A Christmas Miracle

Chapter Four

Bella was just sitting down after a long day of volunteering at the hospital cancer treatment center. She made sure the patients were comfortable, bringing them blankets, ice chips, hard candy, or anything to soothe their pain.

Putting up her feet, she dug into a thick piece of chocolate cake. Edward was big on eating healthy foods and limited sweets, but he wasn't here. For the last two months, she couldn't get enough food. She was missing her husband, so eating was her friend. Turning on the tv, she picked up on where she left off on the new series she was watching. As she finished her cake, she let out an enormous yawn. She was exhausted. Maybe she was doing too much and not eating right. Edward was going to be upset with her for not taking care of herself. Well, it is too late now to go on a diet and she had gained almost ten pounds. Then she thought about the excess amount of sex they will have, making up for all the time they have missed. A giggle escaped her lips thinking about it.

Looking down at the empty plate, she bit her lip. She was still hungry and there was still half of a cake in the container. "Hmm, maybe just one piece," she said out loud. She got up and took her plate to the counter to cut another piece, but before she could, the buzzer rang. Walking over to the panel, she pressed the button. "Hello."

"Bella, dear, can you buzz us up?" Esme said, holding Carlisle's hand. She was only holding it together for Bella.

"Oh my, yes."

A few minutes later, the elevator door opened, and Bella met Esme and Carlisle. "Mom, Dad, what a surprise," she said, giving each of them a hug. When she pulled back, she noticed Jay was here as well. "Jay, I didn't see you there, welcome."

Bella headed to the living room, followed by her guests. She wished she had known they were coming by and she would have dressed nicer. The yoga pants and Edward's t-shirts were what she wore most of the time. They were comfortable and most of her jeans she couldn't button. She sat down on the couch and Esme sat down on one side while Carlisle sat on the other. Jay sat across from them with his hands clasped together.

Carlisle hated what Jay was about to do, but he had to be strong. When Jay had called them earlier and told them, they both were in shock and beyond sad. Their only child who had given himself over and over again to strangers was no longer alive. No parent ever wanted to outlive their children. Thoughts of Bella flooded their minds. From the first time they met her, they knew she was Edward's soulmate. She was going to be devastated by the news. When Jay asked them to accompany him to break the news to Bella, they, of course, agreed.

Bella jumped to her feet. "Where are my manners? Would anyone like a drink?"

"No, we are good," Esme said, fighting back the tears.

Bella sat back down and glanced around at everyone. She couldn't figure out why they were here.

Jay cleared his throat. "Bella, I hate to be the one to tell you this."

"What?" she asked.

"Earlier today, the plane that Edward was on crashed in the northern part of Canada."

"Oh, someone must have misinformed you. I spoke to Edward today, and he said he was leaving Friday," Bella replied.

Esme reached over and placed her hand on top of Bella's before Jay continued.

"That was the original plan, but a doctor from Nome traveled to St. Lawrence so Edward could leave this morning. His flight left earlier this morning. A few hours in, they were hit by a rogue winter storm. The pilot declared an emergency and minutes later, the plane dropped off the radar. The last known location is extremely remote and is impossible to get to in the current conditions."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. What are you saying?" Bella asked as her hands began to shake and heart raced.

"Even if they survived the crash, there is no way they would survive the weather conditions. Bella, Edward is presumed dead."

Shaking her head repeatedly. "NO! You have to be mistaken. I just talked to him. He is coming home."

"Bella, sweetie, he is gone," Carlisle said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

Her entire world collapsed around her. Edward was everything to her, and she couldn't comprehend that she would never be able to see him again. She would never be wrapped in his warm embrace. Never to feel his lips on hers. Never to hear his voice as he whispered sweet words during their lovemaking. How was she ever going to survive without him?

Seven days later, they were sitting with family, friends, and associates in St. Patrick's Cathedral holding Edward's funeral. During the last seven days, Jay tried everything he could to get to the crash site. However, the storm which brought down the plane was still hitting the area hard. He was able to call in a favor and a satellite tasked with taking photos of the area where the plane might have crashed. Unfortunately, the snow was so deep the plane was hidden.

Bella had zoned out after Jay brought the news of the plane crash and Edward's death. After a brief episode of shock, Bella snapped out of it and began making plans for Edward's service. She wanted it to be not a mourning of his death, but a celebration of the good works he had accomplished in his brief life. One of things she needed to do was to speak during the service. If she kept busy, she wouldn't have time to think about what she was going to do without him.

Carlisle and Esme were concerned about her. They knew it was only a matter of time before reality hit and she crashed from the grief. They stayed at her apartment, even though she assured them she would be fine alone. Leading up to the funeral, the apartment was busy with people sending or bringing food, flowers, and cards. At one point, Bella called a local homeless kitchen and donated the food to them. They donated the flowers to the hospital where Edward worked to be placed in a patient's room who didn't have family members.

The time came during the service that Bella was to speak about Edward. After giving Esme's hand a squeeze, she stood and approached the podium. Laying the speech in front of her, she looked out at the crowd. Not a seat was vacant. On the right side of the chapel were family, friends, and colleagues. And on the left side, dressed in red, was everyone whose life was saved by Edward. They came from all over the world to pay their respects. Many who couldn't afford airplane tickets, Bella paid for their tickets. The sight alone was awe-inspiring.

"Thank you for coming today, to celebrate and honor the life of my husband, Edward. Looking out, I am awed by the sea of red. Edward counted his blessings for being able to have the ability to save the lives of so many. He didn't do it for money or fame, but for the looks of relief on the patient's family when he could tell them that their loved one was going to survive," Bella said, as she fought back the tears. "Until I met Edward, I didn't believe in soulmates, but he rushed one day into my gallery and when I looked into his eyes, I felt whole for the first time in my life. The short time we had together was filled with love, devotion, and joy. We shared so much and looked forward to growing old together. However, fate had other plans," she continued, then looked at the large photo beside the empty casket. It was her favorite picture of Edward. She remembered the event it was taken at. It was a fundraiser for heart disease and he was given an award for his work in helping people who couldn't afford healthcare with heart disease. Of course, he had expressed he didn't deserve the award, but took it and dedicated it to all those who had survived.

She had more speech to share, but she couldn't get the words out. The weight of the day crashed down on her. Tears poured down her face as she turned and took a step away from the podium. As she did so, the room spun and the darkness of her grief wrapped around her, pulling her under.