The Guardian, Chapter Eight
Bella knew that he would come eventually; it was just a matter of waiting. She knew what he would ask, what he would beg, really, and if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t positive how she would respond.
How could she bear to leave Ellie? She was only twenty four years old, at the very beginning of her life. She was getting married next year and then babies would follow, and Bella wouldn’t be around to see any of it.
Unless.
Unless.
That word kept creeping in, no matter how hard she tried to keep it out.
She knew what Jacob wanted and she was proud of him for being so strong. He didn’t want to live without her, but he could. He firmly believed he would see her again someday and his views about becoming immortal had not changed since he was a teenager. He had the whole thing figured out the entire time. What a secret to be so sure of, what a blessing.
Bella had never been so sure and she didn’t know why. Even when she chose Jacob, a nagging little thought at the back of her mind kept telling her, ‘You’re creeping closer to death every day…it’s coming for you, Bella…’
Maybe she always subconsciously knew she would die so young and that was part of what drove her irrational terror. That was what it was, though - terror. There was no one there waiting for her on the other side. Both of her parents were still alive, as were Jacob and Ellie. Who would be there to greet her and welcome her with open arms? Who would be there to comfort her?
If she turned to Edward she knew what to expect. She could stay and see her family for the rest of their lives. She could see her grandchildren.
But then, of course, her family would die. They would die and she would still be here and it would be the exact same situation she was facing now because she would still be alone.
Jacob did not talk about Bella dying. He knew it was something she needed to work out on her own, so instead, he just sat there by her bedside day in and day out, letting the garage fall further and further behind. (They didn’t financially need it, anyway, but he didn’t want to give it up.) He let her think and listened every once in a while when she would make an offhand remark. He just never responded except for a squeeze of the hand or a lingering kiss as reassurance.
Bella knew that Jacob would be irreparably hurt if she agreed to let Edward turn her. It was the one thing he would never be able to forgive her for, not after all they had been through and fought for; however, Bella also knew he would let her figure it all out for herself this time and not offer his own opinions. He was just hoping she made the right decision.
Some days were good days where Bella felt almost like a human being again instead of the shriveled, animated corpse she had become due to her illness. Those were the days that Ellie perked up, apparently invigorated by some vain hope that a miracle had occurred and her mother was going to live. Eventually, Bella actually stopped hoping those days would happen because she couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and grief in her daughter’s eyes when the next day, Bella could barely speak from pain and exhaustion.
It was a roller coaster of emotions for everyone involved, but Bella knew relief couldn’t come until she saw Edward. She would hold on until then.
***
On a typical rainy Washington morning, Edward sauntered into the hospital with his usual dark sunglasses and nonchalant air. The sunglasses hid the turmoil in his eyes, despite his physical ease.
Jacob was at home for the day, at Bella’s insistence, since he hadn’t had any proper rest since her hospital confinement the week before. Ellie was there instead, sitting quietly in the hall outside her mother’s room as she slept peacefully. A book was in her hand, but she had been staring at the same page for the last fifteen minutes. She felt like nothing was real anymore and couldn’t concentrate.
Ellie looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and simply stared at Edward as he slowly removed his glasses. Her brow furrowed as something clicked in her brain, a memory of a car and a loud sound, of feeling shocked and scared. She tried to piece together the tiny flashes because this boy must have been there, but at the same time, her logical side told her that was impossible. He was clearly younger than her and her almost accident occurred when she was only three years old. She couldn’t even really remember it. She must be wrong.
“Ellie?” the boy spoke in a voice laced with silk. “You don’t know me, but I’m a friend of your mother’s.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows and stood, tossing the book down behind her in a gesture that reminded Edward of Bella.
“A friend of my mom’s? Since when does my mom befriend teenage boys?” Ellie attempted to smirk, but was sure it came out as more of a grimace.
Edward smiled and shrugged. “Explanations aren’t really necessary. But I know Bella very well. And I would like to see her if she’s feeling well enough.”
“She’s sleeping right now…” Ellie glanced into Bella’s room to make sure and then turned back to Edward, suddenly cocking her head to the side as she gazed at him. “You have the most interesting eyes,” she said sincerely. “I’ve never seen anyone with eyes that color. Are they contacts?”
Edward shook his head and leaned against the wall opposite Ellie. “No. No contacts. And thank you.”
Ellie shuffled her feet awkwardly as she searched for something to say, then reached up and pulled out her hair tie, letting her thick black hair tumble messily down her back. She looked nothing like her mother, but Edward could see Bella in all of her gestures, her pattern of speech, and even the shape of her smile. She had grown into a beautiful young woman.
The silence was finally broken as Edward asked, “How is your mother doing? Is she in pain?”
With a sigh, Ellie sat back down in the chair she occupied before and gestured for Edward to sit next to her. For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her since he seemed to move abnormally fast, but she simply chalked it up to lack of sleep. She studied him for a moment, her curiosity piqued.
Instead of answering his question, she threw out some of her own. “How do you know her? You can’t be more than what? Nineteen? Twenty? And I’ve never seen you before. What’s your name?”
“I’m seventeen, more or less,” Edward said mysteriously. “And my name is Edward.”
Ellie’s eyebrows shot up and she stared at Edward strangely. “My mom almost married someone named Edward when she was really young. You aren’t his son, are you?” That was the only rational explanation she could think of, though she couldn’t imagine why the man’s son would be coming to see his ex-fiance from thirty five years ago. It didn’t make much sense.
Edward stayed very still for a moment with a contemplative look on his face and then nodded. “Yes. I am.”
Wow, he doesn’t talk much…Ellie thought. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, as well, with his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat and his eyes constantly darting around the hallway. What in the world could he possibly want to see her mother about?
“Look, maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to see my mom. I mean, you seem really nice, but if you’re the son of her once fiancé, it might not exactly be the best thing for her to be reminded of right now. I’d like her to just be as comfortable and happy as possible, you know? It’s nothing against you or anything, but…” Ellie trailed off as she noticed she was rambling, then blushed when she noticed the intense gaze Edward had turned on her.
“You talk like her, do you know that?” he said quietly. He soon added, “I promise that she won’t be upset by my presence. She has probably been waiting for me. You can call your father, if you’d like, to check with him.”
Though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why, since he was handsome, polite, and well spoken, Ellie found something about this young man unsettling. He didn’t speak to her like he was five years her junior, but more like fifty years her senior. There was just something about him that seemed not normal.
Ellie nodded and pulled out her cell phone. “Yeah, maybe I will just check with my dad. I mean, again, it’s not that I don’t trust you…” Ellie shrugged and stood, dialing Jacob’s cell number. “I’ll be right back.” She attempted a smile and then walked quickly down the hall to be out of earshot of the mysterious Edward.
“Elle? What’s wrong?” Jacob quickly answered with a note of panic to his voice. He had told Ellie that morning not to call unless there was an emergency so he could get some much needed rest.
Ellie winced and said reassuringly, “No, no, dad. Nothing is wrong. Well…it’s not wrong, but it’s kind of weird…”
“What’s weird?”
“There’s this kid here. He says he knows mom because he’s the son of that Edward guy that mom was engaged to back in the day. He wants to see her, but I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. He told me you’d probably say it was fine…”
Jacob was silent for a tad too long and Ellie wondered if he had actually fallen asleep.
“Dad? Are you still there?”
“Yeah, Ellie, I’m here.” More silence, then finally, Jacob said quietly, “It’s fine, babe. You can let him see her.”
Ellie sighed and scratched her head at her father’s almost forlorn tone. It felt like she was missing a piece of a crucial puzzle and that the answer was right there, just out of reach. She just had no idea where to look.
“Are you sure?” she said almost pleadingly. “You sound sad, dad…”
“I’m sure. And let them have some privacy, Ellie. Go for a drive, get some lunch away from the hospital…just leave them alone for a few hours. Your mom will be really grateful.” Jacob attempted to sound happier than he felt for Ellie’s sake. She was already a mess over the impending death of her mother and nothing else should rattle her at the moment.
“Okay…if you say so.” Ellie glanced over her shoulder at Edward, who was staring at the floor frowning. He was quite good looking, Ellie had to admit, but the whole pale thing was a little too much - the guy looked like he needed some serious vitamin D.
“I love you, dad. Bye.” Ellie hung up the phone and slowly shuffled back down the hall. “Well, my dad said it’s fine…so.” She shrugged and gestured to Bella’s room. “I guess you can go in and just wait for her to wake up. She shouldn’t be asleep that much longer.”
Edward forced a smile and stood, his hands still stuck in his pockets.
“Thank you, Ellie. I appreciate your help.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you seem like a really old soul?” Ellie suddenly asked. She felt slightly embarrassed after the words were out of her mouth, but she couldn’t help asking.
Edward grinned slowly and said with laughter in his voice, “Oh, you have no idea.”
Ellie shook her head, still feeling like he was much too familiar for this to have been the first time they met. “Have I seen you before?” she asked. “You’re just really familiar…it’s like I’ve had déjà-vu since you walked in.”
After hesitating for a moment, Edward nodded. “We met when you were very young.”
Ellie quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I’m five years older than you. I couldn’t have been that young if you remember meeting me…”
Edward shrugged and took a step closer, staring intently into her eyes. “I’ll just let you ponder that for a while. Maybe you’ll figure it out eventually.”
Ellie blinked, surprised by his sudden closeness…and the fact that he felt unbelievably cold. It was chilly in the hospital, but not that frigid.
She took a step back and cleared her throat, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable. “Right. Well, um…I guess I’ll get out of here for a while, then, and let you talk to my mom.”
“Of course. I’m sure we’ll see each other again someday, Ellie.”
“Yeah, you know, maybe.” Ellie smiled and grabbed her coat, then gave Edward a final glance before walking down the hallway. “Bye.”
Edward nodded and watched the young woman walk away. At the last minute, he called after her, “Ellie! Could you come back here for a second?”
Pivoting on her hell, Ellie turned around and looked curiously at Edward before she made her way back to him. “Yes?”
“I’ve always wondered and never got a chance to ask your mother. Is Ellie your full name or is it short for something else?”
Ellie gazed at him, feeling absolutely baffled at his random line of questioning and why he would even want to know such a thing. Not to mention the fact that he’d apparently ‘always wondered.’
“I’m named after a character in one of my mom’s favorite novels…” she said slowly, sure the bewilderment showed in her voice. “…Elinor Dashwood from ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ My mom wanted an old-fashioned name, but one that had a lot nickname possibilities, you know, since she hated being called Isabella. And then my dad picked ‘Joy’ for my middle name, for obvious reasons, according to him.” Ellie realized she was rambling again, which was apparently a side effect of standing in this boy’s presence for too long, and shut her mouth.
Edward grinned widely, looking truly pleased. “That’s beautiful. I wish I would have known that. Thank you for telling me, Elinor.”
Ellie shook her head and gave him a slight smile. “Yeah, uh. No problem.” She turned back around and called over her shoulder, “I’m really leaving now. Goodbye!”
Edward gave a slight wave and put his hands back in his pockets.
As she was about to turn the corner, Ellie turned back around and stared at him, then called out, “Has anyone ever told you you’re kind of…strange?” The question was spoken in a good natured voice and Edward took no offense.
Instead he laughed quietly and just nodded.
Ellie shook her head, then smiled, waved, and left the hospital.
Edward watched until she disappeared, then turned and slowly walked into Bella’s room. He wasn’t truly prepared for what he saw.
How could she bear to leave Ellie? She was only twenty four years old, at the very beginning of her life. She was getting married next year and then babies would follow, and Bella wouldn’t be around to see any of it.
Unless.
Unless.
That word kept creeping in, no matter how hard she tried to keep it out.
She knew what Jacob wanted and she was proud of him for being so strong. He didn’t want to live without her, but he could. He firmly believed he would see her again someday and his views about becoming immortal had not changed since he was a teenager. He had the whole thing figured out the entire time. What a secret to be so sure of, what a blessing.
Bella had never been so sure and she didn’t know why. Even when she chose Jacob, a nagging little thought at the back of her mind kept telling her, ‘You’re creeping closer to death every day…it’s coming for you, Bella…’
Maybe she always subconsciously knew she would die so young and that was part of what drove her irrational terror. That was what it was, though - terror. There was no one there waiting for her on the other side. Both of her parents were still alive, as were Jacob and Ellie. Who would be there to greet her and welcome her with open arms? Who would be there to comfort her?
If she turned to Edward she knew what to expect. She could stay and see her family for the rest of their lives. She could see her grandchildren.
But then, of course, her family would die. They would die and she would still be here and it would be the exact same situation she was facing now because she would still be alone.
Jacob did not talk about Bella dying. He knew it was something she needed to work out on her own, so instead, he just sat there by her bedside day in and day out, letting the garage fall further and further behind. (They didn’t financially need it, anyway, but he didn’t want to give it up.) He let her think and listened every once in a while when she would make an offhand remark. He just never responded except for a squeeze of the hand or a lingering kiss as reassurance.
Bella knew that Jacob would be irreparably hurt if she agreed to let Edward turn her. It was the one thing he would never be able to forgive her for, not after all they had been through and fought for; however, Bella also knew he would let her figure it all out for herself this time and not offer his own opinions. He was just hoping she made the right decision.
Some days were good days where Bella felt almost like a human being again instead of the shriveled, animated corpse she had become due to her illness. Those were the days that Ellie perked up, apparently invigorated by some vain hope that a miracle had occurred and her mother was going to live. Eventually, Bella actually stopped hoping those days would happen because she couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and grief in her daughter’s eyes when the next day, Bella could barely speak from pain and exhaustion.
It was a roller coaster of emotions for everyone involved, but Bella knew relief couldn’t come until she saw Edward. She would hold on until then.
***
On a typical rainy Washington morning, Edward sauntered into the hospital with his usual dark sunglasses and nonchalant air. The sunglasses hid the turmoil in his eyes, despite his physical ease.
Jacob was at home for the day, at Bella’s insistence, since he hadn’t had any proper rest since her hospital confinement the week before. Ellie was there instead, sitting quietly in the hall outside her mother’s room as she slept peacefully. A book was in her hand, but she had been staring at the same page for the last fifteen minutes. She felt like nothing was real anymore and couldn’t concentrate.
Ellie looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and simply stared at Edward as he slowly removed his glasses. Her brow furrowed as something clicked in her brain, a memory of a car and a loud sound, of feeling shocked and scared. She tried to piece together the tiny flashes because this boy must have been there, but at the same time, her logical side told her that was impossible. He was clearly younger than her and her almost accident occurred when she was only three years old. She couldn’t even really remember it. She must be wrong.
“Ellie?” the boy spoke in a voice laced with silk. “You don’t know me, but I’m a friend of your mother’s.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows and stood, tossing the book down behind her in a gesture that reminded Edward of Bella.
“A friend of my mom’s? Since when does my mom befriend teenage boys?” Ellie attempted to smirk, but was sure it came out as more of a grimace.
Edward smiled and shrugged. “Explanations aren’t really necessary. But I know Bella very well. And I would like to see her if she’s feeling well enough.”
“She’s sleeping right now…” Ellie glanced into Bella’s room to make sure and then turned back to Edward, suddenly cocking her head to the side as she gazed at him. “You have the most interesting eyes,” she said sincerely. “I’ve never seen anyone with eyes that color. Are they contacts?”
Edward shook his head and leaned against the wall opposite Ellie. “No. No contacts. And thank you.”
Ellie shuffled her feet awkwardly as she searched for something to say, then reached up and pulled out her hair tie, letting her thick black hair tumble messily down her back. She looked nothing like her mother, but Edward could see Bella in all of her gestures, her pattern of speech, and even the shape of her smile. She had grown into a beautiful young woman.
The silence was finally broken as Edward asked, “How is your mother doing? Is she in pain?”
With a sigh, Ellie sat back down in the chair she occupied before and gestured for Edward to sit next to her. For a moment she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her since he seemed to move abnormally fast, but she simply chalked it up to lack of sleep. She studied him for a moment, her curiosity piqued.
Instead of answering his question, she threw out some of her own. “How do you know her? You can’t be more than what? Nineteen? Twenty? And I’ve never seen you before. What’s your name?”
“I’m seventeen, more or less,” Edward said mysteriously. “And my name is Edward.”
Ellie’s eyebrows shot up and she stared at Edward strangely. “My mom almost married someone named Edward when she was really young. You aren’t his son, are you?” That was the only rational explanation she could think of, though she couldn’t imagine why the man’s son would be coming to see his ex-fiance from thirty five years ago. It didn’t make much sense.
Edward stayed very still for a moment with a contemplative look on his face and then nodded. “Yes. I am.”
Wow, he doesn’t talk much…Ellie thought. He seemed slightly uncomfortable, as well, with his hands shoved into the pockets of his coat and his eyes constantly darting around the hallway. What in the world could he possibly want to see her mother about?
“Look, maybe it’s not such a good idea for you to see my mom. I mean, you seem really nice, but if you’re the son of her once fiancé, it might not exactly be the best thing for her to be reminded of right now. I’d like her to just be as comfortable and happy as possible, you know? It’s nothing against you or anything, but…” Ellie trailed off as she noticed she was rambling, then blushed when she noticed the intense gaze Edward had turned on her.
“You talk like her, do you know that?” he said quietly. He soon added, “I promise that she won’t be upset by my presence. She has probably been waiting for me. You can call your father, if you’d like, to check with him.”
Though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why, since he was handsome, polite, and well spoken, Ellie found something about this young man unsettling. He didn’t speak to her like he was five years her junior, but more like fifty years her senior. There was just something about him that seemed not normal.
Ellie nodded and pulled out her cell phone. “Yeah, maybe I will just check with my dad. I mean, again, it’s not that I don’t trust you…” Ellie shrugged and stood, dialing Jacob’s cell number. “I’ll be right back.” She attempted a smile and then walked quickly down the hall to be out of earshot of the mysterious Edward.
“Elle? What’s wrong?” Jacob quickly answered with a note of panic to his voice. He had told Ellie that morning not to call unless there was an emergency so he could get some much needed rest.
Ellie winced and said reassuringly, “No, no, dad. Nothing is wrong. Well…it’s not wrong, but it’s kind of weird…”
“What’s weird?”
“There’s this kid here. He says he knows mom because he’s the son of that Edward guy that mom was engaged to back in the day. He wants to see her, but I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. He told me you’d probably say it was fine…”
Jacob was silent for a tad too long and Ellie wondered if he had actually fallen asleep.
“Dad? Are you still there?”
“Yeah, Ellie, I’m here.” More silence, then finally, Jacob said quietly, “It’s fine, babe. You can let him see her.”
Ellie sighed and scratched her head at her father’s almost forlorn tone. It felt like she was missing a piece of a crucial puzzle and that the answer was right there, just out of reach. She just had no idea where to look.
“Are you sure?” she said almost pleadingly. “You sound sad, dad…”
“I’m sure. And let them have some privacy, Ellie. Go for a drive, get some lunch away from the hospital…just leave them alone for a few hours. Your mom will be really grateful.” Jacob attempted to sound happier than he felt for Ellie’s sake. She was already a mess over the impending death of her mother and nothing else should rattle her at the moment.
“Okay…if you say so.” Ellie glanced over her shoulder at Edward, who was staring at the floor frowning. He was quite good looking, Ellie had to admit, but the whole pale thing was a little too much - the guy looked like he needed some serious vitamin D.
“I love you, dad. Bye.” Ellie hung up the phone and slowly shuffled back down the hall. “Well, my dad said it’s fine…so.” She shrugged and gestured to Bella’s room. “I guess you can go in and just wait for her to wake up. She shouldn’t be asleep that much longer.”
Edward forced a smile and stood, his hands still stuck in his pockets.
“Thank you, Ellie. I appreciate your help.”
“Has anyone ever told you that you seem like a really old soul?” Ellie suddenly asked. She felt slightly embarrassed after the words were out of her mouth, but she couldn’t help asking.
Edward grinned slowly and said with laughter in his voice, “Oh, you have no idea.”
Ellie shook her head, still feeling like he was much too familiar for this to have been the first time they met. “Have I seen you before?” she asked. “You’re just really familiar…it’s like I’ve had déjà-vu since you walked in.”
After hesitating for a moment, Edward nodded. “We met when you were very young.”
Ellie quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “I’m five years older than you. I couldn’t have been that young if you remember meeting me…”
Edward shrugged and took a step closer, staring intently into her eyes. “I’ll just let you ponder that for a while. Maybe you’ll figure it out eventually.”
Ellie blinked, surprised by his sudden closeness…and the fact that he felt unbelievably cold. It was chilly in the hospital, but not that frigid.
She took a step back and cleared her throat, suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable. “Right. Well, um…I guess I’ll get out of here for a while, then, and let you talk to my mom.”
“Of course. I’m sure we’ll see each other again someday, Ellie.”
“Yeah, you know, maybe.” Ellie smiled and grabbed her coat, then gave Edward a final glance before walking down the hallway. “Bye.”
Edward nodded and watched the young woman walk away. At the last minute, he called after her, “Ellie! Could you come back here for a second?”
Pivoting on her hell, Ellie turned around and looked curiously at Edward before she made her way back to him. “Yes?”
“I’ve always wondered and never got a chance to ask your mother. Is Ellie your full name or is it short for something else?”
Ellie gazed at him, feeling absolutely baffled at his random line of questioning and why he would even want to know such a thing. Not to mention the fact that he’d apparently ‘always wondered.’
“I’m named after a character in one of my mom’s favorite novels…” she said slowly, sure the bewilderment showed in her voice. “…Elinor Dashwood from ‘Sense and Sensibility.’ My mom wanted an old-fashioned name, but one that had a lot nickname possibilities, you know, since she hated being called Isabella. And then my dad picked ‘Joy’ for my middle name, for obvious reasons, according to him.” Ellie realized she was rambling again, which was apparently a side effect of standing in this boy’s presence for too long, and shut her mouth.
Edward grinned widely, looking truly pleased. “That’s beautiful. I wish I would have known that. Thank you for telling me, Elinor.”
Ellie shook her head and gave him a slight smile. “Yeah, uh. No problem.” She turned back around and called over her shoulder, “I’m really leaving now. Goodbye!”
Edward gave a slight wave and put his hands back in his pockets.
As she was about to turn the corner, Ellie turned back around and stared at him, then called out, “Has anyone ever told you you’re kind of…strange?” The question was spoken in a good natured voice and Edward took no offense.
Instead he laughed quietly and just nodded.
Ellie shook her head, then smiled, waved, and left the hospital.
Edward watched until she disappeared, then turned and slowly walked into Bella’s room. He wasn’t truly prepared for what he saw.