Chapter Forty-Eight

The days that passed were nothing but a blur. I really wasn't present through any of it, I just kind of showed up when it was appropriate. Edward really took charge of everything, which I was thankful for. And I was also thankful that my dad had pretty much made all of his funeral arrangements.

"Shit," I muttered as I looked through my bag.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked as he knotted his tie.

"I don't have a funeral dress…" I placed my hand in my hair. "I don't have anything appropriate."

"Fuck, I'm sorry," Edward said. "I completely forgot about you when I ordered my suit. It didn't occur to me. I'm so sorry Bella. Let me see if there's a store open or something."

Alice knocked on the door before opening it. Edward hissed and ducked into the bathroom.

"I'm in my underwear, fucking weirdo." He snapped from the bathroom.

"Well put your suit on like a normal person. Pants, then shirt then tie. Not that weird combination you've got going on."

He grumbled but didn't say anything else. Alice walked over to me, holding a garment bag.

"Your ears must've been burning," I chuckled humorlessly. "I didn't have anything to wear."

She smiled. "I figured. So I just picked you up something appropriate."

"Thanks," I said as I opened the bag. It was a simple black, long-sleeved dress. It was probably about mid-length which would come down to my knees, but there was a pair of black stockings and a sensible pair of black heels.

"It's not the prettiest but it'll work. And I got you these too," She said as she held out a black hat and a pair of sunglasses.

"Thank you. Let me get dressed and I'll be out in just a minute."

"Take your time." She smiled before walking out of the room. "And my mom has something for you too. She's just finishing up getting ready."

"Jeez she's a pain in my neck." Edward said as he walked back out and grabbed his pants from the bed. "She doesn't understand how difficult it is to tuck a shirt into pants comfortably without making wrinkles."

"Don't be mean to her. They didn't get to go on their little trip Jasper planned." I said as I put my clothes on. "Did you pay him back?"

"Yeah, I wrote him a check," He said. "And I'm paying for them to go next weekend."

"Thank you."

Esme knocked on the door but waited until Edward opened it. She had far more patience than Alice did.

"Bella, I have something for you." She said as she took my hand and dropped a little white pill into it. "It's a Valium. It'll help you get through the day."

"Whose prescription is it?" I asked.

"It's mine," She said. "I needed it when Edward was in prison. I still have my prescription but it's just going to waste. I have a few more if you need them. You don't have to take it but it's here if you need it."

I dry swallowed the pill. I didn't hesitate because I knew I needed it. The past few days I had been a complete wreck at random times. I'd be okay for a while and then bam, I'd burst into tears. I just wanted to get through this day now and somehow, learn to cope.

Esme smiled at me before pulling me into a tight hug and kissing my cheek.

"It will be a hard day emotionally, but we've taken care of everything else, so you don't have to worry about anything."

"Did you… the cause of death? Did you—,"

"Don't worry," Edward said as he placed his hands on my shoulders. "No one besides us, and the coroner know the true cause of death. Everyone believes he had a heart attack and that's how it'll stay."

I nodded as I closed my eyes. "Thank you. I appreciate it so much."

"Of course dear," Esme smiled. "Your father was a great man and having an overdose label as the cause of death is an insult."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Carlisle said as he poked his head into the doorway. "The limo is here. They're ready for us at the church."

I sucked in a deep, shaky breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

Edward wrapped an arm around me and lead us out of the motel. Alice and Jasper were in the limo waiting. I slid into the seat near Jasper, and he reached over and squeezed my knee supportively.

"Have you heard from my mother?" I asked Edward.

"Yes, she will be coming today. Don't worry, I ripped her a new one and threatened her not to make this day harder on you."

"And Aro?"

"He can't come because of some family thing, but Marcus is coming in his place. Aro sends his deepest condolences and when we get back he wants to take us to dinner."

I nodded. That was okay with me. I liked Marcus the last time I met him. I was sort of sad that Aro couldn't make it, and I was also curious as to why he couldn't. I hoped the family thing wasn't anything to do with me.

I leaned back in the seat as we headed towards the church. Forks was such a small town that there was only one church for everyone. I believe it was the oldest building in this town. The rest of the buildings had been torn down or restored in some way, but the church stayed standing.

"What a beautiful church," Esme said as she looked out the window.

The church of Forks was large and mostly made from wood. The wooden pillars were carved with ornate images of angels, Mother Mary, and other biblical characters. What added to its beauty were the bright green vines that were climbing up the pillars and all over the church. The vines were in bloom now, the blossomed buds sprouting soft blues, purples, and yellow.

I took another shaky breath. When I did, Edward grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently, letting me know that he was here for me.

My father had wanted his service to be held at the church, which was odd to me because he wasn't a religious man. He did however request to be cremated, which was better, mostly for me, because seeing his lifeless body lying in a casket probably would've killed me. He wanted his ashes spread across his favorite fishing spot, which I was more than happy to do for him.

The inside of the church was just as beautiful as the outside. There was a large picture of my father; it was recent, he was holding up the biggest bass he had ever caught. That same bass was mounted on the wall above the picture. It was his most prized possession. There were arrangements of flowers covering the entirety of the church. The flowers were from different businesses and people from around town. My father was a well-liked man.

"Isabella," A familiar voice called.

I turned around to see my mother, slowly walking down the red carpeted isle. She was wearing a black dress, a black hat, and dark sunglasses that hid most of her face. Edward stiffened as she pulled me into a hug.

"I'm glad you could make it." I told her.

"Of course. I loved Charlie dearly." She said. "It looks beautiful. You found some pretty amazing pictures of him."

"Esme and Alice really helped there," I said before turning to introduce them. "Mom, this is Esme, Edward's mother, and Alice, Edward's sister. Those two over there are Jasper and Carlisle, their husbands."

"Nice to meet all of you," She said very curtly with a sharp nod. "I appreciate you helping my daughter with this."

"Of course. We'd do anything for Bella," Esme said with a kind smile. "We love Bella very much."

"Clearly," Mom said, softening her tone just a bit.

My mother didn't linger. Instead, she turned and picked a seat in the family section. I turned to Edward and pressed my lips against his ear.

"Thank you for handling her. I couldn't have survived this day with her in war mode."

"I would fight a bear for you." He said as he placed his hand on my lower back and kissed my cheek. "I would do anything for you. I want this day to go as smoothly as possible. You deserve it. And your father deserves it."

I stopped talking because I started to tear up. People started filing into the church and I took my seat. I sat beside my mother. While I didn't really feel like sitting next to her, I felt it would be more awkward if I didn't sit beside her. I didn't want to cause any more problems between us.

Surprisingly, she reached over and grabbed my hand. I kept my head straight and watched as people slowly filed in. I recognized nearly everyone who walked in.

My mother and I were greeted by everyone. The hugged us, shook our hands, and told us how sorry they were. It was nice, but it was very hard. I hated the memories they'd bring up of my dad. Not because it wasn't a good memory, but I just didn't want to hear any of that right now. It was hard for me to hear right now.

I immediately spotted Marcus across the room. I tensed up and discreetly looked at my mother from the side. She hadn't seen him yet and I just prayed she wouldn't lose it on me.

Marcus made it to the front of the line. He smiled at me and my mother. I waited, my breath caught in my throat, for my mother's reaction. She simply nodded at him before turning her head.

"Nice to see you again," I smiled softly at him.

He nodded and gave me a smile before hugging me. He then patted my back and handed me a thick envelope.

"Thank you," I said. "I'm glad you could come."

He nodded again before patting my shoulder and taking his seat. Several more people walked up before the crowd started thinning out and people took their seats.

My father didn't want a preacher running his funeral, he requested that his best friend, Billy, say a few words. He also wanted me to say a few words on his behalf. I had my piece written, but having to give it in front of this crowd was nerve wracking. Edward swore it was great. I hoped it was.

"Welcome everyone. I wish we were here under better circumstances." Billy started. "We here together today not just for a funeral, but to also celebrate the life of a wonderful man. Charlie has been my best friend since we were small kids. I remember sneaking down to Boggy Creak to catch frogs and play in the mud. He was my best buddy. I could go to him for anything. When my wife died, Charlie was there for me. He helped get me off my feet and keep going when I really just wanted to throw in the towel. But that was just the kind of man he was. I see so many people in this room that Charlie helped in some way. He was a friend to everyone. People were just drawn to him. He could make a friend anywhere." Billy looked down. "We lost an amazing man. I know I'm going to miss my best friend and not a day will go by where I don't think about him. Charlie wasn't just a great friend. He was a great father as well. The brightest spot in his life was his daughter, Bella. I still remember the day she was born. Charlie and Renee had decided to make her gender a surprise. Those entire nine months, he prepared for a boy. That's what he wanted so badly, someone to go fishing with, play ball, and fix up that old truck of his. Then the big day came. When Charlie walked out holding a little pink blanket I immediately thought about how disappointed he must've been. But, let me tell you, when he showed me his daughter, I swear, that was the happiest man that had ever lived. Oh my god, was that fool happy. Bella was the greatest love of his life. And he took her everywhere with him. When he used to work at the diner, when she was really little, he'd strap her to his back, and she'd be taking orders with him. He almost didn't become a cop when they told him she couldn't ride in the car with him." The crowd laughed softly. "I'm rambling on. Charlie wanted his daughter to say a few words. Bella, are you ready?"

I sucked in a deep breath before getting out of my seat. My hands were shaking as I unfolded my piece of paper.

"Thank you Billy, for those wonderful words. I know they would've made my dad happy." I cleared my throat. "Thank you all for coming out today. It means so much to me, to see the support and the love my dad had from everyone. My dad was my best friend. He meant as much to me as I meant to him. I… um—I—," I choked a sob that threatened to slip passed my lips. I cleared my throat again. "My dad—, sorry," I said as the tears started slipping down my cheeks. I wiped them away quickly and stared down at the words silently. I couldn't force myself to finish what I had written. I wanted to finish, but I just couldn't. Every time I thought about speaking, a sob would get caught in my throat.

A hand on my shoulder made me jump. I looked over to see Edward beside me.

"Go sit down, I'll finish it," He whispered.

I nodded mutely and walked back to my seat. Edward cleared his throat.

"Hello everyone. I'm Edward Cullen, Bella's boyfriend. I'll just be finishing what she wrote, because she wrote some amazing things about her father that I think everyone should hear," He said before adjusting the microphone. "My dad and I did everything together. Even though he wanted a boy, I still remember learning how to throw a baseball, learning how to fish, and even fixing up that old truck of his that became my truck. I remember spending countless Saturday's together, fixing up that piece of junk. My friends would always beg me to go out with them, and sometimes, whatever they were doing sounded like fun, I just wanted to spend time with my dad. My dad was the one who encouraged me to go into nursing. For my sixteenth birthday, my dad had me drive us to the Swedish Medical center in Seattle. It was the first time I had I had driven so far, and it was terrifying. Plus, he didn't even tell me why we were going there. When we got to the hospital, he surprised me with a special entrance to watch open heart surgery. It was so freaking awesome. My dad couldn't watch, but it was the best thing I had ever seen. Afterwards, we grabbed greasy burgers, but he couldn't eat his because I kept talking about the surgery. My dad was the best person in my life. He was always so calm and rationale, whereas I was crazy and hot-headed. He was always able to calm me down in the worst of times. My dad was the best man that had ever lived, and I might be a little biased, but it's one thousand percent true. I know I will miss him every single day. I'm going to miss calling him, hugging him, and watching basketball with him, even though I didn't know what was going on, I usually only cheered for the team my dad liked. I wish we had been able to take that camping trip to the Great Lakes and fish like we wanted. I know my dad lived a great, long life, but the life I shared with him will always be to short. And while there are so many amazing memories I have to cherish; they will never be enough. I hope that my dad is in a much better place, where he can fish and camp to his heart's contempt. I hope that he's just happy."

By the time Edward finished my eulogy, my face was soaked with tears. The sunglasses were doing very little to help. When I took my glasses off to wipe my face, I had turned my head towards the crowd.

My eyes locked with steely, cold eyes. Eyes that had been burned into the back of my scalp. My entire body froze in response. I blinked hard, telling myself that he wasn't really here it was just a figment of my imagination.

When I opened my eyes, I was no longer staring at his grey eyes, but instead, I was watching his dirty blond hair sway as he walked to the door. He turned around and met my eyes once more before smiling slowly then disappearing outside.