A/N: SURPRISE!

Want a little peek into Olderward's life a few years later? Did you miss him? Well, Debbie, aka snoopylover60, certainly did, and she has been one of my loyal readers and reviewers for a long time now. How could I refuse?

Dazzled Eyes22 was kind enough to pre-read this for me. Thank you, Danielle.

All mistakes are mine, but The Twilight Saga belongs to S. Meyer.

Happy reading :)

I tilted my head to one side, studying the object in question carefully. I was doing just fine until a certain Emmett McCarty had walked into the room and made me doubt something I was absolutely sure of before his useless commentary.

"It's supposed to be the other way around, Edward," Emmett muttered for the umpteenth time, irritating me thoroughly.

"Will you just shut up? I'm doing it right, Em," I retorted. I pulled the two tabs closer with a flourish and they stuck together easily. "Aha!" I whooped triumphantly, shooting him a smug look.

Emmett frowned, coming closer until he was almost breathing in my ear. I pushed him away quickly. "I guess that looks about right."

I was about to throw a smartass comment at him when a tiny gurgle demanded our attention.

"Da-da-da-daa!"

I grinned in response to the wide, toothy one on my daughter's precious face. She raised her arms toward me, and I quickly lifted her up, twirling her little body around in the way that made her squeal in delight.

"Dada did it just right, didn't he?" I cooed to her. "You tell Uncle Em that after nine months of taking care of you, Dada knows very well how to put on a diaper, while Uncle Em seems to be having trouble even after having raised two kids of his own!"

"Hey now!" Emmett narrowed his eyes at me, sticking out his tongue for good measure. "Ollie's my girl! She'd never say that. Don't put words in her mouth! And that was simply a long string of 'da-da-da,' not Dada!"

I tickled Ollie's ear softly, eliciting my favorite giggle. "Don't you start, too! Bella already refused to acknowledge that as her first word. I don't need anyone else negating my daughter's achievements, you hear me? She clearly knows her Dada."

Emmett snickered. "Whatever, dude. Her first word's gonna be Em, you'll see. Isn't that right, pretty girl?" He reached out to take Ollie's hand and pretended to munch on it, while I snorted.

"I highly doubt that. Maybe if you'd learned the right way to put a diaper on, Maddie and Aaron would've picked Dada as their first word, too," I remarked.

He scowled. "Well, we just used the pull-up ones! Why would you even bother with these?"

I pursed my lips, rocking Olivia slightly on my hip. "I didn't buy these; Bella did."

I attempted to leave it at that, but Emmett took one look at the sheepish wince I tried but failed to suppress and wouldn't rest until I elaborated.

"I know there's a story there!" he said with a smirk. "You want to tell me and get this over with? If not, I could always ask Bella. She'll be home soon, right?"

I sighed, knowing that he wouldn't rest until he'd learned everything. I had to agree, it was best to get it over with now.

"Well," I started. "It happened a couple of weeks ago. Bella and I, we'd both had a very busy day, so we were almost dead on our feet by the time we went to bed. When Ollie needed a diaper change that night, I might've . . . pretended to be asleep, even though it was my turn to get up and despite the fact that Bella tried to wake me several times. When she returned to bed, she saw my leg twitch and realized that I wasn't really asleep. She didn't say anything then, so I might've done that . . . two more times after that night."

Emmett's eyes widened comically, followed by a moment of silence, and then he let out a full-blown belly laugh that shook his entire frame.

"So," he huffed out in between chortles. "So . . ."

I rolled my eyes. "So, in order to punish me for that little act, Bella decided to forego the pull-up diapers in favor of these when she went to the store last week. Since then, she has made sure to make herself scarce whenever Ollie decided to grace us with a poopy diaper, and I've had to relearn the methodology behind snapping thesediapers into place. Every time I do this, I'm hoping that my sweet Ollie doesn't start recalling her past habit, which she, thankfully, gave up once she'd crossed the three-month mark."

"Oh yeah!" Emmett wheezed out. "Those were the days, man! She wouldn't rest without giving the table a baptizing each time you took a little long with the fastenings, right? Gosh, it was as if she'd save a tiny bit to punish you if you didn't know what you were doing!"

I let out a light chuckle at the sprays Ollie would bestow upon us, though I guess it would've been much worse if we'd had a boy.

Time seemed to have flown by in the blink of an eye. Was it really nine months ago that Bella had woken me up from a deep sleep to inform me that her water had broken? It seemed like barely any time had passed since the day we'd rushed to the hospital with trepidation and excitement warring in our hearts, and Bella had spent eight taxing, yet exhilarating hours bringing our baby into the world. It was hard to believe that the day had already become a memory from the past.

The moment I'd held Olivia for the first time, her tiny, blue-grey eyes had peered at me curiously and held me captive in their depths, and I knew I would lay down my life without a second thought for my daughter. With her rosy cheeks, her dark brown mop of hair, and the slight upturn of her nose, she was the amalgamation of the very best parts of Bella and me. There was no doubt that from the moment I'd learned of her existence, she'd owned me, body and soul, and holding her in my arms, feeling her soft, warm weight nestled comfortably against my chest had cemented that truth even further into my heart.

Now, nine months later, those round eyes held forest green irises that mirrored my own and looked at me, alight with recognition that made my heart sing and thump harder in joy.

"Escaping delegated diaper duty was the biggest sin in the McCarty household, I tell you!" Emmett informed me.

"And yet, you don't seem to have gotten the hang of it," I announced, shaking my head in mock-censure.

Ollie let out a string of 'ya-ya-ya-ya' as though in agreement, which made Em and I forget our arguments and crack up. Having received an encouraging response, she elevated her chanting to a higher volume and threw in a few claps for added effect.

"Hey, gossip girls!" Rose called as she peeked in. "What's going on? I see Edward had Ollie to tend to, but what are you doing in there, Em? You wouldn't be trying to get out of helping me in the kitchen, would you? We still have to garnish the dishes."

I pressed my lips together to hide a laugh as Emmett shook his head. "Of course not, Rosie. Put me to work, baby."

Rosalie threw us a wink and a smile before heading toward the kitchen with Emmett hot on her heels.

I turned to my baby girl. "I'd say Uncle Em is whipped, huh, Ollie?" She babbled and patted my cheek in response. "Yeah, who am I kidding? Your Mama has me eating out of her hand most of the time, but we wouldn't want it any other way, would we?" I nuzzled her nose with mine and pressed a kiss to her chubby cheek.

"Da," Ollie affirmed happily.

I carried her to the living room, where Maddie and Aaron were busy arguing over some TV show. As soon as I placed Ollie in her swing, their attention refocused on her. Maddie fetched Ollie's favorite toys and Aaron started making silly faces, which had my little girl giggling in no time. I fastened the belts securely around her waist and left them to their own devices.

Emmett walked out of the kitchen with two platefuls of finger foods, swiping a couple of rolls into his mouth behind Rosalie's back before placing them on the table.

"Hey, I meant to ask you about why we're having this shindig here instead of Jasper's and Alice's place," he wondered, licking some mayonnaise off his finger.

I shrugged. "Jasper had booked a private dining room for all of us a couple of weeks ago. He didn't tell Alice, wanting to keep the party a surprise. Then, she was informed that her boss needed her to head over to Vancouver this weekend for checking their latest supplies, so Jasper cancelled his reservation. Just last night, Alice came to know that her trip had to be cancelled for some reason, which left her free to celebrate her birthday with all of us, but Jasper couldn't find a suitable location at such short notice."

Emmett hummed. "So it's still a surprise for her? That's why he couldn't keep it at their apartment?"

"Exactly. Bella was more than happy to help when Jasper called us last night."

"I can see that," Rose stated, depositing a couple of more plates onto the dining table. Emmett reached out to sample the new dishes and was promptly warded off with a smack on his hand. He pouted, but then went over to join the kids in their games. "That wife of yours is a miracle. How she manages to handle her job and her family so perfectly every day is a wonder. Plus, she managed to prep all this stuff for us to eat tonight at such short notice. Amazing!"

"That she is," I replied, a proud smile spreading over my face.

"I hope you helped her," she informed me. "This looks like a lot of work to have been done in just a couple of hours."

"Of course I did!" I asserted with a smirk. "I can't cook for shit, but I'll have you know that all the washing, chopping, and heating was entirely my doing. Bella handled the tougher jobs, though."

Rose snickered, patting my arm. "Good husband. Mine could learn a thing or two from you," she called out a tad louder.

"Ha!" Emmett exclaimed, without turning his attention away from the kids. "Ask him to tell you which diapers he's using these days."

I glared at his back, while Rose turned to me with a raised eyebrow. I just shook my head at her. "You don't want to hear it."

"Uh-huh," she intoned, but, fortunately, let the matter drop.

"Do you need any more help in there?" I pointed to the kitchen, and she waved me off.

"Oh, no, it's all done now. What time did Jasper say he's bringing Alice here? And what about Bella?"

"Bella's shift will end in a few minutes from now, so she should be here in half an hour. Jasper said they'll be here by five."

"Right. I'll just go and freshen up, then." Rose checked up on her kids before heading into the washroom.

I pulled out my phone and smiled when a text arrived from Bella's phone, letting me know that she was on her way.

I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest and smiling at the way Emmett almost transformed into a kid himself while playing with our little ones. At eleven, Maddie was still the spitting image of her mother, not only in terms of her physical appearance, but also her temperament. She was the one to attempt to discipline her father and her four year-old brother in Rose's absence. Aaron, on the other hand, took after his father. His blond hair was the only thing he'd inherited from Rose. The way his blue eyes twinkled with mirth and mischief and the manner in which he teased everyone around him left no doubts that he was Emmett's son through and through.

I pondered over Rosalie's words as I watched Em and Aaron wrestle playfully on the floor, as Maddie watched with a slight grimace. Olivia had no such concerns, clapping in glee at the sight.

Sometimes as I went about my day and listened to Bella describe hers, I'd, too, be struck by just how amazing she was. Bella's pregnancy hadn't been a planned one. Initially, we'd decided to wait until she'd finished her residency to start trying, but our Ollie was too impatient to wait.

It was in her fourth year of residency that I'd received a panicky phone call from my wife, asking me to come home as soon as possible. When I walked in, I'd found her in the bathroom, holding the pregnancy test in her hand and fear flashing in her eyes. Once we'd talked at length, that fear morphed into a spark of happiness so beautiful that I knew I'd do anything and everything in my power to help her through this.

I knew this was right, as did Bella.

Olivia Marianne Cullen had been a surprise, but she couldn't have been a more welcome one.

We knew we'd been granted a blessing, but that didn't mean that life laid down a rosy path for us to enjoy it. Thankfully, the pregnancy had been an easy one, and Bella didn't have too much trouble working at the hospital until the time of her maternity leave. The only downside was the extreme fatigue she felt after a shift. I tried my best to help her through those months by means of lazy baths, back and foot massages, late-night snuggles, and loads of ice cream.

We got through thirty-eight weeks of cravings, crankiness, cramps, and contentment, and soon enough, we had our baby in our arms. My parents and Bella's had flown in, taking turns to help us tackle the first month. Eventually, we'd gotten the hang of a schedule that worked perfectly for our little family.

It'd been hard for Bella to leave Ollie for long lengths of time and go back to work after her leave was over, but she was somewhat excited, too, for the final year of her medical education.

The sound of the doorbell brought me back to the present. I answered it, revealing an anxious Jasper and a smiling Alice on the other side.

"Happy Birthday!" I cheered, wrapping her in a hug, while Jasper let himself in.

"Thank you, Edward." Alice replied, kissing my cheek.

When she walked in, her eyes widened at the sight of our living room. It wasn't much, but we'd decorated the walls a bit, and there were massive arrangements of her favorite flowers adorning the side tables. Maddie and Aaron rushed forward to hug and wish Alice, as did Rose and Em. I turned my attention to Jasper and met his eyes with a questioning glare. He simply nodded toward the balcony.

"Where's Bella?" Alice asked in the midst of ooh-ing and aah-ing over each of the decorative items the kids pointed out.

"She'll be here soon," I told her, planting a kiss on Ollie's forehead before following Jasper out.

"What's up?" I asked him as soon as we were outside. I stood, looking at his profile as he leaned against the wall.

"I made a decision, and then had to change it, but now I've reverted back to the original idea. Then there was a small decision I'd made to support the first one, but now I've started to doubt that, too. All in all, I guess you can say that I'm freaking out," he said it all in one breath, ending the declaration with a jerky nod.

I simply gaped at him. My confusion grew with each nonsensical word that came out of his mouth. I squinted to make sense of his rushed diatribe, but came up blank.

"What?" I finally managed to say.

Jasper took a deep breath before facing me. He met my eyes nervously, gauging my reaction. "I'm proposing to Alice today."

"Whoa!" I exclaimed before I could contain myself. "I mean, that's great, Jas. I'm really happy for you."

"Really?"

I frowned, clapping his shoulder. "Of course! This is so sudden, though. I had no idea you were thinking about marriage."

He raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "Well, I've been thinking about it ever since Alice and I got back together, but I knew I had to wait until we were both secure enough in our relationship. I already fucked it all up so royally last time, so I didn't want to take any chances. I figure, five years is enough time, right?"

I nodded. "I think so. Alice is in a good place career-wise, too. Settling down now wouldn't scare her as it did all those years ago. You did it for all the wrong reasons last time. This time, you'll promise to bind your life to hers for no other reason than to show her how much you love her."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, Jas. My mom gave me some advice me the day I was about to propose to Bella. She said that I knew Bella, knew us better than anyone else, just like you know Alice. If you feel that this is the right time and you're both ready for this, then have faith in the love you share, and go for it. The two of you are just right for each other. I truly believe that."

He breathed in another lungful of air. "Okay," he announced with a nod. "Thanks, Edward. I really needed to hear that."

"So that was the decision you'd made, then reconsidered and remade," I surmised. "What was the 'small decision' you were talking about?"

He shrugged. "I thought it would be nice to have you guys around when I propose. Both Alice's parents and mine aren't here, so I figured we should celebrate our special day with our family here. That's why I chose to do it today, while we're all together. Now . . . I'm wondering if that's such a good idea. What if she says no?" he muttered the last part anxiously.

"She won't," the sweetest voice replied from behind me, no hint of doubt in her tone.

I smiled, feeling my wife's arms wrap around my waist. I placed my hands over hers, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Bella greeted me with a loving smile and a soft kiss before turning to Jasper. "Trust me. She won't say no." She took Jasper's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

Jasper allowed himself a small smile, looking much better as compared to when he first walked in.

"Hey!" Alice complained suddenly, stepping out onto the balcony. "What's going on here? Why are you all missing my party?"

Bella and I turned to Jasper, but his eyes were fixed solely on Alice. Bella gave my hand a light tug, and I took her cue, following her out while Jasper asked Alice to come closer to him in a trembling voice.

"Hey! Where did you all go? What is . . ." Emmett boomed, only to be interrupted by Bella.

"Shh! Stay here," she hissed at him, letting the door to the balcony fall close softly.

Olivia let out a whimper as soon as her eyes fell on Bella, and held out her hands in entreaty. Bella laughed and released the straps of the swing, lifting her into her arms and peppering soft kisses all over her cherubic face.

"Did you miss me, sweetheart? Mama missed you so much," she crooned, while I wrapped an arm around my girls.

"How was your day?" I asked Bella once Ollie had busied herself in tugging at a lock of her mother's hair.

Bella smiled, leaning her head against my shoulder. "It was . . . long, but exciting. I had three back to back surgeries today, and they went well. General Surgery is all about leaping from one organ to another, after all, instead of wasting time on one predictable organ." She snickered. "I can't wait to be done with my Boards, but at the same time, I get really apprehensive when I think about stepping out of the trainee shoes."

"You'll do great," I assured her, pressing my lips to her forehead. "Just like you always do."

"You might be slightly biased, Dr. Cullen," she joked, even as her cheeks flushed at my praise.

"Just ask Rosalie what she was saying about you today. You'll have to believe it then."

Before she could respond, a loud squeal drew our attention, and for once, it wasn't Ollie who made the noise.

"I guess congratulations are in order!" Bella giggled as we watched Alice jump into Jasper's arms with so much enthusiasm that I was grateful they were standing so far inside from the railing.

"What's that?" Aaron looked between each of us, eyes wide and afraid.

"That's how Aunt Alice gets when she's really happy, bud," Maddie told him with a serious face. "You'll get used to it."

We were all chuckling at the solemn nod Aaron gave his sister when Alice bounced in with another squeal that had my little Olivia press herself closer to Bella's chest. I took her into my own arms as Alice skipped toward Bella. She wrapped Rose and her into a tight hug, already muttering something about her 'gorgeous' ring.

Dinner was a raucous, joyous affair with Alice's excitement growing until it'd almost taken a form of its own and joined us at the dining table. Jasper's eyes glittered with happiness as he watched his fiancée gush over his wonderful surprise. The gifts were almost anticlimactic after the proposal, but Alice's face glowed with excitement and gratitude nonetheless.

Bella's hand was wrapped in mine, and Olivia's head lay in the crook of my neck as we shared our joys with our closest friends. For the millionth time, my thoughts ran along the lines of how lucky I was to have found her and to have the honor of sharing the rest of my life with her.

Hours later, everyone had left and Bella returned after placing a deeply asleep Ollie in her crib, I sighed happily as she slipped beneath the covers and joined me in our bed. I pulled her into my side, running my fingers up and down her arm as she laid her head on my chest.

"You're taking a day-off next Friday, right?"

"Of course," she murmured, entwining our fingers over my stomach. "It's all settled. Bree agreed to cover my shift."

I tightened my arms around her, crushing her against my chest to ward off the melancholy thoughts that might creep into her mind.

Next weekend was the death anniversary of Bella's Nana. Every year on this day, we'd made it a point to visit her in Philadelphia, where she'd been laid to rest. Last year, however, we'd been unable to go because of the pregnancy, but this time, we'd cleared our schedules in advance.

"It's not wrong to take Ollie there, is it?" Bella asked me softly. "I just want Nana to see . . ."

"I don't see why we shouldn't," I assured her. "Olivia Marianne Cullen gets her middle name from your Nana, after all. She played such a pivotal role in your childhood. She made you who you are today, and I'll be eternally grateful to her for giving you the love that Renee didn't. I'm sure Marie is watching over us and over our daughter every single day, but I understand why this would make you feel better. That's why we'll definitely take Ollie to visit her."

She sighed, snuggling closer as I felt her warm breath washing over my skin. "Thank you, Edward."

I pulled her face up with a gentle hand under a chin, and pressed my mouth to hers in a soft kiss. "Anytime, baby. Anything."

"I'd like to believe that she brought us together," Bella whispered against my lips, while her fingers stroked the light stubble on my cheek. "That day in the meadow . . . I was distraught, and you comforted me. It was the first time you allowed yourself to express what you truly felt for me."

I grimaced. "And then . . ."

She shook her head, kissing me again. "Don't think of that. We're together. That's all that matters."

Threading a hand through my hair, she brought my lips closer to hers, kissing away any and all bleak memories of the past, and letting her love wash over me until I could think of nothing but the beautiful future that lay ahead of us.

I lay back against the pillows, as Bella sat up and straddled my body. I slipped my fingers underneath the hem of her shorts while she tugged at her T-shirt and threw it to one side. My sleep pants quickly followed, and then we were kissing and moaning and whimpering as we reveled in the connection we shared with no one but each other.

Pulling her down, I let my lips explore the soft skin of her neck as her hands clawed at my back, making me gasp at the sharp sting of her nails over my shoulders. My fingers skimmed along the graceful curvature of her spine before moving forward to cup her breasts, circling her taut nipples. They were just a shade darker than they'd been before her pregnancy, but still incredibly beautiful.

Hands roamed, lips kissed, and fingers caressed until we were both thoroughly lost in each other. Our lips crashed together over and over as our fervor heightened. Soon, our teeth were nipping and tongues were stroking, rubbing, and teasing each other mercilessly.

My hips bucked involuntarily, aching for friction against my hardened length, and Bella responded with a loud moan, rocking herself firmly in my lap.

Once we could take it no more, she raised herself on her knees, grabbing hold of my erection in her soft hand, which made me hiss through my clenched teeth. Smirking at my reaction, she ran her thumb over the head, spreading the bead of pre-cum, and making my thighs quiver with need.

Finally, finally, she sunk down on my length, slowly taking me into her warm, wet heat, and sweeping us away in a sea of longing and pleasure. Holding onto her hips with both hands, I guided her movements, until she found a rhythm that had both of us panting and groaning in a matter of minutes. Her mouth fell open with a loud cry when I leaned up to take her nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around the hardened bud. The feel of her fingers tugging sharply at my hair made me grin against her skin as she continued to rock and swivel her hips over me.

When I felt the telltale tightening in my abdomen, my hand reached out to the place where we were joined, stroking it the way I knew would bring Bella closer to her release. Sure enough, she moaned, shuddering, as soon as I caressed her sensitive bud and pulled my lips back to hers in a fierce kiss.

Only once she'd fallen into my arms, limp and sated, did I allow myself to let go and allow the endless warmth of my orgasm to wash over me, closing my eyes to savor the feeling that would never get old. When I'd managed to regain my bearings, I wrapped my arms tightly around my wife, holding her trembling form tight in my arms, and buried my face in the sweet-smelling curtain of her hair.

We lay there for a while in each other's embrace, content in the peaceful silence.

It wasn't meant to last for long, though.

The sound of a wail rang out from the baby monitor, making us both sigh. Bella fell onto the bed beside me, making a move to get up, but I stopped her by grabbing her wrist.

"You rest," I told her. "I'll go."

She cocked an eyebrow at me. "You sure you can handle it?" she teased, biting back a smirk. "Not too tired, are you?"

"Yeah," I said, rolling my eyes as I slipped my discarded pants over my legs. "You fed and changed her before she fell asleep, so I'm pretty sure this is just a false alarm. I'll manage," I told her, mimicking her taunting tone.

"Well, then," she drawled, leaning back against the pillows and getting comfortable. "Hurry back."

"Always."

When I peeked into Ollie's room, sure enough, it was just the way she'd messed up her blanket that was troubling her. I picked up her little grumbling form, adjusting the sheets properly, before depositing her back onto the crib and tucking the blanket snugly around her. She rewarded me with an adorable smile that I couldn't help but return and then kissed the top of her head to wish her a good night. Her eyes closed almost immediately now that the wrinkles weren't there to bother her anymore.

When I returned to my room and found my wife waiting for me in our bed, wearing nothing but an inviting, sultry smile, all I could do was send up a prayer of thanks to whatever higher power was listening. As bumpy as our road had been in the past, it'd brought us to this wonderful time in our lives.

And I wouldn't want it any other way.

I squeezed Bella's hand, and she returned the gesture with a small smile. Her eyes held the same wistfulness they always did whenever we talked about her Nana. Today, though, there was also a certain apprehension shining in their mahogany depths. I looked at her keenly, silently informing her that I'd be following her cue.

Bella breathed in slowly and held out her arms. I knew what she wanted and didn't hesitate to place Ollie in her arms. I watched with a smile as she buried her face in our daughter's hair, letting her sweet scent wash over her in a calming wave, as she described it.

Ollie giggled at the way Bella's nose tickled her skin, and patted her cheeks in her usual manner that never failed to bring a loving smile to Bella's face. Some of the melancholy left her features, and she kissed Ollie's flushed cheek.

"Let's go," Bella whispered eventually. Her eyes met mine, and I saw no hint of indecision in them. I took her free hand in mine as we started walking toward the back of the park.

Holding her hand firmly in mine, I stayed right by her side and let her guide our pace until we reached our destination. Bella bent at the knees to reach out and run her fingers lightly over the name inscribed on the headstone.

Marianne Dorothy Higginbotham

The green grass fluttered in the gentle wind as we placed Marie's favorite flowers on her grave. Taking a seat on the ground, we were silent for a while, except for the occasional babble from our daughter.

Bella closed her eyes and crushed Ollie to her chest. I watched a couple of tears slip out from the corner of her eyes and make their way down her cheeks, but refrained from wiping them away, letting Bella have the time she needed. I rubbed soothing little circles on her palm, telling her wordlessly that I was always with her.

Eventually, she opened her glistening eyes and slowly turned to the grave.

"Nana," she whispered. "There's someone very important here to see you."

Bella leaned in and held Ollie so that her hand touched the stone. I sat silently and listened as she talked about everything that'd happened in the past year. Ollie was her usual happy self as Bella introduced her to Marie. When she grew impatient in her mother's grasp, she reached out her dimpled little hand toward me. I took it in mine, kissing the back her soft fingers. This seemed to appease her.

"Her first birthday's coming up in a couple of months, Nana," Bella said with a hitch in her voice. "It seems like just yesterday when she screamed and cried her way into our lives. I wish you could've met her, Nana. I wish you could've been here for her birth, her first smile, her first walk, her fir—" She broke off when a hiccup ripped through her chest, and more tears trickled down her face.

This time, I didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her shoulders and pull her into my side. Bella sobbed into my shirt, as I kissed the top of her head. I held her close for a moment, letting her release the pent-up emotions welling up in her heart.

It was Ollie's bouncing form and piercing chant of "ya-ya-ya" that made Bella pull back with a little laugh. The distraction allowed her to push past her grief. She brushed away her tears and went on to tell Marie about Ollie's latest antics. She even shared my attempts to escape diaper duty.

"Hey!" I complained with a pout. "Don't make me look bad. Don't listen to her, Nana! She has developed a nasty habit of exaggerating things."

Bella chuckled and shook her head. "Fine. It wasn't as bad as that. He has been wonderful and amazingly supportive ever since I found out I was pregnant," she admitted softly, giving me her beautiful smile. "I can't thank you enough for making it so much easier to manage it all, Edward. I know it wasn't always easy on you, either."

I shushed her quickly, letting my lips meet hers in a tender kiss. "You have given me the most precious gift I could ever imagine, Bella," I murmured, placing my hand on Ollie's back. "Helping you through it as much as possible was the least I could do."

We went on to talk about why Bella chose General Surgery as her specialty, how she was faring in her preparations for her Boards, and how the idea of becoming an Attending Surgeon left her nervous, yet enthusiastic.

It was over an hour later that the sun started to go down, and we decided to take our leave.

"We'll come to visit you again soon, Nana," Bella promised. "Keep watching over Ollie." She pressed her lips against her fingers before touching the headstone with them. "I love you, and I miss you every single day. Thank you for everything." She held Ollie's hand up, and our little girl played along, wiggling her fingers in her version of a wave.

When Bella faced me, her lips wore a soft smile. Her eyes looked peaceful, all the trepidation from before now gone. She started to walk toward the gates, expecting me to come along, but I stayed back for a moment. Realizing that I hadn't followed, she turned back in confusion.

I gave her a little smile and turned to place my hand over Marianne's headstone.

"Thank you," I whispered fervently.

The two words didn't seem enough, but that was all I could say through the myriad of emotions brimming inside me.

Marianne was the reason that Bella had found her passion in life. She was the woman who had shaped Bella into the wonderful person, the talented doctor, and the devoted mother that she was today.

I owed her the very best parts of my life.

When I looked up, I found Bella smiling at me - a gentle, understanding smile - which expressed that she knew exactly what I was feeling at the moment. She held out a hand, which I took gratefully. Olivia gave me a sleepy smile, and I couldn't resist pulling her into my arms. Bella laid her head on my shoulder as we retraced our steps to the car.

With my wife by my side and our daughter in my arms, I walked out of the cemetery feeling a sense of gratitude, as peace settled in my heart.

A/N: There you go.

By the way, did anyone catch the Grey's Anatomy reference in there? I'd love to know if you did!

A few important points –

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Au revoir ;)