A/N: I know it's been a while. First God of War Ragnarok came out and then Crisis Core Reunion, the protagonist being my favourite FFVII boy of all time, Zack Fair - the guy in my fanfic pfp. Needless to say my attention was diverted for way too long. But this fic will never be abandoned, so pleased be rest assured. Even when my updating is complete suckage, I will finish this story.
Anywho, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas/Hanukkah/holiday and that 2023 will a great one for all of us.
Happy reading. I hope, too, that this chapter makes up for my terrible ADHD.
Footprints in the Sand
Chapter 26
"Hurry, Bella!" Addie races up the church steps, holding her dress up with one hand, the other she grips her basket of rose petals; spilling them as she goes.
"Sweetie, slow down," I caution her, bending to collect the scattered petals before kneeling before her. "Okay, let's go over this one more time."
"I remember, Bella," she assures me, her huge grin alluding to not only her excitement but the amount of sugar currently running through her bloodstream. I wanted to keep her as sugar-free as possible today, but with Mrs. Brandon serving up waffles, pancakes and French toast all with copious amounts of iced sugar and maple syrup for breakfast, on top of the macaroons and sugared almonds that were being constantly passed around all morning, I quickly realized I was fighting a battle I couldn't win. The result is one very hyped up and over-stimulated Addie. "Mrs. Brandon first, then Angela, then Jessica, then you, then Garret and Riley, and then me, and then Alice and Mr. Brandon," she lists off everyone's names proudly.
"Very good," I note more than impressed, but it really doesn't surprise me how bright this little girl is. She's her father's daughter, after all. "Remember not to go too fast and not to drop all the rose petals at once, 'kay?"
"'Kay," she echoes, nodding her head.
"You don't need to use the bathroom?"
She hesitates for a second or two before shaking her head in reply. "Nu-uh."
"Hey, Addie, look," one of Jessica's boisterous twin sons suddenly produces a small lizard over my shoulder and shoves it in Addie's face.
She reacts with a high-pitched scream and immediately clings to the navy blue, full length, body-hugging contraption of a dress I'm wearing.
"RILEY!" Jess hollers, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and yanking him back. "What did I tell you?"
"It's just a lizard," he complains to his mother, flashing Addie a cheeky grin.
Despite appearances, both Riley and Garrett are just as taken by Addie is she is with them. They met in the morning when Mike dropped them off, taking Caius with him in return. They hit it off instantly, with both boys vying for Addie's attention.
Addie announced in the limousine on the way here that Riley's her boyfriend, and I really hope she doesn't repeat that newest piece of information in front of her father.
"I'm going to be sick," Alice suddenly moans from behind me.
"You're fine," I promise, quickly straightening up and turning to her. "You look amazing. Jay is going to go through the floor when he sees you."
She breaks into an immediate smile that steadily becomes compromised by welling tears, and just as panic overruns her expression. No doubt by the prospect of her perfectly made-up face being ruined. "Blow!"
I do, directly in her eyes—Alice's instructions in the likely event that she'd end up in tears before she made it to the ceremony. It's not the first time I've had to do it today, either.
"Breathe!" I attempt to hold her together, just as my attention is immediately diverted as Addie darts across the church lawn in pursuit of one of the boys. I have no idea which; they're two identical mini replicas of their father. "Addie!" I call out, worried she's going to fall over and end up with grass stains all over her dress. "Come back here!"
"Garrett pulled my hair," she choruses as Jessica marches over to retrieve her wayward son and drag him back.
Addie skips beside her, grabbing my hand as soon as she's within reach. "I'm not dirty, Bella—see?" She practically yanks her dress over her head in an effort to show me how spotless she is as I remind myself it's still too early in the day for a nervous breakdown.
"We're about to go in, so stay close, okay?" I'm beginning to feel wearied, but how Addie does in the wedding is entirely on me, and the pressure is on. "And remember, while the wedding is taking place you have to be super quiet and not speak a word."
"I promise," is her chirpy response, before she sticks her tongue out at one of the boys pulling a face at her. "Bella?"
"Hmm?" I glance down at her, my smile tugging in response to hers. She looks adorable. More than adorable; a living cherub. Her long blonde hair is spiraled beneath the chain of tiny roses on her head, she's wearing a hint of mascara and lip gloss, with glitter on her cheeks, and despite her obvious handful, Jessica is now more determined than ever to get a little girl out of Mike.
"You look beautiful," she informs me, tilting her head as she evaluates me further.
"So do you, sweetie. Very beautiful. You're going to make your daddy cry."
She giggles, her shoulders raising with it and releasing my hand she takes a handful of my skirt. "Is Daddy inside?"
"He is." That's a definite, I saw his car in the parking lot on the way in, and just knowing he's so close is the destresser I desperately need.
"Bells," Alice's very shaky hand comes down on my shoulder, turning me physically to face her. "Is my makeup holding up?"
"Perfectly," I assure her.
"My hair?" her eyes are wide and slightly manic, and she's beginning to turn an alarming shade of alabaster.
"Hasn't budged an inch. Remember to breathe. You're going to be fine," I remind her one last time.
"You look berry beautiful, Alice," Addie compliments her, and it's almost enough to completely shatter Alice's nerves.
"Thank you, chickadee. So do you." She winks, and turns back to me, with her expression morphing into anxiety again. "What if I trip?"
"You won't."
"Throw up?"
"You won't," I repeat firmly, but over the last several hours she's become more high maintenance than the rambunctious five-year-old beside me; who's currently spinning back and forth as her dress fans out around her.
"Promise?" Alice appeals to me, looking dangerously close to tears again.
"Of course, I promise. Remember, this is the best day of your life." I blow in her eyes again as she attempts to mitigate her tears by nodding her head jerkily.
"Okay. I'm ready." Drawing a heavy breath, she attempts to calm herself. "We going in?" she asks her mother over her shoulder.
Five minutes later we're assembled in the foyer with Jessica positioning her boys in front of Addie with one final warning. "Okay, you two, behave yourselves. That means no burping, farting, or picking your noses. Am I clear?"
"Eww!" Addie bursts, wrinkling her nose in disdain. "That's yucky."
"I don't pick my nose—he does." One of them shoves the other as Jessica looks infinitely close to completely losing it.
"What. Did. I. Just. Say?" She seethes through clenched teeth before turning to me and blatantly rolling her eyes. "Why the hell did she want them as pageboys?"
I can only flash her an empathetic smile because over the last twenty-four hours I received a crash-course in parenting that I'm not entirely sure I passed. I lost count of the amount of times Addie woke during the night. Not to mention having her elbows, knees, feet and I'm not sure what else wedged in my stomach and back the entire time. Sometime in the early hours I gave up and moved to the sofa, only to have Addie follow me not five minutes later. By six a.m., she was wide awake and rousing me to join her, and all I can say is thank God for coffee. I now know why Edward's so fond of it, and why he drinks it so quickly.
I opt to stay beside Addie until the last possible moment, and as the double-doored entry to the church is opened, I'm positive I'm about to drop right along with Alice.
"Don't forget, sweetie," I whisper as Addie flashes me one of her sunny smiles.
"I won't forget, Bella," she whispers in return.
The music starts and Alice's mother goes down the aisle first, closely followed by Angela and then Jessica. That's when I'm forced to leave Addie with Alice to take my position at the front of the line.
As Jessica comes to a stop at the altar, adjacent Jay and his groomsmen, I step inside the church and follow suit.
I keep my eyes steeled ahead of me, remembering to breathe evenly as I make every effort not to trip up on my dress. I spot Edward as I approach. He's seated at the end of the pew on the aisle to the right of the room. He's wearing black, his hair's just as neatly groomed, and God he's beautiful. Staring into his eyes through his little girl the last twenty-four hours only made me realize how much I missed him.
Still, his daughter exhausted me just as much as he usually does Friday nights.
He winks as I pass, immediately returning the smile to my lips while my blush quickly follows. The rest of the walk to the altar happens in a blur; I return Jay's anxious smile, take my place beside Jess, and turn just in time to see Garrett and Riley make their way down in their matching navy-blue suits and red bow ties; each carrying a pillow that holds Alice and Jay's rings.
I can practically feel Jess bristling beside me, but they arrive without incident as I instinctively hold my breath.
Addie's up next.
She appears in the doorway a moment later before glancing over her shoulder—at Alice encouraging her I can only assume. Without any further hesitation, she steps inside and walks no more than a few feet, dropping a handful of rose petals to the floor as a collective aww reverberates around the room. It breaks her momentum and that's when Addie realizes exactly how many people are inside the church, whose attention is all centered on her.
With her eyes widening, she immediately backs up and completely freezes.
"Oh no..." I murmur beneath my breath, bracing myself to race back down the aisle to rescue her. If Edward doesn't beat me to it first, that is.
In open panic, Addie glances around, her eyes darting everywhere as my name spills soundlessly from her lips, and then by some miracle, her terrified gaze finds mine.
"It's okay, sweetie," I mouth to her in reassurance as I hold out my hand. "It's okay."
She only stares at me, frozen to the spot and infinitely close to tears as her little chest rises and falls rapidly.
"It's okay," I repeat, giving a small amount of volume to my voice this time.
Thankfully she hears me, and nodding her head slowly, she takes a very apprehensive step, and then another, and then another, until she appears to get on top of her stage fright.
The boys are beside me, encouraging her on as well and motioning her to them, until Jess intervenes and draws them back in line.
Addie continues toward me, remembering to drop petals every few steps, but I can't breathe easy until she reaches my side, and I'm on absolute tenterhooks. She sees her father, flashing him a fearful smile as he encourages her forward, looking just as overwrought as I feel.
She runs out of petals roughly six feet before she reaches the altar, and hurries the rest of the way. Straight into me.
"Sweetie, it's okay," I promise her softly, running my fingers through her curled hair as she presses her face further into my dress. "Hey..."
She glances up at me then, her lower lip quivering. "Did I do bad, Bella?"
"You did great, sweetie. I almost tripped over my dress." I pull a face that instantly brings her giggles back to the surface, and taking her hand, I turn her around so we can both watch Alice walk down the aisle.
Alice makes it half way down when emotion hits her, but then, she's no doubt reacting to Jay. He lost it the instant he saw her, and by the time she reaches his side, they're both in tears.
I come infinitely close to joining them, but with half my attention on the little girl before me whose hand is squeezed around mine, I keep myself together by the bare minimum.
Alice passes me her bouquet, and the ceremony starts.
It goes smoothly. Despite her concerns, Alice doesn't throw up, and Addie holds strong. Until the eleventh hour, that is, when she tugs my dress.
"Bella?" she whispers.
Glancing down at her, I bring my index finger to my lips in silent reminder.
Prior to this she'd been swinging from a side metal railing that separates the altar from the congregation, but since she was relatively quiet, I let it go. Wedding ceremonies aren't exactly an exciting thing for kids, much less a little girl with an overabundance of energy.
Bella?" she speaks up again after no more than two minutes.
"What is it, sweetie?" I ask, making every effort to keep my voice as muted as possible.
"Can I hold your flowers?"
I hand her my bouquet just as Jay and Alice kiss. After, Jay's best man and I sign the registry, and with that, the pastor announces Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock.
The room erupts into applause, and taking the arm of Jay's closest friend, I exit back down the aisle behind the bride and groom with Addie walking beside me, a fistful of my skirt in her hand.
Addie remains glued to my side, and knowing she's becoming unsettled among the crowds of people milling about outside the church, I hoist her into my arms to look for her father.
He finds us first.
"It's not fair to the bride to look this beautiful," he murmurs against my ear from behind as his arm slips around my waist.
"Smooth," I tease him, turning around and allowing him to draw me against his side. "Hi."
"Hi," he echoes, leaning down to plant his warm lips tenderly to mine.
"Hi, Daddy!" Addie greets him brightly as Edward lifts her high in his arms.
"Hey, Tiger." He kisses her temple, his grin broad.
"Did I do good?" she asks, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You did very good," he replies as his gaze meets mine in subtle reference to the moment it almost didn't happen. "That took ten years off my life," he leans closer and says in confidence.
I chuckle lightly and in full understanding. "At least."
"Daddy!" Addie suddenly exclaims, tapping his shoulder. "Look over there. That's Riley." She points him out. "He stuck a lizard in my face."
"Did he?" Edward acknowledges as I release my breath in silent relief, worried she was about to out something completely different. "Is that what she was screaming about?" Edward leans down again and asks me.
"You heard that, did you?"
"Everyone heard," he adds ruefully, and taking my hand he leads me toward Alice and Jay.
After congratulating the bride and groom, Edward introduces me to his extended family. I meet various cousins, uncles and aunts—one who takes Addie off his hands—stopping to chat, before I'm faced with his brother and new fiancé.
"Good to see you again, Bella," Rose says coolly, holding her hand out, palm down.
"You too." I'm fractionally more sincere if only because it's Alice's wedding, and if there's going to be a scene it won't start with me.
Rose's dress boarders on inappropriate, exposing way too much cleavage for a wedding, and as I'm discreetly inspecting her attire, she's blatantly sizing me up.
I don't have time to react, though. A moment later Emmett pulls me into his humongous embrace, and slightly dazed I find myself back against Edward's side.
"I'm good, how are you?" I reply to his openly warm greeting, while remembering to substitute fine for a synonym.
"Good, I'm good." He nods and then turns to Edward and winks in some kind of emphasis.
Edward only scoffs to himself, his smirk ghosting on his lips before he wraps his arm around my waist to greet his parents.
"You look lovely, Bella," Esme notes, after planting her lips to my cheek.
"So do you," I reciprocate, because unlike her soon-to-be daughter in-law, Esme actually looks classy and dignified.
"It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?" she adds, just as Addie comes barreling back against me.
"Bella, are we gonna have more photos soon?" she asks, glancing up at me with both arms wrapped around my mid-section even as she still clings to her empty basket.
"Pretty soon."
"Don't forget me."
"Of course, I won't forget you, silly," I say, my grin growing broad before I can help it.
"I didn't think Addie—"
"Daddy, were you lonely without me last night?" Addie cuts him off, grabbing his hand.
"I survived," he replies, the smile returning to his lips again.
"I slept with Bella in the living room with Alice," she adds, swinging from him.
"You did, huh?"
"Uh-huh." She nods fervently.
"So, you got no sleep at all, then?" Edward surmises against my ear.
"A few hours," I answer wryly.
"She likes to walk up your back."
"I noticed that."
"Bells, Alice and Jay are having a few photos in the church grounds," Jess abruptly announces from over my shoulder, "and then we're heading out for more—PSA from Mrs. Brandon."
"Thanks, Jess. Oh, have you met Edward?" I ask, when she steps around me.
"I haven't. I'm Jessica." She thrusts out her hand to him. "You must be stupidly handsome."
Edward openly smirks before taking her hand momentarily in his. "Apparently. It's a pleasure, Jessica."
"Call me Jess," she adds off-handedly. "I apologize in advance, by the way."
"For...?" Edward asks blankly.
"For whatever mischief my boys get Addie involved in toni—"
"Hey, Bella. It's been a while," Mike steps beside her, cutting her short, Caius on his hip.
"It has," I reply, accepting his brief hug as the baby grabs a handful of my hair in the process.
It takes both Jessica and Mike to untangle him, before I introduce Mike to Edward and allow Addie to smooth down my hair.
They shake hands and exchange pleasantries as Mike transfers the baby to his wife.
"Babe, go and get the boys before they end up run over," Jess directs him with a huff. "Oh my god," she mutters. "Do you mind?"
"Hm?"
Whether she put that question to me or Edward, I'm not sure, but in the next moment, she unceremoniously props Caius in Edward's arms and trails after her husband.
For a man who supposedly doesn't like babies, Edward's fairly at ease holding one. He glances at me, his brows raised, his expression morphing with amusement even as Caius stares at him, wide-eyed with apprehension.
"They are coming back, right?" he asks, bouncing the fussing baby awkwardly.
"I would assume so," I say, glancing over my shoulder, unconvinced myself.
"He probably wants Jessica's boobies, Daddy," Addie pipes up, taking a handful of my skirt again.
"I'm sorry—what?" Edward almost chokes. "Bella?"
"Erm...she learned..." How the hell do I explain it to him?
"Jessica showed me!" Addie confesses, saving me from the agony of answering.
"He's about to lose it," Edward adds as he angles his head away from the baby in anticipation.
Tears are pooling in Caius' eyes and he's three seconds from screaming for his mother, who fortunately saves Edward from the brunt of it.
"I'm sorry," she utters out of breath. "Mike forgot his stroller. Do you believe that man? Of all the things to forget." Then without warning, she pulls the bodice of her dress down and attaches the baby to her breast.
Immediately turning stiff, Edward locks his gaze to the ground.
"Bella?" Addie tugs on my dress. "I need to go to the bathroom."
"I'll take you, Tiger," Edward says a little too abruptly, and hoisting Addie in his arms, he quickly makes his escape.
"Bells... that man is gorgeous," Jess notes with half a wink.
"I think you traumatized him," I say with a chuckle.
"About...?" For a moment she's confused, until she glances casually down at her nursing child. "Oh! I... Oh god, I'm always forgetting. See what three kids will do to you?"
"Disclaimer?" I tease her.
She whacks me playfully with the back of her hand. "Does he look at you like that during sex?"
For a moment I'm at a loss for words, but then, Jessica always did have a talent for rendering me speechless.
"Look at me like what?"
"With that ruthless look."
"Um..." I mumble. I can feel the heat creeping up my neck, all but outing me.
"Oh god, I better go help Mike." She rolls her eyes. "We're meeting at the limo soonish."
"Got it."
Edward returns twenty minutes later, sans Addie, announcing his presence by planting his lips to the nape of my neck. "Is everyone from Forks like your friend Jessica?" he puts to me after a pause.
"Meaning?" I ask, unsure of his intent, or whether he's being condescending. I've never felt the need to be ashamed of my upbringing around him, and I'm not about to start.
"Real," is the choice of word he goes with, and it's not the first time.
"Real?" I echo.
"Unpretentious," he clarifies, snaking an arm around my hips.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"That explains a lot," he murmurs to himself.
"Hm?"
His answer comes by way of his trademark smirk, and drawing me closer to his side, he kisses my temple.
"I missed you last night," he practically growls, igniting a fire in my stomach, and the answer to Jessica's question is most definitely yes. He does look at me like that during sex.
"Did you?" I say coyly, allowing him to turn me in his arms. "Where's Addie?"
"With my parents. They're taking her home with them tonight."
"Yeah?"
"Hmm, my father has surgery early tomorrow, and I don't want her out too late. Anyway..."
"Anyway?"
"Your place or mine?"
"I don't mind."
"Mine," he decides.
"'Kay," I agree, more than fine with it, just as Addie once again runs straight into me and clings to my side.
"Bella, don't go without me!" she declares with genuine fear behind her voice.
"Sweetie, I'm not going anywhere without you," I promise her, taking her hand again. "Let's go watch Alice and Jay's photos," I suggest as Edward takes her other hand.
They're taking place at the rear of the church, with the centuries-old, weather-worn headstones as the backdrop—something Alice insisted on ahead of time. As we make our way closer, we pass several of her relatives; one whom Addie immediately recognizes.
"Look, Bella, it's Aunty Mable!" she announces, pulling from her father's grip to point out the elderly woman through the crowds. "Hi, Aunty Mable!"
With an immediate smile, Mable makes her away over, and Addie introduces her to her father. She tells Edward what a beautiful little girl we have, and because Alice's relations are much like she is, they steadily trickle toward us one by one, no doubt curious to know more about the handsome man beside me.
More than several refer to Edward as my husband, and Addie my daughter, until I'm mere moments from dying of mortification. Despite Addie's giggles, Edward doesn't react at all, but that shrewd amusement on his face speaks volumes more.
"I'm so sorry," I apologize profusely afterward with my cheeks aflame. "I was correcting them for half the night, and after awhile it became easier to humor them."
Scoffing softly through his nose, his grin turns broad and sightly teasing. "It's fine."
I nudge him, but it's a cover. For some reason I expected him take Alice's family's misconceptions the wrong way, but he found humor in it more than anything, only reminding me again how wrong I often am at reading him.
"Aunty Mable thinks Bella's my mommy, Daddy," Addie states the obvious as her giggles increase.
"Hmm..." Edward hums, his tone turning husky; a clear sign his thoughts are straying.
"Small towns... Children born out of wedlock are a very rare occurrence," I feel the need to explain for reasons unknown. Edward's not exactly socially conservative, after all.
"Would you relax, woman?" he puts to me, his brow arched, emphasizing my neuroticism.
"I know," I concede with a sigh.
"You're too beautiful to be this insecure, so stop it," he tacks on against the side of my forehead, because the man sure knows how to turn on the charm when he needs to.
"Smooth," I mumble to myself. Another cover because my raging blush is about to become conspicuous. I know that he likes reducing me to this, but it makes me feel miniscule.
A few minutes later, Mrs. Brandon ushes me and Addie back toward the awaiting bridal cars. The wedding party photos are taking place at Sunset Beach, which means keeping Addie clean for this last stretch of Alice's wedding itinerary, and then maybe the both of us can relax.
Taking Addie's hand, I help her inside the limousine next to Garret and Riley and take a seat by the window. Jess, Angela and Jay's three groomsmen are already inside; we're waiting on the bride and groom to make their way to the 1940s Bentley, the car Alice arrived in with her father, before we can leave.
Champagne is passed around. I decline, my eyes fixed to Edward a few feet away on the church lawn beside Mike. Both hands are buried deep in his pants pockets, his body angled slightly toward Mike as they chat. The windows in the limousine are tinted, so I know he can't see me, and as I take in the sight of the two men standing together, I can't help but marvel at the stark contrast between them.
One man signifies the life I would have had had I not moved away from Forks, and the other a life I never let myself believe was even possible.
I never thought any man would ever live up to my father, and yet there he stands, a frown marring his handsome face despite the shadow of a smile twitching on his lips.
"Bella, are we really going to the beach?!" Addie calls out, breaking me from my distraction.
"We are," I confirm, inhaling back the tears that were threatening me as a grin quickly reverses my emotions.
"Yay!" She claps her hands in excitement. "Don't worry, I won't get wet."
A/N: thanks for reading. Leave me a review or lurk away. All good :)