Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

Thanks to MeteorOnAMoonlessNight for being my beta and Sara aka Nikki Black and Sukiethree for pre-reading!

EPOV

—LD—

It was five years ago that I walked into that restaurant with Bella beside me and sat down in front of my father for the first time in over a decade.

I turned twenty-five today, and once again I would be seeing my father, but we were on different terms than we were then. We weren't necessarily close, but we were working on it. He wanted to be part of my life, of my child's life, and I decided I wanted to give him that opportunity. I knew firsthand how hard it was to start over. Besides, my mother had fallen in love with him in the beginning for some reason, and I wanted to know what she'd seen in him. I wanted to know who he was as a person when he wasn't drinking.

My first year of sobriety and parenthood combined had been far from easy, and I'd slipped up more than once.

Bella went back to work full time, and Avalyn was in daycare so that I could have peace and quiet to work on my different business ventures. The weight of everything I'd gone through, from the rocky relationship with my mother, to the anger at my father, all while trying to be perfect and never fail, crushed me.

Whether it was actually having a drink or something as simple as walking into a liquor store, I was honest with Bella. Each time would mean we started over again. We went to therapy on a weekly basis, I joined Alcoholics Anonymous, and eventually, I began to understand how to cope with the world around me.

"Happy birthday, Edward." I felt Bella kiss my forehead. "I know you're awake, so you can stop faking it."

I groaned, stretching my arms above my head. "But it's my birthday, doll. Don't I get to sleep in?"

"Sorry, you have to pick your dad up at the airport in a couple of hours, and you know how traffic is."

I ran my hand over her swollen belly and was met with a swift kick. "Can't we just send a car? She doesn't want me to leave either."

Bella was pregnant with our second little girl, but this time was much different. I was present for the entire thing, which had been very much planned. I got to experience everything I'd missed the first time around.

Bella rolled her eyes and laughed. "No, that was her trying to kick you out of bed so that Mommy can have the whole thing."

I smirked at her as I swung my legs over the side. "Fine, get some rest, Mommy. I'll take Ava with me to the airport."

"Edward, I was just teasing. I'm not—"

"Bella, you're nine months pregnant. Today is just another day, and you need the rest. We'll be back in a couple of hours, okay?" I turned around and chuckled when I saw she was already fast asleep.

—LD—

"What am I supposed to call him, Daddy? I already have a papa and a grandpa." For as much energy as Avalyn had, she had just as much anxiety over meeting new people.

I glanced back at her through the rear-view mirror. "Well, you could call him Pop, or Gramps, I guess. Do you like either of those?" I watched for a moment as she formed the words silently with her mouth, trying them out.

"Um, I think I like Pop the best."

I held in my laughter as much as I could. "Great. I bet he'll really like that one." Bringing her had been the best decision; she was the perfect distraction.

—LD—

Dad hugged me tightly. "Edward, it's really good to see you. And you!" He grinned down at Avalyn. "It's so good to finally meet you! You're much bigger than in the pictures I've seen." He bent down with his arms open to her.

I'd kept our growing relationship between me and Bella. He and I spoke on the phone weekly, but until this moment, we'd yet to go beyond that. I didn't want to introduce my daughter to him via Skype for fear that she'd get attached. If I ended up not being able to continue my relationship with him, I didn't want her to get hurt in the process.

"That's because I just turned six, Pop!" she announced proudly, all of her previous anxiety gone as she wrapped her little arms around his neck. I wasn't sure if my father's grin could get much bigger.

"That definitely explains it," he said as he placed a kiss to her hair. "She's beautiful, Edward," he said quietly to me, his voice catching slightly.

"Wait until you see her mother."

"I remember Bella. She was gorgeous as well."

"She's even better now."

—LD—

"Surprise!" everyone yelled as I walked through the door with my dad and daughter. I looked around, noticing that all of our friends and family were standing in our living room.

"What did you do?" I asked Bella as she walked toward me, giving me a quick kiss on the lips.

"I couldn't exactly let your twenty-fifth birthday pass without celebrating." She smiled at me before looking over at my dad. "I'm really glad you could make it, Ed."

He smiled widely as he pulled her in for a quick hug. "Look at you! Edward never told me you were expecting again!"

I shrugged. "Once we made plans for you to visit, I thought it would be a nice surprise."

"It's the best." It seemed that nothing could wipe the grin off of his face.

My mother approached me, glancing at my father. She knew he was visiting, but I still imagined that knowing and being in the same room were two very different things. She kissed my cheek. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart. Hello, Ed." She nodded at him.

"Esme, you look wonderful." He smiled softly.

Carlisle came up, wrapping an arm around my mother's shoulder. "This is my husband, Carlisle."

Dad reached out his hand. "I've always wanted to thank you, Carlisle. For being what I couldn't."

"I'd do it all again in a heartbeat." There was no hesitation to Carlisle's answer as he shook Dad's hand. As difficult as my relationship with Carlisle had been, he truly was the only father I ever really knew. I was thankful for him, too.

—LD—

Bella climbed into bed next to me. "Today went well, don't you think? Alice looks like she's ready to pop!"

I raised my eyebrows at her. "You're one to talk." I gestured at her belly. "Today was great, though. I never expected it. Thank you, Bella."

"Remember the first time we met? I really thought you were just some cocky asshole, but for some stupid reason, I couldn't stay away from you. You took me to a strip club on our first date!" She laughed.

"Hey, it was a classy strip club."

She scoffed. "There's no such thing as a classy—oh!" she gasped.

"Bella?"

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Um, my water just broke."

I panicked. "Are you sure? Maybe you just peed the bed?"

"Yes, I'm sure! I'd know if I peed myself," she growled at me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. We'd done this before. Everything was going to be fine.

—LD—

I held our new daughter in my arms, rocking her back and forth slowly. "Thank you, Bella."

Her eyes were shut; she was exhausted. Alyssa's delivery had been longer and a bit tougher than Avalyn's. "For what?" she mumbled.

I chuckled quietly; she was definitely out of it. "For both of our little girls, for loving me, and for helping me see what a disaster my life would have become without you."

I looked over at her and knew she was fast asleep by that point. I'd tell her again later after everyone had visited and it was just us again.

I'd make sure she knew that she was everything to me, that she'd helped me save my own life, and given me more than I could ever have imagined.

—LD—

A/N: Well, we've reached our ending. I hope you've all enjoyed this story, and that I did the situation and the struggles of this disease justice. Stay tuned for what I have coming up next!

For updates, teasers, and pictures that go along with some chapters, you can join my Facebook group, 'Stories by MissLiss15'. The link to it is on my FFN profile.