A/N: We've made it to the end of these two (for now). There's still an outtake next week that came to me after I'd started posting. I'd like to take this moment to thank each and every single one of you who's reviewed, favourites, followed, or even just read this story. It means the world to me to know I've made your Saturdays (or whatever day you read this) a little more pleasant. I'm gearing up to start posting my next story later this summer, which you can find more out about in my fb group hmerdan's fiction spot (fb dot com slash groups slash fictionspot). If you're having trouble finding it, there's a link in various other fic groups on there, or feel free to reach out to me! As always, thank you to my beta kneon for everything!

One year later…

BPOV

"Happy wedding day!" Nessa yelled as she pounced on the bed. "Time to get up!"

"Another hour wouldn't kill anyone, kid," I grumbled as I stretched.

My soon-to-be stepdaughter shook her head with a coy smile. "No can do. Aunt Ali and Aunt Rose are downstairs, and Sue and Leah are on their way over to get ready. You're the one who wanted a brunch wedding."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," I yawned and tossed the covers off me. "I didn't realize I'd sleep so badly without your dad."

"He said the same when I woke him up," she snickered.

"I'm sure he loved that," I laughed. I loved my fiancée, but he was like an agitated lion when he woke up. "He's not here, is he?"

"Nope! Uncle Em and Uncle Jazz took him to the driving range this morning." I nodded in understanding. Edward had three loves in life - his daughter, me, and golf. "They're meeting Papa and Charlie there."

"My dad is at the driving range…" I sighed. "I'd pay good money to see that."

"I'll ask Uncle Em to tape it if you get up now!" She offered. "Come on! Bree dropped off pastries before heading to the restaurant."

Did I feel guilty that my staff were catering for my wedding and running the restaurant for the next two weeks? A bit, but I paid them well and did most of the prep during the week after closing. Besides, they might cover a lot more in the not-so-distant future…

"Okay, okay! I'm getting up. Let me take a quick shower to wake up," I conceded. Thankfully, Ness was feeling generous and agreed before leaving the bedroom. Once she left the room, I noticed she'd placed a cup of chai tea on the side table. Bless that girl for bringing caffeine that wasn't coffee. Did she realize I'd been drinking tea all week?

I sipped on the hot and spicy liquid as I stared out the window at the backyard where the wedding prep had begun. I couldn't believe construction and landscaping had finally finished on our house in time for the big day. Except for the vegetable and herb garden I planned to add, but that was a post-wedding project. Of course, there was a lot about the last two years that seemed hard to believe. If someone had told me that convincing Aro to let me teach a beginner cooking class would lead to the man of my dreams and his amazing daughter, I would have laughed in their face.

I still remember the first time I laid eyes on Edward at Seth and Leah's coffee shop. Frankly, I thought he was the hottest man I'd ever laid eyes on, and then I saw his interaction with Nessa. I know most girls my age would have found having a teenage daughter a turnoff, but seeing the two of them interact made me more curious about him. If I didn't need to get back to Jake and my dad in the restaurant, I would have stopped to talk, and I figured I missed my shot until I saw the two of them standing at one of the tables in my class. I knew he struggled with the idea of my age for a long time, and I understood why. Hell, the number of times Demitri brought up my so-called daddy issues made me want to break his giant nose, even if he was only being petty after I turned him down. I'd pretty much only dated men who were older than me, so it wasn't hard to wrap my head around being attracted to Edward, especially as I got to know him more. I quickly treasured our lunches at Pike Place and thanked the transit gods that I got there later than usual that first week. Who knows where we might be if we didn't have those afternoon meetings?

I couldn't help but laugh as I watched Alice bossing around the setup crew until Rosalie stepped outside to drag her back in. I had been surprised that Edward's sister and sister-in-law embraced me as quickly as they did, but I often found myself spending time with them when Edward was busy with work or Nessa. The two of them had been quick to offer any help they could with our wedding day and I was more than happy to accept. I knew I wanted a brunch wedding, something small and simple, not too feminine. Otherwise, I was pretty laid back. Edward tried to stay out of it initially, wanting me to have my dream wedding, until I laid into him one night. It wasn't a dream wedding if it wasn't OUR wedding. From that point on, he was much more involved in all the decision-making.

Once I finished my cup of tea, I tied my hair up and took a quick cold shower to wake myself up. Years of early morning service led me to that little life hack, and I was fresh and ready to go as soon as I hopped out and finished my morning routine. After I threw on one of Edward's hoodies, a pair of shorts, and my favorite slippers, I finally made my way downstairs to meet the masses.

"Well, there's the blushing bride!" Rosalie called as soon as she spotted me at the bottom of the stairs. "Any longer and we were coming up after you."

"Yeah, yeah," I laughed. "Excuse me for being a little sluggish. It's been a little chaotic recently."

"Now that you're up, can you get these girls out of my kitchen?" Bree demanded from behind the island, where she and a small team were preparing the meal for after the ceremony. Normally, I'd remind her it was my kitchen, but I knew what she meant.

"Hold on! Bella needs something to eat before we get ready!" Leah ordered as she pulled me to the dining room table that was set up with an assortment of pastries, fruits, and breads. "The last thing we need is a fainting bride."

"I didn't eat anything the morning of my wedding," Alice refuted.

"And then you devoured the first tray of shrimp before they could make it to the guests," Rosalie added with a snicker as she led everyone to the dining room. "Come on, let's get out of Bree's hair."

Since we were having a small wedding, Edward and I limited our bridal party to two co-maids of honor and co-best men each. But even if I only had Nessa and Leah standing up with me, I still wanted my new sisters to get ready with us. Besides, Alice and Rosalie offered to help all of us with hair and makeup.

"So, you nervous?" Leah asked once we were all settled with plates.

"Excited nerves, not worried ones," I clarified, taking a sip of my orange juice. "I'm just ready to be married to Edward."

"It's been long enough!" Ness giggled.

"It takes time to plan a wedding, Miss Impatient!" I laughed. When I first saw Edward and Nessa together, the idea of a teenage daughter admittedly made me nervous. What if she hated me, or blamed me for taking some of her dad's attention? I was grateful that wasn't the case; Nessa had been our biggest supporter since day one. When I moved in, I wasn't sure how the whole Stepmom thing would work, but I easily fell into the role of advisor, with the caveat that I'd have to tell Edward if it was serious. Sure, I'd answer any sex questions she had, but if Ness told me she was pregnant, all bets were off. If anyone in this house was pregnant, he would know as soon as possible.

"Jazz just texted me!" Alice announced as I took the last bite of my cherry Danish. "We need to get you upstairs before they get home."

"Relax, it's at least a twenty-minute drive back from Newcastle," Rose laughed, but let Alice herd us up the stairs, anyway.

Once we were back upstairs, Alice and Rosalie headed straight for the primary en suite to take over the double vanity, while Nessa ran into her room to grab her own makeup. I was about to follow into my bedroom before Leah pulled me to the balcony overlooking Lake Washington. "Hey, what's up with you?"

"What are you talking about?" I asked nervously.

"Bells, we've known each other our whole lives," she stated. "I know when something's up with you."

I sighed, realizing I couldn't hide anything from Leah. "You got that notification a few days ago about the Depo recall, right?" She nodded, shooting me a confused look. "Turns out my last dose was part of the recalled batch."

Her eyes widened in understanding. "So, you mean… you're…"

"I don't know," I answered before she could finish. "The earliest appointment I could get with my doctor is after our honeymoon. I was planning to tell Edward about it before we left, but I didn't get a chance yet." I fiddled with the mint plants on the railing, trying to keep myself from biting my recently manicured nails. "I went to pick up some condoms for the honeymoon as a backup, but when I was at CVS… well, you know what they store beside the condoms."

"Why didn't you pick one up?"

I shrugged, not looking at her. "I don't know! Nessa was at Walgreens with me… I just psyched myself out."

"Okay, just relax. Take a deep breath." Leah grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her before leading me in an inhale and exhale. "It's not a big deal. You're about to get married to a man who built a house for kids. If you are, everything will be fine. But I think living in limbo is stressing you out."

"What do you think I should do?" I groaned.

"You should take a test. Don't worry, I got you, girl," she said firmly. Before I could ask questions, Leah marched back into the house and straight to her garment bag in the bedroom. I followed her in and kept an eye on her as I went to my vanity. "Oh, shit!" She finally yelled out. "I'm an idiot. I left my mascara at home!"

"That's fine," Alice piped up. "We can use mine. I have some disposable wands for it."

"Thanks, Alice, but I'm really weird about using other people's eye makeup," Leah sighed. I'm sure she seemed authentic to the others, but I've known Leah long enough to know when she's bullshitting. "You don't mind if I run to Walgreens, do you? It's not like my hair will take any time."

"Go ahead," Rose shrugged. "I was planning to start on Bella, anyway. Ali can start with Ness until you get back."

"Thanks, guys! I'll be back quickly, I swear! Text me if you need anything!" Leah shot me a wink before heading out the door and downstairs.

"Okay, Bella! Ready for you!" Rose said with a smile, ushering me into my own bathroom.

She had only gotten the straightening iron through the bottom layer of hair by the time Leah came back with a red Walgreens bag. "I thought you were just getting mascara!" Alice gasped incredulously.

Leah shrugged. "Dot's Pretzels were on sale. Two bags for ten bucks! I wanted to grab some in case we get snacky."

Alice let out an annoyed grunt, but Nessa jumped in from her makeup chair first. "Did you get honey mustard?"

"It wouldn't be right if I didn't," Leah snickered. "I'm just gonna put my bag in the guest room." She gave me a pointed look in the mirror before leaving the room with her haul.

I stayed in the chair, nervously jiggling my leg, until Rose declared I was perfect. By then, Alice had finished with Nessa. "Okay, Leah! It's your turn!" she chirped while Ness slid into Rose's chair.

"While you're doing that, I'm just gonna use the restroom in the guest bedroom before I put on my dress," I muttered nonchalantly. The girls all waved me off in acknowledgment, and it took all my willpower not to run. As soon as I stepped over the threshold, I closed the bedroom door behind me and dug through the red bag until I found what I was looking for - a blue box that claimed it worked up to six days sooner. In three minutes, I'd have my answer.

"Okay, I concede," Alice sighed with a smile on her face. "You can get a gorgeous dress for under a grand."

Instead of gloating that it was actually under five hundred, I just smiled as Leah tied up the laces of my backless mermaid gown.

"You look stunning," Rosalie added. "Edward won't know what hit him!" She looked down at the buzzing phone in her hand. "Okay, Em and Jazz are outside with Edward now. Time to get you to the basement!" Since the house was built into a small hill, it meant that we had two routes to the backyard - one from the main floor and one from the lower level. Since the kitchen was right beside the main floor entrance, we decided to have our ceremony and party near the lower level, with the meal near the upper one.

"Okay," I nodded, taking in a deep breath. "I just need to grab my shoes."

"Got 'em!" Leah replied, holding up my rose gold block heels. "Probably safer to put them on after going down two floors."

"Yeah, you're right," I laughed. "And flowers?"

"In the basement wine fridge," Alice answered.

"Perfect," I smiled. "That's it. Let's get down there."

While Leah had my shoes, Nessa grabbed the small train of my dress so I could focus on taking the stairs carefully. I could run around a kitchen gracefully, but any other time, I needed all my focus on not tripping.

Once we made it to the lower level, we slipped into the guest bedroom that was currently housing Sue and Charlie's overnight bags. I took a seat at the end of the made-up bed while Leah helped with the tiny ankle straps of my shoes. "Okay, you're all set here. Ness is grabbing the bouquets now. We should go save Nana and Papa from our five hellions," Rose explained with a chuckle.

"Four hellions," Alice corrected. "Jasmine's still a precious little doll."

"That's because she hasn't hit the terrible twos," Rose snickered. The two each gave me one last hug and kiss before joining the family outside.

"How are you feeling?" Leah asked once we were alone.

"Good… nervous, but good," I breathed out as I stood up.

"Everything will be perfect, I know it!" she said, hugging me. "Thank you for not forcing me into a dress."

I couldn't help but laugh at her attempt to calm me down. "Please! Like anyone could force you into a dress!"

There was no way I would even have forced anyone, especially Leah, to wear something they weren't comfortable in. Instead of matching exactly, we just had both maids of honor wearing navy blue; Leah opting for a strapless jumpsuit, while Nessa was wearing a halter neck lace skater dress.

"Charlie's on his way in!" Nessa announced as she rejoined us in the bedroom. "Aunt Alice is just waiting for the signal to cue the DJ."

"I'll go grab him," Leah offered, leaving us alone in the bedroom.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around my neck, pulling me into a hug. "Thank you," she whispered, squeezing me tighter.

"For what?" I asked, patting her on the back.

"For loving my dad," she answered firmly before pulling back. "I just want him to be happy, and I'm glad you're the one who does that."

"He's easy to love, Ness. You both are," I replied, giving her a smile. "I'm just grateful you accepted me so easily."

She shrugged with a blush on her face. "How could I not? You're amazing. You really complete our family."

"Ness, you're gonna make me cry," I whined and pulled her back in for a hug. "I love you, kid."

"I love you, too, Bella."

"Knock, knock," Charlie called from the door. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Just some girly emotions," Ness giggled, wiping a stray tear from her eye. Whoever invented waterproof mascara is getting a special thank you today! "I should get out there."

"Yeah, Leah's waiting with your uncles. We'll be out in a minute," he explained. Nessa nodded, and we shared one last hand squeeze before she left the room. "Bells, you look beautiful."

"Thanks, Dad," I grinned. "You clean up well, too."

"Yeah, I know. I'm hot," he chuckled. "So, you sure you want to marry that old man?"

"Daddy, be nice," I chastised. "I love him."

"I know you do, Bells. It's too easy to bust his chops," he sighed with a smile. "I guess it's time to get you out there." He extended his elbow to me, which I gently grabbed.

"Don't let me fall, Dad."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

By the time we made it to the door, Leah and Nessa had already left with Emmett and Jasper and stepped up to the door as the song changed. I could see Charlie's face scrunching up in confusion at the strings playing a familiar tune. "Is that what I think it is?"

"If what you think is Good Riddance by Green Day, then yes," I smiled proudly. "What? You expected something traditional from me?"

"Never," he laughed as we began our walk outside.

I watched my feet as we took the two stone stairs to the lawn, but as soon as I looked up, my eyes met the familiar warm emerald gaze of Edward - my husband, my partner, the love of my life. At that moment, everything around me ceased to exist except him and our future.

"So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Cullen?" Edward asked. He pulled me onto his lap as we sat on the balcony, watching our guests enjoy the cocktail hour.

"Best last name I've ever had," I giggled, snuggling into his neck. "How much longer do you think we can stay up here?"

"I think until the masses get hungry for brunch. Canapés can only hold them so long."

"I figured," I sighed and looked up at him. "So, are you going to tell me where we're going on our honeymoon? I know Ness already packed my bags, but in case I need to add anything else."

His mischievous grin grew, pleased that he'd kept the surprise going for so long. "Well, I guess it's only fair. Do you remember when you talked about places you've traveled to?" I nodded, curious about where this was going. "At first, I was looking at some Hawaiian or tropical resort where we could just kick back and relax for two weeks. And then I remembered who I was marrying. There is no way you'd be able to do nothing for two weeks."

I giggled at his assumption. "Guilty! I like to keep moving."

"Exactly, but I wanted some time to kick back. So, we're spending four nights in Zandvoort before joining a week-long culinary tour through Amsterdam and Paris. After that, we'll take the train down to Nice for the rest of our time." The proud smile on his face grew with each step he shared.

"Seriously? We're going to Europe!" I asked, giddily.

He nodded. "I figured you had enough Italian experience after Moonlit Bites, so why not France and the Netherlands? We can get some relaxation, try the local foods and wines… it'll be great."

Now it was my turn to surprise him. "Well, we may need to hold off on the wines. Or, at least I might need to," I said with a coy smile, placing his hand on my stomach.

His eyes looked like saucers as he glanced at my face and his hand. "Wait… wha… what are you saying?"

The smile on my face felt like it would crack any second. "I'm pregnant."