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When Charlie decided that enough was enough, and that it was time for a moping Bella to go back to her mother, Bella didn’t scream or rage. She very calmly tried to tell her father, that no, she wouldn’t be leaving Forks, because maybe someday he would come back. Charlie didn’t listen to her complaints, called Renee, drove Bella to the airport and made sure she boarded the airplane.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella went back to her old school in Phoenix, huge and sunny and modern and filled with rushing teenagers. She graduated with good grades and went to college, still hurting, and still simply drifting through her life.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 20 when she first met John. Smiling, athletic John, who noticed she looked sad, and tried to make her laugh. He courted her for months, chatting and joking and needling her for a date, ‘only once please, Bella! I won’t bother you again if it doesn’t work out!’
One night, when Bella was about to say no again, that she wasn’t looking for a relationship, and to please leave her alone, John suddenly cracked another of his childish jokes, and she laughed, startled by his silliness. She soon fell silent though, wondering when was the last time she had laughed. Bella sighed, smiled, and told John: “Well, I guess one date only wouldn’t hurt…”
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 25 when she married John. They travelled the world on their two month long honeymoon, and even went to Italy, looking for the Volturi Bella had heard mentioned once. John had been told about Forks and vampires and Edward years before, and he cracked some silly vampire horror jokes and Bella smiled, not even really disappointed when they didn’t even see a glimpse of the Volturi.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 28 when she had her first child. The pregnancy was unplanned, but John just laughed and said: “I hope it’s a girl!”, and Bella smiled at her husband. She kept smiling when John was cradling their hours old son to his chest with a look of pure awe on his face, and smiled even more when their second son was born two years later, fussy baby that he was.
Sometimes Bella wondered what her children would look like if their father had copper hair instead of blond, and was slim instead of buff, but she smiled her thoughts away as she ran after her children, making sure they weren’t late for their first day of school.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 36 when she went back to Forks for her father’s funeral. Old Billy Black and his son were there too, and she smiled through her tears when they gave their condolences. She went back to her family as soon as the funeral was over, and never learned about werewolves and packs and imprinting.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 41 when she had what John called her ‘midlife-crisis’. She bought a guitar one day out of the blue, and started learning how to play. She fell in love immediately and in the following years developed a huge appreciation for music, which only grew with time. She sometimes thought back to a serious teenager playing the piano, but didn’t dwell too much on her thoughts before being distracted by her son trying to play the violin. She grimaced, and hoped that the neighbours wouldn’t mind the noise too much.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 45 when her husband and sons died in a car accident. She learned again what it was like to have a shattered heart. But Bella had never been a very bitter person, and she didn’t curse Edward’s memory, only thanking him for having already made her feel this pain, so she was already prepared in a however tiny way to face it again. She went back to live with her mother, trying to escape the memories etched in every corner of her house, and buried herself in work and music.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 49 when she met Kyle. He was 23 and loud and handsome and reckless, and even years later, Bella wouldn’t be able to tell you how they ended up in bed together, and certainly not how their one night stand evolved in a three year long relationship. Bella and John’s spats had consisted of heavy silences and days of scowls and furrowed brows. Bella and Kyle’s spats consisted in screaming and swearing and slamming doors, and where usually resolved by the next day at the very latest. Bella started to feel alive again, and when Kyle and her decided to end their relationship and go their separate ways, still as great friends, Bella realized that she was now able to think back at the good times with her husband and sons without cringing anymore, and with only a touch of sadness and wistfulness that would never fully go away.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 60 when she decided that it was time to find a new hobby. Music had kept her sane through the hardest times in the last decades, but she decided that it was time for something new. She bought herself tickets to a modern art exhibition for her birthday, and decided to take a painting course, which was soon followed by many others, all on crafting and art-related themes. She smiled as she moulded her pottery into something resembling a vase, and thought back to all the new friends she had made, and how she barely went back home anymore, she was so full of commitments and outings.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 63 when she bumped into serious, distinguished Jason at a photography exhibition. Her clumsiness had mostly faded through the years, but she still had her moments. She blushed and apologized, and went her own way. They met again at the museum’s bar an hour later, where they were both resting with a cup of coffee, and started chatting casually. They only noticed how late it was when the museum started closing for the night, and Jason gave her his number with a wink. Bella called him the very next day, and they soon met again, and before either of them knew it, they were living together and planning their wedding. Bella’s elderly mother Renee was present, as were Jason’s three children, all already grown and married or in serious relationships. They all smiled at Bella, and hugged her tightly and whispered in her ears how happy they were that Jason had found love again, and Bella smiled so hard her cheeks hurt.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 65 when her first grandchild was born. Technically not blood related to her, being the daughter of Jason’s middle child, the girl called her grandma since she started talking. In the next years, four other grandchildren were born, and they all were spoiled rotten by a permanently smiling Bella.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 87 when her second husband died. It wasn’t a surprise, and though still suffering from a broken heart, Bella had her extended family’s support through it all, her five grandchildren especially helping distract her, and little by little mending her broken heart.
Bella still loved Edward.
Bella was 93 when it happened. Edward came back. Handsome and looking not one day older than 17, he stared at her in awe, like she wasn’t a wrinkly old grandma who had lived a long and full life. She smiled and asked him if he wanted some tea, which he didn’t even refuse. She stared right back at him, and they stayed like that in silence for quite a while, slowly sipping their tea, Edward trying to contain his grimaces at the taste. The doorbell rang just before lunchtime, and Bella stood up, her old knees creaking with the motion. She smiled gently at Edward once again before asking him to leave, because her grandchildren were coming over for lunch, and she was already behind schedule on her cooking and certainly didn’t feel like explaining his presence in her house. She acted as if she didn’t see Edward’s devastated expression, and opened the door for her family with a smile on her face.
Bella still loved Edward, but the line between love and hate is very thin, and Edward’s line had been blurred for a very long time.
Bella was 97 when she died. She died peacefully, smiling in her sleep, the night after having celebrated one of her children’s wedding anniversaries, the whole family having been present, loud and boisterous and happy.
Bella wasn’t a very bitter person, but she was a very patient one, and she had long ago decided that the best revenge was living, and living well.