Oh how wonderful it would be, if everyone who had trouble with an ex could have a rich vampire on their side!  

Thanks.  I'm feeling better...probably because it would be hard to feel worse.  I'm sure it's just my body trying to tell me to take better care of myself.  

Hah, and I worked so hard not to have a cliff-hanger.  

"Poor Bella," and "old Edward."  Do you know how much those terms thrill me?  So many readers want to indict Bella for her human failings, while putting Edward on some kind of pedestal, because he's hot.  He is old,and Bella has a lot to deal with if she wants to be near him.  Many of my readers wanted to hold on to their biases against teenage Bella, even though she has changed in this story.  Thanks so much for your comments.

Thanks.  This is one of my favorites.  

Thanks for reading and reviewing.  Sometimes part of real life is figuring out ways to make things work out, even when it looks like they can't.  I really like Eric, too.  Too often writers make the competiton loathsome, so the choice is easy and obvious.    

Thanks.  I have those sucky night sweats, and daytime sweats too.  I'm the only one I know who wears short sleeves, even when it's cold outside.  

I too had the same response with regards to Leah after reading the books.  Of all the HEA's, she sort of got stuck with the short straw.  My very first fan fiction was giving Leah her happily ever after.  Maybe I'll post it here too.  So many of the Leah stories pair her with Jacob, and so I followed that here.  But my Leah story gave her someone I think was better suited to her.  

Trying to get Bella to see what isn't normal is a lot harder now that she's an adult.  I think we'd all have the same difficulty; how many people watch a magicians act and think "magic" rather than "how'd he do that?"  

I know the "y'all" wasn't a big deal.  But if someone points out something I got wrong, I'll give it a second look.  I want readers to feel free to tell me if I struck a wrong note.  If you're willing to take the risk of being the bearer of bad news, then I owe it to you to at least listen.  I'm my own beta on my writing, and I'm far from perfect.  Only in fan fiction do we get the benefit of readers who can tell us we goofed.  If this was an original, published story, I'd have to suffer the negative critiques, with no recourse but to bite my tongue.  

Besides, I was using the word wrong myself, and without your note, I would continue to look like a Yankee!  You saved me from making that very same goof in another story, and in a future chapter of this one.  

I'm glad you like the story so far.  As for her telling Denise, I think it speaks to her integrity, that she's trying to keep everything above-board.  One of the lessons of being an adult, is accountability.  Besides, I think Bella really needed a reliable girlfriend.  She doesn't have Alice to fill that role here.  

Hot flashes and night sweats suck!  I too run a degree or two cooler, and if I'm at 98.6 I've probably got a fever.  My husband and I use seperate blankets and sheets, because I'm almost always overheated -- unless I'm freezing.  Thanks so much for reading and reviewing.   

There is still a lot of story left to go.  I appreciate that so many have returned for the updates, and leave comments.  

Thanks again for commenting, and sorry to spoil the oatmeal.  I married a man who can't even boil water, so I guess I'm guilty of making Edward a bit too perfect.  I told my daughter to find a man who can cook and clean--at least a little.

Thanks so much; I'm delighted it was worth the effort.  I would love to swing dance, but my partner chooses not to dance--ever.  Sometimes I wonder if I've turned Edward into my fantasy man, first with the cooking, and now dancing.  Heh, maybe romance is an escape for the writer as well as the reader.

Yeah... it was a bit gratuitious for a while, but they have a lot of time to make up for.  Still can't believe chapter 26 got it ejected from ffnet.  I do like that the rules are specific here.  Still, it feels like once you slap the NC-17 label on it, you can pretty much do anything.  

Slowing down a bit to break the chapters into something easier to manage.  Originally they were double or triple in size, and I'm trying to fix that.  

That boy has definitely changed after 25 years.  I had to take a look back at the original to see how much.  

(giggle)  Lupin pharmaceuticals... now there's some marketing angles I'm sure they haven't explored.  That name comes directly from Harry Potter... makes me wonder what Rowling's lawyers would say about that.  

Oops, forgot about the flowers.  ("We forgot about the flowers," is a favorite line from a favorite movie of mine, Ice Castles.)  Love google!  Without google, I probably wouldn't research most of what I add to my stories.

I think Edward has done that a time or two.  He's a little preoccupied with Bella just now.  

This is a hard one for a thirteen year-old... any age for that matter.  

Thanks.  I'm sometimes too fond of tying up every loose end.  I only hope it doesn't get out of hand.  

Agreed!  I always choose the slowest line, and find the least helpful store associates.  During holiday shopping, I bring a book to read in lines, and I try to come armed with a few chocolates to give to friendly cashiers.    

Brevity isn't my strong suit.  Even giving myself permission to cut, I still don't know where.  I hope you enjoyed your guests.  

Thank you so much.  When I originally wrote and posted MDD, this chapter got no response at all.  It was the one everyone said they were waiting for, and the one I researched the most.  But no one said a word.  I was so upset, I wrote the following chapter, intending to leave it on a life or death cliff-hanger.  Sanity returned, and I decided not to wipe out the whole wedding party.  My ego is a lot less inflated now.  

I think some of those old romantic songs have a timeless quality.  Any time I want music in my stories, I almost always go for something classic.  I've also learned not to write in lyrics; it's not necessary with youtube at everyone's fingertips.  I'm not sure if it's my age, or if music has really changed so greatly, but I just don't connect to most of today's pop music.

The cake in the face... I hope they don't still do that.  I had a similar issue at my wedding.  My husband is type 1 diabetic, and the cake is practically poison to him.  I held his bite, thinking he might fake it, but he took a big bite--he'd calculated it into his plan.  

The ex at the wedding is a tough call.  Mike is conscious of his image, so he might have done it, especially if Sam invited him.  I've seen some divorced people who could definitely pull it off; they're relationship is so good.  If my first husband lived nearby, I probably would have invited him to my wedding; we're still friends.  

There's a reason for her gift issue in an upcoming chapter.  Being a newlywed, there are a lot of things they'll need to sort through as they get to know each other better.  I want that car too.  

The chapter with hunting was one of my favorites.  If by some twist in the universe, I was given a chance to become a vampire and live forever, I'd want to know everything before I agreed.  Vampires are so fictionalized, I've seen many different examples of how they feed, from a total bloodbath in Trueblood, to syphoning off a spiritual life essence in a movie I barely remember.  Some vampires have to kill, and others take a little sip.  Some can drink donated blood, and some have to feed from a live victim.  Some can eat real human food, and others won't touch the stuff.  Nailing down those details is important to Bella, and I believe any sane person would want to see it for themselves.  Still, you're right, and nothing is going to change her mind.        

Wow, quick response!  Edward established a while back that there wasn't enough venom in his semenal fluid to pose a risk.  It's why Bella can follow through during oral sex.  It does have a detrimental affect on condoms, but it's only dangerous if it's injected from a bite.  

Thank you so much.  It's always fun to reinterpret canon.  Trying to stick with what was done originally, but show a different way it could have happened is a fun challenge.  

Home schooling would have been a good idea.  I can't remember if this came up with Nessie.  Those baby milestones would be hard to miss.  Thia is the time when parents really bond with their babies.  But then again, adoptive parents often don't get to share this with their children.  I really think sharing the baby would be harder than missing the milestones.  I remember I didn't even want to share my kids with my husband.  My daughter especially played on this weakness.  She had ONE good morning hug and kiss, and we would race to get her as soon as she woke up.  At eight months she completely rejected breast feeding.  At two years she adopted another mom, insisting she hold and carry her, and throwing a tantrum when she left.  Then she went of to kindergarten, and suddenly her teacher was the supreme authority in her life.  

I don't think it's unfair that Mike is her singer.  I giggled like crazy when I came up with it.  I don't know why it was romantic that Bella was Edward's singer.  To me it just shows that you can say anything in Italian, and it sounds beautiful, even "You smell like chocolate cheesecake, and I want to murder you and drink your blood."  There are all sorts of ramifications in having Mike as her singer, especially when you consider the smell of blood made her ill.  Maybe you'll like how it worked out in the epilogue.

Thanks so much for reading and all your thoughtful comments.  Enthusiastic readers make it all worthwhile.  

Thank you so much. I enjoyed writing them

Hard Hugs

Dinia