A/N: Characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Drama, romance and this ending belong to me. Also, 'M' rating still applies.

The response in hits/visitors from the last chapter blew me away. Thank you for taking the time read. I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I had in creating it. Now I'm off to find 'my Edward'…

Dazzled eyes22, you seriously made my day with your messages! My beta, has been through everything with me and has beta'd every chapter. She is the best roomie/bestie/awesome person and am grateful for her editing expertise in deleting my favorite overuse of the comma.

[Epilogue: Watch the World Come Alive]

I moved into the house my parents bought us, a minute later I was pregnant and six years later it was our daughter's turn to go to Greek School.

Oh wait, that didn't happen. Damn movies. I wasn't even Greek, let alone married to John Corbett. He'd always be Aiden to me, anyway. I sighed. Keep on task, Cullen.

I had just finished seasoning steaks in the kitchen on a bright, sunny spring day when I heard a car door slam. I glanced at the clock and saw that it was far too early for my two favorite boys to be home. The front door opened and when I didn't hear the tell-tale signs of little feet running, I made my way down the short hallway. I was met with the eyes of the saddest little boy I'd ever seen and he was clutching his tummy. His head rested against Edward's shoulder.

"Oh no, what happened, Babe?" I held out my hands and Edward reluctantly handed him over.

"I don't know," he replied, rubbing his hand over his scruffy chin. "One minute, he was laughing and pointing at the field and the next he just threw up and started crying."

I arched an eyebrow at him and shook my head. "Eddie, what did he eat today?"

Edward followed us into the living room and we all sat on the couch.

"He had half of a Dodgers Dog, water, a little cotton candy, peanuts, popcorn and some ice cream," he said, listing off each item.

"Edward!" He looked at me in surprise. "He's three! He can't eat all of that crap!" I looked down at the watery green eyes staring back at me. "Aw, Mase, no wonder you don't feel too good."

"Mama," he whimpered and buried his head against me. I nearly broke down from his pain. "My tummy hurts." Sometimes when he spoke, his 'r's' sounded like 'awr'.

Edward was now running his hand through his hair. He got up and started pacing. "I didn't know. I swear, Love. He pointed at everything and I thought, well, just a little of each wouldn't hurt him. Shi-shoot, I'm a terrible dad. He just looked at me with that face – your face, and I caved."

"Babe," I told him calmly. "He'll be okay. You're a great daddy. Let me go clean him up and maybe get him to take a nap." He nodded, kissed me and kissed the forehead of our son. He stroked Masen's short, light brown hair. "Why don't you get the grill going and I'll be down in a sec?" He nodded again and kept his face expressionless. I sighed; there were now two unhappy Cullen men in my house.

I carried Masen upstairs to his bathroom. Sitting him on the counter, I pulled off his little Dodgers jersey and then his khaki shorts. He sat very still, which was unusual behavior, while I ran the warm water in the sink.

"My tummy hurts," he repeated and sniffed. I knew I was in for a cry fest when he did that.

"I know, Baby," I said softly. His little hand gripped my arm as I reached for a clean washcloth with the cartoon monkeys on it. "Let's get you cleaned up and we'll go lay down. How does that sound?"

Masen just nodded and didn't fight me when I ran the warm washcloth over his body. He absolutely hated bath time and every time Edward or I tried to get him in the tub, his naked self would escape and run all over the house.

I dried him off and made sure he used the big potty before I carried him to his blue and gray bedroom. It was reminiscent of Edward's bedroom from his old apartment. I fell in love with the color scheme and when it was time to paint Masen's, I kept it a similar theme.

"Come on, Mase," I said as I helped him into a soft cotton t-shirt and some dark, plaid pajama pants. He had to match his daddy in almost every aspect, but he wanted mommy to always put him to bed. In the last couple of months, he graduated to a 'big boy' bed and absolutely loved it. It was still smaller than a regular twin and sat lower to the ground. Sometimes, though, in the middle of the night, Edward and I would get a visitor who stealthily crawled his way in between us. That would last about an hour until he fell back asleep and Edward would take him back to his own bed.

Masen waited until I climbed into bed with him. He then clung to me from the side and started playing with a strand of my hair, which was still just as long as it was almost ten years ago. I looked down at his big, round, green eyes and kissed his forehead. I gently rubbed his tummy with my hand and held him close.

"Love you, Baby," I whispered. His eyes drooped and eventually all movement stopped. His breathing evened out and he was out. I held onto moments like this, when it was quiet and my son was so angelic in his sleep.

To this day, I still couldn't believe my life. Five years after Edward and I started dating, we got married. He was persistent too. Two years after Rosalie and Emmett's wedding, Jasper and Alice also tied the knot and Edward got bit by the wedding bug. He literally asked me every day for a month straight. My hesitance to take the plunge didn't stem from my past heartache, but rather the direction of my career. I needed to figure out exactly where it was headed.

Shoebox Records became a successful business venture for Edward. He eventually brought on Felix as a business partner and the two of them continued to thrive with sales, concerts and even adapted the store to include the latest technology in music. In the end, I finished grad school within two years and had been working on my PhD for the last three. Thankfully, I was able to stay with the western museum and work my way into an archivist position.

One Sunday, about six months after Alice's wedding, I woke up and realized I was twenty-six and ready to start my life as a married woman. Yeah, the dramatic epiphanies never really stopped and I, without a doubt, was ready and wanted to be Mrs. Edward Cullen.

"Babe," I whispered in the darkened bedroom. Edward didn't stir. "Babe," I repeated. This time he actually turned away from me.

I started poking him repeatedly. "Babe. Babe. Babe. Babe."

"Isabella Marie Swan," Edward groaned in his gravelly, sleepy voice. "You better be bleeding, dying, or something equally catastrophic for you to be poking me like that."

I knew I was taking the chance of waking up 'grumpy Edward'; he had just fallen asleep a couple of hours ago after a very long night at the record store.

"It's more important than that," I whispered. He eventually turned back to me and rubbed his eyes open.

"Speak," he replied.

"I want to get married," I stated in a normal voice. Edward just gaped at me. He moved to flip on the bedside lamp and continued to stare. "What? I want to marry you."

"Well, I hope it would be to me," he grinned crookedly.

"I haven't had any other tempting offers, so I thought, what the hell," I giggled and he just rolled his eyes.

"Come here," he said. I scooted and wrapped myself around him. "I love so much, you know that?"

"I think you've told me once or twice," I replied teasing him. "I love you, Babe. Can I have my ring now?"

"Bella, you're such a smart ass," he chuckled. "What makes you think I have a ring?"

"You mean all those times you proposed, you didn't have a ring?"

"Nope," he laughed. "I knew you were going to say no. I know you so well, Swany."

"Edward Cullen, now that's just mean!" I exclaimed.

"I think being turned down forty-six times qualifies as being mean," he retorted.

"That is – yeah that's probably true," I conceded. "Was it really forty-six times?

"It was just a rough estimate."

"Shit. That's awful, Honey."

"Bel, the fact that you live with me and we're still going strong after three years, I think it's safe to say that we'll be together for the long haul."

"Oh good. Me too. I'd hate to have to find a new place to live now," I laughed.

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically. "Look, I am going to propose to you. And it's going to knock your socks off."

I chuckled to myself and glanced down at my wedding rings. The three stones glittered in the afternoon sunlight. It took him almost a year after that conversation to propose. I squeezed Masen just a little tighter to me and briefly closed my eyes. When I opened them, Edward was standing in the doorway. He had removed his own baseball jersey and was clad only in a white v-neck undershirt and khaki shorts, similar to Masen's.

"Hey, Love," he whispered. "How is he?"

"Out like a light," I replied just as quietly. He just stared at the both of us with a sense of longing on his face. "What is it?"

"I love watching you with him," he said. "He like a mini version of you."

I laughed quietly and knew just how true it was. Though Masen had Edward's eye color and grin, he looked like me overall, except for his light hair color. That was all his own. It was like our hair colors blended and created this a new color – not quite brown, but not quite red. He did inherit Edward's crazy cowlicks. Only I would end up with a kid who took on the extreme parts of Edward's and my personalities. Masen was probably one of the sweetest kid's I'd ever met and had both Edward's self-confidence and my over sensitivity. He also thought he was the funniest person ever, but his father also shared the same opinion of himself. Needless to say, they kept each other very entertained.

"Isn't it weird?" I continued to laugh quietly. "Honey, we made another person." I was amazed that we not only created a new life, but succeeded in keeping him happy and healthy.

Edward shook his head and smiled. "Are you hungry?"

I nodded. "Help me up?"

In no time, Edward carefully maneuvered our son away from me and I slowly climbed out. I walked towards the door as Edward tucked Masen back in bed. He didn't even stir.

"Hey, Bel?" He whisper-called to me.

I stopped and faced him in the doorway.

"I really am sorry," he explained. "I just feel so bad. He was so excited to see his first baseball game that I wanted to give him the best experience." That crease between his eyebrows had become more pronounced than when I met first met him.

"Oh, Honey," I held him in a fierce hug and kissed his chest. "Please don't blame yourself. We have many more tummy aches ahead of us. He'll be fine. He's a Cullen. He'll eventually grow into having an iron stomach like you and Emmett. Though I don't know how genetics truly work, since he's your cousin. Can traits be passed on, twice removed? So, maybe through your mom and aunt?"

"Love?"

"Hm?"

"You're rambling again," he chuckled.

"I know," I giggled. "It distracted you, didn't it?"

He nodded and leaned down to kiss me. I still could get lost in Edward's kisses. His lips molded perfectly against mine and we clumsily left Masen's bedroom towards the landing on our second floor. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me tighter against him. As Edward deepened our kissing, one of my hands wandered down his torso to the waistband of his shorts. I played with the band of his boxers and ran my hand against his stomach, hip to hip. Edward's body was still in decent shape and I never once failed to notice how hot my thirty-four year old husband was.

Edward's own hands also began to explore and automatically landed on my enhanced chest. During my pregnancy with Masen, my chest size went up, as well as, some other parts of my body. I'll probably never be as small as I was at twenty-two, but I did gain a more hourglass shape. Edward loved it and repeatedly let my boobs know. He never got out of the habit of praising them. It was always an annoyance until his hands or mouth took over and I got lost in complete pleasure.

"Please don't stop," I moaned against his mouth as he massaged one my breasts through the cotton tank top. I palmed him through his shorts and he groaned in response.

"Bedroom?" He huskily asked.

"Not going make it," I squeaked out as his hand found its way under my bra. "Bathroom."

We stumbled into Masen's bathroom and partially closed the door. Being a mom now, I'd become quite the master at multi-tasking and would definitely hear if my kid wandered out of his room. After all, being my mini, he wasn't quiet or subtle. Edward picked me up and set me on the counter while keeping his lips against mine. He fumbled to unbutton his pants, while my hands explored his face and hair. The minute they hit the floor, he kicked them away and began with my shorts. I lifted my hips and he roughly pulled them down with my underwear. The tank top I was wearing quickly joined the rest of my clothes on the floor.

Without warning, Edward slammed into me and I nearly screamed from the sensation of our bodies joining. I locked my legs around his waist and bumped my head against the walled mirror. Using his hips, I leveraged my thrusts and met his eager ones. He kissed his way down my jaw and settled on the crook of my neck. His breath was warm and heavy against my skin. I held on tight as my own breathing quickened with our frenzied pace.

"Love you," he grunted roughly.

"Love you," I gasped out. "Almost, Babe."

I heard the bed squeak from Masen's room and Edward's face shot up. Our eyes met with a fear of being caught.

"Shit," I cursed quietly. Supposedly, we were responsible adults now. I internally laughed at that thought.

Edward flew into overdrive and reached between us. He slid his fingers against me, while I guided his mouth to my bra clad chest and he used his nose to slide the lacy cup over.

"Oh, God," I barely whispered. I cupped him and kept in time with his fingers. Suddenly, I was overcome and buried my head against his neck, riding out my orgasm. Edward jerked, quietly grunted and eventually we slowed to standstill.

Our breathing slowed and I leaned forward against him. Perspiration covered both of us and I reluctantly unhooked my legs. Edward carefully pulled out, only to bring me against him in a bear hug.

"That was insane," he chuckled.

"That is was, Babe," I replied. He placed his hands on my cheeks and gave me a kiss. Turning into his hand, I kissed his wedding band. He pulled his partially damp t-shirt over his head. "Let me clean up real quick and I'll go check on Mac."

Throughout my pregnancy, I had pages and pages of first names and different combinations of first and middle names. My friends thought we were crazy. The minute we found out we were having a boy, three years after our wedding, we finally narrowed it down. I had always loved Edward's middle name and we both agreed that we didn't want an Edward, Junior. Because they'd had all their kids before we'd ever thought about spawning a Cullen; Rosalie, Alice, Jasper and Emmett designated themselves as the baby experts. They constantly overshared their plans, timelines, 'supposed to's' and their 'expertise'. We showed them, though, and settled on Masen Anthony Cullen four days after the sonogram. Take that, you so called baby know-it-alls who had baby names picked out since they were probably ten years old!

I watched him and smirked when he bent to pick up his discarded shorts. "Like what you see, Mrs. Cullen?"

"Oh I think I do, Mr. Cullen," I replied saucily. "I may need to see it again later tonight."

"I think that can be arranged, Love." He balled up his shirt and took my inked wrist, kissing it. It was a gesture that I never got tired of.

I cleaned myself up, as well as the bathroom before emerging. I threw my hair up into a messy bun and made the short walk to Masen's room. Edward, wearing a fresh t-shirt, stood silently watching our sleeping son, who was now lying completely on his stomach.

"He's such a great kid," he whispered. I kissed Edward's bicep, where his Phoenix tattoo was inked. Throughout the last five years or so, he'd added two more to his collection. When Masen was born, Edward tattooed our baby's name over his heart. The lettering almost matched the script on my wrist and shaded in black and gray - very understated yet beautiful. Prior to that, he incorporated my initials within one of the wings of the Phoenix. The new art blended flawlessly with the actual design. He once told me that not only did the tattoo represent himself, it now symbolized my strength.

"Come on." I tugged on his arm gently.

Edward followed me down the hardwood stairs. Our home was perfect for us. We purchased it two years before I got pregnant in the same city where Edward's apartment was located. It was a two story, Spanish style home with white stucco walls and a clay tiled roof. It had four bedrooms, a living room, den and kitchen with hardwood and clay tiled floors throughout. The yard, which I probably loved the most, was big enough for Masen to run around and perfect for evenings outside.

"This took a while to boil, didn't it?" I commented on the pot of simmering water. Edward had pulled out the quartered potatoes that I'd already peeled and prepped for mashed potatoes.

"I had set it on low," he replied as he turned up the heat. "I wasn't sure when we'd be back in the kitchen."

"I see." I lightly brought my nail down his arm. "You planned our little tryst in the bathroom, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Bel. I'm shocked that you think that was my only intention."

"Uh-huh, sure, guy. I –" I was cut off by the ringing phone. I reached across the counter and answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Bel!" Rosalie's voice rang through the phone.

"Hey, Rose. What's going on?" I moved away from the stove and sat on the opposite side at the counter.

"Emmett wants to do a Memorial Day barbeque in a couple of weeks. He's going to rent one of those bouncy house things, set up the Slip n' Slide, you know that sort of thing," she laughed.

"No way. He is not getting a bouncy house," I told her. I looked at Edward and could already see the mischief building in his face. "Don't you remember what happened last time? We had three grown men who kicked out the little ones and each ended up with something either broken or bruised."

Rosalie started laughing. "You have to admit, it was funny."

"Rose, I don't remember you laughing at the time. Besides, didn't you give Emmett a black eye?"

"That was an accident. I was trying to get his stupid ass out of the damn thing. He was crying that Jasper broke his hand. It's not my fault that my elbow kissed his face. Besides, it was comical to see them trying to get out of that little entrance – Jasper with a twisted foot and busted lip, Edward with a broken nose and that cut above his eye and the big baby, my husband, with plastic burn on his knees and a fractured pinkie."

"Oh, Eddie's poor nose." I looked at my husband. His nose was fine and healed. But that day, I was a hormonal mess, being almost eight months pregnant. Edward smirked and glanced at me as he dropped the potatoes in the boiling pot.

"That was the best part!" Rosalie guffawed. "The kids were screaming, I was pissed, you were hysterically crying, and Alice was trying to calm everyone down."

"I resent that!" I exclaimed sarcastically. "I think I'm a little offended, actually."

"Oh come on, Bel. Your husband's precious face is fine and it's a day to remember for the rest of our lives."

"Yeah, that's true. Hey look, I got to run. We need to get dinner together. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Sounds good! Give the little one a kiss for me."

"Will do. Same to the girls! Tell Em we'll be there for the impeding chaos. Bye!"

Rosalie laughed. "Seriously. Alright, bye."

"What's going on?" Edward asked as I hung up the phone. I smoothed back some of the bangs that escaped my bun.

"Em wants to throw a barbeque for Memorial Day," I replied.

"There's going to be a bounce house?" His green eyes sparkled.

"No way. We have a very impressionable three year old that idolizes everything you do. If he sees you three clowns roughhousing, he's going to want to join in. And if he wants to play, then his co-conspirator will too. I can see the tears now."

Edward walked around the counter to where I was sitting on one of the high barstools. I widened my legs and he hugged me to him.

"Please, Love?" He looked down at me pouting. "I'll make sure Mac and Wes are okay. Besides Em should be calmer, he's dad to two girls, so he knows to be less aggressive."

I groaned into his chest. "Fine. But you're in charge of him. I thought we banned pouting in this house."

"We did. It still works, though," he laughed.

"Mom!" a little voice yelled from the second floor.

"And he awakens," I chuckled. "I'll go check on him. You get those potatoes cooked." I hopped down from the stool and made my way out of the kitchen.

"Mama!" Masen's voice carried from the stairs.

"He's also impatient," Edward laughed.

"Well, he is your kid," I replied and stuck my tongue out.

I walked upstairs and was greeted by a yawning little boy with his father's bedhead. "Hey, bub. Did you sleep good?"

Masen lifted his arms in the air and I picked him up. "Uh-huh." We walked back to his room and I tried to smooth his hair somewhat.

"How's the tummy?" I asked him as I rubbed it lightly.

"Okay," he replied and patted my face.

"Do you want to come downstairs with me and daddy?" He nodded. "Okay, let's get you changed out of your jammies. Do you need to use the potty?" He nodded again.

After taking him to the restroom, I dressed Masen in some kid's sized black basketball shorts and a red t-shirt. "Let's go, Mase. Daddy's cooking." I tickled his tummy and he squealed. I could listen to his laughter all day. He squirmed out of my grasp to grab one his toy cars and I went to hold his hand before we carefully made our way downstairs.

"Dad! Dad!" Masen yelled as he ran towards the kitchen. He latched onto Edward's leg and started to drive his little car up his thigh.

"Hey, Mac," his father greeted him. Edward was currently whipping the potatoes.

"Mase, do you want some crackers?" I asked while rummaging in the cabinet for some plain crackers. I was hoping they might settle his stomach a little.

"Yes."

"Yes, what, Masen?" Edward asked him. "Please?"

"Yes, please, Mama."

I set out some crackers and juice at the table and Edward picked him up and brought him over to his booster seat. Masen immediately occupied himself by driving his car over the crackers.

"Okay, potatoes are done. Want to test them?"

"Yes!" I squealed. Masen giggled from his spot at the table. I took the spoon Edward offered me and nearly died at the delicious, creamy mashed potatoes. "This is delicious…and hot!" I said with my mouth full.

"Seriously, Babe?" Edward laughed. "After ten years, I still need to warn you?"

"No, I'm fine." I waved my hand over my mouth.

"Also, I must commend you on setting the perfect example of manners for our child," he chuckled. He pointed with the spoon and when I looked over, Masen had crammed a bunch of the crackers in his mouth.

"Aw, Mase!" I moved closer to him. "Out."

He leaned over and spit out the mush of crackers into the plate I held under his chin. I grimaced at the consistency of it. I grabbed a napkin from the table and wiped his face. "You are done, little man." I turned to Edward, who had pulled out marinated steaks. "I guess he's feeling better."

"Come on, Mac," Edward held out his hand. "You can help daddy cook some man food."

"Man food!" Masen squealed. "Bye Mama." He waved seriously to me. "I gon' help Daddy."

Trying to keep a straight face, I waved back with a flick of the wrist. When the sliding door closed, I threw my hand over my mouth and burst out laughing. I don't think I'd ever been so entertained by a kid before. Biased or not, I had an awesome son who made his presence known the moment he entered our world.

"Bella, Edward," the doctor spoke to us. "Congratulations, you have a son!" A baby's wail resonated throughout the delivery room.

"Oh my God," I gasped. I was exhausted. Fourteen hours of labor and contractions, a ton of cursing, one epidural that I swore wore off and endless tears had brought us to this point – we had a baby. Almost immediately, something small and warm was placed on my chest. "Holy cow." I burst into tears when I saw that little face and instantly fell in love all over again. All the pain, heartache and regret I'd endured in my life were all worth it for this moment. "Hi, Masen," I greeted him, my voice shaky.

Edward kissed my forehead and lightly traced his wet head. He pulled out his hands and looked at his feet. "Perfect," he whispered. "Hey, Mac. Welcome to our family. I'm your daddy and this beautiful woman is your mommy. We love you, son." The tears flowed freely down Edward's face. I didn't even notice that the doctor was still finishing up the delivery. I guess that epidural really worked.

I wiped my face and the nurse came over to take the baby, so they could weigh and clean him up. The moment he was gone, I immediately felt the loss and cried harder.

"I love you, Bella." Edward reverently left kisses all over my face. "You did so well. Thank you for him."

"Oh, Edward," I cried. I reached out to hug him and he leaned into me and kissed my neck. I wiped his falling tears. "I love you."

"Bella?" One of the nurses called over to me. I looked up. "Masen is twenty-one inches and weighs eight pounds."

"That's my boy!" Edward laughed.

They brought him back over to us, all clean, and swaddled, with a blue striped beanie on his head. He had quieted down and smelled wonderful.

"He's so little," I whispered. "Look at his fingers, and nails. His eyes! They're so dark and blue."

"We'll let you get acquainted with the little one and I'll be back to show you how to feed him and change him," the nurse explained.

"Thank you," Edward told her. He turned back to us and addressed the baby. "Well, Mac, I'm going to teach you all about being a Cullen. You're going to meet the rest of the family soon. You have cousins just waiting to meet you."

"Babe," I cleared my throat. "Why do you keep calling him 'Mac'?

"Masen Anthony Cullen – M-A-C. Mac," he said a matter of fact and then grinned. Oh, Lord. My husband, the comedian everyone.

Alice and Jasper's son, Wesley, had just turned two when Masen was born and the moment he laid eyes on the new family member, he assumed the role of big brother and stuck by his side. Even now, the boys were inseparable, like Emmett and Edward have always been.

I cleaned up the mashed potato mess and placed the bowl in the oven to keep warm. Grabbing the seasoned ears of corn, I went outside and was met with the laughter of both of my boys.

The next couple of weeks went by quickly and soon the three of us were on our way to Emmett and Rosalie's for their barbeque. Emmett still lived in Huntington Beach and continued to run the surf shop. Alice became his partner four or five years ago when her business savvy kicked in and brought on new vendors and high quality sportswear.

Emmett and Rosalie moved to a larger house and traded in the ocean view for a huge backyard. Rosalie became a free-lanced makeup artist after her second daughter was born and stayed local working on different television series. Violet was now ten years old and every bit Emmett's daughter, down to the dark brown, curly hair and bright blue eyes. She had inherited her father's set of dimples which made every male in our family instantly indulge her. Violet had lovingly been dubbed the most expensive souvenir from their honeymoon. Her larger than life personality allowed her to easily take on the role of big sister.

She went as far as asking her parents for a sibling – a sister actually, so she would have someone to play with. Five years later, not only did she get a sister, Audrey; Alice was also pregnant with Wesley. Audrey Brandon was the polar opposite of her sister. She had light blonde hair that was cut at her shoulders and big blue eyes. She had her mother's sarcasm and dry wit. The two of them together was either really good or really bad. They loved each other fiercely and fought with the same amount of passion.

We pulled up to Emmett's house just after one o'clock. Masen was completely conked out from the drive. "Kid or cupcakes?"

"I'll take him," Edward laughed.

I looked in the visor quickly and fluffed my bangs. Even though I kept my hair long, I now had bangs and not just 'mom' bangs either. They were on the longer side and fringe-y. Getting out of Edward's new charcoal gray truck, which was still kept immaculate and had awesome rims on them, I straightened out my spaghetti strapped sundress and threw on my flip flops.

I went around to the back seat and got the three boxes of the biggest cupcakes I'd ever seen. Edward pulled Masen out of his car seat and was trying to wake him up.

"He's just like you, Love," he laughed. "Sleeps like the dead. Hey, Mac? It's time to get up buddy. We're here."

Suddenly the door flew open. "Auntie Bella! Uncle Eddie! You're here!" Audrey screamed out our arrival. She was already in her bathing suit.

"Why do we all have such hysterical children?" Edward asked me when I made my way back around the truck. I rubbed Masen's back as he rubbed his eyes. Suddenly he sat up, alert. "When did I start talking like that?"

"Um, right around your thirty-second birthday," I commented thoughtfully. Edward just smirked at my sarcasm.

"Dad!" Masen looked at Edward.

"Mac!" He replied just as enthusiastically up close and blew a raspberry on his cheek. Masen giggled.

"Wes is here?"

"Yes, my son. Wes is inside."

"Let's go! Let's go!"

"Yeah, I have no idea why our kids are hysterical," I replied sarcastically.

"Hey, Audrey," I greeted her with a kiss. "Where's your mother?"

"Inside with Auntie Allie and my sister," she replied and grinned. She was currently missing her front tooth.

We entered the house and Edward followed me to the kitchen where Rosalie and Alice were pouring over a baby catalog. Violet sat quietly as she munched on a carrot.

"I think you should name the baby Alex," Rosalie's older daughter commented. "If it's a boy, it works and if it's a girl, it works too. Hi Auntie B, Uncle E. Drey, let's go outside, Dad's almost done setting up the water slide."

With a look of sheer amazement, Rosalie watched her daughters exit the kitchen area. "I'm speechless."

"She does have a point," Alice replied and started laughing. "Hey guys. Masen! My baby! Give Auntie a kiss."

"I'm a big boy," Masen replied.

Alice slowly got up, being careful with her now noticeable baby bump. "Whoa! You popped!" I blurted. "I just saw you last week."

She laughed, turning sideways. "I know, isn't it funny?"

Aside from being thirty-three and four months pregnant with baby number two, Alice looked almost exactly as she did in college. Her hair was in a shorter bob, but just as dark and she still wore her leggings and shirt dresses, especially now with her pregnancy.

Masen hugged Alice as she gave him a kiss and Edward passed him on to Rosalie. My kid just loved the attention and giggled when Rosalie tickled his sides.

"Where's Wes?" I asked Alice.

She pointed outside to the five year old currently chasing Audrey. If Masen was my mini, Wesley was Jasper's. He was tall for his age, shaggy blonde hair and hazel green eyes. Named after his grandfather, Wesley has been trying to duplicate Jasper's family's Texas accent and just this year began adding 'y'all' to his vocabulary.

"Mama, I wan' go play," Masen said as he looked at me. His green eyes bright with excitement.

"I'll take him. Let's go, kiddo," Edward picked him up from Rosalie, upside down, and walked outside. Masen's laughter faded when the sliding door shut.

We looked at each other and just laughed. Moments later, yelling and squeals resonated throughout the yard. The three of us flew to the sliding door and saw Emmett, completely soaked and chasing an out of control garden hose. Edward's head was thrown back in laughter as he stood by the valve. Jasper stood next to him, with a beer in one hand and his phone in the other, recording the debauchery. Watching through the netting of the bounce house, the little girls' screams of glee were pointed at their father, while Wesley and Masen watched enthusiastically from their spot on the steps. We were speechless as we made our way outside into the chaos.

Emmett currently sounded like Joe Pesci in 'Home Alone'. His cursing was a bunch of jumbled, nonsensical words. He threw a death glare at Edward, who immediately turned off the water. Wiping his hand over his wet face, Emmett calmly attached the hose to the Slip n' Slide and Edward switched the water back on.

"Mom!" Audrey yelled to Rosalie. "Daddy said 'shit'!"

Violet immediately shushed her sister.

"Oh jeez," Rosalie muttered. "I need to pull the 'mom' card out," she said to us. "Audrey Elizabeth! Over here, now."

The yard suddenly became quiet, except for the water running over the plastic. Audrey slowly made her way to her mother.

"Drey, honey, just because Daddy says it, doesn't mean you repeat it, right?"

"Yes, Mommy," she replied quietly.

Before Rosalie could continue, my husband released a high pitched squeal – something I don't think I'd ever heard in all my years of knowing him. Emmett had charged him and was currently chasing him around the grass.

"I'm going to kick your as-behind, fuc-freaker," Emmett stuttered out.

"It was a joke, Em!" Edward exclaimed as he ran.

Emmett nearly grabbed him when all of sudden, Edward veered left. His foot caught the edge of the yellow plastic and he slipped backwards. His running start propelled him halfway down the tarp. Emmett immediately pounced on him and the two began wrestling among the water. The little girls started chanting 'daddy', while we stood there with our mouths open in shock.

"Hey!" Jasper yelled to them. "Bonsai!"

Jasper ran and landed on top of the other two. All three began tag teaming against each other.

"Oh my God," Alice started laughing. "He really didn't want to be left out. Poor thing."

"Poor thing? I'm married to the one who started it," I laughed.

When I glanced down at the steps, we were missing two little boys. "Oh, shit." I glanced up and saw Masen and Wesley running towards their fathers. "Masen!" I ran after both of them, but their little legs seemed to be faster. Edward, Emmett and Jasper were unaware that the little boys had decided to join the fray.

"Daddy!" Masen yelled.

"Get him, Dad!" Wesley cheered on Jasper.

"Edward!" I screeched. Too late. He looked at me and we watched, in slow motion, it seemed, as Masen slipped and landed right on his butt in a puddle of water. Jasper caught Wesley perfectly when he lunged onto his back.

"Wait for it," I told Rosalie, who had joined me halfway to the Slip n' Slide. Masen's eyes widened and I knew exactly what was coming.

As if on cue, Masen let out a wail. The men immediately stopped wrestling and Edward went into dad mode. He picked up our wet child and tried to calm him down.

"Watch Wes, Mac," he cooed as he bounced him. Jasper moved to the front of the yellow tarp and with Wesley in his arms, ran and started sliding. Wesley laughed hysterically.

Violet and Audrey crawled out of the bounce house and took their turns. Their giggles overpowered Masen's whimpers. He was now curious. Emmett followed his girls but he ran too fast and ended up sliding into the grass.

I walked up to Edward and Masen. He immediately reached for me. "Hey, bub. Did you fall in the water?"

He nodded and I gently wiped his face. His tears stopped as the slippery, yellow tarp intrigued him.

"Come on, Mac," Edward said. "Watch Daddy."

Edward, being the best father ever, went to the end and slid head first down the plastic. Masen immediately perked up and started clapping.

"Want to get closer?" I asked him. His hands immediately flew around my neck. I chuckled and carried him over to it. Crouching down, I stood him at the very edge of the plastic and splashed some water on his legs. He seemed to relax the more I doused him.

"Look at me, Masen!" Violet yelled as she ran past us and easily slid through the water.

Masen watched as his cousin flew. Audrey and Wesley followed. Edward came back to both of us and took Masen from me. He sat him on the edge of the tarp. Masen wasn't as bothered as he was when he slipped. He started splashing the water by hitting the Slip n' Slide with his palms.

"Love, help me," he asked. "I'll pull his legs and you hold his back upright."

"Okay," I laughed. "Mase, Daddy's going to pull you okay? Just a little bit."

Edward tugged his ankles and Masen quickly glided over the water. His giggles rang out and we got a quarter of the way, when I slipped and fell backwards.

"Bel!" Edward asked. "Are you okay?"

I snorted. "Yeah, thanks. At least my dress didn't fly over my head, this time."

Edward coughed to cover his chuckles and I just rolled at my eyes at him. Except for Alice and Rosalie, everyone was soaked, so I was grateful when one of the girls handed me a towel. Edward helped me up and Masen happily busied himself in the water.

"Why isn't he like this with bath time?" I watched in amusement. I reached down and lifted Masen's wet t-shirt over his head.

"I know!" Edward laughed. "He's so little, you'd think the tub would be the most fascinating thing – like a pool or something."

"Alright!" Alice hollered. "Husbands and Bella, there are some dry clothes in the house, if you want to change. Then we can get started on the grillin'! And you kids, do whatever it is you're doing." She turned to me as I rung out the excess water from the skirt of my dress. "And you, missy, I'll watch Mase. Maybe I can convince him to go in the bounce house with Wes."

"I don't know, Al," I laughed. "He seems quite content sitting in a puddle right now."

Masen was now attempting to crawl down the Slip n' Slide and it was comical to watch as he tried to keep his balance on the slippery surface. Edward had taken out his phone to snap some photos and suddenly cursed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My phone won't turn on," he grumbled. "I think the water soaked it."

"Oh! Throw it in a bag of uncooked rice!" Alice chimed in.

We both looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"What?" She questioned. "I saw it on the news. It supposedly works. You bury it in the rice and it soaks up the water."

"Um, okay," I commented. I faced Edward. "Can't hurt? Come on, Babe. I'm sure Rose has rice somewhere."

Edward looked like someone kicked his puppy. I shook my head and asked Alice to watch Masen for me.

"Rose!" I called over. She was watching the girls jump around the bounce house with Emmett. The entire structure swayed with his movements. Jasper continued to chase Wesley down the Slip n' Slide. "Do you have rice in the kitchen somewhere?"

She shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand. "Uh, yeah. Second cabinet by the oven."

Edward and I left the chaos in the backyard and began rummaging through the kitchen. I poured the rice into a Ziploc and smushed his phone into it.

"So, how long does it sit in there?" I asked. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"I'm going to see what clothes Rose left out for me," I mentioned as I moved to leave.

"Are you going to need assistance, my darling?" Edward grasped my hand and kissed it.

"Oh, uh," I stuttered. "Sure?"

He just smirked and led us to one of the guest rooms. Rosalie set out some cotton shorts and a t-shirt alongside some of Emmett's clothes for Edward. He lightly closed the door and stalked towards me very slowly.

"Babe?" I asked.

He gently lowered the zipper down my back and kissed a spot between my shoulder blades. "I'm just helping," he quietly responded. His left hand lightly trailed down my arm and sent a shiver through me. My dress fell to the floor and I was left in my bra and underwear. I turned to face him and quickly relieved him of his wet shirt and shorts. I looked up into his darkened green eyes and he leaned down planting a kiss on my lips.

Edward continued to kiss me as he sat on the edge of the bed. I stood between his legs and placed my arms around his neck. My fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. His hands lovingly explored my sides and I moved myself closer to him. Everything about him excited me - the way his lips moved and caressed mine, the way his eyes would occasionally meet mine and close in pleasure and the way our bodies just fit with each other's.

"We shouldn't stay up here too long," I rasped as Edward laid kisses around my torso. He continued moving his lips up to the valley of my breasts. 'But don't stop!' I thought.

"I know," he mumbled. I closed my eyes and moved my hands into his hair.

A knock on the door immediately froze us in place. Both of heads shot up and stared at the closed door.

"Guys? I'm sorry to bug," Alice's half muffled voice carried through. "Masen's looking for you and nothing is distracting him. I even tried to bribe him with a cookie." She laughed.

Edward pulled me close and leaned his head against me. His shoulders shook with his chuckles and I wanted to laugh so badly. All I could think was the joys of being a parent.

"Thanks, Al!" I called out to her. "We'll be right down." Edward shifted and looked up at me. "Come on, Babe. Your son needs us."

"My son?" He looked at me aghast.

"Yes, when he interrupts play time, that is YOUR son," I emphasized.

The both of us quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs. The smells of a summer barbeque permeated the kitchen. Rosalie was chopping some vegetables for the salad, while Alice cooked the noodles for the macaroni and cheese. Violet sat next to a mountain of shredded cheese. She had cheese in one hand and a grater in the other. Audrey sat next to her and helped by eating the freshly grated cheese.

"Drey, we need that for the macaroni," Rosalie told in a tone that sounded like it was the tenth time she'd said it. "Enough, please."

"Alright, where's my kid," I interrupted. Masen and Wesley were nowhere to be found with the girls.

"Oh now, he's your kid, Love?" Edward mused from behind me.

I looked back and saw Edward grinning back at me. His hair had dried a little disheveled.

"He's in the bouncy house with Wes," Alice interjected. "Jas is watching them, while Em man's the grill."

"Great. Let's go check on him and I'll come back and give you guys a hand," I told Alice and Rosalie.

Edward and I made our way outside and I did a double take when I saw Emmett's grilling attire – chef hat and an apron that said, 'In this house two rules apply – number one: I'm the boss, number two: See number one'.

"Burgers are almost done, kids," Emmett turned to us.

"Thanks, Em," Edward responded. "Need some help with anything?"

I continued walking towards the bouncing bounce house, where peals of laughter resonated. Jasper was on the side watching the two little boys clumsily play. Standing next to him, I watched as Wesley ran and jumped around. Masen, more or less, crawled and would fall when Wesley's bounces got to close. He would just laugh in surprise.

"Hi, Mama!" Masen yelled when he saw me. He attempted to move closer to me and would get stopped as he fell. "So when do you find out what you're having, Jas?"

He laughed as Wesley tumbled and almost nailed Masen. "We go the doctor in a couple of weeks. Allie and I have a bet going. She thinks it's a girl, but she only believes it because she said this pregnancy's different. I told her that it could just mean her body's used to being pregnant. I think it's a boy."

I laughed at his 'expert' opinion.

"Hey, Auntie Bella! Watch me y'all jump!" He emphasized his 'y'all'.

Jasper shook his head. "He thinks you just throw in 'y'all' wherever."

I burst out laughing. "God, you're kid's sickeningly adorable."

"You have no idea," he laughed. "At school, he tries to 'charm' the girls acting like a gentleman and such."

Edward finally joined us after helping Emmett with the food. "Watch this." He walked over to the front and struggled in pushing him grown up self through the entrance. He playfully growled and surprised his son. Masen squealed and tried to move. Edward swiftly picked him and blew a noisy raspberry on Masen's exposed tummy. Alice had changed him out of the wet clothes from earlier and put him in his blue hibiscus print swim trunks.

Wesley immediately tried to jump on Edward's back. He reached around and helped him climb up his back. Wesley latched his arms around his neck and he held Masen to his front. He crazily bounced around with happily screaming kids.

"I need to get in on this," Jasper told me. He quickly joined the boys and the bounce house swayed even more.

I watched the boys for a bit when I heard my name being called.

"Bel!" Alice yelled. I turned and looked back at the house. "Can you help me do the macaroni and cheese?"

"I'll be right there, Al!" I replied.

I left the squeals of Masen and Wesley behind and made my way back to the kitchen.

-*OotA*-

A month later, the six of us and our kids deplaned in Forks for the annual Brandon/Cullen Fourth of July Extravaganza. Edward and Jasper both carried a sleeping Masen and Wesley. I grabbed our extra bags and Emmett carried Alice's. Rosalie, Alice and the little girls followed us. We were lucky with the timing as Alice only had a couple of more weeks until she wouldn't be allowed to fly.

"Babe," I called to Edward as we moved towards baggage claim. Edward turned back to me. "We should probably wake him up before we hit the road and let him stretch his legs."

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed. "Hey, Mac." Edward gently shook Masen awake. "Wake up, buddy. We're going to see Grandma, Grandpa and Pops.

Masen slowly opened his eyes and looked around at his surroundings. He then laid his chin over Edward's shoulder looking back to me. "Gramma?"

"Yup, bub," I replied leaning over to give him a kiss. "We're going to go for a car ride to her house."

"Where's Wes?" He asked. Sitting up in Edward's arms, Masen twisted his body looking for his buddy.

Wesley had woken up and was now walking with Alice, holding her hand. "Hey, Masen!" He called over.

"Hi!" Masen replied and waved.

We caravanned to the baggage carousel and us girls settled in a corner with the kids, while the husbands went to wait for our luggage. Masen and Wesley, Violet and Audrey sat next to each other on the plastic seats. Alice took a seat next to Violet and rubbed her belly.

"How's the mama doing?" I asked her.

"I think the real question is, how our Penny is doing," she laughed. "She's been kicking me since we started the descent."

When Alice and Jasper figured out the sex of the baby, she started a phone chain. Alice called both Jasper and me; and I three-way called Edward, who called Rosalie, who called Emmett. Before we could even receive the news, Alice burst into tears and Jasper had to tell us. They had decided on Penelope – Penny Whitlock.

"Ugh," I replied. I vividly remembered the latter half of my pregnancy when Masen was most active. It constantly felt like someone was punching me. "I do not miss that. I swear one night I thought Masen broke my ribs."

"I remember that," Rosalie said. "I found you in a fetal position on the bed moaning. You couldn't even move, let alone breathe."

I shook my head and winced at the memory. That was a bad night. Edward was working super late due to a concert at the store, Felix was on tour and I didn't want to disturb him. He would have just left and came straight home. I called Rosalie and just gasped out my pain. She arrived as quickly as she could and helped me get through it. Edward was not happy when he found out just how bad it was and made me promise that if that happened again, I would always call him.

Our conversation was cut short when Rosalie's girls started fighting over a crayon. There was some hair pulling and pinching involved and Rosalie went into action separating them. She then pulled them aside to give them a talking to.

"So, Bel," Alice started. "Is your dad excited?"

"Oh yeah," I laughed. "Now that Mase is a little older, can pretty much talk, he wants to take him to work and maybe even fishing."

"Is he still dating Julia?"

I chuckled and playfully rolled my eyes. "Yup. It's been, what, four years?"

My dad, the confirmed bachelor, or so I thought since I was little, recently met and fell in love with Julia. She was a very nice woman, who was the school nurse at Forks High School. Julia moved to Forks just over six years ago from Montana after divorcing her husband of twenty years. They never had children and when this opportunity rose, she jumped at it. Being from a larger city, Forks was a welcomed change for her. My dad ran into her while grabbing dinner with some of the guys. They started talking and two years later, they were official.

"She'll be in town this year for the barbeque at your aunt's," I continued. "I think he's getting ready to propose, though."

"Really?" Alice practically squealed. "Ow. I think Pen just fist bumped me."

"What?" I burst out laughing.

"She's excited too, I assume," she replied nonchalantly. "I can't wait until tomorrow. There's going to be mashed potatoes, potato salad, corn, ribs, coleslaw…" she trailed off and looked at my wide eyes. "What? I'm pregnant, everything sounds good, except for fish. That's just not okay."

"Oh my God," I laughed.

"Alright!" Emmett's voice interrupted. "We have everyone's luggage. Is everyone ready?" He looked around and immediately zoned in on his unhappy girls. "What happened?"

"We'll talk about it later," Rosalie answered him. "The girls are cranky. We're good to go, hon."

"Okay," he said slowly. "The guys and I decided that we'll rent two cars. That way, no one will be trapped. Sound good?" When no one objected, he continued. "Alright, Brandons, Whitlocks and Cullens, let's move out!"

I grabbed our carry-ons and held Masen's hand, who also insisted that Wesley hold his, so the three of us trailed behind everyone. Emmett and Edward led us to the car rental. We sat the kids down again and waited.

"Mama?" Masen called to me.

"Yes, Mase?" I answered.

"I'm hungry," he replied. "My tummy's talkin' to me."

I lightly laughed. "Oh no! We can't have my pretty baby go hungry!"

"Mama! I'm no' a baby!" He replied and narrowed his eyes. He looked just like Edward when he was frustrated. "I'm this many." He held up three little fingers.

"Yes you are, bub," I replied as seriously as I could. I looked over at Alice and Rosalie and we all tried to stifle our giggles. I fished out some Cheerios for him to munch on. "Here you go."

"Can I have some y'all Cheerios, Mase?" Wesley asked politely.

Masen actually paused and looked like he thought about it before handing him one.

"Masen, you need to share," I told him.

He looked at me with guilt on face and opened the bag to Wesley. I just shook my head. When I looked up, Edward, Jasper and Emmett were walking back towards us.

"Alright, I got us a car and Em rented a Suburban," he explained. "They're all staying at Auntie Lucy's and we'll go to my parents'. Your dad's okay with us not staying with him, this time, right?"

"Oh yeah," I replied. "He's still in gross honeymoon phase with Julia and as much as he loves Mase, I'm sure he doesn't want a nosy three year old wandering around. Hell, I'm thirty-three and don't want to be wandering around that house," I laughed.

Edward laughed and leaned in close to my ear. "I'm sure we're still in gross honeymoon phase too, Love."

I shivered from his close proximity. "Edward Cullen, don't start something that you're not going to finish."

"Oh, I plan to finish, Isabella," he snickered. "Just you wait 'til tonight."

What this man does to me. With just a few choice words, he had me riled me up and I kissed him passionately. "Damn you," I mumbled against his mouth. "God, I love you."

"Love you, Baby," he said simply with a grin place. "Let's get going. We have a long drive ahead of us."

By the time we loaded everyone in the car – luggage, car seats, bags and kids, it was late in the afternoon. We decided to stop at a fast food place before hitting the road. After everyone was fed, we re-loaded the cars and finally started our journey to sleepy Forks. At first, Masen played with the toy from his Happy Meal and eventually drifted off to sleep. Besides the music playing, a comfortable silence filled the car. I chuckled in thought.

"What?" Edward asked. I grabbed his right hand and held it in my lap.

"I was just thinking how funny it is that you rented a Volvo."

Edward laughed. "I thought it was appropriate to pay homage to my old one. RIP silver Volvo." He pretended to wipe a tear.

I just giggled at him and kiss his shoulder. "Are you excited about this weekend?"

"Hell, yes I am. I hope my dad gets the good fireworks again."

I laughed, picturing an overly excited Edward. I know he couldn't wait to play with Masen and watch the fireworks. Last year, it bothered his little ears, so we watched from the living room. It was probably highly illegal, shooting them off with all of those trees, but they were just so pretty.

With the arrival of the first Brandon baby, Lucy and Esme decided to get everyone together. The six of us and eight month old baby Violet made the trek back to Washington to celebrate the Fourth of July. There was food, fireworks, music and just the family. Since then, this extra trip has become a part of our lives.

That first year, I had fought tooth and nail about spending the holidays with my dad. My anxiety was at an all-time high with the fear of running into Jake, despite my solid relationship with Edward. Forks was such a small town, that I had no doubt, we would run into each other. Even though, I had Edward, Alice and Emmett to support me, my courage waned and I visited my mom and Phil for Thanksgiving in Florida – where they were still happily dating each other.

With my friends' urging, I reluctantly decided to spend Christmas with my dad – which in the end, worked out. I had one of the best times celebrating with my dad and the entire Cullen clan. My anxiety over seeing Jake again completely dissipated as our paths never crossed over the last ten years.

We only stopped a couple times and still made it to Forks in record time. Edward and I kept a steady conversation flowing about everyday things, work and our kid. Masen would randomly ask questions from the backseat. Eventually, Emmett honked and waved as he made a turn while we continued on to the in-laws. Edward called his mother and let her know we were only minutes away. Masen occupied himself with the scenery passing by and watched with excitement.

When we finally pulled up to the house, Esme and Carlisle were sitting on the porch. They both waved as parked in the driveway.

"Ready, Mac?" Edward turned in his seat, smiling at his green-eyed boy. "We're here!"

"Yay!" He exclaimed. His kicked little legs back and forth and unbuckled the top latch of his seatbelt. "Mama, I'm-a stuck." He grunted.

"Wait, Baby," I told him. I turned and kneeled on my seat as I unlatched the lower one. "Wait for Daddy to open your door."

Edward had already exited the car and made his way to Masen's side, which was directly behind me. I got out and stretched while Esme approached us. Masen stood and took in his surroundings.

"My darlings! You made it!" Esme exclaimed. "There's my grandbaby!" She picked up Masen in a tight hug and tickled his tummy. Masen squealed in delight. "Give Grandma a kiss!"

He messily kissed her cheek and hugged her fiercely. "Hi, Gramma!"

"Hey, Ma," Edward kissed her cheek and then hugged his dad. "Dad."

Hi, Esme," I half hugged her. "How are you? Ready to spoil this one?"

"Oh, Bella," she laughed. "I'm so happy you guys are here! I'm always ready to spoil Masen! Come on, they can get the bags."

Edward and Carlisle already unpacked the car and followed us in. When we settled in the den and Edward took our bags upstairs, I finally had a chance to say hi to Carlisle. Esme already put on a Disney movie and Masen focused his attention on the cartoon lion.

"Are you guys hungry? We were just going to order a pizza," Carlisle asked with a phone in his hand.

"Cheese sticks!" I replied. Edward came up from behind and wrapped his arms around my waist. He laughed and kissed my shoulder. "That'd be great, I mean. Thank you." Esme and Carlisle chuckled. "We should probably get Mase ready for bed. It's almost time for bed and he needs a B-A-T-H."

Esme knew Masen's aversion to baths and laughed. "Isn't it funny when you realize you're at that point in your life when you have to spell things out?"

"I know!" I giggled. "The first time I did that, I stopped myself and started laughing. Because that's one thing I never thought that I'd ever have to do in my life."

"Why don't you and Eddie get settled and I'll take care of Masen?" She offered.

"Oh, Es, you don't need to do that," I replied.

"Yes I do. As one of his Grandmas, it would be my pleasure," she stated. "Come on, darling," she turned to Masen. "Grandma wants to show you something."

We left Carlisle to handle dinner. Esme held Masen's hand as Edward and I followed her upstairs. Last year, Esme re-decorated one of the guest rooms and turned it into Masen's. It had been beautifully painted in a soft green with dark wood furniture. The crib was an antique she had refurbished to match and every time we visited, she gave Masen time to familiarize himself with the room. There were books and toys placed around and it looked lived in and comfortable.

"Oh my God," I whispered as we walked in. She had replaced the beautiful crib with a bed similar to the one Masen used at home. "Thank you."

"Yeah, thank you, Ma," Edward repeated.

"Oh, it was nothing," she replied. "Anything for my grandson. He's growing up so fast. I just need to figure out what to do with that crib…" she trailed off and looked at Edward and me.

Immediately, I hid behind Edward. When Masen turned two, Esme not so subtly hinted at wanting another baby around. So far, I'd been successful in dodging inquiring minds. I was completely on the fence about another baby. I was so consumed by everything Masen did and who he was becoming that I enjoyed every single moment - he was that fascinating. Edward's shoulder shook with chuckles.

"Mama, look," Masen's musings saved me again. He was pointing to the stuffed dinosaur on his bed.

"That's your bed, Baby," I told him. I squatted so I was eye level with him. His hair was all over the place and I softly ran my hand through it. He giggled. "Go ahead and get on up there."

He immediately hopped on his little bed, grabbing the stuffed animal. Edward pulled out his phone and took some candids of him.

"Mase, what do you tell Grandma?" I prompted.

"Thank you, Gramma," he stated.

"You're welcome, Sweetie," Esme replied. "And look through there." She pointed to the adjoining bathroom. Masen got up and followed Esme to it. She flipped on the light and kept walking to the next bedroom. "Mommy and Daddy will be in here, if you need them."

I loved Edward's old bedroom. It was different, yet the same. Gone were the posters, the sports trophies, and his everyday messiness that he once told me about, but Esme kept it homey and very much to Edward's taste. Bookcases were filled books, records, tapes and CDs from his teenage years. Picture frames of our friends and family were strategically placed between them.

"Now, come on, let's go play." She led Masen back to his room.

I lay down on the bed as Edward shut the door to the bathroom. My exhaustion from traveling with an active three year old set in. I felt Edward as the bed dipped and he halfway covered me with his body. His lips ascended onto my neck and his breath gave me the chills. Keeping my eyes closed, I wrapped my arms under his and held him close.

"God, I love you, Bel," he whispered and kissed me under my ear.

"Love you, Baby," I managed to reply.

Finally his lips met mine and I felt home. Edward made me feel safe, loved and purely content. I kissed him with fervor and his soft lips yielded to my wanting. I lightly nipped his bottom lip which sent him over the edge. He was hard against me and I desperately wanted to peel his clothes off.

"Pizza's here!" Carlisle's voice rang through the house.

Edward groaned and placed his dropped his head against my shoulder. "I promise. Tonight. No excuses or distractions."

I giggled and kissed the side of his temple. "Alright, let's go eat." We both got out of bed.

"I'll, uh, meet you downstairs," Edward said looking down.

I burst out laughing.

"Bella, what'd I tell you about laughing at me," he narrowed his eyes. "You're killing my ego here."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Poo-Bear," I baby talked to him in a sickeningly obnoxious voice. I puckered my lips and leaned towards him when he palmed my face.

"Hey," I mumbled through his hand. He let go and left the room laughing.

Unfortunately, after eating and getting Masen ready for bed, I ended up falling asleep right next to him on that little bed. I vaguely remembered being carried to bed and now, I woke to someone gently shaking me.

"Baby," Edward whispered.

"What's wrong?" I sat up in a panic.

"Shh, nothing's wrong," he said soothingly. I could barely make out his shape in the dark. "I want to show you something. Come with me."

"Oh, okay," I breathed out.

Edward led us outside through the doors in his bedroom. The moon casted an eerie white glow on the patio on an otherwise pitch black night. The sky was a deep midnight blue with masses of twinkling stars and the rustle of the leaves in the surrounding forest complimented the soothing sounds of the flowing river in the distance.

He sat on one of the lounge chairs and guided me to straddle his lap. My legs hung down from either side of his thighs and he pulled me forward, cradling my body against his. I breathed him in as I buried my head in the crook of his neck. Edward lovingly ran his hands down my back. He draped a light blanket over the both of us and began slowly kissing my shoulder. I moved up and kissed him lightly on his lips. Concentrating on the feel of his mouth on mine, I deepened it and the kissing took on a life of its own.

Edward's hands wandered up my sides, taking the oversized t-shirt I wore with the movement. I sat up and allowed him to remove it. He stared at me with an intense gaze as if seeing me for the first time.

"You really are so beautiful, Isabella," he said reverently. I gasped when I shifted over his lap as he hit me in the exact right spot.

"I love you, Eddie," I whispered and kissed him again.

Both of his hands reached up and slowly massaged my breasts. His thumbs swept over my nipples which puckered from his touch. I slowly rocked against him with my hands on his shoulders and quietly moaned.

"Shirt, off," I said softly. "Pants too."

He chuckled and ripped his own t-shirt off. I stood quickly, with the blanket wrapped over my shoulder as Edward shimmied his pajamas pants off. I carefully and quickly stripped off my underwear, tossing them on the ground. I looked down and Edward seemed to glow in the pale moonlight. His skin seemed flawless and he appeared so young, almost ethereal. His eyes and body called to me as I watched him unabashedly.

He began to slowly stroke himself and I was fascinated by this action. His eyes would close as he passed over the tip of his erection. Before settling back on his lap, I leaned forward and kissed his lips. His grunts were soft and breathy. I reached between us and placed my hand over his, following its pathway. Ever so slowly, I paused his hand and sank down. The moment our bodies joined, we sighed in contentment.

He moved his hands to my hips and we rocked unhurriedly against each other. He sat up and my mouth never left his. We tried to keep our moans quiet, but everything just felt so amazing. I held myself tightly against him and rubbed my chest against his. The blanket fell from me and the cool air intensified every sensation.

"God, Baby," I gasped. "I love you so fucking much."

"Me too, Love," he moaned against my lips.

At some point, my hand shifted and I palmed my own breast. Edward looked down with lust filled eyes. His hand joined mine as his mouth focused on the other one. His tongue swirled and his hand followed massaging and squeezing.

"Oh, shit!" I rasped.

Edward kissed his way up my neck and I grabbed the back of his head and pulled on his hair. His mouth met mine and my senses were on fire. I buried my face against Edward's neck as I climaxed. My breathing came out in pants and quieted my groaning against his warm, slick skin. Edward quickly followed and stilled under me.

We just sat in silence, holding each other tightly. Edward eased himself out of me and we repositioned ourselves on the lounge. He picked up the blanket and laid it over us. I sighed contently and he glanced over to me. His green eyes bore into mine.

"I'll love you forever, Bella Cullen," he said quietly and seriously. "You know that, right?"

I traced his nose and cupped his cheek. I kissed him softly. "I do, my love. I'll love you always."

We dozed after that, listening to his steady heartbeat and quiet breathing.

The next day was filled with commotion and last minute details for this afternoon's barbeque. The men were in the backyard, setting up the tables, the grill and fireworks. The kids hung out in the den watching a movie which hopefully kept them occupied for the time being. Alice sat at the kitchen table cutting up some carrot and celery sticks, while Rosalie sliced up some potatoes. She already had an apple pie baking in the oven and the kitchen smelled of wonderful spices. Esme prepped the meats with seasoning, marinade and began forming the hamburger patties.

I had just finished mixing the dough for the red, white and blue cookies, when I realized there may not be enough frosting. I think there was a sneaky mouse – named Emmett – who stole one of the packages early this morning.

"Hey, Esme?" I asked. "I think I need to head back to the grocery store. I need to get extra frosting."

"Okay," she replied. "Do you think you can pick up the ice too? We probably need about four bags – the big ones."

"Sure." I walked to the backdoor that led to the patio. "Hey, Eddie?"

Edward and Jasper were carrying one of the long tables towards the grill. This was going to hold the buffet line of food. "Yeah?" He answered.

"I need to run to the store. I'm going to take Masen with me."

After he and Jasper placed the table, Edward walked over to me. "What are you getting?"

"Someone," I said loudly and looked at Emmett's guilty face from across the yard, "ate the frosting. I need to pick up some more for the cookies. And your mom wants the ice."

"I'll go with you," he said simply.

"You don't have to. I'm sure there's enough to do here."

"I'm coming, no arguing. How are you going lift twenty pound bags of ice and carry Mac?"

"Okay, okay. Let's go."

Edward followed me in and I went to get Masen. He was playing with some toy cars and army men with Wesley.

"Hey, Mase?" He looked up at me and smiled. "Want to come with me and Daddy to the market?"

"Yes!" He got up and I grabbed his hand. We walked back to the entry way, where I got my license and credit card out of my purse.

"Ready?" I asked Edward when he walked over to us.

"Yup," he replied and swooped Masen over his shoulders. His giggles rang out as I opened the front door. "Mom gave me a list."

I took it and read the short list she made – ketchup, ice, lighter fluid and ice cream. "How did we forget this stuff this morning?"

"No idea," he laughed. "Let's go, Mac!" Edward ran out the door with our son and I followed just laughing at the two of them.

It took less than ten minutes to reach the grocery store, which was crowded due to the holiday. Edward picked up Masen and placed him in the cart.

"I'll go get the frosting and meet you in the frozen aisle?"

"Sure, Love," he replied and kissed me before we split up.

I quickly grabbed the extra containers of white frosting and Masen talked about everything he saw. I was completely engrossed in his babblings when I heard a boy yelling – not just upset yelling, but pissed off, brat yelling. I looked around and noticed it wasn't even in our aisle and was amazed at the volume of his screaming.

"I want it!" He practically screamed. "You never let me have anything! You're the worst father ever!"

My eyes widened in disbelief that a child could be so disrespectful towards a parent. I quickly turned our cart in a different direction and looked at my son.

"I hope you never turn out like that Mase," I said, tickling his tummy. He laughed and I leaned down to kiss him.

"Mama, I lo' you," he said as I stopped by the ice cream freezer. Masen just grinned happy as can be sitting there. I wanted to cry at his innocence.

"I love you, Baby," I replied and caressed his little cheek. He puckered his lips at me and I kissed him again.

I opened the freezer and picked out a tub of Vanilla and Chocolate. As I placed them both in the back of the cart, I hadn't noticed someone approach me.

"Bella," he stated.

I froze at his voice. A voice I hadn't heard in over ten years. It was the same, yet different. I turned around and he was standing there looking at me. I suddenly felt very self-conscious in my short, frayed jean skirt and short, flowy babydoll tank top. I'd left my hair down in waves.

His dark eyes, that I used to know so well, locked on mine. "Jacob." My heart hammered in my chest and I kept up a blank expression.

"You look great, Bel," he continued. He stepped forward and I automatically stepped back towards Masen.

The first thing I noticed about him was his face. He looked tired and worn. The lines in his face were more pronounced and he'd cut his hair very short. His clothes were very casual – ripped jeans and black t-shirt and he was heavier than I remembered. The toned body of a twenty-two year old gave way to the body of someone who seemed to have the world on his shoulders. My frozen memory of Jake was shattered by reality.

"Um, thanks," I dumbly replied. "I have to go."

I was about to push the cart when he stopped me. "Wait, please."

"No," I said flatly. 'I can't do this,' I thought to myself.

"I just wanted to say –"

"Are we leaving yet," a snotty kid's voice interrupted. Jake's eyes immediately closed in frustration as a tall, gangly boy of ten walked over to us. I instantly recognized him as his son and saw the striking resemblance between them. I also realized he was the screaming brat from aisle twelve. A girl, probably five years old, stood next to him, but didn't resemble either one. I just assumed it was Jake's other kid.

"Matthias Black. What did I tell you? We're leaving in ten minutes," Jake said without any sort of authority. He just sounded defeated.

Matthias rolled his eyes and continued to back talk. "Well, Rachel's ready to go and she's being annoying."

"No I'm not!" she cried and stomped her foot over Matthias'.

"Enough!" Jake semi-yelled out.

"Mama?" Masen's question pulled me out of my shock. I took that as my cue to leave.

"Bella, wait!" Jake called to me.

He ran in front of my cart to stop us. "What are you doing, Jake. Huh? What do you want? It's been ten years and I cannot get into this with you right now, or ever. Now, I have to go." I tried to keep my composure, but I could feel my eyes starting to prick with tears. I needed to be strong.

"Bel?" Edward quickly walked up to our cart. He stood next to me and when he recognized the man in front of us. His eyes narrowed. "You. Why the fuck are you bothering my wife?"

Jake's eyes widened in surprise and a look of defeat overtook his features. Edward rubbed my back with his hand. I picked up Masen and held him to me. I watched these two men just stare at each other, while the two kids halfway down the aisle continued to fight with each other.

"I'm not," he mumbled. "I just wanted to talk to her really quick."

"I think you need to leave our family alone and tend to yours," Edward sneered at the bickering behind us.

Jake rubbed his hand over his face. "Please, Bella. Two minutes. That's all."

Our eyes met and I briefly saw the boy I once knew. I sighed into Masen's shoulder, conflicted.

"Babe, take Mase and I'll meet you in the front, please?" I looked up at Edward's face and my heart felt full.

"Are you sure?" He asked warily, as I placed Masen back in the cart. I nodded once. "I won't be too far."

"I know. I love you," I whispered. Edward nodded to me and rolled the cart away. I turned to Jake. "Two minutes."

"Thank you," he hurriedly said. Rachel let out a scream as Matthias pulled her hair. "Hey!" He yelled to them.

I played with my hair, now feeling stupid for standing here. I was about to turn away when Jake spoke.

"They're not really siblings," he began. "Rachel is Leah's son's kid that we're raising. Those two fight like there's no tomorrow –"

"Jacob, I'm sorry, but I really don't care," I blurted out, though I wanted to laugh at the thought of him being a grandfather at the ripe old age of thirty-three. "My husband and kid are waiting for me. You have one minute." The strength in my voice was evident. I wasn't that broken girl anymore. I hadn't been for a long time.

"I know. Sorry. I'm an idiot," he replied. "Your son looks just like you. You look happy. My life hasn't really gone where it was supposed to. As you can see with my son over there –"

I was getting pissed. I didn't want the details of his life. I didn't care if he was unhappy. I hadn't thought about him in so long that my patience was gone. I had cookies to frost, and five kids, if you included Emmett, who needed to be fed and given the best Fourth of July we could create.

"Okay, look," I said. "I don't want to do this. I can't pretend to be cordial with you and act like we're old friends. Our time has come and gone and my life has nothing to do with our past or you. I said everything I needed to say on your lawn. So, I'm going to go now. Good luck with your life."

I turned and walked away, but not before I heard him.

"I really am sorry, Bella." I stopped in my tracks. I looked back at Jake. "For everything. I'm just sorry. You didn't deserve any of it and I'll live the rest of my life knowing that I hurt the one person who loved me."

I was speechless. I just stared at him and narrowed my eyes. I nodded once and left him standing in the frozen food aisle. I never realized how much I'd longed for the day when Jake would apologize and now that it happened – I didn't care. I moved on a long time ago and put myself together.

I found Edward and Masen waiting around the corner. He immediately enveloped me in his arms.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. My heart rapidly beat as I just held onto him.

"Yes," I murmured into t-shirt. I looked up into the depths of his green eyes. "Actually, I'm fine. Can we just go home?"

"Sure, Love," he replied.

We stood in line at the cash register, picked up the ice and eventually paid for the groceries. Edward bought Masen a little plastic container shaped like a giant Goldfish cracker. Masen thought it was the most fascinating thing at the moment. His giggles shook me out of my thinking as we walked to the rental. I smiled at my baby and settled him into his car seat. Edward loaded the trunk with the ice and two bags of groceries.

"Mama, do we have fishie crackers?" Masen asked me and shook the container at me.

I burst out laughing just as Edward got in the car. My life was exactly where it was supposed to be – with Edward and Masen. Each of them brought something to it and only made me love them harder. I felt fulfilled and have for a long time – I had an awesome romance with my husband, a wonderful, mischievous kid, a great career, my best friends and everything I could ever want.

Edward just looked at me in question.

"We do, bub," I told him. "I'm sure Auntie Allie has some. When we get home, I'll get you some."

Home. That's exactly where we were going – our family was waiting for us. I smiled at Edward and he kissed me gently while Masen just laughed to himself in the back.

"Home?" He asked. Edward always understood me – my other half; my forever.

"Home."

[The End]

And that's all she wrote. Thank you again for reading, my dears. I hope enjoyed a little glimpse of Bella's life.