EDWARD NESTLED BELLA'S HAIR, pressed a kiss to her throat, and Bella knew he was seeking comfort, this man, strong and beautiful, who loved her, would make her immortal, a vampire, and so she pressed herself even closer to him. "Where shall I begin, Mama?
"
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, must have sensed he needed comfort, too, because she shifted closer, ran a hand soothingly over his hair. "At the very beginning, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, tell me, what happened right after I past away, temporarily went up to heaven? When we spoke with Carlisle, Esme, and Alice via Skype, Carlisle said you told him that whether he liked it or not, approved it or not, you were going to my funeral, would say goodbye to me one final time, did the two of you fight over this?"
A nod, Edward's eyes shiny, as if, if such a thing was even possible, he'd cry right then, and he took a sip of his mulled wine, then pressed a kiss to the crown of Bella's head, her lips, his lips moist and tasting of honey and sweet red wine. "Before I tell you the answer to your question, I must tell you, Mama, I am very glad indeed for the divine intervention, the fact that when I awoke as a vampire, I discovered that you had not been buried yet, as it meant I could follow your wishes, bury you next to Papa, say what I believed would be my final farewells to you."
A hard swallow, his Adam's apple bobbing. "Because I was a newborn vampire, was supposed to have uncontrollable thirst, not be able to control myself at the smell and sight of human blood, Carlisle wished to let me not anywhere near your body or any humans, for that matter, though it took me but a mere couple of hours, three at most, to learn how to move slowly, akin to a human, again. The only problem with his objection, other than the fact that it would wound me deeply if I was not able to take care of you, my most beloved Mama, follow your wishes—it was that, I had a problem not, keeping my thirst under control, even as a newborn. Human blood did certainly appeal to me, however, not once was the urge to drink, feed, satisfy my thirst, quiet the burn in my throat, so powerful that I would consider killing, taking human life to satisfy my needs."
He took Bella's hand in his, lifted it to his lips, pressed a kiss to her wrist, over her pulse. "I realize this may seem like a total change of subject, Mama, but I will answer your first of many inquiries to come, I promise. My thirst, Mama, it is different than that of any other vampire, for though human blood did make my throat burn, not once did I crave it with such intensity, my carefully constructed web of emotional shields and control snapping like a twig . . . not until my Bella, her blood calling out not to the predator part of me, but to another part of me, one that was well hidden, a secret, my soul begging for her and her alone to give me the sustenance I need."
A sweet kiss pressed against her lips, a gentle bite of her lower lip, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, drawing droplets of ruby red blood, Bella, too, biting at his lower lip, drawing blood, their blood combining with the mulled wine, a deep intimacy. "I realized this not until last night, Mama, that the way my Bella's blood makes my throat ache and burn, it has naught to do with my vampiric nature and everything to do with the way I feel about her, that I love her, as if our souls knew we belong together, loved each other, before my Bella and I knew it ourselves."
Though Edward's sentences were nothing but statements, Bella realized they were that of a son who sought confirmation from his mother.
His beloved mother, she must have known this, too, because she set her mug of mulled wine aside, having taken a couple of sips while Edward was speaking, cupped his face between her hands, stroked his hair affectionately, pressed a kiss to his forehead. "No, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, right you are, your thirst, the way you crave your beautiful bride's blood and she craves yours, though she is not yet a vampire, it is not akin to the thirst of other vampires, born out of greed and bloodlust, for the two of you are the other half of the other's soul, the fact that you crave each other's blood thus, your craving more potent then that of your beautiful bride, for she is not a vampire yet—it is naught but a reflection of that. Animal and random human blood, they were never meant for you, either of you, as only the blood of the other would suffice, satisfy not just your thirst, but a craving deep within your souls to be intimate thus, not have a stranger's or animal blood give you the sustenance you need."
She dropped a hand from Edward's face so she could take Bella's hand in hers, kept the other pressed against Edward's cold cheek. "In this, the way you thirst for each other's blood, and so much more, the two of you are unique, for, you see, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, even before you were born, were naught but a small embryo in my womb, it was predestined that you would become a vampire, that you and your Bella would both be vampires, live forever, meant to only ever drink blood of the other, though, you, my beautiful boy, could drink animal blood while Bella came into your life, and you became confident enough to drink her blood, feed, without fear of you hurting or killing her, the love between you so strong and pure"
A quick smile, that of a beautiful, strong butterfly. "I thought it would take longer, until you changed her, for your Bella to start craving your blood, your body to start producing it, as there was a strong possibility she would crave human blood a couple of weeks after you got married, but I was wrong."
A shake of her head, soft, loving, warm, motherly fingers running over first Edward's, then Bella's hair. "Pushing the fact that you and your beautiful bride are unique, even amongst vampires, aside for a moment, for every vampire there is but one human whose blood sings to them as no other has done, and if they can resist the urge to drink right away, feed, drain the human of blood, let the predator part of them take over, court and kiss them instead, they can become something akin to you and your beautiful bride, though a dull, dim version, for you had a piece of the other's soul placed inside you even before you were born. The only reason why I am allowed to speak of this, the way your souls were already bonded to some extent even before you were born, now, is because you already figure that out on your own, are only seeking confirmation from me.'
A sagging breath, Edward's whole body relaxing, as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders, which, Bella knew, it had. "All of that time," he murmured, stroking a hand, carefully so as not to ruin her hairdo, over Bella's hair, pressing a kiss to her neck, over her pulse, "one hundred and sixty-five hours I wasted. I should have never ran away from you, tried to keep you at arm's length, tried to get you to stay away from me, should have kissed and held you as I am now from the first moment I realized I loved you."
Cold, honey‐sweet kisses pressed along her neck, the column of her throat, Edward keeping it polite for company, for they were in front of his beloved mother, Elizabeth. "So much time I wasted, time we will never get back, mon doux ange, I should have trusted my intuition, kissed and held you to me like I longed to do, but I was so afraid of hurting you, still am, for I am far, far stronger than you, can break your beautiful, fragile, human body if I so much as slip once, use too much strength to hold you. I was afraid, too, of becoming a monster, that is, and thank God this is an impossibility, if I took your life, drained you of your sweet, sweet blood, I would not be satisfied with that, take human life after human life to satisfy my thirst, akin to some of the vampires Carlisle and the Cullens call friends, which I would not let near you."
"Carlisle," his beloved mother prompted gently, steering them back to her questions.
Edward smiled apologetically, the love he had for his mother clear in every bone in his body, every fiber of his being. "Right, I apologize, Mama, it seems my Bella and I have a lot to discuss and discover yet."
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, linked her warm fingers with Edward's cold ones, brought their joined hands to her warm, velvet cheek. "Yes, you do indeed, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, but that, it is nothing you should apologize for. Now, tell me of Carlisle, how it is that you temporarily escaped his leash, were able to take care of me, bury me as I wished."
Sorrow deep and true etched into his face, Edward took a deep breath, began to speak. "It cut and wounded me deeply, akin to a sword or cold steel slicing across my flesh, the way Carlisle spoke to me, though he did it with gentleness, and, I reckon, what he considered to be utmost care, told me that I would not be allowed near humans or society in general, for a while, at least a year, while I got my thirst under control and he trained me to act human again, as if I would ever act the monster, tear a murderous path through the world, that he would take care of you, bury you, the best he could soon as he could. I understand why he acted thus now, after seeing the way Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett acted right after their transformation, how they thirsted for blood, their emotions and urges on stable, uncontrollable, when they were amongst humans, but what confounded me all of this time, still does, is how he noticed not that I was different, that I had no desire to take human lives, kill, even if that would satisfy my thirst temporarily."
He clenched his jaw, teeth biting at his lower lip, though they didn't break skin, draw blood, his skin as flawless and smooth as ever. Bella reached out a hand, caressed his face, causing him to relax slightly, release his lip, lean into her touch, but when he spoke again, his words were quiet, but raw, harsh and jagged, filled with an acute kind of pain that was soul‐deep.
"What hurt the most, it was when Carlisle asked me to be his son, though he knew me not, take on the Cullen surname, told me that you and Papa were forever gone, that it was he who I needed to rely on, not just for friendly support, but family love and comfort as well. I did not say anything, betray my emotions or pain, simply went to what Carlisle told me was my new room, but deep in the heart of the night, when I was certain he was immersed in his studies, I took off, ran fast like only I could, stole your body from the morgue, buried you as I knew you wished, went back to our home, fetched the handwritten note of your wishes should anything happen to you, left it at the morgue where I knew someone would find it, then ran back to Carlisle's house, told him I would arrange a funeral for you, go even if I had to hide in the ficket of the trees. It was a blatant lie, of course, as I had already buried you, but I was angry, sad and heartbroken, wanted to spend some time alone, at home."
By the time he was finished speaking, there were tears, salt and hot and filled with sorrow, cascading down her cheeks. Carlisle, he was kind, so kind, but, Bella thought, sometimes his actions, though coming from a good place, could be misguided, cause people more pain and harm than good.
Bella saw she wasn't the only one crying, as Elizabeth, Edwards beloved mother, she was crying silently, too, tears streaming down her beautiful face. Cupping her Edwards face between her hands, Elizabeth peppered kisses all over his face, and Bella, she wasn't jealous, feel betrayed, this a love between a mother and son, quite different from the love she had with Edward. "Oh, my beautiful boy," Elizabeth's voice was soft, filled with sorrow, "my Edward, my beloved son, I am so sorry you had to go through that, such pain and suffering. Tell me, how long did it take for Carlisle to convince you to change your surname to Cullen?"
"A little under two decades." Edward hung his head in shame, buried his face against his beloved mother's neck as he must have done as a child. "Forgive me, Mama, I did not mean to betray you, make it seem as if I had forgotten everything you taught me, but it was the only way to get Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie to stop pestering me, both out loud and in their minds, over the topic, for they understood not the strong bonds and ties you and I share."
Bella watched as Edwards beloved mother, Elizabeth, pulled his head away from her neck, looked at him seriously. "No, my beautiful boy, my precious son, you have nothing to apologize or be ashamed for, for you did not betray me, as you were, are, and will always be, Edward William Masen Evans, my beloved son, the babe who I carried in my womb for nine months, rocked in my arms—no matter what some false piece of paper might say." Elizabeth's eyes glittered. "Besides, there is no need to fret over that now, when Carlisle has just released you of any moral obligation to keep the surname Cullen."
Probably sensing Bella wanted to comfort him, too, Elizabeth released Edwards face, and Bella immediately grabbed it, took a soft, honey-sweet, deep kiss that was still polite for company. "Why did Carlisle tell Charlie you would change your name back to what it was originally, release you from the moral obligation of keeping the surname Cullen? Did he really realize how painful it was for you to change your name, realize, too, that everything he did during your first decade together to make your life' better' was totally unnecessary, caused you more harm than good, that your beloved mother, Elizabeth, had, and would always know what is best for you, even when she was in her deathbed?"
A shake of his head, Edward's eyes dark, heavy with memory, glowing with power, a power that was becoming ever stronger, more noticeable with every passing second. "No, mon amour."
He let his cold, gentle fingers brush, light as a feather, over the skin of her face, her lips, caressing and comforting her, though it was Bella who wanted to comfort him. "Ed—"
He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her, then kissed her, soft and quick, for good measure. "Hush, mon doux, for though I cannot read your mind, I know what you wish to say, as it is writ all over your beautiful face, and kissing you and caressing you, feeling your warm, soft skin beneath mine, it brings me more comfort than you can ever know."
Another sweet kiss pressed against her lips, this one a blood kiss. "Before I tell you the answer, why Carlisle told Charlie what he did, what he was thinking, I need to tell you something, Alice and Jasper, as I no longer consider myself part of the Cullen household, they are not the only ones with gifts, though, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie's gifts are more subtle, less of the supernatural variety. Carlisle's gift is his extreme compassion, Esme's her extreme devotion, Emmett's his brute strength, though I reckon I am stronger than he now, and Rosalie's her beauty, how alluring and appealing to men she is, a beauty that is only rivaled by a couple of vampires, myself being the first one, a female vampire named Heidi the second, and you, mon coeur, being the upcoming third, as I have no doubt you will become even more beautiful than Rosalie, not only in my eyes, for you are already a myriad times more beautiful than she is in my eyes, but that of the world as well—when I change you, share the first place with me."
He cradled Bella closer to him, pressed repeated kisses to her hair, her face, her lips, keeping it polite for company, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, and Bella, patiently waiting for him to speak, finish explaining himself, answering Bella's question. "Rosalie's beauty is akin to that of a beautiful, poisonous serpent, for, to the male sex, Rosalie is beautiful, yes, but that beauty, it is only superficial, as she is filled with rancor, envy, and venom, especially with those who have what she cannot and will not have, is shallow and vain, wishes for naught but to be the most beautiful, the most adored in a crowd of men. You, my Bella, mon précieux trésor, by contrast, are, and will always be, beautiful inside and out, for you are good and kind, your ethereal, inhuman beauty not to be you're only gift when I change you, for you, akin to me, will have a special, supernatural ability, though I know not what it is yet, but, perhaps, as I told you once before, our abilities are linked to one another, though I have never heard of such a thing before."
Yet another sweet kiss, this one, a blood kiss, too, accompanied by his cold fingers running up and down her throat in time with her pulse, following the blue map of Bella's veins, Edward deciding to get back to her question. "The reason why Carlisle told Charlie what he did is because of his extreme compassion, for he did not wish for my beloved mother to feel alone, the only Masen Evans family member left, as all of our family is deceased, did not wish for her to feel as if I partly abandoned her and the Cullens replaced her." A light shrug, yet another sweet blood kiss, Edward as addicted to Bella as she was to him. "Carlisle's reasons for releasing me of the moral obligation to keep the surname Cullen, they matter not, as soon I will be known as Edward Masen Evans again, a huge pain and weight lifted off my shoulders."
Tears in her eyes, Bella brought her hand to her abdomen, over her for now,empty womb, two questions on the tip of her tongue. One of them she could ask now, but the other . . . the other she'd wait until they were alone. "But, my love, why would Carlisle assume that, that your beloved mother, Elizabeth, would feel alone in the world, as if the Cullen family replaced her? Can he not see the blatant difference between the way you interact with them and the way you interact with her, the way she knows you best, even now? Does he not notice the affection, so potent and pure, coming from the three of us when we are together? Jasper, who can sense are emotions, he must have told him, along with the rest of the Cullens, about it—"
A cold, gentle finger pressed against her lips, silencing her, her questions and words having come faster and faster. That finger, it was soon replaced by his lips, his kiss soft and all too brief. "Yes, but you have to remember, mon coeur, human memories, they tend to fade over time, eventually disappear altogether if the emotional connection is not strong enough, and none of the Cullens truly know of the strength of the love between my beloved mother and I, know not that my memories and feelings toward her remained not only intact, but became stronger, more potent over time, for I have kept this hidden from them, akin to a beautiful, precious gem."
A caress of her cheek, a kiss pressed to her throat, over her pulse, Edward careful not to stain any of her skin with blood. "Thus, while Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens expect that there will be some echoes, faint remembrances from my former human life, how things used to be, they believe I am trying to rebuild my relationship with my beloved mother, not quite from the ground up, but close enough. It is why they believe the three of us like spending so much time together, why they are sometimes startled at seeing how close we are, why we do not come to the house to visit and seek counsel from Carlisle and Esme, as they believe, if I went to Esme, which I hardly ever did before, it would make my beloved mother feel as if she had been replaced by someone else."
It was his beloved mother, Elizabeth, who asked the next set of questions. "Speaking of Esme, my beautiful boy," she paused to take a sip of her mulled wine, stroke Edward's hair lovingly, probably sensing things would get more difficult for him, "how did she and Carlisle meet? how long did they court each other? How long have they been married?"
Edward took a deep breath, some liquid courage in the form of his mulled wine, though alcohol didn't affect him, then a kiss from Bella for some extra reinforcements. "I know it might seem strange, Mama, the way I will answer you, but I will do it backwards, as your last question is the easiest for me to answer."
A nod from his beloved mother, Elizabeth, a squeeze of his hand, her eyes filled with understanding and deep, motherly love.
Edward twined his fingers with Bella's, pressed a kiss to each one, then her ring, took a sip of his mulled wine. "They have been married eighty-five years, having gotten married in 1921, six months after Esme's transformation was complete, though they only waited that long so Esme's eyes could darken up, go from vivid crimson to gold. However, Mama, that, it is only the legal side of things, for, as I will soon explain according to your inquiries, they, akin to the rest of the Cullen pairings, started acting akin to a married couple right away, Esme not changing her name back to her maiden name, as she had been married before, but to Esme Anne Cullen, sleeping with Carlisle her very first night as a vampire, though only after they spoke for a couple of hours and Carlisle explained things to her."
Bella and Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth, both stiffened, then winced, ask the same question. "You were not there, were you, when they were intimate?"
A shake of his head, Edward comforting first his beloved mother, Elizabeth, hugging and kissing her on both cheeks, then Bella, taking a deep, honey‐sweet kiss that was still polite for company, was all too brief. "No, of course not.Esme's transformation finished at noon and she and Carlisle had intercourse not until midnight, giving me plenty of time to get out of the house, go far, far away. Besides, I had been aching to do so, anyway, go far, far away from the house, go home, not to Chicago, but to one of our country houses in England, get away from America and painful memories, Carlisle and Esme's thoughts having been quite disturbing over the last three days, though each in a different way, as they were both thinking different things."
A soft kiss pressed to his forehead, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, running her hands over his hair, akin to how, Bella imagined, she'd done when he was a youngling. "Why did Carlisle change her, Esme? You, my beloved son, just told me and your bride she had been married before. Women, we were not usually allowed to fall in love and marry whoever we wanted in those days, married for financial and social convenience rather than true, genuine love." A slight pause, a small, loving, contented smile on her lips. "Of course, your Papa and I, we were lucky,
so very lucky in that respect, our love true and genuine and strong, not a forced upon relationship and marriage."
She must have been thinking more than she was saying, because Edward went to open his mouth, speak, but Elizabeth touched her warm knuckles to his cheek, shook her head. "No, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, I will tell you and your beautiful bride this tale, one which you have not heard before, another time, perhaps over afternoon tea, but right now, let us get back to the matter at hand, shall we? I can see pain, agony, and dread in your beautiful eyes, and I do not wish to drag this out longer than necessary. Did they fall in love, wish to get married? I like the thought of infidelity not, but I can understand why they did it if it is thus, love has a way of befuddling the mind."
Edward laughed, and his laughter, it was harsh and jagged and filled with pain, and what Bella realized was anger. "No, he did it for me, thought that he was helping me, that he should have hearkened to your ordainment not, changed me, for I had been 'too young."
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, took both of his hands in hers, rubbed them soothingly, even as he buried his face against Bella's neck, took a deep, deep breath, inhaling the scent of her skin, her blood. "What do you mean he did it for you, my precious, beloved son, what did he wish to accomplish with you by changing Esme?"
Edward was mad . . . beyond mad . . . fuming. She could feel his whole body vibrating with anger, his power calcifying inside him, as if his anger was a sharp, lethal blade, had been buried beneath dirt that was sorrow and grief, was just now surfacing. Yet he held Bella with upmost gentleness and love, careful so as not to hurt her fragile, breakable, human body. When he spoke, his voice was calm, gentle for a mother who had raised him with such love and care that his memories of her had remained intact all of this time, though human memories tended to fade away over time. "He wanted to give me a 'new' mother, as if anyone could do that, just come in and replace you, my most beloved Mama, thought that if I had a 'new' mother figure I would stop longing for you, your hugs and kisses, the talks we used to have, stop being so secluded and shut up, not wanting to do anything or go anywhere in his eyes, for I only longed to go back home, either to Chicago or to one of our country houses in England, be alone, but I kept my desires a secret—my pain and suffering lessening."
A pause to draw breath though Edward didn't need it, his eyes, beautiful and immortal, glowing with power. "But it only made it, my pain and sorrow, worse, and the fact that he thought he could simply replace you with another woman and I would be happy again is beyond me. It hurt me, hurt me so much, the way Carlisle introduced us, told Esme that I was her new son, told me that she was my new mother, as if you, my most beloved Mama, had never existed, the love between us, a love between a mother and son, so strong and pure, wiped away. I am no one's son but yours, Mama, no one can or will ever take your place in my heart. It might make me sound selfish and ungrateful—"
His beloved mother cupped Edward's face between her hands, pressed a kiss to his forehead, silencing him. "No, it does not, my beautiful, precious son, it only makes you a son who ached and longed for his mother." Another kiss pressed to his forehead, gentle, loving, motherly fingers stroking his hair. "You have turned into such a wonderful, young man, upheld the values I instilled in you as a child, forgot your past, where you came from, not, and I am so very proud of you." She dropped a hand from his face, brought it to her abdomen, to her womb. "I suppose Carlisle knows not what it is like to baer someone who is flesh of your own flesh, blood of your blood, that a bond between a child and a parent, when it is true and loving, it cannot be forgotten or wiped away."
At Elizabeth's words, Bella unconsciously brought her left hand to rest on her abdomen, over her for now, empty womb, Edward placing his hand over hers, probably thinking the same thing she was, that a true, loving bond between a child and its parents was a beautiful, precious thing, should be protected and cherished. Edward traced loving, soothing patterns on the skin of her hand as he spoke. "That is the thing, Mama, I reckon Carlisle's idea of what a bond between a parent and a child is supposed to be is a little twisted and warped, though I know not if this is because of his childhood, the way he grew up, the fact that he never had a loving parent to rely on, or something else."
At Bella and his beloved mother's confused look, he explained, "When Carlisle found Esme, decided to change her, she had just jumped off a cliff, as she wanted to die, for she had just lost the babe she carried in her womb, as her human husband, Charles, had beaten her."
Elizabeth's words were soft, filled with sorrow. "Oh, my, has she healed from that emotional pain yet? I cannot imagine it, the pain of losing a child, how she must have felt when she lost the babe in her womb, as I only ever bore one child, you, my precious, beautiful boy, and your Papa, he took such good care of me, made certain I lacked for anything not during my pregnancy, brought me tea and my meals to bed, akin to how I did for you when you got sick. He was besotted with you, your papa, akin to I, so very proud of you as you grew up, though he had a hard time showing it due to him constantly being at work—begrudged not the bond you and I shared, still do."
Edward blinked several times, as if his eyes were stinging, shook his head, and when he spoke again, his voice was raw, filled with love for his beloved mother, Elizabeth, his father, Edward senior, and Bella, his bride-to-be and future wife, the words he spoke having nothing to do with his emotions. "No, Esme has not healed, even after all this time."
A quick pause to take a kiss from Bella. "When she saw me and Carlisle introduced us, told us that we were to be mother and son, she thought that fate had been kind to her, that she would get to raise a son of her own, after all, and perhaps, if I had been an infant, she would have, but I was not—my physical appearance that of a seventeen-year-old, my most critical years long since passed, my values set in stone, and there only ever was, and will only ever be room for one mother in my heart, and that is not Esme but you, Mama, you will always remain my most beloved mother, the one who carried me in her womb for nine months, raised me with such tender, loving care and love, no matter how long I live. That is not to say I care not for Esme, of course I do, but in a completely different way. If I had an issue and I had to choose between coming to you or coming to Esme, I would come to you over and over and over, always I would choose to come to you, my most beloved Mama."
A kiss pressed to Bella's throat, the graze of very sharp teeth against her soft, fragile skin, not hard enough to break skin, draw blood, just hard enough to drive her mad, make her want more. "Things got easier for her after Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper came along, even as they got harder for me, for they would allow her to mother them, as they never had a strong, beautiful, loving mother as I did—something which I would not permit Esme, for you are my one and only most beloved Mama and no one can replace you in my heart, but she still thought of me as her first-born son, just highly independent and secluded."
Bella stirred in Edward's lap, tilted her head back to look at him, gripped his jaw. "That is why you would flinch away from her touch as if it burned sometimes, my love?"
A nod, a kiss pressed to the crown of Bella's head, his fingers brushing over the bracelet that had been his gift to her. "They hurt so much—Esme's thoughts, her touch, as she still understands not that I was never, nor will ever be her son, that she will never replace my beloved mother, Elizabeth, no matter how kind she may be, thinks of me as her and Carlisle's first‐born son, thinks that it is thanks to her and Carlisle that I became the man I am today, when it is my mother who laid down the foundations, who taught me to laugh and dance, have a love for languages and the arts, to never stop learning and expanding my horizons and knowledge, to be gentle and kind and to care for human life, and who was not there to see it now, made me want to scream for my mother, my heart figuratively bleeding on the inside."
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, who had tears streaming down her face anew, cupped Edward's face between her hands, pressed her forehead to his, her voice scraped raw when she spoke, sandpaper against wood. "I heard you, my beautiful boy, my most beloved son, I heard each time you would cry out for me thus, and, oh, how I ached to go to you, take you into my arms as I did when you were a youngling, reassure you that yes, I was and still am your one and only mother, that you were not being mean, rude, or ungrateful, that I was so very proud of you, the man you have become. I could have come to you right away, right after you gave your beautiful bride her betrothal ring, but I thought it best to wait until the two of you were alone, somewhere that had no ties to the Cullen family. If I had known you were in such pain—"
Edward shook his head, cutting his beloved mother off, wiped her tears away with his thumbs, Bella not feeling jealous in the slightest, because this, it was love between a mother and son, not between a groom and his bride. "No, Mama, I reckon it is a very good thing that you came to us when you did, else, if you had come to us before, it would not have been a private moment, one between family, would have been followed up by dozens of questions from Carlisle and the rest of the Cullens, and if you would have come while Esme was touching me the way Bella is describing, I would have accidentally ripped her arms off her body just to get to you, feel your arms, so warm, loving, and motherly, around me again."
Elizabeth laughed, soft and feminine, wiped her tears away with a beautiful blue silk handkerchief embroidered with white gold thread. "Still, I will speak to Esme of such things as only a mother can, make her understand that you are not, nor will ever be, her son, for you are my babe, who I carried in my womb for nine months, rocked in my arms, our bond unbreakable and irreplaceable—that no one can stand in place for the babe she lost." She glanced at the empty mugs, all of them devoid of mulled wine, which Bella hadn't realized until that moment, grabbed them. "I will go fetch some more mulled wine, as I have a feeling we will need it, for you, my beautiful boy, my precious, beloved son, have yet to tell me how it is that Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Jasper came to be in the Cullen family, will return shortly."
Soon as his beloved mother, Elizabeth, disappeared, Bella turned so she completely faced Edward, taking advantage of the fact that they were, for now, alone. "Do twins run in your family?"
Edward didn't question her, simply shook his head, began kissing the fingers of her left hand, his fingers, cold, strong, and gentle, playing with her ring. "No, mon doux ange."
She pressed a kiss to his neck, where, if he'd been human, he'd have a pulse, these small touches their love language, one which would develop over millennia. "Shame, I would have liked to give you more than one child, I think, but I am too selfish, wish to become immortal, a vampire, so no one can tear me away from you too much to wait years upon years."
A kiss pressed to the back of her hand, then her wrist and lips. "Perhaps you can give me more than one child, my Bella, mon doux seul amour, get pregnant again, even after I change you."
She cupped his face, her thumb tracing the shape of his beautiful lips. "But—"
He pressed a finger to her own lips, silencing her, let it glide over her soft, smooth, warm, human skin.
"No, mon coeur, I know what you are going to say, what you are thinking, for though I cannot read your mind, it is writ all over your beautiful face. It is true, vampires, we usually cannot change after we have been turned, the reason why Rosalie, Alice, and Esme cannot get pregnant, but you and I, ma belle sirène, we are unique, even amongst vampires, and while neither you nor I will age once I change you, I have no doubt we will change and evolve over time, become stronger, more powerful and beautiful, even as we remain immune to disease and the ravages of time. Think about it, my beautiful, strong bride, it was thought that it was impossible for me to have blood running in my veins yet I do and the only blood that you will ever taste will be mine, the color of my eyes is no longer crimson or gold, but akin to that of when I was human, only a myriad times more beautiful, just as you, too, will have blood running in your veins even after I change you, the color of your beautiful eyes neither crimson nor gold, but akin to the one you have now, only a myriad times more beautiful."
She didn't worry or question him any further, because he was right, perhaps things were different for the two of them, snuggled into him, laying her head over his still heart. "We will test our fertility later, make some of your sweet, sweet blood seem as if you were already a vampire, infected with my venom, under a device that is kind of like a microscope, but different; you will see what I mean later, after my beloved mother, Elizabeth, takes her leave. Tell me something, bride of mine, how many children do you wish to have?"
Bella looked up at him through her eyelashes, her eyes heavy lidded. "Three or four, I think."
Soft, musical, male laughter, a kiss pressed to the tip of her nose, her lips. "Three or four sounds perfect." Lips brushing over her jaw and throat, over her pulse. "How long do you wish to wait between each pregnancy?"
A shrug, Edward's strong, cold, familiar fingers beginning to massage her shoulder. "About two hundred years or so, depending on how fast our babes grow." Bella's eyes, which had been closed, as she was so content and happy to be in Edward's arms thus, flew wide open, her heartbeat increasing in tempo. "We will have to come up with some sort of birth control for me to take, as I think not that any of the current methods will cut it, and I do not wish for you to use a condom, for I wish to be able to feel all of you, my love, my husband, when you are inside me, making love to me, do not want anything in the way." The way their conversation was going, what they were speaking of, it would have made her blush, except that this was Edward, her beautiful fiance and future husband, who she'd spend eternity with, and she need not be so shy or self-conscious when it came to such matters.
He touched one cold hand to her cheek, cooling her heated skin, because despite the fact that she didn't blush, their conversation, it was making her hot, too hot, but in an entirely different way, a way that had nothing to do with shyness or self-consciousness, yet everything to do with the way she desired and craved him. "Fret not, ma belle reine, I am certain I can come up with something, I am a doctor, after all." Edward burst out laughing seemingly out of nowhere, then, loud and cathartic and joyous and happy and unrestrained, and at Bella's confused look, said, "I am certain Carlisle had not this in mind when I told him I would study medicine to help him keep up with the technological advances in the world, thought not that I would put my degree to this use."
Then there was no more time to speak, discuss this any further for the moment, Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth, returning, handing them each their mug of mulled wine, then sitting down across from them. "How did Rosalie and Emmett come to be part of the Cullen family, my beautiful boy? Jasper's self-control when it comes to his thirst, it seems very tenuous and fragile, more so than the rest of the Cullens, thus, I assume he and Alice came into the family last."
Edward shudderd, and Bella knew it had nothing to do with cold. When she went to get up, off of his lap, he tightened his arms about her, fingers flexing. "Where are you going, mon doux?"
Bella pressed a kiss to his cheek, her lips moving against his cold, hard, smooth, diamond skin as she spoke. "To sit behind you so I can massage your shoulders and back as we talk."
Edward let her go, shifted so she could fit behind him, Bella fitting herself to his back, beginning to massage his shoulders and back using all of her strength, something which Edward really seemed to love, judging from the low sounds coming from the back of his throat, pressing a kiss to his shoulders and neck, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, watching them quietly, aware that something was going on, but not quite what yet. "Yes, you are right, it was Rosalie who Carlisle brought into the family next." A pause, Edward tilting his head back to take a sweet blood kiss from Bella, needing her comfort. "He changed her for me, though I did not ask."
Elizabeth went utterly still, pausing with her mug of mulled wine halfway to her lips, probably becoming aware that whenever Carlisle did something for Edward, changed someone, it usually never augured anything good. I see, my beautiful boy."
Edward shuddered, the muscles of his back becoming rigid, Bella attempting to apply extra pressure, make him relax, which she eventually managed, but his tone, when he spoke, it was so calm, velvet, it was frigid. "I did not realize this until later, Mama, but Carlisle wished for Rosalie to be to me what Esme was to him,a partner, someone with who I could spend eternity with, though I would not call the relationship romantic, not akin to the one I have with my Bella, so beautiful, strong, and pure."
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, set her mug of mulled wine aside, took Edward's hands in hers even as Bella continued to massage his shoulders and back, her voice a velvet glove, but, Bella had the feeling, there was a sharp, lethal blade of anger beneath. "Does Carlisle not know that true, genuine love, it cannot be forced upon someone, decided by someone else, only comes when God wants it to, not a second before or after, no matter if it seems like it is taking forever?"
A shake of his head, Edwards beautiful eyes glowing with power and interest, his beloved mother's thoughts likely giving him more information than her words, but Bella, she wasn't bothered by this in the least, for she would ask Edward what he gleamed from his mother's thoughts later and he would tell her. "I reckon not, Mama, as none of the Cullens, including Carlisle, come from a healthy family akin to the one you, Papa, and I had. I remember very little of Papa, my bond with him not as strong as yours, for he was not around much . . . at least not to my knowledge, for I am certain he left you alone for too long not, as he loved you so, your love genuine and true and strong, but I do remember that when he was around, he would kiss and hold you, dance with you every chance he got, and none of the Cullens had that with their human families."
A soft sigh, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, thinking of something, but she didn't say what it was . . . not yet. Her reason, Bella thought, it was because she needed more information first. "Tell me more of Rosalie, then, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my son, how it is that she came to be part of the Cullen household."
Edward took a deep breath, began not where Bella thought he would, but before. "Even as a human, she was a vain, envious creature—was Rosalie, was envious of Carlisle, Esme, and I, our beauty, though I and my beauty in particular, for when I walked into a room, everyone thought me the most beautiful, the attention shifting, subtly but automatically, to me. She thought we would make the most perfect, attractive couple if we got together, that everyone would stare at us instead of just me, that we would have the most perfect children, but she did not dare approach me, her fear and envy too great, settled for someone else, someone who, akin to her, cared only for physical beauty and perfection, though she knew that not, only discovered it when it was too late."
He fisted his hand, and, Bella had the feeling, if he had been human, his knuckles would have popped from the strain. "Even now, after going through what she did, she remains the same, vain and shallow, perhaps even more so than when she was human. I could have paid more attention to Carlisle's thoughts, probably should have, then he would have turned Rosalie not, but I was in pain, still grieving, aching ,and longing for you, my most beloved Mama."
Again, Elizabeth took Edward's face between her hands, pressed her forehead to his, brushed his cold cheeks with warm, motherly, gentle fingers. "No, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, I will not allow you to do this, blame yourself for Carlisle's misguided actions, the past is past and we cannot change it, no matter how vile or painful, we can only change the present so we might have a better future." She brushed her fingers over his hair, pressed a kiss to his forehead. "From what you have told me thus far, I am assuming Rosalie was the most beautiful girl in town, is that why Carlisle thought she was right for you? How did she come to be changed?."
His laughter was the razored edge of a blade, and Bella wondered if he had ever danced with steel. She could picture him now, sword in hand, his body beautiful and lithe and strong and fast, so fast, the metal whirling, sparkling in the sun. It made her stomach tighten, tiny internal muscles low in her body clench. Whether it was because of a change in her scent or her increased heartbeat, Bella didn't know, but Edward tilted his head back to look at her, raised an eyebrow. Unable to resist, she took a kiss, soft and deep yet still polite for company.
"You," he cupped her cheek when their lips parted, brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, "mon amour, will tell me what it is that you are thinking, what it is that makes you kiss me thus."
She shook her head, buried her face against his neck, and though what she was thinking about had nothing to do with what they were speaking of, she told him. "I am picturing you with a sword."
His eyes glinted, wild and beautiful. "It has been quite a while since I have danced with steel."
A startled blink, Bella surprised that her fantasies could actually come true. "You actually play with swords, my love?"
A nod, Edward's eyes somewhere far away, remembering something from his former human life. "My Grandpapa, James, my beloved mother's father, taught me, it is a family tradition that goes back centuries." He shifted so he could better look at her, ran his eyes over her body, and Bella had the feeling it had nothing to do with sexual desires. "I will teach you, mon coeur, but only after I change you, I do not want you tripping over your own two feet, especially not when you have a sharp sword in hand. "Unsaid were the words "I will teach our future children, too", but they didn't need to be said, this something they both knew.
Elizabeth cleared her throat playfully, probably torn between not wanting to bring sorrow to Edward's face once more, and wanting to get this conversation over with quickly as possible so there would be no more sorrow or anger. "Rosalie?" she prompted gently.
Edward shook his head, laughed once, quiet and soft. "Right, I apologize, Mama. No, Carlisle did not choose Rosalie, decide to change her for me, because she was the most beautiful girl in town, though I am certain he thought that a bonus, after all, I was the most handsome man, the most, and this is not coming from me but from the thoughts of those around me at the time, 'eligible bachelor, though untouchable.' The reason why Carlisle changed her is because, akin to Esme, when he found her as he was returning home from a hunt, she, too, was dying, though the cause of her would-be death was different than that of Esme, as her fiance and his friends had beaten and raped her, left her for dead in the middle of the street.
His beloved mother's next question was casual, didn't match the emotion burning behind her emerald green eyes. What that emotion was, Bella didn't know, but it was potent, powerful.
"I am not counting you in this, my beautiful boy, my beloved son, for I was the one who ordained Carlisle to change you, and before you ask, for I know you, know you as only a mother knows her son, yes, I did know even then, on my deathbed, that you would meet Bella some day, fall deeply in love, as when a person is in the final twilight of their life, angels, under the direction of God, come to fetch the soul, sometimes whisper knowledge in the person's ear if the person is worthy enough." She got slightly side tracked, Bella watching as she cupped Edward's face between her hands yet again, kissed him on the forehead, this clearly a familiar gesture of love between Edward and his beloved mother, Elizabeth. "I would have never left you alone as I did else wise, especially not with all that I am hearing, that you are telling me, my precious son, all the suffering you went through." A shake of her head, Elizabeth getting back to her question. "Does Carlisle always choose to change people who are dying?"
A nod, then a slight pause, and Bella could all but imagine the little vee marring his forehead. "Yes." He took a sip of his mulled wine, his lips stained a rich, dark red for a moment, before he smacked them together, wiping them clean. "At first I agreed with his methods, thought it was best to change someone who had no hope for a human life, a cure using medicine, part of the reason why I was so reluctant to change my Bella at first, though I wanted it so much, wanted to keep her with me forever, as I thought I was taking away her life, stealing it, thought, too, of my vampiric nature as monstrous for so long, which I no longer do, but now I reckon it is best to change someone akin to how I will change my Bella, or if you have knowledge nobody else does, as you did with me, Mama. This way, there is less of a chance that the person will be full of hatred and envy as Rosalie is."
Again, Elizabeth took Edward's hands in hers, set them on her lap. "Yes, my beautiful boy, right you are, it is better to change someone as you will change your Bella, have it pre-planned, the person who you will change not a complete stranger. Now, tell me what it is of Rosalie and Emmett, though Rosalie in particular, that makes you become thus, so stiff that your beautiful bride decided to sit behind you so she can massage your shoulders and back—that makes your beautiful eyes, so unique, fill with dread?"
Edward took a deep breath, then a deep, sweet, blood kiss from Bella that was still polite for company, Bella, too, biting at his lower lip, drinking his blood, increasing the intimacy, the pleasure. "Her thoughts, Mama, they are so perverted and disgusting, ugh . . ."
A shudder rippled through him, the muscles of his back becoming rigid under her hands, and Bella could only begin to imagine what kind of images, images that came directly from Rosalie's thoughts, were filling his head. She knew they had company, that his beloved mother, Elizabeth, was here, so she couldn't kiss him, soft, sweet, and deep, deep as he would allow her to, make him lose himself in her, their love, forget about Rosalie and her perverted thoughts, but . . . Bella pulled at the soft silk strands of his hair in just the way he liked, knowing he was way, way stronger than her, pressed warm, honey-sweet kisses to his nape, shoulders, and back, wasn't sure how, as it should have been too low for her to hear, she was still human, after all, but she eventually heard him murmur, "My Bella, mon amour, ma mariée,mon talisman contre les pensées perverses des autres." She didn't know what half of the French words meant, but was certain he'd translate later.
He grabbed her left hand, gave it a loving squeeze, brought it to his lips, kissed it. "The second she opened her eyes, stopped contorting and screaming, saw me, she started thinking such vile thoughts, thoughts of us doing sexual things." He shifted Bella onto his lap, positioning her so she was facing both him and his beloved mother, Elizabeth. "Forgive me, my Bella, mon doux, I might have lied to you a bit earlier, but it was not an intentional lie. I told you Rosalie was thinking things I was not, in any way, shape, or form, going to do until when and if I got married, and while that is partially true, we will not be doing most of the things Rosalie was thinking of me doing with her, as they are dirty and disgusting, not of love, but of pure lust."
Bella opened her mouth, went to ask him what, exactly, Rosalie had been thinking, what they wouldn't be engaging in, but he pressed his forefinger to her lips. "Later." And she understood that this conversation, it was one they would have, not in front of his beloved mother, Elizabeth, for it was a deeply personal, private one, one between a groom and his bride.
Elizabeth's face was a study in purity, her beauty inhuman, held a fierce kind of protectiveness, her body and skin glowing with an incandescent light that should have blinded Bella, but didn't. Bella wondered what was causing her to become thus, as if there was some sort of eminent danger, didn't have to wonder for long, Elizabeth's words, though softly spoken, akin to sharp, lethal droplets against glass. "Did she attempt to seduce you, Rosalie?"
Bella felt Edward shudder and stiffen again, was about to get off of his lap, go massage his shoulders and back again, but he tightened his arms about her, shook his head. He looked at his beloved mother, Elizabeth, for a moment, some silent communication passing between them, because the next thing Bella knew, she and Edward, they were no longer in the drawing room of their home, but deep, deep in the forest, Bella laying on a field of wildflowers, Edward laying on top of her, pressing her gently into the grass. The sun, usually hidden behind thick gray clouds in this small, rainy town, hit his skin, making him glow and sparkle, and since he was pressed up all along the length of her body, she, too, sparkled and glowed wherever their skin touched, no matter that some parts were only in contact through their clothes.
She opened her mouth, went to speak, but he kissed her, soft, deep, deep as he was willing to without fear of hurting her, and honey-sweet, and when Bella needed to breathe he simply moved on to kissing her neck and throat. She felt his very sharp teeth brush gently against her soft, fragile skin before he tenderly bit down, careful not to inject any venom with his teeth, began to feed, his tongue, cold as ice, soaked with venom, lovingly licking at her blood. Oh! Her back arched from pleasure, and she wanted more, wanted more intimacy, more pleasure, to feed from him, too.
He sat her up without warning, pulled away from her throat, but not before making certain the wound he'd created was sealed shut, offered her his wrist. No hesitation, she bit down, easily broke through his skin, blood that was tailor-made for her, hot and sweet, so sweet and perfect, rushing into her mouth, the alcohol from the mulled wine rapidly evaporating from her bloodstream, a very good thing, considering she, Edward, and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, would probably drink lots more.
The buzz from the alcohol, it was replaced by an entirely different buzz, one that made her wish they were married already, her body hot, too hot, no matter the cold temperature of his skin. "Know this, ma belle sirène," he panted, pulling slightly away from her own wrist, his voice sounding breathless, as if he was human, had been running a marathon, "no matter what things seem like because of what I am about to explain to my beloved mother, Elizabeth, you, bride of mine, are the only woman who I will ever see naked, no one else, not even Rosalie, no matter her foolish, many attempts."
She pulled away from his own wrist, the skin already sealing shut. "Edward," she was panting, too, "I wish that we were married already so you could make love to me right here and now." Her words had nothing to do with what he'd just told her, but the buzz in her head, the pleasure, it made it difficult to think, focus on anything but him, the way their souls and bodies fit so perfectly together.
No humor or anger, nothing but a love deeper than humans were capable of in those beautiful, inhuman eyes of emerald green that sometimes shifted to blue. "Soon, mon précieux trésor." He wiped her mouth with a white linen handkerchief embroidered with yellow gold thread, folded it over so his blood wouldn't stain his suit jacket, then placed it back in one of the front pockets of his suit jacket. 'Come," his arms slid around her, lifted her, like how a groom carried his new bride, and they were running through the forest, "let us get back to my beloved mother, Elizabeth."
Soon, they were right back where they had been, in the drawing room of their home, Edward choosing to sit across from his beloved mother, Elizabeth, Bella on his lap, but Elizabeth was having none of that, beckoned Edward to come to her with Bella using her forefinger, her rage a sheathed blade, quiet but potent, so very powerful.
He wordlessly went, bringing Bella with him, and Elizabeth put her arms round them both. "Yes, she did, Mama," said Edward, speaking as if he and Bella had never left. "More than once, I walked into my room, to find Rosalie clothed in naught but a silk robe of deep, deep red, her lips, according to her, 'so beautiful and perfect', though I much prefer my Bella's, painted a rich scarlett, one of her legs bent, a little too much of her skin showing, laying on my bed, where I would lay down to read the classics as I did when I was human, for it would remind me of you, my beloved Mama, the way you would come into my room, stroke my hair as I was reading."
Elizabeth's body shook with anger, her voice a stark contrast, calm and collected, her face filled with love for a son who loved her in turn. "Did not Carlisle and Esme do anything to stop her at any point, tell her that such things were not appropriate for a young lady?"
A shake of his head, Edward nestling his face into Bella's neck, inhaling the scent of her skin, her sweet blood, his cold, sweet, addictive, intoxicating breath washing over her, making Bella sigh and lean further into him. "No, they did not, actually encouraged her to keep trying, believing it was only a matter of me acclimatizing to the idea of having a partner, someone who could seduce me and who I could seduce in turn, have intercourse with, as if I would ever fall in love with such a shallow, promiscuous girl. I suppose that was one of the positive things about her finding Emmett, as she would no longer come into my room, attempt to seduce me, though things went downhill for me from there, Rosalie's revenge vicious and vile and perverted."
Rather than Elizabeth asking what Bella thought she would, the most logical, chronological question in her mind, she took one of Edward's hands, pressed it against her warm cheek, closed her eyes, her eyelashes, long and dark, wet with diamonds that were her tears, asked another one. "When was Rosalie born, my beautiful boy?"
Edward, too, seemed confused by his mother's question, his beautiful, inhuman eyes a bit cloudy. Regardless, he answered her without missing a beat. "Early 1915."
His beloved mother, Elizabeth, drummed her fingers lightly against her lap, deep in thought for a moment. "I see, so she is fourteen years younger than you, give or take, my precious son. Still, it should not make much of a difference, not when it comes to what is and is not acceptable, the morals and customs. Tell me this, my beloved son, and tell me the truth, no matter if you think it will make me mad, my anger, it will not be directed towards you, for you are such a wonderful, young man, so educated, respectful, and loving, as I raised you to be, but towards Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie—what was Rosalie's revenge?"
Edward trembled, began quaking violently, his arms tightening about Bella, fingers running up and down her arms, and she knew instinctively, if such a thing was even possible, if his body had been capable of producing tears, he would be crying right then, knew, too, he wanted to speak of this out loud as less as possible, so as not to remember the vile, wretched, perverted, sexual images that were Emmett and Rosalie's thoughts, so she answered his beloved mother for him. "Rosalie and Emmett, they would not stop thinking perverted, sexual thoughts around him, though they knew he could hear them, would make their thoughts pretty loud on purpose. It got so bad, became unbearable, to the point where he gave Carlisle and Esme an ultimatum, told them they either did something drastic to get Emmett and Rosalie far away from him so he could not hear their thoughts anymore, or he would leave."
Bella turned away for a moment so she could press a sweet, warm kiss to Edward's neck, caress his hair, then continued, "Because Carlisle felt responsible for him, as you, his beloved mother, had in charged him with him, your most precious treasure—he kicked them out, and everything was fine, more or less peaceful, for a decade or so. Then one day, while Edward was out on a hunt, Emmett and Rosalie came back, claiming to have changed, become 'better people', which was, of course, untrue, as their thoughts were just as loud, obnoxious, and perverted as before, but Carlisle, because of his compassion, had not the heart to kick them out again."
Bella watched as Elizabeth, not saying anything, began stroking Edward's hair, her touch exuding maternal warmth and love, Edward's body wrecked with raw, silent, tearless sobs, waited for him to look at her. Even when he did, she didn't say anything right away, leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead, his cheeks. "Why did you not leave permanently at any point until now, mon amour? I know money was and is not an issue, as our family fortune was quite large even while I was alive, and I am certain it became even more so over the years with you in charge, nor was having a career, holding down a job if necessary, the issue, either, as you, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my precious son, are quite learned, so what was it that compelled you to stay with and return to the Cullens every time you did leave?"
Edward's voice, when he spoke, was scraped raw, as if he'd been crying for hours, though he hadn't shed a single tear, his body incapable of doing that as it was. "I thought it was what you would have wished me to do, as you would not wish me to be alone, Mama. Besides, if I had stayed not, returned to the Cullens after a couple of years each time I left, I would not have met my beautiful bride."
"You thought I would have wished for you to stay in a place where you suffered, that may or may not make you compromise the values I instilled in you rather than be alone?" A shake of her head, Elizabeth's loving, motherly fingers stroking Edward's hair, his face. "No, mon amour, I would have rather you be alone, but not miserable, happy, than for you to stay with the Cullens, return to them as you did each time you left. As for you not meeting your beautiful bride if you had not stayed with the Cullens as you did," Elizabeth caressed Bella's face, her hair, even as she continued to caress Edward, too, "that would not come to pass, as God would have guided you and something or other would have brought you to this tiny town, brought the two of you together, regardless of whether or not you stayed with the Cullens."
A kiss pressed to each of their foreheads, and though Elizabeth wasn't her mother, Bella felt loved and protected, as only a mother could love and protect their child. "No matter, as you cannot change the past, you can only change the present so the future might be better, but things cannot stay as they have been for so long. It is one thing to be grateful, as I taught you to be, another to compromise your values and sanity. It is a very good thing, I reckon, my beautiful boy, that you and your beautiful bride will be getting married soon, are living separately from the Cullens from now on, as they will notice not the distance you are putting between them and yourself and your Bella. This does not mean I would like you and Bella to cut off all contact with the Cullens, as that, it would be quite rude, but I do want you to distance yourself from them, as your values and morals are quite different from theirs."
Edward placed his hand over his beloved mother's on his cheek, closed his eyes. "I understand what you are asking me and my Bella to do, and it is something we were going to do anyway, distance ourselves from the Cullens, after the conversation she and I had last night, the realizations I came to, our relationship with them forever altered, but, Mama, why are you so mad if it is as you said earlier, Carlisle and Esme, they know not what it is like to have a child who is flesh of your flesh, blood of your blood, could not possibly have known the pain their actions would cause me?"
Elizabeth laughed, harsh and bitter, a sword slicing across flesh, the anger directed not towards Edward, her beloved son, but, Bella surmised, towards Carlisle. Elizabeth cupped Edward's face between her hands, then, seemingly changing her mind, brought his head to her chest so his ear rested over her heart, akin to how, Bella imagined, she'd done when he was a youngling. "Oh, my beautiful boy, my precious son, so kind, yet still so very innocent in some respects, you think I left you, my most precious treasure, with Carlisle without telling him what to expect from you, giving him instructions on what to do and what not to do even as I ordained him to change you?"
Edward pulled away from his beloved mother, Elizabeth, some kind of understanding slowly dawning in his eyes, but still, he and Bella both waited for his beloved mother, Elizabeth, to continue speaking, finish explaining. "I am not telling you this to tear a rift between you and the Cullens, though I can clearly see one is already forming, for you were never truly yourself when you were with them, so many secrets and knowledge you kept from them—but you and I, we have never kept secrets from each other if we were able to divulge the information, unless it was a beautiful, wonderful surprise, and we will not start now."
Elizabeth pressed a kiss to Edwards forehead, this one, Bella thought, to comfort him as much as herself.
"When I ordained Carlisle to change you as you were sleeping, I told him that after I was gone you would be sad and secluded for a while, but that eventually everything would be fine and you would come out of your shell, though I knew not then that I would come back to you, too, as that offer and knowledge only came to me once I was in heaven. I also told him to not, under any circumstances, attempt to replace me or your Papa, as it would not work, would only cause you an extreme amount of pain, to not change anyone on your behalf, though if he fell in love with a girl someday, changed her, that was all right with me, as his love life was none of my business, but to warn that girl not to try to act as your mother, as that would only bring you an extreme amount of pain, for no one could replace me in your heart, though, of course, you would not say anything, kind and respectful as you are. Do you remember, my precious son, what I told you when you woke up from your nap, and do not paraphrase for me, tell me the exact words I said to you, that is, of course, if you remember?"
There were several moments of silence, Edward likely trying to remember, this not something he often thought about, Bella and his beloved mother, Elizabeth, both patiently waiting, each trying to comfort him in their own way, Bella by placing sweet, warm, butterfly kisses to his neck and throat, his mother by stroking his hair gently, then came the words, "That you had secured a way for me to survive, that Carlisle would save me, to never forget my past, remember my ancestors, to cling to my values and morals always, to continue learning and spreading my wings . . ."
Edward trailed off, looked at Bella, his face suffused with naught but pure, decadent love, took a deep kiss that was still polite for company, left her gasping for breath.
"That one day in the future, though you knew not how far off that day was—I would meet a great love of my own, and though it might seem frightening at first, that once I realized I loved her and she loved me, to never, ever let her go. When I nearly screamed because you said Carlisle would act as my father in the eyes of society for as long as I needed him to, you, my beloved Mama, calmed me down as only you could, told me that no, no one could, or would ever replace you and Papa, as you would always be my parents, no matter what, and I would always have you, my most beloved Mama, even when you turned to dust upon the earth, for you would remain in my heart, but that Carlisle would teach me how to survive in the world I was about to enter, though I will never depend on him, as I had more than enough money, could survive on my own, spread my wings whenever I wished."
A nod, soft tears trickling down her face, Elizabeth opened up her arms for Edward, for she knew him, knew him as only a mother knew her son.
Edward stood up at the same time as Elizabeth did, went into his mother's embrace, Bella going with him, too, Elizabeth putting her arms round them both. They stood there, in a loving, family embrace for . . . Bella didn't know how long, then came Edward's quiet words, "When will you speak with Carlisle and Esme, Mama?" Because, Bella thought, things couldn't stay as they were, and while Edward had stayed quiet all these years, mostly kept his feelings bottled up until now, his beloved mother, Elizabeth, certainly wouldn't, just as she and Edward would not stay quiet if somebody hurt their children, whether it was intentional or not, it didn't matter.
A kiss pressed to the top of their heads, Edward bending down to make it easier for his mother, Elizabeth running her fingers over their hair, careful so as not to ruin Bella's hairdo. "This, my beautiful boy, my Edward, my beloved son, I do not yet know, perhaps after your and Bella's graduation, and, fret not, as I will not discredit Carlisle and Esme completely, will only remind them that I am your mother, who has and will always know what is best for you, advise them that they should learn how to place limits on Emmett, Rosalie, Alice, and Jasper, though not so much Alice and Jasper, as, irrespective of their biological ages, they still act akin to children." A glance out of the many massive windows, then Edward's beloved mother, Elizabeth, turned back to them. "I will take my leave now, I reckon, I am certain there are a lot of things the two of you wish to discuss, wish for some privacy, too."