*Taps mic*

*Looks around*

Anyone still here? I know it's been ages. I'm sorry.

And remember, I like to fiddle. All mistakes are mine.

Catch me at the bottom for some info. Xo

*Deep breath*

Okay, here we go!

Songs:

"Fall Into Me," Forest Blakk
"Love Someone (piano version)," Lukas Graham

Chapter 24

I'm a blubbering, giddy ball of emotions when we finally make it to the ground. I can't remember the last time I felt such deep, overwhelming joy. It's become its own entity in my heart, growing until it feels like it's going to burst out of my chest. And it only gets more intense when we pass the fenced area where our families are gathered, waving and yelling as we go by. Then it occurs to me that two of those special people aren't supposed to be here.

I turn to Edward. "How did you get Garrett to agree to let the boys come?"

The corner of his mouth turns up into a smirk. "I'm pretty good at persuasion." He looks over at me and that little grin takes over his face. "It didn't hurt that your father had my back. He's pretty persuasive, too, when he wants to be. Garrett couldn't say no to Charlie without looking like an ass, especially when the boys practically begged him."

I reach for his hand. "You have no idea how much it means to me that they're here today."

"I think I do. I don't think I would have done this without them being part of it." He squeezes my hand before bringing it to his lips. "They're as much a part of my life as you are, Bella. They're my family."

Blissful, I lean over to kiss his cheek. "And that's why I love you so much." I sigh and sit back in my seat. Only the birth of my children tops the way I feel at this moment. I can't remember the last time I felt such overwhelming happiness. I know, without a doubt, that everything else—except maybe my upcoming wedding—will forever take second place to how I'm feeling right now.

When we reach a safe area, he helps me deplane. The moment I'm on the ground and in his arms, his lips descend on mine.

His kiss is … everything. Every feeling, every emotion, every promise can be felt in the way his mouth moves over mine. And when he pulls away, I can see all those things and more reflected back at me in his eyes.

He pulls me to his chest and I nuzzle against him. "I love you so much," he murmurs against my temple. "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I love you, too." I pull away to look into his eyes. "So much." A slow smile spreads over my face and I give his hand a tug. "Come on. I want to go see the boys."

He chuckles as he loosens his hold on me, settling an arm around my shoulders to lead me toward the office where our families are waiting. "A little anxious, are you?"

I nudge his side, which only makes him laugh harder. "Stop. I'm …" I sigh. "I can't even put into words how happy I am right now."

"I know the feeling. It's doing some funny things to me to know you're finally wearing my ring."

I lift my hand and finally take in the beauty that is my engagement ring. The rounded-square stone sits in an Art Deco setting; the filigree band is delicate yet strong. "It's so beautiful, Edward. I'm not sure I could have picked out something more perfect for me."

"Well, you'd have to go back in time and thank my grandfather then. It was my Grandma Platt's ring. They were married for almost sixty years. So, I'd say it has some pretty good luck attached to it."

"Oh, Edward. That's … that's so special. I'm honored to wear it."

"It's been under lock and key in Chicago for years, but I knew it would be perfect for you. I asked Mom to bring it when they came for my birthday."

I stare up at him, wide-eyed. "You've had it that long?"

He holds me closer. "I've known for a long time that I wanted to ask you. I was only waiting for the right time. I'm just glad you said yes."

"There was never another answer."

When we make it to our families, I'm still awash in emotion. Happiness, contentment, and excitement pump through me. But it's when I lay eyes on my children's beaming faces that it really hits me. In asking me to marry him, Edward has asked to be part of our family, to blend his life with ours and help me raise my children. And he made sure the boys were here to share this moment with us. Nothing could have made it more perfect.

As Jake and Seth run toward us, I widen my arms to catch them. "I'm so happy you two are here." I first kiss the top of Jacob's head and then Seth's. "So happy."

"We're happy, too, Mom," Seth says, squeezing me harder. He's the first to let go and step into Edward's side, wrapping his arms around my fiancé's waist. "I'm glad you make Mommy happy."

Jake looks up with an expression I haven't seen in a long time—genuine happiness—and steps to Edward's other side, hugging him. "Me too."

Watching them all together makes me euphoric. My insides flutter and I can't stop smiling. I feel like I'm still up in the clouds. And as I'm swept into hug after hug from the rest of our family and friends, I know it'll be a long time before that feeling begins to wane.

At Alice and Jasper's insistence, we head to their house for an impromptu engagement celebration. When food is served and champagne and sparkling cider are poured, the excitement seems to increase. It's no surprise when all the women in my life start talking about wedding plans almost immediately.

"When do you think you'll tie the knot?"

"What colors do you want?"

"Will you wear a traditional wedding dress?"

Those and so many other questions are fired at me. I'm left speechless.

I'm relieved when Edward leans in and lays his arm on the back of my chair. "Bella and I need to have a conversation before we start making any plans." He looks down at me with so much love shining in his eyes. "The only thing I know is I don't want to wait too long to call you my wife."

The chorus of "aww" is enough to make Jake and Seth giggle and roll their eyes.

"Just wait, kids," my father says. "It'll be sweetie-pie, honey-bunch wedding talk for months. It's all you're going to hear until it's all over."

"As long as it makes Mom happy," Jake says softly, bringing a fresh round of happy tears to my eyes.

"You okay?" Edward whispers in my ear.

"I couldn't be more okay."

Standing in the driveway, I tug my sweater tighter around me. "I appreciate you letting them spend the day with us."

Garrett nods. "It's no problem. Your dad said it was important." He glances at my ring-adorned hand but won't meet my eyes. His jaw tenses as his nostrils flare. "And I guess he was right. Looks like congratulations are in order."

"Thanks." I ignore his apparent hostility and look past him and into the backseat. "I'll see you guys on Sunday."

"Bye, Mom!"

"Bye, Mommy!"

I wave and blow kisses as they pull out of the driveway, a little more emotional than usual as they leave to finish out their week with their father.

Edward steps behind me and pulls my back to his chest. "You'll see them again Sunday,"

I breathe a sigh and turn to face him, wrapping my arms around his neck. "I know. I just wish we could have kept them the rest of tonight. I'll get over it."

He trails his hands up and down my back, finally settling on my hips. "Does it make me an ass to say I'm looking forward to having my fiancée all to myself tonight?"

A grin tugs at my lips. "Why, Lieutenant Colonel, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

Mischief fills his eyes as he dips his head, ghosting his lips over mine. "It's only a suggestion, ma'am, if I'm not prepared to complete my mission."

The pale blue-grey of pre-dawn brightens the sliver of windowpane between the curtains. We've been up most of the night, indulging in each other, only sleeping until one of us woke with the need for the other. I've lost track of how many times we've made love since we fell into his bed. I ache in the most delicious ways.

A sheen of sweat still covers our bodies as I lie pressed against him, resting my head on his shoulder. Our fingers idly twist and trace, his lingering on the diamond ring on my left hand with every pass.

"What kind of wedding do you want?" he asks, his voice low and rough.

I lift my head to meet his gaze. "The kind that ends with me being your wife."

His grin is lazy. "You stole my answer."

I shrug. "I haven't given it a lot of thought. I know I don't want to do the huge church thing again—the guest lists and seating charts and worrying about seating Aunt Edythe too close to Uncle Beau. I did that once, and once was enough." I look down and follow my meandering fingers' trail through his scant chest hair. I'm thoughtful for a moment, hesitant to broach a subject we rarely discuss. "What about you? What was your first wedding like? Did you do the big church thing?"

It's his turn to be thoughtful. "No," he finally says, "we eloped. I guess I was a little more impulsive back in those days."

"Do you want to have a big wedding since you didn't the first time? Because if you do, I—"

He places a finger to my lips, silencing me. "I didn't say that. If you want to just have a civil ceremony at City Hall, I'm all for it. If you want to fly everyone to Bermuda for a beach wedding or put up a circus tent and invite every squadron on base, I'm all for that, too. Like you said, the only thing that matters to me is that you're my wife at the end of it."

I lean in, brushing my smiling lips over his. "I think I'd like to have our families there. Our closest friends. And I want to include the boys in the ceremony somehow. I want to wear a pretty dress I can wear to dinner every year on our anniversary, and I want to see you in your mess dress again. But more than anything, just like you, I want you to call me Mrs. Cullen when it's all said and done."

His smile lights his eyes as he rolls us and hovers over me. "I think that can be arranged."

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas fly past us in a rush, so there's barely time to make any decisions about the wedding. His flippant suggestion about Bermuda, though, has made us both think more seriously about a destination wedding.

But as I sit perched on my sofa, staring at the mountain of wrapped gifts under the tree, I have to wonder if we could afford to go anywhere like Bermuda. Just as I start to wonder if I'll need to sell a kidney to pay for this year's gifts, let alone any kind of wedding, Edward walks in with yet another box.

I can't help but giggle at his eager expression. "Another one?"

His cheeks flush pink in response. "It's just one more. And really, what's one more?"

I raise a brow. "You're spoiling them, you know?"

"I'm pretty sure I get a pass since this is my first Christmas with them. And besides," he says, placing it under the tree and turning back to me, "this one's from Santa. It hardly counts."

I wave a hand and grin. "Oh, well then, by all means." As he settles in behind me on the sofa, a weary sigh escapes me. "This might be the last year for Santa in this house."

Edward leans back into the throw pillows and pulls me with him. "Why do you say that?"

"Seth is eight already. I'll be surprised if we make it through this year without him finding out."

"When did Jake find out?"

"A few years ago," I say softly, focusing on the twinkling lights of the tree. "The last time the magic of Santa was still alive for both of them was the Christmas right before Garrett started things with Kate." I look up at him with a guilty smile. "Sorry. They're the last people you probably want to hear about right now, especially when this is our first Christmas together."

He holds me tighter. "It's okay. All that stuff … it's part of you, part of your life and your boys' lives. And you wouldn't be you without those experiences."

I kiss his cheek and lay my head on his shoulder. "I know, but still, I don't want to think about that time either."

"Then tell me about the happier memories." He glances over at the plate of cookies left out for Santa. "Or better yet, let's talk about the new memories we're making. I had fun making those cookies with the boys."

I raise a brow. "I bet you did. I think more chocolate chips wound up in your belly than in the cookies," I say, poking at his abs.

Laughing, he grabs my hand and kisses my fingertips. "Maybe so, but I had fun. Who knew I'd enjoy baking with kids as much as I did?"

I snort a laugh. "You mean you enjoyed destroying my kitchen."

"Hey, I wasn't the one doing the destroying. Those kids are little hurricanes when flour and sugar are involved." Chuckling, his warm breath wafts over my neck as he places a kiss behind my ear. "I love those boys, Bella. And seeing them so happy to destroy your kitchen was worth the cleanup."

The next morning, as the boys open their mountain of gifts, Edward's smile is every bit as big as the boys'. I can't help but think ahead to what future Christmases will look like. They may be here in Phoenix. They may be in a new city or even abroad. We may one day have another pile of gifts to open for new additions. The details are uncertain. But as I watch my future husband and my children bask in the magic of the holiday, I'm certain of one thing: wherever we are, whatever our family looks like years from now, it'll be just as special as it is in this moment.

Rose and Emmett and Alice and Jasper help us ring in 2008 at Edward's. Since it's just the adults, the alcohol is flowing. After a few drinks, my inhibitions are all but gone before eleven rolls around, which means I'm helpless against Rosalie's onslaught of questions about wedding details.

"Come on," she whines. "It's been more than a month. You can't tell me you two haven't picked a date."

"Maybe we have," I tease over the rim of my glass.

Alice slings an arm around my shoulders. "Spill, Bella."

I meet Edward's gaze across the room and raise a brow.

Do I tell them?

With a lopsided grin, he shrugs.

Why not?

"June 28th. The boys will be out of school, and—"

And like girls tend to do, they squeal and hug me, blabbering on about colors and from which bakery to order the cake.

But before January is over, what I feared most comes to fruition.

The house is dark when I walk through the door, and unlike most times when I come over and I know he's home, Edward isn't there to greet me. When I call out to him, I'm met with brief silence, followed by a strained voice. "I'm in the den."

With my heart in my throat, I walk the short distance to the back of the house and find my fiancé staring out into the darkness, holding a tumbler of amber liquid.

"Hey," I say softly. "Everything okay?"

He turns to face me, and a thousand and one emotions flit across his face, until finally he gives me a small smile. "It will be." He places his glass on a side table and walks over, tilting my chin up to place a gentle kiss on my lips.

But instead of the warmth and passion I usually feel at the simple touch of his lips, I feel a sense of hesitance.

"What's wrong?" I ask, nerves causing my voice to shake. "You're scaring me."

With a sigh, he leaves my side to grab an open bottle of wine, pouring a generous portion into a glass and then handing it to me. "How about you sit and have a drink? Then we'll talk."

"I don't like the sound of that, Edward."

His replying smile looks more like a grimace. "Sit, baby."

A thousand and one worst case scenarios flash through my mind. Is someone sick? Are his parents okay? Are mine? Did the school call him when they couldn't reach me or Garrett? Putting all those worries aside, I do as he asks. The knot in my stomach grows larger when he sits beside me, glass in hand, and says, "It's been a long time since I've had to do this, so bear with me?"

"Okay." Panic simmers under my skin, and the longer he remains silent, the more it spreads. "But, Edward, you're scaring me."

He brings his glass to his lips and downs what's left in a single swallow. Following his lead, I take a healthy swig of my own drink.

Setting his glass on the coffee table, he takes mine and places it next to the empty tumbler. He takes both my hands into his.

"I got my orders today."

The silence between us is heavy, and the look in his eyes says everything he hasn't.

He's leaving me.

My stomach falls to my feet. Never in my life have so few words caused such hopelessness to rocket through my chest. "Where?" I manage to ask.

"Balad. It's a joint operations base in—"

"Iraq."

He nods once, his jaw tight. "Yeah."

"When?"

"June 1st. It's long enough to get my replacement here and have an official change of command."

"For how long?"

He hesitates, and before he says another word, I know it's not good. "A year," he finally says, his voice low.

I swallow past the growing lump in my throat and blink away tears.

"Bella, baby, say something." The plea in his voice breaks me.

"I'm not sure what to say," I rasp as a few tears escape my lashes.

He wraps me in his arms, and I press my face against his chest. "I'm sorry this is happening so soon. I knew I was hot for remote, but I thought I had more time." He jostles me a little. "Say something, Bella … please."

"I'm … I don't know what to feel." That earlier feeling of panic creeps back into my heart when I think of all the recent news reports, of all the coverage of the conflict over there. Picturing Edward in the middle of it all makes my tears finally spill over onto my cheeks. "I'm scared," I finally admit.

He holds me more tightly. "Please don't be, baby. I know it's scary, but this is my job, and I'm damn good at it." He presses his lips to the top of my head. "I'm just not ready to be away from you."

I try … really try to take his reassurance to heart. I know he's good at his job. Someone his age doesn't get where is because of mediocrity, so I know he's not being cocky when he says it. So, with every ounce of confidence in him I have, I try to put my faith in his words

"I'm not either," I murmur, turning my head to press my ear to his thudding heart. "And June 1st? That's …" I pull back and look up into his pained gaze. "What about the wedding? This pushes it back a whole year."

"I was hoping we could move it up." He cups my cheek and brushes his lips against mine. "I want you to be my wife before I leave."

"You want to get married in … in … Edward, how do we plan a wedding in a matter of weeks?"

He brushes his thumb over my lower lip. "I wasn't kidding when I told you I didn't care what kind of wedding we have. I really don't care if we go to City Hall in shorts and flip-flops, so I have zero expectations about a ceremony."

The visual makes me laugh through my tears. "That would be a sight, wouldn't it?" I sigh and snuggle back into his arms. "You know I didn't have my heart set on anything outrageous. A backyard wedding with our family and closest friends will be just as special, and it's something I can plan in the time we have."

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

I squeeze him a little. "Don't be. I can still wear that pretty dress, and you can still wear your fancy duds." I pull back and peer up at him. "And I'll still be your wife at the end of the day. What more could I ask for?"

He pulls me closer and buries his nose in my hair, sighing. "Bermuda did sound good, though, didn't it?"

"It did. I had a whole slew of bikinis planned for that honeymoon," I tease. But then my heart sinks a little more. "We won't get a honeymoon, will we?"

He adjusts us so that I'm practically cradled in his arms. "I'll have some time before I need to report for duty, so we'll still get a honeymoon, I promise. I want you all to myself for as long as I can get. Leave that planning to me."

He may have taken over the planning for after the wedding, but the bulk of the planning for the ceremony and small reception falls on my shoulders. Alice and Rose, though, are a godsend. From the moment they learn about Edward's deployment orders, they jump into action.

In between customers, a good portion of my workday is spent whispering with Alice about centerpieces, food, and the cake. It's a miracle we get any work done at all. And Rose takes charge and makes me an appointment at a bridal shop. But it's not exactly what I had in mind.

"But, Rose, I don't want an actual 'wedding dress,'" I say emphatically. "I was just going to see if I could find something fancy at Dillard's or something."

Fabric swatches and color palates lay among the bridal magazines spread out on my dining room table. We each have a glass of wine as we go over the lists in the planning book she bought me. The boys and Rose's girls are at a movie with my parents, and Edward and Emmett are in the living room watching a hockey game, keeping as much distance between themselves and the impromptu planning session as possible.

"I know," she replies, raising a brow. "But you shouldn't dismiss the idea of finding something special in a bridal shop."

"Simple, remember? This is a second marriage for both of us, and it's happening in Mom and Dad's backyard. That's not exactly a formal occasion."

She reaches across the table and takes my hand. "Sis, it's your wedding. That makes it a special occasion, even if it's not exactly formal. I just want to make it as special as we can. You deserve the fairytale wedding. You waited a long time for your Prince Charming."

I bite back a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"I know I am." She pats my hand before reaching for yet another magazine. "Now, let's see what's trendy for old lady brides."

Gaping, I smack her arm before we both break into a fit of giggles. We're laughing so hard, I don't hear the doorbell. But when an angry voice raises over the din of the television, demanding to see Jacob and Seth, I can clearly make out who's here. And from the sound of it, he's here to make trouble.

"You're my problem, Mr. Air Force," Garrett says, stabbing a finger into Edward's chest over and over. He sways on his feet, and even from across the room, with his flushed cheeks, slurred speech, and forced concentration, I can see he's been drinking. "You and your fancy airplane … you flew into town and stole the woman I love … my family."

Emmett grabs his brother's arm and tries to yank him toward the door. "Come on, Gar. You don't wanna do this. Let me drive you home."

But Garrett won't budge, and instead shrugs away from Emmett and gets right back in Edward's personal space. "You think you can just steal my family and—"

"You need to listen to your brother and get the fuck out of my face." Clenching his jaw, Edward stands at his full height and shoves Garrett back. "I mean it, man, this won't end well for you."

But Garrett's determined. Once he gains his balance, he advances on Edward, one unsteady step at a time, until he's right back in his face. "You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? You couldn't just fuck her and move on? You had to turn my kids against me? Against Kate? And my own goddamn brother's on your side. Did you plan to take my whole fucking family from me? And now you want to marry my wife and take her and my boys to god knows where!" With as much force as he can muster in his drunken state, Garrett gives Edward a hard shove.

"Edward!" I shout as I move to run toward the disaster happening in my entryway. "Oh my god, Garrett, stop!"

"Whoa," Rose says, catching my arm and stopping me from tossing myself into the middle of the chaos.

Before I can yell at her to let me go, Edward grabs hold of Garrett by the shirt and slams him against the wall. "You lost the right to call her your wife when you left her, motherfucker." His words hiss through clenched teeth. He pulls Garrett away from the wall just enough to slam him against it again. "And if your kids don't want to be around you, it sounds like you need to look in a damn mirror. You're the one who left. You threw her away for a piece of ass. Don't forget that, McCarty."

I can see the restraint it's taking for him not to haul back and take a swing at Garrett. But I know what's at stake. If he were to allow his temper to get the best of him and physically harm Garrett—even if it was provoked—and Garrett decided to press charges, Edward would face a reprimand. And we all know my useless ex-husband isn't worth it.

Slowly, Edward relaxes his grip and takes a step back. "I think it's time for you to leave."

"Come on, Gar," Emmett prods, grabbing his brother's arm. "I'll drive you home."

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you?" Garrett asks. His voice is an odd mix of cocky and calm. "But one day you'll wake up and find out the woman you married isn't who you thought she was. She'll nag and whine and make you miserable."

Edward cocks his head. "Speaking from experience there, Garrett? Is the new wife not living up to your expectations?"

"Shut your fucking mouth, flyboy." Garrett's slurred warning comes a second before he takes a misdirected and sloppy swing, sending an aimless punch in Edward's direction.

Everything after that happens in an instant.

I scream. Rose tugs me back. Emmett spins his brother around and takes his own shot, landing a right hook to Garrett's chin that I can hear from across the room.

"God-damn," Emmett shouts, shaking out his hand as Garrett tumbles to the floor.

Laid out on my living room floor, Garrett stares unfocused at my ceiling, his chest heaving. He looks utterly defeated.

With the drama over for the moment, I run to Edward, snaking my arms around his waist and burying my face in his chest. His heart thunders against his rib cage, pounding loudly in my ear. His whole body trembles, and I can feel the tension rolling off of him.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," he grunts, wrapping his arms tightly around me.

I turn my head to watch as Emmett gently kicks Garrett's side. "Come on, get up. I need to get your sorry ass home … back to your wife."

Garrett gets to his feet, stumbling a time or two in the process. When he's finally completely upright, he keeps his gaze to the floor. "I'm—"

"Just go, Gar. I … we can talk later." I shake my head, thoroughly disgusted with him. "I can't talk to you right now. I'm so angry with you, I … just go."

I watch as they leave, and Garrett never once looks back at me. I'm relieved, because I know from experience that he rarely leaves an argument without having the last word. But this time, I think he's been successfully knocked down a peg or two. It's a nice change, seeing him leave with his tail between his legs.

Rose breathes an exaggerated sigh. "Who knew wedding planning could be so exciting?"

"That's not the kind of excitement I was hoping for tonight." I squeeze Edward and pull away enough to look up into his wary eyes. "You okay?" I whisper.

"I will be. Are you okay?" he asks, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"I think so."

"On that note," Rose announces. She gathers their things so she can follow Emmett to Garrett's house to him pick up. "Looks like the planning session is over for the night."

"I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow we can pick up where we left off?"

She walks over and kisses my cheek, putting an arm around both Edward and me. "You can count on it. I'll pick you up in the morning and we'll head over to see some dresses, okay?"

"Yeah."

She looks up at Edward. "I know you didn't get to kick his ass like you probably wanted to, but thank you for sticking up for my sister."

Still visibly shaken, Edward merely nods.

I slip from his hold and follow Rose out, locking the door and falling back against it once she's gone. "Well, that was a mess."

He opens his arms for me once more, and like a magnet, I'm drawn to him. He kisses the top of my head. "Are you really okay?"

"Honestly? Not really. I'm hurt. I'm angry. I'm embarrassed."

"Why are you embarrassed?" he murmurs against my temple.

"Because he came into my home and made a scene. He tried to hurt you. He said awful things. He just … he's an asshole, and I'm so sorry you have to deal with him. And we will until the boys are grown."

"Don't apologize for his behavior, Bella. He's a grown man. He decided to come over here to pick a fight."

"I know," I murmur. "But still."

He sways us back and forth, and I can feel my stress levels lowering. And in the clarity of that realization, I look up at him.

"What?" he asks.

"There's something else I'm feeling right now."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Thankful."

"For …"

"You. You're a hundred times the man he is or ever was, and I'm so, so thankful to be marrying you."

He cups my cheek as he leans in to kiss me, his lips warm and gentle against mine. The softness of his mouth dispels all my lingering anger.

When he pulls away, his eyes are bright. "I'm ready to face his bullshit ranting a million times over if it means I get to spend my life with you. You're worth it. Don't ever forget that, Bella. You're so worth it."

A/N: Looks like ExB have a bumpy road ahead of them. I can't wait to hear your thoughts. And if you can spare a review since FFN has been so glitchy with traffic stats and posting reviews and a dozen other things, I'd really appreciate it. I was going to hold this until email notifications came back, but that still hasn't happened and I didn't want you to have to wait any longer. But to hear from you so I know people are reading would be fantastic.

And now to address the obvious. Has it really been almost 19 months since this updated? My only excuse is that RL took center stage for a while. Our oldest bought a house we've been helping him renovate, our middle son moved out and in with his brother, and our youngest son graduated HS. Big changes around here have meant my mind has been elsewhere. But now I'm back with the rest of their story. The final chapters have been written and are in the process of being edited. Pending those edits and FFN not having any more technical issues (I mean, OMG, can you please just WORK?), this story will update weekly on Tuesdays until complete.

I have to take a minute to acknowledge all of you beautiful people who have waited patiently for more. And to my pre-readers for this round of chapters and my beta—2brown-eyes, BitterHarpy, DrivingEdward, Lizzie Paige, Maplestyle, and jayhawkbb—y'all have been the very best cheerleaders in the background while I got this back on track. I'm sending giant squishy hugs to each and every one of you. Thank you for your unending support. It truly means the world to me. Xoxo

Remember, the best way to stay up to date with what I'm up to, join in the discussion, and to see exclusive teaser pics, check out my Facebook group, Sunshine Fics. I'd love if you all could join us.

I will "see" you soon!

Be kind.
Stay safe.
Stay well.

Lots of love
~Sunshine