Thank you so, so much for reading and sticking with me til the end. I'm so grateful for all of you, and I hope you enjoy the epilogue.

… …

Edward Cullen

"Love you, Daddy," Lucas mumbled, hugging his stuffed lion close as he drifted off to sleep.

I felt like I loved him a little more every single time he said that, and it never got old. "Love you, too," I said, pressing another kiss to his forehead.

"He's getting too big," Bella remarked as we walked out of his room together. "When did that happen?"

"God, I don't know," I said, shaking my head. "Seems like just yesterday that he was a brand new baby."

She just smiled, and although I wanted to bring up the possibly of another baby, I held my tongue.

We'd talked about it on our honeymoon- which we had just gotten back from two weeks ago. Bella had said that she needed to think about it, but would like to have another baby. Physically, she said, she was ready. Financially, too. We were doing well, and could afford another baby. Bella was done with her classes, and worked part time. She wanted to open her own dessert catering company eventually, but for now, we were good.

Another baby meant added stress to Bella, and with her PTSD…we weren't sure how she would handle the added stress and hormones that came with pregnancy. It was becoming easier and easier for her to disassociate from her diagnosis, but being able to disassociate for nine months would definitely be a stretch.

Sometimes it seemed like now was the right time. For me, at least. I'd never been happier with Bella as my wife, and I loved being a father. Work was doing well and we weren't worried about money. However, it wasn't just about me. She hadn't brought it up again, but I was beginning to realize that despite how happy we were together, it just wasn't the right time for her. And we're a team- especially in parenthood. If it wasn't right for her, I knew it wasn't right for us.

… …

One year later

Bella was sitting at the kitchen table when I got home, but barely glanced up as I walked in. Feeling frustrated, I let the door slam behind me.

She looked up then, frowning at me. "I've been waiting for you for two hours," she said. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I'm sorry," I said shortly, tossing my briefcase on the cluttered counter. "My meeting ran late."

"And you couldn't have called? I was worried sick."

"My phone died this afternoon, and I couldn't find my phone charger this morning because this place is such a mess," I replied.

She looked away then, and I instantly felt like the world's biggest asshole.

Yes, I'd had a hard day. My assistant had called in sick last minute, and my day had been jam packed with meetings and phone calls. Yes, the house was a complete mess. But Bella was my wife, not a maid, and I knew I'd be worried sick if she ever came home two hours late without calling first. We'd been married for a year now, and although we were happy and loved each other more than ever, I think we would both agreed that things were hard.

"I'm sorry," I said, sighing. "Bella…"

She still didn't look at me, so I approached her. "Bella, come on." I lifted my hand to run my fingers through my hair, and I didn't miss the way she flinched. It made my heart constrict.

I took a step back, even more frustrated now. "I'd never hit you, Bella," I said firmly. "Never."

"I know," she finally said, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry. I just…"

She trailed off, but we both knew why she had flinched.

It had been years since she had been with him. And we were happy together now. But every once and a while, the past reared its ugly head and turned my wife into something that made me feel hopeless. I couldn't even imagine how it made her feel.

Bella was crying now, and I didn't hesitate to crouch down in front of her and place my hands on her knees. "It's okay," I murmured. "You'll never have to deal with that again."

"I know," Bella said through her tears. "I know that. That's why it's so hard when I suddenly…regress. Why can't I get over this?"

I wished there was a simple answer, but after years of trying to help Bella through this, I knew that there wasn't. She still saw her counselor from time to time, but unfortunately the problems she had weren't predictable and oftentimes fell in between her appointments. Besides, Bella had said time and time again that she wanted to try and take a step back from counseling and eventually eliminate it. But that wouldn't be possible if things like this kept happening.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Just be you," she replied. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

We stayed silent for a few minutes, me rubbing her legs gently and her trying to stop her tears.

"I really am sorry about tonight," I said, breaking the silence. "I had a hard day, but that's no excuse. I'll make sure to get ahold of you next time."

"I know. Thank you."

She tilted her head down to kiss me, then looked around a little shyly. "The place really is a mess. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, babe. You're busy, too, and Lucas is a real tornado," I assured her. "I'll grab something to eat and then start putting stuff away. Hey," I glanced around, "Where is Lucas?"

"I was feeling so overwhelmed this afternoon that I asked Alice to babysit for a few hours."

Despite everyone's assurances that they didn't mind watching Lucas every once and a while, Bella told me she still felt guilty about it. So if she had let Alice take him for the day, I knew she was really having a hard time.

"Sit tight, and I'll heat us up some dinner," I said, kissing her forehead as I stood.

I did so, and set a glass of wine in front of her after reheating some of the spaghetti we'd had the night before.

Our meal was quiet, but I had to admit that despite today's troubles, it was still nice to be alone with my wife. Our lives were hectic, and we rarely got time alone together. It wasn't the best of circumstances, but we had to take what we could get.

… …

"Sometimes he seems like two different people. How can this sweet little boy sometimes be such a terror?" Bella asked, half-joking as I tucked Lucas into his bed.

"He's only three," I reminded her. "The 'terrible twos' thing is totally a lie. I love the kid to death but it's really 'terrible twos, threes, fours...'."

She elbowed me, but I knew by her smile that she agreed.

We walked out of his room hand in hand after making sure his nightlight was turned on and the curtains were closed. We had picked up around the house before picking Lucas up from Alice and Jasper's, so it was far less cluttered and we didn't feel bad about stepping over some of the mess that was left to collapse onto the couch.

"Come here," I groaned, pulling her into my arms. She settled there, resting her head on my chest. "I really am sorry about tonight," I said softly. "It won't happen again."

"It's okay," she replied. "I think we were both just having a bad day. It happens."

I nodded, kissing the top of her head. "I love you."

She smiled up at me. "I love you, too."

"Was he really a nightmare today?" I asked, genuinely curious.

Lucas was my boy, but I knew the kid had a stubborn streak and a temper. We probably spoiled him a little, despite our efforts to bring him up well and discipline him as necessary, but didn't everybody do that?

"He was," Bella confirmed. "Worse than usual. He knows that you're the one with the real discipline. I try…but he knows my weakness."

"He can smell fear," I teased.

"I love him, even when he's acting up, but sometimes…god, sometimes he looks like his father."

We very, very rarely spoke of James Hunter, especially as Lucas' father. Because really, he wasn't. But I knew exactly what she meant. Lucas looked like his mother, but when he was throwing a tantrum or being a pain, Bella and I could see his birth father in him. It was a little scary, especially for Bella, but we knew it didn't mean anything. Lucas couldn't help who had fathered him, and he wasn't a bad child.

"I still love him," I murmured. "And I know you do, too."

"Of course I do. More than life itself," Bella replied quietly. "I wouldn't trade him for anything. He was worth all of the pain, including childbirth."

"What do you think about reopening that discussion?" I asked after a minute. "About doing it again?"

Bella was quiet for a moment, but I saw a small smile on her face. "Well, we haven't talked about it since our honeymoon. I think it's safe to discuss it again."

"I still feel the same way. I'd love to have more children with you."

"I've been thinking about it lately," Bella admitted. "It…it's something that I want. I'm not sure if I'm ready yet…but I would like for it to happen eventually."

"That's enough for me," I assured her. "I'm ready when you are."

… …

"She thinks we can get pregnant on our own," Bella said, radiating excitement. She'd had a doctor's appointment this morning, and then had met me on my lunch break to food and a chance to talk.

"How's that?" I asked.

"Well…there were multiple problems, before. It wasn't all me…after all, it did take me two years after we were married to get pregnant in the first place. And you know why that pregnancy didn't last. After that, the doctor said it could have been a combination of problems that prevented me from getting pregnant without in vitro. There were some complications with my uterus, but a large part on why we settled on artificial insemination because they needed to harvest sperm in order for it to actually work."

This was one of the things Bella had gotten more comfortable with, and even though it surprised me, I admired her for it. It was one of the most painful parts of her past and accepting it was a big part of healing.

"So…"

"So, I'm going to stop by birth control after this month, and we can start trying. The doctor said that if we aren't successful after six months, to schedule an appointment. Normally she'd have us wait longer but given my history…"

"Wow," I said, grinning at her. "So we could be pregnant as early as next month."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Don't get ahead of yourself. We might need help," she warned.

"I know, I know. I'm just…wow, I'm excited. I can't wait to have another baby with you."

We kissed over the table, and it was on to the next chapter in our lives.

… …

For months, we tried. And after five months, Bella greeted me at the door with a pregnancy test in her hand.

"Are you?" I asked, dropping my briefcase on the floor as soon as I walked in.

"I haven't taken the tests yet," she said, pecking me on the cheek. "I was waiting for you."

"Well, I'm here, so let's go."

Ten minutes later, Bella and I were sitting on the edge of the bathtub, trying to work up the courage to look at the two tests perched on the counter.

"You look," she said, biting her lip.

I wanted to protest, but knew I had to. And when I picked up the tests, I was so glad that I'd been the one to check.

"Two pink lines," I said. "On each."

She squealed, and I dropped the tests back on the counter just in time to catch her as she launched herself into my arms.

… …

"Do you want to know the sex?" The sonogram technician asked.

Bella and I exchanged a glance, and she nodded, reaffirming our previous decision. "Yes, please," she said, squeezing my hand tightly.

The tech was silent for a moment as she moved the wand around a little, squinting at the screen. "Well, congratulations- it's a girl!"

"A girl," I breathed out, totally stunned. "A girl, Bella!"

I kissed her lips, practically giddy with happiness.

I would've been completely over the moon either way, but a girl…wow.

Later, after the appointment was over, the tech left us so that Bella could get dressed, and I still couldn't believe it.

"What are we going to do with a girl, huh?" I asked, wiping at the tears that had started to gather in my eyes.

"God, the first girl in the family. She's going to be spoiled rotten," Bella said, grinning from ear to ear. "And Lucas is going to be the most protective big brother ever. He's going to be so excited when we tell him."

When we had told Lucas that he was going to be a big brother, he had explicitly asked for a little sister. He was getting his wish, and I couldn't even imagine how thrilled he'd be.

"A girl," I repeated, obviously still a little shocked.

Bella laughed, coming over and kissing me after she had buttoned her shirt back up. "A girl," she confirmed. "You better get used to it, babe. You've only got four and a half months left."

… …

"She's tiny," Lucas said, his eyes glued to his brand new baby sister. "When will she be big?"

I laughed, reaching over and stroking her soft pink skin. "It'll take a while, Lou."

"What's her name?" He asked, and not for the first time.

We hadn't been able to decide on a name. Bella and I had been trying to pick one out for months, since we found out that she was a girl. We'd tried to incorporate Lucas into it, too, asking his opinion on our favorite names. He hadn't had much of an opinion, though, except for throwing a tantrum when we said we couldn't name the baby after a power ranger.

"Mom and I are still working on that one, bud. We'll tell you as soon as we decide," I promised.

He seemed placated, and the four of us were silent for a few minutes, soaking the feeling up. We were a family of four now, and nothing would ever be the same. It might be a little scary, but we had each other. There was so much love between us that we could get through anything.

… …

"Ava, ava, ava, ava…"

I tuned out Lucas' chanting- it was becoming somewhat of a morning ritual.

Coffee was all I cared about.

Suddenly, a steaming mug was in front of me, and Bella was smiling down at me. "Your shift is over," she said gently, kissing me. I gratefully accepted the mug, drinking deeply.

"Thanks," I said. I pulled her into my lap after setting my coffee cup on the table, squeezing gently. "They're pretty cute together, huh?" I asked, nodding toward Ava's crib.

Lucas had his face pressed again the bars as he talked to her, and Ava just kicked her feet. It had been four weeks since Ava was born, and the excitement had yet to wear off for Lucas. Of course, none of us were really a fan of her marathon screaming sessions, but even for Lucas, the sweet moments made it all worth it.

"How'd we get so lucky?" Bella asked, sighing.

I kissed her again, knowing that I asked myself that same exact question all the time. "I don't know, Bella. Sometimes it seems like a dream. But I wouldn't trade it for anything."

… …

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