Folktale

Chapter 26

Edward's P.O.V

Eleven Years Later... 

When I think back to the year that followed after Bella saved me, I can't help but smile. Every moment I've shared with Bella after Christmas was better than the last. With our last semester as seniors, we decided to go all out. I joined the baseball team, made up for my missing credits using tutors and night classes and even got a job. Bella continued with her extracurriculars until it was time to apply for college. We both applied to several schools until we were both accepted at Northwestern University and until it was time to leave, we were enjoying every moment we had left in Forks. 

And by enjoy, I mean enjoy. We had date nights going to the movie theaters, catching up with every movie I had never watched before. I also admit I'm a sucker for any Dwayne Johnson movie. We went on dinner dates, trying every food I had never tried before. We spent afternoons in the park studying together, go to bookstores reading together, fighting on what this or that meant, we went hiking, we laughed, we bickered, we kissed and made love. They were moments full of joy. 

In moments like today, when I look back at the years that followed after I know we had the chance we were never given. This was the chance we deserved. 

It didn't stop me from occasionally feeling bad for what happened that November. Even after their short conversation at the Christmas party, the relationship between Bella and her friends was never the same. They tried at first, but they drifted apart to the point that by graduation they were strangers. Bella assured me many times it didn't matter, the loss of her friends was just collateral damage.  

All of those were factors as to why it took me longer to decide whether or not moving back to Forks was a good idea. Earlier this year, Charlie was doing spring cleaning when he called Bella to tell her he was selling their family's estate. The estate has been vacant for decades now and there was no use for such a big estate just for one man, but Bella didn't want him to sell her family's property. When she came to me with the idea, it was a redundant no from me. She tried to talk me into it for weeks, weeks and weeks until I couldn't say no to her anymore. I could tell that meant something to her. 

So we purchased the old Swan estate and for the last eight months it has been under renovations as Bella and I make arrangements to move back to Forks. We haven't been there in eleven years and so much has changed since the day we left for college.

"Da!" He demanded, his little hand reaching out for the fruit that laid in his mother's plate I had set up. "Moh, da, me moh!" 

"You're one little demanding thing, aren't you?" I take a piece of mango - his favorite - and feed it to him. "No more after this. You'll get a stomach ache."

Toby smiles, his little toddler fingers squishing his piece of mango against his mouth. "Me moh, daddy!" 

I smile down at my son and kiss the top of his head. "The answer is no, buddy."

"Good morning," Bella sings as she walks down the stairs as she fixed her hair in a bun on the top of her neck. 

"Ma!" Toby cries out happily, reaching out for his mother. "'ngo, ma!" 

"If it isn't my little squishy baby!"Bella cooed, kissing his chubby cheeks and rubbing her nose with his. "Mmm, you taste like mango."

Toby squeals, clapping his mango covered hands together. 

"And good morning, handsome." Bella takes my face between her hands and kisses me. "Are you ready for our big move today?" 

"Hmm, I don't know, are you ready for our almost five-hour flight with a toddler." I nod to our son, who is happily munching on his fingers. Bella chuckles, kissing my cheek one more time and goes straight for her coffee. "Did you sleep well? I felt you wake up once, are you okay?"