A/N: Alright guys. Here I am with the final chapter of Forbidden Romance. I'm really sad this is the last one, but after three months, it's finally coming to an end. You guys have been spectacular. Hopefully all of you will continue to leave reviews and if you haven't before, please do so for this one because it is indeed the end. It would mean a lot to me.

:(

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Epilogue- Until Death Do Us Part

Edward's POV

Six Years Later

I stared over at the woman lying next to me, marveling at how much had changed over the years. How much I had changed. I was a parent-pleaser and a young man who always made safe, careful choices. I used to hope that everything would fall into its perfect place for me. I was independent and so sure that the only person I really needed in my life was myself.

Then I fell in love with Bella, my father's girlfriend.

It was as if everything that was once on a perfectly, flat surface was suddenly tipping from side to side, knocking my life out of its place. But with time, I learned that you were to make your own happiness, that part of going for what you wanted meant that there was a chance you could lose something else. And when the stakes were high, the losses could be much greater.

But when you threw love into that complex equation, suddenly, they're no longer equal. It turned into a less-than or greater-than situation. Choosing one meant the possibility of losing another. But, for me, love had turned into everything I could have ever wanted, and if that meant my destiny was to be abandoned by my father, then so be it. I would risk it all for the love of the woman who proved that romance is possible in unlikely places.

Fortunately, my father and I were in the exact same situation. He was just as unfaithful as his year-long ex-girlfriend. So, criticizing each other would have made both of us hypocrites. So, what did we do? We both owned up to our mistakes and forgave each other while amending any previous disagreements and arguments we had in the past. If he was willing to change, then so was I.

Speaking of change, there was definitely a lot of that. Bella and I had moved out of my father's house a month after they'd both admitted to have fallen out of love with each other. Esme, my step-mother, moved in after Carlisle had to practically fight with everything he had to get her back. She wasn't very forgiving about the whole proposal-to-Bella-thing, so it took some time for her to cool down. Eventually, she realized that he truly was sorry, and they married.

As for Bella and I, well, we got married about four years ago. I proposed to her on a day when she had a bad case of bed hair and was running extremely late. I remembered her pacing around frantically searching for her shoes while tying her hair back. I couldn't help but admire her hurried appearance.

Halfway through the day, I'd arranged a singing telegram with an obnoxious guy in a Cupid outfit to show up at the elementary school during her lunch break. She didn't know that I was there to watch her embarrassed expression as the man continued to dance and sing romantic words to her. Everyone in the office laughed when three more came dancing and singing.

Finally, toward the end of the day, I dressed up in the silly, Cupid outfit, carrying a white rose in my hand. Around the stem was a small piece of paper that her fellow teachers made Bella read out loud. "A white rose symbolizes good intentions and purity," she'd said to them. Each of the women made and "Aw" noise, causing Bella to giggle. When she want to smell the rose, she saw the diamond ring and gasped. That was my cue to pull the mask off and ask her to be my wife.

When she agreed, it was one of the happiest moments of my life.

Our wedding was small but still elegant. We only invited our closest friends and family because there was no need for any other guests. It was perfect and couldn't have been more amazing.

The honeymoon was just as wonderful. We spent it traveling to various places and spending time in different areas of the world. Bella made friends with the foreigners and spoke to them as if she'd known the people for years. It was amazing how magnetic her personality was to the others.

When we arrived back to the United States, two weeks later, I'd discovered that Bella was pregnant. Unfortunately, when she told me, I ended up fainting and smacking my head against a wall on my way down. When I woke up in the hospital, Bella was there, smiling down at me and running her skinny, pale fingers through my tousled hair. "I didn't mean to startle you like that," she apologized. But I just grinned up at her and grasped her hand in mine. "We're having a baby," I'd whispered to her.

Nine months later, we'd given birth to the most beautiful baby girl anyone could have ever laid eyes on. Renesmee. As she grew older, it became obvious that she had my bronze hair color but the curly ringlets of Bella's father, Charlie. And the little bundle of beauty possessed the chocolate brown eyes of her mother. She was the most perfect being that love could have ever made.

Now, Bella, Renesmee, and I lived a few blocks down from my father in a three bedroom home. The truth is, we could certainly have bought a much bigger house, but I was never eally a fan of not being able to find my way around. So both Bella and I agreed on something a little more low-key and comforting.

With time, I eventually took over my father's law firm due to the fact that he retired while Bella continued to teach at the elementary school. Renesmee was now four years old and in her last year of preschool. She was extremely smart for her age and practically had the brain of a fifth grader. I guess you had an advantage when your mother was a teacher.

But Renesmee also loved to challenge people and argue her way into getting what she wanted. She had the mind of her mother and the attitude of a lawyer. That's what you get when you mix your family with work. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Things couldn't have gotten any more perfect.

The sun began to shine through the curtains of the room bringing light to the once dark space. The beginning of another day. The beginning of something new. I shifted closer to the woman that had changed my life. Bella. My Bella. She looked so peaceful with her eyes closed shut and her lips slightly parted.

Beautiful. Perfect. Mine.

I couldn't resist the urge to lean forward and plant a kiss on those inviting lips. Gently, I pressed my mouth against hers, grateful that everything between us had turned out okay. Better than okay. Wonderful.

She stirred in her sleep and swatted my face away. I chuckled slightly, knowing that she was awake now. Bella hated to be up early and always resented me whenever I awoke her from her beauty sleep. I brought my face down to hers again, kissing her cheek and gliding it up to her still-closed eyelids.

Bella attempted to push my face away for the second time, but I grabbed her wrist before she had the chance to. Her eyes snapped open and met mine with a playful fury. "Is it really necessary to wake up this early on a Saturday?" she asked, her voice groggy. Bella turned her head to glance at the infrared numbers on the clock that read 6:47 a.m. "Honestly, Edward. It's not even 7:00 yet."

"You know, you're just as bad as a teenager who doesn't want to get up for school," I told her, laughing slightly. "Not even our four-year old daughter sleeps this late. I'm surprised she hasn't barged in here yet."

"Yeah, well, let's savor the time and go back to sleep before she decides to," Bella mumbled, throwing the covers over her head.

I yanked them down, earning an exhausted groan from her. "Wake up, sleepy head," I muttered against the column of neck while placing a string of kisses up the spine of her throat.

She tilted her head to the side, allowing me better access to her skin. I smiled victoriously, knowing that she wouldn't be able to resist. "You're something else, do you know that?" she asked.

I nodded, chuckling to myself. "So I've heard."

Bella laughed along with me and snaked her arms up around my neck, tangling one hand into my hair and tugging my head down to hers. It was all the encouragement I needed to release my playful, gentle hold and wrap my arms possessively around her waist, melding our bodies together.

My lips caught hers over and over again, pulling at them, teasing them until I finally opened my mouth slightly and slid my tongue over her bottom lip. Her body acted instinctively, arching up against mine in a way that made this so much more exciting. Bella opened her mouth fully to me, and I took full advantage of pushing my tongue into the warm caverns of her mouth.

My hands acted on a whim of their own, moving downward as we kissed so that I was gripping the tops of her thighs and pressing her closer to my body. She hooked her legs over my hips so that her small frame was completely pressed against mine. I relished the fact that we fit perfectly together just like we did six years ago.

I was aware of the fact that Bella could feel the strong effect she was having on me pushing hard against her stomach, but just as I was going to slide my briefs down and allow her to take care of my erection, I heard the shrill sound of our daughter entering the bedroom.

Quickly, our lips tore away from each others, making a ripping sound in the process.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Renesmee's sweet voice called while she hopped onto the bed.

I groaned in frustration and rolled away from Bella. She wiped her mouth, laughing, and reached for our daughter. "Good morning, baby," Bella greeted, lifting Renesmee from under her arms and onto her lap as she sat up. "Remember what we said about knocking on Mommy and Daddy's door before you come in?" Bella asked.

Ah, yes. She was supposed to knock from now on. The reason for this was that Bella and I had been in a rather heated moment in the middle of the night when our clueless daughter walked into the bedroom without either of us noticing. Just as things were getting close to the end, we heard a sneeze and a child-like voice ask, "Why are you guys fighting?" Both Bella and I froze and jumped away from each other at the sound of our daughter. Hence, the knocking situation.

Renesmee shrugged once and flashed an innocent smile at both of us. "Sorry, I forgot."

Bella smiled and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. "That's okay. Just don't forget next time, alright?"

She nodded once, her curly hair bouncing. "Kay." She paused once glancing over at me and grinning. "Daddy, why are you making that face?" she asked.

I couldn't help but laugh at my daughter's observation of my sexually frustrated expression. But before I could answer her, Bella spoke. "Honey, why don't you go watch cartoons, and Mommy will come downstairs and make you some pancakes."

"Kay, but hurry up 'cus I'm hungry." She patted her stomach once to make a more dramatic statement before hopping off the bed and bouncing out of the bedroom. "Don't take long!" she commanded, wiggling her index fingers at us.

"Yes, sir," Bella replied, saluting as if she were a soldier.

Renesmee giggled at Bella's response and hurried down to the living room where she would turn on her favorite TV shows.

Bella turned toward me and smiled. "That bad?" she asked with a laugh.

I shrugged once and pushed the white comforter off my body so that I could get off the bed. "Let's just say that having blue balls is definitely not a walk in the park," I said, heading toward the bathroom where I would take my shower.

Bella grabbed my wrist, forcing me back to her body. She pressed it flush against mine and smiled wickedly. "How about I make it up to you later?" Bella suggested, her voice laced with a sexy seduction. Her finger danced along the waist band of my briefs, making me harder and harder by the second.

"You better," I said before pushing my lips against hers chastely.

She giggled as she jumped off the bed and headed downstairs to make Renesmee her pancakes. I shook my head, a smile place at my lips, and walked to the bathroom, turned on the shower, and washed away my frustration.

Bella's POV

I glanced over at my daughter who was shoveling pancakes down her throat like she'd never eaten in her entire life. One thing that I loved was cooking for Renesmee and knowing that she would enjoy anything I made her. Thank goodness that she wasn't a picky eater. She would always comment on how I made the best treats for her school and the best breakfasts for her in the morning. With each word from her, my heart grew a little bigger.

"Mommy?" Renesmee called.

"Yes?" I asked, placing the butter back to its original place inside of the fridge.

She leaned forward onto the table, hovering over her breakfast. "Why is Grandma's stomach so big?" she asked with wide eyes full of curiosity.

I was sure that question was bound to come up. Apparently, Carlisle and Esme were now expecting a baby in about two months. Sure, they were a little old to be parents, but the look on Carlisle's face when she told him was so full of compassion that I was one hundred percent sure he couldn't have been happier. And he'd said that he wanted to be a better father this time around due to the fact that he'd "failed" Edward.

A smile danced at my lips as I went to go sit across from my daughter. "Because Grandma's having a baby," I replied.

With eyes so wide and the shock across her face evident, Renesmee asked, "Is the baby in her tummy?"

I nodded my head. "Yep. That's where they come from," I said, charmed by her innocent question.

But Renesmee still didn't seem satisfied with my answers. "Well, is it a good baby?" she asked while pushing some more pancakes down her throat and taking a quick sip of the orange juice she had.

I laughed slightly, reaching over the table to run my fingers through her long, bronze locks. "I'm sure they're going to have a really good baby."

She scrunched her nose up and brought her index finger to her chin, tapping it gently as if she were in deep thought. "But...if it's a good baby, then why did Grandma eat him?" she asked, clearly bewildered.

I opened my mouth to answer her but was surprised that I didn't really have one. If I tried to respond, then that might lead to an unwanted conversation with my four-year old daughter. I didn't know if I really was ready to get into the whole explanation of the "birds and bees" situation.

So what did I do? Ignored the question. "Just finish your breakfast, honey, okay?"

"But I'm already done," she replied.

"Okay, then go in the living room and watch some more cartoons," I commanded, picking up her empty plate and plastic cup.

Renesmee rolled her chocolate, brown eyes and hopped off the chair. "Fine. I'll just have to ask Grandma why she eated her baby."

I laughed to myself, watching her scamper off. She was getting to be so big. It was amazing how time was flying, and yet, I wanted nothing more than to pause it and stay like this forever. Pretty soon, she'd be in kindergarten and then high school, and before I'd know it, she'd have a family of her own. The thought made me sad, but I supposed it was part of life. Time passes even when you don't want it to.

Edward walked into the kitchen at that moment, his hair still damp from the shower. "Hungry?" I asked, gesturing toward the stack of pancakes I'd set aside for him.

He nodded his head, grinning wildly at me. "Oh, I'm hungry, but for something a little different than pancakes," he whispered. I watched as Edward moved forward and gathered me to him, wrapping one arm securely around my waist and gently cupping the back of my head with his other hand. I giggled at his enthusiasm and brought my hands to his muscular shoulders that were now covered with a plain gray T-shirt.

I pressed my lips to his but then pulled away from him, realizing that our daughter could walk in here at any moment. "Not now, Edward. Renesmee is in the other room," I told him, attempting to move away from him, but his grip was too strong and he held my to his.

Edward smiled and brought his mouth down to my neck and dragged his lips across the sensitive skin. "She's not going to come in here. You know how much she loves cartoons." I felt his teeth nip slightly at my earlobe. I was slowly but surely crumbling.

"Yeah, I do know that," I said. "But I also know that we told her that she had to knock before she came into our bedroom from now on, and what do you know? Renesmee didn't knock," I told him, shoving his chest away from mine.

He sighed longingly but nodded. "Fine, fine. But you owe me big time!" he called as I went upstairs to change.

I walked down the hall and into my room, wondering how things had turned out so wonderful. I had a daughter that I loved and a husband who seemed almost too good to be true. Edward and I had been through a lot, but then again, what married couple hasn't? I guess I just felt like I'd lucked out. There was always the huge chance of Carlisle and Edward never settling there differences and forgiving each other. That simple change could have affected how my life was now. Would I still have Edward? Would Renesmee be here? Would Carlisle have forgotten about Esme?

The simple things we do in life have a hold over crucial events. One man can change the lives of so many others. It's almost scary to think about it.

* * *

The doorbell rang around 6:00 p.m, allowing us to know that Carlisle and Esme had arrived. I don't remember how many times I'd told them that it was completely unnecessary to ring the bell when they could just walk in. They were our family so our home was there home, too.

"I'll get it!" Renesmee screamed, bouncing from Edward's lap where the two were still watching cartoons together.

I laughed at my daughter's enthusiasm as she practically sprinted to the front door to greet her grandparents. But she was cut off when Edward gripped her hips and lifted her into his arms. "Hey, take it easy spider-monkey. Remember what I said about answering the door?" he asked, pushing her hair out of her face.

She sighed and rolled her eyes a little. "Your supposed to look through the peeper-hole before you answer it just to make sure you know who it is," Renesmee quoted. "I know, Daddy, I know!"

He placed her back on the floor and allowed her to retrieve Carlisle and Esme. I was a few steps behind the two of them, watching as Renesmee peeked through the peep-hole that was meant for her height and smiled back at Edward and I. "See, I told you it was them," she stated victoriously.

"Well, then answer it," I told her. "Are you planning on leaving them out there in the rain?" I asked.

Renesmee smiled and turned the knob of the front door. "Grandma! Grandpa!" she cried, dodging into Carlisle's arms due to the fact that Esme was indeed pregnant.

"Hi Nessie," he greeted, lifting her into the air with one of his hands. In his other hand was a crate. He kissed the top of her forehead and hugged her close. "Grandma and I got you a present," he stated.

Just like that Renesmee's eyes grew wide with excitement and glanced down at the crate. "Really? Can I see it, please?" she begged.

Carlisle and Esme strolled into the house, closing the door behind them. "Of course you can," he told her, placing the crate on the floor.

Both Edward and I gave Esme a look that meant she had enough toys. She laughed a little and shrugged. Carlisle and Esme spoiled Renesmee a little too much for our liking, but what could we do? Every time the two of them came over, there was always a present waiting for her. Big or small, but mostly big.

Though, I was completely taken aback when the crate began to make barking noises. Renesmee hopped down from Carlisle's arms and opened the box. To both my and Edward's surprise, out walked a puppy with russet brown fur and dark eyes. Nessie's mouth opened wide as she squealed in delight.

"A puppy?" she cried. "You got me a puppy?"

Esme nodded and bent down to Renesmee's level. "Yep, and guess what his name is?" Nessie waited expectantly for her reply. "Jacob," Esme stated.

Renesmee grinned and hugged the wolf-like dog to her chest. "Aw, my Jacob."

"Dad, you did not have to buy her a puppy," Edward said.

Carlisle shook his head. "Nonsense. We wanted to. Besides, she's been asking for one for a long time," he said.

Renesmee looked up at Edward and I with big, innocent, pleading eyes. "Aw, Mommy, Daddy, can I please keep him? Can I? Can I? Pleaseeee," she begged while crossing her hands together and bending down on her knees.

I took another look at the dog and then at Edward who nodded. "Yes, you can keep the puppy. But you have to take care of him because if I find any of his doggy business in my house, then Jacob is going back with Grandma and Grandpa. Do you understand?" he asked Nessie.

She nodded wildly. "Yay! Thank you!" she told Carlisle and Esme.

"Your welcome, honey," Esme replied, rubbing the top of Renesmee's head.

I watched as Renesmee's eyes drifted from the dog and landed on Esme's stomach. "Grandma," she began, turning suddenly serious, "I think you and me need to have a talk about eating your baby." She grabbed Esme's hand and dragged her toward the living room. "Come on, Jacob," she called to her new puppy. He immediately obliged and followed closely behind Nessie.

Edward looked at our daughter with a confused expression and then at me. "Long story," I replied.

He nodded and turned his attention to Carlisle. "You look happy, Dad," he commented.

Carlisle smiled. "I am. I've never been so happy in my life."

"Good," Edward replied. "I'm glad."

There was a short silence between the three of us, but then I motioned for them to come into the kitchen where dinner would be ready. "I've been cooking all day with a recipe that Zafrina gave me. I can't wait to see how it turns out," I told them.

"Grandpa! Come and look at this!" Renesmee's voice called.

Carlisle looked back at us and then headed in the direction of her excited tone. "Sorry guys. Duty calls," he said to us with a laugh.

I watched as Carlisle walked toward where Renesmee, Esme, and Jacob were playing. Edward was right. He did look happy. And I, too, was glad. You see, happiness is hard emotion to find especially when so many things have gone wrong in your life. But when it does come, it's like nothing you've ever experienced before.

Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and hugged me close to him. I felt his soft lips press against my forehead and breathe in the scent of my skin.

"What was that for?" I asked, glancing up into his emerald-colored eyes.

He smiled and leaned forward to kiss my mouth. "For being who you are," he stated simply.

THE END

A/N: Well, I definitely couldn't resist making Jacob the dog. LOL. Hope you guys liked that part.

Wow! I can't believe that this was really the final chapter of Forbidden Romance. Seriously, I just wanted to thank all of you so much for the astounding support that you all gave me. This story definitely wouldn't have been possible with out you guys. And believe me when I say that if it wasn't for all of the amazing feedback I received, I most likely would have quit this fic a while back. But because of each and everyone of my readers, I am proud have finished Forbidden Romance. I had so much fun writing this.

I can't wait to really get going on Corrupted Lives and other fanfiction ideas that I have in mind. Hopefully, I'll continue to hear from all of you in the reviews from my other stories. Once again, thank you so much for everything, and I hope you guys enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I love you all so much!

xoxox

Nicole