Chapter Twelve:

Drummers drumming

Epiphany Eve

For those who feel they all loved a little too quickly, remember Prince fell in love with a woman just for wearing a raspberry beret.

Jane sat in rapture as Mrs. Banner, the preacher's wife tried to answer Jake's question.

"So … is masturbation a sin or not?"

She fumbled over her choice of words, settling on how that was something they should discuss with their parents.

Jane smiled, propping her chin on her fist. Jake was so inappropriate and tall, dark and handsome and she loved it.

"You love him," Bree teased her. Jane smacked her arm with he back of her hand.

"Do not."

She so did.

"You so do."

"Couldn't be more obvious about it," Alec added.

Jane crossed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at her brother as Mrs. Banner hushed the class, wrapping it up with one of her inspirational closings.

"And remember class, if we freely admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He," she pointed at the ceiling. "is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and continuously cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Which means …" She drawled out, making sure everyone is paying attention. "If you're truly remorseful for something you've done or said, admit what was done or said, ask forgiveness and you will be forgiven. It's that easy. Okay?"

We all mumbled a response.

"Alright." She clapped her hands together then raised one in the air. "Praise, Him. Now, let us pray."

Everyone but Jane and Alec bowed their heads and closed their eyes. Instead they spoke with theirs. Jane, her remorse. Alec, his forgiveness. By the time bible study let out, it was like any other day.

The three teens picked up the little ones from their age group on the way to meet up with Edward and Bella. The eight of them filed out of the church doors and into the new nine-seater Edward had purchased shortly after the death of the van.

Bella had refused to accept it until he told her it was the least she could do. How else were they all going to get to church every Sunday?

Nearly twelve months later …

It had been three hundred and fifty-nine days since Esme's last drink. Nine months since Carlisle and her declared their marriage officially over. She was dating some guy named Aro now. His wardrobe consisted of black and navy blazers, beaten-soft loafers, and turtlenecks. Lots of turtlenecks. He smoked expensive cigars and slicked his hair back with pomegranate-scented gel. He spoke with an accent, but no one was exactly sure where he was from. Esme met him on a Norwegian Cruise this past summer. She returned to dry land not only with a tan, but also a hulking European.

Edward didn't like it. Not one bit.

He thought about how much he disliked it as he helped Bella toss tinsel on her tree. Esme and Aro laughed in the adjoining dining room. Edward narrowed his eyes, leaned back on the step stool, and peered at the couple. They were sitting across from one another at the dining room table and sharing a gingerbread cookie. Aro snapped a limb off the gingerbread man and fed it to Edward's giggling mother. Edward's extreme rubbernecking caused him to nearly fall off the small ladder.

"Calm down, Tiger." Bella stood below him, steadying him with one hand while handing him an ornament with the other. "You okay?"

"I don't like him." Edward took the glass angel and hooked it onto a limb.

"Who? Aro? Why not?"

"He's …" Edward grasped for a reason, and came up empty handed. So he made one up. "He's so European."

Adjusting the cowl neck sweater she wore, Bella cast another look into the dining room. Aro swept sugar-coated cookie crumbs from Esme's mouth using his thumb. He whispered something in a low, foreign tongue. Esme captured his finger between her teeth.

"Yeah," Bella said in a low voice, feeling quite hot all of a sudden. "Yeah, he certainly is."

A door slammed somewhere in another room. Jane kicked off her shoes in the kitchen and padded across the living room to inspect the tree. Evidence of the younger Newton and Cullen kids lay forgotten on the floor below the tree: strewn toys, a few broken ornaments. They'd grown bored with the tree decorating and wandered upstairs to the playroom.

"Looks good," Jane said. Bella and Edward both suppressed the urge to gush. The mean girl from months prior transformed into a frequently positive, but still sometimes sulky teen.

Still an improvement.

"What's dad glaring at?" Jane followed his line of vision then broke into a mischievous smile. "Ah, Granddaddy Aro."

"That man is not your grandfather." The words came out of Edward's mouth in a low growl.

Jane tugged at the neck of her own colorful sweater. "No. No, he certainly isn't."

The two females shared a giggle, loud enough to draw Aro and Esme's attention from the other room. They left their table and cookies behind and meandered into the living room.

Esme wrapped her arm around Jane's waist. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing much. Dad was just telling us how cute you and Aro are together." Jane gave her father a sly smile.

Balking, Edward stumbled and fumbled to come up with a response, but again came up short. Instead, he decided to change the subject. "Bree's been looking for you Jane. I think she's in the kitchen with the boys."

A new kind of sneakiness brightened Jane right on up. She discreetly patted her coat pocket where a gift was secretly stashed inside. She'd taken a few odd jobs in town during the summer to save up for it. Mostly babysitting. She'd found it surprisingly fun and rewarding. And now she was ready to bear the fruits of her labor. Matching sterling silver sister bracelets for her and Bree.

"Great! Guess I'll see you guys later. Have fun decorating the tree." After placing a sweet kiss on her grandmother's cheek, she slipped out of her grasp and made a mad dash for the back of the house.

"Such an adorable young lady." Aro snuggled up next to Esme, who glowed with adoration. "And such wonderful manners."

You didn't know her a year ago, Bella thought to herself, but bit her tongue. What's done was done, and the past was in the past. No need to revisit sadder times. She and Edward had decided to step back and let the kids work their own problems out unless there was an urgent need to step in. It was Bella's idea, really. She'd always had to fight her own battles with Alice, and the two sisters were closer than ever. Even more so now that Alice had moved to New York. Something about distance and a fond heart.

Speaking of Alice …

The front doorbell dinged and Bella squealed a little squeal. Edward nearly toppled off the ladder again when Bella darted away from the tree. The younger Newton children thumped downstairs. The three tackled Alice as she stepped inside the foyer.

"Did you guys miss me or something?"

All three shouted a resounding, "Yeah!"

Alice giggled, cramming them all into a tight hug.

"Who's that?" Charles asked, looking over Alice's shoulder.

The tall, unfamiliar shaggy blond man smiled and waved, holding out a large paper bag. "I'm Jasper. I brought the presents."

The kids celebrated with another cheer, grabbing the bag from Jasper's hand. They ran into the living room and dumped them on the floor before divvying them up amongst each other.

Alice and Bella smiled at each other then hugged again. Just the two of them.

"When are you moving back?"

"When are you moving to New York?"

"Never."

Alice laughed into her sister's shoulder, squeezing her a bit tighter before letting her go so she could hug Edward, too.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Jasper, mah boyfriend." Alice bragged proudly. Throwing an arm around her sister's shoulder, she whispered in her ear. "He's a butt model."

Bella checked Alice's hip, welcoming her butt model boyfriend with a hug before leading them all into the dining room where Jane was setting the table for the dinner Bree and Alec had slaved over all day.

The two sat side by side, holding hands for grace, Bree wondering how she ever thought of Alec as anything other than a brother.

She squeezed the hand of the boy sitting on the other side of her. Ben was different from Alec in every way. He had black hair and light blue eyes. A brawny build from lifting for football. But most of all, he actually liked kissing her.

It turned out Jake, who was currently sitting on the other side of Alec, liked kissing boys. Though it nearly broke Jane's heart, she got over it quickly and her brother and him had been going strong now for almost a year.

Jane was still Jane but with a little less attitude. She was currently juggling three

guys, none of which she'd ever invite to a family function, especially since she had been repeatedly forced to sit at the kid's table.

Heidi, Charles and Wren were all three in the same fourth grade class and reading at an eighth grade level.

That was way higher than Jessica, who had left Mike in favor of Carlisle since Mike had stopped going to the gym and gained seventy-five pounds.

The kids plowed through their plates, ready to open some presents in no time. They begged and begged until the adults gave in and followed them to the living room.

Wrapping paper flew every which way as Esme snapped some candid shots. When they were all done, or so Bella thought, they pulled out one last gift from under the tree and handed it to her.

"For me? Are you sure?" she asked, turning the small package in her hands. "Who's it from?" There was no name, no indication it was meant for her but everyone in the room seemed to be in agreeance.

"It's yours. Just open it," Edward insisted.

Bella's stomach did somersaults as she slid off the cranberry bow then tore into the silver wrapping paper until a black velvet box was sitting in the center of her palm.

Her hands shook, slipping off the soft velvet as she attempted to open it.

Kneeling in front of her, Edward stilled her hands with his then took the box from her. She gasped when he opened it, revealing a softly squared diamond with a diamond band.

"Bella," Edward started, pulling her attention from the beautiful ring to him. "Your beauty doesn't just rest on your face, in your heart or your soul. It was your mind I grew to love first. Your thoughts and your words inspired me. They do to this day." He briefly looked down at their joined hands. "We've discussed fear and sadness, horror, mystery and action. But I chose this ring for romance. For how your face lights up when you read it. Austen, Bronte. Even your guilty pleasures, Nora Roberts and Nicholas sparks. Yes, I know you hide them under your bed."

Everyone shared a laugh. Bella sniffed, wiping away tears.

"I want to write our own romance, together. I want to be the one making you light up like that. I'll spend the rest of my life trying. Will you let me, Bella? Will you live happily ever after with me? With us?"

Bella could barely breathe, let only sound out the word, "Yes!"

Launching herself off the couch, she threw her arms around Edward's neck, nearly knocking him on his ass.

The two laughed and hugged and kissed, welcoming all their kids with open arms when they wanted to join the celebration.

The ring had barely been slipped on her finger when Esme and Alice started discussing wedding plans.

"Destination wedding. It's the only way to do it," Alice said.

Esme disagreed. "Traditional is the only way to go. It should be in a church, shouldn't it?"

Stroking Esme's hand, Aro tossed in his two cents. "So, we do in Duomo di Milano. Yes? I pay. You stay my villa after." He points between Bella and Edward. "Due settimane. Two weeks." He shrugs, like it's nothing to fly a whole wedding party to Italy and pay for every single matrimonial accommodation, including the honeymoon.

They couldn't.

Could they?

Leaving the plans open on the table, they chose to live in the moment instead.

They'd get married one day. In a church or a romantic, Italian cathedral or maybe just at the courthouse in front of God and a judge.

It didn't really matter how. It didn't even really matter when or where.

All that mattered was all eight of them were there.

Together.

Forever.

Happily ever after.

The End

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