How does a moment last forever?
How can a story never die?
It is love we must hold onto
Never easy, but we try
Sometimes our happiness is captured
Somehow, our time and place stand still
Love lives on inside our hearts and always will
Alan Merken and Tim Rice

Edward

"Wow, who are they?"

The new girl was openly staring at us in amazement and her hushed question to her neighbour carried clear to us, across the courtyard as we were. It was also a record for a human to become interested in us; the homeroom bell hadn't even rung yet.

"Those are the Cullens. Dr Cullen's foster kids, him and his wife adopted them. And, oh my God, they're all dating each other."

"Really?"

"Yeah, weird, right? But they're not actually related, like, biologically."

Bella grinned at me, delighted.

"That was almost word for word," she teased.

"Almost," I smiled, kissing her fingers.

A vision flashed in Alice's mind. She turned to Bella, a wide grin on her face. "She did it."

"What? Does Kiera know yet?"

"Not yet. You've got five minutes."

Bella pulled out her phone and video-called Leah. "Get Kiera," she told her excitedly. "You got in! You're going to Harvard."

Leah and Kiera squealed loudly; Sam came into the frame and hugged her, holding her down and kissing her hair repeatedly.

"Where's your laptop?" Leah asked Kiera. "Read it out!"

Kiera skipped away and returned; she read out the acceptance acknowledgement in a squeaky voice, all of us laughing along with her.

"There'll be another surprise coming your way," Bella smiled.

"You better not," Leah scolded, suddenly stern.

"Oh, deal with it. It's not even for you," she replied. They'd been having this argument one and off for the last eighteen years but Bella had made the terms of the trust very clear. Kiera would be starting her college life with one less worry.

"You're buying me a car?" Kiera shrieked, not aware of the gift.

"I'll get you a car as the present from me," I told her, smiling. "Just tell me which one."

"No," Leah and Sam said together.

"Don't worry, I'll send you one anyway."

"No," Leah insisted. "You guys are the worst, the pair of you."

"Will you come and visit me when I get there? Pembroke's not far …"

"Of course we will," Bella confirmed. "Once you're settled."

We had to end the call when the bell rang, congratulating Kiera again.

"How mad do you think they'll be when we deliver a car?" I asked Bella.

She grinned. "How about we make it a birthday present instead? Spread them out."

"Good idea."

All of us stood and made our way into the building. Jasper and Bella had gym first up and he was already plotting how he might be able to make her team lose. Bella would know what he was doing and their private game was going to become a silent feud between the two to best each other without the humans noticing anything.

What's his first strategy?

I closed my eyes briefly, happiness washing over me; Bella's mind just as invigorating as the first time she'd done this. Our inner voice was shared, each thought slipping over the other lusciously.

Taking her hand, I traced the word 'slow' into her palm with my thumb. I tried to be discrete but Jasper noticed.

I'm going to get you back for that.

Bella guessed his intentions and threw her shield over me before Jasper's swath of revulsion could invade. He made a noise of frustration and Bella and I laughed.

"Better luck next time, Jasper."

"Yeah, we'll see how you do without Edward's help."

Alice and Rosalie were talking instead of paying attention in their English class. Even though we'd only been here for seven months, the teachers had largely given up on calling on us, hating that we knew the answers even as we appeared to not be listening.

Emmett and I were likewise playing Schnapsen quickly, in between checking in intermittently with the history lecture and taking notes.

At the end of the day, we walked home, each of us trying to race each other without anyone seeing us. Bella was in the lead, naturally, but once we got to the forest and out of sight, I did my best to shake off Jasper's lethargy and match her pace.

Emmett launched himself at her and Bella let him, giggling when the two of them tumbled into a heap.

"If you let me win it doesn't count, and I can't win if you don't!" Emmett grumbled. "You're going to turn my hair grey before my time."

Our new house was right on the lake, the views breathtaking, particularly in winter. The surrounding woods were reminiscent of the ones in Forks and we were glad to be here. We'd been in Chicago the last four years and the endless city noise had grown a little irritating after a while.

In our office, Bella scrolled through her phone quickly, then put it on her desk.

"Nothing?"

"No," she replied, frowning a little. "I'm sad … I miss him. But that's for me. I know he'll be fine."

We'd remained good friends with Leah and her family, but for Jake, it had gotten harder over the years. He'd grown into being friendly in the beginning, time and distance his great teachers. But when we'd visited Washington for Kiera's sixteen birthday, it had been shortly after Jake's divorce. His emotions raw, it was the wrong time for him to see someone he'd loved long ago, looking just the same as she had then. He'd been polite during our conversation, asking after Bella's recent stint in a paediatric hospital and her continued efforts towards readying herself for surgery, but I signalled her wordlessly after a while when Jake found it too burdensome.

He'd drifted away these last two years, communicating less and less, and Bella let him, recognising it had to happen. She'd wanted to get him a gift as a thank you, a recognition of years of friendship but knew, even without my insight into his mind, that anything material would be hollow. She contented herself with Kiera instead, and we always managed to find the balance between lavish and needed; right up until the trust fund kicked in, at least.

"I'll take you to see him," I said, needing to offer it even though I knew she wouldn't want it.

Bella shook her head. She hated the idea of a goodbye, the memories too sharp for her. "And Jake won't like it either. I'll just … let it be."

We went for a walk through the trees and meadows, letting the crisp air soothe us.

"Alice had a vision," I told Bella. Alice had had one eye on him all day, trying to find this; something hopeful for Bella. Alice had known that the call with Kiera would've made Bella think of Jake.

She smiled, brightening. "A good one?"

"Yes. Pink dress, light hair. It'll be in the summer, at the shop; a customer. Dives a Mustang, completely rebuilt. Not this summer but soon. He only looked a little older."

Bella's smile widened. She pulled out her phone and messaged Jake the details. A few miles later, his reply came—his first acknowledgement in months.

'Thank you.'

Bella closed her eyes briefly. "Good. He can look forward now, not back."

The sun was setting, the sky tinged with purple and blue, the colours growing deeper. The stars grew brighter, and the breeze was filled with our scent.

Sometimes I miss dreaming, until we're in a place like this.

I stroked her temple, smiling when she nestled closer. "Nothing would improve it?"

Nothing. You're perfect.

"Me? I thought we were talking about the view," I teased.

Bella snaked her arms around my neck, leaning up to kiss me. Any moment we're together is perfect.

Bella kept the connection open as we sank into each other; everything blending, our thoughts and memories converging lusciously. We stayed as one for hours and hours, relishing the delicious leisurely way we could be with one another, our pleasure slipping back and forth between our mind and body, and with everything around us in perfect harmony.

Mine.

-Fin-