Epilogue

5 years later

Bella's POV

I was leaning tiredly on the kitchen counter, waiting impatiently for the kettle to boil so I could make myself a cup of tea, when I felt two arms slip around my waist, one hand moving to rest gently on my swollen stomach. I jumped in surprise but I recognised his touch immediately.

"Happy anniversary, Mrs Cullen." His velvet voice whispered huskily in my ear before I felt his kiss on my neck.

I shivered and turned around in his arms with a huge smile on my face, "And same to you Mr Cullen. You're home early." I was happy to note- it was an hour earlier than he usually finished work. I had been off work for a few weeks now because I was on maternity leave.

"I got Carmen to take my advanced piano class today. She's been my assistant for months now, she can handle it."

I rolled my eyes and smirked, "She found out it was our anniversary and kicked you out that school, didn't she?"

I'd become very good friends with Carmen, Edward's ex student, since she'd completed a degree in music and come back to Forks High School to work with Edward in the music department. It was amazing how much she'd come out of her shell since her own high school days.

Edward chuckled, "Pretty much."

"Well I'm glad you're home." I murmured leaning up to kiss him lovingly. We'd been married four wonderful years today and I couldn't be any happier, I sighed and remembered the day he finally proposed:

*****

"You're dressing me in jeans?" I asked Alice in disbelief, I definitely wasn't complaining, just surprised that my best friend would allow me to wear something I wanted.

"Not my choice." Alice grumbled, "Edward requested you to be totally comfortable and wouldn't even tell me where you were going, so I couldn't even try and compromise."

"And you actually listened to him?" I teased her.

Alice's face lit up with hope, "Are you complaining?"

I chuckled, "Definitely not."

She shrugged and moved on to curl another strand of hair, "Oh well, I was reassured that I could do your hair and make up."

I was surprised Edward would want me in something as simple as jeans- it was my birthday, as well as a year since I'd met the love of my life and I was under the impression that he was going to go overboard on the celebration as usual.

About twenty minutes later, Edward was pulling me into the woods at the bottom of his parent's garden and I knew we were going to our little hill overlooking the stream.

"Wow." I murmured when we arrived at the clearing and I saw what he'd done; he'd set up a picnic basket under the large oak tree, which was decorated and strung with fairy lights. The sun was just setting, leaving dark purple streaks across the sky.

"It's perfect." I whispered, jumping up into Edward's arms and kissing him.

He chuckled and kissed me back before leading me to the blanket and sitting me down, "I made us dinner."

I smiled widely, the man cooked like a dream, no wonder Kate's had kept him for so long before he resigned.

I scoffed down the fancy homemade pizza, not realising how hungry I was until I ate, Edward chuckling at my eagerness through his own bites of food the whole time- he seemed to be in an amazingly good mood tonight.

"Did you have a good day today?" Edward asked me softly a little while later, as we sat, me on his lap, our foreheads touching as he leant back against the tree.

I nodded, "Yes, thank you for not making a huge deal out of it, this is perfect." I said motioning to our surroundings, "Although I still can't believe you got the whole school to sing happy birthday to me. That was mean."

He grinned and shrugged, not looking contrite in the least, "I'm hoping you won't turn down your gift though."

I groaned but smiled, "You probably won't let me." I said, rolling my eyes.

Edward chuckled as if laughing as some private joke, "No probably not." Then he moved from under me, grabbing something from his pocket before getting on one knee in front of me, taking my left hand in his.

I gasped, was he really doing what I thought he was? When he took a deep breath, I knew he was and somewhere in my shock I managed to squeeze my hand reassuringly.

He smiled slightly at me, "Bella, you've made me believe in love again, without you, I find that my life is meaningless. I love you so much and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Please accept my ring, please marry me?"

I felt tears well up in my eyes, his proposal was perfect, I loved this wonderful, sincere man with everything in me- there could never be anyone else, he was it.

A smile spread over my face and I threw myself into him, knocking him backwards onto the blanket, me landing on top of him. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him enthusiastically.

"Yes," I murmured excitedly when we parted, "Of course I'll marry you."

Edward beamed and kissed me again briefly before opening the velvet box he'd had in his hand and slipping the beautiful emerald ring on my finger. We were both grinning like idiots.

"Thank you." he said, before kissing me again.

We married a few months later in a ceremony that Alice had planned, I'd been extremely touched when Emmett had offered to walk me down the aisle.

*****

"How's the baby today?" Edward asked, guiding me to the couch in the living room, settling me down comfortably before handing me my tea. I smiled my thanks.

"He's fine, been kicking like crazy though." I grinned and Edward sat down next to me to kiss me gently.

We'd been trying for a baby for about two years before I'd finally become pregnant. It had been an emotional time in the end- I'd thought I couldn't have children and that I was a failure as a woman, as a wife. My self-esteem had eventually got so low that I hadn't even been able to try for a baby with Edward anymore. I'd been afraid of more disappointment. I hadn't even been able to be around Alice without hurting, as her and Jasper had been expecting my god daughter at that time, it had been a surprise honeymoon baby.

But Edward had never given up on me or starting a family. We'd come home from school one Friday afternoon about seven months ago and he'd told me to pack for the weekend (as usual not telling me where we were going) and surprised me with a romantic weekend away at a resort just outside of Forks.

Over a private dinner that Saturday night, he'd told me that he loved me, that I would always be the most beautiful girl in the world to him and that even if we never conceived, it would remain that way.

I'd finally broken down sobbing into his arms after that, letting him in on all my insecurities about not falling pregnant and him eventually leaving me. He'd vehemently dismissed that idea and kissed me passionately until I'd just melted into his arms. We'd made love late into that night, forgetting about the outside world, forgetting about babies and just focusing on loving each other as passionately as we always had before the had drama started.

I was positive that that was that night that we'd conceived our baby boy.

I remembered the day I'd finally found out about my pregnancy a few weeks after that night.

I'd stayed home from work that day because I'd had some pretty bad morning sickness. Alice had called to see how I was feeling (probably at Edward's instruction) and after I'd told her my symptoms, she'd started screaming happily before hanging up. I'd stared at the phone, completely confused before Alice had shown up at the apartment, pregnancy test in hand.

Needless to say, I'd bawled my eyes out with joy when the result had been positive.

Edward's response had been just as heart harming.

He'd arrived home a few hours later after a difficult day and I'd immediately thrown myself into his arms, kissing him passionately, happily- tears still streaming down my face from earlier. I still remember the joyous look on his face from when I'd said, "Hello daddy."

His face had lit up as he asked me if I was sure, his own tears of happiness and relief forming as I nodded. He'd then kissed me and told me how much he loved me and how happy I'd just made him. Then he'd picked me up and carried me to our room where we didn't come out from until Alice called to see how he'd taken it.

"Rosalie, Esme and Alice are throwing us a 'surprise' anniversary party tonight." Edward told me, breaking me out of my reflective thoughts.

I groaned and buried my head in his chest, "Do we have to go?"

He chuckled, "I'm afraid so."

I lifted my narrowed eyes to him, "How come you're telling me if it's supposed to me a surprise? You love surprising me."

Edward smiled innocently. Too innocently.

"It's our anniversary- I'm going to be nice. Besides," he grinned mischievously, "I'm kind of scared of the pregnancy hormones."

I mock glared at him, but couldn't keep the grin off my face, "That's a good fear to have, Mr Cullen."

*****

As soon as I walked into the deserted, dimly lit, romantically decorated restaurant later that evening, I turned to Edward, "The others aren't really coming, are they?" I stated through narrowed eyes.

Edward grinned, shook his head and kissed me quickly, "Tonight is all us."

I understood now why he'd said we were meeting up with his family- he wanted me to be surprised (as usual.)

I beamed and turned around to face him and wrap my arms around his neck.

"I love you so much Edward Cullen." tears welling up in my eyes from the combined force of my love for this man, as well as pregnancy hormones.

Edward hugged me tightly to him, being careful of our baby, his own eyes sparkling with emotion, "As I love you, as I will always love you." Then he kissed me passionately and I'd never felt so complete.

So…that's it…this story was fun to write and I just want to thank ALL my reviewers, you guys rock, seriously! There's a new story up on my profile, so check that out if you want- It's called My True Home.

Please review and let's also hear from some of my silent readers, I'd really appreciate it if you tell me what you thought! :-)

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