I wake, rested and satisfied, aware of a warm, sturdy body beside me. Opening my eyes, I gaze into his cocoa brown ones. "Morning, Chief," I murmur with a smile. I stretch - a cat-like, smug gesture - and smile at this handsome, sexy man I find in my bed.

Charlie's hand skims down my side, a matching smile on his face. "Marry me, Sue."

That wakes me up. "Pardon?" My smile disappears. It sounded like…

"Marry me. I love you, Sue, and I don't want to go home. Ever. Unless you come with me." He sighs. "Home is wherever you are. I want to wake up and find you beside me every day."

Wow. Kind of sudden, and yet maybe not so much. We've known each other for what? Thirty years? I nod. "Yes. I love you too." He grins and kisses me, and we celebrate our pact in the appropriate way for two people who find themselves entwined, naked, in bed and in love.

A little later, staring contentedly up at the ceiling, Charlie sighs. "I should have bought you a ring, but I couldn't wait."

"I don't need another ring," I reply, my left hand on his chest. "But I guess it's time." I remove my wedding ring carefully and kiss it, then place it in my jewelry box. Harry would understand, and I have no doubt at all that he'd want me to be happy. I shower and dress, then go downstairs to make breakfast while Charlie takes his turn in the shower. By the time he enters the kitchen, it is redolent of bacon and coffee.

For some reason, we are famished. When eggs, home fries, bacon, and toast are just a sweet memory, I smile at him. "So. This is how our breakfast will be. As long as we both shall live."

Charlie reaches for my hand, kisses my fingers. "I love you, Suze." Nobody has ever called me that before - at least not that I can remember. I like it. The silence is comfortable, companionable. Even the soft rain, sliding down the kitchen window, is peaceful.

"Am I interrupting?" Seth asks with a smile. His copper skin is glistening, wet with the rain, as he steps in and grabs a towel from the stack just inside the door. He rubs his hair and wraps the towel around his shoulders.

I smile at Charlie and answer for both of us. "Nope. Just daydreaming. I'll have your breakfast ready by the time you get into some dry clothes. All quiet out there?"

He nods and bounds up the stairs. I pause on my way to the stove, leaning in to kiss my fiance. We can't seem to stop smiling. I'm sure Seth noticed. He confirms my suspicion when he strides back into the kitchen and kisses my cheek. "Okay, spill it. What's going on?"

"Charlie asked me to marry him, and I said yes." I beam at my son, who is trying to maintain a straight face.

"No more living in sin?" he asks, his lips twitching, straining to turn up at the corners. I try to smack him with my dish towel, but he's too quick. He dances out of my reach and finally gives in to the grin. "Awesome. Welcome to the family, Charlie." Seth ignores the hand that Charlie offers, instead gathering him in for a bear hug.

"Don't damage him, honey!" I warn unnecessarily - just as Leah walks in, wiping her bare feet on the rug inside the door.

Before she can ask, Seth blurts out, "We're getting a stepfather, Leah! Just what we always wanted!"

Leah laughs softly, hugging me and whispering, "Finally! I hoped he was planning to make an honest woman of you one of these days!"

"I'm glad you two are so concerned about my virtue," I inform them with a grin. I walk over to Charlie, wrapping my arm protectively around his shoulders. "We're very happy, guys. And thanks - for not making me feel guilty. It wouldn't be difficult."

"Mom," Leah says softly, "I am absolutely certain that Dad would want you to be happy. Both of you." Her eyes shift to my left hand, and she smiles and nods.

The kids insist on cooking dinner to celebrate. Even Bella gets into the act, though she looks totally out of place in her porcelain perfection. Leah tosses her an apron and a bag of potatoes, and she gamely starts peeling them, her hands a blur. "Way to go, Sis," Leah teases with a chuckle.

Seth is in charge of steaks, and Leah bakes a perfectly respectable apple pie - Charlie's favorite, according to Bella. She tosses a green salad together and steams a pot of broccoli, and voila! A family dinner! Bella sits with us, chatting with Leah about wedding plans and Renesmee's antics. Charlie and Seth make tentative plans to go salmon fishing. I look around the table, feeling blessed, and the evening ends too soon.

The kids chase Charlie and me into the living room while they clean up the kitchen, and we sit on the couch and discuss the day's events. His arm around me feels so natural, so right. Bella comes in to join us and perches on the coffee table.

"You know Edward and Renesmee are welcome here too, right?" I ask with a smile.

"I do," she smiles in reply. "Next time I'll bring them - I promise. Edward's out hunting with Alice and Jasper today, and Renesmee is having a girls' day with Rose." She shakes her head. "Those two!"

I know how close they are, and I'm happy for Rosalie. I recall how badly she wanted a child of her own, and realize how precious her niece must be. Bella confides that her daughter's growth has slowed down, thankfully, and she appears to be 7 or 8 at the tender age of six months. They are comforted to know that this is in line with Nahuel's aging process, so they expect her to mature at a comparable rate.

Soon after Bella takes her leave, Charlie takes my hand. "My house tonight?" he asks with a twinkle in his eye. I nod, looking forward to having the entire house to ourselves. I'm pretty sure Leah and Seth will be relieved as well. We try to be cognizant of their sensitive hearing, but it will be a relief to make all the noise we want without the risk of embarrassing anyone. Life is good.