All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer; I just like to play with her characters.

No copyright infringement is intended.

HUGE thanks to my beta twimom817 and my pre-readers, EdwardsMyObsession1971 and GillianAubrey. Without these ladies, this wouldn't be worth reading.

Learning to Live

Epilogue 2

Bella

Two years later ….

I remember a time when I dreaded Christmas. Not just Christmas, but holidays in general. Getting through them was painful enough without having to go through the motions.

But now … Christmas was … definitely something to celebrate.

Our daughter, Charlotte Renee was born on December Twenty-third. She was born a perfect little angel, far too early in the morning after way too many hours of labor. I thought she would have come a little easier being my second birth, but she was as stubborn as the day is long. Something she inherited from Papa Charlie, I suppose. We call her Charlie in honor of my dad. Edward never met him, but he promised me that he felt close to him through all the stories I told him.

I found that once I opened up about Jared and my parents that day in the cemetery, I couldn't stop. I'd suddenly remember something and couldn't wait to share it with Edward. He was so patient with me, never telling me that I needed to stop thinking about the past, instead he listened intently with a smile on his face. My memories didn't bother him, and the past didn't stop me from making new memories.

Edward made good on his promise – Carlisle and Esme were fantastic grandparents. Esme and I grew as close as mother and daughter during my pregnancy with Charlie, and I loved her madly. Rose, Emmett, Alice and Jasper were all ecstatic when we finally shared the news of our little one. We'd waited until Rose and Emmett came back from their honeymoon in Hawaii – and it wasn't the only news we had to share. After the wedding, Edward whisked me away to Aspen for several days. He insisted that I needed the rest after the wedding and the day at the cemetery. We spent our days relaxing and enjoying a couple days of sunshine. One evening, Edward insisted that we dress up a little and go out to dinner.

"I've never taken you out on a proper date, baby. I know it's a little late, because I've already knocked you up, but please give me this, Bella."

The pouty look on his handsome face was too irresistible – I couldn't say no.

I hadn't brought anything remotely dressy with me, so we went shopping and I found a dress that I loved. I just hoped that I could wear it again after the baby was born.

Edward took me to a swanky restaurant, where we ate an obnoxiously expensive meal. I had to admit, the food was excellent. There was a heated patio off the main dining room where a live band was playing. There were a few couples spinning around the dance floor.

"Dance with me?"

I took his hand and let him lead me out to the dance floor – much like he'd done all those months ago. Edward took my hand in his and set his other on my hip, pulling me closer to him.

"You look gorgeous tonight, baby."

"You look pretty good yourself, handsome."

The song slowly came to an end and the band announced they were taking a short break. Piped in music filled the speakers as we continued to sway on the dance floor. I relaxed into Edward's arms, pulling my hand from his and wrapping my arms around his strong shoulders as his hands wrapped around my waist. I lay my head on his shoulder, and he began to sing softly in my ear. I gasped when I recognized the song that was playing.

I just can't take my eyes off you …

"Marry me, Bella." Edward murmured.

"Hmm?" I hummed, not sure I understood what he was saying.

Before I knew what was happening, Edward pulled away from me and got down on one knee, taking my hand in his.

"Bella … I think I've loved you from the moment you walked down your stairs and into the kitchen with your pajamas on and your hair in a knot on your beautiful head. I saw something in your eyes and it was more than just the way you saw through me," he shook his head. "You didn't see through me – you saw the real me, and you accepted me without question. I saw a woman with so much strength – strength she didn't know she had. I think I loved you then, and I know I love you now. I want to love you forever, Bella. Please, please let me. Will you marry me?"

I couldn't stop the tears that fell in a torrent down my cheeks. Edward was so vulnerable and absolutely beautiful in that moment. He wore the look I lived for – the one I loved the most – the look he wore just for me. All around us there were cheers and a lot of clapping.

"Yes! Yes, God, yes. But …."

"But?"

"Only if you let me love you forever, too."

Edward pulled me into his arms and kissed me with a tenderness only he could possess.

"God, I love you, Isabella."

"I love you too, Edward."

The news of our engagement was kept quiet until Rose and Emmett returned from Hawaii. After our promises made on the dance floor, Edward slipped an exquisite white and rose gold ring on my finger. I don't know how he chose it, but it was absolutely perfect.

Esme was beside herself with the news that she was going to become a grandmother and a mother again. She planned a family dinner the Sunday after Rose and Emmett got back, and over roast and mashed potatoes, we shared our news. The engagement came as a total shock to everyone although they knew that it would come eventually, and Rose told me later that she suspected I was pregnant at the wedding because I didn't 'even touch a glass of wine, instead opting for ginger ale.

I had a pretty uneventful pregnancy. Once Emmett was cleared from the doctors and physical therapists, we got back to work on my studio. It was late-summer before I had it up and running, but I was glad to be doing something constructive. Rose and Emmett were my first clients of course, and they loved their wedding photos. Esme recruited me to help her with a home renovation she was working on – she wanted me to take photos of it for her portfolio and I was happy to help her out.

Kate and Garrett made the move from Denver to Grand Junction in early spring, just in time for their new little one to make his debut. Jacob Matthew completed their little family, and I was happy to have them close by. Kate and I were still working on patching up our damaged friendship, and she was a lot more forgiving than she needed to be. Kate and Garrett quickly took a liking to Edward. Even little Makenna fell in love with him. "Unca Ewward" she called him, and he ate it up.

"Bella … Edward's fantastic. How come you couldn't have met him in high school? It sounds like it would have saved both of you a lot of heartache."

"Maybe. If I had met him in high school then I wouldn't have had Jared, and as much as I regret the way things happened with Paul, I wouldn't change a thing about how Jared came to be."

"That's not what I meant, Bella. I know you don't regret Jared. I just meant Paul and all the bullshit he put you through. Edward would never have done that to you."

"No, I know. I get it."

Kate was happy that I was moving on in my life and that I was in therapy and getting better every day. I was a far cry from the hot mess that she remembered a couple years prior. She told me that she worried I would try and commit suicide – she thought I was that depressed, and that's why she couldn't bring herself to feel hurt when I up and moved from Denver. She knew it wasn't her that I was running away from – it was the memories.

"I'm proud of you, Bella. All these things you've done on your own. You found yourself again, and you've found happiness again. It's how it should be."

"Thanks, Kate. It means a lot to me."

"I know it does, sweetie."

Kate and Esme threw one hell of a baby shower the weekend before Thanksgiving. It wasn't just for the women – Carlisle, Emmett and Edward were there too. I was glad that I could share it with Edward – after all, it was his baby too. We found out what we were having because we were like little kids on Christmas – we couldn't wait to be surprised. When the technician announced we were having a girl, I thought for sure that Edward would burst he was so happy.

"Charlotte Renee," he whispered, dragging his finger lightly across her likeness on the screen.

"Charlie," I nodded, wiping away my tears.

Best Christmas present ever.

Edward and I were married in a small ceremony the following summer. We married on the two year anniversary of the first time we danced because we realized finally how much that first dance truly meant to the both of us. We married at the St. Regis in Aspen, in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony with only our family and close friends in attendance. We danced our first dance with a gorgeous little girl in our arms and we couldn't have been happier.

Edward sold his house a few months before the wedding, finally conceding that he didn't really spend that much time there anyway. My house had a lot more room, and Edward admitted that home was wherever his girls were.

Edward was amazing with Charlie and she clearly adored her daddy. He was quiet and patient with her, and when she cried, it was his soothing voice that slowed her tears. I loved to sit back and watch them together. Once in a while my heart would break at the fact that Jared never knew a dad like that, but I was so thankful that Charlie did.

Charlie's second birthday was put on hold – her brother simply didn't allow her to party without him. With a small smile on my lips, I sat curled with my feet under me on the sofa at Carlisle and Esme's. It was Christmas Eve, and it couldn't get any better. I rubbed my stomach gently and winced – whether it was residual pain from surgery or missing the feel of my son moving around inside of me, I didn't know. I looked around at my family – Rose and Emmett were sitting quietly on the sofa opposite me, his hand rubbing her protruding stomach – their own bundle of joy was due after the first of the year. Alice and Jasper were quietly sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table going over the plans for their new house, and Carlisle and Esme were huddled together with Charlie between them – Carlisle reading "The Night Before Christmas." Edward was standing by the fire, our newest addition a bundle of blue in his arms. The smile on his face was gorgeous, no doubt brought on by the little one in his arms.

Two and a half years had gone by since I moved to Palisade, but I had to admit they were the best of my life. I'd moved on from my heartache and had been taken in by an incredible family who loved and cared for each other, and I met the most precious man who I couldn't love more if I tried. Together, we made a family of our own and healed each other in a way that only we knew how. Someone much smarter than me said to live and learn, but Edward and I learned to live … and love.

Fin.

A/N: This was one of those stories where the ending came way before the beginning did. It's not easy writing backwards, but I'm pretty happy with the final product and I hope that you've all enjoyed it as well.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my wonderful readers who came back each and every week to read and review. Thank you to those who pimped and rec'd this story on Facebook, Twitter and The Lemonade Stand. Readers like you are what keep writers writing – you are the heartbeat of this dwindling fandom.

And to my girls, Jill, Teresa and Anna … I heart you ladies … HARD. Who knew that a book about a mousy girl and a vampire could forge such amazing friendships? We've laughed, cried, and sometimes both at the same time, but regardless, it was a love for the written word that got us here and I can't thank you enough for your support and encouragement. Love You! *mwah*

What's next? Well … that's a bit of a loaded question. I have another story that I've started and I'm going to work on it while I'm on break, but once school starts again … all bets are off as to how much time I'm going to have to write. I've pulled my first fic, Perfect Game as well as a few of my other o/s's. But I've had a couple people ask me for a PDF of Perfect Game, so I'll be working on that over the holidays as well. (I know PG is terrible, but I've left it up as a reminder as to how far I've come since I first started writing and it's there for me and no one else, so it's time) When You Least Expect It and Learning to Live will remain on Ffn.

Happy Holidays!

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