe his fingers just above the inside of my elbow where the small rod lays skin-deep.

"You did?" Edward asks, meeting my eyes as something almost appears to fracture within his.

I only nod in reply.

"W-why?" he stammers.

With my brows furrowing, I flash him a strange look. "You told me to," I remind him.

Pulling fractionally back, he utters out a sound that I think is meant to be a laugh, but it doesn't quite manage it. "Marry me, Bella."

"...I-I'm sorry?" I say blankly.

"Marry me," he echoes, his voice softening further as his eyes continue to hold mine, wide and resolute.

He's serious, I realize. Wholly serious, but I'm more than a little taken aback.

He asked me here to propose?

"Al-right," I continue to stumble over my words, but it's more from the unexpected shock of it than anything else.

"Is that a yes?" he questions, one eyebrow arched.

"It's a yes."

With a softly vocal sigh, he gently tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, as those intense eyes of his appear to canvass every inch of my face. "I asked your father..." he adds after a moment.

"...What?" I put to him, my voice falling to an immediate whisper.

"I went to Forks," he admits. "I found his grave, and I promised him I'd always love you—always make you smile... Sweetheart are..." Cupping his palm to my cheek, he angles my head to meet his eyes as tears spill over in mine.

"You-you went to Forks?" I struggle to articulate, biting down on my bottom lip to keep my emotions contained, but I'm failing miserably.

"I did," he professes, wiping my tears away with his thumb as his hand still grazes my face. "Are you sure you want to marry me?" There's something incredibly vulnerable behind his eyes that threatens to unleash fresh tears on me.

"Of course I'm sure," I insist, hastily wiping my face dry, and nodding for added measure.

"You hesitated there for a while."

"I was just surprised. Or more... shocked."

"Do you mean to tell me Addie didn't tell you?" He almost smirks and in return I chuckle lightly.

"About the berry beautiful ring you bought me? She did, but she held out for five whole days," I use her words, making the smile on Edward's face broaden.

"Hmm... Five days, huh."

"She told Alice as well."

"Of course, she did." Exhaling heavily, he plants his lips to my brow. "I didn't do this right."

"Huh?"

"One moment..." Pulling himself from over me, he makes his way to the front of his desk and jerks open a drawer.

I take the opportunity to get to my feet, readjust my panties and shimmy my skirt back over my knees, and without a word, Edward grabs my hand and pulls me toward the leather sofa to the left of the room.

He's carrying a small teal-blue box in his left hand.

With my stomach overrun by anticipation, I take a seat, and after sitting himself beside me, he takes my hand and places the box gingerly in my palm.

"I was going to do this in Florida," he discloses, opening it to reveal a Tiffany & Co. round-cut diamond ring, "but then..."

My breath draws on impulse, and not only because it's beautiful, and I'm on the precipice of falling apart anyway, but by its size. It has to be at least three carats.

"Edward..." I utter, as my voice softly catches.

"I wanted to buy you the biggest one there, but... I know that's not who you are," he explains, sounding almost sheepish as he carefully plucks the ring from its encasement and slides it over the third finger on my left hand.

It's a little too large.

"You wanted to get me a bigger one?" I say slightly incredulous as I inhale back the threat of more tears. "It's beautiful."

"So are you," he murmurs, planting his lips to my temple. "We'll get it resized," he adds after pulling back. "Bella?"

"Yes?"

"You know what I did in New York, don't you," he states, keeping his eyes trained on me.

I nod. "I know."

"I..." He falls into a moment of uncertainty, as that frown I've become so accustomed to, makes its appearance. "I thought a lot while I was away. I had to make sure I really wanted this—to have...more children," he mumbles the latter as his gaze falls to his hand still holding my own. "In the end, I knew I couldn't ask you to give up something so big for me, and Alice did threaten to knee my balls into my cranium."

"What?" I burst in confusion. "When did she say that?"

He glances up and smirks. "I called her, actually," he clarifies, sounding almost reluctant to admit it.

"You did?"

"I did. I... Alice knows you more than anyone, and I... I asked her whether you'd ever leave me if I refused to give you a child." He leaves it hanging between us like the Grand Canyon.

"What did she say?" I ask with bated breath.

"She said she believes you would—that you'd eventually resent me for it—and then she asked me how I'd feel if in ten years I passed you on the street, married to another man...with a family. I"—he breaks to laugh humorlessly—"I couldn't answer her. All I knew was the very idea of it made me feel very... upset."

"Edward..." I'm shaking my head adamantly, and I'm not even sure why.

But resent him? Leave him and Addie? Would I ever yearn for a baby so much I'd be capable of it?

"I got it reversed the next day," he continues. "I have to go back in a couple of months to see if it was successful. He—the doctor who performed it—was pretty confident, though."

I nod jerkily, feeling myself becoming choked again. This man, who's so chronically phobic, is willing to overcome it for me.

His top button is undone, and needing a distraction, I gently button it and smooth down his vest; leaving my palm resting over his heart.

"I was okay for the first few days after," he adds after the longest pause, covering my hand with his, "and then I had to talk myself down. I had to repeatedly remind myself that you're nothing like her—you'd never get yourself pregnant behind my back."

"Of course I wouldn't," I declare a little too passionately. "Edward, I'm not even close to thinking about babies right now. That's why I got the implant. It lasts three years."

"Three years?" he repeats, sounding almost surprised. "Jesus..." He releases his breath heavily. "Sweetheart, if you ever feel like I'm hung over from my ex-wife, you have to bring it to my attention. Sometimes I don't realize it. Okay? —promise me."

"I promise," I give him my word.

"Bella..." he says to himself so softly I barely catch it, but whether he spoke it as a statement, like he usually does, or as a question, I'm not sure.

"Hmm?"

"It's going to take me a few years," he begins, frowning again and glancing momentarily over his shoulder at I'm not sure what, "so please be patient with me."

"Of course I will," I assure him, tweaking his earlobe playfully. "You have no idea how happy you and Addie make me. God, this time last year I was miserable."

Tyler. I'm forced to remind myself again that I needed to experience that train wreck to arrive at this moment of time with Edward and Addie, but what the hell was I thinking?

Flashing me that charming smile of his, Edward draws me closer to him, but there's a rawness behind his expression that's keeping my emotions heightened. "She didn't tire you out the last two weeks?"

"She did," I answer wryly, "but we had so much fun, and I'm not sure how I'll sleep now without two little feet in my back every night."

He chuckles warmly. "You'll have me in your back instead."

"Smooth," I tease him as his smile broadens.

"Smooth," he echoes to himself, and with a sigh he relaxes back against the sofa, taking me with him. "I told myself I'd never rush into anything again, and here I am, but... the way you love Addie. You love her more than me, and I knew I couldn't let you get away."

"I don't love her more—just differently," I point out, my eyes lowering to the diamond falling over my knuckle.

"Do you love her enough to be her mother?" he asks almost apprehensively as he adjusts the ring on my finger.

"Of course I do," I say without hesitation. "I told you, I'd take her off your hands in an instant."

He holds my gaze for the longest time before confessing something that immediately makes my heart clench. "If anything were to happen to me, you're the only person I'd want to have her."

"Oh, god, Edward—don't say things like that." It's too close to home, and I feel absolutely sick at the mere idea of losing him. "Nothing's going to happen to you."

Offering me a tender smile, he brings his hand to my face and grazes his thumb over my bottom lip. "I've had a contingency plan since she was born. It's the reality of it, sweetheart."

"Still, I..." Shaking my head, I don't elaborate, but I know Edward understands.

For the next several moments, he falls into silence. It's something he does almost as much as I do, but when he breaks it, his smile's returned. "Do you have any idea how long she's been pestering me to marry you?"

"How long?"

"A few months after she turned four," he answers, as I laugh lightly.

"That's around about the time we became friends."

"Not long after was when she stopped... asking me about her mother," he reveals quietly, his expression not-so-discreetly darkening.

There's nothing I can really say to that, so I don't reply; instead, I thread my fingers with his and lean my head against his shoulder.

Bringing my hand to his lips, he kisses my knuckles, and with a lazily-sounding moan, sinks lower into the leather. The poor man's exhausted, and I don't think the two-week break to Florida could have come at a better time.

"Alice never said anything?" he puts to me after a moment.

"She never said a word. When did you speak to her?" I ask, turning and curling myself further against his side.

"The day after I arrived. I asked her not to say anything to you, but she said if you asked, she wouldn't lie to you."

"I didn't have any reason to ask."

"I didn't think you would. She told me you tell each other everything," he relays, sounding troubled this time, and it's not hard to ascertain why.

"We used to, but I omit a lot these days," I allude, subtly putting his fears to rest, but I need him to know he can trust me; that I'll take anything said to me in confidence to my grave.

He hums again; it's something he's prone to when he's this tired. "I asked her what size ring you wear, so I might have given it away," he muses, as the grin again tugs on his lips.

"Well, Alice is a very good secret keeper, but I don't think she knows what size I am."

"She doesn't. Bella..." He groans, beginning to sound frustrated, before he leans his head back and momentarily closes his eyes.

"Five minutes ago, you wanted to ravish me on your desk," I remind him, tracing my fingertips over his sharply angled jaw.

He chuckles sleepily. "Give me a moment. You took ten years off my life when you hesitated, woman."

"I was caught up over how the hell I was going to keep the both of us quiet. I wasn't exactly expecting you to propose to me."

He laughs this time, and the deep huskiness of it causes a stirring in the pit of my stomach. "It looks good on you," he adds, referring to the diamond he's continuing to caress gently with his fingers.

"Hmm," I agree, because I'm more than partial to it. "I'm afraid I'm going to lose it. Put it back in the box until we get it resized." Slipping it off my finger, I hold it out to him.

He takes it, but instead, slides it back in place. "Not yet. I like it where it is." Then with another groan, he pulls his phone from his pocket, dials and places it to his ear. "Valentina, bring me a coffee—black."

"I can get you one, Edward," I volunteer.

Shaking his head, he places his index finger to his lips with the same hand holding his phone. "Do you want anything, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine," I answer, elbowing him in the ribs in immediate retribution to that raised brow of his.

He jolts and chokes back his reaction. "Nothing for Bella," he adds with a discernible smirk.

Five minutes later, there's a quiet knock on his door.

"Come in," Edward directs.

Valentina enters, carrying a single, steaming mug; placing it on the coffee table before him on the couch. "Will there be anything else?" she asks politely.

"No, that'll be all. I've got no more work for the day, so you can leave early."

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen," she replies with a cheerful smile. Her eyes meet mine, but not before she notices the empty Tiffany & co. box, and the diamond on my left hand. Her smile broadens, and flashing me a confidential wink, she turns back to Edward. "Have a wonderful holiday."

"You too, and... uh, Valentina?"

"Yes, sir?" she asks over her shoulder as she makes her way toward the door.

"I added a bonus to your paycheck for your... growing family." He imparts her with an awkward smile and for a single moment, I'm positive she's going to lose all composure.

"Thank you, Mr. Cullen," she repeats the same sentiment, her voice very notably hitching, before she hastily leaves the room.

Leaning forward, Edward picks up the coffee and takes a very large gulp, and then another before he notices my attention on him. "What?" he tilts his head and enquires.

"I knew you were a big softie underneath it all," I say, walking my first two fingers over his chin to his lips.

Very meticulously, he places the mug back to the table, turns to me, grabs me around the waist and lifts me onto his lap. "There's nothing soft about me," he promises against my earlobe, inching my skirt slowly up to my thighs again.

Right now, in the literal sense, he's right. There isn't.

Pushing him against the back of the sofa, I cup his face in both my hands, and expel a deliberately teasing breath. "You really need to get more sleep, counsellor. I'm sick of being on top."

. . .

"Bella and me made up a new game, Daddy. D'you wanna know what it's called?" Addie asks her father in an animated voice, her mouth half full of pizza.

"Bella and I," he corrects her, despite the tender smile on his lips that's remained a constant all afternoon.

Their reunion earlier made me practically turn to water.

After leaving his office building, Edward and I stopped for lunch, and then drove to my apartment for me to pack a few more things for Florida, as well as for a not-so-quick quickie, before we made our way next door to pick up Addie.

The instant she saw him, she ran toward him at full speed, threw herself into his arms and proceeded to smother his face in kisses. Then unable to hold back the floodgates, she burst into tears, only for Edward to do his infamous ten-thousand-years Genie impression to cheer her up.

Mrs. Cullen turned to me with a responsive smile then, before her eyes caught sight of the rock on my finger, and then promptly widened.

I shook my head discreetly, and nodding hers once in understanding, she proceeded to engulf her son in her arms and came infinitely close to joining her granddaughter in tears.

On the way home, Edward picked up pizza and Addie's favorite flavored ice-cream for dinner.

We haven't told her about the whole marrying her daddy business yet. We haven't told her about Disney either; despite us leaving early the next morning. I'm leaving that up to Edward.

"Daddy..." she reproaches him, and with an over exaggerated sigh that makes me come infinitely close to choking on my own pizza in response, she amends it. "Bella and I made up a new game."

"Did you?"

"Uh-huh. It's called the Disney movie game. We have to say a line from a movie, and then guess which movie it's from. You wanna play?"

"Sure," he humors her.

"Okay, I'll go first," she suggests happily, before putting forth her very best Dory voice, "Sorry, you'll have to come back later. We're trying to escape."

"Finding Nemo," I answer chuckling, while Edward's none-the-wiser.

"Your turn now, Bella," Addie pipes up, her big, cheesy grin wide.

"Okay, um..." I take a moment to think of one I haven't already. We've been playing this game religiously for the previous two weeks, after all. "Megara. My friends call me Meg. At least they would, if I had any friends."

Addie immediately cracks up; just managing to answer between her stilted breath. "I don't think your pinto likes me," she does her own Megara impression a minute later, only to fall into another round of laughter that I quickly join her in.

"Your turn, Daddy," I say, whacking him playfully in the chest with the back of my hand.

He'd only sat quietly observing the both of us, his brow knotted in amusement.

"Oh, uh... I'm John Smith." He lowers his voice and pulls off Mel Gibson perfectly.

"Pocahontas!" Addie and I both chorus in unison.

For the rest of dinner, we go back and forth, laughing at each other and Edward's comedic timing. Then, taking my hand beneath the table, Edward slips my ring from my finger.

When I turn to him in question, he only brings his finger to his lips and winks. "Tiger?" he grabs Addie's attention.

"Uh-huh?" She turns to her father, her large clear green eyes wide.

"Come with me for a sec. I have a surprise for you."

She immediately sucks in her breath in anticipation and jumps from her seat; grabbing the hand Edward holds out for her. "Is it a Simonese kitten?"

"Not quite. Be back in a moment, sweetheart," he tells me over his shoulder before leading Addie down the hall to his study.

He closes the door behind them, and whatever he's saying to Addie makes her gasp loudly and exclaim a very high-pitched, over-excited "REALLY?"

They re-emerge a few minutes later; both looking suspiciously pleased with themselves.

"Bella?" Addie begins, attempting to hold back the length of her grin, before she tugs her father's shirt. "Daddy, get on your knee," she whispers to him.

Edward immediately complies, smirking at me as I fight to keep my poker face intact.

"Bella?" Addie repeats.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Will you marry me and Da..." She's cut short by Edward pointedly clearing his throat. "I mean..." Shaking her head to herself, she quickly starts over, "Will you marry Daddy, and be my mommy for real?" Before I can answer, she nudges her father in emphasis, who then produces the small teal box, holds it out to me, and opens it a second time.

I make a huge show of gasping—exactly like Addie did only moments before—and slapping both my hands to my cheeks. "Um—of course I'll marry your daddy, and be your mommy for real!"

Edward places the ring back on my finger, and pulling me over his knee, he dips me into a kiss, and mid-celebration, Addie completely loses it again.

"Sweetie—it's okay," I soothe her, lifting her into my arms as she sobs hopelessly against the side of my neck. "Don't cry."

"I always w-wanted you to be my mommy, B-Bella," she confesses tearfully, lifting her head and wiping her eyes clumsily with the back of her hand.

"Did you? Well, I always wanted to steal you away from your daddy," I confide in her, making her break into giggling even as she hiccups.

"Can I call you Mommy, now?" she asks innocently.

"'Course you can," I assure her, glancing at her father as he smiles warmly and nods his head in approval. "We gonna have ice-cream now?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'll make a deal with you, Tiger," Edward barters, passing Addie a chocolate chip ice-cream cone as the three of us sit down to watch Zootopia in the family room.

Taking a huge slurp, she eyes him suspiciously. "Your deals are always terrible, Daddy."

While I'm fighting the urge to laugh, Edward sighs patiently. "You want to hear it, or not?"

"Alright," she agrees begrudgingly.

Sitting on the sofa beside me—with Addie perched on my lap, one arm around my neck as if she fears I might vanish—Edward hands me a cone and wraps his arm around my shoulders. "If you promise not to come into my bed with me and Bella every night—"

"But what if I have a bad dream?" she interjects in protest.

"We'll come to your room."

She pouts. "But—"

"Don't make me take this back, kid," he teases her, not sounding wholly joking, and when Addie grumbles out her compliance, Edward continues. "If you promise not to come into bed with me and Bella, I'll buy you a Simonese kitten."

For the next several seconds Addie's stunned into silence, before she screams. She actually screams; though, it's more of a squeal as she proceeds to jump all over me, her father and the sofa, dropping her ice-cream cone to the floor in the process. "Tomorrow, Daddy!?"

"Not tomorrow."

"But—"

"Tomorrow, Bella and I are taking you to Disney World."

A/N: I bet you weren't expecting it happening in Edward's office, right? If I made a whole fluffy, cheesy proposal at Disney, it wouldn't be Edward. He tends to do things on impulse. So, I stayed true to who he is. Did you enjoy?
Thanks for reading, and see you again soon.