A/N: This is the last chapter. I hope it was a good read for you all. Thank you for reading what's been inscribed in my brain for years. It finally came to fruition and now I get to share it. Much love to everyone!

-KL

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Garden

Bella sat in the garden admiring the flowers and inhaling the entire vibrant aroma that emitted throughout the air. Every morning he brought her out here to glorify the beauty of their garden. She remembered the first time he admitted his love for her. She must have loved him then already too. That was over forty years ago. So many things have happened since that day.

"Bella. Would you like your breakfast outside or in the breakfast room?"

She turned around and saw the gleam in his eyes. She never imagined seeing him at this age, and every detail in his deep wrinkles to the deep color of his eyes made her feel loved all over again.

"I'd like to eat outside today." She returned a soft smile at him as he stepped inside the house to grab her breakfast. She closed her eyes again and giggled at their first time meeting at her shop. She had assumed he was married, but she was so fortunate how life had granted them the sweet encounter.

"Why are you chuckling like a young school girl?" He stood in front of her placing the different selection of breakfast items for her. She was famished looking at every item he had prepared.

"Oh, Edward, you know. I don't think I ever told you that I was hoping you were single the first time we met. Do you remember? When your ocean eyes met with mine at my shop?" Bella was embarrassed at her own confession. Alice had etched that name forever into Edward.

He stopped for a moment, his eyes furrowed and it took him a moment, but he released a smile. "Of course I remember. How could I ever forget?" He took a hold of her hand and then brought it forward to his lips and left a tender kiss on her hand.

"Edward?" She didn't understand. She thought he would be overjoyed.

"It's nothing, Bella. As long as you know that I will always love you for the rest of my life." He tried holding back his tears because he knew his love for her was truly incomparable. As he looked at her frail hands, they no longer baked like she used to. Arthritis caused her too much pain and it was unbearable for her especially now. He stared at the wrinkles around her face. For the longest time, she didn't have any wrinkles, and now they were becoming increasingly deep these past few years. But he knew it was the fact that she was completely happy now, and it showed through.

They were both interrupted by the voice coming from the kitchen, "Mom. Dad."

"Bella, it's our son, Carlisle."

His attention went towards their son as he slowly paced himself back up and felt the ache and pain from his knees. He whispered to Bella, "Stay here and I'll go grab Carlisle a plate to join us too."

He walked into the house and Carlisle gave him a look of sorrow. "Dad."

"Yes, Carlisle."

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"To Mom. It hurts me to see you with that look of pain in your eyes."

He had this talk briefly once before with his son, but he didn't realize his son felt this way.

"You know I love your Mom and would do anything to see that beautiful smile on her face." He didn't want to argue with Carlisle.

"Dad. Listen." Carlisle closed his eyes and pinched between his brows. He was getting uncomfortable at what words he was about to speak, but he continued. "I know I never knew my birth father, and I know you and Mom have both spoken highly of him. But when she believes you are him, I don't know how to respond. It's as if she's forgotten the last forty years that you two have been together."

He paused for a moment to answer his son, but Carlisle's wife, Angela, walked in on their conversation. She smiled at him, and placed a kiss on Carlisle's cheek.

Her attention then turned towards him, "Good morning, Jacob. How is Mom this morning?"

Carlisle ran his fingers through his hair and replied to his wife, "Mom thinks Dad is Edward, my biological father. Again."

Her face changed and she didn't know how to respond. "I'm sure it was an honest mistake. At least she is remembering."

"Yes, she's remembering, but she's forgetting Dad, Angela." Carlisle seemed frustrated. He didn't understand how his father could live a life of a lie to please his Mom. He felt pity for his father to let his mom believe Edward was still alive.

"Now, Son. You need to realize, she is finally happy. My whole life, that's all I ever wanted because I love her." Jacob didn't know what else to say to convince his son why he didn't mind the fact that Bella would constantly remember the memorable moments with Edward. Carlisle didn't see the sparkle change in Bella's eyes when she thought he was Edward. Forty years had passed and Jacob would never forget that frightful night when he got the call from Bella.

***Jacob's POV – Forty Years Earlier***

He slowly woke up from hearing his phone buzzing nonstop. His eyes slightly opened, and he reached over for his phone that was charging on his night stand. It was Bella. The time was 3:32 AM, but something wasn't right if she was calling him. He answered the call as fast as he could.

"Bella?"

There was no answer. "Bella?"

Then he heard the sniffling and small pants. "Bella, what's wrong? Where are you?" He sat on the edge of his bed and turned on his lights. He waited patiently for a response but his heart was pacing uncontrollably.

"He's gone." He didn't know if he heard her right in between the cries.

"What?" Jacob shook his head. "What do you mean? I don't understand. Bella, take in a deep breath." He waited for her to collect herself until she was able to hold herself together.

"Jacob. It's Edward. He's gone."

Jacob stopped his motion. This can't be happening. "Bella, where are you? I'm coming over now."

"I'm at the hospital. We just had our son, and everything happened so fast, Jacob." She stopped talking and started crying. Jacob felt a sharp pain through his chest and tears filled his eyes. She continued speaking through her tears. "Jacob, I don't know what to do."

"I'll be right there. Are you at Mercy Hospital?"

"Yes." Her voice was trying to remain strong, but Jacob knew that Bella was all broken inside.

"I'm on my way." Jacob ended the call and dressed as quickly as he could and made his way towards the hospital. He hoped and prayed that he had misunderstood everything Bella just said.

It was all too much for Jacob to process that night when he reached the hospital. There was truth in Bella's confession. Edward had suffered a contusion to his head which caused hemorrhaging caused by Victoria's force blunt. Edward was fortunate to witness the birth of their son, but would not be fortunate enough to live and see his son grow up.

That night, all Jacob could do was hold Bella in his arms as she cried nonstop. At that moment, he promised he would never leave her side anymore even if she was to find someone else to love.

As a few years passed, Bella realized she wanted Carlisle to have a full time father figure in his life. So she asked Jacob to be part of his life since Jacob was already active in playing the role of a father figure. It took Bella several more years to rebuild the bond of love for Jacob. There were times when Bella and Jacob shared a special moment, but when they did, she would hold herself back from guilt. Jacob never pushed it because yet again, he just knew. But she finally agreed to marry him and that same year, Jacob adopted Carlisle as his own son.

Years would go on and Jacob and Bella were never able to have any children, so Carlisle was more than a blessing for Jacob. Life became simple, but Jacob knew Bella's love for him was in a different capacity than Edward's love. He knew he could never compete with Edward and he never tried.

When Carlisle was old enough, Bella and Jacob both sat down and talked to Carlisle about the truth of Edward. Carlisle didn't know how to take it. He was afraid it was going to cause conflict between Jacob and Bella, but there never was any friction.

***Present Day***

"Edward."

Jacob turned himself around to see his wife walking through the back door. "Bella, we were about to step outside to join you. Carlisle and Angela are both here."

She glanced around the room and saw the young couple in front of her. She extended her hands out to both of them, "Carlisle. Angela. You should visit your father and me more often."

Jacob could feel the pain in Carlisle's body language. There was never a morning that Carlisle missed breakfast with his mother. Yet, Carlisle walked up to his mother and kissed her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Mother. I will do better as a son and visit you both more often."

She placed herself in between his arms and smiled, "You're such a good son." She pulled herself back away and looked up at Carlisle. "What is wrong with you and your father? You both seem to be so sentimental lately." She brushed off the tear drop that plummeted its way down Carlisle's cheek.

"It's just so great to see you smiling more, Mom."

Everyone stepped outside into the patio for breakfast. Once they were done, Carlisle and Angela cleaned up the table. Bella wanted to take a walk around the garden and Jacob happily obliged.

Walking through the garden, Bella named every flower in the garden. She had familiarized herself with their names and scents. She would be able to close her eyes and take a quick sniff and be able to differentiate between each one.

Jacob plucked a flower and then placed one behind her ear. She was glowing at his sweet gesture. She placed her hand on his cheek, "Edward." All Jacob could do was hold onto her hand and closed his eyes. However, this time, his tears filled his eyes and he wasn't able to hold back.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Bella waited for him to answer, but he remained silent. She stared into his eyes to try and comfort him, but she noticed something she failed to see before. What she thought were deep blue ocean eyes were actually a forestry green shade. As if her whole life flashed before her, she panicked. "Oh my God."

Both her hands went up to his face and held onto him tightly. "Jacob. I'm so sorry. Please, please forgive me."

Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and held onto her tightly. "It's alright, Bella."

They both held onto each other. He never wanted her to blame herself, and as he was about to speak to her, he could hear her take in a deep breath. Her body became relaxed and her weight became heavy. He wasn't able to hold her up any longer.

"Bella! Bella!"

They both slowly fell to the ground, but Jacob didn't allow for her to fall. He rested her down, holding tightly onto her hand. "Bella! Please answer me."

She faintly opened her eyes and placed her hand on his face, "Jacob, I'm so sorry. Please know that I love you. I do. I always have."

Jacob's tears fell onto Bella's face and he could clearly see she didn't have the strength left. He screamed for Carlisle and Angela, and they both were quick to run into the garden.

Bella could hear the cries from her son and she felt helpless. She didn't have the strength to call out his name, but she could clearly see her son's face. His iridescent blue eyes still illuminated behind his tear filled eyes. Those colors were so familiar to her and she felt at ease seeing that color one last time. She smiled and closed her eyes ready to be at peace.

Bella opened her eyes and didn't recognize her surroundings. What she noticed was the difference in her hands. They weren't hers or at least she didn't think they were. Her skin was soft and timeless, if she was to be honest. She realized she was in a garden, but one that she had never been to before. However, she was familiar with all the different arrays of flowers. She lowered her head to smell them, and they were just as sweet as she remembered them.

Then she noticed something in between the bushes of flowers. The piercing blue eyes that first caught her attention were staring directly at her. If her heart could stop, it would because the rest of her body froze. As she slowly stood up, the eyes followed her until it revealed the person behind those eyes.

"Edward." She wasn't sure if she was dreaming, but she knew those deep dimples only belonged to one person alone. She didn't know how she managed to cross over the flowers, but she found herself in his arms.

They were trying to hold back their tears so they could speak to one another, but he finally spoke to her. "I've been waiting. Waiting for what seemed like an eternity. I kept myself busy creating a garden in hopes that you would be here one day."

"I don't understand." Bella was confused. Lost for words. Was this place really what she thought it was?

"I'm not even going to try and understand, Bella. All that matters is you're here with me. I can't lose you ever."

She released a soft laugh and pressed her head against his chest, "I wouldn't know how to lose myself in here."

"No, you won't. I don't think I'll ever get another encounter with you again, so I won't let it happen."

"Yes, this is our sweet encounter again, Edward, and I'm never losing you either."