And so it starts, but at least they have one family member down. Maybe takling them one at time is better anyway. They seem to be able to convince people once they get them to listen.

This should be the last holiday season they are seperated. I actually think its good that they are waiting till after the holidays to tell people because the holidays can be stressful enough for some people. Adding to that might not help their case. This was when they talk to people, there won't be lots of other things going on at the same time. Well at least not as hectic probably.

Nice to hear from these two again. It sounds like they are ready for what is ahead. Hopefully it won't destroy the new found peace with Rosalie.

It's nice to catch up with this family. It sounds like they are getting a good start on the wedding. I just wish Esme and Carlisle would come around but maybe they just need more time.

Just a request, I am one of those reading both and I sometimes forget whose story is whose. So if you can just put a quick reminder at the top of each chapter, that would be great. Thanks. 

I can't wait to hear about their date but it sounds like we are going to have some good girly gossip first. Now, hopefully Edward will be ok being seperated from his girl. Maybe he will take the time to get to know Cassie better. Start learning a new role maybe....

Ah these two are so cute. And quite the globe trotting bucket list. Hopefully they will get to do some of those things some day. 

Nice to see that life on the ranch is getting started. Cool touch adding the blue room in there. :)

So nice to see some Edward and cassie bonding time. I like the fact that Edward always makes sure that Bella gets her good night kiss, even if she is asleep. So sweet!

Sounds like a great ocean trip. It's handy having your own personal chef onboard. With all the new skills everyone is learning, they are going to be very well rounded folks. It's great that they are always learning new things. It helps keep life exciting. They are lucky they ilve in the gulf coast where they have warm water for all these water sports.

So just one question about their first time, were they not afraid someone would catch them being out in the open like that. Not that it wasn't totally romantic but just saying. I mean Jasper and Billy I assume would see them sleeping on the deck. But maybe they were sneaking enough to get away with it. Either way, it's nice to see their relationship moving forward. It sounds like they are both getting what they needed from each other.

So glad to hear you are feeling better! I hope RL will be smoother for you now. It is nice to be back on the ranch. Glad to see that Bella's recovery is going well also. Maybe next time we will get to hear about how little Miracle is doing.

I read their whole story the last few days. I was not expecting so many twists and turns. It's nice to see a sweet glimpse into their future. 

Its nice to see some of their relationship side because if this is ever to grow into something more, they need to develop that side. Obviously they have no worries about being sexually compatiable. Maybe the time apart will give Bella something to think about.

I think it's interesting that Bella keeps thinking that she is using Edward when he is also getting something out of the arrangement. While it might not be everything he wants at this point, what relationships, no matter what type, are ever totally equal? Besides, I have faith that Bella will eventually come to her senses. She is just so used to bad boyfriends that maybe she doesn't know what a good one is like. Or doesn't think she deserves a good one.

A poor emotinally stunted Bella, can't figure out why the thought of Edward being with someone else hurts. Hopefully she will figure it out soon.

He just might figure it out. Emmett can be unobservent but he is not stupid. It would be odd that they both have a similar arrangement at the same time when Bella just got single. If Bella truly is not ready for a relationship, she needs to be honest with Edward about why. It's within her right but it would probably help him understand and lessen her guilt.

So if you weren't that drunk Edward, why do you only remember flashes hmm? As for Bella, she will either panic when she wakes up alone because we assume she doesn't remember either or is waiting to here what Edward says. She doesn't even have the evidence of the condoms so this should be interesting. They say alcohol lowers your inhibitions. Now the question is whether it makes you do things you regret or maybe it just helped these two not let their hesitations get in the way and showed what they really want.

Now the question is whether Bella is doing that for her own pleasure or to tease Edward....

I don't see Edward meeting anyone at the club because he knows where his heart is at but i could see Bella doing that just because she is still trying to deny her feelings. Plus, it would be the total opposite of a relationship, which she keeps claiming she doesn't want. I still say its just because she has never been in a good relationship that she doesn't see the value of them. I'm sure dinner will be interesting.

Ah Edward, patience grasshopper, patience. Have faith that Bella will finally wake up or else she will be regretting it for the rest of her life. Just remember that good things come to those who wait.

Well at least it is all out in the open now. I hope Bella lets Edward help her with her low self esteem. I know ultimatly it has to come from Bella herself but having someone give you postiive reinforcement every day always helps. It's the old saying, you hear something enough times, you start to believe it. And so far all Bella has heard, at least about relationships, is that she is not worthy. I hope she discovers that she is.

Nice speech Edward. As hard as it is, (no pun intended) it sounds like they are trying to do this right, especially with Bella's trust issues. It is easy to get caught up I'm the physical chemistry and not figure out if there is enough other things to keep things going for the long haul.

It might be short but it's sweet. I see what Bella says about rebuilding intimacy but I don't think they should start from the very beginning. It would be too hard to forget what they know and have experienced.

Em actually gave some good advice. I have not read about a bad Rosalie in awhile. It's a nice twist. Hopefully our kids will learn to communicate and stick together from now on.

I think it's not a bad idea to have a bit of time to get to "know" each other again. Often people are in a hurry to get to the main event and forget about the fun of getting there. Now the question is whether Bella can really wait a month. Good on Edward trying to make this an authentic massage.

I think Bella is going to wait just long enough for them to get back to Edwards bed. It's good that she is thinking about just needing to find a balance. I think that's the key to all relationships. I think Edward might be wondering about that balance himself. He has always been ahead of Bella about things and I wonder if he is afraid of what will happen once sex gets into the mix. Sounds like they need to have a talk. That will be important once they are no longer in their vacation bubble. 

Only Alice would think this is more exciting than her own engagement. Good for you Bella not trying to hide. Let's hope this good energy keeps going.

Oh Edward, I am sure Bella can help you replace those scary mental images with something better. I guess all that dye went to Rosalie's brain. But our kids do need to find a better balance. Sounds like there are good times ahead.

Go Edward! Sounds like he is pulling out all the stops. Can't wait to hear about their day.

I figured it would be one of Bella's deuching exes. Go Edward! I seem to say that a lot of but now that he has the green light, he has proven himself most worthy. Hopefully Bella is able to get a handle on her insecurities or else she will be fighting them the rest of her life. Hang in there Bella!

All I can say is that trust takes time. Hopefully they will be able to start building even more than they have.

I understand Bella wanting to try on her own but without the tools I don't know how far she will get. Hopefully she won't give up on everything before she works stuff out.

All I can say is So Hot! I think its nice that Edward is always paying attention to her in the back of her mind but it seems Bella enjoyed the fact that it didn't stop him from role playing. I bet they will sleep well tonight.

Nice to see a more confident Bella. Her comment about getting her image of a perfect Edward out of her head is actually a really important one. If she sees that they each have their own flaws, it will help her see them both as equals, which is a key to any healthy relationship. It's a good start anyway.

I think she should report him. It would be taking back some control and might help her self esteem.

I think it's great that Edward is trying to help all these girls but I am sure there are mixed emotions for him. I am sure when Bella learns what is going on, it will be very mixed for her as well. At least now she will have Edward to help her through. One question is whether Paul's attorney will try to use the fact that Bella is dating Edward against him. Also, will Bella have to testify?

It sounds like Bella is still confused. She needs to figure that out first. When she is ready to say it, she will.

As always, I am glad Bella has Edward in her corner. I have battled self esteem issues most of my life and I know its a long road, and it might never truely go away. It really is true that if you are told something often enough, you start to believe it. It takes a much longer time to get the bad messages out and the good ones in than it does to let the bad ones in to start with. Hopefully having Edward there to help reinforce that she is a good person will help. But i am also a strong believer that you need to love yourself before truely committing to someone else so I think Bella's work will help both of them in the long run.

Glad they are finally getting to their delayed makeup sex. Hopefully it will put Edward in a good mood for his talk with Angela. I wonder if she will explain why she acted the way she did toward him.

I can understand why Bella would feel the need to confront Paul. At least she had plenty of back up if needed. And glad to see that she is getting stronger every day. I'm sure her next therapy session will be quite interesting.

I am glad that everyone is getting some justice. It's probably easier for everyone to not go through a trial. I have been on a jury and have seen how slow our system can be sometimes. And Paul will still get his just desserts. Sounds like Edward is being smart about their relationship, even while planning for the future. Hopefully Bella won't freak too much when he finally asks.

I agree about the therapy Bella, it will be good for you. De Nile is not just a river. But I can imagine the temptation to not admit to it because if you acknoldge your grief than you have to acknoldge what happened. I have been lucky enough to have not lost anyone close to me but I know it will happen eventually. My parents are a big part of my life and its hard to imagine that one day they won't be there. I can't imagine losing a spouse. Hang in there Bella!

Glad to see Bella able to move forward a bit. My mom used to be a hospice volunteer and I remember her talking about the 7 stages of grief and how everyone goes through it with a different timeline. Bella made some big steps. I hope she is able to continue to move forward.

Glad to see that Bella is slowly feeling better and that she had the courage to go see seek help, in whatever form it takes. It will be interesting to see Edward's POV on some of this. I have always figured it must be harder in some ways to have your grief tied into the holiday season since that is a time when even "normal" people are supposed to be extra cheerful. But at the same time is also gives something else to focus on. Here is to hoping that Bella has a successful journey through all the stages of grief.

I think it was a perfect first date. Good job Edward! It was casual enough to keep Bella comfortable but still had a touch of romance and they were able to talk about important things. Regarding the date with the kids, is it going to be around Forks or are they going to seattle? I know the Forks area doesn't have a lot but they could always do a movie or the park. But Seattle has a great museum of Science or there is also the Expereince Music Project. It is basicly a museum about music and pop culture but it has a lot of hands on stuff where you can try different instruments (I keep picturing Rob there). I look forward to reading about the next step on their journey. I think the idea about Bella having a sleepover to help her get used to her bed is a good one. Also, what about the possibility of her getting a small twin bed for the time being or is she keeping in the big bed for later possibilities?

I don't think they will go all the way but it sounds like Bella might be willing to explore a little. I think she should let Edward spend the night. It sounds like she could use the comfort, especially since sleep is an issue for her. Who knows, maybe one day he will get her to sleep in her bed. Glad the dinner with her kids went ok. its to be expected that they would have mixed feelings. I think its always harder on older kids because they have more memories of the parent that was lost.

Listen to those instincts Edward. They are serving you well so far.

Ah such a nice romantic getaway. I agree that Bella needed a vacation. When she walked into woods, I was almost expecting her to say she needed a human moment but then I realized its not that story. lol I can imagine her emotions are tough for her sometimes to get a handle on. It shows how far she has come that she is starting to think of Edward being there permently.

Of course what would a family gathering be without some drama, especially when new boyfriend meets old in laws.

Great story! I like how it mixes elements of the time period with enough humor to keep it from feeling too dated. You sound like you have a most interesting family. My dad, who had a year of medical school, got drafted at the end of Korea and spent his time in the middle of NYC doing intakes on new soldiers. I look forward to whatever you have coming next.

Just a word of advice Bella, stop running. I know it's your instinct to protect yourself, especially when you think you are in "trouble". But you need to learn over time that Edward is not James. However it is good to seeing you taking more small steps forward.

While the timing was not the best, it is something they need to talk about. I do notice that Bella comments a lot about Edward making her feel safe and loved. I guess she is still getting used to that after James...