I will say you having the story be in Esme pov did HER and BELLA no favors.

But I could understand teen Bella, she was in her emo stage and needed a 'bad boy' and rebel... But the fact we don't get get to see her progress from being that bitch to the fine girl that runs flower shop makes it feel like her relationship with Edward is unearned. Basically us not seeing her redeemed herself irks me.

Now on to Esme... If she was my mother... I would be pissed at least a little bit. I feel like she shouldn't have been the one actively pursuing a relationship with Bella. But that goes back to us not being in Bella's pov, we don't know what she has done to redeem herself...

Beautiful story!

That was amazing and so heartbreaking at the same time.

Your words really are a joy to read. Even when when they paint a painful picture for the brand new mama of a little boy.
You have a real talent at conveying deep, raw and powerful feelings... and I felt all of them, deep down inside my heart! Joy, real sadness, fear, anger, confusion, love... they were all there and boy did they take me on a rollercoaster!
Thank you

OH MY GOD that was so intense. You certainly liked to drag that relationship through the ringer ,as they say.! Had me tearing up at parts, in the Chinese , of all places. Never read an emotional story anywhere but at home. Well done

Where do I start? This is so good I feel guilty not having paid for it, or at least for not having plucked from the library shelf. The quality of your writing is astounding.

The content is just as compelling. Your metaphorsoh, how I would love to live in your brain and watch them be born.

I could say so much more, but I am a greedy reader, and go on with this beautiful tale.

This story really resonates with me. I think what maybe some reviewers aren't realizing is that just because we don't see Bella's redemption, her asking Edward for forgiveness, doesn't mean it didn't happen. I certainly imagine they had some rather major talks when and after the first time he went in Esme's place for coffee. We just aren't privy to them because this story isn't in either of their POV. I can't say what you imagined Bella's feelings to be when talking about the dissolution of their relationship and her talking about being broken, but I've been in what might be similar circumstances. Growing up with an alcoholic mom and a dad who left...my current husband was one of my best friends in the world (though we met as teenagers) but both of us always felt more. But it scared me to death because I always felt that, if we went there, when it ended I wouldn't just lose a boyfriend, but so much more. And I was certain it would end...because my own father didn't love me enough to stick around so why would any other guy? Because once he realized there was nothing really special about me he would eventually move on. Only my thoughts and feelings weren't that clear and articulated until years later...until I had already lost him. By then he had already married someone else and we hadn't spoken in about 5 years, because ultimately my decisions pushed him away. Until one day I had this eerie feeling while sitting in my car out in my driveway and I was suddenly terrified that he would never know that I had loved him but had been too afraid to take that chance. That I was sorry to have hurt him and lost our friendship anyways. So I sent an email to an address I didn't even know if he still used telling him everything, and telling him that I was so glad that he had found someone to love and share his life with because he deserved all the happiness in the world. I just wanted closure for the both of us. His responding email shocked the hell out of me. He was in the military and deploying as a combat engineer in a little over a month. He had been separated for months and was getting divorced, had never stopped loving me (which obviously affected his marriage), and that he didn't want to leave the country without knowing if I still loved him and would give us a chance when he got home. He wanted to see me when he came to see his family in a couple weeks. We've been married 10 and a half years now and recently had our 4th child. Life is fucking messy and people are not perfect. Sometimes we don't even realize we are sabotaging ourselves until we're just buried. For every reviewer ranting about how he should have ended up with Amy, ironically enough also my husband's ex-wife's name, all I can say is no person should have to settle for being someone's second choice. Because from what he told me it seemed glaringly obvious that she knew she had been. I imagine the Amy in this story would have eventually come to realize the same. There's more I could say here but this is already so long. Just...I hope my story can help give someone another perspective. We don't always know what is on a person's head and heart.

On that note, if I could offer one criticism of the story I would like to have seen a little something about those first few conversations between the reconnecting Bella and Edward. I wish maybe he had had at least one conversation with Esme about it so that we knew something from Bella's POV, could gain some small understanding. Especially because I feel sure that the intent was not for readers to feel so terribly unforgiving towards her character. Sorry this was so long!

Your writing is wonderful.

This is a wonderful story in so many ways. My mother's heart was in my throat for most of it, even when I had to stop for other necessary parts of the day. It's so sad when things get so far off base, and stay that way longer than either want it to. I love that the beginning and ending are so close, so special.

This has to be the best story ever. Great read.

What a wonderful story!

Lovely story. The only thing that I didn't like was how unnecessarily cruel Bella was, but everyone forgave her.

This was a great story. I like Esme hated Bella Swan for a moment. I waited for to get her act together and wonder when Charlie might step in and bring a few truths to her. That would never happen. She had to get it herself. When Amy showed up, it would be almost perfect. In the end it was just as it should be they are together. Loved it.

Really loved the story, the only problem I had with it was reading of Bella's actions. Her actions were just quite cruel and shitty and yet throughout the story, she never made the move to apologize and ask for forgiveness, always waiting for Edward/Esme to make the first move to getting back in touch even after it was she who hurt them in unimaginable ways. We never got to read of her redeeming herself, leaving her at the end of the story as a character who we're forced to love... All the same, good job u did with d story, a wonderful plot and nicely written.

This is always a joy to read! I find myself coming back to this particularly story every time I'm up for a piece of amazing work. Your writing is so beautiful, and I love how we experience the story through the eyes of the mother. Thank you