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.
"Some people only ask others to do something. I believe that, why should I wait for someone else? Why don't I take a step and move forward."
Malala Yousafzai
Chapter Eleven
A couple days later, Bella and Edward drove to a French restaurant, Restaurant Orsay, to meet up with Carlisle, Esme and Esme's sister, Elizabeth. Bella shifted in the passenger seat and tried to cover her legs with her skirt.
"Stop it, beautiful," Edward said, reaching across to hold her hand. "You look ravishing."
"My legs look like toothpicks," she grumbled. "When we get back, we need to work on making my legs look like legs and not like sticks." She lifted her slender leg and poked at it. "And they're so white."
"We had a rainy, nasty winter," Edward snickered. "I'm just as pasty, love."
"Well, right now, you're more red than pasty," Bella giggled.
"Shut it," he growled. "The pool and the waves and the weather ... it was so relaxing. I didn't mean to fall asleep."
"I thought you had enough sunblock. I'm sorry," Bella said, threading her fingers with Edward's. "When we get back to the hotel, I'll put more aloe on your back. I promise."
"Thank you, Bella," he said, lifting her hand to his lips and brushing his mouth along her knuckles. "You know, if you feel uncomfortable ... with my mother's actions and her comments ... we can leave."
"I'll be fine," she breathed. "I took your mother's words too seriously. It didn't help that I was overtired from the long journey. I was far too sensitive, to be honest."
"She didn't see you. She saw the chair," Edward argued, his own temper flaring. "She needed to be educated ..."
"Edward, I don't want to cause a rift between you and your family," she frowned, rubbing his arm soothingly.
"Dad was on my side," he snickered, pulling into the restaurant and stopping at the valet station. Edward darted to the passenger side, helping Bella to stand. "Do you want your walker or ..."
"I want to try, holding onto you," Bella said, gripping his arm. Edward smiled, sliding his arm around her waist. They walked slowly into the restaurant. They were led to a semi private room.
"Edward! Bella!" Carlisle said, walking over to them. "I'm so happy you're here!" He hugged his son and kissed Bella on her cheek. "Have you acclimated to the heat and humidity of Jacksonville?"
"I prefer to drink my water, not absorb it," Bella snickered. "But, it's a welcome change from the weather we've had in Seattle: wet, rainy and dreary." Carlisle pulled out a chair and Edward helped Bella to sit. "Thank you."
Edward sat down next to her, taking her hand. "I like the warmth of Florida, but I miss the mountains."
"Me, too. It's the one thing I miss about living in Florida ... no mountains," Esme said. "Bella, I'm so glad that you came. It gives me a chance to apologize. It was never my intention to minimize your recovery. My son told me about you defying your doctor's expectations. You must have a great deal of pride in how far you've come."
"I have come a long way, thanks to Edward, but I still have a long way to go. I still need assistance to walk great distances and my stamina is not there," Bella chuckled. "I need to rebuild the muscles in my legs."
"Well, my nephew can work miracles," said another woman, sitting opposite of Carlisle. She looked a lot like Esme, but with silver hair and bright green eyes. "I'm Elizabeth and I'm Esme's older sister and Edward's godmother. He's simply over the moon about you, Bella. You are quite lovely and you have a lot of fire."
"I wouldn't go that far," Bella snickered, taking a sip of water. "More like I'm a pain in the butt."
"But, you're my pain," Edward smiled, kissing Bella's temple. "How are you, Aunt Lizzie? Have you settled into your new place?"
"I'm happy to be in a smaller place. My home was too big for just me and my kids are far too busy to visit their elderly, widowed mother," Elizabeth said, rolling her eyes. "I also don't miss stairs." She blinked to Bella. "I had a knee replacement about ten years ago. Me and stairs are not good friends."
"And you'd be surprised the number of places that don't have wheelchair accessibility," Bella murmured. "I was lucky. After I had my stroke, I already owned a ranch house. I do have a finished basement, but that is solely my sons' domain. I trust them to clean it. I make my older son, Jake, take photos to prove that it's decent. There's no foul smell coming from down there, so, I assume my boys are keeping it clean. Where do your children live?"
"I have three. My oldest, Felix, lives in Boston, working his ass off as a lawyer to the rich and corrupt," Elizabeth smirked. "He's married to his job, but he is a handsome devil."
"Felix and I are the same age and we were often mistaken as twins," Edward said. "The difference was that Felix had browner hair and hazel eyes."
"Plus, the worst attitude known to man," Elizabeth chuckled. "I love him and I'm proud of his achievements, but I wished he would get married and give me more grand kids."
"Felix is also a lot like her late husband, Edward," Esme explained. "Both men were so driven to the point of madness."
"My Edward was also an attorney, but he worked for the state as a district attorney," Elizabeth smiled. "He was a workaholic until he retired. Unfortunately, ninety days after he tried his last case, he had a massive heart attack and died before he even fell to the ground."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine, Elizabeth." Elizabeth waved her hands and gave Bella a warm smile. "Did you always live in Jacksonville?" Bella asked.
"Oh, no. We lived in New York. Jacksonville was our retirement plan," Elizabeth said sadly. "I just couldn't leave here after my Edward died. We came here numerous times as a family for vacation. We planned on living the rest of our lives here. I decided that I would fulfill my husband's dream. Though, in a smaller house than the giant McMansion my husband bought for us."
"Again, I'm so sorry for your loss," Bella frowned. "To lose someone you love that way ... my heart is breaking for you."
"It's unfathomable," Elizabeth whispered, her eyes staring at the flickering candle. "Your life changes in an instant." Blinking to Bella, she gave her a tender smile. "You get it, don't you?"
"I do," Bella breathed. She reached across and squeezed Elizabeth's hand. She gave Bella a warm, understanding look.
The server picked that moment to arrive and Carlisle ordered a bottle of wine for the table, while everyone chose an appetizer to share, along with salads. Elizabeth told Bella about her other children, a pair of twins, Alec and Jane. Jane followed in her uncle's footsteps and became a doctor. She worked in a level one trauma center in Chicago as a trauma surgeon. She had a little boy, Demetri, from a previous marriage. She was pregnant with her second child, a girl, with her boyfriend, an anesthesiologist who floated to her hospital. Alec was a free-spirit, working as a photo journalist with his long-time partner, Amun. They were in Africa, at the moment, and talking about adopting a baby girl from a refugee camp.
Bella felt more comfortable with Elizabeth, than Esme. They were kindred spirits, bonding over nearly unbearable personal losses; Bella with the loss of her mobility and Elizabeth with the loss of her husband. However, Bella made a concerted effort to show Esme that she held no ill will toward her off-the-cuff comment upon her arrival. Regardless, Esme felt guilty and probably would continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
After dessert, Elizabeth insisted that Bella spend the day with her and Esme. They wanted to get to know the woman who had stolen Edward's heart. With a few phone calls, a day of relaxation was planned while Edward and Carlisle would go golfing. Edward explained that they needed to be mindful of Bella's limitations, but Bella smacked at him. "I'll be fine. I'll bring my walker and if I need to, I'll call you. I know my limitations better than all of you combined."
"Quit being a mother hen, Edward. Be her boyfriend," Elizabeth teased. "Now, go back to your hotel and have some great hotel sex!"
"Elizabeth!" Esme gasped.
"What? Sex in a hotel is amazing," Elizabeth snickered.
"I think you broke the illusion that I was still a virgin, Aunt Lizzie," Edward deadpanned as he helped Bella to her feet. "Sorry, Ma. I ain't no virgin."
"Trust me. I know," Esme sighed. "I found the condom wrapper in your room after your eighteenth birthday."
"At least, I was responsible," Edward shrugged. "We'll see you tomorrow."
"As you can see, he's eager for the hotel sex," Bella said, winking over her shoulder. Elizabeth cackled while Esme groaned in embarrassment. Carlisle just shook his head in disbelief, with a smile on his face. "Am I right, Edward?"
"Hmmmm, you have no idea," Edward said, sliding his arm around her waist and helping guide his girlfriend out of the restaurant and to the lobby.
A/N: Will we see some hotel sex? And even though I've been single for the better part of a decade, I remember that having sex in a hotel room is so much more exhilarating. Makes me want to find a guy to bone in a hotel room.
Pictures of the restaurant and Aunt Lizzie are on my blog. You can access that through a link on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. I'm on twitter, too: tufano79. Leave me your thoughts and I'll see you in a couple of days! Thank you for reading!