A/N: Hey there. Told you I'd be back ASAP. You can thank Payton79 for assuring me that this extra not-so-little tidbit of Edward and Bella is worth sharing with you.

Thanks to Pamela (drivingedward) as well for being a great cheerleader and for going through my roughest first drafts to give me her input.

Diane, aka obsessedtwibrarian, the creative genius behind my banners always inspires me to write more. Thank you for delivering beautiful banners that make people want to read my work.

And finally, one last time, I'm grateful to every single person out there who has followed this story and shared their thoughts with me, encouraging me to keep telling it. I didn't have a beta for this story. Payton79 was kind enough to edit my docs as she pre-read them, but any mistakes left behind are all mine. Thank you for putting up with them.

EPILOGUE: HOME

"Bella?" I called, folding and placing my white shirt in our new closet.

It'd been delivered yesterday evening, and Bella had taken no more than an hour to sort her outfits neatly on the left side. I'd been too tired to undertake the task last night and ended up procrastinating until the last moment. By noon, Bella had had enough of it. She'd shot me and my pile of clothes a deliberate, pointed look before she got started on her own cleaning project in the living room . . .

. . . which still seemed to be underway, given her lack of response.

I sighed and slid the closet door shut before making my way out of the bedroom, only to find Bella staring at the wall opposite our front door. With her hands perched on her hips, she seemed to be lost in her thoughts while gazing at the bunch of photographs we'd hung up a few days ago.

I crossed the room to go to her and gently slid my arms around her waist. She gasped, startled, but then relaxed in my embrace. I leaned in to rest my chin against her shoulder, mimicking the posture we had adapted in the picture that occupied the central position in the arrangement.

"Longing for the good old days already?" I murmured, pressing my lips to her cheek. I tilted my head toward the photograph that Esme had taken on Thanksgiving. We'd spent the day at their place, joining them, along with Alice and her husband, Jasper for some quality family time.

Bella let out a snort. She twisted sideways to meet my lips. "Not yet. We've only been living together for ten days. Give me a month or so before I lose interest," she teased me, but her voice was a tad too subdued to label it a successful attempt.

I gave up the pretense altogether. "Are you okay, baby?"

She drew in a deep breath, and I felt her shoulders lift in a shrug. "I'm fine. I was just making sure the frame was straight. What do you think? Is it okay?"

I humored her, peering carefully at the photograph in question. "Yeah, I think it's straight."

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "It seems a little bit deviated to the left from this angle. I just can't get it right."

I bit the inside of my cheek and silently counted to ten before I opened my mouth to respond. "Really, it looks fine to me."

When she continued to stare at the same spot, I released a sigh. I stepped back and let go of her waist, taking hold of her shoulders instead. I gripped them softly, turning her around until she was facing me. She tipped her head up, and I put on a calm smile.

"Hey, you."

Her lips twitched. "Hey."

"Is it possible it's not the picture that has you in knots?" I suggested quietly, sliding my hands down to stroke her arms. "There's something else on your mind, and you're just trying to project that tension on to something physical that you can correct quickly."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Did you acquire a psych degree sometime in the past hour?"

"You know, we did consult a psychiatrist for the Dawson case. Maybe some of the mumbo-jumbo rubbed off on me."

"I'd say," she muttered, twisting one of the buttons of my shirt between her fingers. "Of course I'm anxious. How could I not be?"

I drew her closer. "It's going to be fine, Bella," I tried to soothe her, even as my own chest tightened with strings of worry that'd become all too familiar to me in the past one week . . . ever since we'd received a phone call from Bella's parents, announcing their three-day visit to our neck of the woods.

Bella and I had celebrated the one-year anniversary of our first date just a few days ago, yet somehow, in all those months, we'd never been able to visit her parents. Getting substantial time off from my job was a task that seemed next to impossible, and Bella's parents had also been tied up in commitments that kept them from coming here. The only communication I'd had with them was a few attempts on Facetime, so this upcoming visit was essentially the first real interaction we would have.

Hell, with Bella's dad, Charlie, it would be my first interaction ever. I'd only spoken to Renee on the phone. Somehow, Mr. Swan had always been a silent spectator lingering in the background.

As much as the idea of meeting him made my palms break out in sweat, I had to maintain a cool façade, or else Bella would truly lose her mind. I knew very well how much her parents' opinion mattered to her, and I respected that. I wanted . . . no, needed to make a good first impression. But I didn't want to add the fuel of my anxiety to the flames of hers.

I put on a smile and hugged her tighter. "I don't see why you have to worry about them being disappointed with you, baby. You're doing exceedingly well at your job; your boss has nothing but good things to say about you. On the personal front . . . well, I'd like to believe you're doing well for yourself there, too."

She let out a weak chuckle, throwing her arms around my neck. "Thank you for trying to comfort me. But you and I both know why they chose now to make an appearance. I mean, Christmas came and went, but Dad couldn't refuse the job at Dr. Snow's place. Yet, two days after I told them we're moving in together, they were ready to pack their shit and get on the first flight here."

"So they want to check up on me. Can you really blame them? They love you. They want to make sure you're not tying yourself to some psycho. It's just a visit, baby. Let them see for themselves that we're good together. It'll make them happy. Plus, you know as well as I do that us living together wasn't an impulsive decision. We haven't taken this step lightly, Bella," I added. "They will see that."

At least, I hoped they would.

If I'd had my way, I would've asked Bella to move-in with me the moment she'd confessed she loved me. I'd known she was it for me. The lovestruck half of me had seen no point in waiting to take that next step forward. The practical half, however, had been able to squash that ridiculous idea down.

My little apartment had been fine until it was just me, but it wasn't where I'd wanted to begin my life with Bella. I'd wanted to look for a bigger place in a better neighborhood. The inheritance I'd received from my parents had remained untouched since my college expenses, but still, it'd been too small an amount to suffice. I'd needed a little time to build up my savings enough to supplement it. Once I'd gathered up the courage to put the idea before Bella—about two months after Mayor Barnett's party—she'd kissed me until we were both breathless, and right after that, chastised me for not considering her contribution.

Duly noted.

Suffice it to say, after that, we'd both piled up as much of our earnings as we could into a nest egg, while we'd begun searching for a suitable apartment. Scrolling through the newspaper listings had left me drowning in nostalgia as I recalled the days I'd spent poring over the classified, looking for jobs for Bella. Only this time, she'd been right beside me, her eyes roving over the screen of her tablet where she was doing research of her own. Feeling my gaze, she'd looked up at me with a smile that'd made my heart melt with the realization of how far we'd come. I'd squeezed her hand, bringing it up to my lips to drop a kiss on her palm before we'd both settled back into our tasks.

After a few weeks of effort, we'd zeroed down on this place. The matching, hopeful grins on our faces had made it feel like home since the first time we'd seen it. We'd had to cut corners for a couple of months to be able to afford the down payment—another reason why Bella hadn't been able to go down to see her folks for Christmas. We'd spent the holiday with my family, having fun exchanging gifts and binging on Esme's cookies. Christmas morning had been extra special as Bella and I got another chance to christen my childhood bed. Maybe it'd been a good thing that Charlie Swan had been thousands of miles away after all.

But the moment we'd signed the papers that made this place our home was one I could never forget, and the happy tears shining in my beautiful girl's eyes had told me all our sacrifices had been worth it.

"You promise?" Bella inquired, bringing me out of my reverie.

I scrambled my wits for a few seconds, wondering what I was being asked to commit to, before I recalled that I'd been reassuring her.

My eyebrows rose. "You're asking me to predict your parents' behavior? I think you've got this whole thing backwards."

She huffed. "Believe me, I've been trying my whole life to figure out how they'll react. Let's see. Maybe you will have better luck with it."

"As much as I love you, I doubt that. I'm pretty sure your dad has been trying to will me out of your life ever since you told him about us. I mean, the only communication we've ever had is a nod here and there. He obviously didn't think I was here to stay."

Bella shrugged, smiling up at me. "Good thing I always knew better, huh?" Her fingers knotted in my hair as she pulled my lips down to hers.

I let the world slip away, focusing on nothing but kissing her for a long moment. We'd been strung tight for the past couple of days, unable to completely relax despite our words of assurance to each other. It felt good to take a moment to just be with each other.

After all, Bella truly didn't know what to expect of her parents. The one and only guy her dad had met was her date for senior prom. They'd dated throughout the summer and parted ways amicably before they'd headed to college. She'd told me that she'd never had a relationship that'd grown serious enough to be reported to her parents ever since.

When we broke apart, my eyes traversed the living room, taking in the little hints of her taste and mine that adorned each surface. We'd only managed to get our stuff set up a few days ago. I would probably never admit it out loud, but a tiny part of me hadn't stopped marveling over it yet. Even though we'd spent months chasing this dream, the sight of her things tucked next to mine was a tangible proof that made it all real.

I tried to look around with an unbiased eye, but even then, everything here screamed of permanency to me. There was no doubt in my mind about my commitment to Bella, and I hoped that her father would recognize and accept it as well.

Bella couldn't make herself stay still any longer, so I released my hold on her. She flitted from one place to another, busying herself with pointless little arrangements. I took a seat on the couch, alternating between glancing at my watch and twiddling my thumbs. I almost envied her a little since I had no outlet for the anxious energy buzzing through me.

The gleam from the surface of the piano caught my eye just then. I rose to my feet and made my way over to my favorite corner of the room. After I was settled on the bench, I let my hand ghost across the scale. I grabbed my folder of sheet music, thumbing through the pages until I found something soft and soothing. My eyes trained on the notes, my fingers began to glide across the keys until the melody enveloped me in its calming embrace. Once I'd gotten the hang of it, I let my eyes fall shut, immersing myself in the tune and willing my body to relax.

I don't know how many minutes passed while I lost myself in the music, but I resurfaced back to the present when warm, slender arms wound around my neck from behind. I felt Bella's lips press into my hair before she pressed her cheek there. I smiled, leaning back into her embrace, and kept playing.

It must've been an hour later that the buzzer sounded. Bella—who was now seated next to me—stiffened and met my eyes. I tried to smile. She echoed it with a timid one of her own and then made her way to the door. I heard Renee's excited voice through the speaker before Bella buzzed them in.

We'd offered to pick up Charlie and Renee at the airport, but for some reason, they'd politely declined the offer. Bella had rattled off our address without giving it a second thought, dismissing the action as a part of her father's idiosyncrasies. I still wasn't too sure what to make of it, but she'd told me not to worry about that, so I'd been trying to take her word for it.

I closed the lid over the keys and crossed the room to stand beside her, taking her hand in mine.

"I love you," I promised, resting my lips against her forehead.

"I love you, too," she returned. The tone of her voice was such as though she'd left no matter what unsaid at the end of her declaration. I squeezed her hand.

Moments later, we heard shuffling outside our door. Bella glanced through the peephole before she pulled the door open.

Renee Swan was a whirlwind of billowing fabric and sandy brown hair as she burst into the room and launched herself right into Bella's arms. I couldn't help but smile as Bella melted into her embrace. Her features relaxed as her nerves seemed to disappear, at least for the time being, while Renee squeezed her lovingly.

I couldn't focus on them for long, though, because right behind her, the man who'd managed to twist my gut into knots from across the country was now shuffling his way into our home. I rushed forward to help him with the luggage, and he grudgingly handed me one. Charlie unleashed his piercing brown eyes on my face as I welcomed him inside. His steps were deliberately slow as he followed me. Neither of us said anything while we placed the two bags in a corner next to the couch.

In the meantime, Renee seemed to have had her fill of her daughter. Her long, cotton dress twirled around her plump frame as she whirled around.

"Well, hello, Edward. It's so nice to finally meet you!" Her face lit up with a grin, her skin flushed in excitement, and I realized how remarkably Bella resembled her mother. Renee didn't hesitate to pull me down for a hug.

"It's great to see you, too, Mrs. Swan."

"Oh, hush! It's Renee and Charlie to you, dear." She patted my cheek as she pulled away. I felt my lips curl up into a grin, unable to resist the inexplicable, yet undeniable comfort of a mother's embrace. My racing heart calmed somewhat, but not completely, because I watched Bella pull Charlie over to us from the corner of my eye. She returned to my side, reaching out to take my hand before we both turned to face her father. She made the introductions, and I held out my hand.

Charlie just looked at it for a beat before reaching out to grasp it firmly.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why, despite having been trained to tear down the harshest of criminals in the interrogation room, I felt sweat trickle down the back of my neck as I faced the father of the woman I loved. I only hoped my nervousness didn't show on my face because Charlie's eyes were clearly narrowed in assessment.

After an endless moment, he nodded and dropped his hand. "Good to see you."

I responded in kind before inviting them to take a seat. Bella offered them something to drink, rattling off the options we had in store. Her eyes drifted to mine as I knew they would—as they always did when something reinforced the idea of our new home, our new life. Her face was tinged pink, glowing with happiness, and I was sure mine mirrored it.

I helped her with the glasses before taking a seat. Renee was happy to launch into conversation as soon as Bella had settled beside me. She asked me about my job, and I explained it as best as I could. Of course, discussing particulars of our cases was out of the question, but I managed to satisfy her curiosity regarding the atmosphere at the precinct. When the spotlight shifted on to Bella, she wore a proud smile as she described her responsibilities at Trending. Knowing what I knew of her parents' expectations, I observed them discreetly while she talked. Renee was obviously the more expressive of the pair, grinning at her daughter's regalement of her routine. Charlie, on the other hand, was quiet, but one hundred percent focused on Bella's words. His face was neutral as he nodded his understanding and asked a question or two here and there, but his eyes . . . they softened considerably by the time Bella paused to take a breath.

"That sounds wonderful, Bella," he replied eventually. His voice was quiet, but fervent, a small smile appearing from underneath his thick mustache. "We're so glad to see you doing so well."

"Thank you, Dad," Bella whispered happily, reaching out to lay her hand on his forearm.

She looked up at me with a smile, and I didn't miss the moisture glistening in her eyes. I leaned in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, stroking her flushed cheek with my other hand. I thought I heard Renee sigh as I pulled away. When I looked at her, I found her hands interlocked underneath her chin while she watched our interaction.

"The apartment looks great as well," she told us, circling her gaze around the room. "I'm thrilled that you've settled in nicely. I admit, I was a little worried when you weren't able to find a suitable place despite searching for so long."

"It wasn't too long, Mom," Bella groaned. "We wanted to find something that was just right for us. Of course that would take us a few weeks."

Charlie let out a grunt. "Could've taken longer. I wouldn't have minded."

Renee frowned and nudged him. "Oh, stop it! Don't tell me you're not proud of your baby girl for buying her first home."

He glared at her for a couple of seconds, then huffed out a breath and crossed his arms over his chest.

I leaned forward, eager to move the conversation along. "Bella's right. We took our time, putting our ideas together and deciding on exactly what we wanted before we even began the process. Given the way things have turned out, I believe it has been successful. It's like you said, Renee—it's our first home. What could be more special than that? We didn't want to rush anything." I shot them a smile, which Renee mirrored without hesitation, while Charlie simply nodded. I turned to him and changed the subject. "We're so glad you were able to come here. I'm sorry we weren't able to make it to Forks for Christmas."

"Don't apologize, dear," Renee reassured me. "I'm sure it isn't easy to get time off from your job. I really wanted to come up here to see you both, but my husband here seems to think building someone's roof is more important than seeing his daughter." She rolled her eyes with such petulance that I had to stifle a smile.

"Dr. Snow does consultations for patients from his home, Renee," Charlie replied gruffly, the tone of his voice making it obvious that this was not an argument he was undertaking for the first time. "I'd given him my word to finish the job, and I don't go back on that. The workers chipped in, too, because that's how we live in Forks—we help each other out in times of need. What if we hadn't done the repairs and that ancient roof had given in while Dr. Snow was examining someone who'd fallen down while putting up Christmas lights? You know how often that happens."

"Then he would've done his job at the hospital, like any other doctor," Renee insisted, her voice rising an octave.

My eyes flickered between them, my muscles tensed as I wondered where this would go. Clearly, they'd had some disagreements on the subject, but I didn't feel comfortable watching it unfold before me. I wracked my brain for a reasonable excuse to make myself scarce.

Charlie straightened his shoulders, obviously ready with a counter, but fortunately, Bella interrupted the quarrel.

"Okay, okay. That was months ago," she reminded them. "Let's just move on, please. You're here now, and like Edward said, we're very happy about that. Why don't you finish those drinks and cool off, so that I can take you to see the rest of the apartment? Does that sound good?"

A moment passed in tense silence before they both turned to Bella.

"Sorry, sweetie, you're right. Of course, we'd love a tour," Renee agreed amicably, while Charlie polished off the last of his drink.

I jumped to my feet, offering to clean up while Bella showed them around. She thanked me, tipping her head up for a kiss. My eyes couldn't help but drift toward Charlie, only to find his gaze trained steadily on me. I leaned in and dropped a kiss on Bella's forehead instead of her lips. She frowned for a second, but I implored her with my eyes, willing her to take things slowly. Her face softened as she understood my silent plea. She linked her arm with Renee's and led her parents down the hallway, allowing me to breathe a sigh of relief.

I collected our glasses and headed into the kitchen. My phone chimed with a message once I'd deposited them in the sink. I pulled it out of my pocket, smiling when I saw I had a text from Alice.

Don't forget to breathe, Edward! Everything will be fine. Just hold the fort until dinner tomorrow. When they come here, I promise to butter Bella's dad up until he's just as much in love with you as his daughter. ~A

I had to laugh and suppress a shudder at the same time, but my sister's text had done the trick, giving me the distraction I'd needed.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, Renee and Charlie seeming to have reached some sort of understanding. The four of us spent the evening together, and Bella and Renee did most of the talking. I couldn't help but feel grateful for the buffer, as Charlie's silent presence didn't seem to grow any less intimidating. He joined the conversation when he was asked a question, but it was clear that he preferred to listen rather than contribute to the chatter around him. He was never distracted, though—his posture and demeanor made that clear. He payed attention, especially when I had something to say, and strangely enough, every time his gaze focused on me, I felt like I was about to face an interrogation. I wondered if I could get him to sit in on one of our sessions at the precinct. I'd be willing to bet he could get us a confession or two.

His scrutiny made it impossible for me to completely relax, even though Renee was enthusiastically supportive of us. But I only had to look at the contentment on Bella's face to be able to get past it. Sharing her life, our life with her parents had made her so happy, and my momentary discomfort was a very small price to pay for that.

Tired after their journey, Charlie and Renee decided to retire soon after dinner. I placed their bags in their room, while Bella showed them where they could find the toiletries. Once they were settled in, we made our way into our bedroom.

The last few nights had been pretty exciting—both of us riding the high of our new home seemed to make it easier to chase the other pleasurable high we found only in each other. We'd spent hours exploring each other's bodies well into the early hours of dawn, but tonight, all I wanted to do was dive under the sheets with her curled up in my arms and let a long, deep sleep chase away the stress of the entire day.

I changed into my pajama bottoms and groaned as I sank down into the mattress. Bella joined me after a moment. She folded her arms over my chest and leaned in to press her lips to my chin.

"Thank you for being such a sport," she murmured. "I know they aren't the easiest people to be around, but all in all, it was a good day."

I wound my arms around her waist with a sigh. "They're fine, baby. It was really great to see you smiling, especially after all that worry."

She kissed me softly before sliding down to rest her head against my shoulder. I hugged her closer as she pulled the sheets over both of us.

"I know I tend to overreact when it comes to them. I just can't help it. Old habit, I guess. But you're right. They seemed happy. And you handled Dad like a pro."

I said nothing, ducking my head to plant a kiss into her hair instead. Bella didn't seem perturbed by my lack of response. She snuggled her way into a comfortable position, and soon, we were both out like a light.

My last conscious thought was that I doubted I had handled Charlie. In fact, my instincts told me that there was more to come on that front tomorrow.

I enjoyed a restful sleep and awoke refreshed at my usual hour. It was too early to rouse my sleepy girl, who was a warm, soft deadweight at my side. I kissed her cheek and tucked the sheets snugly around her before I got out of bed to freshen up. I grabbed a T-shirt and put it on as I stepped out into the hallway.

The place was quiet, so I assumed Renee and Charlie were still asleep. I poured myself a glass of water, then gulped it down quickly. I put on my running shoes and grabbed my cap before making my way out of the door.

I deviated from my usual circuit this morning, taking a longer route that would take me to The Busy Bean. We hadn't gotten a chance to go there since we'd moved into the apartment. I knew Bella would enjoy having her beloved overdose of sugar for breakfast today. I ordered our usual drinks to go and added a couple more for our guests. The lady at the counter pointed out their new selection of fresh donuts. The smell was indeed mouth-watering, so I bought a box of those as well.

My trip back was much slower as I concentrated on holding on to my purchases, but eventually, I made it back. I figured everyone would still be asleep, so I used my key to let myself in instead of ringing the bell. I used my feet to shrug off my shoes in the foyer, leaving them there and walked toward the kitchen.

I stopped short, slightly alarmed when I caught sight of Charlie sitting on a stool at the counter. He had the newspaper spread out before him, but looked up immediately when I entered.

"Good morning," I greeted him with a smile. Nervousness spawned in my gut and my fingers clasped the paper-bag tighter, but I refused to back away. I took three determined steps forward and started pulling my purchases out before lining them up on the counter.

"Morning," he replied. "You're up early."

"I'm an early riser. I like to get in a run if I can before work. I mean, I have the day off today, but I can't shake off the habit."

He nodded. "It's a good one to have. There's nothing better than a productive morning to get yourself into gear for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, neither of my girls put much faith into that principle."

I chuckled as I slid one of the mugs his way. "Bella once told me that Good Morning was the biggest oxymoron in her dictionary."

"Don't I know it," Charlie grumbled. He took a sip of his coffee, his eyes immediately darting to mine when he realized I'd made the effort to enquire with Bella about his preference. "Thanks. This is good."

I tipped my glass at him in acknowledgement. "It's from our favorite café. We used to go there quite frequently before we moved here."

"Hmm," was all he said before returning his gaze to the newspaper.

Silence settled between us, stretching out for a few minutes. I shifted my attention to the donuts, placing a couple on a plate that I pushed toward Charlie and taking one for myself. I'd turned around to grab some paper towels, when I heard him clear his throat. The sound was pointed enough that I abandoned my search and gave him my undivided attention.

Charlie shifted in his seat, his mouth twitching—the first sign of uncertainty I'd seen in the man. I slowly lowered myself into a seat across from him. He cleared his throat again, as though preparing to voice something that made him uncomfortable. I resisted the urge to fidget and tried to appear calm as I sipped at my coffee.

"Bella's boss is your sister," he began gruffly.

"Yes."

He lifted his head to look right at me. "I'm not quite sure how I feel about that."

I could feel my brow crease into a frown. "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't understand."

"Look, Edward, my daughter is a smart woman. I trust her to make her own decisions, but despite that, I can't not worry about her. As her father, I don't think a day will go by when I won't be concerned about her well-being. Can you understand that?"

I nodded slowly.

"Then you can see why it makes me anxious to watch her place all her eggs in one basket, for lack of a better expression," he told me. "I can see . . . that . . . the two of you are happy together right now, but there are no guarantees in life. What if . . . what if things don't go as per your plans? You and Bella are building a life together, while she's dependent on your sister for her livelihood. If things go wrong on one end . . ." he trailed off, and I drew in a deep breath.

"Sir, I can assure you I had nothing to do with getting Bella a job at Trending. It was a coincidence that she ended up working for Alice, and in all these months, my sister has been thanking her lucky stars that she gained Bella as an employee. Bella has made invaluable contributions to the business, and Alice recognizes that. I have never interfered in that aspect of her life, nor do I plan to do so in the future. Alice may be my sister, but she makes her own decisions, one of which is . . ." I hesitated for a moment before forging on. "She's going to offer Bella a bigger role at the boutique. She hasn't settled the formalities yet, so she has asked me to keep it a secret from Bella. But the way her business is growing, she's planning to expand it across multiple locations, and if things go as planned, Bella will soon be taking the reins of administration at a new outlet."

Charlie's eyebrows twitched, but other than that, he gave no outward indication of his feelings on my revelation, so I went on.

"I lost my parents at a very young age. My job entails that I watch people lose their loved ones every single day. I—I suppose it has taught me how to just . . . keep moving forward in life, and you can't really do that if you're expecting a calamity at the next stop." I swallowed thickly. "Bella and I—we're in this for the long haul, Sir. But God forbid, if things . . . if things don't quite work out between us, this would be her home for as long as she needs. She didn't acquire her job because of my influence, nor will she ever lose it because of me. She has built a life for herself here. She'd be just fine without me, but . . . but I hope she'll choose to keep me by her side anyway."

Charlie regarded me carefully throughout my speech, and I made sure to hold his gaze. I felt as though a weight had been lifted off my chest as I laid my intentions bare before him. I was here to stay in his daughter's life, and it would make things simpler for all of us if he started to accept that.

He made me wait for what felt like ages after I was done talking, keeping his face neutral and giving me no clue about the workings of his mind. But eventually, he granted me a nod—and it felt like one of understanding. I didn't know him well enough to pinpoint it, but I did sense something different in his expression. Yesterday, he'd looked at me as though he were waiting for me to mess up. It didn't seem like that was the case now.

Whatever it was, my gut told me it was a step in the right direction.

"I agree. Bella is a force to be reckoned with when she sets her mind to something."

I smiled in agreement, and he nodded again. He pinched the page of the newspaper between his fingers and deftly turned it to the next one, returning his attention to the articles without another word.

I guess that was that.

I didn't get much time to ponder over it because moments later, Bella padded into the kitchen, rubbing her bleary eyes with her fist. She smiled at her dad and wished him a good morning before making her way over to me. She wrapped her arm around my waist, squeezing me sideways. I returned the favor, nuzzling her disheveled hair, and all was right in my world.

Bella's eyes lit up when she saw the coffee I'd brought. Both Charlie and I laughed as she squealed in childish delight on taking her first sip.

Renee joined us soon after, and we dug into our breakfast with gusto, chatting about our plans for the day. Bella had already prepared a list of the notable places we could visit, so we made quick work of chalking up a schedule.

We made good use of the day, sight-seeing well into the evening. Renee was practically giddy as she took pictures after pictures of every place we visited. I even caught Charlie with a small, indulgent smile on his face, watching Renee pull a reluctant Bella into another selfie. I nudged him toward them and pulled my phone out to indicate that I'd take a photo of them together. My offer brought out a genuine smile, this time directed right at me, before he walked over to do my bidding.

I couldn't hide my own grin as I clicked the photograph, more assured than ever that things were going to be just fine.

We returned to our apartment to freshen up before we headed out to spend the evening with my family. It'd been Esme's idea to organize a dinner for our families to get to know each other.

"It'll show them that you're serious about Bella," she'd told me. "It can't be easy for them to have their only child settle down across the country. I want to reassure them that Bella has a family here."

I hadn't been able to say anything in response; words hadn't seemed enough. Instead, I'd hugged her tightly, grateful as ever to be a part of said family.

The evening did start out a little awkwardly, introductions seeming a little formal, but there was no way around them. I shouldn't have worried, though, because my aunt seemed to have taken the possibility into account when she'd planned this visit.

She directed us straight to the dining table, declaring that she could imagine we must be hungry after having explored the city all day. The stilted nature of our chatter morphed into effortless conversations once the bounty of delicious food at the table came into the equation. Before long, compliments were being thrown around, recipes were being sought, and we'd managed to break the ice. The discussions went on even after we'd polished off our plates, so Esme offered everyone cups of coffee before leading them into the living room.

I returned from the kitchen with my mug in hand and couldn't help but smile at the sight before me. Carlisle, Renee, and Alice were peering intently into Renee's phone, most likely perusing her stellar collection of photographs from earlier in the day. Jasper and Charlie appeared deep into a conversation of their own. I had to stifle a chuckle when I watched Esme join them and shake her head immediately before she began to put forth her point with fervent motions of her hand.

My thoughts drifted to the one beautiful face missing from the picture seconds before the owner of said face appeared at my side. She looked up at me, her lips curled up in a lovely smile that made my heart thump in joy.

We stood there for a minute, silent, as we observed the comfortable scene before us . . . one that was likely to be repeated on many occasions in the future.

Bella slipped her free hand into mine and gave it a tight squeeze.

"Thank you for this," she whispered, and I leaned down to hear her better.

"You know you don't need to thank me, baby."

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she stepped closer. "No?"

I shook my head, curious as hell about what was going on in that mind of hers.

"Shall I be thankful for something else then?"

"If you'd like," I replied, breaking into an amused smile.

She extricated her hand from my grasp and placed it on my shoulder instead, steadying herself before she rose onto her tiptoes. I suppressed a shiver as her lips grazed the shell of my ear.

"Thank you for getting me fired, Edward."

I couldn't help the bark of laughter that left my mouth as I wrapped my arm around her waist. She giggled, too, planting a smacking kiss on my cheek before she pulled away.

"Hey!" Alice's voice pierced our bubble. "Come over here, you two! There's plenty of time for that later. We need you to settle a few debates here."

Bella rolled her eyes and took my hand once again. "If we must," she sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. I chuckled into my mug as we walked over to our families together . . . just like we were meant to be.

A/N: With that, I'm signing off for a couple of months, folks. The last Finals of my undergraduate life begin in a couple of days, and this requires my undivided attention. I'll be around on Facebook, so come find me at Fanfiction by ForeverRobsessed if you want to know what's up with me—or even if you just want to see the pretty pictures that go with the story. Follow the link on my profile.

My next project will most likely be my story for FAGE-10, which is due in February. Keep an eye out for that next year if you'd like to come along on another adventure with me.

Now, wish me luck!

Until next time,

~ForeverRobsessed.

FIC REC - Remember Me by NoelleSeven - One love. One destiny. Can you change what's meant to be?

Fired has been nominated in the poll at Twifanfictionrecs dot com to select the top 10 complete fics from November. If you've enjoyed the story, I'll be grateful for your vote :) You can vote once per day. Thank you. xo