Epilogue

-Five years later-

Bella's road to recovery was long, and it was something that impacted our entire family. Even after she returned to our house she had to spend months meeting with physical therapists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. She worked to get back to her normal functioning level, and when she did, things weren't the same.

Five years later her motor skills still weren't where they used to be, and it sometimes took longer than normal for her to problem solve or make decisions. But beneath it all, she was still Bella—the sweet, sometimes foul-mouthed girl I had fallen in love with so many years ago. Her smile could still light up a room and her kisses never failed to leave me weak in the knees.

I spent weeks mulling over how to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Jasper and Emmett thought I should pull out all the stops, especially after everything we had been through following our 25th. In the end I decided on simple, knowing full well that Bella would love it.

At seven o'clock sharp I made Bella put a blindfold on and led her out to the car. The property off Rural Route 1 no longer belonged to the Stanley family, but the new owners were kind enough to let me use the meadow that night. I pulled to a stop and helped Bella out, steering her toward the woods.

Sometime in the last three decades someone cleared a path to our favorite place, making it much easier for people to get out there. I kept my hand on the small of Bella's back as we walked, and before long the meadow came into sight.

A small table with two place setting sat in the middle of the grass, lit by a collection of tea light candles. A picnic basket lay on the ground next to a portable boom box, and a small Tiffany box was strategically placed at one place setting.

"Happy Anniversary," I whispered, guiding Bella to her chair and pulling the blindfold off. Her face lit up as she took in the sight.

"Edward, it's…"

"Good?"

She laughed. "Putting it lightly, yes."

"Perfect." She took a seat and I pushed her chair in, then rounded the table and sat down myself. Bella noticed the jewelry box and gave me a look.

"What is this?"

I pushed it toward her. "Open it and find out." She picked the box up and tugged the ribbon off. When she lifted the lid, she gasped and covered her mouth with one hand.

"I saw it and knew I had to get it for you." I stood up and joined her on the other side of the table. The necklace had a white gold chain with a heart shaped pendant attached to it. The pendant was surrounded by diamonds, which sparkled in the candlelight.

"It's beautiful," she whispered. I reached around her and removed the necklace from the box. She held her hair to the side as I slipped the chain around her neck and clasped it.

"You're beautiful," I said once I was seated. She tilted her head to the side, causing a few curls to fall in her eyes. When she tucked them back, that smile that I loved was spread across her face.

"I don't know how I got so lucky," she said, reaching out and taking my hand.

"I could say the same thing." I grabbed the picnic basket and pulled out the food I'd packed, setting it up for us to enjoy. We ate in silence, stealing glances at each other and looking up at the stars. It was a perfect night to be outside, and once we finished our food I stood and held out my hand.

"Dance with me?"

Happiness twinkled in Bella's eyes. "Is this an ode to all those cheesy school functions I made you attend?"

I pulled her up and started the music. It floated around us and my hands found her hips. As we swayed to the song, she rested her head on my shoulder.

"If I'd had my way, we'd of never stepped foot in that high school gymnasium for a single one of them," I admitted. Her chest shook with laughter.

"This dance beats them all," she said a minute later.

I leaned back and tipped my head down, gazing into her eyes. "And why is that?" She pointed her face to the sky in response. "Ah, yes. Your favorite North Country feature."

"It is the beauty of the night that sets this one apart from the others," Bella admitted. "But the stars, they're no longer my favorite thing about this place."

Her response puzzled me. "Oh really?" She nodded. "Then what is?"

Bella stopped moving, sliding her hands forward until they rested against my chest. "You and me."

Her words hit me like an arrow straight to the heart. I was overcome with emotion as I pushed her hair away from her face, cupped her cheeks with my hands, and kissed her. I would never tire of the way her lips felt as they moved against mine, or the sweet taste of our tongues dancing together.

When I pulled away she was breathless, skin flushed red and eyes full of love. She grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me back to her, skimming her nose along my jaw and whispering in my ear. "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Take me home."

So I did.

ooooo

A/N:

Thank you all for joining me on this short, but hopefully sweet and meaningful journey.

Joey - I love you girl. I hope you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it. :)

Make sure to check out all the other stories in the C2 for this year. There's some amazing talent in there.

Until we meet again...

xo

blu