Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and all its characters. I own this plot and a large empty box of chocolates and Kleenex.

9

An uncontested divorce happens quickly and smoothly, especially if the parties involved have nothing to dispute—no properties, no custodies. So, before I knew it, my marriage was dissolved; a definite result of my and Bella's stubbornness, and possibly, our selfishness. Afterward, I often wondered if maybe Bella and I should have at least made an effort to save our marriage, but deep down I knew that we were both too hurt for that to happen. Any attempt would be hindered by our rage and animosity, so what would have been the purpose of it all?

Our love was gone and we weren't ready to recuperate it.

Maybe, in the nine years that have passed since then, Bella has matured as I have, but I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her since I moved out of our apartment and moved back with my parents. When that happened, I only took my personal belongings, leaving everything else to Bella. I soon went back to school on the weekends, so I ended up splitting my time between work and books. Once I finished my undergraduate, I continued with my masters, helping me to get a position as manager of my department.

As for my ex-wife, my mother told me that Bella moved to Seattle to continue her studies full-time and then stayed there when she was hired at an important firm. She's supposed to be attending the party I am, though, so we might finally reunite after all these years, and that's prompted me to drink more beer than necessary due to my nerves.

"Are you sure Bella's coming over tonight?" I ask Garrett, the party's host.

Garrett gives me a knowing smile. "Yeah, definitely; she RSVP'd with Katie last week."

Exhaling for what feels the millionth time, I nod. "Okay, well, if she shows, she shows."

"Can I ask you something, Ed?" my friend inquires.

"Sure."

"Why haven't you stayed in touch with Bella throughout the years? I'd imagine that you guys would get together for Riley's anniversary, right?"

I look down, both because I don't want to show just how much mentioning my daughter hurts, but also to hide the animosity in my eyes. "Bella's never been here on that day," I reply sourly. "That's why I was surprised when you said she'd be here."

Realization dawns on Garrett, causing him to give me a rueful smile. "I'm sorry, man. I completely forgot that tomorrow's Riley's anniversary. Otherwise, I would have planned our reunion night another time."

"It's alright." I shrug. "It's not like everyone's gonna plan their life around mine."

"But we're friends," Garrett insists. "I would have done it."

"I know," I sigh. "And I appreciate it, but like I said, no worries."

The mood shifts after that, and pretty soon, I'm ready to call it a night. Bella never shows up to the party, which doesn't surprise me in the least, so I'm not hurt at all when I go back home to prepare myself for the day ahead of me tomorrow.

…

Getting up in the morning after a rough night is a bitch, so some extra-strong coffee is a necessity. The sun is shining brightly already, guaranteeing the need for some sunglasses, too. I pick my favorite pair and head over to Starbucks before going to the flower shop where I buy Riley's rose bouquet along with some Mylar balloons. My last stop is the Ocean View Cemetery, although when I arrive to my destination, I am shocked to find who's already there.

It's Bella.

She's on her knees, crying silently, as she traces the letters on Riley's flat headstone.

"What are you doing here?" I bark.

Bella straightens up, exhaling slowly as she wipes her eyes. "I'm her mother, Edward," she snaps, turning to glare at me. "I have every right to be here as you do."

"I thought you'd forgotten," I retort. "Since you've never come before, you know?"

It is then that Bella stands and walks over to stand directly in front of me. As she does so, I notice all the evident changes in her since I last saw her, the first one being her outfit. Her dress and shoes are probably from some signature designer, an obvious indication of her wealthier lifestyle. She looks almost the same as the girl that I fell in love with, but the years have clearly taken a toll on her. To anyone else, Bella looks beautiful, and maybe carefree, yet the slight shadows beneath her eyes prove that she has been restless for quite some time. The gleam in her eyes has also diminished, and it breaks my heart.

However, her fiery persona, which once captivated me, is still present as she says, "Really, Ed? You're going to bitch me out? Today, of all days?"

"Fuck," I hiss, raking a hand through my hair. "I'm sorry. It's just… You truly caught me off-guard, alright?"

"It's fine," Bella sniffles, shrugging as she wipes her nose with a Kleenex. "I knew this wasn't going to be easy."

"I can leave if you want," I offer. It's not what I want to do, but if it's easier for her, I will.

Bella shakes her head, moving to stand at my side. "No, that's fine; you can stay," she whispers. "Besides, this is how we're supposed to do it, right? Remember her together."

Anger surges through me upon hearing her words, because after all this time, she finally gets it, but I hold my tongue. I only nod and look down at the plot where my daughter lies, trying to hold back the tears that will inevitably be shed.

"Riley would have been ten today," Bella observes.

"Yeah, and she would've been just as beautiful as you."

"You think so?" my ex-wife inquires, looking over at me with eyes full of anguish.

I give her a small smile. "She had your brown hair and your perfect nose."

Bella's chin quivers as she wipes away a few tears. "I didn't even get to see her… to hold her," she laments.

"I'm really sorry, Bella," I tell her, sniffling. "I truly wish that things could have been different."

Bella nods, but it's all she manages to do before a wracking sob erupts from her chest. "I want my baby back, Edward," she wails. "I want my daughter to be here with me."

Instinctually, I turn and wrap my arms around her, holding her close as we both cry. Bella turns into me, too, finally allowing me to comfort her as I'd wished to do so many years ago. My heart breaks a little more as the rightness of this moment makes me long for all the other moments Bella and I could have shared before—a longing of what could've been a different outcome of our situation. I don't dwell on that, though; there really is no point now.

"I don't want to hide anymore," Bella whimpers, snuggling deeper into our embrace.

"Okay," I simply reply.

"No, you don't get it." Bella pulls away, gazing up at me. "When you said I'd never come before? That's not true. I've come here many, many times, but I always made sure to do it when I knew you wouldn't be here."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I didn't want you to see me like this—weak and fragile—out of stupidity, but I'm tired of allowing mistakes from the past to haunt my present," she sighs. "Just last night, I left Garrett's place as soon as I saw you, but all these years of evasion have only hurt me, so I'm done doing that."

"What made you decide that?"

"Seeing you so strong—so sure of yourself—at the party," Bella begins, giving me a sad smile. "There you were, without a care in the world, knowing that I would show up at any minute, and I wished to be like you. Just like I always have, even if I've resented you for it, too."

"Resentment is something disgusting," I agree. "It's what eats away at your soul. I know about that all too well."

"It definitely tore us apart when we were married," she acknowledges. "Well, that and many other things."

Aware that she's alluding to my infidelity, I address the subject. "Like my relationship with Tori?" I inquire, raising my brow. "I know I said it before, but I'll say it again: getting involved with her was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"Why? Because you broke her heart?" Bella snides.

"Yes, but aside from that, and losing a great friend, I broke another of my vows to you."

"I broke them first," Bella argues. "I was the one that wronged you from the moment that I chose my despair over our love."

I don't know what it is, whether finally hearing Bella acknowledge the root of our problems or having found out that she's suffered just as much as I have while being apart, which gives me a sense of closure I didn't know I needed. Maybe now I can finally find the peace I lacked, but before that, there's something I have to say that I believe to be true.

"Our love didn't stand a chance, Bella," I say, gazing into her eyes. "We were so young and naive, thinking we could handle anything that came our way when we got married. Maybe even if Riley had lived, we would have eventually gotten a divorce. Things were only going to get complicated after her birth, especially with both of us wanting to go back to school."

"What about now?" she asks, hopeful. "Do you think our relationship would work out now? If our love were still there?"

"Maybe, but we'd have to start all over, and that takes time," I say, but I don't really give it too much thought.

What I want to do is enjoy this easeful moment with my family that is long overdue. For the very first time, all three of us are together, and that's something I once considered almost impossible. I want to savor the knowledge that our cries of contempt and anguish have finally silenced, allowing the peace that no sound but the wind provides me.

A/N: *exhales deeply* So,I'm kinda nervous about what you think in regards to this story. If you've read my stuff before, you know that I love taking risks and doing the unconventional, so that's what I did here, too.

Did it hurt to write this story? Like a motherfucker.

This is the end that I always envisioned—which was also the very first scene I wrote—but I may add a little bit to it in the future. (Read: Three small chapters that I may post once I catch up with my WIP.) Therefore, I've marked it as complete.

Also, for anyone who's still interested in reading Fire Meeting Gasoline, I just want to let you know that the next chapter is with my beta, so that will be updated this week!

Thanks so much for reading! (: