Chapter 20 (Epilogue)

Christmas 2012

"Merry Christmas, Edward." I told my fiancée handing him the manila envelops from my night table as I sat astride his hips during the early morning hours of Christmas morning.

He ran his hands up my bare thighs onto my hips. "I thought we agreed on no gifts except exceptional lovemaking."

I simply shrugged my shoulders. "I would say I'm sorry but I'm really not." I told him cheekily as I handed him the envelope.

He scooted backwards on the bed until he sat propped against the headboard with me still sitting astride his hips. His eyes watered as he pulled the papers from the envelope. "Are you serious?" He whispered as he quickly flipped through the papers before putting them back into the envelope and laying them on his nightstand.

Nodding I wrap my arms around his neck pulling him close to me. "Yes, and my girls are excited about you being their father legally too."

"That's fantastic because I think Noah will be ecstatic too when you officially become his mother. Which will happen as soon as you sign the papers that are under the Christmas tree." He told me with a smirk on his face.

"Are you serious?" I asked as I looked at him in disbelief.

He nodded. "Yes, I had the papers drawn up last week for an official adoption."

I pulled him even closer as I showed him how amazing he was and he spent the next two hours showing me how much the gift had meant to him before our kids began banging on our bedroom door saying Santa had visited and we needed to get a move on.

Valentine's Day 2013

Pacing the length of mine and Edward's bedroom did little to help calm my nerves down as the timer on my cell phone ticked away the three minute wait time too slowly for my liking. "Bella, you are going to burn a path through the carpet if you do not stop pacing. It's going to be okay." Alice commented as she sat in the chair in the corner of our bathroom nursing baby Lola while Rose played in the floor with Lola's twin brother, Levi, and her daughter, Juniper.

"I agree with Alice, Bella. Pacing is not going to make the time go by any faster." Rose commented as she popped Levi's pacifier back into his mouth.

With a heavy sigh I sat on the end of mine and Edward's bed. "I just can't believe this is happening right now. We were so careful." I muttered more to myself than the women who were supposed to be here to support me.

"Did you get your shot at the beginning of the year?" Alice asked with a smirk on her face because Edward had taken me away for two weeks without the kids right after Christmas which meant I was six days late getting my birth control shot.

My wide eyes had her cackling and shaking her head. "Why do you think I showed up here today with those four tests?" She said tapping the side of her head. "Congrats by the way. You can go look now, your timer is on 25 seconds." She said with a huge smile on her face.

I didn't even have to look at the tests to know that there was going to be four positive signs glaring at me from my bathroom vanity. "Boy or girl, Alice?" I asked as I walked in the bathroom just for shits and giggles.

"Boys." She said with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

I hit the floor with a loud thud as my world went black. Feeling something cool and wet across my forehead brought me out of my darkness with a groan. "Baby, are you okay?" Edward asked as he wiped the cool cloth down my neck and chest.

"I'm pregnant with twin boys according to the psychic in the room and the tests in the bathroom." I deadpanned as I opened my eyes to watch his reaction.

The smile on his face set everything in my universe back in its safe place.

March 2013

Hovering over the toilet the day of my wedding is not how I pictured the day going at all but the little people that rested in my ever expanding abdomen were ruling this day. "Come on guys, Mama needs a break here." I pleaded with my boys, according to Alice, as I wiped my face with a cool rag. Thank goodness Rose hadn't gotten around to putting my makeup on yet.

A knock on the bathroom door caused me to groan as I stood from the floor. "I'm fine." I told the person on the other side of the door as I rinsed my mouth out.

"Mom just dropped off some more of those chocolate ginger cookies for you." Edward said softly from the other side of the door.

I quickly yanked open the door and grabbed the tin of cookies from his hands popping one in my mouth as I walked into the bedroom. "Jesus, she's a lifesaver." I moaned as I flopped back across the bed, my tank top rising up to reveal my baby bump that had really started to pop out in the last week. Morning sickness had really settled in during the last two weeks and the only thing that allowed me to get through the day was Esme's special chocolate ginger cookies. I kept a container in my desk at work and nibbled on them all day long discreetly because my co-workers didn't yet know about my pregnancy. Keeping it a secret wouldn't be an option anymore when we came back from our honeymoon in two weeks because I'm certain that my bump would be hard to hide in the coming weeks.

Edward ran his hand over the skin that was stretched tight over my stomach. "Can you believe we're getting married today? It almost seems surreal to me." He whispered as he leaned down to rest his head above my baby bump as he stroked his hand all over my lower abdomen.

"It does seem surreal. I think it's because we haven't had to really do anything to get ready for the wedding." I told him my theory as I stroked my fingers through his soft hair that had yet to be tamed with the hair gel he usually used when taming was needed.

"Maybe." He said softly as he leaned down to place a gentle kiss where our children slept and grew before popping a quick one to my lips. "I've gotta go before Alice catches me in here and threatens my balls again." He said with a chuckle.

Four hours later I stood in front of the double doors of the church watching mine and Edward's children walk down the aisle towards their father as he stood with the pastor at the end of the aisle. He knelt down and kissed each of our girls on the cheek and ruffling Noah's hair before sending them to his parents. I couldn't help but chuckle at the scowl on Noah's face as he smoothed his red hair back down. After our closest friends walked down the aisle I took a deep breath and headed down by myself. I hadn't spoken to my father and stepmother since Christmas 2011 and had no inclination to do so.

"Deep breaths, my love." Edward said as he met me halfway down the aisle and took my hand to finish walking me up the aisle.

Our ceremony was sweet, heartfelt, and completely us. Once our vows were said to each other we pulled the kids up with us and vowed in front of everybody to be the best parents to them and their siblings as they came into our lives.

June 2016

As I was walking down the hallway I couldn't help but hear the sobs coming from my oldest daughter's bedroom. When we had officially found out that we were expecting twin boys, Edward and I had decided to add a second story to our home instead of just building a new one which added four new bedrooms as well as three extra bathrooms. We moved all the older kids upstairs once the twins were born so their crying wouldn't disturb them during the night.

Knocking on Molly's bedroom door I pushed it open and walked in to find my beautiful oldest daughter curled up in the middle of her bed sobbing. "Molly? What's wrong sweet girl?" I asked as I joined her on the bed.

She shook her head but sobbed harder. I had a feeling that this had to do with her boyfriend of six months, Jeremy, but who knew with a 16 year old. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's not going to do anybody any good, sweetheart. If you are this upset then maybe you need to talk to someone about it. If not me, then somebody." I told her softly as I stroked her raven locks that trailed all the way down to her waist, where we kept it trimmed to.

She sat up in the middle of her bed and I followed her lead taking her hands in mine for some comfort. "You're going to be so disappointed in me, Mama. I just know it." She mumbled softly.

With a finger under her chin, I lifted her face up so that I could have her full attention. "When you become a mother, you will understand that children will disappoint you, children will fail at things, children will get angry at you for things, but despite everything the love a mother has for her children never falters."

"That may be sooner than we all wanted." She mumbles as tears spill out of her eyes freely.

Taking a deep breath I counted to ten silently before responding to my oldest child. "What do you mean by that? I thought you were waiting to have sex? Considering the experiences you have went through I had hoped that you would be mature enough to come ask me to get you on birth control if you decided to have sex so soon." I rambled, trying to reign in my irritation and disappointment.

She nodded solemnly. "I know, Mama, but I was sick and tired of being made fun of because I was still a virgin after my 16th birthday. My nickname around campus and town is 'Ice Princess' and I was sick of it so Jeremy and I had sex for the first time two weeks ago. But, last night the condom broke and he didn't realize it until it was over with."

"Jesus Christ, Molly. I never dreamed you would make such a life altering decision based on bullying. When is your period due?" I asked nervously.

"Two weeks."

Needless to say, her period didn't come two weeks later and our first grandchild was on its way. Edward and I, both, were disappointed in Molly's irresponsibility but accepted the facts and moved on from it. Molly suffered from anxiety and depression for the first six months of her pregnancy but eventually pulled herself out of her funk and began to accept what was about to happen to her life. When Arianna Lee was placed in Molly's arms, my sweet girl broke down in hiccupping sobs before placing a gentle kiss to the top of Ari's head and handing her off to her new parents. Rose and Emmett.

March 2018

"Happy Anniversary, love." Edward told me as he placed kisses up the curve of my back as I muffled my moans into my pillow to keep from waking our children. "Can we?" He asked softly in my ear as he ground his erection into my butt and thighs. Our youngest child, Olivia Louise, was just a mere five weeks old and I didn't have my doctor's appointment to get the all clear for sex until next week but I was horny.

"You better." I told him as I pressed my butt back against him seeking some form of friction. "Condom though. Libby doesn't need a new sibling quite so soon like Isaac and Maverick got." I told him as I pulled my knees up onto the bed for a better angle of penetration.

It was rare that our bed was empty of children but because it had been the night before our anniversary we had used the lock that was on our bedroom door to keep all of them out. Molly and Mia hated it when we locked our door because the kids then migrated to their bedrooms for some nighttime cuddles. Isaac Edward and Maverick Anthony held a special place in my heart because they were my first biological children and they also shared my birthday. Their little sister, Alexis Noelle, was born exactly 10 months and 9 days after them because Edward and I had gotten carried away too early without protection. Thankfully, a few years passed before I went off birth control which quickly resulted in my pregnancy with Olivia Rosalice.

"Hold on, baby." Edward told me as he lined himself up behind me with one hand while gripping my hip with the other.

We celebrated our fifth year anniversary the best way we knew how, with our kids and close family.

Later that morning as I lay sleeping in Edward's arms a tiny knock sounds on our bedroom door pulling us from our slumber. "Mama?" came the soft voice of my sweet Mia.

"Coming sweetheart." I called out to her as I pulled up and out of my comfortable spot and yanking my robe on that lay across the chair beside the bed. Back to reality.

August 2025

"Come on, you guys!" I called up the stairs of our house trying to urge my children to put some pep into their step so we weren't late to Molly's gallery showing. While she had majored in journalism in college and landed a job with the local newspaper upon graduation, she continued to draw and paint and just be creative in her spare time. Tonight was her night to shine and my kids were determined to make us late.

It sounded like a heard of elephants coming down the stairs when all the kids descended but I couldn't help but smile at each and every one of them as they lined up for inspection at the bottom of the stairs.

I started with Mia who was dressed in a beautiful knee length baby blue chiffon dress that showed off her Native American heritage. Her long curls were pulled to the side where a sparkly clip held them in place over her shoulder. "You look beautiful, Mia." I told her softly as I kissed her gently on the cheek. "Mom approved." I told her with a smile which sent her clicking down the hallway towards the garage where Edward was waiting.

Next up was Noah. The precious sweet boy I had first met all those years ago now towered over me in his six foot three form at 16 years old. I fixed his sky blue tie that matched Mia's dress before smoothing the lapels of his dinner jacket. "You look very handsome, son." I told him as I tugged him down to me so I could kiss his cheek. "Mom approved." He returned the kiss to my cheek before scurrying down the hallway after his sister.

Maci was next and she was wearing a knee length black dress with a light blue sash around her waist. Her hair had darkened over the years almost to an auburn color but her eyes still sparkled in her excitement for the evening. "You are gorgeous, my girl." I told her as I kissed her on the forehead causing her to smile. "Mom approved." I told her with a smile as she scurried down the hall towards her dad.

Then it was time for the younger kids. The blue theme continued with their clothes too. Isaac and Maverick. They were to be twelve years old this year and were looking like handsome young men tonight for this event. Isaac had on a black button-up shirt with a sky blue vest over it while Maverick had on a sky blue shirt with a black vest over it. "I love these opposite looks you guys have going on here. You both are mom approved." I told them with kisses to their cheeks. They scowled at me before scurrying down the hallway after their siblings.

"My precious Lexi." I told my girl who had reddish brown hair with the lightest brown eyes that they almost looked golden and came nearly to my chin at just ten years old. "You look beautiful as well." I told her as I took in her light gray dress that had a blue bow on her left hip. "You are most definitely mom approved." I told her with a tweak and kiss to her nose. She scrunched up her face before skipping down the hall.

Our youngest was the last in line and was getting antsy during my 'approval' process that had started years ago after an incident where Noah ended up wearing ripped jeans and a stained t-shirt to Molly's high school graduation. "There's my baby." I told her as I held out my arms for her. She was wearing a light blue frilly dress that was covered in 'sparklies' from her waist up.

"Am I approved too, Mommy?" she asked softly as I lifted her up in my arms.

"Absolutely, baby." I chuckled as I placed kisses all over her arms. She was a tiny little thing but still had some growing to do as she was only seven years old. "Shall we go, princess?"

She nodded. "Yeah yeah yeah!" She cheered as I headed down the same hallway my other children had went down.

Molly had rented us a stretch limo for tonight so that we could all ride together for a change but I was in for a shocker when I reached in to hand Libby to Edward. Inside sat my oldest daughter and her handsome husband of a little over a year, Tanner; Emmett, Rosalie, and their three daughters, including Molly's daughter she gave to them when she was just 16; Alice, Jasper, and their two kids, JJ and AJ; Angela, Ben, and Liam; and last but not least Esme and Carlisle. "What are you guys doing here?" I asked everybody as I climbed in to take my seat next to Edward.

"Heading to the event with my family." Molly said with a smile. "You always said family was the most important thing in the world and this is my family."

I had to nod in agreement as I took in my large family that I had made for myself and my children over the years.

THE END