I Write Sins, Not Tragedies [An Emmett Cullen Love Story]

Epilogue

            Edward smiled sadly and walked around, placing a kiss on top of my gray hair and taking my fragile hand in his. Bella had carefully wiped a tear from my gray cheek, allowing me some dignity. My decision to stay human, to ultimately die, was something she could have never understood. But it was something that she had respected me for.

            “You can still change your mind, Louie.” Edward said, the hope still slightly in his voice. “You can still chose to stay with us.”

            I laughed a little. “No thank you, Edward. I don’t want to stay a hundred and eleven years old for the rest of eternity. Carlisle had kept me alive entirely too long.”

            Edward swallowed the tears he wouldn’t shed. “We’ll miss you. More than you know.”

            I smiled a little, sadness shining through. “This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

            Bella, always awkward to show her feelings, spoke up this time. “I-I-I don’t know what we are going to do without you, Mary. I never-we-I never pictured this.”

            I patted her leg, stopping her from jumbling her words any more. “I know, Bella, believe me. I never really pictured my death either, it feels like my life has flown by.”

            “It has.” Edward said. “Especially for us.”

            I gave Edward’s hand another squeeze, knowing that this was the last time that he and I were ever going to talk. I really wished that I had something better to say to him, but I was honestly just too weak to pour my heart out.

            Carlisle and Esme were by my side next, and both carefully took my body into a hug. I had already said my goodbyes to them, the people I had always considered my parents, even though everyone else now saw me are theirs.

            There was another knock at the door, and Rosalie’s voice rang in. “May I have a moment alone with her? Please.” Slowly, everyone gave me one final hug and sullenly walked out of the room while Rosalie waited on the other side, arms at her side and looking at her feet.

            Once we were alone, she spoke up. “I know I’ve spent your entire life preaching about how much I hated the idea of you becoming a vampire and giving it all up. I-I know that..” Rosalie was having trouble not choking in her grief, “I know…that now that you’re sitting here about to…about to die.”

            It was silent for a long moment while she gathered her thoughts. Instead of talking immediately, before I could blink I was wrapped in a tight hug. Her voice was thick in my ear. “Mary, I love you and I cannot tell you how…proud I am of you. You’ve stuck to your guns all these years and I can’t imagine how hard it must have been looking into that mirror as you grew older and older and watching Emmett and all of us stay like this.

            “I can’t imagine what was going through your head as you realized that you were ultimately going to die and leave us all. I can’t imagine the pain you’ve gone through, that inner torment. You, Mary, are so much stronger than anyone gives you credit for. I don’t think you know how much I am going to miss you.”

            Rosalie pulled away, her yellow eyes liquid with emotion. I could tell from the warmth on my cheek that mine were wet with tears. I had always admired Rosalie, and now it was her giving me praise. One again she spoke, her cold hand in mine. “I wish there were some other way for you to stay with us forever, I really do.”

            I spoke up once I had found my voice. “I know, Rose, so do I.”

            I didn’t notice that Jasper and Alice had made their way in while I was buried in Rose’s golden locks of hair. Alice smiled at me and Jasper nodded solemnly, clearly he was taking in the emotions that were radiating through the house. I felt sorry for him.