Disclaimer: None of this mine, nor will it ever be. The characters belong to Stephenie Meyer and I just like to play with Edward and Bella.
Also, thank you so much for your support for my writing. It means to me more than words can say.
I'm unsure if you'd heard, but one of our beloved fandom family members passed away a couple of weekends ago. Dee Creston, lovingly known as FangirlinGrandmaDee, died peacefully and surrounded by family. This chapter is dedicated to one of the kindest, warmest and friendliest members of our TwiFamily. Her love of fic and her encouraging words will be missed, tremendously.
From me to you, Dee, {GIANT TUFANO HUGS AND SMOOCHES} ... always and forever.
"Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation."
Brian Tracy
Chapter Ten
Months went by. Edward became a regular fixture at the Swan household, spending the night frequently. So often, he had brought over a fair amount of clothing, most of which hung in Bella's closet. He celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family, and was unofficially adopted by Renee and Charlie.
In addition to opening his heart to Bella, Edward also opened his heart to the boys. Jake accepted Edward easily and gained a new male role model and friend. Seth was still cautious, having been burned by his father, but he grew to like Edward and gobbled up his attention along with his knowledge about sports.
Bella's recovery was slowly improving after a month-long stall. She still struggled with balance, but she was able to walk smoothly in the aquatic treadmill. Edward also had her work on a recumbent stepper to get her leg strength back. She could walk, but required the use of a walker for balance. Bella hated it, vowing to never use one when she reached the age of eighty. Regardless, she was walking more and using her wheelchair less and less.
During the boys' spring break, Edward took Bella to visit his parents in Jacksonville. Jake and Seth wanted to spend time with Nana and Poppy, going fishing and camping. Bella was more than happy to have her sons go with her father to do their outdoorsy things. It had been a cold and wet winter. When Edward suggested the trip to Florida, Bella readily agreed, eager to get out of Seattle. She hadn't had a vacation since she started working for the publishing house.
As they flew over the country, Edward read Bella's diary entries. She was watching a movie on her iPad while Edward read her inner-most thoughts on her laptop. She knew it was tough for him, reading about the pain she endured. He held her close, kissing her forehead and crying during her lowest parts of her recovery. At one point, Edward closed her laptop.
"What?" Bella asked, tugging out her ear buds.
"Your ex-husband is a douchebag," Edward sneered.
"Keep in mind that I was writing these as if no one would read them," Bella snickered. "Obviously, I need to do some major editing ..."
"No, they need to know about how not to treat someone who had a life-altering medical event," Edward huffed. "He's so cold! What did you ever see in him?"
"When we met, he was good and kind, treating me with love and affection. We got married relatively quickly. I was pregnant with Jake. He was a drunken debacle baby, but we loved him from the moment we found out I was pregnant. Anyway, we were still in college. I had Jake in June between my junior and senior years of college and I was back, student teaching in August. Riley's parents helped a lot," Bella said.
"You don't talk about them, in your diary," Edward said.
"They both died, around our five-year anniversary. Car accident," Bella frowned. "William, Riley's dad, fell asleep at the wheel and crossed four lanes of traffic before wrapping his car around a telephone pole." Bella sighed. "Riley was a mess after that, fell into a deep depression. He bounced back, returning to the sweet, affectionate man I married and Seth was conceived. After Seth's birth, Riley just shut off. We lived together, but we weren't together. It wasn't a marriage. Then, I had my stroke and his true colors came out."
"You mentioned in here that you thought he was having an affair?"
"Oh, he was. It started about a year after Seth's birth. It's the same woman I saw him with, the redhead. He admitted it after he handed me the divorce papers, while we were meeting for mediation. He moved in with her and is playing daddy to her kid, James," Bella snorted. "Didn't you mention that you dated a redhead?"
"I did, but I ran into her when I was at the conference in San Diego ..."
"Longest three days of my life," Bella grumped.
"Agreed," Edward laughed. "Anyway, Victoria ... well, things didn't work out between us because ... I don't have the right parts. I needed to have breasts and a vagina."
"She's a lesbian," Bella surmised.
"Yeah. She's married now. Her wife, Maggie, had me over for dinner where I met their children. Siobhan was carried by Maggie and Victor was carried by Victoria," Edward said. "Anyway ... I'm sorry that Riley was so stand-offish toward the end."
"When we had that court date, suspending his visitation rights, we talked. It was really weird. We were at each other's throats in the courtroom, but when the judge sided with me, he just deflated. Packing up my stuff, I rolled out and found my ex-husband sitting outside of the courtroom. He told me that he regretted what he did to me and to our family," Bella said.
"Let me guess, his girlfriend dumped him?" Edward asked.
"No, they were still together, but he hated that he put the needs of her and her asshole son before our family," Bella murmured. "He just realized what he'd done, alienating our children for his own selfish purposes. He was upset that he lost his relationship with both boys and he hates himself because of it."
"He should. Jake and Seth are amazing boys," Edward growled. "He tossed them aside without a single thought to their well-being. He will pay for that for the rest of his life."
"He will, but he said that he would like, when the boys ask, to see them again. I told him not to hold his breath," Bella deadpanned. "But, if they ask to see him, I won't stop them."
"You're a better person than me," Edward snorted. "He's made his bed ..." Bella caressed his cheek and gently turned his face to her. He stared at her, lost in her elegant beauty. Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over hers. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too, Edward," she sighed, snuggling closer. "And trust me when I say that it took a lot of power not to rub Riley's mistake in his face. If he'd pulled this bullshit sooner, when I was still bitter, I would have been arrested for assault and backing over my ex-husband with my wheelchair. Right over his dick."
"Ouch," Edward laughed, crossing his legs. "Please don't threaten manly bits."
"I won't threaten your manly bits. I'd like, very much, to be intimately acquainted to your manly bits," Bella purred.
"That's the nice thing about this trip. A private hotel room," Edward smirked, draping Bella's leg over his. "I still don't want to ..."
"I'm not made of glass," Bella said, wrinkling her nose.
"I know, but trust me?" Edward asked. "I may not want to make love, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to make you feel good. I'd like to experiment, Beautiful Bella." His nose traveled along her neck, peppering her skin with soft kisses.
"I'm not opposed to that," Bella replied breathily.
Three hours later, the plane landed and they made their way out of the airplane. Much to Bella's chagrin, she used a wheelchair provided by the airlines since her stamina was nonexistent. At baggage claim, Edward picked up their suitcase and Bella's walker. When he walked back to Bella, his eyes widened. "Mom? Dad?"
Turning in her chair, she saw an older couple. The woman was small, like Bella, with caramel hair and alabaster skin. The man was tall like Edward, with a slight belly, but relatively lean. His hair was greying and he wore glasses over his ice-blue eyes.
"You wouldn't think I'd let my only son and his lovely girlfriend take a taxi, do you?" the man laughed. Edward hugged him and kissed his mother.
"This is my girlfriend, Bella," Edward said. She grabbed Edward's hand and he helped her to her feet. "Bella, these are my parents, Carlisle and Esme Cullen."
Esme walked over to Bella and hugged her. "You're so lovely, Bella," Esme beamed. "It's such a pleasure to meet you."
"You, too, Mrs. Cullen," Bella grinned.
"Call me Esme, sweetie," she chuckled.
"And I'm Carlisle." He walked to her and kissed her cheek tenderly. "Edward hasn't stopped talking about you."
"He's very important to me, Carlisle," Bella breathed. She stumbled and Edward helped her back into her chair. "I'm still working on my stamina and my balance. Being on the plane for over six hours has been a struggle."
"Dad, we appreciate you being here, but we'd made arrangements for a limo to the hotel," Edward said.
"Hotel? Why don't you stay with us?" Esme suggested.
"Stairs," Edward sighed. "Your home has stairs and ... Bella can't go up them." He caressed her cheek and she smiled up at him.
"Oh, right," Esme frowned. "Can't you just carry her up the stairs?"
Bella flushed and hid behind her hair, hating that Esme was talking about her like she wasn't there. Tears welled in her eyes and she reached for Edward's hand. He squeezed her fingers, eager to get her out of this uncomfortable situation
"Es, I think that we should let them keep their own plans," Carlisle said tersely. He blinked to Bella, seeing her embarrassment. "Why don't you all get settled and we'll have dinner tomorrow?"
"That sounds perfect," Edward breathed. "It's been a long day."
"It was nice to meet you both. Thank you for the invitation to stay with you, but ..." Bella said, glowering at her useless legs.
"We'll call you tomorrow," Edward said, nodding to the airport employee to push Bella. They went outside and there was a waiting limo. Edward helped Bella into the backseat and tipped the employee before they drove off to their hotel. Bella was turned away from Edward, curled up on the seat. "Bella ... I'm sorry about my mother."
"It's attitudes like hers that made me abhor being in that fucking chair," Bella spat. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, Bella. It's not your fault," Edward said, reaching for her hand. She took it, but still stayed turned away. He sighed, moving closer. Bella turned and leaned her cheek against his bicep. "I work with people with disabilities all the time. For doing this for all of my professional life, I see past the disability and see the person. My mother, while wanting to spend time with us, insulted you. I should have told them the reason why we were staying at the hotel. This is my fault."
"No, I'm just being irrational," Bella muttered. "And I'm overtired."
"I think that once we get to the hotel, you can take a nap and relax," Edward said, kissing her temple. "While you're sleeping, I'll pick up a rental car and get some dinner."
"Sounds good," Bella said quietly. "I'm still sorry for being an over-emotional female."
"No more apologies, Bella," Edward chided gently. She nodded, wrapping her arms around Edward's torso. A half hour later, they pulled up to the Omni Hotel and they slowly made their way into the lobby. Bella refused to sit in another chair until they got into their suite. After checking in, they rode up to their room and settled in. Bella collapsed on the bed, sprawling on the king-sized mattress. "Comfortable?"
"I'm sore, to be honest," Bella grumbled. "I hate to take anything stronger than ibuprofen ..."
"I think, after the flight and the walk from the limo and to the room, you can take something stronger than ibuprofen," Edward said, opening up their bag and taking out her toiletry bag. She sat up, finding her pain killers and Edward came back with a glass of water and a protein bar. "I'll be back in an hour or so."
"I'm going to take full advantage of this wonderful bed," Bella said, eating the protein bar and taking her medication. "Chinese food sounds good, if you don't mind."
"I'll speak to the concierge before I leave," Edward smiled, kissing her and tucking her into the bed. "Call me if you need me. I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned off the lights and watched as Bella curled away from him. Picking up his wallet, cell phone and the room key. He ducked out, heading to the lobby. He spoke to the concierge and they made arrangements for a rental car. They also gave him the name of several Chinese restaurants nearby. With a smile, he got into the car and drove to his parents' home. Ringing the doorbell, he waited on the doorstep.
"Edward!" Carlisle said, his eyes wide. "I didn't expect you until tomorrow."
"I wanted to talk to Mom," Edward said tersely.
Carlisle nodded, opening the door and leading his only son to his mother in the kitchen. She was scrubbing the pristine granite counter tops. Edward cleared his throat and she looked up. "I'm surprised you're here, Edward."
"Don't be like that, Mom," Edward snapped.
"I haven't seen you since last Christmas and all I want is for you to stay with me and your father. So, we have stairs? You could carry Bella. She's tiny," Esme said, narrowing her eyes.
"Mom, listen to me. Two and half years ago, she had a stroke that paralyzed her. She worked her ass off to gain back her independence. That off-handed comment you made about me carrying her? It went against everything she worked for. Yes, I could carry her. She is very tiny. But, that's not the point. You didn't see the woman I love. You saw the chair. You saw her disability; a disability she's pushing against and proving to every doctor who said she couldn't stand, walk, be independent, proving them wrong. I work with people who are fighting to make their lives better after illness, accidents and debilitating events, like the stroke Bella had. They don't want their entire identity to be associated with their failings, with their disability. They want to be known as the people they are," Edward seethed. "You could never understand. You're perfectly healthy."
"Edward ..."
"I got a glimpse of what Bella has to deal with when I injured my knee," Edward said. "It was small and I was laid up for a year, but I was relatively mobile. Bella had to relearn how to do everything. She was lucky that she never completely lost the feelings in her limbs. The connection from her brain to her legs was frayed. Yes, she can walk, but with the assistance of a walker. Can she climb stairs? As her boyfriend and as her physical therapist, I think not; her abilities nor her strength are quite where they should be. You talking about her like she wasn't there? The worst insult to anyone who has a disability.
"We came to Jacksonville for you to meet her. Bella and her children, I love them so much. I see a future with her. We've been together for six months and I ..." Edward huffed. "I was ashamed at how you acted. I told Bella about you and Dad and we were excited to spend some time here with both of you and Aunt Elizabeth."
"Edward, you please let me speak?" Esme asked. He blinked up, seeing his mother crying.
"Damn it," he spat. "Mom ... I didn't want you to cry."
"No, I should. I never realized ..." she sniffled. "I just hadn't seen you in so long. I was being selfish."
"Yes, you were. You didn't see Bella's eyes deaden," Edward said, pinching his nose. "You didn't hold her while she cried, embarrassed and upset that she was keeping us apart. Dad got it!"
"I'm sorry, Edward. I can see how much you love her and I never intended to cause her any pain or embarrassment. I'm so happy that you met someone that adores you," Esme whispered, moving closer to her son and reaching for his hand. He took a step back, holding up his hands. "Edward ..."
"I think he's well within his rights to be upset, Es," Carlisle said, walking into the kitchen. "I've had patients who have expressed the same feelings to me regarding recuperation and recovery after a debilitating injury."
"Mom, I won't have her be upset like that," Edward said, running his hands through his hair. "We can spend time with you and Aunt Elizabeth, after you've apologized to Bella for minimizing her feelings. Or, I can spoil my girlfriend to a vacation in the sun and warmth of Florida, not visiting you."
"No! Please, Edward, I ... I didn't mean to," Esme sobbed, scurrying to her son and wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry for what I said. I think Bella is a lovely girl."
"I agree, but I'd understand if she doesn't want to talk to us after today," Carlisle said. "Edward, please extend our apologies. I hope that we can meet up for dinner and try again."
"Bella is not like that," Edward said. "I just wanted to talk to you about your actions, and educate you about people with disabilities. Their disabilities do not make them who they are. Their disabilities are not the sole portion of their personality. Now, like Bella, I'm exhausted. She's taking a nap. I want nothing more than to curl around her, after picking up something to eat."
"Drive safely, Edward," Carlisle said, shaking his son's hand.
"I will," Edward replied. He gave a stiff hug to his mother. With a wave, he left the house and drove to the restaurant. He ordered their meal to go and made his way back to the hotel. Parking the car, he grabbed their food, riding up to their floor and walking to their room. Unlocking the door, he saw the lights were still off and the drapes were drawn. Placing the food into the refrigerator, he walked into the bedroom. Bella was still curled up, but her sleep wasn't restful. Her cheeks were damp with tears and her brow was furrowed. "Oh, Beautiful Bella ..." Toeing off his shoes, he crawled in behind her and pulled her into his arms.
She woke up, sighing and sliding her hands along his chest. "I'm okay. It just rocked me a bit," she whispered.
"What do you need, Bella?"
"Just hold me, Edward," she said. "You say I'm strong, but every so often I just need to crumble."
"And I'll be here when you fall, Bella," Edward vowed. "Always."
A/N: Edward is so protective. I love that about him. He's amazing. I want one, just like him.
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