Letters To A Stranger
by Momma2fan
Epilogue
Sixteen years later...
"Daddy, you said I could borrow the car. I’m supposed to meet my friends at the mall." Toni whined.
Edward sighed, "Antonia, I said you could borrow the car if you got an A on your history exam. You didn't, so no car. Landon has a job to get to, you don't. Now, your brother can drive you and then your mother or I will come get you."
"I HATE YOU!" Toni stormed off and slammed her bedroom door. Edward just nodded and walked into the living room, handing his oldest son the keys.
"Don't worry, Dad, she'll call you when she needs to come home. I think Uncle Jasper is dropping off Claire and Aunt Rose is bringing Ava. You know how she gets." Landon grinned his father's grin and watched as his twin burst from her room and without a word to Edward and stomped to the car.
"Is Toni in a mood?" Edward turned to his wife as she came around the corner holding their fifteen-month-old son, Aiden.
"She hates me, for the third time this week. I don't know what is going on with that girl."
Bella smiled, "She's sixteen, Edward, just wait. We have two more girls to get through this stage. I'm just glad that Aiden has inherited Landon's calm demeanor."
Twenty months after Bella had given birth to the twins, Carlie Ann had arrived. Around the same time Alice and Jasper had little Claire. You would think that since the two little girls were only months apart they would have been the best of friends, this was not the case. Toni and Claire were attached at the hip the minute that Claire could walk. Carlie was content to hang with her Grandma Esme. Rose and Emmett's daughter, Ava, had joined Toni and Claire a year later, while their son, Grayson, stayed with Landon most of the time.
Now in high school, Ava and Carlie were closer, but Claire still hung out with Toni. Claire had skipped a grade, much like her mother had and was now in the same class as the twins.
Edward looked at his wife of seventeen years. He thought she was just as beautiful as the day they were married, she may have a few lines on her face and a few gray hairs, but she was still gorgeous to him. He remembered back to when their daughter, Anabel, was born.
"Push, Bella, that's it, baby." Edward encouraged.
"Edward, I'm so tired. I can't do it any more." Bella breathed.
"Yes, you can. Come on, beautiful, think about Anabel. She's going to be so pretty, but you have to bring her into the world so we can see her."
Edward watched as Bella took a deep breath, bared down and pushed their daughter into the world. "Good job, sweetheart."
"Edward, I don't hear her crying," Bella looked around. "What's wrong with my baby?"
Edward was watching as the doctor and nurses were trying to revive his baby girl. He grabbed Bella's hand and said a silent prayer. 'God, you did not help me survive a war and get home to my family just to take a piece of it away. Please, save my baby!' Just as he finished, a small cry escaped from the tiny body on the table.
"Oh, Edward. Is she okay?" Bella was frantic.
"I don't know." Edward answered.
Another cry came from the baby, this one more lusty than before. This time she didn't stop, except for small breaths in between. Tears ran freely down her parent’s faces as the doctor brought their baby to them.
That was five years ago. Bella had told him he needed to have a vasectomy or she was going to go in and have her tubes tied. She wasn't sure if she could have handled losing a baby if something were to happen again. Of course, life got in the way and neither one of them had anything done. They were both surprised when Bella went in for a routine-check up and found out they were pregnant with Aiden. When she gave birth to him, she made sure the doctor did a C-section and tied her tubes while he had her open.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted all conversation as Bella handed Edward the baby and went to the door.
"Hey, Bells."
"Come on in guys. Are you sure you don't mind watching the kids tonight?" Bell asked as she shut the door.
Edward walked in just as Bella had taken their coats. "Hey, Leah, Jake. How are you guys?"
Jake smiled and shook his friends' hand. "We're good. Leah's pregnant." The women squealed and hugged one another, while Edward offered his congratulations.
Jake had changed a lot in the last sixteen years. When Renee had given birth, he had been heartbroken to discover it wasn’t his after all. She’d still been sleeping with Phil and it was his kid. Jake had come back and apologized again, but was still fumbling about it. It took Edward and Emmett nearly beating the shit out of him, before he realized he had some anger issues. He finally got the help he needed and had become a good friend to the Cullens. He spent a year getting his life back together, even going to therapy and during a group session with Edward and Bella, admitting that Renee had manipulated him and seduced him.
Renee was another story, altogether. Phil had taken her to court and sued for full custody of their daughter, citing that Renee’s infidelity and treatment of her other children made her unfit. He was awarded custody and Renee was stripped of her parental rights, which sent her on a downward spiral. She turned to alcohol to cope and ended up wrapping her car around a tree, killing not only herself, but the man she had in her passenger seat. He was only twenty-one.
Charlie had remarried an old friend of the family and had moved back to Washington. Bella missed him, but they saw each other at holidays and kept in touch over the phone and email. Carlisle had retired from the hospital and he and Esme traveled a lot. They were always home for the holidays and summer vacations, so they could see all seven of their grandchildren.
Emmett and Rosalie had Grayson and Ava, but struggled for years afterward to conceive, but were never able to again. When Rose had gone in for tests, she had been told that endometriosis was eating her insides and it was recommended for health reasons that she have a hysterectomy. After much debate and many tears she had the procedure. Emmett supported her the whole time and they showered all of their love and affection onto the two children they had. Both of them were good kids.
Jasper ended up having a tougher time than all of them. Shortly after giving birth to Claire, Alice had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her oncologist immediately began treating her with chemotherapy and radiation, but despite the aggressive treatment and a double mastectomy, Alice succumbed to the cancer a year later. It was hard for Jasper to raise his daughter without the love of his life, but he managed with the help of his family. Claire was a well adjusted young woman and Jasper was now starting to date, although he said he would never marry again.
Edward, Jasper, and Emmett had retired from the military and opened a gym and rehabilitation center, specializing in wounded soldiers. They were very successful and even had members of the celebrity type. The 'governator' had even visited once or twice.
Edward was surprising Bella with a night on the town and had called for the babysitters himself. "Thanks for coming tonight. We won't be too late." Edward said as he put his wallet in his pocket.
Bella smiled as she realized it was time to go. "Landon is at work and Toni is at the mall, she may call for a ride home. Carlie is spending the night at Emmett and Rose's so you don't have to worry about her. Anabel is watching a movie in the TV room and Aiden just went down for a nap. They haven't had dinner yet, but there are chicken nuggets in the freezer. Jake, make sure they eat a vegetable."
"Sure, sure. Will you just get out of here? I know how to take care of kids. Especially yours. Go, have fun." Jake all but pushed them out the door.
And they did. Edward took his wife dancing and then they took a walk on the beach. He couldn't help but think his life couldn't be better and it all began with a letter.
"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked.
"Just how perfect our life is." Edward stopped and pulled Bella into his arms. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too." Bella met Edward halfway and when their lips touched it was like the first time. When the need for oxygen separated them, Edward leaned his forehead against Bella's.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For taking the chance on a school project. For writing a letter to a stranger."
"That letter changed my life. Thank you for writing back."
Their lips met in another deep and passionate kiss, as the stars twinkled over the ocean.
~fin
Sixteen years later...
"Daddy, you said I could borrow the car. I’m supposed to meet my friends at the mall." Toni whined.
Edward sighed, "Antonia, I said you could borrow the car if you got an A on your history exam. You didn't, so no car. Landon has a job to get to, you don't. Now, your brother can drive you and then your mother or I will come get you."
"I HATE YOU!" Toni stormed off and slammed her bedroom door. Edward just nodded and walked into the living room, handing his oldest son the keys.
"Don't worry, Dad, she'll call you when she needs to come home. I think Uncle Jasper is dropping off Claire and Aunt Rose is bringing Ava. You know how she gets." Landon grinned his father's grin and watched as his twin burst from her room and without a word to Edward and stomped to the car.
"Is Toni in a mood?" Edward turned to his wife as she came around the corner holding their fifteen-month-old son, Aiden.
"She hates me, for the third time this week. I don't know what is going on with that girl."
Bella smiled, "She's sixteen, Edward, just wait. We have two more girls to get through this stage. I'm just glad that Aiden has inherited Landon's calm demeanor."
Twenty months after Bella had given birth to the twins, Carlie Ann had arrived. Around the same time Alice and Jasper had little Claire. You would think that since the two little girls were only months apart they would have been the best of friends, this was not the case. Toni and Claire were attached at the hip the minute that Claire could walk. Carlie was content to hang with her Grandma Esme. Rose and Emmett's daughter, Ava, had joined Toni and Claire a year later, while their son, Grayson, stayed with Landon most of the time.
Now in high school, Ava and Carlie were closer, but Claire still hung out with Toni. Claire had skipped a grade, much like her mother had and was now in the same class as the twins.
Edward looked at his wife of seventeen years. He thought she was just as beautiful as the day they were married, she may have a few lines on her face and a few gray hairs, but she was still gorgeous to him. He remembered back to when their daughter, Anabel, was born.
"Push, Bella, that's it, baby." Edward encouraged.
"Edward, I'm so tired. I can't do it any more." Bella breathed.
"Yes, you can. Come on, beautiful, think about Anabel. She's going to be so pretty, but you have to bring her into the world so we can see her."
Edward watched as Bella took a deep breath, bared down and pushed their daughter into the world. "Good job, sweetheart."
"Edward, I don't hear her crying," Bella looked around. "What's wrong with my baby?"
Edward was watching as the doctor and nurses were trying to revive his baby girl. He grabbed Bella's hand and said a silent prayer. 'God, you did not help me survive a war and get home to my family just to take a piece of it away. Please, save my baby!' Just as he finished, a small cry escaped from the tiny body on the table.
"Oh, Edward. Is she okay?" Bella was frantic.
"I don't know." Edward answered.
Another cry came from the baby, this one more lusty than before. This time she didn't stop, except for small breaths in between. Tears ran freely down her parent’s faces as the doctor brought their baby to them.
That was five years ago. Bella had told him he needed to have a vasectomy or she was going to go in and have her tubes tied. She wasn't sure if she could have handled losing a baby if something were to happen again. Of course, life got in the way and neither one of them had anything done. They were both surprised when Bella went in for a routine-check up and found out they were pregnant with Aiden. When she gave birth to him, she made sure the doctor did a C-section and tied her tubes while he had her open.
The ringing of the doorbell interrupted all conversation as Bella handed Edward the baby and went to the door.
"Hey, Bells."
"Come on in guys. Are you sure you don't mind watching the kids tonight?" Bell asked as she shut the door.
Edward walked in just as Bella had taken their coats. "Hey, Leah, Jake. How are you guys?"
Jake smiled and shook his friends' hand. "We're good. Leah's pregnant." The women squealed and hugged one another, while Edward offered his congratulations.
Jake had changed a lot in the last sixteen years. When Renee had given birth, he had been heartbroken to discover it wasn’t his after all. She’d still been sleeping with Phil and it was his kid. Jake had come back and apologized again, but was still fumbling about it. It took Edward and Emmett nearly beating the shit out of him, before he realized he had some anger issues. He finally got the help he needed and had become a good friend to the Cullens. He spent a year getting his life back together, even going to therapy and during a group session with Edward and Bella, admitting that Renee had manipulated him and seduced him.
Renee was another story, altogether. Phil had taken her to court and sued for full custody of their daughter, citing that Renee’s infidelity and treatment of her other children made her unfit. He was awarded custody and Renee was stripped of her parental rights, which sent her on a downward spiral. She turned to alcohol to cope and ended up wrapping her car around a tree, killing not only herself, but the man she had in her passenger seat. He was only twenty-one.
Charlie had remarried an old friend of the family and had moved back to Washington. Bella missed him, but they saw each other at holidays and kept in touch over the phone and email. Carlisle had retired from the hospital and he and Esme traveled a lot. They were always home for the holidays and summer vacations, so they could see all seven of their grandchildren.
Emmett and Rosalie had Grayson and Ava, but struggled for years afterward to conceive, but were never able to again. When Rose had gone in for tests, she had been told that endometriosis was eating her insides and it was recommended for health reasons that she have a hysterectomy. After much debate and many tears she had the procedure. Emmett supported her the whole time and they showered all of their love and affection onto the two children they had. Both of them were good kids.
Jasper ended up having a tougher time than all of them. Shortly after giving birth to Claire, Alice had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Her oncologist immediately began treating her with chemotherapy and radiation, but despite the aggressive treatment and a double mastectomy, Alice succumbed to the cancer a year later. It was hard for Jasper to raise his daughter without the love of his life, but he managed with the help of his family. Claire was a well adjusted young woman and Jasper was now starting to date, although he said he would never marry again.
Edward, Jasper, and Emmett had retired from the military and opened a gym and rehabilitation center, specializing in wounded soldiers. They were very successful and even had members of the celebrity type. The 'governator' had even visited once or twice.
Edward was surprising Bella with a night on the town and had called for the babysitters himself. "Thanks for coming tonight. We won't be too late." Edward said as he put his wallet in his pocket.
Bella smiled as she realized it was time to go. "Landon is at work and Toni is at the mall, she may call for a ride home. Carlie is spending the night at Emmett and Rose's so you don't have to worry about her. Anabel is watching a movie in the TV room and Aiden just went down for a nap. They haven't had dinner yet, but there are chicken nuggets in the freezer. Jake, make sure they eat a vegetable."
"Sure, sure. Will you just get out of here? I know how to take care of kids. Especially yours. Go, have fun." Jake all but pushed them out the door.
And they did. Edward took his wife dancing and then they took a walk on the beach. He couldn't help but think his life couldn't be better and it all began with a letter.
"What are you thinking about?" Bella asked.
"Just how perfect our life is." Edward stopped and pulled Bella into his arms. "I love you, Bella."
"I love you, too." Bella met Edward halfway and when their lips touched it was like the first time. When the need for oxygen separated them, Edward leaned his forehead against Bella's.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For taking the chance on a school project. For writing a letter to a stranger."
"That letter changed my life. Thank you for writing back."
Their lips met in another deep and passionate kiss, as the stars twinkled over the ocean.
~fin