The Rest of Forever

It was hard for Edward to accept Carlisle's theory as a possibility. Edward turned to look at Bella, who was watching him carefully. She was still on the ground but she laid there half propped up on her elbows. It became even harder for him to believe in Carlisle's theory as he looked at her. He didn't deserve this. Edward stopped pacing and stood in one place as he crossed his arms across his chest. The frustration was easy to read on his face. Bella got to her feet but she didn't move towards him. She stared patiently, waiting for some kind of response from him.
"Is this," Edward paused, feeling he might 'jinx' himself if he finished the sentence, "...Is this Heaven?"
Bella walked up to him and grabbed his hand. Edward glanced down at the small hand that held on to his, and then looked up at her. Bella smiled.
"It certainly is to me...now," she said looking up at him meaningfully.
Edward smiled at her reply.
"Well, what was it like...before," he asked.
"It was much of the same," Bella admitted as she glanced around the meadow, "Just the woods, but...no you."
Edward frowned at that.
"All this time you've been here alone," Edward said with a slightly angered tone.
Bella lowered her eyebrows and gave him a puzzled look.
"'All this time,'" she repeated into a question, "I haven't been here very long. But I was never alone! When I woke up, Gram was here... And, we talked for awhile until she told me that you were here, and that I should go meet you..."
Edward ran his hand through his hair and began pacing again.
"You've been dead for...over 2 years," he admitted hesitantly, "How is it possible that that time could seem so short to you? I don't understand it."
Edward stopped in front of Bella so he could read her face. Surprisingly, her expression was very calm. The subject of 'time' hadn't seemed to faze her. Edward let out a frustrated sigh and Bella laid her head on his chest.
"Some things aren't meant to be understood," Bella said with certainty, "And as long as I'm with you...the 'how' of it...doesn't matter."
Edward wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her head.
"That's true," Edward said, "But I keep waiting for this 'dream' to end, and for you to disappear."
Bella looked up at him and smiled.
"You know you don't dream, Edward," Bella scolded, "This is eternity, neither of us will be going anywhere."
Edward smiled but it was still hard for him to fully accept that he was somehow able to win a ticket to Heaven.
"If this is Heaven and your not just a mere figment of my imagination," Edward began, "Then, I have a few messages to give to you..."
Bella reached her hands up and grasped his face, seemingly uninterested in his news. Her deep brown eyes seared into his, now, green eyes, and she smiled. With the tips of her fingers, Bella touched the delicate skin under his eyes.
"This will take some getting used to," Bella admitted as she stared into his eyes, "I'm so used to seeing them gold."
Edward frowned, feeling self-conscience, and he shifted his eyes away from hers. He had forgotten that he was different now. That he was his 'human self' again, and he no longer had the ability to 'dazzle' her. In fact, he no longer had any of the characteristics that had attracted her to him in the first place. In that instance, Edward feared that she would grow weary of him now that he was only human. Bella studied his glum countenance and intuitively knew what was bothering him. Bella rolled her eyes, laced her fingers through the hair at the back of his head, and pulled him down closer to her face. Edward tensed as she gently brushed her lips against his.
"Gold, green, blue, black. It doesn't matter," Bella spoke against his lips, "If you had no eyes I'd still always love you."
Edward smiled against her lips as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground so she wasn't standing on her toes. He then pressed his lips hard to hers, relishing in the warmth and softness of her mouth. Bella threw her other arm around his neck, grasping on to him tightly as her lips moved eagerly against his. Edward paused. Bella noticed and groaned as she loosened her grasp.
"What," Bella asked in aggravation, "Are your 'old rules' still in play?"
Edward chuckled.
"No," he said, still laughing from her annoyance, "I forgot to say 'I love you', back."
Bella smiled and waited.
"I love you," Edward declared with as much sincerity as he could muster.
"Okay," Bella said quickly and then pulled his face down to hers to kiss him again.
"Wait," Edward tried to shout, but her lips muffled the sound.
Bella pushed away from him slightly and put a finger to his lips to silence him. Edward smiled his crooked smile against her finger but didn't say a word.
"Edward," she said in a scolding tone, "We have the rest of forever...to talk to each other."
Edward kissed her finger and nodded in agreement. Bella smiled at his nod and then reached her hands up to run her fingers through his hair. They stared into each others eyes for a long moment, both smiling. Both accepting that forever was a very long time and there was no need to rush. Edward still felt a bit undeserving about the idea of being with her forever. But as he looked at her face and at all the beauty that surrounded them, he was filled with gratitude, and it overpowered his feelings of unworthiness. Edward wrapped his arms tightly around Bella and buried his face in her hair. He inhaled her scent and noticed how differently she smelled to him now. There was no hunger, no itching desire deep inside of him to kill her, and Edward was thankful for that too. From now on, they were the same, they were equals, and it only made sense that they should be together, now. And the would be...
"For the rest of forever," Edward whispered.