Two
"Jazz, you sit here, Em you're here…um…Rose is next to Em, then Bella and I will sit together…" Edward instructed as he read off of everyone's tickets.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to go back to the car to get my purse." Rosalie explained.
"What do you need your purse for?" Jasper asked with a slight chuckle.
"I just want it." Rosalie replied with a shrug.
"Fine." Jasper settled into his seat with was next to both Alice and Emmett.
"Em, I'll be right back." Rosalie grinned at Emmett.
"Rose, honey, you really don't need your purse. And the play's going to start in, like, two seconds." Emmett tried.
"Okay, I'll stay." Rosalie heaved a sigh and plopped down next to Emmett and Bella.
"I'm so happy we're not dancing right now." Bella hissed into Rosalie's ear.
"Me too. I would've died. I'm not in the dancing mood at all." Rosalie responded, softly.
"I never am." Bella giggled, knowing it was true. Even though she was now a vampire and no longer had the clumsiness she'd had as a human, she still despised dancing.
Rosalie gave Bella a warm smile in return.
"You know, I always wanted to be a vampire and I do love it. But sometimes…sometimes I find myself missing human things." Bella confessed, her voice wistful.
Edward tensed beside her.
"Edward, no. I didn't mean it that way. Besides, you had to change me. Renesmee…."
"I know, Bella, love, but it pains me that you aren't fully happy in this life." Edward replied, his voice full of agony.
"Edward, that's not what I'm saying!" Bella quickly replied.
"Honestly, Edward, just relax! That's not what Bella meant. I know that she is fully happy as a vampire. She just misses some human things, even just little things. It's only natural that she would." Rosalie jumped in, in Bella's defense.
"Thank you, Rose." Bella smiled, smugly at Edward.
"Still…." Edward put his face in his hands, distressed.
"Oh, Edward, you're making too much of it." Alice put in as she twisted a gold necklace around her neck.
"Fine, I apologize, everyone." Edward sighed, knowing this was one argument he would never win. No one else felt this way…no one else had ever seen their spouse human before. Well, Rosalie had carried a human, dying Emmett home but…it was different. She hadn't known him as he'd known human Bella. She hadn't lived with Emmett human, and she hadn't changed Emmett into a vampire…a monster.
"I love you, Edward. You have nothing to apologize for." Bella murmured into his ear.
"Love you, too, Bella, I always will." Edward smiled, his emotion changing to one of utter serenity.
"Oh God, this is good." Emmett chuckled as soon as the overweight actress playing Tracey Turnblad waddled onto the stage belting out "Good Morning Baltimore".
Edward's eyes flickered to Emmett and laughed, "You would be amused by this."
"I still think we should have gone dancing." Alice sighed.
Then, the group settled into their seats, enjoying the show.
***********
Melinda pushed her magazine onto the floor after Jim turned off the light and they'd decided to go to sleep.
"I'm exhausted. Good night, Jim." Melinda whispered as she lay her head down on her white pillow.
"Love you, Mel." Jim smiled softly.
"My Edward." Melinda heard a heavy sob mutter.
"Hello?" Melinda heard her voice, small whispered into the dark abyss of night.
"My Edward, where is he?" The woman asked, her face a perplexed mask. It streamed with overflowing tears and perspiration.
"Who is Edward? Is it your husband?" Melinda asked, going the ordinary route, lovesick dead wife who missed her husband.
"My son." She wept her eyes sad and lonely.
"Your son? Is he alive?" Melinda asked, sitting up.
"I don't know." The ghost answered, matter-of-factly. She seemed so lost and alone…in a state of confusion, really.
"What's your name, anyway?" Melinda pressed, wanting to get something from her.
"Elizabeth." She replied.
"Elizabeth. Do you remember how you died, Elizabeth?" Melinda asked, softly.
"Spanish influenza. 1918." She replied, smoothly.
"1918. How old was your son?" Melinda asked, knowing 1918 had been over ninety years ago.
"Seventeen." Elizabeth's answer was automatic and slightly perturbed.
"Seventeen? And he's…not dead?" Melinda quickly did the math in her head. If he'd been seventeen in 1918, now he would be…one hundred and eight. As far as she knew, no one had lived that long.
"There's something off…about him. His name is Edward Cullen now. I've seen him and he's…" Elizabeth gulped…"the same."
"What do you mean 'the same'?" Melinda questioned as she stood up.
"He's still seventeen."
Melinda gasped. She had never heard of such a thing. He had to be dead. Or something. There was absolutely no way….such a thing couldn't happen.
"Where could I find him?" Melinda asked.
"I'll take you to him." Elizabeth offered.
"Now?" Melinda demanded, glancing at the clock. It was only nine. It wasn't too late.
"Now." Elizabeth nodded.
Melinda quickly threw on a pair of jeans, a black T-shirt, and grabbed a black cashmere cardigan sweater.
"Jim, I'll be back, okay, sweetie?" Melinda whispered.
"Sure." Jim nodded, still fully awake.
Melinda dashed out the door, following Elizabeth.
**********************
Edward and Bella sat together holding hands as the play came to an intermission.
"That was interesting." Edward shrugged as he grinned at Bella.
"Hey, Edward, it's better than dancing!" Bella protested.
"Mmm…maybe not." Edward laughed.
"I liked it." Bella replied, miffed.
"Bella, darling, I'm not saying it's bad. I…oh never mind." Edward chuckled and waved it off.
"I wonder how Renesmee's doing." Bella wondered, fleetingly.
"Probably fine. She's with Carlisle and Esme, after all." Edward reassured her.
"I know. I just worry." Bella bit her lip, nervously as she twisted her hands together.
"It'll be fine, love." Edward smiled and tapped her lightly.
"I know." Bella nodded, still a little bit worried. She loved her daughter dearly and would be beside herself if anything happened to her.
"Are you, um, Edward?" A woman with long, curly brown hair who was dressed casually in jeans and a black sweater approached them.
"Yes." Edward replied, curiously.
"Oh my….gosh." Bella watched as the woman gasped, her face concerted in horror.
Bella's eyes grew wide immediately. Did she know something? If so, how much did she know?
"Who are you?" Bella asked, watching out for her family.
"Melinda Gordon." She replied, collecting herself.
"You wanted me for…" Edward trailed off, allowing her to finish.
"I just…I have to speak with you." Melinda responded, her tone grave.
"What about?" Edward's tone was clipped and angry.
Bella just stared, confused. Edward must know what she wants and what she's thinking, she mused.
"It's about your mother." Was Melinda's response.
Bella gasped. Edward's mother?
"You're gifted, aren't you?" Edward asked her.
"What do you mean?" Melinda's expression was curious and bewildered.
Edward knew that she was thinking about the ghost named Elizabeth that she'd seen. She was also trying to put together how he was still so young and most of all, why.
"You can see ghosts." Edward lowered his voice.
"How do you know?" Melinda demanded, not surprised, really.
"I am also…talented. With minds." Edward's response was careful and calculated. He couldn't give too much away, he knew that much.
"You can read them, you mean." Melinda clarified.
"Yes." He replied, shortly.
"Then you know…that she's looking for you. She has questions…" She told him.
"So do you." Edward cut her off.
"Well, obviously. There's a lot to question." Melinda smiled.
"We'll talk." Edward replied.
But just how much, he wasn't sure.