Author's Note: Not long, but I really just hated leaving y'all hanging any longer. School and work have become overbearing, so be happy for any kind of update.

DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer, along with Little, Brown and Company, owns all the rights to the Twilight Saga. I own nothing and profit nothing from this story.

Looking back on my life, I wouldn't change a thing. I had my heart broke – more than once. I found my soul mate on my own – with fate confirming it. And more importantly, I learned who I was and who I wanted to be – in both good and bad times.

The years went by, and I felt blessed more and more with each passing one. Quil and I eventually went on that honeymoon. He surprised me with a trip to the Florida Keys. We made a pit stop by Jacksonville to leave Lilliana with her very excited Nana Renée. I felt relieved to know she would be so close. Four hundred miles away from my baby allowed me more peace of mind than three and half thousand miles would have. Neither Quil nor I had been away from her more than twenty-four hours before, so even the four hundreds miles for a week felt like a lifetime.

Four years after our wedding, we became parents again. This time to a little boy named Quil Ashkii Ateara IV. My little boy was, to both my horror and amusement, just like his father. To limit the confusion, we called him by a nickname derived from his middle name, Ash. Celia got more than one laugh at my Quil's aggravation over Ash's antics as a child and even more as a teenager. Every time she claimed with a wide smile that the apple didn't fall far from the tree. That comment always resulted in an eye roll from Quil.

The music starting brought me out of my thoughts. I stood with the rest of the crowd, watching my husband of twenty-two years walk our daughter down the aisle. She looked beautiful as she lit up looking at her very soon-to-be husband, John.

She met John her first day on campus at the University of Washington. Though, after the very bad pick-up line he used claiming he had found his real life Pocahontas, it would take him three months to convince her to give him a chance and go out on a date.

The ceremony ended with me in tears – not that I expected anything else from myself. I cried at my own wedding, so of course I'd bawl at my only daughter's. As the wedding day had approached, I found myself sad and nostalgic, while my husband became more and more disgruntled. Quil had deluded himself into believing his little girl would marry while still pure as the white dress she wore. A wedding meant he could no longer fool himself into his virginal delusions of his daughter once she became a wife.

I felt arms wrap around me and leaned back into the welcoming embrace. We stood and watched our daughter dance with her husband.

Quil sighed behind me. "Guess she's not my little girl anymore."

"She'll always be your little girl, Quil. But you have to remember she's a woman, a married one at that now. She still has us, but she won't need us like she used to. That's John's job now."

"Eh, I'm still not convinced he's right for her."

I rolled my eyes. "You're her dad; no one will be good enough."

"Damn right they're not."

"I don't think Charlie was completely thrilled with my choice of you either."

"I think you being pregnant at the time could have had something to do with that. Well, that and my previous man-whoring days might have reached his ears."

"And you've worked out just fine. So see, nothing to worry about."

"Bella, I don't think you see my point. Who is John really? Do we really know him that well?"

"Quil, we've known the boy for three years. We know his parents well. He makes Lilly happy. Even Ash approves, and you know he never approved of the yahoos she dated in high school. He scared the boys off before you even had a chance back then. And today he stood up there as John's best man."

"Well, no matter, I'll be keeping my eyes on that boy. One slip up and I'll be there to put him in his place."

"Okay, dear, you do that."

"Don't patronize me, Bella," he whined.

"I wouldn't think of it," I said, smirking.

"His hand seems awfully low on her back," he growled.

"Seriously, Quil, they're married. He can put that hand as low as he wants."

"Over my dead body," he muttered. I turned around in his arms.

"If you're a good boy and don't attack your new son-in-law, I might reward you later tonight. We can pick up some strawberries and whip cream," I said, waggling my eyebrows.

"Ew, Mom, stop." I jumped to see my son standing behind his father; he wore a horror-struck look on his face. "Great, now I'm going to have that image burned into my brain for the rest of my life. Never mind that I'll never be able to eat a strawberry again."

"Good, more for us. Your mom is a big fan of strawberries. And you might want to find somewhere else to stay tonight, son. You're mother can be quite loud."

"Quil," I admonished him.

"Dad," Ash whined, covering his ears.

"What? I want my reward, Bella," my man-boy of a husband griped. "And I know I won't get it with the boy there. So get lost, Ash."

"Seriously, Dad. That's incredibly wrong and gross. And I already planned to stay at Junior's. We have band practice in the morning."

"Okay, honey. You boys don't give Sam and Emily too much trouble," I told Ash.

"We won't, Mom. See you guys later," he said, avoiding my eyes. After he walked away, I slapped Quil up side the head.

"Ouch, babe. What was that for?"

"Don't say things like that in front of our son. He wouldn't even look me in the eye."

"Fine, fine. I apologize, but I just needed to make sure I got to have my way with you tonight."

"You have to be good first."

"Oh, when I have the motivation," he smirked, "I find that I can be on my very best behavior."

I shook my head. "Twenty plus years and you still act like you did at seventeen."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that's the me you fell in love with."

Before I could reply, the DJ's voice filled the hall. "This next song came as an anonymous request."

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road

I looked up at my smiling husband.

"May I have this dance, m'lady," he said, bowing down and offering his hand.

Taking his hand, I answered, "I suppose so."

But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Resting my head on Quil's chest, I relished in the warmth of his arms. A little over fifteen years since all the guys quite phasing and still they kept a few of the wolf qualities – like the warmth, strength and superior eyesight.

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

"You Mr. Anonymous?"

"Who else would pick our song? Everyone else thinks it too sappy and/or corny."

"Maybe it is," I murmured, "but I feel like I could have written it myself."

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

"We did waste time. Especially the time I spent in Florida."

"I don't agree. We needed that time; I needed that time. I wasn't who you needed me to be yet. I needed to grow up first."

"And I needed that time to get over Jake."

"Exactly. We weren't ready for each other before that time."

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

"What do you think would have happened if I hadn't gotten pregnant? I probably never would have come back."

"Well, thankfully you did or we would be dancing at Lilly's wedding right now. But if you hadn't, then I'd like to think I would have worked up the balls to find you."

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I looked up at Quil. "You really think so?"

"Baby, my whole life was leading me to you. I wasn't about to give up just yet, not after I'd gotten a glimpse of what life with you could be like."

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

"I love you, Quil."

"I love you too, Bella. Always."

The End.