I do not own Twilight or its characters. Stephenie Meyer does.

Gabby and April, thank you for pre-reading, and Fran, thank you for taking your time to edit. Any mistakes left are my own.

Epilogue

Eight years later.

I relaxed in my lounge chair as I kept my eyes on the pool. We've talked about putting in a bigger one once the kids are older, but for now, it was a perfect size. It was an easy setup, one that was only about two and a half feet deep with a diameter of eight feet. Edward did the upkeep himself, so no pool boy was necessary.

After graduation, we took a trip to the Bahamas to celebrate before Edward started his internship. It was there that Edward proposed. He held up a sign under water proposing to me while we were snorkeling.

To my surprise, everyone knew what he had planned, and they all showed up the next day. Edward had even invited Phil to join us. The day before we returned home, we were married at sunset in a small ceremony on the beach. Emmett still likes to joke that we got our wedding and honeymoon backward.

Not long after, we bought a condo in Cambridge to live in while we were in school and another in our hometown to stay in during the summer. After Edward's misconception about Aro's job offer, he never said a word about using my inheritance to pay for anything.

In Edward's second year of law, we were blessed with our daughter, Abigail Marie. She came into the world screaming, with reddish-brown hair like her father's. Her temperament was much like his as well. At an early age, she was very insistent that she needed to do things for herself without any help. She was outgoing and made friends wherever she went.

Our son, Charles Anthony, was born nine months after our second honeymoon, where we celebrated Edward's passing of the bar. He had dark hair like mine, but the rest of his features were his dad's. He was the opposite of his sister and was very shy.

After Abby was born, I changed the direction of my life. I wanted to be the type of mother that Renée wasn't. I wanted my kids to have memories of a loving mom who played with them, taught them to cook and read to them every night. So since we could afford it, even with Edward still in school, I stayed home with my two little ones. Edward was completely devoted to the children too, making sure he spent time with them each day, no matter how busy he became.

Once Edward graduated, we moved into a four-bedroom house with a large backyard. The perfect size for our family with furniture meant to be sat on and toys scattered throughout the house—telling all visitors that kids lived here.

At that time, I resumed working at the rec center, and the kids joined me there. With a large donation, mostly from Aro Hunter, and ourselves, we expanded the center and gave it the much-needed updates it required. There were now separate rooms for the art department that Alice ran, a music room that Heidi took over, a gym, an indoor pool, and a nursery/daycare. As well as a new playground.

"Mom, when is Jack getting here?" Abby asked as she stood in the middle of the pool with water dripping from her pigtails.

"He should be here soon," I informed her.

"Who is Jack?" Jasper and Alice's daughter, Lucy asked.

"He's my boyfriend," Abby announced loudly.

I covered my giggles with my hand as Edward whipped his head away from talking to the guys at the grill.

"You're too young for a boyfriend." He narrowed his eyes.

"Am not!" She placed her hands on her hips. "When we're big enough, we're going to get married."

"You are definitely too young to be thinking about getting married." Edward shook his head.

"I'm getting married too." Em and Rose's, four-year-old daughter, Lilly, proclaimed. She was Rose's mini-me to the T.

"Oh yeah, and who is the guy, do I know him?" Emmett looked more amused than Edward had been about his daughter's declaration.

"Chucky." She pointed at my son. She ran over and hugged him

He glanced up from his turtle sandbox with a flaming red face. "Don't call me that."

"I like Chucky, it's cute, like you." Lilly leaned in and kissed him.

"Ewww. Yuck," Charlie frantically wiped at his face.

I burst into giggles when Rose snorted beside me. Alice turned her head and tried to hide her laughter with her hand. We watched as the scene continued to unfold before us—the two of them had gained the attention of everyone in the yard.

"Don't wipe off my kisses. Now stay still." Lilly pouted then puckered up for a second attempt.

"No." Charlie jumped to his feet and took off running, kicking up the sand behind him.

"Come back here," Lilly hollered, chasing after him.

"Could your daughter be any more like you?" Alice snickered.

"I would like to think that she's more like her father. I never had to chase anyone for a kiss." Rose grinned widely as she rubbed her very pregnant belly.

We watched the kids zig-zag around the yard. Luckily for Charlie, he did receive his father's athletic ability and not my clumsiness. He bolted for the gate just as Phil stepped through with his new wife, Charlotte.

"Grampa, help." Charlie hid behind Phil's legs.

"What is going on here?" Phil looked at Charlie, who was peeking out from behind him, to Lilly who was standing a few feet away with a scowl on her face.

"She's trying to kiss me." Charlie pointed at her.

"Boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to kiss." Lilly pouted.

"Oh, I see." Phil grinned amusedly. "There will come a day when you'll want a pretty girl to kiss you." He ruffled Charlie's head.

"Nuh uh." Charlie shook his head.

Lilly stuck out her tongue at him then ran back to the pool.

Phil stayed in our lives over the years by my insistence. For a long time after Renee's incarceration, he felt responsible for not seeing her for who she was. However, I couldn't blame him any more than I could blame myself.

"I'm glad that you could make it." I gave them both a hug as I greeted them.

"Thank you for having us." Phil smiled warmly at me.

"I brought some cupcakes, I hope that's okay. The ones with the green frosting are gluten-free. I remembered that Lucy's allergic, right?" Charlotte gave me a nervous smile.

"Yes, thank you for thinking of her."

Charlotte was a sweet woman. Phil had met her at a support meeting, and they grew close. They got married in a small ceremony about a year ago, and they doted on each other. I couldn't have been happier for Phil.

Before I could bring the cupcakes into the house, the gate opened again. Heidi entered with Demetri and their son, Jackson.

"I'm sorry we're late; Jack's game went into over time," Heidi apologized.

Heidi changed a lot since I first met her. She was no longer the shallow girl I once knew. When she worked at the Center, she often dressed in jeans and a casual top with minimal makeup. Her phone remained in her bag.

"No problem. Hi, Jack, I know Abby has been waiting for you. Why don't you go join the kids in the pool? I think Charlie could use another boy to help him."

"Okay." He ran and kicked off his sandals before getting into the pool.

"Where should I put these?" Demetri asked, holding up a few cases of beer.

"There's a cooler by the grill." I nodded my head in that direction.

"I'm going to bring these into the house, please, make yourselves at home." I excused myself.

I entered through the patio door just as Esme came into the kitchen with a baby monitor in hand. The air inside was at least twenty degrees lower, and it felt nice.

"I put Mattie down in his porta-crib. I hope you don't mind. Jasper set it up in your bedroom," Esme informed me.

"Not, at all. I told him that would be the best place for it." I smiled.

"He such a sweet little guy. I think he'll look just like Jasper except for his nose, that's Alice's." Esme smiled. "So when are you going to give me another?"

"You already have four, six if you include Em and Rose's two. How many more do you need?" I laughed.

"I'll never have enough grandchildren to spoil." She winked at me. "Do you need any help in here?"

"I'm all set. I was bringing these in and then going to use the bathroom for a quick moment."

"I'm going to check on Carlisle, and make sure he's not burning anything while gossiping with the boys." She smirked then walked outside.

I used the restroom and splashed cool water on my face, then made another stop in the kitchen for a cool drink. I took a sip and glanced at the paper on the counter that Edward was reading before the guests started to arrive.

Who says there's no good news in the newspapers anymore?

The front headline stood out to me.

Ex-senator, Austin St. Mark, Convicted

A few months back, Austin was charged with raping the daughter of the current governor. To make matters worse, the poor girl had been underage. He was forced to resign as senator, and since then, several other women had come forward to accused him of sexual assault.

Needless to say, he was never going to be able to be president. Instead of moving to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., his new home would be located in a jail cell.

Thinking of jail, I glanced at the pile of yesterday's mail and one envelope, in particular. I was in a better place now, after years of therapy. However, I would prefer to never hear from Renée again. At the beginning of her sentence, I would get a letter every once in awhile. I read the first few, but they always ended up depressing me. I hoped to see remorse from her, but, as to date, I had yet to see anything close. I was frequently told how I was a horrible daughter, or it was filled with complaints about how poorly she was being treated.

Edward had banned me from reading them when he found me sobbing after a particularly nasty one when I was pregnant with Charlie. He went so far as filing a complaint with the jail, then helped get a restraining order so she couldn't write me anymore. I do have to admit, I was fairly curious as to what she had to say in this new letter, but I was waiting for Edward to scan it first.

I jumped in surprise when Edward's arm wrapped around me from behind. He kissed my neck and rested his chin on my shoulder.

Are we hiding?" he teased.

"No, I came in for a minute then got distracted." I leaned against him.

"Hmmm." He followed my gaze and frowned at the letter.

"She's not supposed to have any communication with you at all. I'm going to contact the warden myself on Monday," he promised.

"I have this strange feeling that this letter is different." I chewed on my lower lip.

"You've said that before, and you have always been disappointed. I'll read it later." He sighed.

I nodded distractedly.

"You want me to read it now, don't you?" He sighed once more, then grabbed the letter without waiting for a response.

He tore it open; his eyebrows furrowed, and the anger drained from his face. He looked up at me with a somber look.

"Renée past away a few days ago. She contracted pneumonia and died of complications," he explained quietly.

"Did she suffer for long?" I questioned.

"Doesn't say. Are you okay?" He watched me with concern.

I assessed myself for a moment. "Yeah, I think I am. I said my good-byes to Renée long ago. Is it wrong that I feel indifferent to it?"

"No, sweetheart. They're asking if we want to claim the body." He glanced back down at the sheet.

"What happens if we don't?" I hesitated.

"She would be buried in the jail cemetery," he answered.

"I can't see having any sort of memorial or funeral for her," I said honestly.

"Then I'll contact them on your behalf, or we can ask Aro to." He kissed my cheek.

He tossed the letter away and spun me so that I was facing him. "Enough about Renée for today. Have I told you how hot you look? You're far too tempting, love. I swear you wore my favorite bikini on purpose."

He kissed me heatedly and pressed against me until I felt every part of him. His hands ghosted my curves and then grabbed my ass, squeezing it gently. I moaned into his mouth and then pushed him away.

"The kids could walk in here at any moment," I scolded gently.

"They're too busy having fun with their friends. Although, I don't like that Jackson sniffing around Abby. They're way too young." Edward scowled.

"He's not sniffing, stop exaggerating. He's a sweet boy—besides it's just a case of puppy love. We knew each other at that age." I laughed as I reminded him.

"Mmmm." He continued to pout.

"Our babies are growing up, though. Charlie will be starting kindergarten in less than a year," I commented sadly.

"We can always add to the family. I'll give you as many babies as you want." Edward wiggled his eyebrows.

"Another one would be nice." I smiled.

"Then let's sneak upstairs for a quicky. I like it when you're barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen." He grinned wolfishly.

"We can't, for several reasons. One, Mattie is taking a nap in our room and doesn't need to be scarred for life. Two, we've been gone long enough. Three, I already am," I responded.

"You're already what?" He looked adorably confused.

"Barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen." I smiled wider.

He blinked a few times then gazed down at my still-flat belly. He glanced back up, and his smile lit up his whole face. "How long have you known?"

"I took a test this morning while you were mowing. It's still too early to announce it yet."

He hugged and kissed me one more time. "I love you."

"I love you too. We can celebrate tonight. Right now, I want a popsicle. Can you bring out the box and hand them to the kids?"

"Absolutely." He went to the freezer and retrieved the carton.

I chose one, then followed him outside. I sat back down as I watched Edward kneel in the grass as all the kids gathered around him.

"Everything okay? You guys were gone for a bit," Rose asked, eyeing my popsicle.

"She's smiling; does that mean that…" Heidi was cut off by Alice.

"Wait…he's my brother; I don't want to hear about any quickies." She covered her ears.

I rolled my eyes. "We were just talking. A letter came from the jail, Renée died this week."

They glanced at each, looking unsure what to say next.

"Well, good riddance." Esme huffed.

"Mom…" Alice gave me a nervous look.

"I'm fine, Allie. In fact, I've never been better. Renée was never my family. Everyone here is," I reassured her.

I glanced out at the yard and watched the scene with happiness.

Gaining material wealth had never made me richer. My friends and family gave me what I was missing before—Love.

This was my happy ending with more on the way.

A/N:
This is the end. Their story has been told for now. Moonstone should start updating soon.

Thank you, everyone, for your love and support throughout the story.