Soul not Included

Chapter 78

I spent the night huddled on the music room bed with Simon and Augie. One of us not really having to sleep and was just waiting there for me after my conversation with Edward. Simon didn't ask questions. He just patted the empty space next to Augie and we all knocked out exhausted. 

That night passed without much of an update from Alice and Jasper. 

I didn't let that bother me since it wasn't a concern of mine. What bothered me, was waking up the next morning to a swarm of vampires in the room. Augie was already awake and braiding Char's hair next to me.

The little girl turned to me and grinned. "Morning, mommy."

And heart attack. Ugh, she's fucking cute and it hurts.

"Buenos dias, querida," i returned to her. It felt so natural to slip into mom mode that it kind of scared me. I didn't think that she would remember me this much or that she'd attach her idea of mother to me, just the soul, and not Bella, the actual body that gave birth to her.

Simon moved out of his seat and that had seemed to be enough to have sent the Valoz charging onto the bed.

There was a flurry of I missed you and I hate you mixed together. I laughed as they both grabbed on to different limbs of my body to latch onto as if I would go away again. I seem to have made that a permanent reaction from everyone, the love/hate feeling.

"How?" Grace asked. "Why?"

I guessed what her question was since she wasn't clarifying.

"Simon did it because of a promise he forced me to make a long time ago."

She shook her head and Theo cleared his throat. "That doesn't matter... what happened? You didn't get reincarnated again?"

"Ah..." i turned to Simon for help.

Simon shrugged. "I figured we needed her back faster than that so I didn't think reincarnation would have been appropriate. So... commandeered a body instead."

"So you didn't die?" Grace asked and sigh of relief. "We hoped you had gotten home... I'm so glad that that's what happened."

"How was it?" Theo asked. "Getting to go back?"

My eyes trailed around the room. Everyone, I suppose gathered in this room to wait for Alice and Jasper while at the same time keeping their eyes on me. Maybe they'll think I'll go away again after I stated that it would be better for me to go.

Edward stood beside Bella. She was leaning into him, smiling completely happy. My mind goes back to his final kiss and to my time with him. He smiles at that. It wasn't weird, really. Thinking back on the days we spent together it felt to me like we were always just friends just messing around pretending to be lovers to keep the other humans the fuck away from us. Edward chuckled at that.

This was good. This felt right.

"It was..." i started. "A lot."

I told them shortened stories of getting back to my family. Edward getting the full picture because i thought up of more details that I didn't say. His expressions gave away what he was feeling and he freely let himself make those expressions so i could read them. 

Im surprised the trust was still there.

I wont squander it this time.

I told the stories mostly because I wanted everyone to think of something else that wasn't Alice and Jasper not returning and their worry of the Volturi coming to kill each and everyone of us. I understood that just because I say, we would all be okay didn't mean that they will actually feel okay. The future changes, Oliver is proof of that, if he was in fact the one that told the Volturi.