Three days before the wedding, I was finally allowed to walk. Most of the family was standing on the edges of the room, watching with vested interest, but my three mates and Emmett all hovered anxiously around me.
"Give her some space," Carlisle ordered. Emmett stepped back at once, but the kings were not so obliging.
Caius turned to snarl at him. "You cannot tell us to-"
"Caius," I said sharply, and he fell silent at once. "Carlisle is a doctor. He knows what he's doing. And I can't walk if you're all crowded around me."
"Apologies, amore," he said and stepped away. Aro and Marcus followed suit, but they wore matching worried expressions.
"Now, careful that you don't stand too quickly," Carlisle said, moving to stand in front of me. "And if you feel sick, dizzy, or faint I want you to tell me immediately. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," I said impatiently. "Can I stand now?"
He chuckled. "Yes, you can. Hold to me if you need to steady yourself and be very mindful of your shoulder."
"I can't move it anyway, between the bandages and the sling," I pointed out. The only time my arm was out of the sling was when Carlisle changed the bandages once a day.
"I meant to be careful not to jar it. You won't tear any stitches that way, but it will hurt," he said with an amused smile. "You can stand whenever you're ready, but be sure to take it slow."
"Okay," I said, letting out a determined breath. I carefully eased myself down to the floor, cool against my bare feet. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aro, Caius, and Marcus all tense in unison as I put weight on my legs, relieved that they didn't give out like the last time I had tried standing in the hospital.
"Feeling okay?" Carlisle asked.
"Yes," I said. It was odd, standing after being confined to bed for so long. My muscles felt very stiff, and I took a wobbly step towards Carlisle.
"Good," he encouraged. "Your legs will be a bit stiff and weak until you get accustomed to walking around again."
"Noticed that," I said, intensely focused on making sure my legs didn't buckle as I walked several more steps.
"Watch her, Carlisle," Edward warned. I sent him a betrayed look but nearly collapsed a second later.
"I've got her," Carlisle already had an arm wrapped around my torso to help me regain my balance. All three of the kings has started forward. "It's perfectly normal. I was expecting you to fall. I'm impressed you made it this far."
"I can go farther," I protested.
He smiled. "Let's not push yourself too far. Rest for a little while and you can try again in a few minutes, if you really want to."
"I do," I said.
"I thought you would," Carlisle said with a chuckle. Most of the family dispersed now that I was reseated on the bed, but Emmett sat down beside me and shot me a grin.
"That was good, squirt. You'll be running around again in no time, I'm sure of it," he said.
I grinned back. "Thanks, Dad. I sure hope so."
"I'll get you some lunch," Rose said. I had regained my appetite around mid-morning yesterday, though the intermittent strong painkillers I had to take still made me nauseous.
"That would be great, Mom. Thanks," I said. I swiveled on my butt so I could lean against the pillows. My ribs would take a while to heal - as would the linear fracture in my skull - but the pain from the fractures had ebbed. The only real trouble was my shoulder, which throbbed duly on the best of days and protested if my shoulder moved even a fraction of an inch.
Honestly, I was just excited to be able to go to the bathroom on my own now that I was starting to walk again. Up until now Rose, Esme, or Alice would have to help me get there and back, and as someone who values her autonomy it was nothing short of embarrassing.
"Are you certain you won't overwork yourself by walking again?" Caius asked, concern in his eyes.
I smiled at him. "Of course not. Nothing hurts. I've just been bedridden for a while and I have to get used to walking around again. It's completely normal."
"That it is," Carlisle said. "Your muscles just have to become accustomed to being in use again. I should have had you doing exercises earlier, but I really didn't want to risk aggravating any of your injuries."
"She'll be walking around on her own by tomorrow evening," Alice chirped from another room.
"See? Alice says it so it must be so," I said, grinning.
"Her visions are not infallible," Caius pointed out.
"True. But I've made the decision that I want to walk, and I'm not going to give up on it. The future isn't set in stone, certainly. But it is going to happen, not because she's seen it, but because I want it to."
"Well said," Carlisle said.
"Your lunch," Rose said, walking back into the room. It wasn't anything extravagant: just a turkey, lettuce, and cheese sandwich with a bowl of grapes on the side, but it was enough.
"Thanks," I said cheerfully, sitting up Indian style and placing the tray on my lap. I had grown accustomed to not using my left hand and arm, especially considering it was my non-dominant side, and other than using a knife, eating - as well as most other tasks - gave me very little trouble.
As soon as I had finished my lunch, I asked Carlisle if I could give walking another go.
"Yes, of course. It won't do you any harm," he agreed.
"Yes!" I cheered. I didn't have very much of an audience this time, apart from the kings, my parents, and Carlisle. Walking came easier than it had the first time, and I knew what to expect. I walked a bit farther than I had during my first attempt, nearly the length of half the room, before Carlisle had to help me back to the bed to rest.
"Well done, Ro-bear! That was way better than last time. I'll be back to beating you in our foot races in no time," Emmett said, shooting me a wink.
I laughed. "Yeah, enjoy winning while you still can."
Just as Alice predicted, I was up and walking no problem by the end of the following day. Because of this, I was able to move back into my bedroom, allowing the family room to be converted back into its original space. That was directed by Alice, who was running rampant to put together all the final touches for the wedding tomorrow. Bella had been at my house since around eight in the morning, trailing after Alice like a reluctant shadow. I had a chance to brief her on my plans for her bachelorette "party" during lunch.
"So your bachelorette party is this evening. I know Alice wants you to get a good night's rest, so we're going to shut ourselves in my bedroom and not come out except for snacks until our Pride and Preju-thon has ended. Then Edward will drive you home so you can get a full night's worth of beauty sleep for your big day tomorrow," I said, almost completely in one breath.
Bella smiled, looking relieved. "That sounds good. It'll be nice to get away from all the crazy."
"Agreed. It's very chaotic and making... certain people antsy," I said, glancing pointedly towards Caius, who stood in the living room, watching out the window with his hands clasped behind him and back ram-rod straight. The chaos and obvious tension in the air was setting him in particular on-edge.
"When will you go back to Volterra?" Bella asked.
"Before you get back from your honeymoon, certainly, but not for another couple weeks," I said. "Carlisle wants to give my shoulder more time to heal under his eye, and my mates agree with him. So do I."
"They respect you," she observed thoughtfully.
I blinked. "Of course they do. And I respect them. That's kind of how it works, isn't it?"
"Well, yes. It just surprised me, I guess. Edward respects me, but sometimes I feel like he thinks he knows better than me, or like he believes he knows what I want instead of just... listening to me tell him what I want," Bella said awkwardly.
"I'm pretty sure all the men in Volterra drink the respecting women juice, so there is that," I said with a laugh. "But Edward has always been a very 'my way or the highway' sort of person. He does love you, and he does respect you. But he'll also trample all over you if you don't stand up to him."
"Sometimes I feel like you know him better than I do," Bella said. "But you are right."
"I know I'm right. I've lived with him for four years. He's my brother. I should hope I know him pretty damn well, right down to that weird hand-combing thing he does every so often to make sure his hair keeps that artfully messy look," I said with a laugh.
"So you've noticed that too!" Bella exclaimed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he does it too much."
"It's mindless for him at this point," I said.
"A day before my wedding and you're taking the time to insult my appearance?" Edward asked, walking up. He looked about as close to exhausted as a vampire could look. "Alice has had me running around all day, I've barely had a moment to spare. It'll be good for you to get Bella away from the chaos for a while, Rowan."
"I think she's holding up rather well," I said. "She's not china, Edward. Wedding prep is annoying, sure, but it won't kill her."
"I know that. But I'm concerned that Alice is being a bit much. If it weren't for your injuries, Rowan, she'd probably have you up and working too," Edward said.
I grinned. "You're probably right."
"Tablecloths, Edward! I need the tablecloths!" Alice called.
Edward grimaced. "Better get back to it. Call if you need anything, love. Try to make sure she doesn't trip over anything, Ro."
"What exactly am I supposed to do if she does?" I asked, gesturing towards my sling with an amused expression. "Besides, I'm sure Bella will be fine. She's survived getting around the house this long."
"Plus, there's always ice for the uncoordinated," Bella added. "I'll be fine. You should go help Alice. We can't have the wedding if there's no groom."
"A good point," Edward said, giving Bella one more gentle smile before walking off.
"Bella, are you finished your lunch? Good, I need you outside," Alice said, appearing in the kitchen.
Bella gave me a regretful smile. "I'll see you later."
"Duh. Can't miss your bachelorette party," I said.
Alice scoffed. "If you call that a party. But it's smart, really, because it's less stress for Bella before the wedding. Good thinking, Rowan."
"Uh... thanks?" I asked, not completely sure what had just happened. Alice didn't usually thank someone for not throwing a party.
"You're welcome. C'mon, Bella!" Alice said, skipping out of the room with Bella following reluctantly behind her.
I smiled fondly and picked up my plate, carrying it to the sink.
"I'll take it, darling," Marcus said, materializing by my side.
"Thank you, Marcus," I said appreciatively.
"How would you like to get out of the house for a little while, mia cara? Escape the busyness? We'll have you back in time for your plans with Bella," Aro said, propping his elbows on the is+-land counter.
I nodded, excited. I hadn't been out of the house since the disastrous trip to La Push. "That sounds great. I've been going a little stir crazy. Where will we go?"
"We won't be venturing far. Caius suggested your favorite spot," Aro said.
"It's not raining at the moment, so I think that's a great idea. I'll just need some help up. Can't climb at the moment," I said.
"That is something we are more than happy to do," Marcus said.
"Let's go, then," I said, already heading towards the door.
"Do you need a coat?" Marcus asked.
"No, it's nice out." It was nearly seventy-five, which was a stark contrast to Volterra's normal hot temperatures but rather warm for Forks.
We headed out the back door, passing the near-nonstop wedding preparation and taking the worn path into the forest, which soon shut out all sounds of wedding prep from my ears.
"This is nice," I said, taking deep breaths of fresh air and enjoying the pleasant burn in my legs from walking. I had grown used to being up and about again, but I hadn't walked this far yet.
"It is," Marcus agreed, beating Aro and Caius to grab my free hand, interlacing his fingers with my own.
"So you want to return to Volterra in roughly two weeks' time?" Caius asked.
"Yes. The Denalis are staying for about another week before returning to Alaska, and I'll get another week to spend time with my family before going back to Italy."
"We'll have to return to Volterra within the next couple days. The guard currently in charge is perfectly capable, but others will take notice of our continued absence and it's best if we return soon," Aro said. "Your guard will remain here, and Demetri, Felix, and Alec will join them as well in our absence."
I wasn't surprised at the excessive amount of guard members that was now put in place to guard me. After Demetri, Felix, and Alec's arrival, it would bring the total amount of present guard members to seven, but I knew after my father kidnapped me the kings didn't want to take any chances on my safety, nor did I want them to.
We reached the rock pile after a few more minutes' worth of walking. I looked up at it and let out a silent sigh, simply thankful that I got to see it again. The encounter with my father had left me with new scars and a new appreciation for life and all its wonders.
"I'll help you up," Caius volunteered before Aro or Marcus could get a word in.
I smiled in amusement at his competitiveness. "Thanks."
"Of course, amore," he said, carefully picking me up and springing easily to the top, followed shortly by Aro and Marcus.
"It's nice to be back up here," I said once Caius had set me down and I had taken a seat, leaning against Aro's chest.
"It's a calming spot, for certain," Marcus agreed.
"I can't believe Bella is going to be getting married tomorrow. It feels like I just met her yesterday," I reminisced. "Now she's getting married to Edward, my dad is dead, and I've basically moved in with you. Last year I wouldn't even recognize my life now."
"It's the same for us. You, quite literally, appeared in our lives and made certain that nothing would ever be the same," Caius pointed out. "Naturally, we don't regret a moment of it."
"You better not," I said, grinning.
"Believe me, bellissima," Aro said softly, "we don't regret a thing."
Edited 6/26/2021